She gazed over at him. “PB and J?”
“Yeah.”
“I love those,” she whispered.
Nick’s heart squeezed inside his chest as he spotted the scrub oak where they’d picnicked before. “This looks like the place.” He parked the Tahoe. “Stay put. Let me get it set up.”
“Okay.”
He climbed out of the rig, went around to the back and got out the picnic supplies. On the horizon, he could see the ranch house in the distance, and the flash of Matteo’s 4Runner as he pulled through the back gate headed in their direction.
Under the scrub oak, he spread the blanket, put down the basket and returned to the truck, but Grace had already climbed out and was pulling deep breaths of the sage-scented air into her lungs.
Grinning up at him, she reached out and touched his arm. “I love it here, Nick. It’s so peaceful. It’s just what I need right now. I just wish Caleb were here to enjoy it with us.”
He followed her over to the blanket, took her hand and pulled her to him, feeling her excitement encase him, as well. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers, feeling the heated response he craved as it came to life in her body. Savoring the moment, he broke the connection, dug into his pocket and pulled out the ring.
Going down on one knee, he looked up at her, seeing the realization in her heavenly blue eyes. Her hand went to her heart, the exact place he always wanted to be.
“Grace Marshall, I love you, and I can’t get through this life without you, and Caleb.”
Grace’s heart filled with happiness that threatened to take her to her knees if she didn’t do something. Leaning forward, she kissed Nick on the mouth before he could get another word out, then pulled back.
“Yes,” she whispered, going to her knees next to him.
“Marry me, then?”
She steered him down onto the blanket and together they lay back against the scrub oak.
“Left hand, please.” Nick jockeyed to the right so he could slip the engagement ring on her finger.
In the background he heard the vehicle come to a stop behind them.
“I love you both, you know.” He met Grace’s gaze. “I want to be your husband, and Caleb’s father.”
“Mister Nick!”
The sound of his little guy’s voice put a knot in his chest, as he turned to wave to Matteo, who released Caleb and climbed back into the 4Runner for the drive back to the ranch house.
“Mister Nick!”
“You’re going to be a great addition to the Daddy Corps,” she whispered, watching her tiny son charge forward onto the blanket and pile onto Nick’s lap.
“I wanna eat,” Caleb said, reaching over to dig in the picnic basket. “Can we eat now?”
“Yeah, buddy.”
Grace reached out and squeezed his hand, then helped Caleb spread lunch out on the blanket between them, before he bit into his peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.
“Mister Nick,” he asked, picking a Goldfish out of his baggie and popping it into his mouth, “what’s a wedding ring?”
Nick glanced up at Grace and watched a sweet smile pull up her perfect lips.
“Well, Caleb, I’m going to tell you, but then you’ll have to call me Dad from now on. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yep,” he said as he stood up and locked his arms around Nick’s neck.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Jan Hambright for her
contribution to the Daddy Corps series.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1591-7
CAMOUFLAGE COWBOY
Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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Table of Contents
About the Author
Books by Jan Hambright
Cast of Characters
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Copyright
Camouflage Cowboy Page 18
