Page 45 of Comforted By The Mountain Man
Because this is just as important as the proposal to Sierra. Maybe more important. I'm not just asking her to marry me tonight. I'm asking if I can officially, legally, be Ryder's father.
"I already know my answer," he says seriously and the simple confidence in his voice nearly undoes me.
My phone buzzes with another text from Grace. Ten minutes out.
"Positions, everyone," Grayson calls, slipping into his natural leadership role. "Beckett, you're on baby duty. Nash and Ezra, you're hiding in the kitchen. West, Holden, and I will be upstairs. Ryder, you remember where to wait?"
"In Daddy's office with the flowers," Ryder recites. "When he gives me the thumbs up, I come out and give them to Mama."
"Perfect. And when do you come out for the second part?"
"When Daddy calls my name." His grin is infectious. "This is the best surprise ever."
"It will be if we don't mess it up," I mutter, checking my watch.
The truth is, I've been planning this for weeks. Ever since Sierra mentioned never having a spa day, Grace and I conspired to give her exactly that. A full day of pampering while I turned our home into something worthy of the proposal she deserves.
Because that's what this is now. Not my cabin that she's staying in, but our home that we're building together.
"Five minutes," I announce, and everyone scatters to their hiding spots.
I stand in the middle of the living room, surrounded by flowers and candles and fairy lights, and try to calm my racing heart. Through the window, I see the headlights of Grace's car coming up the drive.
This is it.
Beckett appears at the top of the stairs, having just checked on Amelia. "She's still sleeping," he reports quietly. "You ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Good. Because you deserve this, Ash. You deserve all of it. The love, the family, the happiness. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially not that voice in your head."
He's right. For too long, I let myself believe that I wasn't meant for this kind of happiness. That my role was to take care of everyone else's dreams while ignoring my own.
But Sierra changed all that. She and Ryder walked into my life and showed me what I'd been missing. What I'd been too afraid to reach for.
Car doors slam outside. Footsteps on the porch.
I take a deep breath and move to the front door, my hand shaking slightly as I reach for the handle.
"Asher?" Sierra's voice calls from outside. "Why is the house so dark?"
I open the door and my breath catches like it does every time I see her. Pregnancy and new motherhood have only made her more beautiful. Her hair is longer now, falling in soft waves around her shoulders. Her skin glows with health and happiness. And when she sees me standing there in my best shirt and tie, her eyes light up with curiosity and love.
"Hey, beautiful," I say, stepping aside to let her in. "How was the spa?"
"It was amazing. Grace spoiled me completely." She pauses in the entryway, looking around. "Why are all the lights off? And why are you so dressed up?"
"Close your eyes," I tell her.
"Asher, what's going on?"
"Trust me. Please."
She searches my face for a moment then nods and closes her eyes. I take her hand and lead her into the living room, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Okay," I say, quickly lighting the last few candles I'd left unlit. "Open them."
Sierra's eyes flutter open and her gasp is everything I hoped for. The living room is transformed, bathed in the warm glow of a hundred candles and twinkling fairy lights. Rose petals cover every surface, creating a carpet of red and pink and white. The coffee table has been moved aside to create an open space in the center of the room.
