Epilogue

EPILOGUE

APRIL

I can barely contain myself. It’s been a month since Matt made the decision to stay in Whiskey Run. He spends his days working out with the guys from his team that live in Jasper and doing marketing spots and interviews.

He had to travel out of town last weekend, and it was pure hell. He definitely made the right decision in staying here. We would have been miserable apart.

Tonight I told him I had a surprise for him, and we traveled the hour to Whiskey Valley. We have our friends with us. Violet and Josh are here. Emery and Becca came, and it thrilled me that we were finally able to get Becca out of the house. Too bad Tara couldn’t make it, but she had plans with her boyfriend.

Right now, were standing in the stands at the big indoor arena. We stopped beforehand and had dinner at the Sunrise Diner and then came straight here. I cheer loudly for the guy that just made eight seconds. I don’t know a lot about this, but I know that’s what they’re trying to do. When I sit back down, I notice that Matt is sitting quietly beside me, and I nudge his shoulder. “You don’t like your surprise?”

He sits up straighter. “This is my surprise?”

I try to hide the hurt from my face. “You don’t like it?”

He grabs my hand. “Talk to me. Why’d you think I would like this?”

“Well, it’s a sport. You like sports. You’re from Texas, and I figured you were missing this type of thing, so I planned for you and all our friends to come... You don’t like it.”

He leans down and kisses me. It’s hot, and I rest my hand on his chest until he pulls away and his voice is thick. “I like it now.”

My forehead creases, not understanding. “You didn’t, though?”

“Honey, I’ll be honest with you. Don’t think I’m psycho or trying to control you or whatever, but I don’t like my woman cheering for other men.” He shrugs his shoulder. “Now that you explained it, I appreciate what you’ve done, but I have to tell you, even when I lived in Texas, I never went to these things. I was always on the football field.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t even thinking...”

He leans down and presses his forehead to mine. “Honestly, I was really thinking you had a different surprise for me.”

I laugh and look around at our friends who are trying to act like they’re not being completely nosy and listening to everything we say. Good thing it’s loud in here. My hands go to Matt’s waist. “Oh yeah? What did you want the surprise to be?”

He turns my head and presses his lips to my ear. His hot breath is like a soft tickle. “That you were going to tell me you were pregnant.”

I gasp and look up him. “No way!” I slap him on the chest and then my eyes get even bigger. “Oh my God, you’re not joking!”

He shakes his head, and by the look on his face, I know he’s being serious right now. “But… but…” I pull him away from the others and grab his shirt to get him closer to me. “We always use something... It’s so soon... Are you serious right now?”

He laughs. “I’m definitely serious about you. And yes, I want to get married and have babies with you. Preferably in that order.”

His words send a tremble down my spine. I’m already imaging Matt as a father, and I know he’d be a great one. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m not pregnant then since we’re not...” I stop and put my hands to my mouth when Matt steps out into the aisle and gets down on one knee.

A hush falls around us. “April, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t care where I’m at, what I’m doing, I want you by my side. Will you please do me the honor of being my wife? Marry me, honey, so I can put some babies in you.”

I laugh because how could I not? But I also drop to my knees in front of him. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

He puts the ring on my finger, cups my face, and presses his lips to mine. The kiss is everything, telling me how much he loves me and that even though we haven’t been together long, I know he’s my soul mate.

When we finally pull apart, everyone is whooping and hollering. They have us up on the Jumbotron, and our friends are all clapping and cheering.

I’m smiling ear to ear as the girls all gather around me. “You knew, didn’t you?” I say to Violet, Becca, and Emery, and they’re all nodding their heads.

Each one of them hug and congratulate me as the guys all slap Matt on the back. He’s not away from me long, though. He comes back over to stand next to me, and I can’t help looking at him in awe. He’s really mine. I put my hand over my chest. I’ve never been so happy.

“I was trying to surprise you, and you surprised me instead.”

He laughs as his hand runs up and down my back. “I thought for sure one of your friends would tell you.”

I hold my hand out and look at the diamond on my finger. “I didn’t have a clue.” I look up at him. “So you ready to get out of here?”

“No way, honey. Now that you have my ring on your finger, I feel way better. You can cheer on whoever as long as you’re by my side.”

I sit cuddled under his arm as we watch the next ride. Becca excuses herself and climbs down the bleachers. I look at Emery, and she explains by mouthing bathroom to me.

