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  He pursed his lips. “I’ve made my decision. Now it’s your turn.” He placed the box in the palm of his hand. “As for not knowing anything about agriculture…you just learned about the bees, didn’t you? You can learn new things. As for fraternizing with younger personnel, well…you’re not in the military anymore, Colleen.”

  Her heart racing, Colleen stared at the beautifully wrapped little package and pondered his words. He was right. Everybody came to Sergeant McLachlan when they had a career decision to make.

  “Do ya think I should ask for an overseas assignment, Sarge?”

  “Should I cross train, Sarge?”

  Over the years her sisters had called her at all hours of the day and night to ask for advice.

  “Should I go out with this guy, Colleen?”

  “Should I change majors, Colleen?”

  Even her parents had asked her advice before they decided to retire in Hawaii. “Do you think we’ll be too far away from the grandchildren?”

  Pushing away the old thoughts, she looked up into Matt’s expressive brown eyes and saw her answer. She took the box from his outstretched palm and carefully undid the ribbon. The paper fell away from a black velvet ring box.

  Her heart pounded as she looked into Matt’s eyes once again, as if to be sure, and then opened the lid. A princess-cut diamond flanked by two smaller yellow diamonds and two small rubies winked against white satin.

  “Here, let me help you.” Matt gently took the box from her hand, removed the ring and took hold of her hand. “Colleen McLachlan, will you marry me?”

  Colleen looked into the dark chocolate brown eyes—her one permissible vice, she had always said. “We didn’t solve the age problem, Matt.”

  “There is no age problem, Colleen. You’re not in the military anymore. We love each other. You do love me, don’t you?”

  “I do,” she said softly, blinking away the sudden wetness in her eyes.

  He slipped the ring on her finger and wrapped her hand in both of his. “In my entire life, I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, Colleen. The way you challenge me, the way you surprise me, the way you excite me. I know you’re not accustomed to being in one place and I don’t expect you to stay here all of the time. We can go to Europe, Asia. If Dad can’t spare me and you need to get away, that’s okay too. I just want to share my life with you.”

  “I’ve traveled enough for three lifetimes.” Colleen looked down at the diamond sparkling on her finger, then back up at the patient but persistent man kneeling in front of her. “I want to share my life with you, too.”

  Matt leaned forward and covered her lips with his.

  Of all the exotic and wonderful places in the world, at that moment, Colleen wanted to be nowhere else. She wrapped her arms around Matt and sank with him onto the blanket.

  Chapter Ten

  “Don’t you need eight hours between bottle and throttle?” They had packed up the basket and the blanket, mounted the horses and were clip-clopping their way back to the barn.

  Colleen glanced over at Matt, surprised. “Is there anything you don’t know about?”

  “I read a lot,” Matt said, one eyebrow raised and with a half grin.

  “I should wait ‘til after dinner to fly which gives me enough time to show your mother my Valentine’s present. Want to come along?” She grinned.

  “Absolutely.” Matt looked across the space between them and gave Colleen a wink.

  A wink that traveled the whole way to her toes. She tore her gaze from the mischievous brown eyes and smoothed a flyaway piece of Bunny’s mane in an attempt to focus. “By the way, I thought you said these horses needed tuning up. They behaved perfectly.”

  “I threatened them,” Matt replied. “I said no more extra hay.”

  “I think you tricked me. These horses couldn’t misbehave if you paid them.” They approached the barn and stopped.

  Matt dismounted and walked over to Colleen, still mounted on Bunny. He grasped her left hand and tapped the engagement ring. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  Dropping the reins, Colleen swung a leg over the mare’s neck and reached for Matt as she slid down from the saddle. “You were desperate?” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “I was desperate. I was running out of reasons to run into you accidentally.”

  As puzzled thoughts tumbled through her brain, Colleen tilted her head to one side to gaze at Matt. “The gym wasn’t an accident?”

  “Your sister called me after you left the house.”

