Chapter 33Peggy Warner
Chapter 33
Planning for the Future
Peggy Warner
P eggy smiled as the steady beat of Duke’s heart thumped under her ear. She ran her hand over his arm, marveling at the strength she felt there. He rubbed her back as they stared up at the faded glow-in-the-dark stars dotting the ceiling of his childhood room.
They lay tangled together on his twin-sized bed, snuggling beneath an old quilt. The house’s utilities had been turned off for years, but, wrapped in each other, they were comfortably warm.
The lamp Duke had lit earlier had burned out, and the night had settled around them. Tucking them in.
“I love your old house,” Peggy said into the dark.
Her cowboy pulled her tighter to his side. “I hope you mean that because, someday, I want to give it to you.”
Peggy smiled, though he couldn’t see it. “Can we paint all the rooms?”
“Whatever you want, pretty lady.”
She sat up in excitement and the cold washed over her like a bucket of water. She shivered and Duke gathered her back into his arms. “Where are you going?”
Lying back down, she tucked her head under his chin. “Nowhere. This is exactly where I want to be.”
After a moment, Peggy said, “We can start with painting the kitchen. A sunny yellow. But the dining room has to be blue.”
Duke kissed the top of her hair. “Planning on brightening this place up, huh?” He threw his arm behind his head, using it as a pillow. “You can pick any color you like. I don’t care as long as you stay here with me.” He spoke whisper soft. “I want you to turn this dusty old house into a home.”
In the room, shadows danced. Peggy laced her fingers in his. “I’d like that.”
Suddenly, Duke shifted, turning them both so they were facing each other on the small bed. He propped himself up on his elbow and traced Peggy’s lips with his other hand. “Marry me, Peggy May. I don’t have much, but I promise to love you with all that’s in me for as long as you’ll have me.”
“Forever,” she said. “I will, and I’ll want you forever.”
The gentle cowboy leaned over and kissed her, long and slow. She slid up against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He’d never be close enough.
He moved away, panting. But his eyes shined with happiness. “The bride gets to pick any color she wants. I’ll always give you whatever I can.”
“I won’t ask for much. As long as you’re kind and thoughtful and love me true, I won’t need to ask for more.”
“I will,” he vowed. “I already do.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and she giggled. “Can we have a wedding? I’ve always dreamed of being a bride.”
“If you want a wedding, you can have one.”
She rested her hand over his heart. “But what do you want, cowboy? I want you to be happy too.”
“I’m already more happy than I ever thought I would be.”
Peggy felt like she was living in a fairy tale. Like she and Duke were soulmates. Like it was love at first sight.
She’d never had anything all her own, but now it seemed she was getting everything she’d ever wished for.
Peggy stroked his face. “I don’t need a big wedding, but I would like all my sisters to be bridesmaids and my brother to be a groomsman.” She tried to picture how her family would act. “My dad will probably cry and my mother will say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ ”
Duke’s deep laugh melted over her. “When do you want to tell them we’re getting married? In the morning?”
Peggy stiffened in his arms. “I need to wait a few days. Until I find the right time. I’m worried about how my mother will react, since it seems I was born to be her buddy. When I’m home she wants me to go everywhere with her. She doesn’t even ask; she just says, ‘We’ve got to go to.’ Who is going to go with her once I leave her house?”
“Are you sure you want to marry me?”
“Yes!” she said fiercely. “I’m sure. We’ll tell my family in a few days.” She kissed his scruffy cheek. “I’m ready to start living my life with you.”
Duke tucked the blanket in around them, and she settled next to him. The weather was blowing outside but she didn’t feel the cold. They talked to each other, laughing and wrapped in each other’s arms.
When dawn crawled into their bedroom, she smiled up at him. He looked like he hadn’t been asleep all night.
Peggy laughed softly. “Did you close your eyes at all?”
“Nope.” He pulled her onto his chest. “I didn’t want to miss a moment being with you.”
“If you work during the day and watch me at night, you’ll be dead in a month.”
“I don’t care.” A chuckle rumbled in his throat. “It’ll be worth it. Now let’s get up and go find a café. I’m starving.”
She pressed her face against his chest. “Let’s go out and have a real date.”