Page 131 of Rocky Mountain Devil

The soft texture of his hair teased her fingers as she stroked him, soaking in his kiss. He tugged at her elbow, and she slid her hand down until their fingers met, confused when he pressed something cold and hard against her palm.

Laurel pulled back, concentrating as hard as she could with her senses still reeling. “What’s this?”

“Can’t race without a truck,” Rafe said, a lilt in his voice, and something else.

She glanced into his eyes, seeing—nervousness?

“Baby? What’s up?”

“It’s my favourite truck, and I want you to have it.”

He lifted her hand between them, and she finally looked down.

It was an old battered Hot Wheels truck. Black, vaguely familiar. It could have been the same one she’d given him all those years ago. Only in the tiny truck bed, something sparkled, and Laurel caught her breath.

A bit of twine held the ring in place, but it was clear this wasn’t a childish trinket.

She held the truck tight and lifted her eyes to his.

“I love you,” he admitted. “I think I always have, but now I love you so much I can barely breathe without you.”

“I love you too.”

His eyes shone with hope. “Then say you’ll marry me. Say you’ll stick beside me for the rest of our lives. You can kick my ass when I step over the line, and kiss me when I’m good, and all the while remind me to get in the right kind of trouble.”

She laughed through happy tears. “What’s the right kind of trouble?”

Rafe got the ring free and held up her hand so he could slip it on her finger. “Any trouble I get into with you—that’s the perfect kind.”

Laurel paused for a second. “I’ll marry you, but I have one condition.”

He grinned even as he pressed kisses to her fingers. “What?”

She put on the most serious expression she could manage. “You’ve got to figure out a better pet name for me thanSitko. Deal?”

“For you, anything.”

Then she wasn’t worried about pet names or the fact the school bell had just rung, and there was about to be a mess of children running into the schoolyard wondering why the pastor’s daughter was kissing her cowboy in the middle of the playground.

Although if anyone did ask, she’d say they were celebrating building a racetrack.

Epilogue

Epilogue

Early summer

“I thought you’d like this.”

Laurel smiled as she let Rafe lead her along the river’s path—the same one they’d walked so many years before on the night of Grad. Giddy with excitement, buzzing with lust…

Okay, so things hadn’t changed that much in the years between. She still quivered at the thought of being with him. The fact she now got to touch him any time she wanted—that she got to be with him for the rest of their lives—made it so much better. There was something more in everything they did these days.

A connection beyond friendship. Farfarbeyond, but she was so grateful it had started there.

“You sure I’m dressed for this?” she asked, holding her pretty dress shoes in one, the fingers of the other hand linked with his strong grip.

“Yup. Although you might…” His words faded away.