  “What about the coffee shop?”

  “My teaching assistant hangs out there a lot.”

  Colleen placed her hands on his chest and gave him a playful shove. “Your teaching assistant was in on it?”

  “Like I said,” Matt leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” He reached for Bunny’s reins and led the horse into the barn.

  Colleen stared after him, conflicting emotions racing through her. “Wow.” Standing motionless in the sun, she studied the lanky young man in the shadows of the barn as he pulled the saddle off the gelding. He had pursued her relentlessly until she could no longer resist. She didn’t doubt he loved her. She never imagined this turn of events the day she flew the Tri-Pacer north from San Diego.

  Colleen drifted into the barn. “I can’t wait to tell your parents, Matt.” She loosened the cinch on Bunny’s saddle and pulled it off the mare. “Do you think they’ll be surprised?” She hoisted the saddle onto the saddle tree then led Bunny into her stall and removed the bridle.

  “We’ll see,” Matt replied as he took the bridle from her hand.

  They crossed the sun-dappled yard to the back steps hand in hand.

  ****

  Stan and Olivia sat at the kitchen table, stacks of brochures piled between them. His parents looked up as soon as the two entered the kitchen. When they saw the clasped hands, their faces broke into broad smiles.

  “Are congratulations in order?” Stan asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

  “Don’t tell me you were in on it too.” Colleen withdrew her hand from Matt’s and propped both hands on her hips.

  “He was desperate, honey.” Olivia looked at Colleen with a small smile.

  “So I’ve heard,” Colleen answered.

  Stan stood and came around the table to give Colleen a hug. “We’re happy for both of you.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  “Welcome to the family,” Olivia added with a wide smile.

  Tiny jumped up from his plaid pillow in the corner and nosed Colleen’s hand. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around the huge, furry animal, surprised at the realization this kitchen already felt like home.

  “Now let’s get to work and address these brochures.” Stan plopped back down in his seat.

  “Stan!” Olivia shot her husband a look. “They just got engaged.”

  “I know, but these should go out today. If she’s part of the family, I figured we could get some free help.”

  Olivia shook her head. “Have a seat, you two. No, you don’t have to help. Tell us your plans.”

  Colleen laughed, loving how easy she felt around these people. “I don’t mind, Olivia, just tell us what you want us to do.” She picked up a brochure covered with almond blossoms. “Almond Festival? When’s this?”

  “Next month,” Olivia replied. “We do this every year. All the businesses in the valley get together. We have contests, food, races, and all kinds of activities. It’s a lot of fun.”

  She pushed a stack of brochures toward Matt and Colleen. “We need the address labels put on the outside and then sorted by zip code.”

  Matt reached for the labels. “You want to label or organize?”

  “My glasses are in the car.” Colleen grimaced. “I can’t read the zip code. I better put on the labels and you can organize.”

  Olivia rose from the table. “How about some iced tea? I thin
k I have some oatmeal cookies around here somewhere, too, if Stan hasn’t eaten them already.”

  Stan looked up, mouth open and ready to protest.

  Instead, Olivia went on talking. “So, have you set a date? Matt, you always talked about building up on the knoll. You can live here until you get a place built.” She prattled on as she bustled about the kitchen.

  Colleen stuck labels on the brochures and passed them over to Matt, as she considered the multitude of changes about to take place. She hadn’t even considered living in this house although as she listened to Olivia talk about the wedding and watched Stan and Matt work diligently on the brochures, she felt strangely at home. In all her years of travel, she never completely settled into one place. When the time came to move on, she moved without regrets.

  Suddenly she realized the room was quiet and she looked up to see everyone looking at her. “I’m sorry. I was lost in my thoughts. Did you say something?”

  Placing a hand on her shoulder, Olivia set a glass of tea in front of her. “I asked if you thought you still wanted to work for your brother-in-law, or if you would be working here with Matt.”

