Page 30 of Seducing the Sheriff (Charming Butte #2)

Greg

I sighed. Not the exhale of a frustrated or sad man, but one who was content beyond my wildest imaginings.

I’d already fired up the chiminea, put the sheep away for the night, and poured some wine in anticipation of Cash’s return home.

There had been a minor accident on the highway into town, so he’d called to say he’d be late for porch time.

I grinned and took a sip from my glass. Even though Cash had finally moved in last month, we still loved to spend time unwinding together on the deck whenever the weather permitted. It had become our way of reconnecting after a busy day.

There were also the gatherings we’d had over the summer.

We now had actual friends, people to invite to the house to share a meal or have game night with.

To say my life had changed since moving to Charming would be the understatement of the century.

Aunt Bonnie was thrilled and kept threatening to visit.

The sound of gravel crunching in the driveway brought my heart rate up a tick. Cash was home, and all was right with the world. I set down my glass, covered it with a napkin to keep the fruit flies away, then hurried through the kitchen to greet my man.

The closer I drew to the front door, the stronger the scent of curry became.

My stomach growled. I’d waited to eat so we could have dinner together, and he’d promised to bring something from the new Thai place that had opened in town.

It was a first for the area, which meant it had been impossible to get in to try it out.

I rounded the corner, the once dreary foyer now brighter from all the renovations I’d completed.

I’d painted the walls on two sides in a sandy beige, and the other two—including the one where the staircase was—a light salmon.

Hanging from the high ceiling was a vintage cast-iron, mission-style chandelier that had been electrified.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Cash smiled as he plucked his hat off and hung it on one of the hall tree hooks. He held up a large take-out bag. “I called in our order as soon as I was released from the scene. I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you.”

I slipped an arm around his waist and gave him a quick, but thorough kiss. When I drew away, I took the bag from his hands.

“You know what I like.” I chuckled. “Besides, since we haven’t been able to get near the place yet, I wouldn’t have any idea what they have.”

Cash trailed behind me as I made my way to the kitchen, giving my butt a hearty pat as we traveled. “I’ll confess I over-ordered. I couldn’t make up my mind.”

“That’s perfect.” I grinned, placing the bag on the center island I’d installed. The kitchen was much roomier since I took out the breakfast nook and opened up the room. “Since you have two whole days off in a row, we’ll have plenty of leftovers. I refuse to leave this house for any reason.”

Cash grunted, leaning against the counter. “I doubt the sheep will appreciate that when it’s feeding time.”

I smirked. “You know what I mean. I consider the property to be part of the house.”

Cash winked. “Good. I was hoping we could wander around a bit, maybe take a picnic to that creek on the other end of your land.”

I drew my eyebrows together. “Our land.”

Cash averted his eyes and fiddled with the cuff of his shirt. “Sorry. Can’t get used to that.” He gave a small shrug, then lifted his gaze. “Someday, I want to do it proper.”

“Proper?” I tilted my head. “I mean, we could get you added to the deed. After all, you’ve helped finance several projects.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Like that extra fancy jet tub in the bathroom. That definitely hadn’t been in my original plans, although it’s gotten plenty of use.”

Cash pushed off the counter, his expression much too serious.

He reached me in two short strides, pulling me into his arms. He took my mouth in a heated kiss, his sweaty musk and salty taste making me crave something other than curry.

Right as I was starting to grind against him, he abruptly broke the kiss.

“Proper means will you marry me?”

I gasped. “We’ve never talked about that before.”

As always, I was the expert at stating the obvious.

He tightened his embrace. “We’re talking about it now.

Or, we can save it for later if you’re not ready.

I just want you to know that I am.” A wistful smile played across his lips.

“It’s strange. In some ways, I feel as if I’ve known since that first trip to Santa Maria that you were meant to be mine.

That it was our first day of being together for the rest of our lives. ”

I swallowed hard. “Not strange at all.”

Cash pressed his lips to my forehead. “Let me change out of this uniform. Are we eating outside?”

“I have the fire going.”

Cash grinned. “Excellent.”

I plated our food while he went to the bedroom to put on something more comfortable. After divvying up a little of everything, I sneaked a quick bite of chicken satay and fought to keep calm.

He wants to marry me.

Was I ready for something so permanent? If I was being brutally honest with myself, I’d never entertained the idea of marrying anyone. After all, despairing of having a boyfriend at all didn’t encourage fantasies of wedded bliss.

I tapped my fingers on the quartz counter. Married. To Cash. To the one person on planet Earth who got me, who had brought me to life in a way I never believed possible. who I couldn’t imagine being anywhere but with me.

Duh. Of course, I wanted to marry him.

I sucked in a breath to yell out a big yes, then snapped my mouth shut. There had to be a more romantic way of accepting a marriage proposal than in the kitchen over Thai food.

