Montana Cowboy Daddy by Jane Porter
Epilogue
Billy was as good as his word.
He did not return to the professional rodeo circuit that year, taking the rest of the summer and fall off to heal and spend time with his son and Erika, while Erika returned to her studies, and devoted the summer to finishing her dissertation.
They spent most of their time at his cabin—their cabin—although every four weeks or so they made the drive to Paradise Valley to spend a few days with his family. Sam and Tommy were still doing well on the circuit and weren’t home often, but Billy was always glad to see Granddad, Mom, Joe and Sophie.
Sophie and Joe’s baby, Elijah Michael Wyatt, arrived early June, so there were two baby boy Wyatts for the next generation. It was just a matter of time before Beck and Elijah would become best friends. As it was, Beck was happy taking Elijah’s toys from him, one after the other.
Erika had to defend her dissertation in mid-November. She passed, and was awarded her PhD. Beck’s first birthday fell on Thanksgiving weekend just a week later, and all the Wyatts made a point of returning to the Diamond W Ranch to celebrate Beck’s birthday properly. There was a cake, balloons, streamers. Erika was delighted by Beck’s joy, pounding on his tray of the old wooden highchair, screeching as he reached for a balloon. He was still, in her mind, the smartest baby ever and she couldn’t believe how far they’d all come in the past nine months. It was while she was cutting Beck’s birthday cake she hit something hard and she pulled out the knife, and looked at the cake worriedly. “I just hit something hard,” she said. “Something is in the cake.”
“Oh no,” Sophie said. “How is that possible? I made the cake myself.”
“That’s not totally true,” Joe said. “You had Billy’s help. Didn’t he help scrape the bowl?”
Sophie made a face. “More like licked the batter from the beaters,” she said. She turned and glared at Billy. “I hope you didn’t do anything to my cake.”
Billy just shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just scraped the batter into the pans and put the pans in the oven like you said.”
Erika sliced the next piece and put it on a dessert plate. And there in the middle of the second layer of the cake was something that should not be there, something silver, and—she used her fingers to pull it from the cake—and a diamond. A ring. A huge diamond ring.
“I think that’s your slice,” Billy said helpfully. “At least it should be now that you’ve gone and put your fingers all in it.”
“My slice?” Erika repeated. “But there’s a ring—” And then she looked at Billy and saw his smile, and sat down hard onto the edge of her dining chair. “Is this a joke?” Her voice quivered and she carefully wiped some of the cake and frosting from the huge marquis-cut diamond.
“No, not a joke.” Billy stepped around the high chair and knelt at Erika’s side. “Erika Baylor, will you do me the honor, the very great honor, of being my wife?” And Billy, being Billy, took the ring with the remnants of cake and icing and slid it on her finger even as she stared at him in shock.
“You’re not kidding.” Her eyes locked with his. Her heart pounded. She curled her fingers around his hand suddenly feeling faint, and she never felt faint. “This is the proposal.”
He rose and pulled her to her feet. “This is the proposal.” He kissed her in front of everyone. “Will you marry me?”
She blinked back tears, her eyes burning hot and salty, her throat aching with emotion. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“So is that a yes?” he said in a mock whisper.
She laughed against his chest, her face buried against his shirt. He was so warm, he smelled so good. He felt, as always, just like home. “That’s a yes, Billy Wyatt.”
Billy hugged her closer, even as he looked to his family. “The girl said yes.”
His family cheered, and Beck, having no idea about what was really going on, cheered too, hitting the wooden tray with all his might.
Billy kissed Erika again, sealing the deal. “Let’s get married soon. I want you to be my wife before the end of the year.”
She drew back to look up into his face, and his gorgeous blue eyes. “Are you thinking a Christmas wedding?”
“I’m just thinking soon; I’ll let you decide the rest.”
“Then a small Christmas wedding it is. Just family.” She looked around the dining room, smiling at everyone. “Just all of you.”
Want more? Check out Cade and Merri’s romance in Montana Cowboy Miracle!
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