“Are you sure I’m ready for that?” Jace asked with a laugh. Angie had told him about her oldest friend who was a bit of a whirlwind by the sound of it.
“She’ll love you,” Angie grinned. “Just like me.” She froze realizing what she had just said. She had openly admitted she loved Jace.
“I love you too,” Jace said not even hesitating to reply. He hadn’t wanted to speak the words until Angie knew her mind.
“Then I guess you’re ready to meet Christina,” Angie sniffed as tears threatened. How had she fallen for a cowboy who lived and worked in Wyoming?
“I’d better let you get back to cramming for those exams,” Jace said softly. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too,” the phone went dead and Angie sat staring at the wall for a few moments. “God, you don’t like to make things simple do you?” she asked smiling. “Still you know what’s best. I’ve lost my heart to that man, and I don’t know what that will mean, but I’m willing to trust you with my heart as well as my soul.”
***
Angie was waiting by the baggage pick up when Jace sauntered down the stairs. He looked amazing in a black T-shirt and faded jeans, and his battered cowboy hat made him stand out among his fellow passengers. In a few long steps, he was in front of her scooping her out of her chair and holding her tight as he kissed her sweet lips.
“Well howdy, cowboy!” Angie laughed when he finally let her up for air.
“I’ve missed you,” Jace grinned still holding her in his arms.
“Ahem,” a man behind them cleared his throat and Angie laughed looking over Jace’s shoulder.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Jace.”
Jace carefully placed Angie back in her chair then turned a crimson face to the dark-haired man who was studying him with a stoic eye.
“Please to meet you,” Jace said his voice squeaking like a teen’s as he shook Mr. Cortez’s hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you too,” Mr. Cortez said. “Angie has had nothing but good things to say about you.”
Jace cut a look to Angie, and she shrugged reaching out to take his hand. “I’m kind of partial to you, you see.”
Jace chuckled some of the tension leaving him. “I’ll get my bags, and we’ll be ready to roll.”
A few minutes later, he was sitting with Angie in the back of a big van zooming down the ramp from the Orlando airport.
“It’s kinda warm here,” Jace commented.
“It’s summer in Florida, warm is an understatement.” Angie twined her fingers with his and grinned. “Don’t worry, we have good air conditioning.”
Jace chuckled. It felt good to be with his girl again as they caught up on news. Graduation was Friday night, and he couldn’t wait to see her get that degree. He had several other surprises for her after that and only prayed that everything would come together without a hitch. Life was too short to waste any more time waiting on love.
“How’s Ben?” Angie asked as they pulled up to a ranch-style house painted in pale teal and white. “Who’s looking after him?”
“Red said he’d take good care of him for me, and Jackson asked if he could use him for some rides. They both promised to give him lots of cookies for you while I was gone,” he added with a laugh.
“Good, he needs all the cookies he can handle. Now come in and meet my mom and Christina.”
***
The ceremony was beautiful and Jace found himself fidgeting as he watched Angie roll across the stage in her gold cap and gown to receive her diploma. She was beautiful, perfect in every way, his little angel on wheels. His hands twitched, and he slipped one into his jacket pocket feeling the hard velvet-covered box nestled in his breast pocket.
He hadn’t been kidding about the surprise he had for Angie, now if she were willing to take the final risk and say yes, he would be the happiest man on earth.
As the graduates left the stage and the ceremony came to a close, Jace followed Angie’s family to the foyer where other exuberant grads were hugging family and friends.
Christina, a mass of red-gold hair and bright eyes launched herself at Angie whooping with glee as Angie smiled.
“You did it!” she squealed moving aside for Angie’s parents to hug and congratulate her.
When they moved away, and Angie turned her beautiful brown eyes toward him, Jace dropped to one knee taking her hand and meeting her gaze. “Congratulations,” he grinned. “I knew you could do it.”
Angie blushed prettily squeezing his hand back. Having him with her tonight made the day complete as if every eventuality had been accounted for.
“Angie,” Jace began clearing his throat to shake the nerves threatening to silence him. “I’m so proud of you. You’re an amazing woman who went for her dreams. You’ve come so far to get this diploma, and I know that finding that dream job is just around the corner.”
Angie’s eyes sparkled with tears at the cowboy’s words, and she felt her heart swell with appreciation of his pretty prose.
“There’s just one more thing I’d like to know before you set out on your own to prove what you can do.” Jace’s hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out a tiny blue box, popping the lid open to expose a small, sparkling diamond ring. “Would you let me ride along with you on this journey? I’d like to be the one to catch my angel if she falls.”
Angie’s eyes went wide as she looked at the box then at Jace’s imploring face. Others had turned to watch, and they were now surrounded by onlookers who held their breath as the seconds ticked by.
Placing her hands on her face Angie eyed the ring again then met Jace’s gaze. “Yes,” she whispered throwing herself into his arms knowing that no matter how high she flew he would always be there to catch
