Daisies in the Canyon(81)

“Yep, that’s the kind I’ve always liked, but I sent her packing because now I can’t get you out of my mind and I’m afraid that what you told Nona meant you don’t want to be branded.”

“I guess she meant that you were going to put the Lucky Seven brand on me, right?”

He nodded. “It’s an expression.”

“I’m not property and I’m not a cow.”

He grinned. “No, you are not.”

“What’s funny?”

“Your temper.”

“Are you a bull?” she asked.

“I will be if you decide to be a cow.”

“This conversation is crazy. I was joking last night. My first thought at being branded was that I’m afraid of needles, so I don’t have pierced ears or tattoos. I can’t imagine being branded. If she’d said that you might want to call me yours instead of branding me, I would have probably answered her differently.”

“Okay, now what about the baby?” he asked.

“I’m not pregnant. Before I started plowing I drove up to Claude and bought a test. I should have waited to be sure before I said anything to you,” she said.

He let go of her hand and dropped down on one knee in front of her. “Abby Malloy, I love you. I’m sorry that I made such a mess of last night, but I want you to be the mother of my children. It can be in nine months. In nine years. That part doesn’t matter right now. I want to wake up every morning with you in my arms and to go to sleep at night in the middle of a sweet afterglow. I want to grow old with you on the Lucky Seven and if you die before I do, I want you to walk up the steps to the pearly gates real slow. I’ll be behind you real quick, because I can’t live without you.”

“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, but are you absolutely sure that this isn’t just the moment talking?” she asked.

“I’m more sure of this than I’ve ever been about anything in my life, but if you aren’t, then I’ll wait until you are just as doubt-free as I am.”

She leaned forward and looked past his sexy brown eyes into his soul, and there were no fears.

Not a single one.

“I don’t have a ring today, but by damn, I’ll get one tomorrow soon as the stores open, if you’ll say yes. You can choose the date, the time, and the place. Just don’t ever leave me, Abby,” he said.

She cupped his cheeks in her hands and kissed him. “Yes, I will marry you. And Cooper, I love you.”

There, she’d said the words. She was ready for commitment, ready to start a life in the canyon with Cooper and it was right—that much she could feel in her bones, as Haley always said.

“You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” he whispered.

“And the happiest woman is right here beside you. Can we go home to Lucky Seven now, Cooper? I want you to hold me for the rest of my life.”





Chapter Twenty-One

Six weeks later.

The wild daisies were in bloom, giving the canyon a splash of yellow that day. Haley and her husband had driven up from Galveston for the wedding so that she could be one of the bridesmaids with Shiloh and Bonnie.

“I’m so happy for you.” Haley hugged Abby.

“You being here makes my day extra special. This couldn’t be any more perfect,” Abby said.

“You are in love—everything is rosy to you.” Haley smiled.

Ezra’s lawyer had handed her the check that morning. Seeing that many zeroes boggled her brain and the worst part of the whole thing was there was a disclosure paragraph that said she couldn’t tell her sisters how much they’d inherit if she accepted it.

“Hey, it just dawned on me,” Shiloh said. “You left. That means you’ve forfeited your share of the ranch and took your inheritance. Was it worth it?”

“It would have been worth it if it had been zero dollars. I hope that y’all are as happy someday as I am right now.” Abby handed Shiloh the coronet of white daisies laced with ribbons and pearls. She set it on top of Abby’s blonde hair, securing it with the combs attached to the sides.

“Look, Bonnie, now she’s really got a crown.”

“That doesn’t make me the queen.” Abby smiled. “It makes me a bride.” She went to the window and blew a kiss down at the small tombstone in the tiny fenced area under a big oak tree. “Mama likes it here.”

“I like that you buried her ashes like that and put up a stone. It brings peace to you, I can tell. And I’m really, really glad that you are having this wedding. She would have liked that,” Haley said.

“She always talked about the big dress and the fancy wedding I’d have,” Abby said. “I would have been happy going to the courthouse, but not in camo. I left that at the house. Y’all can have it or throw it away. I did keep my boots, though. And Haley, thank you for loaning me your dress. Mama loved this thing.”

Abby adjusted the sleeves of the white satin-and-lace ball gown. It was definitely not what she would have chosen, but when Haley had reminded her of the fun they’d had the day they’d picked it out, she couldn’t refuse. Martha had clapped her hands and said, “When Abby gets married, I want her to have a dress just like that one. I want to see her waltzing down the aisle carrying a bouquet of daisies.”