Page 86 of Montana Rain

“I love you.” Then it dawned on me. “You weren’t nervous about the job, were you?”

“No. I was nervous about asking you to be my wife.”

His wife. I looked at the ring, glinting in the moonlight. “When the hell did you get a ring?”

He smirked. “I’ve had it since we left Chicago.”

My jaw dropped, and I hit his arm. “What?”

“I needed to wait for the right moment.”

“And tonight was it?”

A sparkle appeared in his eyes. “I thought so. They did too.”

He tugged me back toward the door, and we walked into a room full of cheers. My friends pulled me in for hugs, and I could barely hear what they were saying because they all talked over one another.

A cake had appeared on the table, with Lena’s signature flair. Grace was pouring champagne, and Kate was grabbing plates for the cake slices. Lena was in Jude’s arms, her engagement ring sparkling in the firelight.

Just like mine.

Coming closer to us, Daniel smiled. “You know I’m the one who sabotaged your car that first family dinner, right, Rayne?”

My jaw dropped open, and Lena’s words about all the guys being mother hens and matchmakers came to mind. I barely remembered him excusing himself during dinner. “What?”

He shrugged. “You both needed a reason to be thrown together, and it was harmless enough. Seems like I made a good bet.”

“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “Did you know?”

Cole shook his head. “No idea. I swear.”

Daniel just smiled again and turned to face the room. “Seems like we have a few things to celebrate tonight.” He picked up a glass of champagne. Everyone followed suit, even Evie, whose glass was full of orange juice.

“To new life,” Daniel said, lifting his glass to Lucas and Evie. “To new responsibilities and new bonds.” He raised his glass to Cole and me. “And to the future. This is the family I never knew I needed and never could have asked for.”

Everyone raised their glass at that, and tears graced more than one set of eyes. I turned to Cole just as he turned to me, catching his lips. We were hardly alone in the kiss.

“I love you, princess,” he whispered, making me smile.

“Forever?” I asked.

“Forever.”

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