by Dahlia West
Everyone, including Abby, laughed. “I think I’ll pass, Emilio,” she said. “I like a man who knows what to do with his hands.”
Mark crossed the garage bay, smirking at the teenager. “Forget it, Emilio. She’s too much woman for you.”
Emilio grunted dismissively. “I can handle those curves,” he declared. “They don’t look that dangerous.”
Mark’s impossibly blue eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “It’s not the curves you’ve got to watch out for,” he told the boy. “It’s the mouth. And she’s about to give me a heaping helping of sass.”
Emilio frowned at Abby. “How can you tell?”
Mark’s head tilted to one side as he smiled at her. “I know my girl.”
Abby ignored the look he was giving her and put her hands on her hips. “Come to the hotel when you finish up here.”
The corner of Mark’s mouth lifted. “Is that an order?”
“Yes.”
Easy laughed, but Mark just grinned down at her. “Well, now,” he said, “should I bother to bring clothes? Or will you keep me pretty much naked all night?”
“Dress for dinner,” Abby replied. “After that, neither one of us is putting on any clothes until tomorrow.” She put a finger to her lips and pretended to think it over. “Maybe not even then.”
“There’s a birthday present,” Hawk declared.
Mark dipped his head toward her. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied in his Texas drawl, laying it on extra thick because he was amused. He loved her sass outside the bedroom. Abby suspected it heightened his own experience when he set about taming his little filly in private. She gave him a nod and turned back to her Camaro. She was still a little nervous as the entire afternoon loomed before her, but she thought she hid it well. She headed back to The Custer for the next stage of her plan.
An hour later she was pacing back and forth inside the lobby of the hotel. Despite all her meticulous preparations, she still couldn’t seem to calm her nerves. She tugged at the hem of her light blue dress, smoothing the fabric over and over. Before she’d met Mark, she wouldn’t have looked twice at a dress like this. Its mid-thigh length and spaghetti straps revealed more skin than she’d ever been comfortable showing. Now, after having been naked in a room full of people, the dress seemed tame by comparison.
Sarah, arms laden with bags, approached the hotel’s revolving door. Abby surged forward and grasped the handle of one of the bags as her friend entered the building. “Oh, thanks!” Sarah huffed, rearranging her grip on the other bag. “It’s not much, but it’s so heavy!”
A few months from now the hotel’s kitchen would be fully functional and available for Sarah to prep meals on special occasions, but Abby didn’t want to wait any longer. She led Sarah to the elevators and they rode up to the second floor rather than struggling with the bags. “The steaks are perfect,” Sarah gushed. “They’re seared with pink peppercorns and Kona Coffee grounds. And the dessert is chocolate mousse with red chili pepper.” She winked at Abby. “Like you two need any spicing up.”
Abby laughed as the doors slid open. She swiped the keycard to unlock the large ballroom, pulled open the door, and ushered the woman inside. Sarah gasped, stopping short and apparently forgetting all about the heavy bag she was shouldering. “Oh my God, Abby! It looks just like Tildy’s wedding!”
Abby nodded. It did look quite a bit similar, minus the flowers that had been festooned on every available surface for Tildy and Hawk’s ceremony. This time only a small bouquet of freshly cut white and pink lilies sat as a centerpiece for the only decorated table. The white fairy lights still glowed from the arch at the back of the room. The overhead lights were dimmed and the candles on the table flickered softly.
“It’s beautiful, Abby,” Sarah said cautiously.
Abby froze as she set her bag down on a nearby empty table. “But… but what?”
“Well,” Sarah said sheepishly, “I don’t know. It’s just, he would have liked beer and pool at Maria’s, you know? Tex has never gotten all fancy on his birthday. It’s just… it’s a lot of effort for a birthday.”
Abby ran her hand nervously through her hair and cleared her throat. “Well… see… that’s the thing. It’s not just his birthday.”
Sarah turned to face her.
“It’s… I…” Abby sputtered. She had everything she wanted to say to Mark worked out, but she hadn’t considered attempting to explain it to anyone else. By way of explanation, she plucked the gray box out from underneath the flower arrangement and handed it to Sarah. The woman’s eyes widened as she opened it. “Oh. My. God. Oh, Abby. It’s… it’s amazing!” she said as she turned it over between her fingers.
“I want him,” Abby said firmly. “He’s mine. It’s time.”
She knew Sarah could relate. The tiny brunette had decided the same thing not so long ago. She’d told Shooter (and everyone else) when and where to be because she wasn’t going to wait any longer for her life to start. Abby was ready, too. She only hoped Mark felt the same.
“I want it to be now,” she told Sarah. “And I want it here.”
