Dangerous Secrets (Montana Men #6)(51)

Annabelle shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "No way. I get to be the flower girl."

Sally put a hand over her eyes, then looked over to Halley apologetically. "I'm so sorry!" she gasped.

Halley wasn't sure what to say. She was too stunned to react but also warmed by the exuberance of the girls. But … .

"Yes," Mike announced.

Two little girls squealed with laughter, bouncing and jumping and spinning around. Jennifer was bouncing, but she couldn't squeal because Don's hand was still covering her mouth although she was trying! Her eyes were excited over the top of her father's hands.



       
         
       
        

Sally didn't know what to say, but she looked like she wanted to jump up and squeal as well. She stared at both of them, delighted, her hands filled with dirty plates while she watched.

"Yes?" she asked, seeming to be holding her breath as she waited for confirmation.

"Yes, we're getting married," he said with a look in his eyes that made her stomach muscles clench with anticipation. Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. A beautiful diamond solitaire that sparkled in the overhead lights, making Halley, Sally, and all three little girls gasp with delight. "I'm sorry, Halley. I was going to do this when we got home but," he turned to glare at his nieces, "someone messed up my plans."

And then he slid the ring on her finger. Following the plan he'd formed in his mind out in the street, he didn't ask the question. "Yes, we're getting married."

Halley stared down at the gorgeous diamond ring, her heart racing while her eyes filled up with tears. "Married," she whispered, unaware of anything happening around her. "Married," she said again. She'd been so overwhelmed with the realization that she loved him, she hadn't even considered what that meant in terms of the future.

"Halley, say yes," Mike said, squeezing her fingers slightly.

She looked up at him, saw the question in his eyes, and her heart melted. She hadn't thought she could love anyone as much as she loved Mike, but he was everything to her. He was her world and her moon and tonight was so perfect she couldn't believe that it was really happening!

But it was! All of her dreams were coming true! She'd danced on stage, her feet floating across the wood, her body flowing to the music … she'd danced and realized she was in love and now … Mike wanted to marry her? It was all too much. She couldn't really absorb everything right now.

But then she looked up into Mike's handsome, green eyes and everything just … it all made sense!

No more hesitating, she thought. This was it. This was her dream! "Yes!" she said, then was lifted into Mike's arms and he was kissing her. She wasn't aware of him carrying her out of the house to the back patio. All she knew was that Mike was holding her and kissing her and she was the happiest woman in the world!

His hands dove into her hair, pulling her head back so that he could deepen the kiss, all the while, holding her close against his body, feeling her soft curves against his. "You're really mine now," he told her, angling the other way and kissing her once more.

When he lifted his head, he was looking down into her eyes. And then reality hit him. He was kissing his woman in his sister's back yard? Oh, hell no! 

He looked around and muttered a curse. "This wasn't the way I was going to propose," he told her, his voice husky with desire and love.

Halley laughed, feeling giddy. "How were you going to ask me to marry you?" Her arms tightened around his neck and she knew that she loved him more than she'd thought possible.

"Well, I wasn't going to ask, first of all. And I damn well wasn't going to do it here at my sister's place."

She laughed again, her arms still clinging around his neck while her fingers tangled in his hair. She loved touching this man, feeling all of his hard body against her own. "My truck is back at the theater."

He shook his head. "You'll have to leave it here. Don will drive it back to my place tomorrow." He looked around, barely seeing the stone patio or the trees surrounding it. All he knew was that they weren't at his place with a big bed handy. "We need to get out of here," he told her. Pulling away slightly, he grabbed her hand and led her back into the house, through the dining room and out the front door with barely a "Talk to you later," to his sister and nieces.

Back outside, he lifted Halley up into the passenger seat of his SUV, slammed the door and then came around to the driver's side. With a wave to the three girls who were poking their noses through the curtains, he backed up and accelerated out of the neighborhood. Taking her hand, he hit the highway, heading back to Jefferson.