Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“I love you, Pax.”
My mouth rose up at the corners even bigger. “You have to land this plane, Steed, because all I want is to throw myself into your arms. Oh, and I love you too!”
He laughed. “Does that mean you want to wait until we land for me to put the ring on?”
“Yes! Hurry! Land!”
He snapped the ring box shut, took the plane off auto pilot, and got busy with getting us back to the ground safely. My leg bounced the entire time as he lined the plane up with the runway. I glanced every other second to the ring box. Peeking at Steed, I was positive his expression of happiness matched mine.
We landed and I let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding. The moment the plane came to a stop, I unbuckled and so did Steed. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I let my emotions free.
He held onto me tightly as he whispered, “You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Pax.”
Through my unlady-like sniffles, I replied, “You’ve made me the happiest woman alive!”
He pulled back and ran the back of his hand down the side of my cheek before opening the ring box again.
I got a good look at it and gasped. “Oh my God.” Lifting my eyes to meet his, I asked, “Is that…”
He nodded. “The ring you pointed to the day we picked up my mother’s necklace. Yes.”
My heart hammered, the memory coming back.
“It will only take a second to run in and pick up the necklace my father bought for Mom’s birthday.”
I nodded and let the warm rays from the sunroof him me. It was the summer before our senior year. Steed and I had been down at the river all morning with friends, but the one hundred degree temperatures drove Steed and me to leave.
Pulling up to the jewelry store, Steed parked and rushed over to my side of the truck to open my door. He smiled and my stomach did that silly dip it always did whenever he flashed that sexy grin.
We stepped inside, and as Steed walked up to the saleslady, I wandered around the store. I soon found myself in front of the engagement rings staring at the most breathtaking ring I’d ever seen.
“Want to see it?”
My eyes snapped up to see Judy Pinhouse. Her daddy owned the jewelry store.
With a quick glance at Steed, I noticed he was in a deep conversation with Mr. Pinhouse.
I shrugged. “Sure! Why not.”
Judy giggled as she unlocked the glass door and reached in. She placed a blue velvet pad in front of me and set the ring on it.
“It’s a princess cut diamond that my daddy personally designed. It’s one of my favorites.”
Picking it up, I smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, the girl who gets this will be lucky.”
I nodded. “She sure will.”
My body came to life as I felt him next to me. “Whatcha looking at?” Steed asked as Mr. Pinhouse walked over.
“Aw, you’re admiring the princess cut I designed.”
“It’s beautiful. I love it so much.”
He smiled, glanced over to Steed, and gave him a wink. “She’s got good taste.”
Steed’s arm wrapped around my waist, and he looked at me with so much love. I was sort of freaking out inside as his eyes searched mine. I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. After all, we were only seniors in high school.
“Well, Judy and I were just having fun looking at rings. This one caught my eye. It’s truly stunning.”
Mr. Pinhouse thanked me as I handed the ring back. “I’m glad you liked it, Paxton.”
Liked it? I loved it.
Steed’s voice pulled me from the memory. “After you told Mr. Pinhouse you loved the ring, I went back later that day and worked out a plan with him to buy it. After working on the ranch that summer and doing some extra work for Dad and Pete Moss, I earned enough to buy it a few days before Christmas.”
I covered my mouth as shock and realization hit me.
“You’ve had this ring since our senior year of high school?”
He nodded as he gazed into my eyes. “I’ve never let go of the dream to marry you, Pax. Never.”
Focusing on the ring, he took it out of the box and slipped it on my finger. “It’s always been you. It will forever be you.”
I threw myself at his body again, which was hard to do in the small cockpit of this plane.
“It’s beautiful! This is beautiful!” I uttered as he pulled me close.
“Now let me take you home so I can make love to you.”
Drawing back, I wiped my tears away and chuckled. “I like that plan.”
I laid contently in Steed’s arms and stared out the large picture window in his bedroom, my fingers moving mindlessly over his chest. Every now and then I would look at the beautiful ring on my finger and a rush of overwhelming happiness would hit me. Steed’s soft breathing told me he was sleeping.