"Doug?"
He took hold of her left hand. "Kinsey, I've been a total shit to you lately. Hell, I've been a shit to a lot of people, but you're the only one who matters."
"You haven't been—"
"Yes, I have. Now let me finish."
"Fine. Finish." He had no idea how out of control her heart was racing right now.
"I've been restless for a very long time. And I've been looking for something to settle me down. I was pretty sure I'd found it at Warren Sill. Being wooed by the big boys?" He sighed, shook his head. "That was heady stuff, darlin'. Heady. But it didn't do anything but hose me up even worse."
She frowned. "I don't understand—"
"And you never will if you don't stop cutting me off."
She glared up at him. "Are you being a shit again?"
At that, he grinned. "Just being me, and trying to tell you how much I love you while I'm still able to talk here."
"You love me?" Her heart throbbed; her eyes watered. "You love me?"
"Darlin', I love you so much that it's about to kill me." Doug's eyes grew red-rimmed and misty. "You were what I was looking for, and you were right here all the time."
"Yeah. I was," she managed to whisper.
"I'm hoping you'll stay for a while."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I. In fact…" He lifted a shoulder and rubbed it over one eye. And then he took the twisted nail and slid it like a ring over the third finger of her left hand. "In fact, I was
sorta
hoping we could stay here a while together. You and me. But you and me as a couple."
"A couple?" She wasn't sure she still knew how to breathe. "You and me?"
"You did say you wanted to marry me," he said, holding her hand as if he feared she'd bolt. "I don't really care whether or not you were drunk. I accept your proposal."
"Doug?" Kinsey looked from the ring on her finger to his face. His smile was crooked, but his eyes were sincere. She couldn't find her voice to save her life.
"I'm actually flying to Tulsa tomorrow to see my folks for the day. I'd really like it if you went with me."
Her answer remained lost in the back of her throat, caught by the suction of the emotional whirlwind sweeping her along.
"Thing is, I'd need to know whether or not to introduce you to my parents as friend or fiancée." His expression grew uncertain, and she knew he was waiting for her answer. "We can have as long an engagement as you'd like. Or we can go to Vegas."
God, but she loved this man. Her grin broke out, widening until her face began to ache. "We don't have to go to Vegas."
"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.
"We can go back to the building site and find Leonard. He is an ordained minister, you know."
It took a moment, a moment during which Kinsey felt doubts fall away like the last five pounds she'd never managed to shed.
But once Doug realized what she'd said, he grabbed her up and swung her around and around until the giddy dizziness threatened her with a return visit from the coffee she'd gulped down on the drive over.
"Stop, please."
He set her down. "I take it that was a yes?"
"Hey, I was the one who proposed, remember?" Unable to keep the smile from her face and not caring that, as wide as it was, she must resemble a
clown,
she placed her hand on Doug's face. "I love you, Doug Storey. I've loved you for so very long."
"Ah, darlin'. I've probably loved you even longer." He laid his palm over her hand, looking down into her eyes before he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "And I promise to buy you a real ring ASAP."
"I kinda like this one." She eased around so that she remained in his arms, but was able to admire her ten-penny ring. "The nail that secured our relationship. Very symbolic. And sentimental."
"And clunky and heavy and dangerous."
She nestled her head beneath his chin. "Afraid I'll stab you in the middle of the night?"
"I'll be doing the middle-of-the-night stabbing, if you don't mind."
She couldn't hold in her grin. "I really do need at least seven or eight hours of sleep, you know."
He gave a shrug and wrapped her back up in his arms. "Hey, the more time in bed, the better."
Engulfed by a rush of amazing joy, Kinsey didn't even punch him for his sex joke or try to hide her tears. "I love you, Doug."
"You damn well better, darlin'." He brushed the dampness from her cheeks. "Now, how about we go find ourselves a preacher?"
* * * *