EPILOGUE
“Clover!” Luke yelled from the other end of the bar. “He says to get home now. Puppies are comin’.”
“Eek.” She squealed, threw her apron on the bar and ran toward the door.
Bless gave birth to seven precious black bundles of fur. Clover cried during the entire birth, swearing to Bless that they were keeping them all, while Raze was contradicting every one of those promises.
“Will you stop telling her that? We’re not havin’ seven German Shepherd dogs.”
“Why not?”
“’Cause we need to save room and time for kids.”
“We’re having kids?”
“I thought we would.”
“Raze. We’re not married.”
“We’re promised. Same thing.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Is to me.”
“Well, it’s not to me.”
Raze barked out a laugh. “Swore I’d never get married again.”
“Yes, well, me, too. But you’re not him!”
He shook his head smiling, eyes lit with amusement. “That’s a fact.”
Clover narrowed her eyes. “And I’m not her!”
Raze’s smile fell away as his features sobered. He locked her gaze as if to punctuate that he was serious. “That is also a fact.”
“And stupid ass vows are made to be broken.” After a brief pause, she said, “And you need to stop calling me ‘stray girl’ because I’m not a stray. I belong here.”
He smiled broadly. “You don’t?”
She huffed.
He walked out of the room without another word and Clover turned her attention back to the puppies.
“You’re the best mother in the world, Bless. Look how gorgeous and perfect your babies are. They’re so sweet and they smell so good. They’re like heaven with little soft paws.”
Bless was lying on her side, but moved her head just enough so that Clover would know she was aware that Clover was talking to her.
The sound of Raze’s boots scuffing back into the kitchen was followed by him standing over her, saying, “So will you?”
“Will I what?” She’d shifted her focus to the pure pleasure of German Shepherd babies and pretty much forgotten about the topic of discussion from just a few minutes before.
“Jesus. You’re really gonna make me do it, aren’t ya?”
She turned around to look at him, but since she was sitting on the floor, when he went to one knee she was still looking up at him.
He held out the most spectacular diamond marquis ring she’d ever seen. And he knew he’d gotten it right when he heard her little feminine gasp.
“Will you marry me?”
She got to her knees, threw herself into his arms, and planted playful kisses all over his face.
“That’s a yes, then.”
“I already agreed to be ‘ruined’ forever. But who doesn’t love a party? We are having a party, right?”
“What’s the point of owning a roadhouse if we can’t throw a party for our own wedding?”
“Exactly.” She laughed and gave him three rapid fire kisses with her arms thrown around his neck. “And I like the ring. A lot.”
He tilted his head back so that he was looking through amused and partially hooded eyes. “How much?”
“Enough to try that thing.”
“That thing?” He smiled. “The thing that makes you blush and hide your face.” She nodded. He chuckled. “I’m glad you like the ring. But you like me best. Right?”
“I like you better than all the other wonderful things in life put together.”
“Hmmm. Almost sounds like this thing I heard of.”
“What?”
“Love.”
She searched his eyes. “Does sound like that, doesn’t it?”
“Is that how you feel about me?”
“Is that how you feel about me?” she countered.
“I think maybe since the second I looked up and saw a stray girl wander into my roadhouse.”
“Say it.”
He planted a kiss on her lips and said, “I love you,” without pulling away.
She giggled. “It’s so weird that the best thing I ever did was steal money from criminals.”