Page 32 of Ropers Can’t Tie Knots (Kissing Ridge Cowboys #3)

“You know, the first time I saw you, I never wanted a man as much as I wanted you then. Did I ever tell you that?” I mumble.

With my eyes closed and sleepy, it’s like a short movie that plays on repeat in my brain.

Hunter on the back of Dixie with faded jeans, a cowboy hat, and a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude.

“You mentioned something about it, I think.” His arm squeezes me tighter. “You didn’t say anything to me that night, though, but I saw you watching.”

“I didn’t approach you because I knew I couldn’t just have you once and be done. Something about you…”

Hunter clears his throat. “That’s why I said no that night at the bar.” My eyes blink open, and I twist my head to peer up at his face. “I followed you to the parking lot.”

“I saw you. It took me so long to decide to hit on you. I thought I won when I saw you under the lamppost.”

We both huff a laugh, remembering the almost time we hooked up without being married first. It feels like a lifetime ago. I couldn’t wait anymore and took a risk. It failed then, but perhaps it was the best thing to happen .

“Intuition? Gut feeling? Maybe the way Griff reads a bull…I just knew you would be different, and it scared the ever-loving hell out of me.” Hunter’s voice grows rough, and I reach up to run my fingers down his cheek. “Sometimes I’m still scared, counsellor.”

Hunter bites his lip, and I sit up, pulling the blanket with me.

“I think it’s normal for us to be afraid of the unknown. That’s what love is, isn’t it? This unknown thing we can’t see that we trust exists.”

“But I see you, Gabe.” He cups my cheek with a calloused palm. “That look in your eyes when I stop by the office with a coffee or when I sit next to you with my crossword book. You never hide that look, and it scares me sometimes. What if I let you down?”

“I can’t hide it, Hunter. I’m grateful for you and…

” This seems like the best time to bring up what I told Riley earlier.

Lord knows I’ve preached enough to him to communicate.

“When we signed the divorce papers, those tears were real. Since then, I’ve been on edge waiting for something to happen.

For you to change your mind, mostly. A lot of what-if scenarios while we wait.

So I’m scared too. I don’t want to lose you twice. ”

Hunter’s lips part, and his brow furrows. “Is that why you’ve been so quiet? I thought it was just because you had work on your mind.”

Swallowing hard, I nod. “Yeah. It’s all been sort of collecting, and I’m a bit of a mess.

I’ve never felt like this before. This…fear or insecurity is unfounded.

I know that. I don’t want to be the guy who mopes or whatever, but fuck…

it’s like the air keeps leaving my lungs every time I think about it. ”

Hunter grunts and pats my side. “Get up. I have something to show you. ”

I stand with the blanket, and he holds the door open for me. I don’t know if he’s angry or just wants to go inside. His expression remains blank as he strides down the hall to the front door. The blanket trails behind me as I follow him.

“Put your boots on and wait here for me. Give me ten minutes.”

Then he’s out the door while I try to catch up to what’s going on. But I do as he asks and put on my boots and one of his barn coats and sit on the hall bench waiting like a kid outside the principal’s office.

It feels like more than ten minutes pass, but when Hunter returns, his cheeks rosy from the nip in the air despite the warm sun, he inclines his head to follow him.

Our feet slop through the melted snow and mud in the yard up to the rodeo barn.

After stepping inside, it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the barn.

“Stand right there.”

Hunter pushes me over to the end of the fence for the indoor ring, and I laugh. “I feel like a parent being told to sit and watch a play by the kids.”

“That’s probably a pretty close feeling for me, too.” Hunter’s voice carries from the back of the barn, where another door is. It’s bigger, and they load livestock through it when he runs the rodeo clinics. The door opens, and a familiar black head pokes through the door.

Hunter’s low voice doesn’t carry enough for me to hear each word, but I know he’s talking to Mack. Hunter moves around, and gates clang while Mack keeps bending her head towards Hunter. “Would you stop that!” He chides, and Mack huffs, which makes me laugh. What the hell is he up to ?