  Colleen looked over at Matt. “I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it. What do you think?”

  Matt shook his head. “That’s your decision, Sarge. I still can’t believe you agreed to marry me. Whew!” He shook his head and a lock of blond hair fell over his forehead. “Just so you’re home most nights.” He leaned across the corner of the table and kissed her with a loud smack.

  “Olivia worked fulltime at the hospital,” Stan added. “On the other hand, my mother worked side by side with my father. Course back then, there was less equipment and more labor.”

  “This ranch has been in your family for…” Colleen did some quick calculations in her head, “…about a hundred years?”

  “Ninety-eight, to be exact. Matt makes the fourth generation,” Stan responded, a broad smile creasing his face. “To see him marry and keep the business in the family just makes me pleased as punch.”

  Colleen looked at the three Berks as they worked diligently sorting the brochures. She couldn’t wait any longer, even if a knot formed in her stomach. “You know…well, maybe you don’t know…” Colleen’s voice faded off.

  Olivia looked up. “What is it, dear?”

  “You know I’m older than Matt, don’t you?”

  “Colleen…”

  “No, they need to know, Matt.”

  “That’s okay, Olivia’s older than I am,” Stan responded with a chuckle.

  Olivia reached over and slapped his hand. “Just for six months out of the year.” They went back to sorting brochures.

  “I’m eleven years older than Matt.” Colleen waited for the shocked looks from Matt’s parents but they continued sorting brochures as if she hadn’t spoken. “Did you hear what I said?”

  “Well, we figured you were older,” Stan replied. “I mean, you couldn’t exactly retire from the Air Force at thirty-two.”

  “You know, physically, you’re probably younger than Matt, as health-conscious as you are.” Olivia added as she pushed a stack down the length of the table.

  “That’s what I said.” Matt shot Colleen a triumphant look.

  Colleen reached for another sheet of labels. “You people are hopeless.”

  “You’re not getting away that easily, Colleen.” Stan said with a laugh. “Not when we finally found someone to take Matt off our hands. Do you know how hard it is to get kids out of the house these days? Why when I was a boy—”

  Matt picked up a nearby hand towel and threw it at his father. Colleen watched as the two men threw kitchen items back and forth while Olivia tried in vain to catch them.

  Maybe their relationship would work out after all.

  ****

  Colleen smiled as she turned the minivan into her sister’s driveway. Only eight hours earlier, she planned to fly her little plane back to the local airport. The Tri-Pacer remained safely stowed away at the Berk Family Almond Ranch when Matt admitted they really didn’t need the space after all.

  She shook her head. She would have to keep her wits about her when it came to that man. He had a way of getting exactly what he wanted. Luckily, in this case, she didn’t have any objections. The Berks were happy about the upcoming marriage and happy for their son.

  Just as she got out of the van, Rob pulled in behind her in his BMW. “Hey, sis-in-law.” He came around the car and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “Nice tie,” she responded, tugging lightly on the bright red tie.

  “That’s my Valentine power tie.” He opened the front door for Colleen. An uncharacteristic quiet struck them as they entered the house.

  Bobbi’s voice drifted in from the patio. “Out here.”

  Rob followed Colleen through the kitchen onto the shaded back patio. They found Bobbi relaxed on one of the chaise lounges. An open bottle of wine and a plate of cheese and crackers sat on the patio table next to wine glasses and napkins.

  “Help yourselves, you two. I’m having grape juice. Becky is at a play date and Wendy took Ryan out in the stroller. That was her Valentine’s present to me, isn’t that nice?” She leaned her head back on the cushion. When Rob kissed her on the lips, she closed her eyes and smiled. Her eyes popped open and she looked guiltily at Colleen. “Everything okay, sis?”

  The doorbell rang before Colleen could answer.

  “Who could that be?”

  Her breath caught and she jumped up. “I’ll get it.” She smiled as she left her sister and brother-in-law on the patio. She’d recognized the moment when they both realized Colleen had visited the Berk Ranch to bring her plane back to the local airport.

