Page 26 of Saving Texas

“I love you.”

Allen looked like I could knock him over with a feather.

“Well damn, if I knew all I needed to do was buy you football tickets to get you to admit to your feelings for me, I would have done it a long time ago,” he teased.

“Not just football tickets, Cowboys tickets,” I corrected. “If this was just some regular old Texans game, I would have had to re-evaluate my life choices when it comes to you.”

“And what life choices are those?”

I took a deep breath, remembering how he said he was always the one doing the pursuing.

“The ones where I tell you I want to spend the rest of my time on Earth with you.”

“Well now, that’s good to hear darlin’, seeing as how I’ve got a mind to make the same choices.”

He lowered his head until his lips were only an inch away from mine.

“Tell me again.”

“I love you.”

His smile was huge. “I love you too.”

“But just to be clear, I love the Cowboys more.”

Epilogue – Allen

Four months later...

“You sure about this?”

“I won the bet fair and square, don’t pout because your team lost.”

It had been a close game, but the Texans had lost against Dallas in December, and now it was time for Clara to call in the bet. I’d faced snipers, bombs, criminals strung out on meth, and rabid dogs, but I’d never been this scared in my life.

I looked down at the ground rushing by ten thousand feet below us and tried not to throw up. Thank God I’d been smart enough to skip breakfast. Skydiving. Of course my little adrenaline junkie had chosen skydiving.

“Clara,” I shouted over the sound of the plane engine. “If I die today, I want you to know I have an engagement ring in my top drawer. If I live, I plan to ask you to marry me.”

She leaned over and gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“Just so you know, if you live, I plan to say yes.”

She grabbed my hand and tugged me closer to the door of the plane where the instructor was watching us with amusement. I was too terrified to let it bother me that he clearly thought I was a pussy.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I yelled. My heart was pounding so hard I was pretty sure I was fixing to pass out.

“We’ll do it together,” she yelled back as she maneuvered herself between me and the door. This wasn’t my girlfriend’s first jump; she’d been skydiving for years.

Taking a firm grip on both of my hands, she stepped backwards into the air, pulling me out of the plane with her. It felt like my skin was going to fly right off my skeleton as we went into a free fall, the wind rushing past us with a roar.

“Look at me,” Clara shouted over the wind.

She was wearing the most joyous smile I’d seen in my life. My eyes fixed on hers and I felt myself relax.

“Let’s pull the handles on three,” she called.

Our downward trajectory slowed as we engaged the parachutes. I risked a look around at the scenery as we floated downwards at an easier pace. When we got close enough to the ground, Clara released my hands so we could land separately. I hit the ground running, then promptly tripped over my own feet, and fell in the grass face down. Clara came rushing over and dropped to her knees beside me.