Page 187

He narrowed his eyes. “Ranch Girl.”

She fluttered her hand at him. “Sorry. Keep going.”

His mouth twitched, but he didn’t look away.

“I was sitting there at staging watching you run everybody’s life, and I started thinking about next winter. You and Goblin. Snow. A fire burning in the fireplace. Which house we’d be living in.” His voice grew rougher. “Didn’t really care which one. Just as long as you were there.”

Jodie pressed her lips together.

Mac took one step closer. “I knew I was going to marry you before I knew whether you wanted that.”

“That is uncharacteristically arrogant.”

“Oh, sorry.” He grinned.

She laughed once, but tears were already sliding down her cheeks.

Mac pulled out a ring.

Ben had made it. She knew before Mac said anything because nobody else would have created something as exquisite and perfect as the circle of gold lying on Mac’s palm. The ring carried a raised landscape around the band, tiny ridges and open country shaped into the sweep of Sand Wash. Along the edge, wild horses ran in relief, small enough that she had to look closely to see each one.

And then she noticed the teeny-tiny etched clipboard.

Her hand flew to her mouth as joyful laughter escaped between her fingers.

“Mine matches,” Mac said quietly as he pulled out a second, larger ring. “Well, except for the clipboard.”

Jodie giggled. Then Mac went down on one knee.

Jodie started laugh-crying harder. “Yes, Thomas MacAllister, I will.”

“Jodie, you’re doing it again. I haven’t asked yet.”

“Then hurry up.”

His eyes shone. “I love you. I’m going to keep loving you whether you’re at Watchdog, in vet school, elbow-deep in some horse, or yelling at me because I forgot the milk.” He took her left hand. “I want every version of your life you decide on to become part of mine.”

That broke her.

Mac swallowed. “Will you marry me?”

Jodie dropped to her knees in the grass in front of him.

“You already know my answer, but yes.”

He barely got the ring onto her finger before she threw her arms around his neck. Mac caught her with a startled grunt and went backward onto one hand in the grass. Jodie didn’t care. Tears ran into the corners of her mouth, and the ring pressed cool and unfamiliar against the back of Mac’s neck as she held on to him. His arms came around her hard enough that she felt her breath leave her, then gentled immediately.

“I love you,” she said against his shoulder.

“I love you, too.”

“No, I mean I really love you.”

Mac’s chest moved beneath her cheek. “Yeah, I gathered that from the tackling.”

Jodie pulled back just far enough to look at him. His eyes were wet. That undid her all over again. She touched his face with both hands and kissed him, tasting salt from tears and the coffee he’d been drinking all afternoon. Mac’s hand slid into her hair and held her there until Goblin shoved his nose directly between them.

Jodie laughed into Mac’s mouth and sat back. “You have got to be kidding me.”