Page 32 of Hometown Cowboy
“Right, Darb? You’d have told me.”
She opened her mouth but couldn’t seem to get any words out. She swallowed noticeably and tried again. “I only did the test this morning.”
He blinked.
Nothing.
He opened his mouth to speak, but again, nothing. A weird, dull buzzing descended in his ears and Darby’s backyard around him dulled to a strange grey.
“Breathe, Ryan! Come on, just breathe through it.”
He blinked rapidly, surprised to find himself with his hands on his knees, bent at the waist, staring at the grass. Great gasps of air burned their way into his starved lungs. Blood thundered through his veins, deafening him.
He managed to get enough oxygen to gasp out a few words.
“It’s not possible?”
A strangled laugh left Darby. “Considering the amount of sex we’ve had, I’d say it’sverypossible. Not only that, but I also have some rather convincing tests in my bathroom. Ones with bright blue plus signs on them. I’d say it’s pretty conclusive.”
Ryan forced himself upright and shoved his shaking hands through his too-long curls. “How can you be so calm? Jesus, Darb!You’re pregnant!”
Sympathy, worry, and not a little fear raced over her beautiful face. “Don’t worry, I had my freak-out late last night. If I was able to drink I’d have one hell of a hangover right now.”
Ryan nodded, thinking hard. Or at least, trying to.
“Okay. It’s not the end of the world, right? We can get through this.”
What seemed like hurt flashed in Darby’s eyes. It disappeared moments later, leaving him wondering if it had been there at all.
“You’re wanting to keep it? I’m reading you right?”
Darby bit her lip and nodded. Sensation close to relief flooded him. He shook himself mentally. He didn’t have time to analyse his own odd reactions. Not yet. He could do that later when he freaked out at home.
He nodded again, this time more decisively. “Okay. So, we get married.”
Darby gasped, her eyes wide. “We what now?”
Ryan swallowed the crushing anxiety that wanted to control him and shoved it away hard. He’d deal with his own nonsense later.
“We get married.”
He dropped to a knee and grabbed Darby’s oddly cold hand.
“Darby Jameson, will you marry me?”
*
She didn’t knowif she wanted to laugh, squeal with delight, or break down and bawl her eyes out.
It was something she’d only ever let herself fantasise about once or twice her entire life, and the words had just come out of his mouth.
Ryan Thomas had just proposed. Toher.
Darby’s gut tumbled and seemed to squish in a huge knot.
He’d done the one thing she’d wished and dreamed for, and for completely the wrong reason.
Yep. The tears were going to win.