And that was when the emotion broke inside her, and Jamie felt tears streaming down her face again. She threw her arms around him and held him close. Because whatever he said next, it was what she wanted to do. And she wasn’t scared. She was strong enough to handle whatever came next.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you. And I’m going to cheer you on when you barrel race, and travel to every damn one of your events that I can make it to. I want to build a life with you. I want to marry you. I want you to live with me. And, Jamie, I’m going to choose to be the best damn husband ever. I’m going to choose you, and only you, every day for the rest of my life.”

The rush of love, of relief, of pleasure, that washed over her was so intense she thought she might faint. And wouldn’t that be a thing. Jamie Dodge literally swooning over a man.

But this was the right thing to swoon over, if she was going to.

Her life.

Her love.

Her man.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I choose you, too.”

“People like us, people with so much protection, we don’t fall in love. Honey, we have to hold hands and jump in. We have to do it on purpose. Because there’s too many barriers in the way for it to happen on accident. And I am so damn glad you chose me. Because it gave me the strength to choose you back.”

“Gabe, so many things in this world are outside of my control. That you would choose me, that you would take one of those few things that you can choose, and make it me... That’s the most powerful, wonderful thing I can even think of.”

“So do you love me?” Gabe asked.

“Yes.” She flung her arms around him again. “Yes, I do.”

“Will you marry me, and travel all over and become a barrel racing champion, and come back home to me when it’s time?”

“Yes,” she said, through tears that she wasn’t afraid to let fall.

“Will you eat toast with me and drink hot chocolate?”

“If we don’t have it at our wedding I’ll start a riot.”

“Perfect. I can’t wait.”

“Me, either,” Jamie said.

“Are you going to wear jeans to the wedding?” he asked.

“Hell, no!” she said. “I’m going to be a princess. I’m going to get the biggest, fanciest wedding dress you’ve ever seen, and I’m going to wear it. Because I don’t need to put on armor every day anymore. And I don’t need to pretend that I’m one of the Dodge boys. I don’t need to try to keep the town from thinking I’m poor, sad Jamie Dodge. I can just be me.”

She kissed him, and she never wanted the moment to end.

Because right then, Jamie Dodge felt all the pieces of herself join up together. Completed by this man. And she was whole.