He strode toward her, his gaze running over her from head to toe. When he reached her, he released his breath like he’d been holding it and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight and she was just fine with that.
He pressed his face into her neck and breathed deeply. “I was so worried I’d lost you. And I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had. I love you, Dixie Leigh. I love you so damn much.”
Tears came to her eyes and leaked down her cheeks. “I love you too.”
He drew back and looked at. “Are you sure?”
She laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. I’ve loved you since you strutted into my office looking all hot and surly.”
“I might have to disagree,” the man on horseback said. “Lincoln is definitely surly. But the hottest Double Diamond boy has always been yours truly.”
Lincoln glanced at the man and grinned. “It’s about damn time you showed up, Sawyer Dawson.”
“Sawyer Dawson?” Dixie turned to look at the man and wondered why she hadn’t figured it out sooner. The cocky way he sat a horse should’ve been a dead giveaway he was another bad boy. “So you’re the last of the bad boys,” she said with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Sawyer took off his cowboy hat and Dixie’s eyes widened. Sawyer Dawson was one handsome rascal. Just not as handsome as hers. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I believe you and Linc were telling each other how in love you are.”
About then, the rest of the riders finally showed up. “In love?” Logan said as he reined in his horse. He grinned at Lincoln. “I guess you finally drank the water.”
Cru laughed as he joined the group. “I didn’t think Lincoln was smart enough to figure out when he had a good thing. He was always more muscle than brains.”
“Just like you were more hormones than brains,” Sawyer said.
Cru tipped back his hat. “Well, I’ll be damned, if it’s not Sawyer Dawson. The rodeo prodigal son finally comes home.”
Logan moved his horse next to Sawyer’s and thumped him on the back. “Good to see you, Sawyer.”
“Damn good,” Holden said as he arrived. “And I hate to break up the reunion, but I think the sheriff might need an ambulance.”
“I already called one. And it’s the ex-sheriff.” Lincoln released Dixie, then unbuckled his belt and pulled it from the loops. He walked over and crouched by the sheriff, who hadn’t said a word since Dixie had shot him. He didn’t say anything now either. He just moaned when Lincoln looped the belt above the bullet wound and cinched it tight. When Lincoln was finished, he stood and looked at Dixie.
“He’s all yours, Deputy. Finish your arrest.” He paused. “But before you read him his rights, there’s something I have to ask you.”
She figured his question had to do with how she knew Willaby had killed Sam.
Until he got down on one knee.
“Lincoln? What are you doing?”
He took her hand. “On the way here, I realized I didn’t want to live without you for a second more. And I figure what better time to ask the smart, amazing law officer I fell in love with to marry me than right before her first major arrest.”
All the Double Diamond boys laughed.
“Leave it to Lincoln to propose to a woman who is still holding a smoking gun,” Cru said.
Lincoln’s face turned red. “Cru’s right. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I was just so scared about losing you.” He started to get to his feet, but she stopped him by siting on his knee and flinging her arms around his neck—gun and all.
“Yes,” she said before she kissed him.
There were hoots and yeehaws from all the boys before Lincoln drew back. “Yes?”
She looked into the dark eyes of the man who saw her as much more than just a pretty face and answered as any smart woman would.
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“She would’ve made a damn fine senator.”
Lincoln didn’t have to look behind him to know who had spoken. In the last few weeks, he had spent a lot of time listening to Senator Meriwether and knew his voice well. The man talked as much as his daughter did.
Without taking his eyes off Dixie, Lincoln answered him. “Dixie would be good at anything she set her mind to, sir.” At the moment, Dixie Leigh had set her mind to teaching her maid of honor and bridesmaids a new line dance.
She’d taken off the long veil and beaded train that had trailed behind her when she’d walked down the aisle and made her look like a queen arriving for coronation. She was a queen. His queen. Although now she just looked more like a slightly tipsy bride who was having the time of her life. Her green eyes twinkled with champagne and happiness as she held the hem of her wedding gown up to her knees so that Cheyenne, Reba, Evie, Penny, Devlin, and Emma could see her cowboy booted feet as she expertly demonstrated the steps. The only bridesmaid missing was Maisy. And Lincoln was surprised she wasn’t there since she loved to dance so much.
“Dixie does have a strong mind.” Senator Meriwether moved up to stand next to Lincoln. “Sometimes a little too strong. That stubbornness she gets from her mama.”
Lincoln kept his gaze on Dixie. “I don’t think she got that particular trait from her mama.”
“Are you saying I’m stubborn, son?”
It was the first time the senator had called him son and Lincoln was a little taken aback. Not only because the senator hadn’t exactly been happy the wedding took place so quickly—or at all—but also because Lincoln couldn’t remember the last time he’d been called son.
“Not stubborn, sir,” he said. “Just tenacious. And law officers and senators need to be tenacious to get things accomplished.”
The senator laughed. “You have a way with words, Lincoln Hayes. If you talked more,
