by Taylor Hart
Suddenly, he moved, adjusting her to the side of him. “I have something I want to give you, ask you.”
He pulled a ring from his pocket. A ring they’d looked at when they were messing around at the mall in Fort Collins, the same day they’d gone to campus. A diamond ring.
In a flash, he was on one knee. “I know I just exploded our plan. But … Even though I’ve enlisted, I can’t see my life without you.” He took one of her trembling hands and kissed the back of it. “You’re my girl. You have been since, well—I want to say since the night we first kissed, but you and I both know it’s always been us.” He winked at her. “We’re this town’s greatest love story.”
Unwillingly, she laughed at his reference. They both loved this country song about first love. She couldn’t help but smile even though she was crying again and feeling so confused.
“I want to marry you. I want to do what we’ve always talked about doing. I want to marry you and then honeymoon in Hawaii.”
She was so shocked she didn’t know what to say. He was leaving. Leaving?
He gripped her hand tighter. “I want to fix up an old house with you.” Another thing they’d talked about doing. “With a wraparound porch and acres of property for all the kids to run on.”
Shaking her head, she didn’t understand. “You’re leaving, Tom?” She gulped out a cry that ripped from her chest.
He was back on his feet, holding her, stroking her hair. “I know, but I want you, Ems. I want you to be my wife. Say you’ll be my wife. I talked it over with all my brothers. They said I’ll get leave over Christmas. We could do the wedding then and then head to Hawaii. Say yes.”
For a long time, she didn’t answer, thinking about how she couldn’t imagine a life without him either. Even though he’d enlisted. “I got a scholarship to Yale,” she finally said. She pushed out a breath, feeling like she had to tell him this.
“What?” He pulled back, a huge smile on his face. “Are you kidding me?”
Despite herself, she smiled back. His happiness was infectious. “I just got the letter today. It’s a full ride.”
He engulfed her in another hug. “I’m so happy for you.” He squeezed her tighter.
Feeling better, but still whiplashed that he was leaving, she gave in to the hug. “Thank you.”
Determination glinted in his eyes. “I think this just confirms it. I’m supposed to go in the Army. You’re supposed to go to Yale, and we’ll get married by Christmas.”
“By Christmas?” They’d always joked about it, but now it was sounding too real. Yet confusion simmered inside her. “But I’ll be at Yale.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “Right. And you’ll come home and I’ll come home and we’ll get married by Christmas.”
“We’ll be living apart,” she protested.
“I know, but it’s really the best of everything, because I picked a two-year active commitment with a two-year reserve. So really, I’ll only be gone two years. Then I’ll be able to become a firefighter, and I can do that wherever you want to go.” His brow furrowed briefly in thought, and then he gave her a dopey grin. “I mean, I always thought we’d live here by our mothers, but I guess we can live anywhere. We’ll move them to us.”
Her heart pounded, and she felt like all of this was happening so fast. Tom was right. It might work. But everything was unraveling so quickly, all their old plans turning to dust. She laced her arms around his back and put her head against his chest. “I don’t want to lose you.” The thought of bullets flying by his head made her feel sick.
Wrapping his arms around her, he held her and whispered, “You won’t. You could never lose me, Ems.”
She blinked and wished she could pause time, pause this moment. She hadn’t worried about her future because Tom was supposed to be by her side. Now, it all felt so uncertain. “I’m scared.”
He searched her eyes, then got back on one knee again. “Emily Ann Times, will you marry me? Will you be my wife? C’mon, Ems. Just say yes.”
She burst out in a half laugh, half cry. “Yes.”
“Yes!” He punched the air, and she saw tears in his eyes. They stood, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He grinned at her. “Married by Christmas.”
Warmth flooded her, and she thought about how happy her mom and sister would be. They loved Tom. “Married by Christmas,” she agreed.
Tom kissed her, and fire coursed through her veins. She kissed him back, feeling desperate and dumbfounded that she was actually engaged to him. Usually, they had firm boundaries, but she deepened the kiss, wanting him closer, wanting everything.
A groan escaped his throat. “Ems, we better stop.”
Thinking of him leaving her, all she knew was that she couldn’t. Not tonight. “Tom, I don’t want to stop.”
Buy it HERE or read for FREE in KU!
Also by Taylor Hart
Texas Titan Romances
The Tough Love Groom
The Second Chance Groom
The Dream Groom
The Fake Fiance Groom
The Prince Charming Groom
Bachelor Billionaire Romances
The Football Groom
The Country Groom
The Unfinished Groom
The Barefoot Groom
The Masquerading Groom
The Christmas Groom
Rescue Me: Park City Firefighter Romance (A Bachelor Billionaire Companion)
The Lost Groom
The Undercover Groom
The LoneStar Groom
The Redeemed Groom
The Last Play Series
Last Play
The Rookie
Just Play
A Player for Christmas
Second String
End Zone
Hail Mary
Snow Valley Series
A Christmas in Snow Valley: The Christmas Eve Kiss
Summer in Snow Valley: First Love
Spring in Snow Valley: The Bet
A Return to Snow Valley: The Christmas Boyfriend
About the Author
Taylor Hart has always been drawn to a good love triangle, hot chocolate and long conversations with new friends. Writing has always been a passion that has consumed her dreams and forced her to sit in a trance for long hours, completely obsessed with people that don’t really exist. Taylor would have been a country star if she could have carried a tune—maybe in the next life. Find Taylor at:
www.taylorhartbooks.com │ Twitter: @taylorfaithhart │ Facebook: Taylor Hart