  When Colleen reappeared in the doorway with Matt in tow, Bobbi and Rob stared a minute before their faces broke into broad smiles.

  Bobbi jerked upright, her bare feet hitting the slate patio. “Does this mean what I think it means?” she speculated.

  Holding her breath, Colleen extended her left hand. The engagement ring sparkled in the light of the candle burning in the middle of the table.

  Bobbi screamed and jumped up, grape juice splashing everywhere. She set down the glass before wrapping her arms around her sister. “Congratulations, you two, I am so happy for you.” She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed Matt on the cheek. “Colleen has finally met her match.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Colleen propped her hands on her hips as she challenged her younger sister.

  “This man just doesn’t give up. I’m telling you, he was desperate, Colleen.” Bobbi winked at Matt before bestowing a satisfied smile on her sister.

  “So I’ve heard.” Colleen popped a piece of cheese in her mouth to satisfy her sudden hunger pangs. “By the way, sis, what’s with telling him when I was at the gym?”

  “Oh, he told you, did he? Well, I didn’t call him, he called me and I didn’t see any harm in telling him your whereabouts. It might have been about your plane…or something.” Bobbi bit into a cracker and glanced at her sister through lowered eyes.

  Wendy appeared from the side of the house, Ryan sleeping soundly in his stroller. She screamed as she caught sight of Colleen’s ring.

  “Heads up, Matt, these women are screamers,” Rob warned as he leafed through the phone book. “What’s the name of that pizza place, Bobbi?”

  They spent Valentine’s Day evening on the patio with pizza, wine, and grape juice. Wendy found ballads on the radio and the couples danced, while Wendy swayed in time to the music, the baby in her arms. Colleen snuggled on the glider with Matt, her head tucked under his chin.

  Matt tipped up her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I don’t want to—” he kissed her again, “—but I should go.” He looked around at the others. All three adults were asleep. Even the baby slept in Rob’s arms.

  When Colleen walked to the curb with Matt, the moon was high in the sky.

  “I had fun this evening.” Matt wrapped his ar
ms around Colleen’s waist as he leaned against the side of his sports car.

  “Me, too.”

  “You tired?”

  “No, what did you have in mind?”

  “I want to show you something.”

  Colleen pulled back and studied him. “This day is just full of surprises. What do you have to show me now?”

  “I wanted to show you my office on campus. Want to come?”

  “Sure, let me put on some shoes and leave a note. I’ll be right back.” She kissed him on the tip of the nose and spun away, jogging quickly up the flagstone path. This was adding up to be the best Valentine’s Day ever.

  ****

  Despite the late hour, they passed numerous groups of students on their way to Matt’s office in the Ag Building. Most of them knew Dr. Berk.

  “Pretty campus.” Colleen brushed her fingers across bright, yellow petals as they passed a colorful flowerbed.

  “The horticulture students landscape the area.” Matt opened a large glass door and they entered the lobby of the Ag Building. They headed toward a bank of elevators to the left. When they exited onto the fourth floor, Matt unlocked the door to a suite of rooms and led her to an office at the back.

  “This-” he spread out his arms and did a slow circle of the tiny office “-is my home away from home.” He settled into the well-worn wooden chair behind his desk.

  Colleen eased onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and thought back to the first time Matthew Berk pulled her onto his lap. Who would have thought? “So this is your office, hmm?”

  “This is it.” He pointed to stacks of paper piled on the credenza against the wall. “That represents five years of research into the comparison of organic farming methods with the use of insecticides on the production of almonds.”

  “Impressive.” Colleen’s esteem of Matt rose as she surveyed the mass of paper. Spending five years on one project would take a lot of dedication, but she wasn’t surprised. On the back of the door hung a dart board. She tilted her head toward the door and tapped his chest with a finger. “Is that for your breaks?”