Love, Tussles, and Takedowns (Cactus Creek #3)(61)

Oh, god. She fought to stay standing.

With her heart in her throat, she asked herself if she could really do it—seal her future to the frightening, unknown future of another soldier going on deployment.

Her expression must have revealed her heart’s biggest worries.

...Because Hudson clasped the two ends of the chain together and slid the necklace into her hands. Eyes disappointed, but no less intense with love.

“I told you, sweetheart—no shelf life. Not on this proposal, and not on our future. I don’t need to know whether or not tomorrow is going to come for us, for me to love you today. And every new today for the rest of our lives.”

That right there was her answer.

Lord knew he already possessed her heart and soul...her future was no different.

“Yes.” Lia opened the necklace and slid the ring off the chain.

He just stared down at her lips as she repeated, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Almost shyly, she put the ring in his hand so he could officially slide it on her finger.

And when it was officially in place, he gently traced the ring on her finger with the index finger of his right hand.

The one that could feel again.

Entwining her fingers with his, she promised, “No matter how far the Army takes you from me, or how many deployments you go on…my answer will still and always be yes.”

Hudson pulled her into his arms. “Have you been thinking a lot about my deploying, honey?”

“How could I not?” she whispered quietly.

“And still you said yes?”

She took a deep, steadying breath. Being brave wasn’t the same as having no fear. “Like you said—no shelf life. My yes will be waiting for you to come claim it, however long it takes.”



*



HE WAS HUMBLED. And officially the luckiest effing guy on the planet. Hudson had no idea what he did to deserve Lia, but he was going to thank the universe for her each and every day.

He slid both his hands into her hair and tilted her face up to his, seizing her lips in a heart-stopping kiss before explaining, “Honey, I’m not going to be deployed.”

His brave little miracle stopped breathing again for a second. And after he felt her heart begin hammering away in her chest as she ventured, breath hitched, “You’re not?”

“Nope. In fact, I’m not going to be going back to active duty either.”

“But your hands…your life—”

He grinned. “Are going to stay right here with you.”

She shook her head firmly. “I don’t want you making sacrifices this big for me. The Army is your calling, Hudson. I know it and you know it.”

“True. I think what the military does for our country is unparalleled, and while it was a hard pill to swallow, I realize now that I don’t have to be on the frontline to serve my country. In fact, where I’m concerned, being deployed is no longer where I’m needed most. Let’s just say my meetings with my CO, and a bunch of very interested government groups and medical facilities, were focused on my miraculous recoveries, yes, but only in the context of our launching the most promising new veteran rehab development in recent history.”

Her jaw dropped open in clear and utter shock.

“I still want to serve my country and answer the Army’s call. And I will. Here. There are a few training and weapons projects that I’ll be working on as a civilian contractor for the Yuma Proving Ground, but for the most part, I’ll be spending my days working on the nationwide expansion of the new ‘Spencer’s VA Weapons-Based Rehab Program.’” He smiled. “Again, thanks to you.”

Tears flooded her eyes and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. “That sounds amazing.”

“It will be. I’ll get to help injured veterans all over the nation, Lia.”

Over the last few meetings he’d had with Spencer’s and the various project backers they were able to quickly acquire, the scope of the program was expanding every day. “I will have to travel domestically of course, but I was hoping we could do some of that traveling together.”

She just nodded wordlessly, caught somewhere between laughing and crying.

“But for the most part, we’ll be in one place. Wherever you want to live, honey. Personally, I like it here in Cactus Creek, if it’s all the same to you.” He winked. “The weirdness here makes me feel incredibly normal.”

Now she was leaning more toward laughing.

“And since I have excellent VA rates, I think we should get a house here with six...maybe seven bedrooms.”

Her eyes widened, and her slow, quiet reply was filled with hope. “That’s a lot of rooms.”

He kissed her gently, and answered all those question marks in her eyes. “Not if we fill it with a lot of kids.”

She was now back over to the teary-eyed spectrum, accompanied by a smile that was making thinking difficult and holding back on kissing her, nearly impossible.

“Kids? Really?”

“Yep. A blend of biological, foster, and adopted if at all possible.”

Eyes shining with love, she added, “Don’t forget canine and aquatic.”

She remembered.

“See, I love how you just get me, honey.”

Biting her lip as she slid her fingers lovingly over her new engagement ring, her eyes danced.