Page 48 of Riding Into Love
Colby Burke is all that and more.
“Have I told you lately that I love you, Thurston?” he asks, turning toward me.
“Mm-hmm, but tell me again.”
He smiles and pulls me into his arms. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We kiss, and the heat builds between us. I can’t get enough of this man. It’s been six months since the day he showed up and asked me to stay, and I’m still head-over-heels in love with him. And not just with him, but with the life we’re building together.
I never thought I’d find something like this. Something so real. But now that I have it, I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before. Colby has become my whole world. He’s the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep. He’s the person I share everything with. The highs and the lows, the good and the bad, and everything in between.
“I have something I’d like to show you,” Colby says, breaking the kiss.
“What is it?”
He smiles and takes my hand. “Follow me.”
I let him lead me into the barn and through the large doorway at the back. The pasture stretches out in front of us, and the herd of cattle is grazing peacefully under the setting sun. There’s a fallen tree lying across the grass, and it’s become my favorite spot in my time here. Colby and I spend a lot of time sitting there, talking and planning for the future.
But as we get closer, I realize something is different. There’s a blanket spread out across the ground in front of it and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. There are flowers, too. Bright orange daisies. My favorite.
“Colby, what is all this?”
He grins. “It’s for you.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Six months ago, today, you agreed to stay. It’s been the happiest six months of my life.”
I smile. “Mine too.”
He reaches out and takes my hand. “Come here, River.”
I take his hand, and he leads me to the blanket. We sit down, and he pours us each a glass of champagne. He raises his glass, and we toast.
“To the future,” he says.
“To the future,” I repeat.
We clink our classes, and I bring mine to my lips, but Colby is staring at me like he’s waiting for something. When I tilt my glass back, a flash of light from inside the liquid catches my eye. I turn the flute around and look at the bottom. There, shining up at me, is a beautiful diamond ring.
My mouth drops open, and I stare up at Colby in shock. “Oh, my God,” I whisper.
He grins and takes the glass from my hand. Then he plucks the ring out and holds it up between us.
“River Thurston...” His voice is shaking when he says my name, and my heart pounds so loud I can hardly hear the words.
“...You are the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me. I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were something special. I didn’t know how special until you stayed. I didn’t know how much you’d mean to me until we made a home here. Together. You’re everything to me, and I can’t imagine spending another day without you. River, will you marry me?”
I’m speechless. I’m stunned. I’m shocked. But mostly, I’m happy. So damn happy.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes!”
He slides the ring onto my finger and pulls me into his arms, kissing me and rolling me around on the ground while I squeal and laugh. When he finally stops, we’re both covered in grass stains and dirt, and the champagne is splashed all over us, but neither of us cares.
“God, I love you,” he says, kissing me again.