Finally, Hunter is on top of Mack without a saddle, and once they exit the chute at the end, I blink back the wetness in my eyes.

Hunter holds a single rose in his teeth as he rides Mack towards me.

Mack wears a necklace of flowers that she keeps trying to eat, and I shake my head at the scene before me.

He brings the horse to a stop a few feet in front of me.

He slides off Mack with ease and smiles that sexy smile with a rose in his teeth.

“For you, counsellor.” Hunter hands me the rose with a flourish of his hand and turns back to snag Mack by the halter before she destroys the flower necklace.

“I don’t care about mushy hearts and dinners and dumb gifts to show someone you love them.

But what I do care about is you and how you feel.

I was going to wait to do this tomorrow after the wedding invitations, but now seems like a better fit. ”

He pats Mack on the neck and whispers to her before turning back to me.

“I know I sent you a teddy bear, but that was me trying to apologize and figure this whole feelings thing out.”

“I love that bear,” I say with a smile that he returns.

“I know, but a horse is better.” Hunter pats Mack once more and motions for me to come closer. “Mack has something for you.”

Hunter talks low to the horse, and Mack bobs her head up and down. “Don’t eat it now,” Mack grumbles, a low, happy sound and bites the flower Hunter holds out. He holds her halter as she throws her head around, delighted with the flower treat.

“This isn’t going how I planned,” Hunter says as Mack eats the flower and looks for more.

“What was your plan?” I ask, laughing as I pet Mack and wonder if I need to bring home fresh flowers for treats now .

When I turn back to Hunter, he’s dropped to one knee in the sand of the rodeo ring. “Mack was to give you this flower with a note, and after you read it, you’d turn around to find me like this.” Mack tosses her head, and I pat her neck before falling to my knees in front of Hunter.

“I didn’t know you felt so anxious about all this, Gabe.

If you’d have said something sooner, I’d never have waited.

Like a fool, I was waiting for another day on the calendar to make it perfect when any day would make it perfect.

” His hand reaches into his pocket, and he pulls out a black ring box.

“Gabe…until you bulldozed your way into my life, I didn’t know what love really was.”

“I never bulldozed. It was a convenient solution to a problem.”

Hunter laughs. “It was, but it caused another problem. I wanted to keep you, and I wasn’t sure what to do with that.

Feelings aren’t on my radar, you know? But then you showed up, and I was hoping you’d want to cuddle every night, and it doesn’t hurt that you’re hot as hell with an intelligent mind. ”

He opens the box and removes a white gold band with a row of black diamonds.

“I had this made because you’re not a guy who deserves a mass-produced ring.

It’s one of a kind, just like you.” He runs his hand through his hair, and Mack steps over to nose us, almost knocking me over.

“Gabe, will you marry me again? This time, because I know what it feels like to have my heart walk outside my body, and I’d like to walk alongside it with you forever. ”

That’s the most romantic thing he’s ever said to me, and it’s almost hard to believe this is happening right now.

“Hunter…that’s incredibly sweet. ”

“I actually read it on a Valentine’s card, and hoped I didn’t forget when I got to this part. So…will you marry me, Gabe? I’m not perfect, but we’re perfect for each other.”

I snort-laugh, his honesty so entirely Hunter. “I will marry you every time you ask me. Yes, Hunter. It’s a yes, and the next few months can’t pass fast enough.”

He slides the ring on my finger after removing the first one and places it in the box.

“I love you, Gabe.” He kisses me there in the sand of the ring, and I’m so happy I could burst. Anxiety can kiss my fucking ass.

I kiss him back until we lose our balance and fall into the sand, breathless and laughing.

“We should probably get ready for that dinner and dancing,” he whispers.

“We should.”

Neither of us moves to get up, smiling at each other like two kids in love.

And I kiss him again because it’s hard to stop.

“Thank you for doing this.”

Hunter smiles, almost shy, and stands while helping me up.

“I’ll always do whatever it takes for you, Gabe. I may not always get it right, but I’ll always do it.” He takes my chin in his hand. “A very intelligent man told me to communicate. Please don’t let me make you feel like that again.”

“I won’t. I promise.”