Page 18 of My Apocalypse Cowboy
"If you say so."
Later that night, as we're getting ready for bed, Rebecca pauses in brushing her hair.
"Joseph?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what now?"
"For catching me stealing your horse. For giving me the chance to earn her. For trusting me to save her when she wassick." She sets down the brush and turns to face me. "For giving me a home."
"Thank you for letting yourself be caught."
"Best mistake I ever made."
I pull her into bed, and as we settle together in the darkness, I think about how much my life has changed. Three months ago, I was alone on this mountain, convinced I'd die that way.
Now I have a partner, a future, and plans that stretch beyond simple survival.
All because a desperate woman tried to steal my horse.
eight
Rebecca
Twoweekslater,I'min the barn checking on Sunshine's recovery when I hear Jake's boots on the wooden floor.
"How's our patient?" he asks, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"Perfect. Completely back to normal." I lean into his warmth. "Crisis officially over."
"Good. Because I have something for you."
He steps back, and when I turn around, he's holding a small wooden box. My heart starts racing.
"Jake..."
"I know you already said yes," he says quietly. "But I want to ask properly."
He opens the box. Inside is a simple gold band with a small diamond. Nothing flashy, but it's beautiful in its simplicity.
"This was my mother's," he says. "Only thing I kept when everything went to shit. Couldn't bring myself to trade it away,even when supplies were tight." He takes the ring from the box. "Figured it was waiting for the right person."
My throat goes tight. "Jake—"
"Rebecca Rennick, will you marry me?"
"Yes." The word comes out choked. "Yes, absolutely yes."
He slides the ring onto my finger and it fits perfectly. Like it was made for me.
"I love you," he says, pulling me into his arms.
"I love you too."
The kiss starts soft but doesn't stay that way. Two weeks of constant work and exhaustion have kept us from finishing what we started, and now that Sunshine's safe, there's nothing stopping us.
