Page 35 of Take Me Please, Cowboy (The Calhouns & Campbells of Cold Canyon Ranch #1)

R ye and Ansley wandered around Whitefish for an hour, talking, kissing, making plans, before Rye spotted a jewelry store and insisted they go in and look at rings.

Ansley didn’t want Rye to buy anything, but he wanted a ring on her finger, and even if money was tight, he would make it work. He pointed out several large white solitaire diamonds, the stones so white they glittered in the light, but Ansley shook her head.

“I don’t want a big rock,” she said, moving down to another display cabinet. “I want something more personal… more us.”

“What’s wrong with a nice diamond?”

“Nothing, but I paint and use my hands a lot and I don’t need a huge statement ring. A pretty band would be perfect, maybe even a band with a couple tiny diamonds set in it.”

The sales assistant had been listening and directed them down one more case where he drew out a black velvet tray filled with bands, plain, engraved, and some embedded with diamonds.

Ansley’s gaze swept the tray and almost right away she pointed to one. “That ring, with three diamonds.”

The ring was platinum, and the diamonds were tiny, but they glittered against the contemporary band. She tried the ring on and smiled. “This one,” she said, extending her fingers and watching the light catch the stone. “If it’s in our price range.”

It wasn’t a flashy ring. It was a clean simple design, but it did look good on Ansley’s hand. “You don’t want to try any others?” Rye asked her.

She shook her head, her hand forming a fist, her gaze never leaving the ring. “No. This is perfect. I was hoping to find a band with three diamonds.”

“Why three?” he asked.

“I fell in love with you over the three days of the eighty-fifth Copper Mountain Rodeo. I never want to forget that weekend, and how magical it was to spend time with you.”

Rye paid for the ring and until Ansley could have it sized, she slipped it on the chain around her neck, wearing it inside her shirt against her chest. They had lunch together and then Ansley said she needed to continue home, that her mom would worry if she didn’t return before it was dark.

Rye kissed her at her car, pinning her against her door with his lean hips to keep her from leaving. She didn’t mind. She didn’t want to go. They’d struggled to get to this point and now that they had, she just wanted to be with him, forever.

Her head was spinning by the time he lifted his head. Ansley blinked, dazed. “Wow,” she whispered, pressing two fingers to her trembling lower lip. “I’m not going to be able to drive if you keep that up.”

“I hate to see you go.”

“I know, but we’ll see each other soon.”

He pushed back long strands of hair from her cheek. “When?”

“Whenever I can get away again—”

“No,” he interrupted. “I’ll come to you this weekend. My turn to drive.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

She stared into his eyes, the dark irises bright with heat and desire. “I won’t tell my family about our engagement yet. Then we can break the news to my mom together.”

“What about my family? Should I keep it a secret from them?”

“No.” She smiled. “They’re quite invested in our romance. Your mom called your sisters and your sisters raced from Missoula to save us. I think they need to know how grateful we are.”

“We are grateful, aren’t we?” he murmured, nuzzling her neck, making her sigh.

“Very, very grateful,” she agreed, gasping a bit as his teeth scraped a very sensitive spot, sending bolts of delicious sensation through her.

“When will we get married?” he asked.

She shivered against him, his mouth and hands lighting her up. “As soon as we can.”

“I like that answer.”

*

Back home Rye was met in the driveway by his sisters and then his mother appeared on the doorstep. They were all looking at him waiting for news.

“It’s okay,” he said, unable to hide his smile. “We’re good.”

“How good?” Josie asked anxiously.

“She said yes,” he answered, suddenly feeling shy.

“Yes to what?” his mother asked.

Rye gestured to the house. “Can we all go inside?”

“Not until you answer Mom’s question,” Hannah said. “Yes to what?”

“I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. I bought her a ring. We’re engaged.”

Rye’s sisters shouted and started jumping around. His mom was smiling, too, and the girls were asking a dozen questions, one right after the other.

