He walks away, and I know in my heart it will be the last time we ever talk about what happened in the mountains last night.
I place the gas can in the shed and go to my cabin to get ready for Dakota.
I wasn’t kidding when I said the hike isn’t strenuous. It’s more like a long walk, which is perfect because even though Dakota wears a brave face, I know her muscles ache.
“We’re almost there,” I tell her, swinging her hand I’m holding in mine. The ring is in my backpack, but it feels like a hot piece of coal burning its way through the fabric. Only my desire to give her a proper proposal is keeping me from stopping and slipping it on her finger right now.
She hears the sound of running water and glances at me, her eyes curious and the beginning of an excited twinkle dawning in them.
The trail is closer to the desert than the mountains, and winds around to a rock face. The sound of water is closer now, and we’re stepping around a bend when Dakota gasps. “Wes, it’s a waterfall. In the desert?” She laughs disbelievingly. “This place never ceases to amaze me. It’s like living in two climates.”
The wonder in her tone makes me feel good. Dakota has fallen in love with Sierra Grande, the land, and me. How much better can it get for me?
She lets go of my hand and hurries forward. It’s not a big waterfall, especially not compared to the falls found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but it’s a hidden gem in the Verde Valley.
Dakota bends down, scooping a handful of water. She spreads her fingers and lets it trickle down. I remove my backpack and place it on a large rock. My hand quakes, causing me to let go of the zipper. I don’t need to be nervous, yet I can’t stop the nerves from rolling through me. For Christ’s sake, technically we’re still engaged. Not to mention that Dakota loves me. Maybe it’s because I feel like I’m doing this for the first time. That other time was just some weird sort of rehearsal. This is it. The real one.
I manage to unzip the bag and slip the ring into my pocket.
“So,” I start, sitting down on the biggest rock closest to Dakota. “I have a confession.”
Dakota looks up from the water. “Okay.”
I motion her to come closer with my open arms. She steps into me, her hands on my upper arms to brace herself. My fingers fall to her hips and rest there.
“The gold band I gave you belonged to my grandma. It was her wedding band.”
Dakota stares at me like she can’t believe what I’m saying. “You gave me a family heirloom? Why didn’t you get me something out of a vending machine? It would’ve turned my skin green, but it would have been more fitting for our deal.”
“Deep down, I hoped you’d be the woman to wear my grandma’s ring for the rest of my life, even if I didn’t know it.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the new ring, then lift her left hand from my shoulder and pause with the ring poised at her fingertip. “Will you marry me?”
“Wes,” she says, palming my cheek, her fingertips curling over my skin. “What is this?” Her incredulous laughter tinkles like a bell. “I’m already marrying you.”
I look up into her face, my eyes roaming over the light dusting of freckles on her cheekbones, drinking in the happiness that tugs her lips upward.
“I need you to say yes again, Dakota. This is a redo. I called your dad and asked him for your hand. He cursed a lot, but I told him you were doing me a favor before and it’s no longer needed, but we ended up falling in love anyway. I told him that this time, we’re getting engaged because a life without each other doesn’t seem like a life at all.”
Her eyes squeeze shut and she beams. “Yes. Yes, a thousand times, Wes.”
I lift her up, swing her around, and she squeals. Lowering her feet down to the ground, I kiss her until we’re both gasping for air.
“You’re going to make a mighty fine wife, Dakota. I don’t know if I’ll ever believe I deserve you, but I can’t go through life not having you.”
Dakota taps the brim of my baseball cap as if it were my cowboy hat. “You, Wes Hayden, deserve every good thing in your future, and if there are times when you don’t think that’s true, I’ll believe it enough for the both of us.”
I kiss her then, long and hard. I’ve heard there are a handful of days that mean the most in a man’s life. By my estimation, I’ve already had one or two. And right now, looking into the eyes of the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, I see a few more coming my way.
39
Epilogue
“How does it feel to see your hard work pay off, Junior?” My dad leans against a stone pillar, hands tucked in his pockets, a proud look filling his eyes.
“Damn good,” I admit, grinning. Today is the grand opening of The Orchard. I’ve been working nonstop for weeks, even more than when it was being built. If it weren’t for Jo, I don’t know how I would have made it to today without having a nervous breakdown. A niggling flash of guilt streaks through me, but I push it away. The manager of the restaurant inside the hotel isn’t too happy that I basically poached Jo, bringing her on as the general manager at The Orchard, but he can’t deny that it was a step-up from serving tables. I know she won’t be here to run the place forever, but this will get her a step closer to realizing her dream.
I stand beside my dad, my hands tucked into the pockets of the sleeveless white knee-length dress I chose for today. I guess I’m making the whole bride thing last a little longer. I wore white yesterday when I married Wes, but the dress was admittedly much fancier than what I’m wearing now. The setting sun has given way to a slight chill in the air, causing goose bumps to raise on my arms. I watch Jo and two employees set up a hot chocolate bar for the evening. Only two hours ago, a Sno-cone machine stood in its place. By now I’ve become accustomed to the twenty-degree differences between the daytime and nighttime temperatures in the desert.
I look at my dad. “Thanks for betting on me, Dad.”
His eyebrows lift. “Betting?”
“In the spring, when you chose me to be in charge down here. You took a gamble on me.”
“When have you ever known me to put my money on a risk, Dakota? I am not a gambling man. You were ready, and I knew you were capable. No bets were placed.”
The flow of emotion hits me suddenly. My eyes burn, and I blink back the tears. “Then I guess I should thank you for believing in me.”
He winks at me. “You’re welcome. And see?” One arm gestures out to all the people who’ve shown up for the event. They’re walking around, sitting at tables, playing the oversized outdoor games, exploring the grounds, enjoying the small bites and drinks the restaurant and wine bar are serving. “Look at what you accomplished. Anyone can build a structure, but you built community.”
I smile, looking over to where Waylon and his daughter sit talking to my sister and Armando.
“You sure you don’t want to come home and work on another project?” There’s a playful tone in my dad’s voice.
My smile slides in his direction. “What do you think, Dad?”