Page 63 of A Fortunes of Texas Christmas (Fortunes of Texas)

She stared at the text, ignored his teasing and then replied.

What’s going on in there? What’s happening?

It took the longest thirty seconds of her life for her brother to respond.

He’s talking to Dad. Sounds serious.

Robin’s breath caught in her throat. Amersen was talking with her father and it sounded serious? It didn’t make sense. What would he possibly have to say to her dad?

What are they talking about?

Her brother responded within seconds.

You, I’m guessing.

She wanted to race up to the house and demand to know what was going on. Except that a minute later she saw the back door of her parents’ house open and then spotted Amersen striding in her direction.

* * *

By the time Amersen had trudged back to Robin’s door, she was standing on the porch, looking hopping mad. He still had the flowers in his hand and the stupidest grin on his face.

“Are you out of your mind?” she demanded when he reached the bottom step.

He looked up and shrugged. “Peut-être...possibly.”

She clamped her hands to her hips. “Did you actually just talk to my father about me?”

He glanced back toward the main house, saw her brother, mother and father standing by the back door and then smiled. “News travels fast around here.”

She scowled. “What did you say to him?”

“I asked for his permission to marry you.”

Robin’s heart almost stopped. “What?”

He shrugged loosely. “It seemed like the right thing to do. To show that I...that I respect you and your family. And to show you that you have changed me.”

Her head reeled. “You’re insane. Give me one good reason why I should marry you.”

“Because it’s Christmas soon, and it will be the worst one of my life if you say no. But, mostly, because you love me?” he suggested hopefully, placing one foot on the bottom step. “Or because I love you.”

She looked like she wanted to throw something at him. “Love me? You love me now? You didn’t appear to love me this afternoon when you said we hardly knew one another.”

“I was angry,” he said quickly. “I said something stupid and insensitive and I am sorry.”

She still didn’t look convinced. “But you were right. We don’t know one another very well. And now, out of the blue, you turn up on my doorstep and start talking about marriage? It’s...it’s...crazy thinking.”

“I’m crazy for you, Robin,” he admitted and came up the steps and pushed the flowers into her hands. “That is all I know.” He reached into his pocket and was about to get down on his knee when she grabbed his arm and kept him upright, obviously conscious that her parents and brother were still watching them from across the yard.

“Oh, no,” she said and dropped the flowers on the love seat by the door. “I don’t want any more gifts from you. Particularly one that goes right here,” she said and held up her left hand.

Amersen’s insides crumpled. “You are refusing me?”

“I’m saying that—”

“You are all that I want,” he admitted, feeling her getting further and further out of his reach. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might refuse his proposal, and then he realized how arrogant that made him sound. The thing was, he was pretty sure she loved him. No—he was certain that she did. “Do you not love me?”

She dropped her hand and stepped back. “That’s not the point.”

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