Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

C aroline didn't see Dawson's truck when she arrived at his cabin. The absence didn't concern her, and she parked, reached over to the passenger seat, and picked up the sheet pan of cooked, crispy bacon. She'd made it this morning in preparation for her second annual New Year's Day breakfast with Dawson.

She'd been looking forward to this morning for weeks now, and she looked left as she got out of her SUV, expecting to see Dawson heading her way from out on the West End Fence. He'd said he'd be working on the owl burrows this morning, but he'd meet her here at eight-thirty.

Maybe she'd shown up a few minutes early, but she went up the sidewalk to the front porch, then climbed the steps to the front door. She knocked, and when no one answered, she twisted the knob and entered the cabin.

"Dawson?" she called. "Brandon?"

No one answered, so Caroline continued to the counter at the back of the house and set down the pan of bacon. She turned to heat the oven, which would get the bacon slowly back to warm. She didn't need to cook it; she just wanted to warm it up a little.

Dawson had promised eggs, hash browns, and toast, and Caroline didn't really want to make more than she had. She would gladly sit with Dawson while he did, so she sat at the bar and pulled out her phone.

Are you almost here? she asked him. I'm inside your house.

She then tapped over to her maps app, where Dawson had shared his pin with her a few months ago. She smiled at the memory, because it had been a defining moment in time for her, for their relationship. It felt like such a spousal, ultra-significant-other thing to do, and while the ranch had been extremely busy during the harvest, then the round-up, then Market Day, she'd been able to find him any time she wanted to.

Then Dawson had slept for an entire weekend and gone right back to his regular day-to-day life. With her back in it, of course.

She'd partnered with Zona for food when the cowboys returned with the herd, and she'd come several times during the harvest simply to give Dawson and Brandon sandwiches out in the fields they were mowing, baling, turning, and then clearing.

No, she didn't super-love autumn on the ranch, other than the weather had cooled slightly, and the trees in the Panhandle had turned colors in the most glorious of ways.

She found Dawson out near the West End Fence, but his status had been updated six minutes ago. He certainly would've left by now or called her to say he'd be late. He hated running late, and Caroline slid from the barstool and moved toward the front door.

Outside, she found him literally pulling up to the cabin, and she tucked her phone in her pocket in favor of smiling at her handsome cowboy boyfriend. She leaned against the post of his porch as he parked and got out.

"Hey, sweetheart," he called. "Sorry I'm late."

"You're not," she assured him, though she didn't move. She loved it when he hurried to her, as he was now, and she giggled as he took the steps two at a time to get to her.

He drew her into his arms and whispered, "Hey," in a much softer, sexier voice.

"Happy New Year," she said.

"Oh, is it New Year's?" He stepped back and gave her a sly smile. "Let's go make breakfast." He took her hand in his and headed for the door.

"I put the bacon in the oven. Or I was going to. "

"Okay," he said. "I was thinking we could eat outside today. It's so nice."

"Sunny but not overly hot yet," she said. "That's great."

"Great." Dawson got busy in the kitchen, and Caroline simply sighed with such supreme satisfaction that she was back here, in this cabin, with this man.

She slipped onto his couch and lay back, her feet up on the armrest, so incredibly comfortable here. "How's the house coming?"

"Great," he said over the sizzling of something, probably the potatoes he'd just shredded and was now going to crisp up. "We can go by after breakfast, and I want you to come look at the burrows too."

"Of course," she said, her heartbeat dancing a jig behind her ribs. Today marked a year of her official dating relationship with Dawson, and she'd be lying if this was the first time she'd considered him asking her to marry him today.

He'd been putting all the pieces in place for months now, starting with meeting with his brother and father about building a house for her and him right here on the ranch. It turned out, there was a small one-bedroom cabin that looked one stiff wind away from blowing away on the road that led north toward Shiloh Ridge Ranch.

That land had been deemed Dawson's, and he'd started working with Bishop and Montana Glover to knock down the older structure and build a brand-new house. One she and Dawson could raise their family in, right here on the ranch.

Bishop had drawn up plans, and Dawson had included her in every decision along the way.

Now, all she needed was the diamond ring.

"We're ready," Dawson said as he went by the couch. "You didn't fall asleep, did you?"

"No," she said as she sat up. "I'm coming."

