Chapter 33
POV: Cole?
When I got back to the ranch, my hands were practically shaking.
But I knew what I had to do. And I couldn’t wait a second longer.
I needed to ask her tonight.
When I opened the door, Abby was dancing around in the kitchen with her hair still wet and wearing one of my long worn t-shirts.
I stilled in the doorway, leaning against the frame, admiring the sight of her—not just her partially naked but happy. Actually happy, here at my house—soon to be, our house.
She looked up at me, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders and said, “quit staring.”
“I can’t help it,” I told her, closing the door behind me and starting towards her. I stopped inches away from her face and slowly ran my thumb along her cheekbone and reveled in this moment. She didn’t expect a thing. “I figured we’d go riding.”
“But the sun is just about to go down,” she said, tiptoeing up and planting a kiss on my lips.
I fell into her kiss, kissing her longer than usual and delving my tongue inside of her mouth, enjoying this moment. “That’s the best time to see the stars.”
She gave me one of her smiles, and I practically almost melted right into her, lips quivering, hands shaking and all, the ring box still burning a hole in my pocket.
By the time we saddled our horses, the sun almost sank completely from the sky.
We rode in silence, enjoying nature’s beauty around us, as our horses galloped through the pastures, and onward towards the perfect location.
The middle of nowhere, where the stars were the only lights we could see around us.
When we stopped, I stilled again, watching her dismount her horse, lay down the picnic blanket, and a patterned throw.
I dismounted my horse, grabbed the bag of snacks and the bottle of champagne and placed it down onto the blanket.
She cocked an eyebrow, “Champagne? That’s a little off par for you.”
I tried to hide my nerves, but they likely showed all over my face. “I thought we’d change it up for once.”
“For once?” she laughed easily, not knowing I was minutes away from having a panic attack. “Don’t tell me cowboys drink champagne now.”
“Sometimes,” I shrugged, trying to keep it together as I took a seat next to her.
She shrugged, not realizing that our lives were seconds away from changing forever before casually opening a bag of chips. After stuffing a few chips into her mouth, she pressed her back into the blanket and gazed up at the dark sky.
I joined her, laying down beside her, allowing my breathing to regulate for a moment, though it never quite did.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. We just stared up at the dark sky, and looked at the bright stars and constellations forming.
And at that moment, I thought about us.
We were just like that constellation—destined to be.
I turned to look at her then, admiring the way her gaze never left the sky.
I reached out to grab her hand, running my thumb along the fine lines of her palm, tracing out our futures without even speaking.
“What are you doing?” she smirked, pushing herself up on her elbows to look at me, all of me.
“Just looking,” I said, not glancing up at her face. Because I knew, when I did, the nerves would come right back.
I squeezed her hand in mine, heaved in a long breath and finally looked up at her, really looked at her and into her deep blue eyes. Just looking at her gave me all the strength that I needed.
I pressed my knee into the blanket, pushing into the soft dirt beneath it, then propped my other foot up. I dug my hand into the pocket of my pants, retrieved the ring, admiring the way it shined in the darkness.
Abby pressed herself into a sitting position, sitting onto her heels and looked at me with wide eyes. “No—”
“No?” I chuckled nervously.
“I mean—” she recovered. “I didn’t mean that.”
My tone was unsteady. “Good because that’s not what I was hoping you’d say.”
“Um—Cole—are you sure?” she asked, with clouded eyes.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, Abby.” I took a deep breath in, finding courage to say what I needed to. “I love you, Abby. I fucking love you so much and I’ve never felt like this before but I know I’m supposed to, and I’m not scared…anymore.”
She took my hand in hers, grounding us in this moment.
I blew out a breath. “I asked your father for your hand in marriage, and he said yes, Abs.”
“Cole,” she whispered, reaching up to touch my face with a shaky hand. “I love you, too.”
I waited with bated breath for what came next.
Then she finally said, “Yes. A thousand times yes.”
I could finally breathe again.
I slipped the ring on her finger and the world slowed to a stop.
The stars paused for us. The animals quieted.
And there was only us.
And suddenly, my lips were on hers, hungrily devouring her, as clothes came flying off.
Then I was inside her.
Thrusting—slowly, possessively, and kissing every inch of her naked skin.
Abby looked at me with half lidded eyes, a moan dispelling from her mouth, as she took me again.
I wrapped my mouth around her nipple, causing her back to arch and a groan to leave her mouth.
“I love you,” I replied, as I filled her, each time tender and slow, drawing out the pleasure.
“I…love you,” she moaned in a rushed whisper as she watched me make love to her.
I thrusted deeper this time, feeling her walls close around me.
“Forever,” I whispered, thrusting into her one last night, feeling my climax near.
I ran my thumb along her clit, working her towards her edge.
With every thrust and flick, she unraveled in my arms, moaning my name as I came inside of her and she came around me.
We lay there for a moment, listening to the quiet and counting the stars.
She rolled over to her side and stared at me. “So what? Now that you gave me a ring, you want to get me pregnant, too?”
I chuckled. “I can see it now. You with a baby strapped to your chest, feeding the pigs.”
“Sounds like the perfect picture,” she sighed.
“Sounds like it,” I echoed, leading her body back to mine and nestling her hand against my chest.
We laid just like that, staring up at the stars, picturing our lives ahead.
And I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier than I do at this moment.