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Jaydon

When the land beside Haleigh and Ryan's farm went up for sale, I knew it was going to be mine—ours.

Forty acres is plenty enough to build a house and raise a family.

That’s exactly what I plan on doing.

In the months since Ellie's accident, she and I have been focusing on our relationship. She's still as feisty as ever. That's what I love about her. Yep, I love that blond-haired, blue-eyed bombshell.

She’s finally all fucking mine and I plan on making her my wife.

She glances over at me.

She's riding in the passenger seat of my truck, looking beautiful as ever, with her blond hair down in waves, flying around in the breeze with the windows down.

She's absolute perfection .

Ellie

“Where the hell are we going, Jay?”

I cut my eyes over him, studying his gorgeous profile, and he's eating it up. He knows I could stare at him for days. He bites back a grin when he finally glances my way. Mischief flickers across his face, not giving a single clue as to where he’s taking me.

“Just ride, Peachy. We'll be there shortly.”

“Jay, we’ve been driving on the back roads, going in circles for the past twenty minutes. Are you planning on taking me into the woods and having your way with me?” I tease, but I would definitely be on board with that right now, especially with the sight of him.

His hand white-knuckles the steering wheel as he chuckles along with me. This man’s arms drive me fucking wild, and the way he casually rests one while he drives is turning me on. I’m seriously considering making him pull to the side of the road so I can climb into his lap.

“You’re eye-fucking me again, Ellie.” He glances my way but quickly focuses back on the road, looking sexy as hell with his ball cap on backwards.

I pretend to be aggravated and tease, “Well, if you were paying attention to the road, you wouldn’t know this, would you? ”

He reaches over to me, grabbing my thigh. “You’re too far away from me.” Butterflies dance in my belly at his announcement, along with his touch. “Lean over towards me, Baby.”

My smile is probably blinding. The things he makes me feel are so out of this world.

Just the simple sound of his voice has me melting on a daily basis.

I lean over the console and wrap my hands around his thick, carved muscles.

Just touching him soothes me. The connection we have is unlike any other.

I lean up, kissing him below his ear as he continues to drive.

“Peachy, don’t start that. I’m already fucking hard.” He leans over, adjusting himself beneath his jeans.

I giggle.

We make the turn on the same road we’ve driven at least five times already today—the same road that leads us to Haleigh and Ryan's farm.

“Are we going to your sisters for dinner or something?” I lift my head off his shoulder to ask. “You told me you were taking me out for dinner.” I eye him suspiciously, rubbing my hand along his forearm.

I can't help myself—I have to touch this man.

“No. As much as you’d love to go see my sister, we aren’t going there tonight. I want you all to myself. So just calm down. We’re almost there.”

“You’re acting so weird, Jay. ”

I feel his body shake with laughter when he reaches over my shoulder and pulls me back against him. I melt into his side, resting my cheek on his shoulder again.

Only a few minutes later, we slow and pull into a wide-open field. A gravel driveway heads to the back, disappearing near the tree line.

I sit up straighter. “Where the hell are we?” I can’t help it—my curiosity is getting the best of me.

“Peachy,” he says with a low laugh, his hand drifts down, and his fingers grip my thigh, “just give me a second.”

After a short ride in silence, we roll to a stop near the wood line. He shifts into park and glances my way.

“Sit tight. I’m coming around to get you out.”

Then he’s at my door, looking sexy as hell with that smirk that has my insides a mess. He reaches up, gripping my hips as he lowers me out of his truck. With our bodies so close together, he kisses my lips. It’s short and sweet but so good.

I love the feel of his lips on mine.

He grabs my hand, intertwining his fingers in mine. “Come on, let's take a walk.”

“It's so beautiful out here. That has to be the most gorgeous sunset I've ever seen in my life.” I say, taking in the beautiful rolling land.

“Not as gorgeous as you.” He stops abruptly, picking me up mid-stride, and spins me around in the field, causing me to squeal excitedly before dropping me back on my feet.

“What are we doing here anyway?” I ask as we continue walking, enjoying the peacefulness.

“I wanted to show you the property.” He keeps his face straight, looking ahead like he didn’t just say something that has hidden undertones.

“Show me the property for—” I want to say for what reason, but my thought gets cut short when we reach the tree line. Because just below the slight decline lies a river—wide and beautiful, the same river that I’m sure runs through Haleigh’s property as well.

I knew we were near her house, but I’m starting to put the pieces together, and my heartbeat picks up, wondering about the significance of him bringing me here.

