Page 124 of Saving the Rain
“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’regorgeous. 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 tosay 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 ofYes. 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?”