But she preferred the animals.
Except maybe when it came to Chase. And the Landry family who had essentially adopted her now. Even they got to be a little much for her, though. Bailey definitely preferred the sounds of bullfrogs and birds and crickets to the sounds of traffic and people. So D.C. was always a little overstimulating for her and Dulles made her a little crazy.
She suddenly stopped and he nearly plowed into her. She let go of her suitcase, blew out a breath and looked around.
“Bailey,” he said, putting a hand on her upper arm.
Clearly acting on instinct, she threw her elbow back, catching him in the ribs as she whipped around and away from his hold. Her eyes were wide.
Used to this stuff by now, Chase lifted his hands in surrender, giving her a chance to register it was him.
“Oh my God!” She put a hand to her chest. “You scared me! You know better than that!”
“I should,” he agreed with a grin. Then he braced himself for what was next.
On cue, she launched herself at him, her arms going around her neck, her legs around his waist. His hands went to her ass and he held her against him, breathing her in, absorbing the feel of her.
She plastered herself to him, peppering his right cheek with kisses. “I missed you”—More kisses to his left cheek—“So much”—Kisses over his forehead—“I love you—”
Her lips met his in a quick, sweet kiss.
When she tried to pull back, he put a hand on the back of her neck, keeping her there. He deepened the kiss, tasting her fully, drinking her in. He’d missed her so fucking much too. This was the part that was hard. They talked, they shared, they laughed over the phone. That was all amazing. The sex was amazing when they were together and he missed that when they weren’t, of course. But this was what made his chest feel hollow at times—not being able to just hold her. Kiss her. Feel her. Smell and taste her and just have her.
Finally, she pulled back and he let her. She gazed into his eyes.
“So much,” she said, finishing her thought. Her eyes were soft, as was her voice.
He nodded. “Me too.”
She wiggled to swing her feet to the floor and he moved his hand from her butt. Once she was on her feet again, they stood looking at each other, smiling stupidly.
“I want to ask you something,” he said.
Suddenly this was the right time. He didn’t need a special place or moment. The cabin in Autre seemed appropriate in a lot of ways to ask her to marry him, but here and now, when all of his love for her was bubbling up and he couldn’t contain it any longer was the time. Because anywhere that they were together, any moment, even the most random ones, was special. He wanted her to know that.
He wanted her to know that even by luggage claim five in the middle of holiday crowds at Dulles, with her hair falling down and right after she’d elbowed him and been about to mace him, he loved her and that she made him so damned happy he couldn’t contain it.
“Okay,” she said. Then her eyes widened. “Oh! I have something for you!”
She started to turn, but he grabbed her wrist. “Bailey, wait.”
She was still in the process of moving and his grasp turned her, causing her to take a step back instead of forward. The back of her shoe hit her suitcase and before he knew it, the suitcase had rolled and she was tipping backward. For some reason, he didn’t let go of her as she went down—to try to keep her upright? To prevent her fall? he wasn’t sure—and he ended up going to his knee on the hard tile floor of Dulles airport.
Bailey landed on top of the suitcase, the bag from her shoulder falling to the floor beside her, and tipping to its side, spilling it’s content. The ring box that Chase had been holding in his hand landed beside the suitcase.
Looking down at her, his knee throbbing a little, Chase realized he should have been expecting this, too.
She looked up at him. Her grin was self-deprecating. She shook her head. “Some things never change.”
He chuckled. “Knew I should have gotten knee pads before coming to pick you up.”
She leaned in, putting her arms around his neck again and putting her lips against his in a quick kiss. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m very okay,” he told her sincerely.
She then pivoted on the suitcase to begin gathering the items from her bag. Chase reached for the ring box. Just as he leaned in, she swung back to face him, catching him in the jaw with her shoulder.
“Oh! What are you doing?” she asked. “I’m sorry!” She lifted a hand to his face.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m fine.” He grabbed the box. “Just picking this up.”
Bailey had her hand stuffed inside her bag. A book, a notebook, two wrapped gifts, a pair of shoes and several pens were still scattered on the floor. She froze though, staring at the box.
Even better than a random, chaotic moment in an airport for a proposal was a moment where they were both on the floor from falling, a mess around them, laughing and not even fazed anymore by these occurrences.
“What is that?” she whispered.
“A ring box.” He opened it, showing her the two carat round cut diamond solitaire ring set in the black velvet. He pulled the ring out and held it up. It caught the light—even the awful airport fluorescent light—and sparkled beautifully.
“Holy…” She just stared at it.
“Bailey, will you marry me?” He could hear the gruffness in his own voice. The emotion.
She raised her eyes to his. “Yes.”
He blew out a breath and felt his grin break free.
“But I can not wear that.” She pointed to the ring as if it was a pile of turtle crap.
Chase now stared at her. “What?”
“There is no way I can wear that thing down on the bayou!” She actually balled her hands into fists and tucked them against her stomach as if he was possibly going to try to force it on her hand. “Can you imagine if that slipped off? Oh my God! We would never find it!” She looked up at him. “I work in the mud, Chase! I handle alligators and turtles and—”
“I know,” he interrupted.
“I can’t wear a big old expensive fancy diamond ring down there!” she exclaimed. “Even if it doesn’t fall off, I’ll probably gouge someone’s eye out with that! Maybe my own!”
“I just…” He trailed off, looking down at the diamond.
“I mean, look at that thing! I could probably cut fishing lines with that!”
“I…” But finally Chase shook his head. Then started laughing.
Her mouth fell open. “What is funny?”
“What was I thinking?” he asked. He laughed harder. “Why in the hell would I buy you—the most unusual, amazing, out-of-my-league, nothing-like-any-other-woman-I-know woman a typical, big, shiny, fancy engagement ring that any other woman would love?”
He’d never bought an engagement ring before and had, stupidly, gone for huge and shiny and expensive—the way he’d gone for most things in his life before ending up in Autre, Louisiana—rather than thinking about the woman it was for specifically. He was still learning.
Bailey looked puzzled for a second, as if trying to figure out if he was serious or upset or just crazy.