Who knew Logan Walsh could be so romantic?
She smiled as he walked her across to the makeshift bed, then released her to bend down and set his phone on the tray. From one breath to the next, the electrifying sound of rain and thunder filled the air. Her heart leapt up into her throat as she twisted around to face him when he straightened.
His face was flushed, and as his fingers closed around hers, she swore she felt them tremble. “I had you pegged wrong from the start. You are so much more than I ever gave you credit for, but that will never happen again. Being with you, because of you, I’m becoming the man you saw I could be.”
She smiled. “I like that man. A lot.”
He smiled back. “Yesterday, when I still thought this place was lost to me, I stood in the yard and looked around. It only took a moment to realize the farm didn’t matter even half as much as the thought of losing you.”
Emotion tightened her chest. “I was afraid I’d screwed everything up.”
“No, that was all me. I—”
She shook her head. “I was scared. You were right that I didn’t want to tell our friends because I didn’t know how this would all turn out.”
“I understand that. But from here on out, you don’t need to wonder. I meant every word I said last night.”
“Me, too.”
Logan reached into his pocket before dropping down onto one knee. The diamonds and emeralds set in t
he silver ring between his fingers sparkled in the lights from above.
“Here,” he said with a smartass grin. “Don’t lose it.”
Joy laughed past the happy tears clogging her throat.
His expression sobered. “Seriously, though, say you’ll marry me, Joy Dolinksi, and let’s have June plan the wedding for real so she can enjoy every minute of it.”
The love in his brown eyes said twice as much as the words ever could. That, and the fact he was still taking her grandma into consideration. How lucky was she to have found the love of her life right here in Redemption?
Still, she wrestled her smile into solemn submission. “I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
No hesitation. Good man. “You’re paying me back for the loan, but I get to remodel the house. Right away. With my money.”
He hesitated, a bit of a frown darkening his expression. “Do I get a say in any of the remodeling choices?”
“Of course.”
After one more moment of consideration, he nodded. “I can live with that.”
Joy extended her left hand and let her smile reign free again. “Then yes, I’ll marry you. I even have the perfect dress.”
He chuckled, but his hand shook as he slid the ring on her finger, revealing his nerves. She moved forward to cup his face, her misty gaze locked on his as she bent to kiss him. “I love you.”
Logan tumbled her back onto the soft bed of hay beneath the blankets and held her willing captive with his hard, hot body. “I could tell you how much I love you, too, but I’d rather show you for the next couple hours.”
Joy skimmed her hands up along his arms, testing the muscles of his biceps while pretending to consider his words as he had done to hers a moment ago. As the sound of the thunderstorm increased in intensity, she smiled into his eyes and pulled his head down to hers.
“Yeah, I can live with that.”
The End