The Custer now felt as much a friend as the woman standing in front of her. Abby couldn’t imagine having her wedding anywhere else. She’d come to South Dakota looking for a job and instead she’d found a home.
Sarah replaced the ring and hugged Abby fiercely. “I always wanted a sister,” she whispered. Abby returned the hug, and the sentiment, just as strongly.
She’d found a family, too.
Chapter 9
Abby’s stomach knotted as Mark stepped into the ballroom. He looked gorgeous in his blue silk shirt and black trousers. No one looking at him would guess how dirty he’d been just a few hours earlier. Abby shivered as she thought about just how dirty this man could get in general. She’d never met anyone like him, capable of doing anything in his life except decide to do what he truly wanted, with the people he truly loved.
“You look beautiful,” he told her as he took her into his arms.
“Thank you.”
A year ago she would have dismissed his compliment, made excuses for why he’d said it. Now she accepted it as readily as if he’d told her the sky was blue. He took in the dimly lit room, the flowers on the table, and smiled at her. “This is nice, Abby. Is it just us?” he asked, seeing that only one table had been set. She nodded. His lips brushed hers as he gently squeezed her. “Thank you.”
“Happy birthday.”
He led her to the table, pulling out her chair for her. Mark was always thoughtful. If, like Sarah, he thought she’d gone overboard, he’d never say it. He’d never dash her efforts so carelessly.
“I haven’t been in this room since Hawk and Tildy’s wedding.”
Abby blushed and quickly snatched the stainless steel lid off his plate. Mark grinned. “Now that is a birthday dinner,” he declared.
“There’s dessert, too.”
He gave her a dark look. “Oh, I know what I’m having for dessert.”
Abby suppressed a grin and lifted her own plate’s lid. She set them aside and ran a hand absent-mindedly over the tablecloth. Perfect. Everything was perfect.
She could barely touch her steak though. Instead, she nervously glanced at the small box tucked under the centerpiece. Only she could see it, looming before her and distracting her from everything else.
“Abby?” Mark said and she realized it was the second time he’d called her name. “Are you alright?”
She nodded, pushing her plate away. Mark grinned at her. “Are we skipping through to dessert? Do I get to lay you out on this table and get my birthday spanking?”
She squirmed in her seat at the thought. “After,” she told him breathlessly.
“After. After what?”
“Your gift.”
“Oh, boy,” Mark sighed. “Did you get another tattoo?” His gaze sharpened as he glanced at her breasts. “You better not have gotten pierced. You know I want to be there for that.”
She
shook her head, stood up, and reached for the box. Stepping around the table, she got down on both knees beside his chair and opened her hand to fully reveal the box.
“Abby-”
She ignored him and lifted the lid. “I love you,” she said, aware of the slight waver in her voice.
“Abby-”
“I love you,” she insisted. “And I want you to belong to me the way I belong to you. I don’t want to be just your pet. It’s not enough. Not anymore. I want to be your wife.”
Mark laid his napkin down on the table, slid down to the floor, and knelt in front of her cupping her face in his hands. “Abby listen to me.”
All of Abby’s raw nerves snapped and she choked back a sob. “Oh, God. Don’t say no,” she whispered. “I love you so, so much.”
Mark wiped a fat tear off her cheek with his thumb. “Abby, I love you. You know that.”
She pressed her lips together, trying not to cry.
“I want this, too,” he told her, “but I was going to wait another year.”
Abby shook her head. “I don’t want to wait. This is what I want, Mark. You are what I want.”
He tilted her face so their eyes met. “There are rules in a marriage, Abby,” he told her. “Just like in the bedroom. There are only two people in a marriage. You and me and that’s it. No Lilah, no Sabrina, no one else for either of us.”
Abby swallowed hard and nodded vigorously. “I understand. That’s what I want, too. Just you and me and our family.”
“Are you sure? You’re young,” he reminded her. “You haven’t lived much. You haven’t seen everything.”
“I’ve seen what I want,” she insisted. “It’s this. Us. Forever.”
Mark plucked the ring out of the box. He smiled when the light caught the inscription. “I lived for years never knowing if I’d find the right woman. Part of me thought I never would. And I for damn sure didn’t expect to get on my knees for her.” He handed her back the ring and extended his hand. “You know, you set a pretty high standard,” he told her. “My proposal’s going to have to top this.”
“Your proposal?”
He caught her with a sharp look that thrilled her and made her shiver. “I’m still a man, Abby.”
She sighed happily. “I know.”
He ducked his head to indicate his outstretched hand. She noticed it was rock steady while hers were shaking. She met his piercing blue gaze. “Will you marry me?” she whispered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The End
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9