Roping the Cowboy Billionaire - Emmy Eugene Page 0,81

afternoon.” His plans to decorate her porch with ribbons and tissue paper had gone up in smoke—or rather, water—a few days ago.

He’d been brainstorming with Spur, Cayden, and Trey as to what he could do instead. His plan was to show Tam his sketches to remodel her porch at her house tomorrow evening. She’d said she’d get dinner, and Blaine had somehow conned his brothers into decorating the porch and placing the diamond on the railing while they were eating.

Then, when Blaine took her outside to the porch to “show her something,” it would be beautiful and romantic, and he’d ask her to marry him.

If it rained, his décor would just be soggy and limp, not glowing and romantic. Worse, the lights could short circuit and start her grandmother’s house on fire.

He got out of the truck and went inside the homestead, where Spur and Olli danced in the kitchen, the music far too loud for Blaine to tolerate. He grinned at Spur’s perfect rhythm, and the way Olli laughed at him warmed his heart.

Spur laughed too, completely carefree, something Blaine hadn’t seen in him in such a long time. He took Olli into his arms, and they swayed together as they quieted. They were so wonderful together, and Blaine’s happiness reached a new sphere.

He came down the hall, and Spur turned toward the sound of his footsteps. “There you are. Did you get it?”

Olli squealed and leapt away from Spur. “Let me see. Let me see.”

“I never should’ve told you guys my plan.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” Olli put her hands on her hips and cocked one eyebrow at him. “I came up with that amazing idea for the proposal, and you’re going to smell so great she’ll be saying yes before you even ask.” A smile softened her face as she held out her hand. “Now. Let me see it.”

Spur moved to her side, and she glanced at him. “He’s worried about the weather.”

“Good thing I have a back-up plan for the proposal.” Olli waggled her fingers at him. “Let me see the ring, and I’ll tell you Plan B.”

Blaine held up the off-white bag that held the engagement ring. Olli grinned and danced the final few steps to him to take it.

“I’m so excited,” she said, taking the ring to the kitchen counter and removing the box from the bag. She opened that and gasped. “Oh…dear…this is beautiful.” She looked at Blaine and then Spur. “I wish I could be there.”

“No,” Blaine said with a smile. “No, I’m not doing a public proposal like Spur here.”

“It was just Mom and Dad,” Spur said.

“Yeah,” Blaine said. “You should hear Mom tell that story. It was like she was the one getting proposed to.” He rolled his eyes. “No, it’s just going to be me and Tam.” That way, if she said no, no one else would witness his humiliation.

“She’s not going to say no,” Spur said as if he could read Blaine’s mind.

Blaine took a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess we’ll see tomorrow night.”

Olli packed up the ring again and handed it back to Blaine. “You guys are going to have the greatest wedding and life together.” She flung herself at Blaine, who grunted as he caught her. “I’m so happy for you, Blaine.”

“Thanks, Olli,” he said, his eyes closing, the “greatest life” she’d just spoken of flashing through his mind. “I think you said something about a Plan B?”

“Right, yes.” She nearly deafened him as she squealed and stepped back. “Okay, so here’s what you’re going to do…”

Blaine thought he had a fifty-fifty chance of pulling off the best proposal in the world tonight. He walked steadily toward Tam’s house, refusing to think about the truck full of his brothers that had followed him.

“Twenty minutes,” he muttered to himself as he went up the steps, his folder clutched in his hand. He hoped by the end of the night, they’d be looking through a lot of folders. His with the porch sketches. Hers with the wedding plans.

She’d told him she had ideas not plans, and Blaine would do his best to contribute to the planning. Really, he just wanted her to have the wedding of her dreams. He’d never thought much about the particulars of his wedding, and she had. She might as well get what she wanted.

What she wanted was for him to contribute, so he would.

He knocked on the door and waited, remembering that her doorbell needed to be fixed. “You’re