Her friend paused in front of two altars and studied them.
“Oh, you actually have them here,” Emma said, joining her. She gazed down at the beautiful altars, both of them made out of natural wood.
“They’re both from trees right here on the ranch,” Ginger said. “I can’t decide if I like the simple one, or the one with more detail.”
Emma would never be able to decide. One had been stained a darker color, and it was simple in the way it was simply a chest-high altar, with natural bark still on the rounded curve of the top piece that lay over the legs. They’d been stripped, sanded, and stained, and the altar was rustic yet elegant.
The other one included more details in the carving, and the yellow wood had been allowed to shine through the glossy stain. Emma ran her fingers over the swirls on the side of this altar, which had the top squared and completely free of bark.
“Wow, Ginger. Who made these?”
“I did,” a man said, and Emma spun around at the sound of Ted’s voice.
He stood there in that stunning cowboy hat, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, every piece of him in the exact right place. He’d grown out his beard, but he kept it neat and trim, oiled to perfection whenever they went out or when he met with his parole officer.
All four of his dogs loitered near his cowboy boots, and Emma inched toward him. “How did it go with Martin?”
Ted flicked a look in Ginger’s direction. Emma followed his gaze, and she caught the tail end of her best friend’s nod.
“Good,” Ted said, their eyes meeting again. A smile exploded onto his face. “It’s done, Em. I’m out.” He laughed, the sound bright and bold and loud as it zoomed up to the rafters in the stables. He took the few remaining steps to her and picked her right up off her feet, still laughing.
She laughed too and held onto his shoulders. “I’m so glad, Teddy,” she said.
He set her on her feet, his smile still in place though he sobered. “That chapter is over,” he said, his eyes bright. “I can hardly believe it.”
Emma didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled up at him and reveled in the feel of his arms around her, his hands on her waist.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.” He swallowed and shook his head as if in wonder.
Emma wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his chest. “What are you going to count down to next, cowboy?”
“I’ve got something in mind,” he said.
Emma pulled back and looked up at him. “You do? What?”
He nodded to someone behind her, and Emma twisted in his arms to find Missy holding something toward him.
A little black box.
Emma sucked in a breath, which made a rasping, gasping sound fill the stable. “Teddy.”
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” he said again, shifting and stepping to take the ring box from Missy. “And not just because I would be a free man. But because I’m in love with the most wonderful woman, and I didn’t want to ask her to be mine until I actually had myself to give to her.”
He opened the ring box and looked inside it.
The seconds seemed to pile on top of one another, and then he finally turned the box toward her and lifted his eyes to hers.
“I love you, Emma Clemson. I love your daughter, and I want to be your husband and her dad.” He looked to his left, and Missy came to his side.
“Will you marry him, Momma?” Missy asked.
Emma looked from her daughter to Ted to the ring. Then back around again. “Yes,” she said, the word easy and filled with joy. She burst out laughing again and threw her arms around both of them. “Yes, yes, yes.”
They laughed together, and Ted took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. He gazed down at her, and murmured, “I’m going to kiss your momma now, Missy.”
“Gross,” Missy said, and she walked away.
Emma couldn’t look anywhere but at Ted. Kissing him was definitely not gross, and Emma grinned at him as he smiled at her. “I love you too,” she said.
“Good to know,” he whispered before kissing her. He brought such a calm presence to her life, and Emma had never felt safer and more protected than she did in the arms of her fiancé.
She knew they weren’t alone, though, so she didn’t kiss him for long. She tucked herself into his arms, pure peace and joy filling her.
“All right,” Ginger said, and Emma turned to her. Ginger opened her arms, and Emma hugged her too. “I’m so happy for you,” Ginger whispered. “You deserve the very best, Em, and I think he’s it for you.”
“Thank you,” Emma said, getting emotional over Ginger’s words for some reason.
Ginger stepped back, and they faced the altars again. “Pick one, Emma. I’ll use the other one.”
“I can’t do that,” she said. “You pick, and I’ll use the other one.”
“He made them for you,” Ginger said. “I caught him, and he said he’d make me one too if I’d help him stage this proposal.”
Emma turned toward Ted, who only shrugged, that gorgeous grin on his mouth. She reached for him, and he secured his hand in hers. Missy stood on his other side, and Emma wanted to stop time and live in this moment for the rest of her life.
She’d had no idea a person could actually experience this much happiness, and her vision blurred as she looked at the altars.
“Pick one, Em,” Ted said.
“Which one do you like?” Emma asked, looking at Ginger.
“I like them both.” Ginger was neutral, and she gave nothing away.
Emma looked at Ted, who’d also turned into a statute. “Missy?”
“Teddy told me I couldn’t tell you,” Missy said. She stooped and picked up Petunia.
“Oh, I see how it
