He squeezed her hand. “Well, I’ve got to do it before the next German tourist in fake leather cowboy boots comes through town. Don’t want to take a chance of losing you.”
Kate wasn’t sure how to respond. Landon was teasing and yet he wasn’t. The thought of herself as his wife—of being with him in real life and not just in those Sunday fantasies when she was ignoring sermons—it left her a little speechless.
Perhaps Landon misread her shock for reluctance. His teasing expression faded. “I know this is fast, but I’ve already waited for you longer than I want. I understand, though, if you need more time.”
She didn’t. In the time it took him to speak, she’d already thought it through. Making any big decision was a risk, but this was one risk she wanted to take. She knew what sort of man Landon was, she loved him, and she wanted to share her life with him. And besides, he made a compelling case for the perks of marriage. Really compelling.
Still holding his hand, she pulled him away from the barn. “My grandmother’s gazebo.”
“What?”
“It’s a perfect place to propose.”
He grinned and strolled beside her toward her house. “I’m guessing you’ll want to get married at Coyote Glen? You’ve been promoting it as a wedding venue.”
“I can’t let all those decorations go to waste.”
“You’ve already got the dress. We could do it next weekend.”
He apparently hadn’t been kidding when he said he didn’t want to wait. “A reception takes time to plan,” she pointed out. “We’ll have to see when the pastor can officiate, order invitations, send them out, hire a photographer and a caterer, choose colors, flowers, centerpieces and bridesmaid’s dresses, find places for out-of-town guests to stay, and make your brothers wear tuxedos. It will take at least a few months.” She bit her lip. “And I’ll also have to break the news to my parents.”
Landon walked for a few moments in silence. “They’ll try to talk you out of marrying me.”
He was right about that. Despite all indications to the contrary, they would think Landon wanted to marry her so that if she inherited the land, he could coerce her not to sell. They would also worry she was rushing into things. They didn’t know Landon like she did. “They’ll come around. Eventually. By our ten-year anniversary, at least.” Although certainly not soon enough to save Kate the drama of their disapproval. All the wedding preparations would be tinged with it. And that would pretty much suck the joy out of the process.
Would they fly out immediately to try and change her mind or just call incessantly? Her mother would probably cry. A lot of fights would ensue. Both her parents would look stricken in the wedding photos. Hopefully, they wouldn’t say anything insinuating during the toast. The day was bound to be an exercise in patience. And Kate really didn’t want it to be that way.
Kate and Landon reached the backyard. While they walked by the side of the house, Kate flipped on the strings of lights that ran across the lawn to gazebo. Instant ambiance. The place dripped with romance.
Landon led her up the steps and paused in the middle. Holding her hand, he got down on one knee. “Kitty, marry me, and I promise to not only love, honor, and cherish you, I promise not to kill all the pigeons that find their way into our barns. Think of them as you answer.”
Only he could make her swoon and laugh at the same time. “Yes.” Almost without a pause, she added, “And we should elope and keep it a secret. Or wait until after you inherit Coyote Glen to let people know we’re even a couple. That way my parents won’t think you have ulterior motives for proposing.”
Landon stood, his fingers still intertwined with hers. “In that case, I vote to elope and keep it secret.”
“Okay.” Not waiting had definite advantages, and most of them involved spending time in Landon’s embrace. “After the will is taken care of, I’ll say I want to stay in Arizona and do some interior design here. We’ll sit at church together and mention that we’ve started dating. A few months later, we’ll announce an engagement. Then we’ll have an official wedding ceremony where we invite our friends and family. The wedding will be much better that way because no one will be gnashing their teeth in the family photos. At least not either of us.”
“You want to live in separate houses until then?” Landon clearly didn’t.
Kate ran her thumb across his hand. “You can come over every day. You’ve got a vested interest in seeing to this ranch.”
He nodded. “I’m not going to bring up any problems I see with that plan because I don’t want to wait.”
“What problems?”
“There aren’t any. We’ll just hope no one ever asks to see the date on our wedding certificate, and my brothers will have to wonder why I’m over at your house late every night.”
“Vested interest,” she repeated. “You’re very diligent about that.”
He looked across the yard, already making plans. “Let’s drive to Marana so we don’t have to worry about being recognized at the Bisbee courthouse. I’ll hire some men to handle your ranch while we’re gone.”
She hesitated, suddenly second guessing the entire idea. “Is eloping too impulsive? You were the one who said I shouldn’t marry anyone without a long engagement period.”
“Turns out I was completely wrong about that.”
She didn’t respond because he began dropping kisses on her lips again. With each kiss, the idea of eloping seemed more and more reasonable.
Chapter Thirty-One