Page 75 of Saving the Rain (Crimson Ridge #4)

Epilogue

G athering around a bonfire with friends, high spirits, and laughter is nothing new. I’ve lost track of how often I’ve spent nights exactly like this.

But right now, I find myself secretly smiling, basking in the moment as I take it all in.

Recalling a multitude of evenings under a starry sky that acted as a mirror image to this one—with a grill sizzling, soft music, and lively chatter floating on the night air—except there’s one major, life-altering difference now.

He’s here.

He’s here with me.

All it takes is for the briefest lift of my gaze, to raise my chin, and I find Raine. Those dark eyes of his are right there, and I’m kinda addicted to the way he’s forever watching me.

Seeing him now, as we lock on each other for a brief moment, I can’t stop a grin from completely taking over. My wide smile is met with his cute scowl. He’s got his usual stern demeanor going on, but it’s just a front.

He’s found his home at long last.

His contentment is a tangible, beautiful thing to be in the vicinity of.

Besides, it would be impossible to ignore the way he’s been welcomed into this group of our friends and family. The way he’s damn well adored to pieces by all these people makes my heart swell to bursting.

I’m quite honestly the luckiest son of a bitch to ever exist, knowing that he’s mine, and I’m his, and that we’re together in everything that might come our way.

All our friends are here, along with my dad and Layla, of course.

Summer bonfires at Devil’s Peak Ranch are becoming something of a tradition.

.. and as I glance around at the people gathered in front of the flames, it hardly seems possible that just over a year ago, we all stood in that hospital waiting and hanging onto nothing but hope.

Twelve months since I sat by his hospital bed, praying he’d come back to me. And I’ve never been more relieved to hear his voice than in that moment when he finally woke up after surgery.

A year ago, he and I were still finding our feet in the aftermath of Raine being discharged. Safe to say we’re both very happy to see the back of medical staff and emergency wards.

Raine gives me the kind of look that hooks into my stomach, drawing me to him in an instant.

Just like I unknowingly found myself drawn to him the first time I saw him from across a bonfire when he arrived in Crimson Ridge, here I am sauntering over, trying to at least attempt not to give him moon-eyes and a goofy grin.

God knows he already has enough evidence that I’m a fool for him.

He’s sitting a little further away from the bonfire, with his ass resting against a hay bale. The fact he’s over here on his own makes me feel even more alive, knowing that I can have him to myself for a little while, even though there are others here enjoying the night.

Who can blame me for wanting to corner my extremely hot boyfriend alone in the dark at every opportunity?

“I’ve got something for you.” His voice is all velvety and deep.

“Oh yeah?” My eyebrows lift, and that smile I’d been attempting to dial down breaks free. As it stretches to take over my face, my point of focus drops.

“Christ. Not in my pants.” He groans and tilts his head back, exposing the stubble coating his throat.

“That would be an excellent choice of present though, just saying. ”

Raine tugs me to stand between his knees, giving me one of those reproachful that’ll cost you later looks. “Cheeky. No... but this is it right here...”

His big palm unfurls, and in the center sits a smooth, round stone.

“Oh my god. Where did you find this?” My eyes pinball between his face and his hand, then I grab it from him. It’s warm from his touch, and I melt a little that it has something of him infused into it. Except my initial excitement over a silly little fucking rock makes way for my brain to catch up.

Narrowing my stare, I look at him for a long moment while rubbing the surface with my thumb. “Have you had it this whole time, or what?”

Of course, Raine gives me absolutely nothing. An unreadable expression sits there as he watches me closely.

I shove at his shoulder. “Seriously? I thought I’d lost it. Figured it was gone forever.”

“Don’t pout.” Now he finally gives in, allowing a twitch of his lips as he teases me ever so softly.

Rolling it between the pads of my fingers, I shake my head and find myself speechless. This is such a tiny thing, such an insignificant little fragment of rock, yet it holds a lot of memories for me.

Raine clears his throat. “I kept it... and didn’t understand why at first. Maybe guilt? Part of me thought I’d somehow been responsible for you getting injured. Probably would’ve carried it around for a long ass time... a reminder that I was the last person you spoke to before your accident.”

I’m already shaking my head. “If I didn’t have my own shit going on—stuff with my mom that day—you’d have never gotten to me that easily. It was all on me that I carried on competing when my head was messy.”

His gaze softens, and my insides go all gooey.

“After a while, carrying this stupid stone around, I realized it kept me grounded.” He takes my hand in his own.

“Kept me centered even when I was away from you all that time. I wasn’t ready to give you up.

.. so it was like carrying a little piece of you with me. ”

“Completely obsessed, huh?” The words might be playful, but they’re thick with emotion surging at me unexpectedly and I have to blink fast. “How’d you end up with it?”

