Page 59 of Caging Cessie

“Oh good.” Erika glanced over at her husband and boss. “If he’d said no, would you two have beat some sense into him?”

Jared smiled at his wife. “No. He might have liked it.”

Derek shook his head. “And we don’t beat the guests.”

They all stared at him. Jared started to laugh.

“You know what I mean. We only beat them when we have their consent.”

Jared laughed harder.

Sadie grabbed Derek’s hand. “Wait, wait, I didn’t get to tell you the best part.”

“Her proposing wasn’t the best part?” Derek asked as he pulled her against his side.

“No. They said something—I was too far away to hear—but then he pulls a box out of his pocket.”

That was enough to make Erika actually put down the papers she was organizing. “Wait, he had a ring?” She paused, eyes widening. “So he was always planning to propose while they were here.”

Jared’s brows rose as he looked at Sadie. “He had an engagement ring?”

Derek bent to kiss the top of Sadie’s head. “I doubt he planned to propose. He just hoped he’d be able to. Love makes you hope.”

Jared shook his head slowly. “I didn’t think they’d make it.”

At that Derek grinned. “And I told you that Rawhide Ranch was exactly where they needed to be.”

The End