by Tinley Blake
I’ve always known Blake was it for me, but I had to wait for her. I would do it all again, if need be. She’s meant to be my forever. My always.
She is my home.
With an apple in hand, I walk up and coax Samson into coming to me. I must be doing okay since he seems to have mellowed when I’m around. I think on some level, he knows what I did to save Blake. He lets me place the bridle and harness around his neck. I murmur encouragingly to him. He’d better not screw up my plans tonight. I think he’ll be fine, and the risk of harnessing him to the small wagon will be worth it to see Blake’s face when he trots up to her.
After all, this evening’s outing is sort of her idea, anyway. She’s the one who wanted to offer up experiences at the ranch for things like engagements and weddings. This will be the first sunset tour in the fields, and I hope that by the end of the evening, I can officially call her mine.
“Are you ready?” Beau asks, stepping around the corner.
“Yeah. Does Mom have Blake distracted?”
“Yeah, they’re going through photo albums.”
“Okay.” I duck under Samson’s thick neck and pass the reins to Beau. “I’m going to text Mom and tell her to make an excuse to come out here. Y’all head over to the spot we picked out, and then I’ll grab Blake. Remember to stay hidden. But don’t spook this beast.”
“Gotcha.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Good luck.”
“Thanks, man.”
After double-checking the wagon for supplies, I text my mother, and then when she and Beau disappear across the field, I text Blake.
I’ve got a surprise for you. Walk outside.
I wait a minute after the message shows as read and then I click my tongue and steer Samson toward the house.
Her eyes widen when she steps out the door, and then a smile as bright as the sun lights her face.
“Come on, lets go for a ride.”
“How did you do this?”
“Well, first, you hook the leads to the wagon and then—” Her fist hits me in the shoulder and I lean to the right in exaggerated pain. “Is that how to treat a man who surprises you with gifts? Damn, woman.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Yeah, but I can’t give away all of my secrets, now can I?”
This time when she raises her arms, instead of hitting me, she wraps them around my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. “Ready for a ride?” I ask.
“Hell, yeah.”
I send up a silent prayer that Samson cooperates and then together, we make our way across the fields.
“This would be so perfect for a wedding,” Blake comments, glancing around. The sun is on its final descent across the mountains in the distance.
“I know. Believe it or not, I was paying attention to you when you droned on and on.”
“I’m starting to think you like me hitting you.”
My stomach is rolling the closer we get to the meeting spot. No words form, and even if they did, I don’t think I could push them out right now. When the wagon rolls to a stop, I step down and then offer my hand to Blake. As soon as her feet touch the ground, I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring box. Dropping to one knee, I open the box and ask the most important question of my life.
“Blakelynn Smith, from the time I could walk, I’ve loved you. For me, there will never be another. I want all of my arguments and all of my achievements to be shared with you. I want you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
Her eyes, which until now were dry and clear, are now filled with the glistening of tears. One hand is pressed to her mouth, the other wrapped around her stomach. I hold my breath, waiting. When she nods her head, I almost fall to the ground, the relief is so great. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”
Pulling her mother’s ring from the box, I take her hand in mine and slide it over her ring finger. I stand and pull her into my arms. In the distance, I can hear my mother crying and the click of the camera, but I can’t take my eyes off Blake. She holds her hand up, checking out the ring. I see the flash of awareness when she realizes what ring it is.
“Calvin? Is this . . . ?“ Her voice trails off as tears stream down her cheeks.
“Yes. It’s your mother’s. She left it to my mom for you.”
Her arms wrap around my neck again, and this time, her body shakes with joyous sobs. “Thank you.”
I don’t know why she’s thanking me. It should be the other way around. I plan to spend the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am to spend my forever with her.
Beau and Mom join us, popping the bottle of champagne and pouring each of us a glass. We stand under the setting sun, arms locked with our family, and toast to the future. I pull my mom in for a hug and thank her once again for everything. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without her love, and I damn sure wouldn’t have been able to make this day nearly as special without her support. I don’t know what the future holds for any of us. The ranch is headed in a whole new direction with the new barn and stables. Life is speeding toward us. But I know that no matter what, everything will be fine.
“Last one back to the barn is a roasted duck,” Blake says, jumping into the wagon’s seat.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I took amazing pictures of your engagement. The least you can do is give an old man a ride back to the house,” Beau says, climbing onto one of the two benches lining the wagon.
“Same. Although I didn’t take pictures, but I created that,” Mom says, pointing at me.
“Fine, everyone in. But I’m driving,” Blake says, taking the reins in her hand. I hop up next to her before I get left behind. The ride back is jarring but filled with the laughter of friends and family. It’s a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life.
“Who is that?” Blake asks when the barn comes into view. A woman stands on Beau’s front porch, her hands on her hips and a scowl across her face. Her white jeans are covered in muddy paw prints visible from here. Neo is at her feet, begging for attention.
“Oh, fucking hell.”
“What? Do you know her?”
“You could say that,” Beau says, jumping from the wagon. “What the fuck are you doing here, Frankie?” he growls through clenched teeth.
“Who’s Frankie?” Blake turns in her seat, looking first at me and then Mom. We both shrug.
“I don’t know. But it doesn’t sound good.”
Life. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the conniving bitch spins you around and tosses you right back on your ass. Oh, well. At least it’s never boring.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A lot of people helped make this book possible, and they deserve a proper thank you, so without further ado.
Amber, thank you for spamming me with GIFs daily and laughing at me when I really needed you to SUPPORT ME.
Fabiola, thank you for pushing me, thirty minutes at a time. I couldn’t have done this without your motivation.
Dillon, thanks for letting me steal your name. (Psst. I stole your name.)
To my PLN sisters, I LOVE YOU and thank you so much for supporting me and pushing me to be a better human daily. Kirsten, Rebecca, Victoria, Aria, Tarryn, Michelle, Holly H, Holly R, Alicia, Tasara, okay, okay now I’m just name dropping haha. You ladies have all been there for me in one way or another and your love is invaluable.
Thank you, husband, for waiting on me hand and foot, for driving the kids across the world, and for cooking dinner every night. You're the real MVP here, and without you, none of this would have been possible. I suppose I forgive you for throwing away my rug now. And to my wonderful children, thank you for existing.
And lastly, but certainly not least, THANK YOU, readers, for loving Calvin and Blake as much as I do!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tinley Blake has slept under the stars in Las Vegas, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and traveled across the countryside in stolen vehicles with worldwide drug
men and lived to tell the tale.
She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. Tinley loves creating heroes who make you swoon, heroines who make you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After endings.
These days, you can find her writing in a sweet bungalow on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama, with her very own French man who is now her loving husband, their four kids, two dogs, and one very confused cat named Goat.
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