Chapter Thirty-Three
NOAH’S HEART RACED as he and Rachel walked hand in hand up the hillside toward the gravel lot.
The familiar scent of freshly cut hay and blooming wildflowers filled his nostrils.
Noah smoothed down his crisp plaid shirt.
One last deep breath, and he climbed the steps, polished boots thudding on the flagstone.
“Noah,” she breathed, her voice soft and filled with wonder. “I can’t believe we’re trying this.”
As their eyes met, Noah saw the same girl he’d fallen for in high school—her amber eyes sparkling with excitement, and bold freckles were twinkling across her nose, cheeks, and chin.
Noah hoped this was one of many firsts together.
He stepped forward, taking her hand in his.
The softness of her skin against his palm sent a jolt through him.
“You deserve it, Rachel. You always have.”
Noah couldn’t take his eyes off her, drinking in every detail—the way the sunlight caught the golden flecks in her eyes, the subtle vanilla scent of her perfume, the soft curve of her smile.
And she was his. He’d spend the rest of his life on this earth proving she belonged on a pedestal that he’d build as a testament of their love, brick by brick.
Finally, Noah led Rachel to her truck. “Let’s take yours. I’ll walk back for mine later.”
“Alright.”
“Mind if I drive?”
“No, but why?”
Noah grabbed her hand and, drawing her palm to his mouth, he placed a single kiss on it, then lowered her hand to her lap. “Don’t be nervous. I want to drop by my place, then I’ll take you home.”
She swallowed, her teeth nibbling her lips. “Okay.”
The mountains flanked them, forming twin columns of familiar beauty illuminated by vibrant oranges and pinks as they jostled across the Cattail Creek bridge toward Calvary land.
The tree-lined side roads of Service passed by, stirring memories of their shared youth.
Noah’s hand found Rachel’s, their fingers intertwining naturally.
As they pulled onto his property and parked at the plunge pool, undetected, he slid one hand in his pocket and then depressed the tiny remote.
Delicate fairy lights wrapped around the pine tree trunks flickered and danced in a coordinated pattern.
The lighted pathway drew her gaze toward the water.
Rachel gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.
The deck had been transformed into a storybook wonderland.
Strings of rice-grain sized lights crisscrossed the rails, with LED lights outlining the structure.
Overhead, LED bulbs suspended from flexible copper wires created a canopy of twinkling stars.
“Oh, Noah,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the delicate lights. “This is amazing.”
“So are you,” he whispered, gripping her hand.
She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, before brushing a single tear from her right cheek. “Wow. This is… wow.
“Come on, I have a surprise for you.”
“There’s more?”
She looked embarrassed, but he noticed the excitement lighting her eyes.
“I’m still over-the-top Noah, Six,” He grinned, lifting her from the truck cab.
He presented her with a bouquet of wildflowers his mama had sworn would make any woman smile.
And smile she did. Clusters of butterflies performed a silent dance, a fanciful flight of figure-eight patterns, adding to the charged atmosphere.
“Noah.” She buried her nose in the petals. “They’re beautiful.”
“That’s the reaction I was hoping for. And to complete our happy family…” He crossed the deck and slid the glass door open.
“Come on, ClamClam,” Noah chuckled, scooping up their fluffy tricolored kitty.
ClamClam looked particularly feminine in a tiny pink lace skirt with matching ankle cuffs; it had taken Noah the better part of twenty minutes to fasten the snaps.
The cat purred contentedly in his arms, seemingly aware of the importance of the occasion.
“Oh, my goodness, you didn’t,” Rachel cooed, taking the cat from his arms.
He shrugged, feeling a flush creep up his neck. “I did promise a cat and a cabin, right?”
“You did. And a Calvary man keeps his word,” Rachel said, repeating the promise he’d made to her at six years old, then scratched ClamClam behind the ears. The cat leaned into the caress, her purr intensifying.
“Aw, Mommy’s little girl looks so cuddly, it’s an awesome disguise.” She sighed, lowering ClamClam to the deck, careful not to ruffle her lace. “You’ve outdone yourself, Noah. What can I say?”
“That you’re happy?” he ventured.
She smiled at him then. “Without question. I never needed the letter jacket or a crown, you know,” Rachel murmured against his chest, her breath penetrating his shirt, heating his skin. “Just you.”
Noah’s heart swelled at her truth, a reality he’d overlooked in his immaturity. “I know that now. You deserve a man better than I’ll ever be, Six.”
