All the stars slowly fade as the sky gets lighter, then comes the glow and then finally, the sun comes up and ushers in the new day and a whole new beginning.

Chance made her sit inside the truck while he went back in the bed and set things up for them. She smiled as she sipped on her coffee. This was a great way to start a Sunday morning, even if he had dragged her out of bed at the crack of sparrow fart to get here. No matter what he might say, he was sweet and thoughtful. Only yesterday she’d told him how much she loved to watch the sunrise and now here they were in the most beautiful spot in the valley, ready to usher in a new day.

Chance pulled her door open and grinned at her. “Are you ready?”

“I am. Do I need one of those coats?”

“Nah, I’ll keep you warm.” He scooped her out of her seat and she managed to cling to him and her coffee as he carried her around and set her down in the bed of the truck.

“What do you think?” He looked as eager as a kid hoping to please.

“This is absolutely wonderful! Why haven’t we done this before?” He’d set up a bed back here, with a foam mattress and a duvet and a pile of pillows. “I love it! Come on in!” She crawled up to the top and propped the pillows against the cab so they could lean back on them.

Chance scrambled after her and pulled the duvet up around them. He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her.

She smiled back. “This is perfect, Chance!”

The sky was starting to lighten now, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think the shine in his eyes might be tears?

“You think?”

She nodded vigorously. “It is, just perfect. You might joke around, but you do have a little romantic streak in there somewhere, don’t you?”

“Maybe, but I think it’s a pretty narrow streak. I’ve never found it before.”

She laughed. “Well, you have now. You’ve totally blown me away with this.” She looked up at the stars. “Do you remember what I told you yesterday about what I love about watching the sunrise?”

He nodded solemnly. “Every word.”

She chuckled. “What did I say about the stars, then?”

“Don’t laugh. You’re not going to catch me out. I remember it all, it’s why we’re here. You said that the stars slowly fade when the sky gets lighter, then there’s the glow, and then finally, the sun comes up and ushers in the new day and a whole new beginning.”

“Wow! I think that’s word for word.”

He nodded. “After you went to sleep last night, I did a lot of thinking. Especially about what you said about how we react to things being a choice. I’m going to work on that. I’m going to learn to choose more wisely. I want to be a fun, happy guy. Not someone who’s always caught up in the negatives.”

“Aww, you’re not like that. I wasn’t criticizing you. I was trying to help. I take the attitude I do because it helps me feel better, that’s all. I wanted you to feel better, too.”

“I know, and you made me see that I can feel better. I don’t want to dwell on the past and the pain anymore. I want to look to the future. Our future. What you said about the stars slowly fading away?” He looked up into the sky and she followed his gaze. It was happening right now, the stars that had been shining so brightly while they drove up here seemed paler now as the sky lightened.

She nodded. “Yeah?”

“Well, that’s why I wanted us to come here this morning and watch it happen. You said the sunrise is a new beginning. I want this morning to be our new beginning, Hope.” His voice was gruff and she looked at him more closely. Maybe those were tears in his eyes. He shook his head. “Let me finish?” he croaked. “I’m going to be blubbing like a baby soon and I want to get this out first.”

She nodded and found his hand under the duvet and squeezed it.

“I want us to watch the stars fade away and let them go. The stars are like the past. When a new day comes, the stars are still there, but we don’t see them anymore. That’s how the past should be. It’s part of us; it’ll always be there, but in the background. The stars can’t outshine the daylight.”

She felt her own eyes prick with tears. Was this his way of saying he was ready to let Chloe go? They’d never talked about the past without him mentioning her name. She didn’t think that it was just her imagination that he was deliberately talking about the past and not Chloe.

He squeezed his arm tighter around her shoulders and when she looked up at him, his mouth came down on hers. It was a tender kiss. It tasted of tears, though she wasn’t sure whose. It didn’t matter—they were good tears, happy tears. That much she did know.

When he finally lifted his head, he smiled. “Damn, I’m good!”

She laughed. “And modest, too. Though I won’t argue, you are a great kisser.”

“No! I meant my timing. Look.” He jerked his head at the skyline where a crimson glow was starting to creep its way up above the mountains.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is, and it’s the next thing you described. To me, it’s what happens when you let the stars fade away. You get a warm, happy glow and you’re free, free to step into the new day—into the future.”

“Wow! You really are good. You’ve got me all teary-eyed again here.”

He smiled. “Are you ready to start a new day with me, Hope?”

She nodded, understanding that there was more significance to his question than if she was ready to watch the sun rise. “I am. I want to step into every new day with you.”

