Chapter 31

31

A bby saw the crowd waiting at the church for her Saturday evening Bookmobile appearance, and she couldn't believe how many people had come. "This is odd," she muttered to herself.

Thankfully, they'd left the spot open where she parked, but a whole slew of cars and trucks had filled the church parking lot. Maybe the local congregation had something going on in their building that night.

No lights shone from the church, and everyone stood outside but not in their usual places. Sure, a few kids and teens with books in their hands stood on the sidewalk where it dipped for wheelchairs and other handicapped accessibility. But most of the people stood back on the grass, and they didn't have books with them.

"Something's going on," she said, scanning the crowd as she bumped-bumped over the high entry into the lot. She got her ancient Bookmobile in place, set the brake, and enjoyed the hiss as the vehicle settled.

She went into the back, proud of herself for not dislodging a single book on her drive up today. She flipped on the lights, because October sat right around the corner, and that meant it got darker earlier in the evening.

After unlocking the door, she went down the steep steps and outside. "Hello, everyone," she said, the same way she always did. The people back on the grass hadn't pressed closer, and Abby turned away from the sea of faces she couldn't focus on to hook the door open. If it got too cold, she'd close it and run the floor heaters until she had to leave.

Her fingers fumbled on the hook, and the door swung closed again. The slam hurt her ears and echoed up into the Wyoming sky. That was why she didn't let anyone get on the Bookmobile—or even approach it—until she'd hooked open the door. It could be lethal if it got away from her.

With a second try, she got the door in place, and she took a big breath and blew it out as she turned to face everyone again.

Tex stood right on the sidewalk now, and he definitely hadn't been there before. Any breath left in her lungs dried right up at the sexy sight of him in his dark jeans, those cowboy boots and that hat, as well as a black polo with a dark brown leather jacket over that. He was the pattern for what other country music gods were made from, as he also held a guitar in his hands, the strap over his shoulder just like he wore it during his concerts.

He grinned at her, his neck working as he swallowed. Then he started to play, and he visibly relaxed. They hadn't talked about what he'd do after this last album was made. It might not be his last, and watching him play and how it soothed him, she didn't want it to be.

Tex looked up and met her eyes, his rich tenor voice filling the air only a moment later.

"Sometimes," he said. "You meet a woman at work."

Other guitars joined the fray, and Abby pressed her hands to her chest as Bryce stepped out of the crowd and moved forward slowly.

"Sometimes," he and Tex sang together, which was a lovely, gorgeous sound. "You meet a woman on the street."

Otis and Trace emerged from the sea of people, and then Mav, Morris, and Luke. Every single one of them held and played a guitar, and with all that talent sending such beauty into the world, surely the heavens would rejoice.

"Sometimes," several voices sang together, and Abby didn't know where to look. "You meet a woman next door."

Her eyes filled with tears. Tex had said his proposal would be perfect, and Abby believed he'd nailed it so far.

"Sometimes," they sang. "You meet her at school, the library, the store."

She had no idea if library was the right lyric, but she didn't care. A sob-laugh came from her throat, and she grinned at Tex.

"But when you meet the woman who makes you whole," the Young family sang. "You know you better not let her go. Ohhh-ohh. You better not let her go."

Tex walked forward then, his smile so real and so full that it reached his eyes, his hands, his very soul. He came all the way toward her while his family kept singing the song. She couldn't see anyone but him. She could only hear his guitar.

He stopped playing, and the other instruments quieted.

"I love you, Abigail Ingalls." He practically yelled the words, and surely the whole crowd could hear him. "I don't want to let you go, ever. You're the woman who makes me whole, and?—"

The guitars started up in earnest again, and Tex lifted the neck of his, clearly a cue. Then he stepped to her side, both of them facing the band, the church, the crowd.

Except there was no crowd anymore. Only a huge, monster-long banner that said, "Will you marry me, Abby?" in huge, hand-painted blue letters.

The music quieted again, and every living creature seemed to be holding its breath. Abby turned to Tex, who had just finished handing his guitar to his brother. Bryce stood at his side now, and how the two of them could move like ninjas, she didn't know.

Tex slung his arm around his son and looked at Abby. "What do you think? Do you want to make a family with us?"

"Yes," she said, her voice not nearly loud enough to hear in all this openness.

Tex leaned toward her, his grin so contagious "I don't think they heard you."

She turned toward the crowd, now able to pick out her parents, Wade and Cheryl, her friends from the library, Georgia and her new boyfriend, and lots and lots of people she knew from Dog Valley, from Rusk, and from Coyote Creek. Everyone who came to the library and the Bookmobile.

Her heart swelled with love for each of them, for the Young family who was present, for Tex and Bryce, and for…herself.

She felt so loved in that moment, and she lifted her chin and held her head high as she called, "Yes!"

The crowd applauded instantly, a roar rising up with cowboy whoops and country hollers, and she turned toward Tex and threw herself into his arms.

They laughed together, and then he lowered his head and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

The crowd surged toward them, and Georgia intercepted her first. "Oh, girl, I'm so happy for you." They hugged, and Abby closed her eyes in happiness.

"Thank you," she said.

Her mom arrived, and then Wade and Cheryl, and Abby lost Tex in all the excitement. Soon enough, she encountered the men who'd helped Tex set up this elaborate display, and he stood with them. She went down the line and hugged each one of them.

"I can't believe I have to attend two weddings back-to-back," Mav said as he hugged her. "But I suppose you're worth it, Abs."

Tex took her hand, his tight in hers, and shook his head, otherwise ignoring the comment. Mav's ex-wife was getting married the day before Wade and Cheryl.

"You don't have to go to your ex-wife's wedding," Luke spat beside Mav, and Abby grabbed onto him and hugged him too.

"Thank you, Luke," she said, because she knew this had cost him something. She didn't know what, but something.

He held her tightly too, his voice surprisingly quiet. When everyone had congratulated her, and the crowd had started to disperse, she stood at Tex's side and gazed at the banner. "It's incredible," she said. "Did you paint it?"

"No," Tex said, his arm snug around her waist as he held her against his warm body. "All the kids did. Bryce supervised, but we had Harry, Boston, Beth, Joey, and Corrine over one afternoon and got it done. It's been in my basement for a few weeks."

"Wow, a few weeks," she teased. "What were you waitin' for?"

"The rain to stop," he said dryly, and Abby looked up at him. He grinned at her and leaned closer to her. "The banner is fifty-two of my steps long. That's how far it is from the bottom of my side stairs to the steps that go up to your back porch."

"Fifty-two steps, huh?" An idea percolated in her head, and she didn't immediately dismiss it though it was kind of crazy. He'd taught her that crazy ideas could be some of the best ones.

"Yep."

"Are we getting married with Wade and Cheryl?"

"Yep," he said again. "Eighty-three days." He squeezed her tight. "Is that enough time, my love?"

"I'll make it work," she told him, turning into his body. He brought up his other hand and held her, their eyes meeting. "I can't wait to marry you."

" I can't wait to marry you ," he said, touching the tip of his nose to hers. "Then you won't be fifty-two steps away, and we'll be on our ranch together."

She smiled at him, and he smiled at her, and when he kissed her this time, only love existed between them.

Read on for a sneak peek at OTIS , featuring Otis Young, the next member of the Young Family who's got a lot happening in his life…and maybe Georgia Beck will be the one to finally show him what true love looks like.