Barbara Dunlop - A Cowboy Comes Home

“Mandy?” his voice was so real, it startled her.

Her eyes flew open, and she blinked in complete astonishment. “Caleb?”

How could he be standing in her barn?

But he was.

She blinked again.

He was.

“Hello, Mandy.” His tone was gentle. He was wearing a pair of worn blue jeans and a soft flannel shirt, looking completely at home as he slowly walked toward her.

She gripped the top rail of the stall with her leather-gloved hand. “What are you doing here?” she managed.

A slow smile grew on his face as he drew closer under the bright, hanging fluorescent lights. “You want to go to Rio?”

She watched his expression closely. “Is that a joke?”

“I’m completely serious.”

“No. I am not going to Rio with you.” She meant what she said. She was completely done with the Terrells.

He came to a halt a few feet away from her. “You said you would.”

“That was before.”

“Before what?”

Before her plan to fix everything had crashed and burned around her ears. Before she’d learned the truth about herself. Before she’d fallen in love with him and opened herself up to a world of hurt.

“Before we fought,” she said instead.

“We didn’t fight.”

She shot him with a look of disbelief.

“Okay,” he agreed. “We fought. And I’m sorry. I know you were just trying to help.”

She shook her head, rubbing her palms across her cheeks and into her hair, trying to erase the memories. “I meddle. I know I meddle. And I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I forgive you. Now, come to Rio.”

“No.”

“Come to Rio and marry me.”

“N- What? ”

“I thought…” He moved slowly closer, carefully, as if he was afraid to spook her. “I thought we could fly to Rio, get a manicure, have a blender drink and you could marry me.”

There was a roaring inside her brain while she tried to make sense of his words. “Caleb, what are you trying to-”

He reached out and took her hands. “I’m trying to say that I love you, Mandy. And I like it when you meddle. I especially like it when you meddle with me.”

Her heart paused, then thudded forcefully back to life, singing through her chest.

He loved her? He loved her?

Exhilaration burst through her.

She let out an involuntary squeal and launched herself into his arms. He hugged her tight, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around.

“Why? How?” she couldn’t help but ask, voice muffled in the crook of his neck. She didn’t expect this, didn’t deserve this.

“I don’t know why, but how? Mostly I just think about how beautiful you are, how sexy you are, how smart and caring and funny.” He drew back and kissed her mouth. His lips were warm, soft, delicious and tender.

When he finally drew back and lowered her to her feet, she gazed up into his eyes. “I love you, too, Caleb. So very much.”

“So, you’ll come to Rio?”

“You know my family won’t let you marry me in Rio.”

“They can come along. I have a pretty big plane.”

“We have to wait until my dad gets better.”

“Of course we do,” he agreed, kissing her all over again.

He captured both of her hands in his. His blue eyes danced under the lights. “You by any chance interested in a ring?” he asked.

She swallowed, unable to find her voice.

He tapped his shirt pocket, and she made out a telltale square bulge.

Joy flooded her. “You brought a ring to this engagement?”

“I did. A diamond.”

Her lips broke into a grin. “Let’s see it.”

He reached into his pocket and extracted a small, white leather box. “It was Reed’s idea.”

“You talked to Reed?”

“He’s inside with your brothers.”

“Reed is here? ” She couldn’t believe it.

“Any chance we can focus on the ring right now?” Caleb popped open the spring-loaded top.

A beautiful, square-cut diamond solitaire in yellow gold was nestled against deep purple velvet. The sight took her breath away.

He leaned in and spoke in a husky whisper. “Do I know how to do a proposal or what?”

“That’s one gorgeous ring.”

“You like it?”

“I love it.”

“Because we can exchange it if you want.”

“Are you kidding? What else could I possibly want in a ring?”

Using his blunt fingers, he extracted it from the box.

She held out her left hand, and he smoothly pushed it onto her ring finger. It fit. She held her hand at arms length, flexing her wrist and watching the sparkle.

“This should shut Travis up,” she mused.

“Yes.” Caleb kissed her finger with the ring. “Because that was my secret plan. I figured, you know, if you’d marry me, it would be a bonus. But what I was really looking to do was get your brother off my back.”

“We’re really going to do this? You and me? Us?” Both her brain and her emotions were operating on overload. Caleb had come back to Lyndon Valley. He loved her. They were staying together. It defied imagination.

“Just as soon as you’ll let me.”

Uncertainty suddenly overtook her. “But, what then? Where do we go? Where do we live? My family’s here. You’re there.”

“Well, Reed will be back living at his ranch.”

She froze. “Seriously?”

Caleb nodded.

“He’s coming home?”

“He’s already home.”

She hugged Caleb tight, and his arms went fully around her. “Part time here,” he said. “Part time in Chicago. We made it work for two weeks. I’m sure we can make it work for the rest of our lives.”

Mandy sighed and burrowed herself in his chest. “For the rest of our lives.”

Once again, Caleb couldn’t seem to bring himself to let go of Mandy.

Back inside the ranch house, her brothers, Abigail and Reed all gathered around them, admiring her ring, hugging and kissing and laughing their congratulations. When they eventually gave way, Abigail went to the kitchen to find a bottle of champagne.

Caleb lowered himself into a leather armchair, and drew Mandy down into his lap, settling her against his shoulder, holding her hand and toying with the engagement ring on her finger.

His brother shot him a knowing grin, and Caleb smiled back, marveling at how the years had melted away. On the airplane and later in the car, he and Reed had talked. They’d talked about their years as children and teenagers, what had happened to each of them after Caleb had left for Chicago and Reed’s plans for the future.

Seth retrieved six champagne glasses from the china cabinet, setting them out on the dining-room table. “So, Caleb. Are you moving back here, or are you taking our sister away?”

“Both,” said Caleb, casting a long glance at Mandy’s profile. “We’ll have to play it by ear to start. I’m hoping Reed won’t mind if we stay at his place while we’re in the valley.”

“Welcome anytime,” said Reed.

“Seriously?” Mandy asked in obvious surprise. “You’re going to stay at your ranch?”

“Seriously,” Caleb told her. “A very wise woman once told me I needed to change my perception of it.”

He leaned in close to her ear. “I figure we’ll need to make love in every room in the house.”

She whispered back. “Not when Reed’s around.”

“What are you two whispering about?” asked Abigail as she appeared with a bottle of champagne.

“I’m sure you don’t want to know,” Travis sang, lifting the bottle from his sister’s hands and peeling off the foil.

“I’ve been thinking,” Caleb said to Reed, framing up an idea in his mind. “It’s not really fair for Mandy and I to set up a permanent place in your house.”