Authors: MJ Summers
Cole knelt down on one knee, holding her hands in his, "You're it for me, Claire. You're the only woman I'll ever want and you're everything I need. I want to spend my life taking care of you."
He slipped one hand in his pocket, took the little black velvet box out and opened it, then lifted the ring and held it up to her, "Claire Hatley, will you marry me?"
Claire's eyes were filled with tears as she listened to him. She nodded and smiled, "Yes, Cole! Yes, I will marry you."
He slipped the ring on her finger and then stood up. He took her face in both of his hands, giving her a kiss that was so full of passion and love, they would remember it for the rest of their lives. They held each other tight, smiling and laughing with excitement as they kissed for a long time. Inside, the crowd was counting down to midnight, champagne corks were popping and
Auld Lang Syne
rang out.
Finally Cole pulled back a little, "You haven't looked at the ring yet. I want to know if you like it."
"Oh, right," she said, looking down at her left hand, "I love it! It's absolutely perfect, Cole!"
She stared down at the large round cut diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds and a diamond-encrusted platinum band.
"Are you sure this is the ring you want to wear for the rest of your life? Because we can take it back and get something else if you like. It won't hurt my feelings, honestly."
"I love it. It's the most perfect ring I've ever seen, given to me by the most perfect man I've ever known."
Cole pressed his forehead gently to hers, kissing her again, "I am so relieved. I was really nervous."
"Really? Did you think I'd say no?"
"Part of me thought you might after everything we've been through. I wasn't sure if it was too soon after us getting back together."
"Well, you can be 100% sure about me. I'm all yours."
Cole wrapped his arms around her, "Best start to a new year ever," Cole said, with a wide grin.
"Definitely. What do you say we get out of here and really go celebrate?"
"I'd say I wish I had a limo waiting outside for us so we wouldn't have to wait 'til we get back to the hotel."
They found Janet and Ted over by the table with their friends, all looking expectantly at Claire's left hand. She held her hand up and she and Janet screamed and hugged each other. Ted shook Cole's hand and then Janet hugged Cole.
"Welcome to the family, Cole!" Janet said, grabbing Claire's hand to look at the ring, "Wow! That is gorgeous! Well done, Cole!"
Ted gave Claire a kiss on the cheek, "Congratulations, Claire. I'm so happy for you both."
"Thank you, Ted! I'm so happy for me too!" She turned to Janet, "Do you mind if we sneak out of here?"
"Go! Go! We'll see you both tomorrow sometime when you come up for air," Janet laughed.
Claire and Cole blushed and said their good nights.
* * *
They made love until the sun was almost up. As they were drifting off to sleep, Cole pulled Claire to him, feeling her naked body against his, "I'm going to love your forever, Claire."
"You too, Cowboy," Claire said sleepily. "Hey - thank you for asking me to marry you and thank you for the beautiful ring. I'm the luckiest girl in the world because I get to wear it forever and I get to marry you."
"I'm the lucky one. You said yes."
"You know you didn't have to spend all that money on a ring, right? I agreed to marry you on the mountainside if you leant me your hat. We already had a deal."
"Shit, I totally forgot about that. Is it too late to take the ring back?"
"Ummm, yes. Sorry. I could have lived without the ring before I saw it, but now, I don't think I can."
Cole grinned at her, "Glad you like it, Ms. Hatley." He gave her a kiss on the lips, "Happy new year."
"Happy new year, Cole." She nuzzled her face into his neck and fell promptly asleep in his arms.
Four and a half years later...
The sun was low in the sky, signalling the end of another hot summer's day as Claire looked out toward the meadow. She was sitting on the front porch of their cabin, with three year old, Vivian, on her lap. She had been reading books with her to pass the time as the pair waiting impatiently for Cole to return. The little girl's hair was still damp from her bath and she was dressed in a cool nightgown, all ready for bed.
Vivian spotted the horses first and climbed off her mom's lap with excitement, "Dad! Dad!" she shouted in her tiny voice.
Claire put the books down on the chair next to her and looked up to see Cole riding back with the latest group of tourists behind him. Otis, who had been dozing in the sun, perked up his ears and stood up, wagging his tail.
"Let's go meet them, sweetie!" taking Vivian's little hand in hers, she started toward the meadow. Claire's heart skipped a beat when she saw Cole riding towards her, as it always did when he came home. He had been gone for four days and both Claire and their little girl missed him terribly when he was away.
Cole could make out the outlines of his two favourite girls as they rode in. He could see that Vivian was already in her p.j.'s, and that Claire wore one of her pretty summer dresses that he loved. He spurred Dudley on to pick up the pace, not able to wait any longer to hold either of them in his arms. Each ride it had gotten harder and harder for him to leave since Claire stepped foot on the ranch.
Vivian broke into a run until she reached the gate that lead to the meadow. She grabbed onto the bottom rung with her little hands yelling with overwhelming excitement in her voice, "Dad! Come home now!"
Cole laughed as he broke away from the pack and galloped straight towards Claire and their beautiful little girl. When he got close to the fence, he started to dismount Dudley before he had even come to a full stop. Claire opened the gate and let Vivian run to her dad.
Cole swooped her up in his arms and spun around, holding her tight, "How's my best girl?" he asked.
"Happy! I be'd a good girl," she said, hugging him tight around his neck.
"I knew you would. I missed you so much!" he said to Vivian, kissing her repeatedly on the cheek.