“Honey,” he fumbled around under the duvet and pulled something out. “I love you. I wanted to come up with some big fancy proposal for you, but I couldn’t, it’s not me.” He looked down into her eyes. “I love you with all my heart and soul. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to be the best man I can be for you. I’m already a better man because of you. Damn! All I’m really trying to say is, will you marry me?”

Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them away as she nodded. “Yes! Yes, please, Chance. Nothing would make me happier.”

He fumbled to open the box and held it out to her. “We can change it if you don’t like it.”

“Chance, it’s gorgeous!” It really was. It was an exquisite princess cut diamond set in a plain gold band. He looked so uncertain; she took the box from him and took the ring out. “Are you going to put it on me?” She gave him the ring and held out her left hand.

He looked up at the horizon as he took hold of her finger and smiled. There was a bright halo above the mountain where the sun was starting to rise. “See. This is how I wanted it to be. I wanted to put this on you at the moment the sun came up. You said, finally, the sun comes up and ushers in the new day and a whole new beginning. That’s what I want this moment to be for us, Hope. A new day, and a whole new beginning.”

She nodded through the tears as he slid the ring onto her finger. “It is, this is the beginning of the rest of our lives, Chance. And we’re going to spend them together, making each other happy.”

He smiled and looked at the ring on her finger. “Does it fit?”

“Perfectly. However you guessed my size, it worked.”

He chuckled. “I’ll tell you about it some time, but right now, I just want us to sit and watch the sun come up.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head against him. He was right; this moment was too special to be telling stories about the ring. There’d be plenty of other times for that. This moment, this sunrise, this new beginning would only ever happen once and she, like he, wanted to savor every moment of it.

~ ~ ~

The sun was well clear of the mountains before they spoke again. Chance turned and dropped a kiss on her lips. This was exactly how he’d wanted it to be, he just hoped it was right for her. No, he knew, he could tell, it was perfect for her.

She smiled up at him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything?”

“You know marriage is a promise, right?”

“Shit!”

Her smile disappeared and he had to laugh. “Sorry, my timing wasn’t so perfect on that one. I didn’t mean that how it sounded. It’s just that I forgot most of what I wanted to say in my proposal. I needed to get the bit about the sunrise right. I meant, shit that I was so focused on it, that I forgot the rest. I wanted to tell you about the promise, too. I already told you that I’m over that, and I am. It’s a part of the past and I’ve let it go. I don’t think I’ll ever make a promise lightly, but when we get married, when I say I do, that’ll be the biggest, most important promise I ever make. The one that means the most to me. I need you to understand that.”

She smiled. “Thank you. I do now. That had been worrying me.”

“How?”

She shrugged. “I feel stupid about it now, but I was starting to think that maybe you didn’t want to marry me, because it is a promise. The most important promise.”

“I’m sorry, honey. I hate that you thought I didn’t want you to be my wife. I screwed up big time over asking you. I wanted to, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I left it too long and I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “You didn’t leave it too long at all. This was perfect, it was the right time, in the right place.”

“I wanted it to be. I wanted to get it right.”

“Well, you did, and you got the ring right, too. I love it.”

He smiled. “I’m glad. It has to be right, you’re going to wear it for the rest of your life.”

“I am. I’ll wear your ring and I’ll be Hope Malone.”

“You will?”

“Of course!”

“You don’t have to change your name, if you don’t want. You’re a Davenport.” He had to wonder what her dad would make of it.

“I’m going to be a Malone. I know some women want to keep their maiden name, but I want to take yours. It’s important to me.”

“Okay. It’s your choice, honey.”

“It is.” Her smile faded. “I don’t know if Dad will like it.”

Chance chuckled. “Mind reader.”

“It’s not his decision to make. He’ll just have to like it or lump it.”

“I guess, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to stay out of that one.”

She laughed. “Coward.”

“Nope. I’m smart, that’s all.”

“I can’t wait to tell him. We should tell him first, if that’s okay with you? Him and your dad and Alice, and Dave and Monique, we should tell them before we tell anyone else.”

Chance had to smile. “Do you mind if we add Missy to that list? I might not be much use to you as a husband if she hears it from someone else before she hears it from us.”

Hope laughed. “Of course. She should be one of the first, and the Remington brothers, too. I was just thinking about parents first.”

“I know. Do you want to get back and call your dad?”

“I do.” She ran her hand up his leg under the duvet, making his cock spring to attention, “but there’s something else I’d like to do first.”

He turned to face her and nipped her bottom lip as he slid them down to a lying position. “Oh, yeah? And what might that be?”

