Danny
Gosh, this was so nerve-wracking.
From the moment she walked in ahead of me, I was completely on edge, and trying my best not to fumble or freak out. But, to find the right words.
Heaven help me, all I could do was hope to God that every one of my actions-since the auction gala-had done enough to get her off the mend and reassure her that I was thoroughly committed to making it up to her for the rest of our lives.
But would that be enough?
The silent question hung in the air, haunting me like a nagging insect. Doing absolutely nothing to help ease my intensifying fear.
In fact, pebble-sized knots began to form in my stomach as my eyes danced over and surveyed her pretty face. Apparently, I'd even subconsciously held my breath in nervous anticipation of the outcome.
What reaction would the occasion elicit from the woman I hoped to spend the rest of my life with?
Taking in the sight of her, I knew that come what may, I would remember this moment forever. Whether it would be filled with tremendous gratitude, or forlorn with the harshest dose of nostalgia-the jury was still out on that.
Observing her expression closely, I noted the crinkle near her eyes and a trace of a blush on her lips. An endearing scene if I ever saw one.
My heart hammered up a racquet in the interim, nearly breaking from within my chest. Ready to bolt like a startled animal.
True, I had done this once before. But even then, the experience had not been near a fraction as gut-wrenching as this. I am coming to the understanding that this was because what I'd harboured before, and what I held now, were in direct contradiction.
Whatever I had with my ex-it wasn't love. Because ... I'd never felt this way before in my entire life. Not until my dear sweet Paege.
That's why there was so much riding on this moment. And so much I stood to lose if things didn't go my way.
So I watched her closely, hoping somehow that her movement would telegraph or predict the most likely outcome. Although instead, the gracefulness of her movement simply bewitched me yet again, rendering me powerless to stare.
Her poise reminded me of a daisy drifting in the wind. She regarded the tender display, awestruck in a staggered twirl that was cut short abruptly. Her mouth hung open, slightly ajar and the palm of her hand pressed on her belly to maintain balance.
Meanwhile, I was a fortified wreck, clinging to nothing less than my waning confidence. Believe it or not, I had actually rehearsed this moment numerous times in my head.
I wanted to get it right. To make this moment perfect and every ounce memorable for her.
This was a colossal step for me. Especially given everything I'd been through to reach this precise position. But-it was only as good as the response it garnered from her. One, which would send ripples onward in time.
Would it ring of her unfailing love and hope for a future together? That remained to be seen.
But I could think of nothing else--no single gesture or alternative action--that could perfectly encapsulate the depths of my affection where she was concerned.
Would she have me? Or would her qualms about me withhold the possibility of one of my dearest hopes-a life together filled with adventure, heart-to-heart conversations, night walks, stargazing, and lots of giggling children?
The look on her face, as she took in the twinkling fairy lights and floral accents that had been draped thoughtfully along the interior wall of the corridor ... was everything.
I hoped, and prayed, to God that she would reciprocate my desires. That I had regained her faith, if only just, enough for her to take this next step forward with me.
Gosh, was I an anxious mess. And it could not be helped.
She always seemed to have such a profound effect on me. And it didn't help that this was one of the defining moments of my life.
A while back, I thought I wanted a future with someone else. But, how wrong was I? I would've been utterly miserable if I'd taken that plunge. A fool, none the wiser about the apparent self-serving nature of my would-be wife.
But thank God I hadn't!
This woman, on the other hand, had been nothing but a breath of fresh air and possessed the things I'd subconsciously looked for in an ideal wife. And I wanted that-wanted her-more than anything. I could only see a bright future ahead of us. That is-if she'd even have me.
Unsurprisingly, there had been overwhelming support in pursuing this momentous occasion. Everyone had chipped in. Mom, Dad, A.J., Bell, of course, and the others.
Everyone seemed to be reeled in by the authenticity of what we shared. They were all incredibly stoked after learning of my intentions. Some even murmured, "It's about damn time", in some form or fashion, insisting on showing their support.
Paege had been on her own for a while now, but little did she know that she wasn't alone anymore. If nothing else, their actions had proved that in spades. She had won over all she'd become acquainted with on my family's ranch. That's for sure!
Truth be told, I don't think she'd ever met a cold heart she couldn't thaw. She'd certainly wasted no time melting mine.
When she finally looked at me, after taking it all in, my heart was in a puddle on the floor. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears. Gosh, I sure hoped that we could speed this part along because I couldn't stand the sight of tears in those pretty eyes of hers.
And when those words poured from me, it was all that it took not to descend into a mess of tears alongside her. Proof that we were irrevocably tied to one another, whether we wanted it or not.
Damn! Even before the words left my lips, I just knew that I was incapable of letting her go. I just couldn't. Not when she had become a major part of my life, to the point where I couldn't-and didn't want to-imagine a world without her.
I'm firmly of the belief that there was someone out there for everyone, and Paege was that to me in spades. The mere fact that God had taken his time to craft this beautiful soul in front of me, just to send her my way was one of his greatest flexes, in my humble opinion.
She was everything I needed and more.
She was a demonstration; a reflection, of his love for me. And that notion filled me with the deepest gratitude. Especially, because I didn't deserve her.
Paege was so sweet, generous, loving and considerate. Her passion for helping animals was ever-apparent and one of her most endearing qualities. Above all, she was the best thing that ever happened to me.
How could I give that up? How could I give her up?
This woman had single-handedly shaken up my world, for the better. She gave me a new perspective, enough that I was able to genuinely thank my ex in hindsight for teaching me a valuable lesson. And more importantly, for exiting my life as hastily as she had. If she hadn't, I certainly would've missed out on something great.
