Chapter 36
Tessa
I’m outside at the ranch with a giant shovel and a pair of garden shears. The job is way too big for me to tackle alone, but I’m determined to clear a large enough area to plant sapling trees that will eventually form an orchard.
One plant at a time…
The first time Fitz explained his philosophy for developing large-scale projects, I couldn’t have possibly anticipated being here now, staring down a few wild thistles that need to be deadheaded and pulled before they go to seed, and the fields are overrun with the invasive plants.
With a thick glove on my hand, I snap the purple flower from the stem and yank the rest of the plant from the ground. I do the same to three more plants and look around to see if I’ve missed any.
The distant crunch of gravel tells me someone is pulling up to the front of the house. Probably the mail carrier or a package delivery, since I’m not expecting anyone today.
Charlotte naps in her room while Dylan sits one room over and works on design plans for the inn she envisions on the property.
Back in LA, my colleagues are handling the case I finally let go of, and it surprises me how little guilt I feel about walking away. After more than a decade of focusing only on my career, it feels good to let other areas of my life grow.
I’ve come so far in just under a year, gone from being chained to a desk from dawn to dusk for a career I didn’t even know I wanted anymore. And now, this town, the ranch, my daughter…I have fulfillment I actually want, even when I had no idea those things were missing from my life before.
I listen for anyone calling me, but I hear only birds.
It reminds me of the first day I came out here and rode the bike around the property with no idea how to fix the disasters I saw around every bend.
They don’t seem so disastrous now, and for the first time in a while, I’m not needed for anything.
I continue weeding, bending over the plants and pawing through them to determine which ones need to be pulled. A low plane flies overhead, so I don’t hear Fitz until he’s right behind me.
“Hey, look at you.”
When I turn, he’s standing with his arms crossed, admiring my work with a satisfied smile as though he’s taught me everything I know. Because he has.
“Thought I’d get started on the herb garden.
I still need to build the raised beds, but this all needs clearing first.” I gesture to the sunny area where I plan to build the boxes.
Fitz comes closer and wipes a finger down my cheek, then shows me the dirt he’s wiped away.
“I can see you’re up close and personal with the soil, Duchess. Impressive.”
I self-consciously wipe at my face with the back of my glove, but Fitz shakes his head and laughs.
“You’re only making it worse. Here.” He takes a bandanna from his pocket and dabs my cheeks and forehead as tenderly as he treats Charlotte.
My heart can’t help but be moved by him every damn time he touches me.
“It’s for authenticity,” I say. “In case you think I’m afraid to get dirt on my hands.”
“I never thought that about you for a minute.” He tilts his head and considers the lie. “Okay, it’s exactly what I thought about you at first, but not now.”
That’s when I notice the giant cooler sitting off to the side. I didn’t hear it roll in over the noise from the plane.
“What’s that? Drinks?”
Shaking his head, he tugs the cooler over to me. “Nope. Better.”
A rivulet of sweat drips down my temple, and I wipe it away, aware that I’m probably just making a paste with the dirt, and I couldn’t care less. This man loves me with or without dirt. I know that now, and it’s all I need.
“What could be better than a cold drink on a hot day?” I ask.
He pops the lid on the cooler to reveal a layer of ice packs. Pushing them aside, Fitz reveals several pints of ice cream and assorted toppings.
My mouth waters at the sight. Maybe it’s the heat and the amount of shoveling I’ve already done, but the thought of ice cream right now brings tears to my eyes.
“Oh my god, Fitz. Do you know that you just made my wildest dream come true?”
He laughs. “That’s your wildest dream? Come on, Duchess, you can do better than that.”
I can practically taste the salted caramel and butterscotch, so it’s hard to come up with anything better, but I try, squeezing my eyes shut and racking my brain to be a little more creative.
When I open my eyes, Fitz is no longer standing in front of me. It takes me a second to realize he’s still here, but he’s on one knee. “You look like you’re—”
He doesn’t let me finish. “Because I am.” He shoves a hand into the back pocket of his jeans and pulls out a black velvet box. But he doesn’t open it. He holds it in the palm of his hand and stares into my eyes, which feel wet for reasons that have nothing to do with salted caramel ice cream.
“When I pictured my future, it was always me on a horse, riding with the sun at my back, looking at a wide-open pasture full of possibilities. But for the life of me, I could never picture what any of those possibilities looked like. And finally, I came to accept that it was because that picture was it—riding alone in a pasture.”
A tear works its way down my cheek, and I nod. “You’re not alone.”
“I know it now. Now I understand that it was you all along, but the reason I couldn’t picture anything was because I hadn’t met you yet. You’re the only one I want. You’re the one I’m meant to love forever. And I only hope you feel the same way about me.”
“I do, Fitz.”
He laughs. “You’re supposed to save that for the wedding.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to wait until the wedding. I want you to know how much I love you. So much that my heart aches when I’m not with you. So much that I get an excited little thrill in my heart at the sound of your voice. So much. Just…so much.”
Fitz opens the ring box, and the sun lights up the diamond with a streak of light, making the moment even more magical. “I bought this for you, knowing it would pale next to how beautiful you are, and it does.”
I peek closer at the box. The ring is stunning, a solitaire diamond with tiny diamonds on the band. Simple, elegant, perfect. I’m almost afraid to touch it.
Fitz takes it from the box and holds it out to me. “I want this on your finger, and I want you forever. Say yes, Duchess.”
“Yes. Of course, yes.”
Fitz slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, just the way our lives have melded so completely together. He stands up and tips my chin so he can kiss me. It’s a kiss that seals the deal forever, and I press myself against his chest, letting the warmth and safety of his body envelop me.
Fitz puts a hand on my hip and cups my cheek in his other hand. He deepens the kiss, and I start thinking about whether I’ve cleared enough brush and bushes for me to straddle him right here in the field.
That’s when I hear someone clapping. It turns into more clapping and some hooting and cheers.
We break the kiss, and I look up at the deck wrapped around the second floor of the house.
All of my sisters are there. Dylan holds Charlotte.
Chad stands next to her. Fitz’s mom is there too.
All of them saw the proposal, and I was so swept away that I didn’t notice them.
“Woo hoo, congrats!” Chad shouts.
“Mommy and Daddy are engaged!” Dylan tells Charlotte.
“You invited all of them?” I ask.
“I did. It wouldn’t be a party without the partiers.”
I look at the piles of weeds and tools I’ve assembled. “I had big plans for this garden, but I guess I could throw in the towel for a party.”
Fitz pulls me to his side and kisses the top of my head. “The party is out here. Why d’you think I brought so much ice cream?”
When I look up, the family members are gone. A minute later, they all file out the back door of the house, each of them holding gardening tools or bags or small potted herbs. “Let’s grow some shit!” Chad calls, hustling my sisters along with him and carrying a pitchfork.
“You are the most amazing person,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around Fitz’s neck.
“Back atcha, Duchess. The feeling’s mutual.”