Rye shook his head at the noisy celebration. “I promise to tell you everything, but I need a shower and some sleep and then later this afternoon I’ll fill you in.”

Two and a half hours later Rye stirred, slowly waking. His head felt fuzzy. He felt strange. Carefully he rolled onto his side, looked at the clock. It was almost four in the afternoon. Still staring at the clock, he tried to clear his head. What happened this morning? Was it real, or just a dream?

But then he reached for his wallet from the nightstand and pulled out the receipt for the Whitefish jewelry store and laid back down.

It wasn’t a dream. He’d proposed, she’d said yes, and he’d bought Ansley a ring.

Smiling crookedly, he got up and walked into the kitchen for water.

He drank a tall glass and then leaned against the counter.

He was going to get married. They would be planning a wedding. His smile grew. He couldn’t believe it, and yet he’d never felt so good, so hopeful about anything.

A knock sounded on the trailer door, and he opened it. It was his mom on the doorstep.

“I wanted to talk to you before your sisters started screaming and jumping up and down again. They’re still very excited,” she said. “They’ve got Jasper worked up, too.”

Rye studied his mom’s expression. His sisters might be thrilled but his mother didn’t seem as happy as she had earlier. “Come in, let’s talk.” He watched his mom walk around the tiny living area before sitting on the edge of the gold plaid sofa. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was curious about your plans. I didn’t know if you and Ansley had discussed the future—”

“We have.”

“Where will you live?”

“Here.” He hesitated. “We’re going to fix up the trailer—Ansley has lots of ideas—and it will be a good starter home.”

“No, it won’t. Don’t do this. Don’t bring her here.”

“Mom.”

“I mean it. Your sisters don’t even want to live here. Don’t bring Ansley here, don’t start your marriage like this.”

His eyes narrowed. “We do struggle, Mom, we all do. But I didn’t realize you were that unhappy here.”

“I’m neither happy nor unhappy. I’m existing.

Just as Dad is existing, and Jasper is existing—correction—no, he’s happy.

He’s happy because he chooses to be happy every day.

He knows he has limited years and he’s determined to make the best of them, but the rest of us…

” She shook her head. “We’re not living up to Jasper’s example.

We just make do. We get by. Because that’s what we tell ourselves we have to do.

” She regarded Rye steadily. “But we can make different choices. We aren’t obligated to be stuck, and let’s be honest, releasing you from obligations will make me happy, and that’s a pretty big deal for me. ”

Rye felt as if his mom had knocked him over the head with a two by two. “What choice would you like me to make? Choose to leave you all? Choose to move somewhere else?”

“ Yes. That’s right. That’s exactly what I want you to do.

Put yourself first. Choose love. Choose happiness.

Don’t be a martyr. Find a new place.” Her eyes locked with his.

A spasm of pain tightened her features. “And if it’s possible, if we’re lucky, take us with you.

Because this isn’t paradise. This doesn’t have to be our home. We all have options.”

Stunned, Rye just stared at her. “What about the property? What about the Calhouns’ legacy?”

“I wouldn’t say this to your dad, but it’s not much of a legacy.

All the good land has been sold off. You have a couple acres for the horses, but there is nothing here that matters.

The house has a newish roof but other than that, it’s nothing special.

It’s a plain house built a hundred years ago, built for practicality, and it’s served us well, but it shouldn’t be a prison. We shouldn’t be trapped here.”

“You feel trapped?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Sometimes, if I’m being honest. I look around the place and think, please, God, don’t let me die here.

Please, God, let there be more adventure, more life, more happiness in store for me.

” Her voice cracked and she glanced away, tears filling her eyes.

“I shouldn’t tell you this. I don’t want to burden you—”

“It’s not a burden. You’re my mother. I’d do anything for you.”

“I know you would, but that’s not your job. I’m not one of your responsibilities.” She brushed away the tears and mustered a smile. “The bottom line is, you have options, far more options than you think.”

Rye’s chest ached with bottled air. “Why didn’t you ever say any of this before?”