I nod and settle back in. Two rides go by, and Becca’s still not back. “I hope Becca’s okay.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Becca’s walking back toward us with a cowboy hot on her tail. Her face is red, and I can’t help but watch curiously. The cowboy is obviously one of the riders. He’s covered in dirt and in full gear, chaps and all, but that doesn’t stop him from climbing up the bleachers behind Becca. He stops and wait for her to sit down between Violet and Emery.

He takes his hat off and holds it to his chest. “You okay now?”

Becca juts her chin out. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just embarrassed. You didn’t have to carry me.”

Emery gasps. “Becca! Are you okay? What happened?”

Becca shakes her head. “I tripped coming from the bathroom, and then there was a stampede of people that tried to get by me. This guy”—she points at the cowboy—“decided the best course of action was to pick me up and try to carry me back to my seat.”

The blond cowboy smiles. “It was my pleasure, Becca.” He seems pleased, drawing out her name. He must have tried to get it, and Becca wasn’t giving it.

She looks at Emery and presses her lips together and then her teeth when she looks at the cowboy again. “I wasn’t thanking you.”

The dirty look doesn’t even faze him. “It was still my pleasure.”

The announcers come over the speaker. “Up next is a fan favorite. We’re going to take a little break, and then Lucas Granger will be riding Rampage. Hold on to your hats, it’s going to be a helluva ride.”

“That’s you!” Emery says, pointing up at the Jumbotron.

The cowboy turns and then looks back with a smile. “Yep, it is.” He points at Becca. “You going to wish me luck?”

Becca rolls her eyes, clearly not falling for the cowboy. “Sure, good luck,” she drawls.

He just laughs. He puts one foot on the higher step and leans over. “So how about a wager?”

We’re all looking between Lucas and Becca. He’s completely, one hundred percent, enamored with her, and she looks as if she’s bored. Even though her cheeks do have a slight tinge to them.

“I’m not making a bet with you.”

He shakes his head. “Not a bet. But how about if I stay on Rampage the eight seconds, you’ll give me your number?”

Becca looks surprised but recovers quickly. “Sorry, but I’m not interested.”

He stands up to his full height. “Well, at least stick around and watch. I have a feeling you’re going to be my good luck charm.”

She shrugs, and Lucas puts his hat back on his head. “I’ll see you later, Becca. It was nice seein’ you all. Thanks for coming out.”

He walks down the steps, and all eyes are on Becca until she starts to squirm. “What? You all about ready to go?”

I laugh. “You can’t leave yet. You may just be his good luck charm.”

She ignores me, and it doesn’t take long for Lucas to get down to the arena and up in the starting point. The bull he’s riding is huge and already mad. The countdown is quick, and before we know it, the shute opens, and Lucas and the bull come barreling out. He holds on, and while everyone’s watching him, I’m watching Becca. She’s interested. It’s plainly written on her face as she scoots forward, watching from the edge of her seat. When the eight seconds are over, we all jump up, even Becca, and cheer. It was phenomenal.

And Lucas stands up on the rings of the fence and points up to Becca and then holds his fingers to his ear like he’s holding a phone. He wants her number.

“Okay, that’s enough. Eyes on me,” Matt says, kissing the side of my neck.

I turn. “Take me home.”

He squints. “If you want to stay...”

I shake my head. “Nope, I have no doubt in my mind that Violet’s going to make sure that cowboy gets Becca’s number. It’s time for us to go.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

He normally laughs at my antics, but not this time. He grabs my hand. “We’re leaving, guys.”

He all but drags me down the steps as we holler bye at everyone. “In a hurry?” I ask him.

“In a hurry to make our engagement official.”

I loop my arm through his as he navigates us through the crowd of people. “And how do you plan to do that?”

As soon as we get out the door and are on the way to the truck, I ask him again. “Huh, what’s your plan? How are you making this official?”

He stops next to his truck, opens the door, and helps me inside. He leans across me, pulling the seatbelt over me and locking it into place. He stares straight into my eyes. “I hope you plan on a short engagement because I’m making it official by putting a baby into you tonight.”

Breathless, all I can do is nod my head. “I like the way you think.” I cup his cheek. “I’m not going to make it the hour to the house.”

He smiles. “That’s why I got a hotel room for tonight. We’ll be there in five minutes.”

“You spoil me, Matt.”

He kisses me. “And I plan to for the rest of our lives.”

He jogs around to the other side of the truck and gets in beside me. He gets pulled out on the road and threads our fingers together on the console between us, and I finally put voice to my thoughts. “How did I get so lucky?”

He chuckles. “I’m the lucky one.”

Keep reading for Lucas and Becca’s story.