Paege was such a blessing, to me and my family.
If she said no, I'd be utterly crushed.
The woman was solely responsible for inspiring me to hope, and have the confidence to take a leap of faith-to trust again. She was also guilty of building me up, and restoring my ability to love again. And perhaps I'd never truly loved before I'd met her.
It felt like we were two halves of the same coin-two halves of the same soul.
I couldn't say at which point I'd fallen for her. Nor could I determine the moment she'd effectively gotten under my skin. Time seemed to have flown by since we met, and got to know each other. Furthermore, it was almost impossible to tell what had been the final straw.
Who knows? All I knew is that I loved this woman tremendously. That I wanted to live the rest of my days with her by my side. If she'd have me, of course.
There was nothing and no one I wanted more in my entire life.
God help me! Since she'd strolled onto my family's ranch, every moment had become brighter somehow. As though a light had finally been switched on.
What had barely been a glimmer, had evolved into a confident gleam.
Being with her was something else. It was so real. Every moment was full-of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain-and unapologetically phenomenal.
As always, that was Paege's doing.
She'd infiltrated my heart without any warning. And now, there was no chance of trying to leave.
Who knew that I would've been so excited for her to be my bride that I'd move up the timeline?
I wrapped my arms around her, caressing the back of her head as she cried into my shoulder. Beyond anything else, it was crystal clear that my words had struck a chord. That they resonated with her.
"Shhh, baby, please don't cry." I cooed into her hair, pressing a brief kiss there. My chest tightened as I held her closer to me. If that was even possible. "You're breaking my heart."
Her response was more muffled whimpers as she cried into my shoulder, holding onto me for dear life. I continued to rub soothing strokes into her back in an attempt to help her recover.
By the time she had composed herself, the shoulder to the midsection of my t-shirt was completely drenched. But I didn't mind though. How could I? I was more than happy to be her shoulder to cry on.
After a few minutes, her cries lessened to sniffles. Paege wiped her eyes using the ball of her palm before she found the courage to look at me again, a teary smile marring her beautiful, elegant features.
"Is that a yes then?" My eyes searched hers before dancing over the refreshing curve of her face. "I need to hear you say it."
"It would make me the happiest woman in the world to be your wife," Paege finally managed, nodding her head in affirmation before the remaining words floated past her lips, "Yes, I'll stay with you."
"Yes?" I asked again, almost in absolute astonishment as a deep smile completely warped my face.
She nodded again, repeating with an amused smile, "Yes."
At her confirmation, I stood, hoisting her up brimming with excitement, causing her to squeal in delight.
"Humour me, say it again!" There was no chance of removing the full-fledged grin that consumed my features as I held her close, my arms circling around her waist.
"Yes," Paege giggled.
She said, Yes! "Yes." I embraced her in a warm hug for a long time. After I was done convincing myself that I wasn't dreaming, I pulled back a little, reaching for her delicate hands. I held her gleaming gaze before looking down to slide the ring on her finger.
I pulled Paege to me again, embracing her in another hug. She circled her arms around my waist and I heard her giggle against me.
Reclining a bit, I leaned my forehead against hers, bringing my hands to cup her cheeks gentling, initiating a deep kiss. My tongue delved between her lips, revelling in the glorious taste of her, incredibly satisfied to have the ability to do this for the rest of our lives. I'd be sure to take advantage of it every chance I get.
She moaned into my mouth, pulling me closer still while raking her hand through my hair.
Goodness me, I was so painfully hard right now from just this kiss and her sultry moan. If she wasn't careful, I wouldn't be able to help myself and take her right here. Goodness, I had to get a grip before I got carried away.
"Sweetheart, if you keep that up, you can only blame yourself for making me take you right here." I heaved, reclaiming my breath while holding her gaze.
"Promises, promises," She bit her lip, earning her an arched eyebrow.
That left it up to me to have incredible restraint and ensure that the moment was everything she deserved.
"Sweetheart, I want you to know that there's not a man alive who's as happy as I am right now, and that's all your doing. Though you are incredibly tempting, I have to resist for a bit longer."
Just then, a neigh to the left brought our attention to Angel and Tempers who seemed to be taking us in as though we were their entertainment for the evening. We both chuckled as a result, closing the gap between us.
Paege hugged both horses one after the other, gleaming with joy, "Guys, I'm so happy that you were here to share this moment with us."
"I know how much they mean to you and I thought it only right that they were a part of this." I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back into my chest and nestling my chin against her shoulder.
"Thank you, that's very sweet of you," She beamed, turning around in my arms before circling her arms around my neck and leaning in to press her lips to mine. Goodness me.
When she pulled away, I was in a daze and a thoughtful look crossed her delicate features. "Is it ok if we invite the whole town?"
"Mhmmm," I beamed. "Sweetheart, don't you know by now that your wish is my command?"
She blushed again.
"Did you do this all yourself?" Her eyes scrutinized around us once again, noting the decorations that now made the everyday barn area seem like something straight out of a catalogue. "When did you get the time?"
"I might've shared my intentions with mom, dad and Bell while you slept," A huge smirk smeared my face. "You know how much they love you already. Sometimes more than me. But everyone chipped in, and that includes A.J. and the others."
"Are you guys decent?" came a feminine voice, drawing our gaze to the head peeping in from behind the barn door.
"Bell," Paege lightly scolded.
"What?" Entering the barn, my sister shrugged. "I thought you two would crank that baby-making machine already."
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