Right Here Waiting (19 page)

If you and Blade are engaged or are
planning to in the near future, please know you have our blessings, and even
though we won’t be able to attend the wedding, your father and I will both be
there in spirit.

We have always wanted what is best for
you. We want you to be happy. We know this is what you can have with Blade for
a lifetime. We hope by now, you can see this for yourself.

We will always love you and care about
you, even though we are no longer there with you physically. We trust Blade to
take care of you and to always keep you safe. He loves you deeply and always
has. Don’t let anything in life stop you from seeing this.

Love,

Your mom and dad

The tears fell down her cheeks in a downpour of emotion
by the time she finished reading the letter. She folded it up and placed it
back inside the envelope. Her parents knew the whole time she was in love with
Blade. Better yet, Blade was in love with her. It couldn't get any better than
this.

Blade got to his feet and took her in his embrace. She
wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. “Are you alright?” he whispered
in her ear.

“I think so.” He wasn’t trying to make her stop crying.
He was allowing her to cry it out, yet he was still there for her. She
respected him for that.

She thought about what the letter from her parents said.
She felt bad she didn't last the year as her parents expected her to. “What you
said to me before you gave me this letter and what this letter says changes
everything.”

“What has changed?” Blade seemed concerned.

“I can’t go back to my life in New York. Not ever. I
don’t want to go back.”

“Why not? I'll be with you.”

“I want to stay on the ranch if you’ll allow me to.” She
held her breath, waiting for his answer.

“Of course you can stay. The ranch is and always will be
your home for as long as you want it to be.”

“I want to stay on the ranch with you forever. Is that
too long?”

“Too long? I don’t think forever is long enough. I was
hoping this topic would come up because I want to talk to you about it.”

“If there’s a problem with me living on the ranch, I can
always fix this cottage up and live in it.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You will sleep in the ranch
house every night in our bed from here on out.”

He reached into the same pocket he got the letter from
her parents out of and pulled out a small, black jeweler’s box. She could feel
her heart rate speed up. Was that what she thought it was? “I meant what I said
when I told you I love you.”

He dropped back down on the floor on one knee in front of
her. He opened the jeweler’s box. She gasped. It was exactly what she thought
it was. He took the ring out of the little black velvet box.

“Megan Marie Nelson, will you marry me?” This moment was
better than she dreamed it to be.

She began to cry, but this time it was tears of
happiness. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Blade Thorne.”

She just got the words out when he slipped the engagement
ring on her finger, making it official. It was a small gold band with a single
solitaire diamond mounted to it. It sparkled as the light from the flickering
candles caught it. It was the most beautiful ring she ever saw.

“The ring used to belong to my great, great grandmother,”
he explained. “It has been passed down through my family. I knew when you were seventeen;
someday I would be slipping it onto your finger.”

“I’m glad you chose me,” she said as a fresh rain of
tears threatened to wet her cheeks. She would remember this moment and cherish
it forever.

He jumped up and pulled her into his arms. “I plan to
make you happy for the rest of our lives,” he promised.

He kissed her and told her to wait right there for him.
He returned a few minutes later with a flashlight. He handed it to her before
he began to blow out all the candles.

When he finished, he took her by the hand, pulled her to
her feet and led her upstairs to the bedroom. They made love to celebrate their
love for each other and their engagement.

After making love for the third time, she whispered, “I
love you, Blade Thorne.”

“I love you, too Megan Nelson.”

Afterward, they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
She never felt more content in her life than she did now.

The next morning, she awoke to her first of many happy
mornings in the embrace of the man she loved. She felt no regrets of the events
of the night before. She looked down at her engagement ring in the early
morning light to be sure she didn't dream it.

They kissed each other good morning and it wasn’t long
before Blade was raining hot, searing kisses along her neck and shoulders.

The heat began to build between them and she welcomed it.
“I promise to make love to you every night and every morning,” he whispered,
his breaths coming in short gasps. His hands explored her body.

Wherever his hands touched her bare flesh, they ignited a
fire in their path until she begged him to make love to her, which he gladly
did again and again.

It was always going to be this way, she decided. The way
it should be. She spent her youth right here on the ranch, waiting for Blade.
Blade spent much of his adult life, right here waiting for her. Now it came
full circle, they wouldn’t be waiting anymore.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR

Growing up in
Utah, Tarra Young knew from the young age of four that she wanted to be an
author when she grew up.  Her love of books goes way back to when she was a
child.  While other children had their security blankets, Tarra had her books. 
She has been writing, even getting a few of her books published along the way
through small publishers.  Tarra is currently living in Fairfield, California
with her mom, sisters, one of her nephews and her fiancé.  You can visit Tarra
on the web at http://www.tarrayoung.com and on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/tarra.young - Please take a moment to visit the website
where you purchased this book and leave a review.