“It’s my whole world now, too,” he said softly. “I wanted to bring you to the most beautiful spot overlooking our whole valley. You know why?”
Renae turned and looked at him, shaking her head. “I have no idea why.”
“I thought this would be the perfect place to ask you to marry me. Is this good?”
“Yes, but that’s not your proposal, is it?” Her heart sped up, excited to know the moment was upon them. He was finally going to ask her to marry him. Finally might seem harsh to anyone else, but she’d been waiting for this moment since she started seventh grade.
He shook his head. “I’m not going to get down on my knee in the snow, but . . .” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “Wait . . . I can’t put it on the right finger because of the sling. I guess I’ll have to wait.”
He started to stick the ring back into his pocket, but she stopped him. “Just try to back out now.”
He laughed. “Renae Quinn, I love you more than life itself. You’re no longer that annoying girl who made my sister stay up all night laughing. Now you’re the girl who makes me know that I’m home. I’m finally home. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”
Renae nodded, feeling the tears start to run down her face. “I will! When?”
He shrugged. “Next weekend should be good.”
She thought about it. “I’ll still be off work, so that’ll be perfect. I need to see if Roxie can get me the ballroom at the hotel.” She threw her arm around him and kissed him. “I love you, Chad Duncan. Let’s have babies!”
He laughed. “I’d rather wait a year or so for the babies if that’s all right with you.”
“Whatever. Just so you know we’re having them.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him once more.
“Let’s go back where there’s cell service, and we’ll tell everyone. Starting with Roxie of course. She needs to let us know if we can do it next weekend. I really don’t want to wait.”
“Neither do I. What’s the point? When you know someone is right for you, waiting is just stupid. We’re not stupid people.”
He laughed, holding her close. “We’re not. Let’s do this thing.”
As they drove down the mountain, she thought about everyone she needed to call, knowing Roxie had to be first, but then she needed to call her meddling grandmother. She would be so happy that her favorite graceful granddaughter had found the man of her dreams.
As soon as they were into phone range, which rarely happened in a canyon, she called Roxie to ask about a date for the wedding. “Is the ballroom open next Saturday?” she asked in lieu of greeting.
Roxie paused for a moment. “Yup. Why? You want to get married? Or an engagement party?”
“I thought maybe a wedding. At two. That work for you?”
“Yup! You need food?”
“Tacos!”
“I’ll let Ciran know he’s catering. He’ll give you a good price.”
“Perfect. Thanks!”
“Wait!” Roxie exclaimed.
“What? I have other calls to make. Planning a whole wedding in six days isn’t going to be easy.” Renae waited to hear what her sister had to say.
“Congratulations, and I love you. Tell Chad welcome to the family for me.”
“Will do!” Renae ended the call and looked at Chad. “We have the ballroom at two on Saturday. Now to see if the pastor can marry us.” Renae didn’t go to church every single week, but she was definitely a believer and had a good relationship with her pastor.
After another quick phone call, she smiled. “We’re in. Now I have to call my grandmother. With all her meddling, trying to get us to marry, she needs to be one of the first to know.”
“Wait until we get back to your place. Then you can call yours while I call mine. I don’t want either of them to think they’re more special because they got the call first, and you know they’re going to compare notes!”
“They will.” Renae sighed. “You’re absolutely right. We need to call them together.”
Five minutes later, she placed a call. “Hi, Grandpa! Is Grandma there? This is Renae.”
“You don’t have any words for your sweet old grandpa? What is wrong with you, Renae Quinn?”
Renae grinned. Grandpa wasn’t the easiest person to talk to on the phone with his hearing issues, but she’d tell him and let him tell Grandma. It would be fun that way. “Okay, Grandpa, you get to be the first to know. I’m marrying Chad on Saturday. Will you come to my wedding?” She made sure she spoke loudly, so he’d understand her.
Grandpa laughed loudly. “Gertie, you need to talk to this granddaughter of yours. She’s lost her mind!”
Grandma was on the phone a minute later. “Hello?”
“Grandma, this is Renae. Chad and I are getting married on Saturday. Do you want to come to the wedding?”
Instead of answering, Grandma fussed at Grandpa. “This girl hasn’t lost her mind! She’s marrying the man I picked out for her. Now you stop butting in where your nose doesn’t belong and go back to your silly old Western.” Grandpa watched Westerns constantly on TV. He would channel surf until he found something he’d seen a million times, and then watch it again as if he’d never seen it. “You know we’ll be there. I’m calling Millie right now!”
“You do that,” Renae said after the line had gone dead. She knew her grandma was calling to crow at her old friend, and they’d make plans that Renae would ignore.
She looked over at Chad, who was already off the phone and watching her. “I’ll call my mom in a minute.”
“Really?” He frowned at her. “Do you have plans for that minute?”
“I just really need a kiss from the man I love. Beautiful proposal, by the way. I didn’t think you could do it.”
He laughed, leaning down and kissing her softly. “You should have more faith in me.”
“I will from now on. I promise!”
An hour later, many more phone calls had been made, and Sam had agreed to be her matron of honor. Her sisters would stand up with her as well, but Sam was her sister of the heart, about to become her sister in reality.
She looked over at Chad and wondered how she’d gotten so terribly lucky. She was going to be Mrs. Chad Duncan. It felt odd to know she’d no longer carry the name Quinn, but Duncan just sounded lovely to her. “Where are we going to live?”
“My place. Do you own this house or rent it?”
“It’s a rental. I know that Riley is looking to move out of Mom’s house. I’m sure she’ll sublease it from me.”
“We have to think about moving and packing.” He looked at her arm. “It’s going to be a fun week.”
“Of course it is!”
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Daring Dreamer (Quinn Valley Ranch Book 7) Page 10
