He crossed his arms over his chest to keep himself from reaching out to snatch her back into the safety of his arms. She hadn’t told him why she had insisted they drive here today.
It was the first day of pretty spring weather they’d had, and the trees were just beginning to bloom. When he had parked the truck, his breath had caught at the breathtaking beauty of the blooming trees and clear sky.
Sutton had silently slid out of the truck, going toward the edge of the mountain. He had sensed she had wanted to be alone, and despite his wanting to be near her, he had held back.
He saw her hands rise to her waist, sliding off the wedding band on her finger before closing it into a tight fist in the palm of her hand. He held his breath when she took a step backward then one forward, her hand rising as she threw the ring high into the air.
His eyes followed the ring into the sky before it fell, disappearing from sight. When it could no longer be seen, she turned back to face him. He straightened from the truck, holding out his arms to her, and she ran toward him, jumping into his arms, her legs circling his waist.
Tate spun her in circles, his hat falling to the ground as she cupped his face with her hands.
“I’m ready to go to the courthouse.”
He felt as if his chest was going to explode with the love he felt for this woman.
“Is this your way of proposing?” he teased.
“No, it’s my way of telling you we’re going to get hitched,” she repeated the words he had told her at the beginning of winter. “I’m ready to become a Porter.”
“I guess I’ll accept your proposal, then.”
“You better,” she warned, “if you know what’s good for you. Greer said he would kick your ass for me if you turned me down.”
“He did?”
She nodded happily. “They’re all going to meet us at the courthouse in a couple of hours.”
“Confident of yourself, weren’t you?”
“Where you’re concerned, yes. I knew you wouldn’t turn me down. You’re not a stupid man.” Her laughter never failed to touch his heart.
“It might have taken me eighteen years to marry you, but I eventually got it right.”