Page 113 of Wylder Ranch
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly. I never joke about house renovations.”
A giggle bursts out of her, and she slaps my chest. But I catch her hand and twist her to face the counter.
“Pick one.”
“What?”
“It’s not quite as romantic as I’d envisioned, and I do have something better planned in Valentine Nook, but I want you to have something here. To wear tonight. As my fiancée.”
I feel her shaking in my arms, and I drop my head to her ear. “I love you, Haven. If you don’t want any of this, it doesn’t change anything. But I am not going anywhere ever again. We’re doing life together from now on.”
Everly reaches out with her pudgy fist and grabs Haven’s hair.
“Ouch.Ouch. Yes. I’ll say yes. Yes.” She laughs, while I’m trying my best to loosen Everly’s grip—a new thing that’s been happening. It’s only Haven kissing her face, one of her favorite things and guaranteed to have her giggling, that makes her hand open. “Okay, baby girl. Shall we marry Daddy?”
I didn’t realize I was so tense until I heard those words, and my shoulders drop. Haven’s looking up at me, eyes glistening, and I honestly can’t say that I’ve ever been happier than this moment right here.
“I love you, Alex. Of course I’ll marry you.”
Dipping to kiss her, I barely brush my lips against hers before we become aware of Everly’s fist reaching out again, and Haven jerks away with a laugh.
There’s a pop of champagne from the far side of the counter, and then one of the store assistants places two filled glasses in front of us.
Haven’s eyes slowly move from left to right as she takes everything in, before turning around to me with that deer-in-the-headlights expression.
“What do you like?”
“Something that says you’re mine.”
Truthfully, I’m just as overwhelmed. I’ve never bought jewelry of any kind for a woman before. That’s Lando’s department. And maybe I should have asked him for advice, but I’m not mad about the fact that we get to experience something for the first time together.
“Can we help you come to a decision?” the store assistant asks. “What style do you usually wear?”
Haven groans. “None. I have no idea. I like all of them.”
“Let’s start at the beginning.” I press my lips to her temple. “We have all day.”
It takes two and a half hours until we finally leave with a brilliant-cut four-carat yellow diamond set in a gold band. It was the first one she tried on before testing another twenty. And while I wanted her to make the final decision, it was the only one I truly loved, because yellow was my father’s favorite color.
“I’m scared to wear it outside,” Haven says as we step back out into the cold.
I wrap my arms around her. “Nothing’s happening while I’m next to you, I guarantee it. Now c’mon, we’recelebrating. We have one more stop.”
“Where? Because after that ring, and you buying the ranch, you’re gonna be broke before we get married.”
I grin down at her and surround her mouth with mine, mumbling, “But I’ll have a rich wife, so it’s all good.”
“Wife.”
“I like the sound of it.”
“Me too.”
Taking her hand, we walk down the street to the one place I’ve been desperate to come back to. “Want a cinnamon bun?”
“Yes!” Haven gasps, her eyes flaring in excitement. “Did I tell you they put booths in over the last summer? We can eat in.”