He carried a big tray in his hands, and he'd already dished up two plates of breakfast, and Caroline sat on her side of the table and let him serve her. He set the tray aside and sat across from her. After taking her hand, he bowed his head and said, "Lord, we're grateful for this food, our friendship, this land, and the New Year. Bless us to be happy and healthy, kind and patient, and we're grateful to have time together today. Amen."

"Amen," Caroline murmured, and she beamed across the table to Dawson. He picked up his fork and nudged the bottle of ketchup closer to her with it.

When she didn't move to use it or eat, he asked, "What?"

"I love you," she said, wanting him to know in this moment.

He grinned at her, a hint of a flush crawling into his face. "I love you too, darlin'."

She did pick up the ketchup bottle then, and Dawson cleared his throat. Alarms and alerts sounded through her, but when she took a sneaky peek at him, he'd simply cut into his over-easy eggs and started eating them. He picked up the salt-shaker, used it, and then did the same with the pepper. Another bite of egg, and her adrenaline eased.

She'd taken one bite of her ketchupped hash browns before she heard the distinct cawing of Nugget. "The crows are coming," she said as she looked out into the front yard.

"Did you toss them something shiny?" he teased.

"Not today." She smiled at him, because he wasn't really upset about her tossing out nickels here and there.

Nugget landed on the porch railing, only a few feet from where she and Dawson dined, and cawed again.

"Not so loud," Dawson told the crow. "We're right here."

Rocks didn't land on the railing, but Caroline saw him down on the grass. She stood and moved over to the railing to see him better. "He's got something," she said, not really sure what her eyes were seeing. All at once, it clicked. "Beads."

She turned toward Dawson. "He's got a string of beads."

"Does he?" Dawson got up too, but Caroline squished past him to get to the steps.

"I'll check and see if he's caught or if he's just carrying them."

"Okay," Dawson said from behind her, his voice almost stuck down in his throat. He coughed, and Caroline thought he'd maybe swallowed too fast.

Down the steps, she approached the crow, but he was a wild bird, and Rocks hopped away from her. He wasn't as verbal as Nugget—in fact, she'd never heard him make a sound. Nugget cawed again, and Caroline crouched down.

"Come on, bud," she said. "Are those beads stuck, or can you drop them?"

He hopped toward her, and she held still, her hands loose and nonmoving. Rocks came closer, and he lifted up his foot. He clearly had the string of gold beads clenched there, and she grinned at him.

"Yeah, you've found something awesome," she said. "You're so smart."

He dropped them, took flight, and landed on the railing next to Nugget. Caroline reached out and picked up the string of gold beads before she straightened. Something heavier hung down, and she moved her fingers to lift it up, to see what it was.

She sucked in a breath and couldn't look away from the shiny gold ring with a great big diamond on top.

"Caroline," Dawson said, and she spun to face him. He knelt on the porch and gestured to her. "Come here, darlin'."

Her legs felt like logs as she moved, but she somehow climbed the stairs until she stood at the same height as him, though he was down on both knees .

"I'm in love with you," he said. "It's been a year now, and we had an amazing road trip over the summer. And it sure looks like someone put this ring out there for Rocks to find especially for you."

He gently took the string of beads from her and expertly removed the ring from it, as if he'd put it there.

Of course he put it there , she thought as he looked up at her again. "We're building a house to raise our family in together. I know I'm not perfect, but I think we're perfect together, and I think we will make the best ‘we' and the best ‘us' there could ever be."

He held up the diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

Caroline started to nod, her neck feeling like she'd lost all her bones. "Yes," she said, her voice scratchy and low. She cleared her throat, her smile widening. "Yes," she said again. "Yes, I'll marry you."

She laughed, enjoying Dawson's giddy grin. He tried to straighten it but couldn't quite do it as he slid the diamond onto her ring finger. They both stared at it for several long seconds, and then Caroline lifted her eyes to his.

She had another powerful moment of love, the way she had when Dawson had come to pick her up for their road-boat trip. She took his face in her hands and said, "I love you so much. Thank you for being so patient with me."

"We made it a whole year," he said. "It's not like you've never had to be patient with me. "

"Yeah, the harvest was pretty rough."

He grinned and leaned in a touch more to kiss her. She would never get enough of Dawson, of kissing him, of being his best friend, of being his.