It can't be.

There's no way in hell he bought this land. He didn’t say a single thing to me about it.

He has the biggest smile on his face when he looks at me, pulling me against his side. I feel him kiss the top of my head while I look out over the beautiful land.

“You like it, Peachy?” He asks proudly, with a voice full of hope.

I pull back enough for my eyes to meet his. “It's beautiful. This connects to the same river that flows through Haleigh’s property, right? ”

A smile lights up his face as he nods, “Yeah, Baby, it sure does.”

“Okay, but why are we here?” My gaze narrows. Surely, he's up to something.

His face turns serious. He steps back and reaches for my hand. Tears flood my eyes before I can blink. I can’t help it.

I know whatever he’s about to tell me is so big… It's going to be life-changing.

He chuckles softly, reaching up to wipe the tears that are streaming down my face and ruining my makeup. “Why are you crying?”

“Dammit, I don’t know Jaydon.” A laugh slips out as I reach to dab my other eye, trying to keep it together.

He pulls me back in for a brief hug and kisses my lips—so sweet and soft. And when he pulls back, he doesn’t let go. His eyes catch mine as he drops down on one knee, staring up at me with more love than I’ve ever seen in anyone's eyes.

My hands tremble, and the dam breaks, because I can’t control my tears any longer.

He stares at me, his expression so genuine it steals my breath.

“Peachy,” he says softly.

That’s all he says, and I know…

I’m forever his .

“Yes,” I whisper, because I want so badly to be his forever.

My leg shakes. I’m a ball of nerves and excitement, just praying he asks the question that I’ve been dying to hear.

“I don’t have to tell you how much of a struggle we've had to get where we are,” He starts, his voice raw.

“You already know. But something you might not know is… I loved you long before that. I think I fell in love with you the first time you ever came over to my house to visit my sister. I remember I couldn’t take my eyes off you that day.

There was just something about you—the way you lit up the room when you walked in, the way you always made me laugh, even without trying. ”

He pauses for a beat, letting the weight of his words settle over me.

“Even when you thought I didn’t want to be around you… I did. But it took a lot of growing up for me to finally be man enough to admit it—I want you. I need you.”

I bite my lip, nodding along way too fast, trying not to turn into a snot-nosed mess at his words.

“You don’t know this, but when you were in that accident, I wanted to change places with you.

I wanted to be the one to go through it if it meant you didn’t have to suffer.

When you were in the hospital, and we didn’t know why you wouldn’t wake up, that was the scariest fucking day of my life.

” His eyes brim with tears, and he reaches up, swiping them away with the back of his hand.

“ Dammit, I don’t cry,” he mutters, trying to pull himself together while I giggle.

His thumb rubs circles on my wrist as he speaks.

“I had no idea what I was going to do if I lost you. I was already so gone for you—needing you in ways I had never needed anyone before. I don’t know what I would have done, Peachy. ”

“These past few months have been the best of my life, spending all my days and coming home to you. I want to spend my life with you, Ellie. You also don’t know that this land we are standing on…

well, I bought it a month ago. It’s ours.

And my dream is to one day build a house with you and raise a family. ”

I sob while staring into his eyes, because I want all of that with him—especially a family. I didn’t have both parents growing up, and I know with this man by my side, he won't leave us.

“So,” he continues, still kneeling in front of me, pulling something from his front pocket. He opens it slowly, glancing down at the box. My heart can’t take this—pounding out of my chest, my breath catches in my throat when I see the peach-colored ring box.

My hands tremble as I watch him reveal the most beautiful marquise diamond I’ve ever seen, glittering with his promise to me.

“Ellieanna,” his voice cracks, full of emotion, “I love you. So much. Will you please marry me? ”

My heart races, and I can’t stop the tears from falling. Because after all we’ve been through this past year. And all the fighting we did when we were younger makes this moment so much more special.

The answer is so obvious.

So damn easy.

But I still struggle to get the word out.

“Yes,” the word barely escapes my lips as I stand here, trembling and nodding, and I’m a complete mess.

But that’s all I need to say.

He slides the ring onto my finger.

I watch, trying to remain patient while the precious stone catches the light. Before I can even breathe, he’s already rising to his feet and lifting me into his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, and smash my lips to his.

We’re lost in each other, but I pull back just enough to whisper against his lips, “I love you so much.”

And right here, with him holding me in the middle of the field…

I know that our forever has only just begun.