Page 37 of The Cowboy and His Beauty
I fucked up badly and figured it was going to take an amazingly grand gesture to win Sky back. Ben took my idea and ran with it. When he called in Jenna and Natalie, it ramped up to an even bigger scale. Ben also called Candy, the town librarian who recently had her own happily ever after right before Christmas.
The one thing I’ve always loved about small towns that I've missed is how people stick together. Candy doesn't know me, but because Ben asked for a favor, she was here in a heartbeat. It reminds me of my time in the military. Someone always had your back.
With their help, we got Ben's barn all set up before he left to pick up Sky. This is definitely much bigger than anything I had in mind. But that doesn't mean it will work. Sky could take one look at me and leave. She could come in and yell and scream at me and still say no. She could hear me out, say no, and be out of town before dinner.
"Okay, we're going to get out of the way. I promise she's going to love it," Jenna says again and she and Candy head out, leaving me alone in Ben's barn.
I calm myself until I hear tires over the gravel approaching the barn. Ben parks just out of view, but I can hear everything.
"What are we doing down here by the barn? I thought we were having lunch?" Sky asks.
"I only feel a little bad about deceiving you," Ben says as they round the corner.
Sky looks into the barn and freezes in the doorway, a look of pure awe on her face as she takes in the hundreds of twinkling lights filling the space. Tables and chairs made of hay with our lunch on it are surrounded by a heart made of hay. Rose petals and little battery-operated tea light candles are scattered everywhere.
The girls closed up every window, so the only light coming into the barn is from the doorway where Sky is standing, which gives off an amazing glow to the lights.
Ben suggested using his barn because he doesn't have any animals in it yet and it makes the perfect setting. I owe him big time, whether or not this goes my way.
Ben nods at me from behind Sky before disappearing around the corner and leaving the two of us alone.
"What is all this?" The awe in Sky’s voice makes it all worth it.
"This is me saying I'm sorry. I didn't fight for us all those years ago, but I'm fighting for us now. Spending time with you made me realize the feelings I had for you back then were as real as the feelings I have for you now. All I did by walking away was cost us time.
“But you saw me when I wouldn’t let anyone see me, and it made me realize that I’m still head over heels in love with you. I promise to make it up to you every day for the rest of our lives if you let me."
I take a deep breath and right there in the middle of a heart made of hay and rose petals, I fall on one knee and pull the ring out of my pocket—a ring that is a much grander version of the one I planned to buy for her years ago.
"You are the love of my life and the only woman I will ever love. Will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife?"
Then I wait.
Sky hasn't moved or made a sound since I started talking. The light shifts as she takes a hesitant step toward me, and I see the tears pouring down her face.
"Yes!" she says as she launches herself at me.
I barely have time to stand before she's in my arms. I slide the ring on her finger and pull her in for a kiss as our friends' cheers go up around us, along with the very distinct neigh of horse as he stomps his feet.
"Jenna and Candy helped put this all together," I tell her.
"We also got pictures and video of it all for you. Congratulations!" Jenna says.
"And, of course, Ben was in on all of it," Sky says, laughing.
Even Phantom is here with all of us, and it seems perfect.
"You going to be happy staying here in town with me?" I ask her, just to be sure.
"It's all I've ever wanted. Everything else was just a filler for what I couldn't have." She smiles at me.
Ben pops a bottle of champagne. "Let's get this party started."
This is just the beginning.
Epilogue
Josh