"Ouch, Daddy. Shave your face," she said, wriggling out of his arms and chasing Otis back towards the barn.
"Bossy little thing, isn't she?" Claire asked.
He turned to Claire, grinning, "I just cannot for the life of me figure out where she gets that."
"Strange, isn't it? Me neither. No idea really."
"She's beautiful like you, but that's really where the similarity ends."
Claire laughed, "That's right. Just so we're clear, no one thinks I'm bossy.
Cole pulled Claire to him and lowered his voice, giving her a sexy grin, "So Gorgeous, you miss me?"
Claire smiled back at him, "So much, Cowboy. You have no idea."
"Oh I think I do. From the moment I ride off, I'm counting down the seconds until I ride back home," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her gently on the lips.
Claire returned his embrace, feeling his warm, strong body against hers. She sighed happily as she looked up at him, "Really? Well I've been counting the seconds until I can ride you."
Cole picked her up over his shoulder, causing Claire to scream with laughter. "What are you doing? Put me down!"
"No way," he said, striding back to Dudley to grab his reigns and lead him to the barn. "You are going to need to save up your strength for later."
He held one hand under her skirt, letting his hand slip between her thighs as he walked to the barn.
Cole tossed the reigns to Ben, who was waiting for the guests to ride in. "Can you take Dudley? I need to get little Vivian off to dreamland so I can make love to my beautiful wife."
"Oh my God, Cole! Put me down. This is so embarrassing!" Claire hissed at him as he walked away from Ben, who was shaking his head and grinning at the pair.
Cole slid her down off of his shoulder, "You're embarrassed that people might know we're in love, Claire? Because I'm sure as hell not." He spun her to him and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck.
"
In
love is fine.
About to make love
is not meant to be public knowledge," Claire retorted, her words softening at the touch of his lips on her skin.
"Ben doesn't look offended to me. Us Mitchell boys aren't prudes like you Hatley girls."
"Prudes? Prudes? I'll have you know..."
"What does prudes mean, Auntie Claire?" four year old Jake Jr. had walked up beside them, with Vivian toddling after him.
"It means your uncle and I have to remember to choose our words more carefully," Claire responded.
Jake Jr. gave her a confused look and then ran over to his dad.
Cole smiled down at his little girl and picked her up, placing her on top of his shoulders for a ride, "Here, baby girl! How far can you see from up here?"
Vivian giggled and held tight to Cole's hands, "To the moon!"
The sky grew darker, allowing the first few stars to become visible as they sauntered up toward their cabin.
When they reached the front steps, Cole lifted his little girl off his shoulders and opened the door. He walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Strongbow from the fridge. Taking the cap off, he handed it to his wife, "You go relax on the porch, I'll get this little monkey off to bed."
"I see you're not giving up the whole perfect thing," Claire said, grinning at him.
"I have to make sure you don't take off with the mailman when I'm gone."
"Most likely I won't, but only because she's is a fifty-five year old grandmother," she replied. "Hey, how was it with the girlfriend's getaway group?"
Cole shook his head, "Honestly, Claire, people think men are dogs but women are
so
much worse. They forget we're there and they get talking and I am shocked at how dirty they are."
Claire laughed, "Oh I know. You poor man. Whose stupid idea was that whole 'Girlfriend's Getaway' thing, anyway?"
"It was this beautiful chef I know that came up with it. I only agreed to it because I wanted to get into her pants. Now, go relax, so I can get this little peanut off to sleep."
* * *
A little while later, Cole joined Claire on the porch. He was dressed only in jeans and his hair was still wet from the shower. He had clearly been in a hurry; drops of water slid down his neck and chest as he lowered himself onto the loveseat next to her. She put down her tablet and gazed lustfully at him. Suddenly, she remembered that he hadn't eaten yet.
"You must be starving, I'll go heat up some supper for you," Claire said, starting to get up.
"Food can wait," he replied, gently pulling her onto his lap. "In the last for days, I've had twelve meals, but I haven't had you even once," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her, "I've got some catching up to do."
Claire melted as their mouths met; the smell of him and the touch of his freshly shaved face on hers had her moaning with desire. He moved his hand up her leg and under her skirt as they kissed. Claire held his cheek with one hand and let her other fingers glide lazily down his delicious chest and then to the front of his jeans. The feel of his hard body still thrilled her every bit as much as the first time.
Cole's hand slid up to Claire's panties, he traced the outline of them with his finger and then moved the lacy fabric aside, giving him full access to her. Claire gave another little moan as he pressed his fingers to her warm skin.
"We better take this inside," he murmured, "Someone might see us."
"Oh, I thought we'd go for it right here on the porch. You know, show the world how
in love
we are?" Claire taunted him as she turned to straddle his lap.
Cole rolled his eyes and picked her up by her bottom, kissing her hard on the mouth and starting for the front door.
Claire wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She pulled back from his kiss, "Prude."
Cole's lips curled up in a half-smile, "I'm going to have to keep that sexy mouth of yours busy to stop you from making all those smartass remarks, aren't I?"
"Pretty much for the rest of your life, yes."
"Okay. I can manage that," he answered as he opened the front door and carried her up the stairs.
They made love late into the night. As she drifted off to sleep safe in his arms, Claire smiled to herself, knowing that Cole would always want her every bit as much as she wanted him. He had shown her what love was meant to be. Together they were building their dreams, they were a family, and she knew her heart had found home.