“I know.” Katrina wouldn’t walk out on Liberty. “Maybe Monday? Caleb, my sister’s fiance, has a jet. Maybe I could talk to him about flying-”
The dressing-room door swung open. The two women all but jumped up as Reed’s form filled the doorway.
Katrina froze, her stomach going into a freefall.
“Hello, Katrina.” His deep voice reverberated around her, exactly as she remembered it.
She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t seem to make any words come out.
Elizabeth recovered first, coming smoothly to her feet and moving toward the door, pausing beside him. “May I talk to you later on, Reed? About the paperwork?”
His gaze never left Katrina. “Sure. I’ll call you.”
“Thanks. See you both later then.”
Reed moved in as Elizabeth moved out, and the door clicked shut behind him.
Katrina came shakily to her feet, steadying herself on the dressing table. She was still in her costume, her hair half up, half down.
All she could muster was a whisper. She swallowed. “Elizabeth just told me about the endowment.”
Reed opened his mouth, but Katrina shook her head. She moved forward and touched her fingertips to his lips to silence him.
“Why did you do it?” She blinked against the stinging in her eyes. “I mean… No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, thank you. And I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry.” Reed spoke around her fingertips.
She shook her head again. He had nothing to be sorry about. He’d been right all along.
“I’m sorry I threatened to kill him,” said Reed. “Okay. That’s a lie. But I’m sorry it upset you. And I honestly would have killed him if he’d come after you. But I outsmarted him instead. And Mandy and Danielle tell me that’s a more civilized solution.”
Katrina smiled through the tiny tears that leaked out the corners of her eyes. “I can’t believe you did that. Reed, you spent all your money.”
He reached for her hand, enclosing it in his, pulling her close. “Don’t cry.”
“But-”
“It’s not
His hand was warm and strong and secure. She moved against him, closing her eyes and absorbing the feel of his body and the scent of his skin. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too.” He held her tightly and sighed. “You feel so good.”
She fisted her hands into his shirt, voice raw. “I don’t know if I can let go of you again.”
“I know.”
“Oh, Reed,” she whispered, then drew a shuddering breath. “What are we going to do?”
“I hope we’re going to love each other.”
“How?” she sniffed.
He touched his index finger to her chin, tipping it up. His eyes were warm and rich, and his smile was soft. “I thought we’d start with real estate. Maybe a nice place in Brooklyn. Though I could be talked into Manhattan.”
“Huh?”
“And after that I was planning to propose to you.”
Katrina didn’t understand. What was he saying? He couldn’t mean what she thought he meant. “You’re…”
“Moving to New York City?” He nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Turns out I can.”
“But the ranch. Your family. Your new house. Your heritage.”
“I want you to be my family.” He smoothed back her hair. “I love you, Katrina. And I think my mother would love to know she had little ballerina granddaughters going to fine arts school in New York City. I think she would love that a lot.”
“Oh, Reed.” Katrina’s heart swelled. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She couldn’t believe he would do such an amazing thing for her. She pressed herself tighter into his arms. “I love you. I love you
“That’s good. Because it turns out I can’t wait on this. I’m proposing right now.” He drew back again. “Will you marry me, Katrina?”
She nodded. Then she nodded faster. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Reed. And I’ll learn to ride horses, and I’ll befriend the chickens. And we can spend weekends and holidays in Colorado with our families.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed her hairline. “I sure wish I had a ring. I shouldn’t be doing this without a ring.”
“There’s a Tiffany’s around the corner,” she teased. Then she paused. “Or we can go to Brooklyn. Would you rather buy a ring in Brooklyn?”
“Sweetheart.” He hugged her tighter. “You can have any ring you want. You can have any
Katrina stopped in her tracks halfway between the Terrells’ farmhouse and their barn. “I thought you said I could have anything I wanted.”
“You can,” Reed cajoled, taking her hand in his.
She snatched it back. “But I
“That’s not the same logic.”
“Close enough.”
“You’ll love her,” said Reed, slipping an arm around Katrina’s shoulders and urging her forward. “She’s twenty- two years old, has raised nine foals. She’s as gentle as a kitten.”
“She’s as big as a house.” Katrina complained, trying to shrink back as they approached the dapple-gray mare tied to the hitching post in front of the corral.
“She’s maybe fifteen hands. Her name’s North Star.”
“Can’t I start with a pony?” Not that Katrina had any desire to get up on a pony, either, but at least it would buy her some time. Maybe she could hide while Reed was looking for a pony.
“You promised you’d try,” he admonished.
“I lied.”
He laughed. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“No offense, Reed. You’re big and strong and capable, and all. But you’re a human being. She’s a horse.”
“And she knows who’s boss.”
“Well, it’s sure not going to be me.”
“Katrina.”
“What?”
“Buck up.”
“That’s your pep talk? ‘Buck up’?” They were drawing closer to the mare by the second. She fought an urge to squeeze her eyes shut.
“I don’t think you want to hear the alternative.”
She wanted to be brave. She really did. Deep down inside, she knew this was an irrational fear. Very few people were killed by horses each year. And those that were tended to be in the rodeo or ride in steeplechases.
But an irrational fear didn’t normally respond to logic, and so she was stuck with it. “I think I’m going to pass out.”
“Katrina,” he told her firmly. “Quit being such a wuss.”
“You quit yelling at me.”
“I am not yelling.”
North Star snorted and shifted.
“You’re scaring the horse,” Katrina complained.
“So now you care about the horse?”
“Absolutely I care about the horse.”