"I love you, Caroline." He smiled at her and then reached out to use the post to help himself stand up. "And let me tell you, I was really worried that Rocks wouldn't find those beads." He exhaled and turned back to their breakfast.

"You planted those beads."

Dawson laughed as he sat down, and he didn't let her go by him to her seat. Instead, he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again. "Of course I planted those beads," he said right before he slid his lips along her neck. "I can't wait for you to be my wife."

Caroline let her fingers slink through his hair, enjoying the way he held her and loved her.

"When can we get married?" he asked.

"I've talked to my mom and sister about it," she said. "I don't think we need anything extravagant."

He lifted his head and looked at her. "No?"

She shook her head. "How do you feel about maybe…March?"

"Sweetheart, I'd marry you tomorrow," he said. "Our house will be done by the end of February, so March sounds about perfect."

"I think so too," she said, pure joy spreading through her .

"Great," he said. "So we'll get married in March."

Nugget cawed, startling Caroline's attention over to the bird.

"Oh, go on, you," Dawson said good-naturedly. "Leave us be. You two have done what you needed to do today."

"Can they be in the wedding?" Caroline asked. "And Ruffin, of course."

Dawson looked at her with a hint of surprise in his gaze. "All right," he said after a beat or two. "They can all be in the wedding." He shifted, and Caroline stood to return to her own seat.

"Now," he said as he picked up a crispy slice of bacon. "Tell me where you want to get married."

Caroline took a bite of her toast, because she had made this decision already. She just hadn't told Dawson. She hadn't wanted to, because she'd been very clear with him—no diamonds until their year was up.

"First, I asked Belle to help me plan the wedding, and she's already got catering and flowers taken care of."

Dawson blinked, pure shock registering in those pretty eyes. "Okay," he said simply.

"Second, she's doing that, because I want to get married here. Right here, on Hidden Hills Ranch, where I fell in love with you, and where we're going to raise our family."

Everything about Dawson softened, and while he'd left this decision to her—and would likely allow her to make most of their wedding decisions—he very clearly wanted to get married at Hidden Hills. At the Rhinehart Ranch.

"Because I love your dog and the crows here," she said. "And I love this ranch, and I absolutely adore the cowboy who comes with it."

He grinned at her. "Well, I love Texas, and I love this ranch, and I absolutely adore the idea of you at my side as we build our lives together."

She giggled, and he chuckled with her, and then they both sighed in unison too. That only got her laughing again, and when she sobered, she felt like God Himself had poured glittery stars into her bloodstream.

Caroline looked at Dawson, and he looked back at her. "I love you," she said at the exact same time he said, "I love you so much."

And that only got her to start laughing again, with Dawson joining her. She ducked her head, her eyes catching on that shiny diamond, and she felt very crow-like in her attraction to it. She couldn't wait to marry Dawson, and she lifted her toast to take another bite.

"I'll talk to your mom about where we can get married here," she said.

"Okay," he said. "I'm sure Zona and the girls would like to help too."

Caroline grinned at him. "Yes, we're going dress shopping next week. "

His hand with a forkful of hash browns frozen. "Next week?"

Giddiness pranced through her. "I was hoping you'd ask me to marry you before then, but I figured I'd need a dress eventually anyway." She shrugged one shoulder and took that bite of her toast.

Dawson took his bite of breakfast too, gave her an almost-grumpy look, and said, "I suppose that's true."

"Now," Caroline said. "Can we talk about the honeymoon?"

"Please do."

"I want to go on another road trip."

"You do?" Dawson seemed surprised once again. "I didn't think you liked those long days of driving."

"Okay, not a road trip," she said. "A plane trip to the beach."

He grinned at her. "There it is."

"Can we do that?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Name the beach, and I'll get us there."

And she knew he would too. She nodded and said, "I'll work on it and let you know."

He tapped on his phone and tapped. "So…March. Do you want to get married on what? A Saturday? Sunday?"

"Saturday is fine," she said, nearing the end of her breakfast now.

"Saturday, March twelfth," he said, looking up. "Sound good?"

"Yes," she said, because she would marry him tomorrow too. "March twelfth sounds like the perfect day to become ‘us.'"

I love second chance romances with my whole heart. And Texas. And enemies to lovers with a grumpy cowboy! I love Dawson and Caroline and their owl-rific romance. Please leave a review for them here.