Page 121 of A Rancher's Vow

He laughed. “I hope I know where this is going.”

She held up a second finger. “Two, I promised we’d go riding with Emma and Sasha after the little girls go home.”

“Beach and Annie will enjoy that.” Dustin lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “And three?”

“I love you.” Charity shook her head in amusement. “Germs and all.”

His expression softened. “So, you going to marry me?”

She raised a brow. “Did you ask?”

Dustin considered for a moment. “Maybe I missed that part.”

Charity leaned her forehead on his. “Maybe you did. Although the ring was a big clue.”

Dustin cleared his throat. “Tee, I really want you to marry me. So make me the happiest guy in the world and say my favourite word.”

“Chores?”

He caught her against him. “Tee.”

His eyes were shining, and she couldn’t wait another second. She nodded. “No more teasing. Okay.”

Dustin raised a brow. “Okay…what?”

She spoke softly. “Okay, I’ll marry you.”

“That’shashtag one hitched cowboy,” he joked before turning serious. He slipped the ring on her finger, his hands trembling. “I do love you. I’m stoked to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.”

Charity lifted her hand and admired the ring. “It’s beautiful. But I’m hiding it until after the cake is served so we don’t upstage Harper’s big day.”

She kissed him then, fingers entwined around his biceps. Stroking down his sides, pouring her love into the gesture.

“If we don’t stop now, we’re going to be really late for the party,” he warned when she untucked his shirt from his pants and slid her hands over his bare skin.

“We’ll be quick,” she promised.

Quick, enthusiastic, and very satisfying. Charity couldn’t have found a better way to celebrate being engaged to Dustin. To being exactly where she was supposed to be.

In love.

Dustin was grinningway too hard when they finally made it across the yard to the main ranch house. Somehow they walked in less than ten minutes after Walker’s family had arrived, so the noise and confusion were still high enough no one noticed the just-had-sex glow on Charity’s face.

Well, maybe one person saw. Tamara gave Charity a long look before turning to Dustin and rolling her eyes.

Dustin put the soup pot on the counter with a grin, not one bit ashamed.

He pressed a kiss to Charity’s cheek. “Which part of the mayhem are you diving into?”

She leaned into his side as she glanced around the room. Dustin looked too, and another type of satisfaction rolled him up tight.

Family. Everywhere.

Ginny was curled up in her favourite spot on the couch with Demi nestled in her arms enjoying an early supper. Tucker stood behind the couch, supposedly talking to Ivy, who stood in the quietest corner of the room, but his gaze was fixed on his daughter.

Ivy wore an understanding smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then bent to answer her daughter’s question. Harper pointed across the room, and Ivy nodded.

The little girl raced across the living room and crawled up on one of the mismatched dining table chairs. She tucked her fingers behind her back and stared intently at her birthday cake that rested in the middle of the table in a place of honour. The green icing top held a barn, fences, and three plastic horses.