“Oh my God, that smells so good,” said Cash as he ambled into the room, looking relaxed and very sexy in a pair of grey sweats and a snug, white tee with a smiling cow on the front.

The guys at the station had gotten it for him as a joke birthday gift.

“I’m ravenous.” He grabbed both plates. “I’ll be in charge of these if you want to commandeer the wine. ”

“I started without you,” I admitted sheepishly. “It’s already out there on the table.” We’d graduated from storage bins to actual outdoor furniture. “But did you want any water or soda?”

“Water.” He paused mid-stride. “Wait. Is there any of Meyer’s limeade left?”

I scrunched my nose. “Sorry. We polished that off last night.”

“Bummer. Water’s fine.” He called out over his shoulder when he reached the patio door. “Did you call him yet and give him the thumbs up?”

Dex and Meyer were preparing for the annual harvest festival next month, and they’d been using us as guinea pigs for their new concoctions. The raspberry jalapeno limeade was addictive. But as Cash had discovered, I was a hot pepper fiend.

“I did. He said he’d freeze a big batch for us as a thank you.”

Cash’s lips rounded in a big O. “Works for me.”

After we got settled, poured some wine, and had taken a few bites of our food, my mind wandered to Cash’s proposal. I wanted my response to be perfectly timed, a special moment to remember, but worrying whether I’d hurt Cash’s feelings by not saying something right away was plaguing me.

“Mmm…” Cash wiped his lips with a paper towel. “I’m definitely getting the cashew nut beef again. By the way, have you heard back from the breeder?”

“Oh, right.” I blinked a few times to allow my brain to switch gears from dreamy romance to livestock guardian dogs. “She said Lily will be ready to leave her mom in a week. There’s also an excellent trainer lined up for us, too.”

We’d finally found a reputable breeder, which hadn’t been easy. Lily would be coming to live with us a little late for the coyote mating season, but I’d installed spotlights. That would have to do for now.

Cash nodded as he chewed away. He set down his fork.

“Hey, have you heard about the rodeo coming to town next month? It’s the week after the festival.

I guess it’s a big deal every year, and I was told there’s a local guy who stars in it.

” He took a big gulp of water. “Is that something you’d be interested in going to? ”

“Yeah, sure.” I was still distracted by my proposal worries, so when Cash’s brow furrowed at my response, I figured I hadn’t sounded all that enthusiastic. “I’ve never been. So for that reason alone, we should go.”

He straightened in his chair. “Is something wrong?”

My stomach clenched. “No. I mean, I should’ve said yes. I don’t know why I didn’t right away.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I guess I was caught off guard. I never thought you’d want to do that with me or thought I was special enough to ask.”

Cash gave his head a shake. “To go to the rodeo?”

“Huh?” My jaw went slack right before I slapped my palm to my forehead. “No, not that.” I groaned. “I’m so bad at this.”

Fuck it.

I dropped to one knee, almost losing my balance when the chair refused to cooperate by not sliding out of my way. I grabbed the hand Cash wasn’t clutching his fork with.

“Cash, I love you. I haven’t planned anything, because I had no idea I’d be doing this tonight.

And even if I had planned it, I wouldn’t know how to say how much you mean to me, how I can’t envision not having you by my side for the rest of my life.

” I inhaled to continue, but realized I was doing this backwards.

He’d asked me first. “Uh… so yes. I’ll marry you.

And I’m also asking you to marry me.” My cheeks heated. “So… Yeah.”

Cash grinned and tossed his fork on the table. He rose to his feet, bringing me along with him. Wrapping me in his arms, he claimed me with a soft, sweet kiss that told me all I needed to know. We were getting married. It didn’t matter how or when—only that we would.

When the kiss ended, we stayed close enough to share breaths, Cash gently swaying me in his embrace.

Cash chuckled. “When should we make the big announcement?”

I also chuckled, but it was mixed with a groan. “The town will lose its mind.”

Cash whispered in my ear, “What if we elope?”

“Sounds scandalous,” I whispered back.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Cash nuzzled me behind my ear. “I think we should discuss it while soaking in the tub.”

“That so?” I rubbed my crotch against the hardening bulge in his sweats. “I’ll run the water if you grab the plates and bring them inside.”

He nibbled my bottom lip, then gave me a swat on my ass. “Deal.”

I paused at the threshold of the sliding door. “Oh, and don’t forget the wine.”

Cash snorted. “As if I would.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I knew I could count on you.”

He glanced up, his expression serious. “And you always can. Don’t ever forget that, sweetheart.”

My breath hitched. “I won’t, as long as you know the same goes for me.”

The corner of Cash’s mouth lifted. “I do.”

I smiled, wagging my finger at him. “Very good. Keep practicing that phrase, you’re going to need it soon.”

Cash arched his eyebrows. “How soon?”

I dragged my shirt over my head. “Meet me in the tub in five and we’ll hash it out.”

And as his laughter followed me into the bathroom, I knew five minutes would feel like forever.