Chapter 22
Taylor fastened her seatbelt. “So, where are we going today?”
“It’s a surprise,” Rhys replied from the driver’s seat, his infinitely kissable mouth curved into the kind of grin that proclaimed the fact he knew something she didn’t.
Despite her enthusiasm for anything they would do together, Taylor tried to stifle a yawn.
She hadn’t bargained for such an early start after a highly entertaining evening at the local pub, where live music had been provided by an amateur group made up of some of Rhys’ childhood friends.
The banter between them had been off the charts, and Rhys had demonstrated beyond any doubt that he had inherited his father’s vocal talents.
She glanced at her watch and groaned. “While I love a surprise, are you sure we have to leave this early?”
“Quit whining. Yes, I’m sure. It’s about an hour away, and at this time of the day, it’ll hopefully be a bit quieter.”
“Okay. Whatever you say. Wake me up when we get there.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to sleep all the way?” He sounded scandalized.
Taylor made herself comfortable. “If I am, it’s all your fault.”
Not only had they been late leaving the pub, he’d kept her up when they arrived back by making love to her until her mind had flown to another plane of existence and her body had been so limp and wrung-out, she’d barely had the energy to react when she’d felt the heat and pressure of his body all the way from her shoulders to her thighs.
He’d draped his arm over her waist and she’d drifted into sleep, secure in the knowledge she was anchored to the man she loved.
Thoroughly relaxed, Taylor let her gaze drift to the view speeding by. The more she saw of the Welsh countryside, the more she fell in love with it. When the time came, leaving it would be a wrench.
“Is all of Wales as beautiful as this?”
“No, not all of it. The old pits and the steelworks have left their mark. The castles are better, though; we have a few of them dotted around. I think there’s about four hundred, including the ruins.”
Taylor turned from the view to her chauffeur. “Four hundred? That’s crazy.”
“Used to be a couple of hundred more, if I remember rightly. Fancy coming back next summer and taking a tour of a few?”
“That sounds wonderful. Are you sure you won’t mind?”
Rhys detached his left hand from the wheel and reached across to take hold of her right hand. “Not in the least. I’d love to show you around.”
“And I love the sound of it already.”
He lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed her fingers. “Then it’s a date.”
They reached their destination and pulled into a small parking lot.
Even at this ungodly hour, three or four cars had already beaten them to it, but there was still plenty of room.
Taylor was about to suggest they grab a drink at the small coffee shop first until she noticed the opening hours on the sign on the door. She sighed.
“You all right?” Rhys asked.
“Yes. I was just craving a hit of caffeine, but we’re too early.” She pointed to the sign.
“We can call in on the way back. I think we both might need coffee by then. How do you do it?”
Taylor glanced around, unsure as to whether the question was directed to her. The total absence of other human life seemed to indicate it was, but she had no idea what he meant. “Do what?”
Rhys closed the space between them. He raised a hand to cup the side of her neck and run his thumb lightly along her jaw. “Look so amazing. I thought I knew how lucky I am, but every day you make me realize I have no fucking clue.”
Taylor took a deep breath and draped her arms around his waist. “Are you kidding me? I’m the lucky one here. When I think of how much time I wasted before Nick threw us together?—”
Rhys pressed a finger to her lips. “That’s time we wasted. So, my guilt cancels out yours, which means we only think about the day we have today, and all the days we have to come. What’s in the past doesn’t matter.”
“I love the way you put that.” She stood on tiptoe and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. “And I like the way you think, Dalton.”
A smile lit up his face. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
They made their way to the far end of the parking lot and the start of a bark-strewn trail. Taylor glanced down at her sneaker-clad feet, then across at the sturdy boots Rhys habitually wore. “Are you sure my footwear can cope with this?”
“Tay, I’d have suggested a change if that had been the case. You won’t need walking boots for this, but if we’re going to do things like this more often, we could always get you kitted out—boots, waterproofs, the works.”
“Whatever you say, but how about we wait until we get back? I know this is nothing to you special forces guys, but I’m a civilian.” She looked him in the eye. “And I’m used to Texas.”
“Wales is just like Texas; you just have to imagine it with substantially more rain and substantially less sunshine.” He shrugged and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s broaden your horizons. It’ll be worth it—I promise.”
There was something about the way he said it that aroused her curiosity, but she shrugged it off. With her hand in his, they set off.
The path wasn’t as rough as she’d anticipated, and for the most part, they could walk side by side.
Although they weren’t in a hurry, they passed a few people, some of whom had stopped to take photos of white water tumbling over rocks in the river just a few yards away.
The incline was gradual, and after they’d been walking about fifteen minutes or so, they came to a small viewing area.