“That day at the hospital, when I first arrived, the nurse handed it to me. Said you’d been mumbling on and on, bugging them non-stop to make sure it was kept safe.”

He runs his thumb along the inside of my wrist and swallows heavily.

“Honestly? That day, I shoved it in my pocket. Didn’t give it a second thought.

When I went to Canada... I found it again.

All that time later, I pulled on a jacket, and in it was your fucking stone.

” His eyes glitter, reflecting a flurry of bonfire sparks.

“You’d snuck away with me, without knowing it. ”

My pulse thumps harder, emotions stinging behind my eyes.

“You kept me with you?” The words are hoarse as my throat tightens.

He hums in agreement. “I did. Right here .” Wrapping my hold in his own, he places both our hands over his heart. As he does so, I feel him use his free hand to tuck something else into my fingers, closing my fist around something small and velvety—a tiny box.

“I’m never going to walk away from you ever again. I need you to know that. I’m in this thing with you, snowflake, where you own my whole goddamn heart. So I’m asking if you’re ok with me taking care of you forever, baby?”

His eyes hold mine. Secure and rich and layered with so much softness, reflecting back to me the love that we share. Our love story.

I’m trembling as I turn my fist over, swaying, growing more and more lightheaded. Absolutely giddy with the prospect of what is happening right now.

I can already sense what lies inside.

Swallowing thickly, I fumble with opening the lid, but Raine’s strong hands come up to close over mine when he sees me struggling.

Of course, he does. My man demolishes me with the kind of soul-eating smirk on his lips that should be illegal as he takes over where my fingers are clumsy with rising emotion.

A choked-up sound escapes when he plucks the two metal bands from inside, and lays them in my palm on top of the stone. They’re gorgeous. Ruggedly perfect. Brushed metal, with an engraved mountain range on each of the wide-set bands.

“What do you think?” he hums softly.

As of this moment, the rest of the world has evaporated, dissolved; transformed into nothing but mist and shadow.

I’m so captivated by the sight of his fingers against mine, the two circles resting in the middle of my calloused palm.

The very hand I’ve trusted to hold on for grim death throughout countless bronc rides.

His is the same, has gone through so much of the same life as me, and not only that.

.. it’s his hand he used to defend me with all those times I knew nothing about.

Now, that same touch is reaching out. Allowing me to cling tight to him.

My future. My cowboy. My love.

“Fuck, yes.” Air rushes from my lungs as I throw myself around his neck. My fist clenched tight to keep the rings safe.

“You’re supposed to let me ask?” Raine chuckles softly, his words muffled against my shoulder.

“I don’t need to be asked. I already claim you.” I grin, tilting my face against his throat, a high beam smile now firmly in place when I draw back so that I can kiss him fiercely.

“I love you... so goddamn hard it hurts,” he mumbles against my mouth, and it’s that low, delicious tone of voice that makes me shiver with pleasure and so much relief that he’s still here by my side.

“You already know I’m stupidly in love with you.

” I dust another kiss over his lips, then pull away a fraction.

“Wait, can we put these on? Like right now?” I’m already pawing at his left hand and grabbing his knuckle, ready to slip the band on my boyfriend’s ring finger. .. or, I guess, my fiancée’s finger.

He rumbles with laughter. “Just wait, Mr. Over Enthusiastic.”

A petulant noise and associated pout are busy making their presence known when Raine spins me around and stands up behind me. His big arms wrap tight to band me against his chest, and his short beard scratches my ear.

“Watch for a second.”

“But I wanna wear the r—” The rest of my efforts to say anything disappears in a blink because a hundred tiny lights are glowing and glimmering against the night sky.

When they flick on, a festoon of tiny bulbs resembling fireflies, all hanging from trees just beyond the bonfire, are revealed.

My eyes bounce everywhere, widening rapidly as I see all our friends here tonight have moved away from the fire and are now gathered beneath the lit-up grove of trees.

“Oh my fucking god.” My voice is a shaky whisper.

“Marry me.” Raine’s quiet, steadfast rumble is in my ear, and I go weak at the knees.

It’s not a question. It’s a promise, a gift of his heart, and I couldn’t believe it possible to love him more. But here I am, nodding and gasping a string of words along the lines of Yes. Of course, I will. Fuck, Yes.

“Then, we’d better get over there. Don’t want to keep our wedding guests waiting.”

His warmth and powerful arms leave me briefly, only for him to stand at my side, threading our fingers together.

Dragging my hand up to his mouth, he kisses my fingertips gently and keeps those onyx eyes securely on mine.

A hidden smile dances in his gaze, as he sweeps me away with words I never knew I wanted to hear, but are complete perfection when coming from his lips.

“Ready to be my husband, snowflake?”