Chapter 22
Blake followed Sierra into the house and into the kitchen. He’d spent enough time here to know where the coffee stuff was kept and that she wouldn’t mind him fixing himself a cup.
Once his coffee was ready, he went to one of the stools on the far side of the bar to watch her work. She didn’t want people in her way, and he enjoyed watching her move around the room, reaching without looking and being completely at ease.
“What made you come up so early?” she asked, not looking up from where she mixed pancakes in one bowl and tended the bacon she’d started frying in a skillet.
He shook his head and watched, not daring to say anything about her make-up smeared face or her wild hair. She would freak out if he reminded her of them, but he found them endearing, especially after their late-night call.
“I worked late last night trying to get everything done so I could come spend time with you. Then you called.” He paused, watching the color creep up her neck and fill her face. That told him as much as anything she remembered their call last night and what she’d said. “I thought it sounded like such a good idea I’d come up and we can do it… Then tomorrow I’ll take you to Missouri to meet my folks.” He left his mug on the counter as he stood and went around until he stood behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he spoke softly against her ear. “I want to introduce them to the woman I’ve fallen in love with.” He paused for just a moment, listening to the way her breath caught in her throat and watching as her hands froze.
Sierra spun in his arms, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“I’m sure they’ll love her as much as I do.”
“Really?” Happiness shown in her eyes.
“Really.”
“But what about the house? That’s set to close in a few days, if you still want it.”
“I want it. We’re going to need to live somewhere. Didn’t you notice I chose your favorite?”
“How did you know?” She stared up at him with wide eyes.
“You light up whenever you talk about it. You like showing people the possibilities, what they can do with space, how they can make it theirs. I could see that as we looked, but with that one, you were different. The way you talked about it told me you’d been dreaming about what you could do with that space. How you would do things if it were yours.”
Sierra threw her arms around his neck, stretched up on tip toe and kissed him. Blake reveled in her kiss.
There, in Sierra’s arms, he found something he hadn’t even realized was missing. But now that he knew what it was, there was no way he’d let it slip away now.
After a moment, Blake broke the kiss and stared down at her for a moment.
“What are you thinking?”
“I love you.” Her grin spread warmth through him, and he knew no elaborate planning would make for a better moment. He reached into his pocket, dropped to one knee and showed her the box he’d stowed there before getting on the helicopter that morning.
“Marry me? Please.” He opened the worn felt box to reveal a simple diamond solitaire, less than a caret, but even more precious for its small size. “I’ll buy you a different ring if you want, but this was my grandmother’s. I inherited it when she passed away a few years ago.”
Sierra stared at him for a second then her eyes flicked to the ring, then back to his face.
“I don’t need a different ring. I love this one and I love even more that it means something to you. Yes. Of course. Yes.”
He pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. It only went to the second knuckle, but Sierra folded her hand around it and wouldn’t let him take it back.
“I’ll get it resized so it will fit you.”
“I’ll let you do that, but not just yet.” She reached up and kissed him again, briefly this time before turning back to her food on the stove. “Now go sit down before I burn your food. We’ll have a lot more mornings to be silly and sappy, but I don’t want to burn the bacon either.”
Blake grinned to himself and went back to his seat. Sierra had agreed to be his. Nothing else mattered.