Page 135 of Even After This
He scratches his chin. “It had a buyer, but the transaction got messy.”
My stomach roils. What is he saying?
“Needs a little work.” He turns to me. “But I think it would make a great home for people who need help.”
I wrap my arms around myself. What’s happening?
“Harlan?” I whisper, part scared and part frenzied with hope.
After retrieving something out of his jeans pocket, he takes my hand, opens it, and places a key in my palm. “It was always supposed to be yours, Meredith.” His eyes travel from my face to the ranch.
“Harlan.” I trace the edge of the key. “What have you done?”
“Well, I almost ruined everything. That’s what I’ve done.” His focus shifts back to me, and he grazes the back of his hand over my cheek. “I hope it’s not too late to make it right.”
“Stop.”
He pulls back an inch and studies my face.
“Please don’t apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m the one who ruined everything. I was so scared of what you wanted for our future that I beat you to it and broke it off. I didn’t give you the space you needed.” My shaky voice breaks. “And I should have. I should have given you space and time. I should have given us both space and time to figure it out together.”
He wraps his arms around me and lowers his head to rest hischeek against mine. From somewhere deep in his gut, he groans his acceptance of my apology. “Meredith, I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life running Twelve Bluebells with you.”
Tears stream down my face. “But what about—”
He draws back to look at me. “This is what I want.” He shakes his head, his voice firm. “You left the hospital, and I thought William was going to tan my hide. Even without his talk, everything became clear to me.” His beautiful eyes bore into mine. “Let’s love Alex until she can’t stand it. Let’s open this ranch to people who need a home. Then we can love them untiltheycan’t stand it. I want to raisethat”—he nods toward the house—“family with you. It doesn’t matter who we get to love along the way, I just want to do it with you.” He presses his forehead to mine. “I want that legacy with you, Meredith.”
Before I can respond, he steps back and pulls something else out of his pocket.
Harlan Christopher Holcombe gets down on one knee, opens a small velvet box, holds my left hand, and smiles, his eyes gleaming. “Meredith, will you marry me?”
I clutch my chest with my free hand, trying to remember how to breathe. “Yes,” I whisper through a watery smile.
He slips the ring on my finger and brushes a kiss on the top of my hand.
Pulling him up to me, I throw myself at him.
His arms wrap around my waist, and he whispers soft, sweet words in my ear. When he draws back, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me. It’s slow, tender, and thorough, filled with promises of more to come.
Breaking the kiss, he guides my newly adorned left hand into view between us. “Twelve diamonds around the band for the tiny ones, and two baguettes flanking the main stone for Clayton and Chloe.” He rubs his thumb over my finger. “So they’ll each be a part of our family.”
I whimper. My throat closes up.
His love. His heart. His beauty. All shining through the sentiment of this ring.
I bury my face in his chest, and he runs one hand around my waist and the other up the center of my back to press me close. I slide my hands up his back, his heartbeat strong in my ear.
When I gaze up, I see beautiful, deep brown eyes. Eyes that I will blissfully get to swim in for the rest of my life.
He takes my face in his hands and places sweet kisses over every inch of my face.
During a pause in our celebration, I turn around in his arms. He locks one around my waist and one around my shoulders. We both look at the house. Something on the porch catches my eye, and I squint. “Are those my Texas cowgirl boots?”
“Yup.” Harlan rests his chin on my shoulder.
I rub my cheek against his. “Someday you’re going to have to tell me how you pulled this off.”
“Penelope and Prissy.”
