Page 73 of Impulsive Saint
“It is fun.” She put her hands on her hips and waited for him to catch up. “It will just be more fun once we reach the top.”
He caught up to her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to plant a kiss on her, “Or we could make a little camp here, spend an hour or two making our own kind of fun, and then keep climbing…”
Ashtyn laughed, “Nice try, but no. After that incident in Canada, you how I feel about sex in the middle of the woods.”
“There aren’t any bears around here.” he snorted, following her up around another patch of tangled underbrush.
“You don’t know that for sure.” she shot back over her shoulder. “Besides, it’ll be better once we reach the top. Trust me.”
He muttered under his breath but when she shot him a sideways look, he only forced a smile and continued to follow her. He didn’t know what had gotten into her today but every single time he’d tried to sidetrack her she’d given him that same response. He would understand once they reached the top. He would see what she wanted to show him when they reached the top. He could do all the dirty things to her body that he wanted, but only once they reached the top. He glanced up through the row of trees in front of them, finally able to glimpse the blue sky that signaled an opening and was so grateful they were almost at the mysterious top of this trail that he almost went to his knees in gratitude when they finally stumbled out of the woods and onto the smooth flat surface at the top of the mountain.
The only thing that kept him on his feet was the shock and awe of what lay in front of him. He glanced around, amazed at what he was seeing. He actually staggered back a step before he jerked his gaze to Ashtyn, who was standing beside him, a wide smile on her pretty face.
“Surprise?” she offered, her voice turning hesitant when she saw the look on his face.
“Ash…” He shook his head, unable to find the words, “What did you… how did you… what is all this?”
When she’d told him that she’d planned a hike for them, he hadn’t thought twice about it. She was always planning random, fun outings for them. When he’d asked why this particular trail into the mountains, one they’d never used before, she’d said there was an old building at the top that looked out over the wilderness in one direction and the city in the other. He hadn’t even bothered to ask what kind of old building it was because he’d been more focused on spending the day climbing a mountain, looking at Ashtyn’s ass, and trying to get her naked, three of his favorite hobbies. But now that they stood in the clearing at the top of the small mountain, he understood her determination to get to the top and the secrecy about their final destination.
It wasn’t just an old building, it was a historical site. More importantly, it was a historical church that had been gracefully restored to all its former glory. The old stones of the façade shone in the early afternoon light and the sun glinted off the new copper bell that had been hung at the top of the steeple. It was small in stature, but beautiful, and the view was unmatched.
He’d have been in awe of the place on any given day but today it was all decorated in white flowers and greenery and strangers bustled all around in formal-wear, coming to abrupt stops where they stood when they caught sight of Ashtyn and Tyler on the edge of the woods.
He blinked but the figures only smiled knowingly in return. It took him precious seconds to realize that they weren’t strangers at all. They were his family and his friends.
Vaughn stood beneath a billowing white tent set up near a small parking lot, holding what looked like a case of beer, and he gave Tyler a small tilt of his chin and a smile before putting the case down and turning to say something to the gorgeous woman standing at the back of his car. At the door of the church Tyler recognized Millie and Tatum each with one side of a banner, pausing in their stretching to hang it to grin at him. Tatum’s husband walked out of the church and took the banner from her, putting a hand on her swollen belly before glancing up to give Tyler a nod of acknowledgement. Hunter followed behind him, two small children, Tyler’s niece and nephew, skipping circles around him. Hunter as well only gave him a nod and then bent down to speak to the kids who went back inside the church and then he, like the others, turned to face Tyler and Ashtyn, waiting.
“You told me once that whenever I was ready to get married, to just let you know and you’d be there with a smile, ready to say I do.” Ashtyn reached for his hand and intwined their fingers, “Well… I’m ready.”
“Ash…” He gaped at her in awe, his heart filling with more love than he had even known possible in that moment.
“Tyler St. James, I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time you saved me and I’ve only fallen more in love with you every time you’ve saved me since. You’re my other half. My missing piece. You make me happy and whole and I want to spend my life with you so I’m asking you, here and now, to marry me.”
Tyler blinked back tears and shook his head, “I’m supposed to be the one to ask you.”
Ashtyn giggled slightly, “Don’t be so old-fashioned.”
“I just… this isn’t what I was imagining.”
“I know. I tricked you to get you up here but I thought it would be better this way. Not just to surprise you but also to keep the press or anyone else in town from getting wind of it and making it into another media circus. That isn’t us and that’s not what I wanted for us. This…” She motioned around them, “This is us.”
“It’s perfect.” He pulled her to him and cupped her face, “It’s absolutely perfect, just like you.”
“So you’ll marry me?”
“Of course I’ll marry you.” He rubbed their noses together gently. “But what about our clothes? We’re not exactly dressed for a wedding ceremony.”
“Hunter has your suit and the rings. Tatum has my dress.”
“You really did plan all of this didn’t you?” he marveled and then paused. “What about your family and friends?”
Ashtyn laughed softly, “The last I heard, Dad and Rebecca were picking Mom up at the airport. Kelsey was grabbing the cake downtown and then heading this way. And Aaron should be around here somewhere helping Isaac with the tables and chairs.”
“You’ve really thought of everything.”
“I wanted our life together to start off with another adventure.” She smiled up at him and his heart nearly burst with happiness.
“Start? Sweetheart, our life together started the day you jumped on the back of my motorcycle in that wedding dress. Every day with you is an adventure and I can’t imagine spending my life any other way.” He smiled, “Just promise me one thing?”