“Can we stop and take a look?” Taylor asked. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“Of course. Just don’t fall in, okay?”
“There’s a rail.” To emphasize the point, she gestured toward it.
“And you’ll lean out over it to get as much of the view as you can.”
She couldn’t deny the possibility. “Then I’ll just hold on.”
“And just to make sure, I’ll hold onto you.”
With Rhys’ arm around her waist, Taylor felt bold enough to stand on the ankle-high horizontal bar in an effort to get an even better view.
Upstream, there was a bend not too far ahead, and judging by the speed of the flow, the incline was about to get a little steeper.
Downstream, though, she was able to see the fast flow over the rocks that they’d just passed, and the calmer waters beyond.
Life rarely got more perfect than this—sharing beautiful surroundings with a beautiful man. She was so, so lucky.
“Was that a happy sigh?” Rhys murmured close to her ear.
On impulse, she planted a brief kiss on his cheek. “I’m so glad you brought me here. Not just this place, but to Wales, and to meet your family. I’ll treasure this forever.”
Rhys leaned in closer to kiss her back, his lips soft on hers. “Like I said, we can always come back and see more. Ready to move on?”
She nodded. “Yes, please. I’m not complaining, but do we have far to go?”
His brow furrowed. “Is that you asking if we’re there yet?”
She elbowed him in the ribs. “Very funny. Let’s go.”
As they made their way further along the tree-lined route, the sound of rushing water became louder and louder.
To take it all in, Taylor ended up walking backwards as they continued along the trail.
The impact of the view from this vantage point stopped her in her tracks. “Rhys, look. It’s amazing.”
He returned to her side and pulled her close. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until we get to the top. It’s just a few more minutes.”
After resuming their hike, a couple of visitors to the beauty spot passed them on their way back down the track, until Rhys and Taylor finally reached the topmost vantage point.
The waterfall took her breath away. Although she’d visited Niagara Falls, which had been awesome for their sheer size and power, this cascade, though smaller, was more than their match when it came to the beauty of nature.
White water thundered down—narrow streams here, wider flows there, and the spray…
It was something else. The freshness of it could have woken Rip Van Winkle in the middle of his two-decade slumber.
The scent of soaked vegetation gave the air around them a unique vitality, reminding her of the time she’d explored Central Park during a spring shower.
With no one else around them, Taylor leaned over the rail again and held out her hands. The sensation of the tiny droplets raining down brought a childlike joy all its own. She laughed out loud and spun around, eager to share the sense of euphoria with her man.
And stopped dead in her tracks, too stunned to speak. Lips parted in shock, she simply stared at the strong, proud man on one knee before her.
“I’ve wanted to do this for a while, and last night, I realized it couldn’t wait any longer.
I know bearing Markham’s name is something that’s bothered you ever since you found out what really happened to your mother, and you know I’ll do whatever I can to help you find out your surname at birth, but I hope you’ll consider another option. Taylor, will you marry me?”
Her heart nearly burst from her chest. Almost overwhelmed with emotion, she gazed at the wild, natural beauty that surrounded them—the stunning deluge of water, rumbling over the rocks, the cocoon of trees on the cusp of turning gold for fall, shards of sunlight streaming through their branches, and the clear blue sky beyond.
Then the shock dissipated, and in its place, realization kicked her in the ass. “Ask me in Welsh.”
The subtle shift in his expression, from intrigued curiosity to subtle appreciation, told her she’d never regret asking him for that.
“Wnei di fy mhriodi i, fy nghariad?”
Taylor took a deep breath, hoping her pronunciation would be close enough to what she wanted to say and wouldn’t sound too absurd.
“Ie, gyda’m holl galon, gwnaf.”
She could never have said what possessed her to learn the words before their trip, but it was worth it to see his reaction when she accepted his proposal.
As he stood, she stepped forward and into his arms, tears of happiness streaming unchecked down her cheeks.
“How on earth did you learn that?”
Laughter mixed with the tears. “You understood me? Thank goodness. I learned it with a lot of trial and error, and a massive amount of hope that it wouldn’t sound like complete nonsense. And that one day, I’d actually have the chance to say it. I love you, Rhys.”
“Fy nghariad, ‘rydw i’n dy garu di gyda’m holl galon, hefyd.”
Taylor chuckled. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to translate that for me. I mean, I recognize about three words, I think, but the rest of it…”
“You know three words because you used them, so I think you can probably guess the rest.” He brushed strands of damp hair away from her cheek, then guided her into the right position for a deep kiss. “To avoid any doubt, though, it means ‘My love, I love you with all my heart, too.’”
He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “There is one thing, though.”
“What’s that?” Whatever it was, there was no way it could spoil her happiness.
“The small matter of an engagement ring…”