Her fingers were working on his buckle, trying to get him out of his jeans. He had a much easier time pushing her pajamas down. She got him unfastened and slid her hand inside his boxers, cupping him and sending shivers chasing each other down his spine. “My fiancé,” she said with a smile. “I want to do you.” She shook her head. “Actually, that’s not true. I don’t want to do you. I want you to make love to me. I don’t know if you remember that first night I was here and we met at Mill Creek. We were in so much of a hurry to get each other into bed, I suggested we climb into the back of your truck. You said the truck could wait till summer came around. I hoped then that we’d still be together when summer came. Now it’s here and not only are we together, but we’re engaged. I’ve waited a long time for this, but it means so much more now. Back then we were in lust, now we know we’re in love and I want to make love to you.”

Chance pushed his jeans down and kicked his feet out of them while she spoke. She was right, this shouldn’t be a quickie. It was special. They should take their time, and do it right.

When they were both naked, she held her arms up to him and he bent his head to kiss her. She pulled him down and slid his arm under her. He loved the way her full, soft breasts felt against his chest. He ran his hand down her side and she trembled under his touch. That fascinated him and he did it again, feeling the goose bumps that dappled her soft skin. He’d never focused on just simple touch before. Usually, he was touching her in all the right places, knowing what turned her on. This was different. Her arousal wasn’t the result of inserting Tab A in Hole B; it was more than that. It was love and trust. And it worked both ways, he realized as her fingers tangled in his hair and his scalp tingled. This wasn’t physical loving—it was heart and soul loving.

He ran his hand down her side one more time, then carried on to cup it around her ass. She gasped in the same way she usually did when he slid his fingers inside her. Damn! He was going to have to learn more about this kind of loving. He’d thought he’d been focusing on the important stuff, but it seemed he might have been missing the point entirely.

They were lying face to face and she slid her hand between them and brought her leg up around his hip. Her fingers curled around him and guided him into her warmth. Chance closed his eyes and let the sensations roll through him. This was amazing. He wasn’t inside her, they weren’t even moving, but he was as aroused as he’d ever been. She kissed him, flicking her tongue inside his mouth. His hand came up into her hair and pulled her head back as he devoured her mouth. His hips were moving against hers of their own accord now. The need to be inside her, for their bodies to become one, was overwhelming now.

She turned on her back, taking him with her and opening her legs to him. He positioned himself above her and smiled as the duvet slid down and the cool morning air touched his back. She was beautiful, her bare skin glowing in the golden light of the sun’s early rays.

She ran her hands up his arms and smiled. “Make love to me, Chance.”

He didn’t need telling twice. He held her gaze as he thrust his hips hard.

“Chance!” she gasped as he entered her.

“Hope,” he breathed as he began to move inside her. She was his Hope and his hope. The words and the emotions all mingled together as his mind drifted away and his body took over. She brought her legs up around his back as he thrust over and over again into her velvety wetness. Her inner muscles gripped him tight, pulsating around him, carrying him toward the point of no return. Her cheeks were flushed and her breasts bounced as he picked up the pace. He was driving her toward her orgasm, their momentum gathering like a runaway train. He felt as if his blood were boiling in his veins and there was only one inevitable conclusion.

“Yes,” she gasped and he felt her tense around him. He thrust deeper and harder with every stroke, eliciting her encouragement as a, “Yes, yes, oh, God! Chance! Yesss!”

“Yes!” He agreed as the floodgates within him opened and all the pressure that had been building in his veins found its release deep inside her. She milked him for everything he had to give, her hips bucking wildly like a young filly he knew would give in to him if he could just stay on top of her long enough. He pushed up on his hands and arched his back as he finished her off. She screamed and dug her nails into his ass, which sent a whole new wave of sensations crashing though him and emptying into her. He thought he’d come all he could, but as she scratched her fingernails over his ass cheeks, he found he still had more to give and she took it willingly.

When they finally stilled, he rolled off her and she snuggled into his side. “I can’t think of any other way I’d rather begin our new life together,” she murmured.

“Me neither.”

She smiled up at him. “Maybe we should make that our new tradition—the best way to start the day?”

He chuckled. “I’d love to, but I’d hate to have to wake you up for it every morning before I go to work.”

She shrugged. “I don’t mind, it’s worth it.”

He shook his head at her. “You’re a sensual woman, Hope.”

“I guess. I never thought I was until I met you.”

That made him smile. “Aww, now I feel special.”

“That’s because you are special, very special. You’re a wonderful man, Chance, and soon, you’re going to be my husband.”

“And soon, you’re going to be my wife.”

“I can’t wait.”

His smile faded. “What do you want to do about a wedding? The when and the where and the how, and everything? I don’t want to make it all your responsibility, but I’m guessing all that stuff will be important to you, in a way that …” He didn’t want to say it wasn’t important to him.

She smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. I want us to do something that will work for us both. I do want you to be involved, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to get swamped under a whole load of details that don’t interest you.”

He smiled. She really did understand him. “Thanks, honey.”