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Ryker: Good. I’ll see you when I get home.
I get up off the grass and head back to the house. On my way back, I bump into Jennifer.
“Hey there! Where’ve you been hiding?” Jennifer gives me a giant smile and wraps her arms around my shoulder, pulling me in for a big hug.
I grin, pulling away. “Just taking in how beautiful it is today. Went down to the lake.”
“It really is gorgeous. I don’t know what it is about today!” She shrugs. “If you’re hungry, I made some turkey sandwiches. They’re in the fridge. Stop by the main house and grab some.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that.” I turn and hug her once more, then I run over to the main house and pick up lunch before heading back to sit on the porch and chow down.
Several months ago, I had no clue where I was going to end up. I had no one I could count on, no one I could trust. As I look out at the ranch, I realize how much I have I actually do have. I came here to Weston with nothing, but I gained an entire life.
The first twenty-seven years of my life were a lie, but I’m determined to live the rest of my life the way I want to and to its fullest.
* * *
“Did you grab the blankets?” Ryker calls from the porch.
“Yeah. In the truck. All we need is you to get your hot ass out here. And by we, I mean me. So, let’s go, Sheriff.” I laugh and hop in the truck.
After about a minute, Ryker finally hops in the car, and we head over to the lake. The sky is completely clear, allowing us to see every star in the sky. It’s a good night to lay out in the bed of the truck; the view is simply unbeatable.
We pull up to our spot and both jump out. Ryker gets the blankets laid out for us to lounge on. He grabs me by the hips and lifts me up onto the tailgate. I crawl to my spot, and he soon follows.
Ryker gets in his usual position. He lays on his back and extends his arm out for me to lay on. I pull myself into him, resting my head on his chest.
“Look, there’s Perseus.” He points close to the horizon. I look out at the horizon and stare at the hero. I pull in a little tighter towards Ryker and give my hero a squeeze. I plant a kiss on his cheek and lay my head back on his chest.
I narrow my eyes and look around Perseus. “Where’s Andromeda?” I look back at him with a frown.
“Below the horizon this time of year. Usually, you can see her in the early morning hours before the sun starts to rise, but she’s still there.” His hand goes to my hair, and he threads his fingers through it.
“You know, when I was in that hotel room, I closed my eyes and prayed you would come save me. My Perseus, coming to slay the monster.” I let out a breath. “When I opened my eyes and saw you there, I didn’t know if it was real or if I was dreaming. But then you rescued me. You saved me.”
“I had a promise to keep.” Ryker slowly pulls his arm out from under me and rolls himself so he’s hovering above me on the truck bed. “I’ll never break that promise again, Zo.”
“Ryker, you didn’t break it. I know you didn’t. Because you found me, and you did everything you could to protect me and save me from Mitch.” I reach my hands up to his face and run them down the sides of his cheeks. We lay there silently for a moment, taking each other in, letting our eyes speak into each other’s souls.
“Zoey,” Ryker leans in and kisses me softly. “You’re my world. You’re what makes my sun shine brighter and my heart beat faster. You have a hold on my soul, and I just can’t live without you.”
He pushes up and puts his weight on his knees as he reaches behind my head for something. When his face meets mine again, he is holding open a small black box. Inside sits a beautiful princess-cut diamond on a white-gold band.
My mouth goes dry, and my eyes tear up.
“Zoey Davis. I would like there to be one last name change in your life. The one that ties you to me, for the rest of our lives. The one that makes you my wife. Would you do me the honor of becoming Zoey Holliday by marrying me?”
“Ryker … Yes. Oh my God, yes!”
He takes the ring out of the box and places it on my ring finger. He then holds my hand and brings it to his lips, a huge smile stretching across his face. He leans back down and hovers over me, tenderly kissing my lips.
I pull back and lock eyes with him. “So, I have a question then.”
“Ask anything,” he says as he peppers my jaws with kisses.
“Does this mean we’re going to have a ‘shit ton of kids’ now?” I press my lips together to keep from laughing.
Ryker’s eyes sparkle. “Fuck yeah it does.” His lips crash into mine, and our tongues tangle together.
Under the stars that share our story, where we have shared so much, we create a new memory for our journey together.
With my mouth still against his, I murmur, “I love you, Ryker.”
“I love you, Zo. Always and forever.” He rubs his nose softly against mine.
I place my left hand on his chest. “Forever. I like the sound of that.”
The End.