Page 74 of The Longest Speed Date

I huffed but complied, keeping my hands at her waist and my leg between hers.

“I spoke to a real estate agent yesterday.”

I blinked. “Oh?” Whatever she had been about to say, that hadn’t been my guess.

“And I ducked into town to speak to the bank today. About buying a place.”

“Oh.” My hands dropped away from her body, and I took a step back, shifting my feet. “Oh.”

“Jet.” Ari straightened, and I met her gaze. “About the old MacDonald place next door.” I blinked again, and Ari shook her head, laughing. “Your face. You thought I was moving out.”

I rubbed my chest. “For a split second there, you had me.”

Ari bit her lip, her eyes darting to her tote bag. “I thought about how you’d always said buying next door would be a good investment, and you’d run more sheep. Or cows.”

“Cattle,” I murmured, my lips curling up.

“Cows, cattle. Whatever. And that having the extra house might mean having a tenant.” She rummaged around in her huge bag. Banking brochures spilled out along with a notepad with numbers scribbled over it and the word ‘repayments’. Then Ari held up a fist, something clearly inside. “I thought now I’m working and earning some money finally, that maybe I could buy it and then … we could … join it together.”

She was trembling. “Are you okay? I know mortgages and banks are nerve racking, but is anything wrong?”

“Just nervous.” She smiled weakly.

I cupped her cheeks, stroking her soft skin with my thumbs. “Fuck, what’s wrong? Something happened at work?”

Ari gently pulled my hands away. “No, nothing like that. Not at all. I mean, I held back talking to a parent, but that’s fine, and I was supposed to cook dinner tonight but the bank?—”

“Holy shit, dinner.”

I spun around and switched off the gas. Thankfully, I hadn’t burnt the spaghetti sauce to black sludge. The water had just come to the boil. Pasta could wait.

I turned back to find Ari down on one knee. “Babe?—”

“Jethro Cummings.” She beckoned me back to her with a curled finger, and I complied. She grabbed my left hand and squeezed. “I need your attention, please.”

“You’ve got it, Miss Wilde.” I frowned. “But, babe, you can stand if you want.”

“No. It’s not how it’s done.”

“What—holy shit.”

My heart rate sped up like I was running a marathon.Holy shit.

Ari flashed a grin, and then bit her lip and nodded.

“Holy shit,” I muttered again.

“Jethro Cummings, I meant it when I said I wanted to join the properties together, but I also meant join us together. Like joint bank accounts. Joint mortgage. Make us official.”

“Like … marriage?”

Ari swallowed hard and uncurled her fist, revealing a small black velvet bag. “Yes.”

“You got me a ring?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit different.” Ari sucked on her lips. She was still very nervous. “Ordered online from Broome. I thought it would be a good ring for you because it was in Broome where I realised I loved you.”

I grinned like a maniac. Every time Ari said she loved me felt like a gift. The love sceptic had fallen for the goofy shearer.

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