Page 115 of Ridin' True

“Ignore the mess! Pretend it doesn’t exist,” insisted Marlowe as she hurried to my side. She took me by the arm and maneuvered me around what might have been the aftermath of a flour explosion.

I followed her lead and tried not to laugh.

“So, what’s for breakfast?” I asked as I sat.

“Waffles,” Axel announced.

He brought a plate stacked high with said waffles and set it in the middle of the table.

“Wow. I didn’t know we had a waffle maker.”

“It’s new. Surprise!” sang Marlowe. “Also, dad made eggs and bacon,” she said, bringing both to the table.

“This is quite the spread. Thanks, everyone.”

“Mmhmm,” Axel hummed as he took his seat.

Marlowe placed an empty plate in front of him, adding another where Jed would sit, then placed the last plate in her hand at her seat before she sat down.

I was about to mention I was missing a plate when Lowe said, “Whoops. Hey, dad—could you bring Lex a plate?”

“Yup.”

I looked over at my man, smiling at the mere sight of him. He was sexy all on his own; but after an hour in the kitchen with his kids, concocting what appeared to be a very promising breakfast, he was just downright hot. The fact that he was in a muscle tee didn’t hurt, either.

“Anyone want orange juice?” he asked, setting my plate in front of me.

“Sure.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll have some,” I added.

“You got it.”

He turned, headed for the fridge, and when I glanced down at my plate, my breath caught at the back of my throat. I stared at it for a second and then looked up, first at Marlow, then at Axel. They were both grinning at me as they squirmed in excitement.

That’s when I knew.

It wasn’t a figment of my imagination.

There really was a little velvet box sitting on the plate in front of me.

When I looked back at Jed, he was standing next to me, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“How important is it to you that I get down on one knee?”

“Very,” I whispered as my eyes flooded with tears.

Marlowe giggled, and Jed’s smile lit up his blue-green eyes.

He then got down on one knee, reached for my right wrist, and gently grazed his thumb across my tattoo as he said, “Told you I was searchin’ for forever. Turns out, she looks just like you. Will you marry me, gorgeous?”

My insides did that thing as I took hold of his face and brought my lips to his. I didn’t even have to think about it before I replied, “Absolutely.”

And then I kissed him.

Nine Months Later