Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
I pointed to the first two houses on the street. “These are going up for sale.” Sunshine didn’t know where I was going with this. “I thought I could buy one or both. I could use one as my office. Since I’m staying in town, I wanted a home base that wasn’t home. I could renovate to make the downstairs office space and upstairs rooms for my clients if they came into town.” I pointed to the house next to it. “I thought maybe you could turn this house into a senior living place. Not just for live-ins but a place for seniors in town to hang out. You could use the upstairs for a live-in nurse. Not you, of course,” I teased.
When she didn’t crack a smile, I thought for sure I’d fucked this all up until tears streamed down her face. “You’re not leaving?”
I took her hand and brought it to my lips. “No. The two most important people in my life are here.” Then I held up a finger. “Wait.”
There was more to my plan, and today was a beautiful day for it. The sun was shining, and the weather was a few degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. I rounded the truck and opened her door, holding out my hand.
She took it, not knowing I wasn’t planning to ever let her go. I walked her through town with our fingers entwined. I waved and spoke to everyone, introducing her to those who hadn’t met her. It took a lot for me not to proclaim her as mine. Our hands bound together were enough for their imaginations. We passed the apartments and went off to the park and onto private property. I didn’t own it, but the owners knew everyone went here for one reason alone.
“This is so pretty,” she said.
The bridge had been built by a man long ago to propose to his love. I walked her halfway across and stopped. I pulled the ring she’d worn to her grandfather’s out of my pocket. It had hurt me when she’d left it. Part of me had understood and decided I needed to show her how much she meant to me.
“Don’t,” she said, her eyes wide.
I didn’t get on one knee, but I still held her hand with one hand. The canary diamond ring I’d gotten from Ryder’s jewelry shop held in the other. I spoke the next words slowly:
“You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine.
“You make me so damn happy even when the skies are gray.
“You’ll never know, sweetheart, how damn much I adore you.
“Please say you’ll forever be mine one day.”
I finished with, “This ring is a promise that I’ll marry you someday.”
When tears poured out, I clutched the ring in my hand so as not to lose it as I swiped moisture from her face. “I didn’t mean for you to cry.”
She shook her head. “My dad used to sing that to me. Some words were different, of course. He was the only man I loved who’d said those words until now.”
I couldn’t contain a grin. “You love me?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe it’s too soon, but I’m going to be as fearless in life as my parents wanted me to be and admit I love you, Mitchell Bowmen, maybe from the first moment we met, and I asked myself if there was such a thing as perfect attraction because you were it.”
I flashed her a lopsided grin. “That’s good, because I love you too, my Sunny girl, and I’m not going anywhere.” The card with the name Bowmen Law Offices had been legit. I’d formed the business weeks before. Now I had a building to hang my shingle. There was already a law office in the Creek, but I didn’t plan on stepping on their toes. Though I might be a small-town lawyer, I was still into making the big deals.
Before I kissed her, I slid the ring on her finger. “A promise between us. When the time is right, we will label it. For now, you know I’m yours whenever you want me.”
I cupped the back of her head and went in for a kiss that spelled the beginning of us.
Weeks later…
With Sunshine waiting for me by the car, I did the only thing I hadn’t done since arriving back in the Creek. I set a new bouquet of fresh flowers on Mom’s grave.
Though I understood Mom wasn’t here, this was where I found the courage to speak out loud about everything that I’d bottled up inside.
“I’m sorry, Mom, for so many things. If I could do it all over, I would have dropped everything when you asked me to come. Selfishly, I assumed I’d have you forever.” I blew out a heavy breath. “Nate changed the house. You’d love it. He did everything you asked Dad to do.” I wiped my eyes. “I met someone. And you were right. From the very first moment we met, I knew, just like you and Dad, you’d love her. She’s kind and generous of heart. She loves the ranch and every living creature. If there is a spider in the house, she catches it only to let it go outside. She’s amazing. And she loves my daughter. My daughter. I wish you could have met Zoe. She’s smart and asks a lot of questions, like I did growing up. I miss you like crazy. I’ve been watching old home movies with Zoe so she can get to know you. You’d be thrilled to know I’ve given up Chicago and I’m moving home. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but I want my kids to have what I had. And I pray I can have as many years with Sunshine as you did with Dad. That’s it for now, but I’ll be back soon.”