“Come over here, sweetheart.” Dustin held up his hand.
She took it, feeling a fresh bout of shivers roll through her as she looked into his intense gray eyes.
“After you left my office yesterday, I talked to Sam. He helped me see why I’ve been pushing you so hard for so long. It has always been about my issues, baby, not about you. I carried so much doubt about my abilities. All the bravado and arrogance was my way of masking it to the world. The day you saved that little girl back in Phoenix was the same day I lost my first patient, Barkley’s wife.”
She could see the pain in his face as he recounted the story that had plagued him for so long.
“Seeing how you acted with that little girl, I doubled my efforts with trying to push you to go to medical school. Getting engaged seemed impossible to me at the time. I was a fool, Paris. I thought if I could get you to start practicing medicine I would feel less guilty.”
She kissed him. “But you have nothing to be guilty about, Dustin.”
“I know that now, sweetheart. Actually, seeing Barkley tonight helped me really realize that clearly for the first time. He’s the one to blame for his wife’s death. Not me. I did all I could for her. It wasn’t my fault.”
“You’re an amazing doctor, honey.” She kissed him again, feeling her eyes well up with pride.
“Baby, if you love being a nurse, I will support you completely. I just want us to be together. You, me, and Mick.”
“I want that, too, but you were right and your intentions were good, even if your methods were off.” She took a deep breath and then let out her deepest secret. “I was afraid about being a doctor. Terrified even. Like you, I had doubt. My dad suffered after my mother’s death for years, blaming himself, like you did with that woman. You two are so similar. Even through your doubt you both never stopped pushing forward, unlike me.” As her truth flooded out of her, she felt the weight she’d been carrying for so long lift. Dustin and Mick had made it possible for her be completely honest. She trusted them with everything, including her heart. “My dream had always been to follow in my dad’s footsteps, but I was paralyzed with fear of the responsibility of life and death that comes with being a physician. I went to medical school to prove to myself that I was capable, but I had no real intentions of ever practicing. I planned on being a nurse for the rest of my life. But I’m meant to be a doctor. You showed me that, Dustin.”
“I love you, Dr. Cottrell.” Dustin pulled her down until their lips pressed against each other. She melted into him. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Dr. Ryder.”
“This cowboy wants some of that good lovin’.” Mick pulled her into his arms, kissing her into a dizzy state until her legs got wobbly. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too.” Happy from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet, she smiled. “You both get me. No one gets me like you. Being a surgeon is in my DNA. Dustin, you knew it all along.”
Dustin squeezed her hand. “Just like ranching is in Mick’s DNA. I might’ve been right about you, baby, but I was off the mark when it came to him. Not any more, bro. I get it now.”
Mick laughed. “I think Sam helped you part of the way but our ride on Jennifer’s ranch yesterday finished the job.”
Dustin smiled. “Don’t you mean your ranch, Mick?”
Confused, she asked, “What does that mean?”
“I’m the new owner of Steele Ranch, sweetheart. Dustin and I talked on the trip here. We want to ask you an important question.”
Dustin moved to sit up. “Help me out of this bed. I need to get down on my knee for this.”
She placed her hands on his shoulder. “Not a chance, mister. Not until I say so.”
“You’re the doctor.” He grabbed her hand.
“I’ll get on my knee for both of us, bro.” Mick took her other hand, turning to Dustin. “Ready?”
“Ready,” he answered. “On three. One. Two. Three.”
In unison they said, “Paris Cottrell, will you marry me?”
“Yes. Of course I’ll marry you. I’ll marry you both. I’ve been waiting for years for this moment.”
They kissed her again. She’d never been happier in all her life.
Mick laughed. “I should’ve known this proposal was going to happen in a hospital with you two.”
Dustin turned to Mick. “We definitely got ahead of ourselves on this.”
“What do you mean?”