Page 130 of One Wild Chance

I think that’s when I know, for certain, that I’m marrying the right man.

We don’t talk much in the truck on the way home. At one point, he reaches over and laces his fingers through mine, just to tell me I’m here if you need me.

It isn’t until we’re almost back to the farm that he says, “Thank you for letting me come. That was really special.” He squeezes my hand a little tighter and parks the truck. “You want to go for a ride? I’ll saddle the horses.”

He knows I need it. I always do after visiting Mom.

“Let me grab my hat,” I say.

When I show up in the barn, Jaxon’s already there, settling Rebel in front of him like he’s worked with horses all his life. Nobody would ever guess this man spent fourteen years on the ice instead of in a saddle.

He gives me that familiar smile when I approach, no hesitation anymore. It’s the one I get now, every time, and my heart skips a beat.

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re riding Rebel?”

“Yep, been taking her out every morning for months,” he says, running a hand down her neck. “Wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with her if you hadn’t put in two years of peppermints before I showed up and ruined it with a saddle.”

I laugh and scratch under her forelock. “You think she’s ready?”

“Yep, she’s ready. We both are.”

He watches me tack up Sally before mounting Rebel. He swings his leg over her back and settles in the saddle, Rebel patiently waiting. We ride to the back pasture together, and Rebel’s steady underneath Jaxon.

“Take it slow today?” Jaxon asks.

“I wouldn’t mind going faster,” I say. “The question is, can you?”

He lifts an eyebrow. “You’ve been trying to beat me on a horse ever since we were in high school.”

“And I’m still undefeated.”

“Pretty sure I won at least one race my senior year.”

“I don’t think so, cowboy.”

He grins, already nudging Rebel forward. “Let’s settle it, then.”

It’s nothing like that ride months ago in the rain, when I tore off across this same field, running from everything, and he came after me to make sure I wasn’t in trouble. This time he’s not chasing me. He doesn’t have to. I’m already his.

We pull up at the oak tree in the back corner of the property, the one with the old rope ladder still hanging from a low branch. This was where he braided me a flower crown out of daisies and told me he loved me for the first time.

We tie off the horses, and he leans against the tree and looks at me. “I want to show you something.”

“What is it?” I say, looking around. “Not much to see here.”

“Close your eyes, Wildflower.”

I set my hands on my hips. “Jaxon.”

“Humor me, please.”

I close my eyes, then I hear him moving, before his hand finds mine.

“You can open your eyes now.”

He’s bending on one knee in the grass, a small box open in his palm, and for one long moment, I just stare at the ring inside. It’s Miriam’s diamond—I’d recognize it anywhere.

My throat feels thick as tears well in my eyes. His thumb brushes over my hand. “I told you that someday I was going to ask you to be my wife. This is me, keeping that promise.”