Healing Hearts (New Hope Falls #6) - Kimberly Rae Jordan Page 0,145
lick the tip. “Thank you for this whole evening. It’s all been wonderful.”
Ryker put an arm around her shoulders. “You wouldn’t have rather gone to a restaurant?”
“Definitely not,” she said. “I love being here with you like this. Just the two of us without feeling like we need to hurry up and eat so they can give the table to someone else.”
Ryker ate the last of his s’more then leaned his cheek against her head. He watched the flickering flames of the fire, cherishing Sophia’s closeness. The butterflies were coming to life in his stomach as he considered what he wanted to say to her. To ask her.
“Have I told you today that I love you?” he asked her.
He felt her chuckle as she tipped her head back to look up at him. “Yes. You have, in fact. You do such a good job of making sure I know that. I love you too.”
“You do a good job of making sure I know that too,” he said, then kissed her lightly. “I’m very blessed to have you in my life, letting me see that the things I wasn’t sure I’d ever want again, I do. But only with you.”
Sophia shifted, facing him more directly. “I feel like I can say the same thing. I’d resigned myself to never loving a man again. But then you showed up and seemed to actually see me.”
“I do see you.” Ryker lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. “I see you, and I hear you. Of all the people in the world, you can always count on me for that.”
“You don’t know how much that means to me,” she murmured.
“I think I do,” he said. “Because you make me feel like who I am is important. Not what I am or what I can do, but just who I am.”
She gave a soft huff of laughter as her head dipped forward. “Honestly, what you are and what you can do intimidated me at first. It was only because I had seen who you were before that that I was able to get past the intimidation.”
“I’m so grateful that you did,” he said. “And what I hope is that as I move into medicine again in the future, you won’t let that intimidate you. Because if my choice is you or medicine, I’ll gladly chop trees and mow lawns for the rest of my life.”
Sophia shook her head as she gripped his hands tightly. “When Bryson was sick, I experienced how calming your presence was and saw how respected you were by the medical staff in that hospital. The world needs you.” She smiled at him. “So no, you don’t have to choose between me and medicine.”
“Are you sure?” Ryker asked. “I don’t want you to say that, but actually feel like you didn’t have a choice.”
“I’m absolutely positive. Just don’t expect me to go to fancy dinners and hold conversations with super smart people.”
“I wouldn’t expect that because, to be honest, I have no desire to attend those dinners myself.”
“Then we’re good.”
“Any chance you might want us to be better?” Ryker asked as he pulled the small box from his pants pocket. In the flickering light of the fire, he saw her eyes widen when she spotted what he held. “Before you say anything, let me explain.”
He waited until she looked up at him and nodded before continuing.
“I know that this might be too soon. I know you might still need more time, but I wanted you to know where my heart is…what my hope is for us. I want to be your husband and Bryson’s father one day. It doesn’t have to be soon, but I wanted you to know that I’m completely committed to you and Bryson.”
“Oh, Ryker,” she whispered. “It’s not too soon. People might think I’m crazy for agreeing to this when we haven’t been dating for ages, given what happened to me before, but I’m not. I see how you are with the people around you. How you are with your family. How you are with Bryson, and how you treat me. You are a caring man. You are a good man. A truly godly man. I feel that, right down into the depths of my soul.”
Ryker felt emotions swell up and choke him. This woman…from the moment he’d realized how he felt about her, she had never ceased to amaze him. He never wanted her to regret putting her trust in him.