Beau loaded up the warm plates and some iced tea onto a tray. He found brownies in a pan on the cupboard and figured chocolate would be good to have, just to be on the safe side. He managed to get to her door without spilling anything—he would never make it as a waiter, though.

He didn’t know how to hold the tray and knock on the door at the same time, so he called out. “Alyssa? It’s Beau. Can you open the door, please?”

He heard some rustling around and then the door opened just a crack. “I thought you weren’t coming tonight.”

“I changed my mind and brought you up some dinner. Can I come in?”

She looked down at the tray in his hands and sighed. “I suppose.”

She stepped back and opened the door, and he was surprised to see her in one of his T-shirts paired with pajama bottoms that had big red lips all over them. There were fuzzy slippers on her feet and her hair was pulled up in a ponytail. He grinned at her and she scowled back at him.

“Don’t you grin at me, Beauregard Kipling.”

“You’re wearing my T-shirt and big kissy lips pajamas. I like the connotation.”

“Well, don’t read anything into it, cowboy. I don’t like being stood up with no explanation.” She crossed her arms.

“Yeah. About that.” He set the tray on her dresser, went to her, and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry about that. I was trying to sort through some things.”

“And you had to stand me up to do it?”

“You’re what I was trying to sort through.”

“Oh, well, that makes sense I guess—but I still don’t like it. You hurt my feelings and then I got ticked off because I didn’t deserve for you to hurt my feelings, and then it circled back to hurt, around and around. It’s not been a fun couple of hours, but I’m currently at the angry stage.”

Beau rubbed the back of his neck. “So, Grandpa K told me to not assume anything and talk to you, so here I am.”

“You do know that assuming only makes an ass out of you and me. So, what were you assuming?”

“I came to our meeting place a little early and you were on the phone, so I just waited while you finished your call.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I was talking to Rachel. You weren’t there when I hung up.”

“No, I overheard you going on and on about how great college life was and how you can’t learn as much doing an online course. And I understand that and agree. But….”

“But what?”

“But I’d been kind of thinking I didn’t want you to go back to college. Selfishly, I was hoping I could talk you into finishing your master’s degree online and staying here. And then when I heard you—”

He couldn’t finish his thought because he had an arm full of woman. She’d flown at him like she had wings and was wrapped around him squeezing the breath out of him. Not that he was complaining, but he was not quite sure why she was stuck to him like cling wrap. He would ask her, but she had her mouth firmly planted on his, and his brain cells were being incinerated from her kiss.

Before he lost all ability to speak, he pulled his mouth off hers. “Alyssa, I’m confused.”

She hugged him tightly as she laughed. Then she disengaged, slid down his body, and stepped back. He wished he’d kept his mouth shut, because he felt cold and alone.

She took his hand and pulled him over, so they could sit on her bed. “So, yeah. This was one of those, ass out of you and me times. I was talking to Rachel to try to convince her to go to art school, so the waxing on and on was to remind her of all the things a person could gain by being on campus. Which I have already done and learned. And to be frank, I’m kind of over it. I would be perfectly happy staying here on the ranch with you and getting my degree remotely. If they allow that kind of thing. I haven’t asked because I didn’t know if you wanted me to stay.”

He laughed, and his heart lightened again like it had before he had overheard her conversation.

She poked him in the arm. “So, next time you eavesdrop, make sure you stick around to find out what I’m talking about and with whom. Because sometimes I tease Mike and make kissy noises at him. What would you have thought if you had caught that?”

He stiffened and then remembered Mike was her oldest brother. “I guess if I had known it was your brother Mike, it would have been fine, but if I didn’t and thought it was some other guy? Yeah. I would have been freaked out by it.”

“So, from now on, you ask first, right?”

He grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.

She poked him in the chest. “And no more lying.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“You said you were going to town.” She put her hands on her hips.

He shrugged. “Oh, well, it was just a little lie.”

“Big, little—they are all the same.” Poke. “No.” Poke. “More.” Poke. “Lying.” Poke.

