Jeremiah (Stud Ranch 5)

“What I’m trying to say is, this is what love is. The oh-shit-this-one-actually-checks-all-the-boxes part and the I-want-to-wring-her-neck-or-fuck-each-others-brains-out-nonstop part together. That’s love.”

She blinked up at me. “A-Are you sure?”

I grinned at her, an elated feeling lighting up my chest. “I don’t fucking know. But I’ve never felt anything like this before. You’re all I can think about. I used to get so mad at my brother for falling in love with some woman or other, left and right, I never understood why he got so moon-eyed—”

“No.” She shook her head goofily back at me and interlaced our fingers. “Me too. I was always so cautious in relationships. Never opening up or letting myself be vulnerable.” She shook her head in a grimace and made a slice across her neck with her finger. “Never.”

“So this,” I said, my voice deepening as I stepped closer, our chests touching, “I’m the only one you’re letting this close.”

“This is crazy,” she giggled, running her hands through my hair. “Are we really doing this?”

I pulled away from her far enough so that I could go down on one knee. She still had the wad of paper towels in her hand and she was disheveled as all hell. She’d never looked more radiant. And I wanted to do this right, even if I didn’t have a ring yet. I’d fix that as soon as I could.

“Ruth Harshbarger, will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she whispered in voice so full of joy, I knew she felt the elation too. And then she pulled me to my feet and cemented her body to mine as we locked lips.

17

Ruth

It was Charlie’s wedding day, the day all the planning had been leading up to, but I’d barely slept a wink last night.

Jeremiah had proposed.

Proposed!

I was engaged.

I mean, holy crap. We’d agreed not to tell anyone. Neither of us wanted to take away from Reece and Charlie’s special day.

But about every three seconds, I’d have a little internal giddy freak out. Jeremiah wanted to marry me! We were going to get married. Jeremiah loved me!

I smiled to myself as I finished tying a bow with a little bit of tulle around the last of the chairs. Everything was almost ready for the ceremony. We’d been running around nonstop all day. I’d barely gotten to say two words to Jeremiah other than him stealing me away for a brief two-minute make out session when I ran inside the bunkhouse to grab a protein bar.

Last night we hadn’t gotten any more time with each other after I’d finally put myself back together and made what I could of my smudged makeup. Luckily, when we finally stumbled out of the bathroom, the party was breaking up. Jeremiah waited until I got into my Lyft before he got into the van they’d rented to take everyone else back to the ranch—Matt had volunteered to be the DD for the night.

My grin was big as I looked out on the finished product of the day’s hard work. Part of me was shocked it had all come together. Yeah, I’d been on the phone for half the day, and while the catering van from the Salt Lick had been on time, the tables for all the food to go on had naturally shown up late.

But all the guys had pitched in, even Xavier’s eldest boy, and everything was finally ready. The yard was absolutely dripping with flowers. The florists had really gone above and beyond. A stunning installation of white orchids and other flowers covered the archway at the end of the aisle the bride would be arriving through. Flower bedecked trellises were set up alongside the serving tables as well. They’d turned the yard into a mini-Eden. It was magical.

Just in time too, because the guests would start arriving any minute.

It was a hot day but that was to be expected, and under the shade of the large oak, where we’d staged the chairs and ceremony platform, with a breeze, it was almost pleasant as far as Texas was concerned. Especially as the sun started to drop. If the timing went right, Reece and Charlie would be saying their vows right at sunset.

I sighed happily. The pictures would be spectacular. Which reminded me—

But when I looked around, panic only briefly spiking— I breathed out in relief. There was the photographer, taking some preliminary shots, doing their thing.

Everything really was going off without a hitch.

I laughed to myself.

Wow, I was just so used to catastrophe after catastrophe, I almost didn’t know what to do when things went well.

My hands lifted to my heated cheeks. Okay, the only thing left was for me to go change. I was a sweaty mess from running around all day. And I should go check in on Charlie and make sure she was on schedule. She should be finishing up hair and makeup. And it’d be good to make sure Momzilla wasn’t driving her too nuts.