“I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Noah met her eyes, hoping they reflected the raw need inside him that burned for her. “Imagine what I’d do if you gave me a lifetime.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. Was this moving too fast, considering the week’s events? The question threatened to derail Noah’s plan until her next words emboldened him forward.
“If I did”—she swallowed, her throat working—“I imagine a love forged in steel, enough to carry us through storms, ropes that anchor us when the winds rage—”
Noah interjected, “A forever built not just in a lifetime of years… but in devotion, loyalty, of being at your side, holding your hands while you hold mine.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Rachel,” Noah began, his voice husky with emotion. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. Rachel’s eyes widened as he opened it, revealing his old high school class ring. “I’ve been holding on to this for years, hoping for the right moment.”
He took her hand, his calloused fingers gentle against her soft skin. “I know you have a life away from here. You’re everything I want and need in a woman, Six. You have to know—I’ll follow you anywhere. Anywhere in the world… if you’ll have me.”
Slowly, he slid the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly, as if it were custom-made for her return home to him.
“Rachel Lydia Johnson, here’s the ring I promised you on the day you said you’d be my mine.
So, I’m asking… will you be mine? Forever and always, no more wasting time or doubting ourselves. ”
Rachel’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her lower lip trembling slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed a finger gently to his lips.
“You don’t have to answer now,” he said softly. “The wedding’s in two days. And today… is about you seeing how I feel. I love you more than a job, a location, or any trophy, Six.”
Rachel nodded, a mix of emotions playing across her face. She leaned in, pressing her forehead against Noah’s. “I don’t need more time,” she said.
He froze, and she didn’t move. They stood, heart-to-heart, suspended in a moment as the cool air carried the scent of renewed hope in forgotten promise. “Alright, I’m listening.”
Rachel turned to Noah, her eyes shining with an emotion he dared not name yet. “My answer is yes,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But what about your responsibilities here?”
“I’ll work out the details,” he replied, his heart hammering in his chest. She’d said yes.
“Okay. And, Noah…” She smiled, a soft, secret smile that made his knees weak. “This was perfect. And… you’re perfect, just as you are. You always have been.”
Lowering her head, she pressed a kiss to his scarred knuckles.
The nerves plaguing him about coming here, pouring out his heart, vanished.
True happiness burned bright in his chest for the first time in days.
Clothes came off in between whispered promises.
Noah lifted Rachel into his arms, carrying her like a blushing bride to the water’s edge.
She looped one arm around his neck, trailing kisses over his pecs.
The warmth of her breath heated his skin.
He bit back a curse. With Rachel, the simplest contact triggered a hunger that consumed him. “You undo me, Six.”
He eased her to her feet. Hand in hand, she glided into the water, tugging him into the flow, splashing his thighs with cool droplets. “Hmm, it feels good,” she moaned, “but you feel better.”
Sliding her bare body against his, Noah lay back, floating on the current. They made love slow and gentle… drifting in and out time as the stars watched… the water sung… and the tide rose with their cries of ecstasy.
Whatever happened next, he knew that this day, this made-for-them moment, would live on in their memories forever. A testament to the enduring power of first love and second chances.
The drive back to the farmhouse in Rachel’s truck was filled with comfortable silence—ClamClam contentedly nestled in Rachel’s arms—broken only by the soft sound of their favorite old country songs playing on the radio.
As Noah pulled up to the porch, he cut the engine and handed Rachel her keys.
The solo light glowing in the darkness joined the quiet, as neither seemed eager to end the night.
Finally, Rachel turned to him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Thank you, Noah.”
“I’ll walk you to your door.”
“No, I’d better say good night before I’m tempted to stay with you till morning.”
He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek and then on her lips.
When he pressed, deepening the connection, she opened for him like a blossom in spring, moaning into his mouth.
ClamClam meowed, breaking the spell and reminding them of her presence.
The warmth of Rachel’s skin lingered on his lips as he pulled away.
Laughter rippled through them, easing the intensity of the moment.
Noah decided to end the night while he still held the reins on his raging libido.
“Good night,” he said as ClamClam leaped from the cab, circled once, and then took off in the direction of the barn.
Rachel lifted one hand, waving. “Bye.”
They grinned at each other like the silly kids they had been.
As Noah watched her walk up the porch steps, the ring glinting on her finger, a sense of certainty washed over him.
Whatever the future held, he knew that his heart belonged with Rachel.
The town of Service would always be theirs, but their love story would blaze a new trail from this moment on.