"That's not true!" Sam cried. "We'll always need you, Gabe."
"I appreciate that, Sam, and that's exactly why I decided to take Nash up on his offer. I figure if I'm at Rivers Ranch, I'll be close enough for visits to the Double-Cross now and again." He shot her a wink. "Plus, I figure you'll need looking after for a while yet."
Sam twisted around to stare at Nash, her eyes huge and questioning.
Nash scowled at Gabe. "I haven't gotten around to asking her yet."
Gabe winced. "Guess I sort of jumped the gun there, huh?" He backed away, rocking his hat back into place on his head. "Well, I s'pose I'll mosey on up to the house and see what Miss Nina's doin' and get out of y'all's hair."
"Thanks, Gabe," Nash muttered dryly.
"You've been planning all this?" Sam whispered, her gaze still frozen on Nash's face.
He sighed and turned her back around to face him. "Yes. Because I realized that you were right. Colby needs the ranch. Hell, I do, too, though I didn't realize it until it was almost too late. I know how much you love the Double-Cross and how strongly you feel about your family's heritage there, but I'm hoping you'll grow to love Rivers Ranch just as much. I'm hoping that you'll be willing to plant your roots here with me and Colby." He tightened his hands on her elbows. "I love you, Sam. Marry me. Please say you'll marry me."
Sam simply stared.
Nash rushed on, trying to build a stronger case in his favor, thinking she was mad at him for telling Gabe about his plans before he told her. "I know you've got your veterinary supplies all set up on the Double-Cross, but we can build you a supply room right here on the property. Hell! We'll build you a clinic! You can take appointments there when it suits you, or you can keep working out of your truck. Whatever makes you happy." Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Nash pulled her into his arms and crushed her against his chest. "Oh, God, Sam, please say yes."
She tipped her face up to his, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.
"Yippee!"
Sam and Nash both whirled to find Colby hanging upside down from the floor of the loft above, grinning like a loon. Sam's stomach took a dive. "Colby, whatever you do, don't move."
"Colby Renée Rivers, you get down from there this instant!"
Sam and Nash's words clashed, as did their instructions. They turned to stare at each other, Sam's expression one of horror and Nash's one of puzzlement. Nash was the first to recover.
"Now, don't worry," he hurried to assure her. "This isn't going to be a problem. Disciplining Colby can be difficult, but we can work out something. We can compromise. We can even draft a list of rules on which we both agree."
Colby's grin widened. "Cool it, Dad. Sam's just afraid of heights. She thinks I'm going to fall." While Sam looked on, her stomach still hovering around her toes, Colby did a flip and dropped down on the alleyway, landing on her feet. "Can I be a bridesmaid?" she asked excitedly. "Can we have a rodeo wedding where everybody wears boots and jeans? We all could sit on horses. The preacher, too. I could braid Whiskey's mane and weave flowers in his bridle. We could have the wedding right here in the arena, or we could have it at the Double-Cross. That might be even better, since their barn is bigger. We'll have a dance there—"
Nash turned his gaze to Sam's while Colby chattered on. He caught her cheeks between his hands and drew her face to his. "She's a cute kid, but she's got lousy timing."
Laughing, Sam wrapped her arms around his waist. "Yeah, but she's ours."
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THE RESTLESS VIRGIN Page 17
