This was the least she could do for Spense.
Up ahead she caught sight of their destination, a small platform cantilevering out from the main bridge over the Rio Grande River.
She grabbed Spense by the hand, sucked up her courage, and said, “Come on.”
Together, they stepped onto the platform and peered down into the gorge. From this height, the river looked like a sliver of broken mirror coursing through a bank of green wool.
“Do you remember the first time we made love?” she asked.
“Hmm. Let me think.” He grinned big, and then said, “Sorry, but what kind of question is that?”
“A rhetorical one.”
“Baby, never ask a man a rhetorical question about sex.”
“Spense, be serious. Remember how we wanted to take that Tahitian vacation, and we kept waiting and waiting for the perfect moment to make love?”
“And then we realized that perfect moment was up to us to create.”
“At a budget motel, you turned the night into something special and made me feel like the most loved woman in the world.”
“You are the most loved woman in the world.” He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him.
She could barely breathe, but she needed to get this out. “I know you’re struggling right now to make sense of what happened with your dad. When you asked me to marry you the other day, we’d just gotten kicked off a murder case, and I’d just had a creepy encounter with Grady Webber. It wasn’t by any stretch the perfect time for you to propose. I thought we weren’t ready, that it was too soon. But I was wrong.”
“What are you trying to say, Caity? I’ll wait for you, however long it takes. I never meant to make it seem like I was giving you an ultimatum. Marry me or else is not exactly a woman’s dream.”
“I’m saying that just like there was never going to be a perfect moment to make love for the first time, there isn’t going to be a perfect moment to propose marriage. I love you so much it makes my heart pound like I’m in a free fall off this bridge—and it terrifies me. Then I think about the time you dove off the cliffs in Acapulco, how you said it was one of the most exhilarating moments in your life, and that you’ll always be glad you took the chance.”
He broke their gaze, looking past her, over her shoulder. She turned to see what he saw.
They were here.
Three guys, two of them carrying harnesses and cords, all of them wearing red shirts that read Bungee Dream Adventures.
There was no more time to waste. If she was going to do this, and she was, she’d better get to it. She waited a few more beats for the moms to catch up. She gave them the thumbs-up, and they stepped onto the platform with Spense and her.
She dropped to one knee. “Marriage is a leap of faith. But sometimes when you’re scared, you just have to jump.”
“Caity, you don’t have to do this for me. I want you to feel safe and happy. You have nothing to prove. I love you, but I want you to be sure.”
“I’m sure of this. You are the love of my life. And I’m ready to take that leap of faith whenever you are.” The wind buffeted her about, and she gripped the fence for dear life with one hand and extended her other up to Spense. “Atticus Spenser, will you marry me?”
“Oh hell yes.” He pulled her up and into his arms. With his body he shielded hers from the wind. His feet planted wide, he became a wall protecting her from wind and traffic and any trouble that might pass by—no—they became a wall protecting one another. His lips found hers, and he coaxed her mouth open, kissing her thoroughly and shamelessly, right in front of the moms and the Bungee Dream Adventures guys and the tourists and the good lord above.
They finally broke apart, and the crowd let out a cheer. Or maybe they’d been cheering all along, but she’d been too caught up in the kiss to notice.
Spense was her world, and he was all she ever wanted.
“We’re still going to Tahiti, right?” he asked.
The bungee guys were setting up. The sound of harnesses rattling shook her to the core.
“Stop stalling.” She grinned. “Of course we’re going to Tahiti. But not next week, for goodness sake. I need time to plan a destination wedding. We’ll invite Gretchen, and Enrique, and Dutch of course . . . all of our old friends, maybe even Hatcher . . .”
“Now who’s stalling?” the head bungee man asked.
She looked at Spense. Her entire body was trembling.
He took her hand, turned her palm up and kissed it. “Only if this is what you really want.”
In answer, she nodded and opened her stance. An adventure guide rushed to help her into her harness and fasten the safety belts while another guide helped Spense. Behind them cars sped by, and people stopped to gawk and whoop. The guides took plenty of time going over instructions and safety rules.