A Knight In Cowboy Boots (37 page)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Two days after the barn dance, Maddie sat on the front porch steps. Hannah had laid out a blanket under the oak at the corner of the lawn and was happily playing with Jesse. The girl didn’t seem to notice she’d become Maddie’s hero. Hannah was just happy that stealing Jesse from his crib hadn’t gotten her in trouble.

The older McKnights were working at clearing the debris of the barn away and talking about what improvements they’d make when they rebuilt. They were picking up their lives and going on. Thanks to them, so could she.

Maddie looked down at her fingers sticking out of her cast. She wouldn’t need it long. She’d been lucky; it was a simple break.

Hell, she’d been more than lucky; she was alive.

She absently touched the ring still on her hand, trying to focus on something besides identifying Derek’s body at the morgue. Zach had insisted she should. He didn’t want her having nightmares about Derek coming after her. Maddie thought it probably wouldn’t stop them, but at least she’d know when she woke that they were only nightmares. He was dead. She’d seen his body. And she found no remorse for him in her heart.

Zach materialized beside her, bumping his hip against hers to knock her out of her reverie as he sat next to her.

“How are you doing, sweet Maddie? You need another pain pill?”

Maddie shook her head. “It’s not that bad.” She reached up with her good hand and smoothed his hair over his collar. He needed a haircut.

“I’ll never be able to thank your family for everything they’ve done, for the risks you all took for us.”

Zach shook his head, as though she was trying his patience. “Honey, if you’re gonna stay in Texas, you gotta learn to talk proper. It’s
y’all
—the risks
y’all
took.”

“Y’all,” Maddie repeated, trying it out on her tongue.

“That’s good for your first time. In couple of years, you might sound like a native.”

Maddie looked down at her hand again. Was she staying? “You said you’d tell me about this ring. Where did Sol get it?”

Zach was silent long enough to bring Maddie’s head back up. His face was solemn and a little sad. A few more seconds passed before he cleared his throat. “Sol found it when he went up to Wyoming to bring Vince’s things home.”

Maddie felt short of breath. “Vince’s things …?”

“He was gonna ask you to marry him.”

Maddie looked down at the ring; the diamond sparkled on her hand. “I’d have said yes.”

“I figured.” He sounded stoic, as though her words were what he’d expected.

Maddie shook her head slowly. “I loved him a lot.” She kept her gaze firmly on the diamond. “Almost as much as I love you.”

“What?”

She’d done it now. Her heart was tripping in her chest with the sudden fear that he didn’t feel the same way now that he’d seen how much trouble she could be. She lifted her eyes to meet his and said it again. “I love you.”

He looked as though she’d said something surprising. “That’s what I thought you said.”

He seemed to need a moment to think that over. Unable to watch him struggle with it, she turned her gaze to watch Hannah teasing Jesse with a stuffed rabbit. He shrieked and giggled happily.

“Do you love me enough to marry me?” Zach asked.

Maddie’s head snapped around at his question. “What?”

Zach’s eyes were glowing with love and mischief. “I’ll warn you now, if you say yes, it’s gonna be a real short engagement.”

“Yes.”

“Is that your way of saying please?” Zach asked.

“Yes. Please marry me.”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear since the night you shot me.”

And he kissed her to seal the deal.

About the Author

Suzie Quint has always been fascinated with the human psyche, so she can imagine no better way to explore the human condition than through the characters she writes. Finding the happy ending for the people who inhabit her worlds is the best job anyone could have. Getting to share them with others… It doesn’t get any better than that.

Check out her work at
http://suziequint.blogspot.com/