The May sun warmed Dawson’s back as he dug in the soil and planted another rosebush.
“You look like a farmer,” Lillie teased. Kneeling nearby, she spread mulch around a group of flowering hydrangeas, their blooms as blue as the sky overhead.
Task completed, she sat back and studied the three-story museum that would be open within the week. “The weather should be perfect for the dedication.”
Dawson left his shovel in the dirt and scooted next to Lillie, wondering if he’d ever tire of seeing the sunlight in her hair.
“Chief Wilson gave me the day off for the ceremony. He said I need to be sitting next to the woman who made this all possible.”
Lillie smiled. “The plans had already been finalized. All I needed to do was ensure Nelson Construction completed the project on time.”
“And under budget. You’re a savvy businessman just like your father was.”
She raised her brow playfully. “That would be businesswoman, Agent Timmons.”
He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Wistfulness washed over her pretty face as she looked toward the nearby river. A path of dogwoods edged the stone walk that led to a picnic area near the water’s edge.
“I dreamed about him last night,” she said. “He and my mother were laughing. Then he reached for me and raised me into the air while I giggled and begged to go higher.”
“I’m glad the good memories are returning. Have you told your mom?”
Lillie nodded. “She said her prayer has always been for me to know how much my biological mother and father loved me.”
“The McKinneys are good people.”
“And the best parents I could ever have.”
“Did you contact the families of the three missing Atlanta women?”
“They all seemed touched by the college scholarships and the trees in each girl’s memory. I told them they were planted near Irene’s Garden.”
Dawson looked at the etched plaque to Lillie’s mother erected in the middle of the flowering bushes and rows of blooming plants. “It’s a perfect memorial to her memory.”
Lillie nudged his arm. “Plus it lets you play in the dirt. Dad said you’re a farmer at heart. He also told me you were looking at land not far from their place.”
“I wanted to surprise you. A hundred acres are for sale.”
She studied him with pensive eyes. “You’ve decided to get out of the military?”
He shrugged. “I keep feeling a need to work the soil.”
“Maybe you could go into landscaping,” she teased, making him laugh.
“You have your construction company,” he reminded her. “And your gym.”
She held up her hand. “I’m putting both of them up for sale.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s not what I want, Dawson.”
He leaned in, his gaze intent on the fullness of her lips and the curve of her smile. “What do you want, Lillie?”
“I thought we discussed that when I was in the hospital.”
“You needed time to heal, emotionally and physically.”
She scooted closer. “I’m all better now.”
“But this isn’t the best time. I was thinking of a candlelight dinner and a roaring fire.”
“It’s too warm to build a fire.” She looked around. “Besides, a farmer’s wife likes fresh air and sunshine.”
He tickled her chin. “You know what you want, don’t you, Ms. Beaumont?”
“You do too, soon-to-be Farmer Timmons.”
“What I want—” he reached for her “—is for you to be my wife.”
Without saying yes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and molded into his embrace. All around them, flowers danced in the breeze from the river.
“We’ll get married at the main post chapel,” Lillie said. “And hold the reception in the ballroom at the museum.”
He kissed her cheek and then her neck as she discussed plans for their wedding, while he enjoyed the softness of her skin and the fragrant scent of her perfume.
Dawson wouldn’t mention that he had seen the wedding magazines at her parents’ farmhouse or that Mr. McKinney had already clued him in on how women always got what they wanted.
After all, marrying Lillie was what Dawson wanted more than anything. He had given her time to heal and experience life without always looking over her shoulder.
Dawson had needed time to heal his relationship with his mother and grow in his faith. Both he and Lillie were stronger now and ready to start their new life together.
Tonight, after they had a candlelight dinner, he would slip a ring on her finger and formally ask her to be his wife. But he already knew the answer. Their lives had been entwined, seemingly forever.
The storms of the past were over, and the future would be filled with sunshine and babies. Strong boys to help him on the farm and emerald-eyed girls who would steal his heart, just as Lillie had done the first time he saw her.
She continued to chatter, but then she stopped and smiled at him, her eyes making him think of lush green farmland and the home they would build on their new acreage.
Then thoughts of everything else left him and all he could think about was Lillie. Her lips on his, her arms holding him tight, the way their hearts beat in sync. They kissed and kissed and kissed again, while the sun warmed them and the gentle breezes wrapped them in a loving embrace.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt of Betrayal on the Border by Jill Elizabeth Nelson!