“Got it.” He rubbed his chest and gave her a wolfish smile. “So, do you want to eat first or fool around?”

Both their stomachs grumbled as if on cue. She laughed. “The stomachs have voted food first.”

* * *

Alyssa was starving. She hadn’t realized her stomach was so churned up until Beau had shown up and they had talked through his leaving her high, dry, and confused. A guy disappointing her had never caused her to feel that way in the past—at least not that she could remember. She wondered why it had affected her so much. What was so different about this man that caused her heart so much trouble? Was this real love? She didn’t think she’d ever been in love before. Oh, she’d been boy crazy a time or two, and she’d had some guys she had thought she loved, but when push came to shove she’d gotten over them pretty quickly. She wasn’t sure that would be the case with this man.

“Your room is not very conducive for a picnic,” Beau said looking around. “We have folding chairs and a folding table somewhere in this house, but by the time I track it down the food will be even colder than it is now.”

“My room is just fine for a picnic. Bring the little desk over here by the bed to put the food on. I’ll sit on the bed and you can sit in the chair.”

“That works.” He grabbed the desk in one hand and the chair in the other and carried them over to the bed. Then, he got the tray off the dresser and put it on the little desk. “That’s the tiniest desk I’ve ever seen.”

They unwrapped their dinners and started in eating like—ha ha—ranch hands. The food was only slightly chilled; the warm stoneware plates had kept the food from getting too cold.

“Yeah, if I do stay here while I’m taking classes I might need a larger one. I can use my laptop on that one but a computer and an open school book wouldn’t fit.”

Beau stopped eating and looked at her like she had two heads.

“What?”

“Well, I was kind of thinking that if you stayed, you would be joining me in my room.”

She shook her head. She didn’t think it was appropriate for them to be sharing a room in his parents’ house.

He continued on, “As my wife.”

She choked on the drink of iced tea she’d just taken. When she stopped sputtering, she said with a squeak, “Your wife?”

He nodded and looked completely serious.

“Beau, are you seriously asking me to marry you over lukewarm meatloaf and mashed potatoes, in my room, while I’m in my pajamas?”

“Oh, well I didn’t think—I mean, um—I can come up with a better plan, or um….”

Wasn’t he cute all flustered? Her heart expanded, filling her whole chest like it was going to burst. Yep, this was true love alright. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Really? Even though I fucked up the proposal with no flowers or a ring or a fancy night out?”

“Yes, but you better come up with a ring and a fancy night out or something other than a backhanded proposal to tell your family and mine,” she said with a huff. But she didn’t think he was listening because he’d put down his fork, moved the table to the side, pushed her back on the bed, and was kissing her like there was no tomorrow. And that was just fine with her.

When he stopped to breathe he whispered, “I love you Alyssa. From the first moment you stepped on this ranch I wanted you. But over the weeks you’ve been here, that wanting has turned to love, admiration, and respect. You’re beautiful to look at, which is all I saw at first. But your beauty is not only skin deep, it’s soul deep. Over the last few months I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you. You saying you’ll marry me has made me the happiest man in Colorado—maybe the whole world.”

“I love you too, Beau. I didn’t like you very much that first day, but I did think you were sexy. Since then, I’ve seen your real character, and I will be happy to mesh my life with yours. We might have to go to Washington once in a while to see my dad and help with his breeding program. In fact, I’m sure he’ll want strong assurances that we’ll go visit or he might not give his blessing. And he’ll want to see any grandchildren we might produce.”

Beau laughed. “Not a problem, sweetheart. We don’t have to be tied to this ranch twenty-four-seven. We’ve got plenty of other workers to be able to take time off to go see your dad. And it might be fun to have two separate herds to experiment with, to see if my ideas, and yours, work over multiple herds.”

“Good. Now, enough of the talking, already. Kiss me, Beau.”

“Gladly.”

They eventually finished most of their dinner, putting their cold meatloaf into the rolls and turning them into sandwiches. The iced tea was watered down and warm, but the brownies were perfect, as was the joy they had in thoughts of the future.