She gave him a soft look. “But see where you are now, Reese? Look how far you’ve come in such a short time.”
“It was because of you, Shay. You gave me a home. No one really understands how important that is until you don’t have one.” His voice deepened with raw feeling. “You opened up your home to me . . . to all the other vets. We’re all getting better, we’re healing instead of in free fall to a bottom we can’t even see.”
“And do you mind that after we get married, I’ll continue my vision? To hire vets with PTSD? Who are down-and-out and need healing?”
Reese knew how important this was to her and he nodded. “All I want to do is support you, Shay. I fell in love with you just the way you are right now. I don’t have a problem hiring men or women vets. Okay?” He saw relief in her eyes and realized that she hadn’t been sure he would be all right with her pursuing her dream. That was her father she was reacting to, not him. “I would like Garret, Noah, and Harper invited to our wedding, too.”
“Oh, no question,” she breathed, happy once more.
“I want to call my folks,” he told her. “You’ll love them. I want them to come out here and meet you. I know they’ll fall in love with you just as I did.”
“I can hardly wait. I know how torn up they were when you left. They wanted to help you so badly.”
Heaviness moved through his chest. “I know. I wasn’t at a place where I could articulate everything that was going on inside me.”
“I understand that. And I’ve seen so many vets walk away from a family who loves them but is helpless to know how to help and support them.”
He heard the sadness in her tone and he squeezed her a little more tightly. “Looking back on my journey? I had to fall. I had to hit bottom.” Looking down at her pensive face, he added, “When you met me, I had hit it, Shay. I was at a loss as to what to do. I didn’t know how to help myself any longer. You picked me up. You dusted me off and took a chance on me.”
“Yes, but you did all the work. I think that’s why I fell so hard for you. I saw your struggles. I saw you fighting every hour to get better, to pick yourself up by your bootstraps. I saw your courage, your fearlessness.”
“Well,” he said wryly, staring into her luminous gaze that held so much love for him, “I had one hell of a cheerleader in you. You believed in me, Shay. You gave me back my hope.”
She smiled, her lower lip trembling. “Sometimes, that’s all a person needs, Reese.”
Reese watched the dark, wide veil of rain beneath the clouds, spreading across the valley. “I like the idea of helping others, too. You’ve set your vision on the ground, Shay. We can hold that hope together for others who might come our way. And vets are the hardest working, most loyal group of people you’ll ever meet. We know that. And it’s easy to give them a chance to save themselves from falling any further.”
Nodding, Shay snuggled into his arms, content as never before. “I’m going to love being your wife, your partner, Reese. We’re really a great team. We’ve already proven that.”
“I like having you as my best friend, my wife, my lover, at my side. It’s a good feeling.” He leaned over, kissed her tenderly. And Reese would spend the rest of his life loving this woman who held everyone else’s heart with such gentleness and hope. Forever.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The rain started pelting down on the ranch just as they drove into the parking area. Shay made a quick run for the front porch and Reese drove the truck back to the barn.
She stomped her feet on the bristly mud rug on the porch. She saw the lights in the kitchen. Tonight, Garret was cooking for them while she was out working with Reese. She heard Noah and Harper talking in low tones in the kitchen, probably enjoying a well-earned cup of hot coffee. There was nothing to do, with rain coming, so they’d probably come in to grab a cup. Shay’s heart swelled with such joy that she thought she’d burst as she double-checked her boots to make sure they were clean before proceeding to the kitchen.
“Hey,” Garret greeted her, standing at the stove, spatula in hand, “thought you two lovebirds might be home soon. Big winter storm rollin’ in, from what the weather woman on the radio station said.”
She took off her baseball cap, hooking it on the wall peg, and took the rubber band out of her hair, allowing it to fall free around her shoulders. Grinning, she waved to Noah and Harper, who were sitting at the trestle table with cups in hand. “Yeah, it was a race to get here before it hit. Reese saw it starting to form over the Wilsons.” Lifting her left hand, she said, “Look . . . Reese bought me a ring.” She choked up a little as Garret stopped what he was doing and held her hand.
“Hey, that’s some engagement ring,” he said, nodding his approval. He released her hand and hugged her. “Couldn’t happen to a better woman, Shay. Congratulations.”