Page 229 of Tessa and Nash

“I mean, I didn’t know what I was doing, Tessa. I didn’t know what I was really looking for when I started this whole project.” I suck in a sharp breath. “But then you came into the picture, and suddenly, everything started to make sense. This whole damn town, this place, the way everything’s been… suddenly, it wasn’t a life I had to fix or outrun. It was something I could actually be a part of.” I pause, taking a step closer, feeling the words weigh heavy on my tongue. “And that’s when I realized… this is it. This is what I’ve been wanting. What I’ve been waiting for.”

She doesn’t say anything at first, just stands there, watching me. She’s reading me, seeing through every layer of doubt I’ve spent years wrapping around myself.

“And what if I say I’ve been wanting it too?” she says finally.

When I look at her, it’s there. Genuine, soft, and sincere.

I take her hand in mine, threading my fingers through hers, and it feels like we’ve reached some kind of quiet understanding—the world has stopped long enough for us to finally just be.

“I’ve never been good at this,” I admit. “The commitment. The words. Hell, I can’t even keep a shirt on my back most days.”

Tessa lets out a soft laugh, the kind that makes my chest ache in a good way. “You’re not so bad at it.”

I turn toward her then, really look at her. The way the night falls around us, how everything seems quieter when she’s close.

“I’m serious, Tessa,” I say, stepping in closer. “This isn’t some quick decision. This isn’t me trying to make it all look perfect. This is me, telling you that I’m not letting go of this. Of you. I don’t know what the future looks like, but I know that I want to share it with you. That I need to. And I know I sort of proposed before, but that was an arrangement. That wasn’t real.” I catch her gaze. “This is.”

Her eyes soften, and in that moment, I know she gets it. She sees it.“What are you saying, Nash?”

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding harder now, feeling every word I’m about to say.

“I’m saying,” I begin, “I want this. I want you. Not just the ranch, not just the land, not just some half-baked arrangement that was meant to fix things. I want a real future with you, Tessa. I’ve never been sure of a damn thing in my life, but right now, standing here with you, I know I’m not walking away from this. From us.”

Her breath catches, and I can see the way her walls shift, ever so slightly. She’s allowing herself to believe it, to hear it. She steps in closer to me, so close now that I can feel the heat radiating off her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. But there’s a glimmer in her eyes, something daring, and just a little too mischievous for me to handle without feeling a spark of nervous energy.

“I’m saying… will you marry me, Tessa Long?”

I’m not asking out of some rushed need, but because it’s what’s right. It’s what’s always been right.

Her eyes widen, that fire in them softening and becoming more tender. The seconds stretch, and for a heartbeat, I wonder if she’s going to turn me down. If I’ve messed this all up. But then I see it in her eyes, the same thing I feel. The truth.

And finally, she whispers, “Yes, Nash. Yes, of course I will.”

And right then, with the stars above us, I lean in until our lips meet.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, and I can’t resist the way she wraps herself around me because she’s meant to be here. I deepen the kiss, my hands finding her waist, pulling her against me so there’s nothing between us, no space left to hide in. She lets out a soft sigh, the kind that makes my heart race, and I know in that moment there’s no turning back.

When we pull apart, I smile at her, my heart pounding in my chest. “Guess this means you’re stuck with me now.”

She smirks, a playful glint in her eyes. “You think I’m complaining?”

I laugh, pulling her close again. “Not even a little.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Tessa

September 15th

It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come.

The guest ranch is finally starting to look real. The dream Nash had is slowly shifting from his head into reality. There’s dust in the air, but it’s not the kind of dust that feels dirty—it’s the kind that means work, sweat, and something big being built. And it’s beautiful.

I walk through the property, surveying everything, and a smile tugs at my lips. The land’s starting to shape up, the fences are getting put in place, and the cabins? Well, they’re more than just shells of wood and nails now. They’re homes waiting to be filled with people who’ll make memories here.

People who will see the place just like I do, something that was worth fighting for.

“Nash!” I call out, spotting him near the stables, his sleeves rolled up, a clipboard in one hand and a wrench in the other.