Cowboy Way (16 page)

“Baby, Im squishing you.” Ryan smiled and stroked Jakes hair, calming him with his touch.
“Nope, like you here, on me, in me, always.” Jake nuzzled into Ryans shoulder, kissing the warm, salty flesh softly.
Ryan had let Jakes legs slide off his shoulders, and Jake wrapped them around his waist, holding him close, rocking a little. Ryan hummed his contentment, lips brushing Jakes temple.
“Im not going anywhere, Jake. I love you.” He could feel the smile against his shoulder.
“I know, but, maybe we should make it official?”
Ryan stiffened in his arms before pulling back a little to look at Jake, a cautious but hopeful gleam in his eyes. “What, Jake, uhm, huh?”
Jake slid Ryan off of him, finally breaking their intimate connection. They were on their sides, facing each other, and Jake reached over Ryan, grabbing his jeans, stopping to kiss Ryan as he lay down beside him again. He dug around in the front pocket, grabbing something before throwing the jeans behind him.
He reached out and cupped Ryans face, running his thumb over those beautiful kiss-swollen lips, seeing the smile there. Even though Ryan wasnt sure what was happening, he trusted him.
“Ryan, I love you, so much. Before I met you, I was so alone and didnt know how to change it. I felt lost, looking for something I didnt know how to find. And then you pulled into my driveway, looking as lost as I felt, and you looked up, and I saw those eyes.” He was still tracing Ryans face with his fingers.
“God, Ryan, every time I look into your eyes, I am lost again, but in the best way possible. Losing myself in you, its like finding something in me, and I am so amazed at how we seem to fit together. Ive never had anyone who understood me like you do, in my whole life, and I dont ever want to be without that.”
Tears were pushing at the back of his eyes, and Ryans eyes were overly bright as well. The first tear slipped past those dark lashes, and Jake smiled as he reached to wipe it away.
“Marry me, Ryan.”
Ryans breath caught in his throat, and his hands came up to clutch Jakes, holding onto the most important thing in his life.
“I know we cant do it here, but we can go to Iowa or New England and do it. We can go ourselves, just for us, or we can invite that whole crazy family of yours and have a party to remember. I dont care.” His own eyes were overflowing now, but he was smiling and happy, and no matter what Ryan said, he would never be sorry he asked.
“I just want to stand there with you and promise all the things out loud that Ive already promised in my head. And I know it wouldnt be my first wedding, but it would be the first one for love that was real, and that meant everything that a wedding should be. I love you, Ryan, will you marry me?”
He held out his hand, and there were two plain silver bands there, and Ryans eyes widened, looking back up at Jakes face, tears falling faster now, but they were sliding down over a smile that threatened to overwhelm the sun. He picked the rings up in his hand, cradling them, and noticed the engraving on the inside. He saw his name on one and Jakes on the other. He looked up questioningly, and Jake picked up the one with his own name on it.
“This ones yours, if you want it?” All of a sudden Jake found himself on his back, covered in crying, smiling, kissing, naked boyfriend, and he finally heard what he needed to hear.
“Yes, yes, yes, oh my God,
yes!
” He was kissing Jake all over his face, laughing, and he yelped a little when Jake grabbed him and rolled them over so that he was on top. He kissed Ryan hard enough to curl both their toes before taking Ryans hand and sliding the ring onto his husbandto-bes finger. He kissed it, grinning into Ryans eyes. Then, with shaking hands, Ryan slid the ring in his hand onto Jakes.
They kissed again, for what seemed like hours, both content just to hold each other, talking quietly about their wedding. Then Ryan started to giggle.
“Whats so funny? Care to share the joke?” Jake was running his fingers through Ryans hair, smiling at the way the sun glinted off the silver band on his hand.
“I cant believe you proposed to me in the middle of the woods while we were naked.” He started laughing so hard he was shaking, and soon Jake was joining in. “How in the hell am I ever gonna tell my mom this story, cause she is gonna want to know the details.”
Jake looked at him with wide eyes, momentarily stunned by the thought of telling his future in-laws the story, before he started laughing so hard, he was glad he was already on the ground, because he would have fallen right over.
“Babe?” He forced the words out between gasps of laughter. “Im leaving that one up to you!”
They lay there until the sun started to go down and it was cooling off. They gathered themselves up and got back on Storm, heading back to the ranch, both happier than either one ever thought they had a right to be. But together, they had found that one special place that made everything right, and now it was going to be forever.

C
INDY
S
UTHERLAND
is a first-time author in her early forties who never thought that getting involved in a fandom would lead to being published. She is an avid reader who would take in anything she could get her hands on, having inherited a love of books from both her parents. She wrote in secret as a young adult, with only her family for an audience, and now is over the moon at the thought of sharing her love of writing with a few more people. Her favorite stress-busting activity besides writing is singing karaoke at her home town bar, and she is passing on her love of reading to her daughter. Cindy thanks God every day for an errant Youtube recommendation that led to her having the best group of friends shes ever had in her life, and she is looking forward to seeing where the rest of this journey will take her.
You can e-mail Cindy at [email protected].