Quinn stood, putting away the last of the files she had worked on that day, preparing for her afternoon off and her ride with Nathan. She looked up as the door opened, smiling wide as she saw Fiona walking towards her.

"Fiona, hello; what brings you here today?" Quinn asked, walking around the desk to stand near her friend.

"You," Fiona said, smiling as she leaned forward to hug her friend. "I heard you were back, and I wanted to catch up, say hello, and ask you to lunch," Fiona explained. "Faith and I decided your return was enough reason to celebrate, not that we need one," she chuckled.

"I would love to," Quinn said, her brow wrinkling, "but I have arranged to meet Nathan and spend the afternoon with him." Blushing, she said, "I'm sorry, but he asked first."

Fiona laughed at Quinn, "Even if he hadn't, I am sure you would prefer an afternoon with that gorgeous man; who could blame you. How did you enjoy his surprise with the telephone?"

"I loved it; thank you so much for helping with it, Fiona; it was a wonderful surprise," Quinn exclaimed. "It made being away from Nathan and Allie so much easier." Quinn shook her head as she started to get distracted, remembering their conversations.

Fiona giggled, "I was glad to help, brought back some happy memories of when I first arrived in Hope Valley. Lunch tomorrow instead?" she asked.

Quinn quickly agreed; she had missed her friends, but…not enough to skip out on a chance to see Nathan.

Quinn was running late by the time she finished her work and left the office for the day; whenever she went to leave, someone came in or called on the phone. Eventually, Bill came and shooed her out of the office; otherwise, she was sure she would still be there.

Rushing into the livery, Quinn was curious to see Nathan wasn't there yet, wondering how she had managed to beat him there; maybe she wasn't as late as she thought! Misty let out a whinny when she saw Quinn, and she hurried to her, stroking her nose, "I missed you, girl. Sorry I haven't been to see you since I got back, but I am sure Nathan and Allie looked after you for me," she murmured. "We are riding today, though, and I can't wait." Misty tossed her head as if nodding in excitement, and Quinn laughed at her antics. She could see Newton's stall was empty, so she was late, but so was Nathan, who must have decided to do his rounds early; at least when he did get back, they would have all afternoon together.

Quinn went to get Misty's bridle, hanging on the wall outside the tack room; as she gathered the harness with one hand, something hanging next to it caught her eye. Leaning forward to get a better look, she realised it was a small velvet bag. Curious, she lifted it off the hook, heard a crinkling sound, and realised a note was inside. Loosening the drawstring and extracting the piece of paper, she saw her name on the front and opened it quickly.

'Dear Quinn,

I am so glad you are home; I missed you.

I love you,

Nathan.'

Quinn smiled as she read the note, remembering a similar one she had left him. Since then, they had progressed from courting to declaring their love for each other, and she hoped, one day, they would be more.

She laughed when she saw an apple sitting on the shelf close to the bridles; a note next to it simply read 'For Misty'. She looked at the wall, checking for more messages but didn't find any, so she hurried back to Misty with her treat, wondering if there might be a note in her stall.

Quinn stood near Misty as she ate her apple, re-reading the note from Nathan, smiling to herself. She folded both notes carefully and put them into her pocket to keep. Once Misty finished her apple Quinn continued to get her saddled, wanting to be ready when Nathan arrived. As she removed the coat from her back, a piece of paper tucked beneath it fluttered to the ground. Laughing in delight, Quinn bent quickly and snatched it up, dropping the blanket so she had two hands to open it.

'Quinn,

Your laughter fills my heart and lifts my spirits.

I want to spend every day laughing with you.

Thank you,

Nathan."

Happy tears filled Quinn's eyes, 'Oh Nathan', she thought, 'how I love you.'

As she thought of Nathan, she started to worry about where he was. If he did start his rounds early, he knew she would be waiting for him at this time, and he would have planned to be back to meet her. Quinn hoped nothing had happened to him. She wondered if she should wait at the livery or finish saddling Misty and look for him. Spinning on her heel, she headed to get Misty's saddle; she would look for him rather than wait for him to return. It wasn't that she believed he was hurt or anything, she told herself, but it would be nice to join him on rounds again; she had enjoyed it the times she had done so.

Walking into the tack room, Quinn reached for Misty's saddle and stopped. On the saddle was a small leather box, the type which ordinarily held a small piece of jewellery, or she thought swallowing, a ring. Quinn reached for the box, intending to lift it down, pausing as she realised her hand was shaking. Her shaking hand matched her trembling legs and racing heart.

"Aren't you going to see what's inside?" Nathan asked softly.

At Nathan's voice, she turned around to face him, "I didn't hear you come in," she said, her voice quiet and husky. Quinn didn't move; unsure her legs would support her if she tried. Smiling at him, she said, "Thank you for the notes you left. They were so sweet."

"It doesn't seem you found my last one; it's inside the box," Nathan said, his voice low and deep as he walked towards her, stopping when he stood close before her.

"Oh." Quinn looked at Nathan with a stunned expression on her face but did not attempt to reach for the box.

Nathan stared at Quinn and felt concerned. He worried she didn't want what was inside the box. His stomach dropped, and his throat tightened; what would he do if she said no.

"Nathan," Quinn said, her eyes wide, her voice trembling, "I am not sure I can open the box; my hands are shaking too much. Can you help me, please?"

The breath Nathan had been holding rushed out of him, relief loosening the tightness in his chest, "Of course," he said, reaching for the box, noting his hands were shaking too. He stepped toward Quinn and placed the box in her hands, wrapping his own hands around hers, pausing until she looked at him. Once she looked at him, he smiled the crooked smile she loved so much, "how about we open it together."

Quinn nodded and let Nathan guide her hands, lifting the lid of the box she held. As the lid lifted, she could see a folded square of paper hiding whatever was below. She looked at Nathan, and he nodded, indicating she should take it. Plucking the note from the box, she avoided looking at what lay beneath and slowly opened the letter.

'Quinn,

You have had my heart from the moment we met, right here in the livery. My heart chose yours that day and will choose you every day to come.

Will you be my wife, my love, forever and make Allie and me the happiest people on earth?

Nathan.'

Quinn looked at Nathan, her eyes bright, her face alight with joy. "Yes, of course, yes! I love you and Allie with all my heart," she cried, her voice full of delight. Quinn threw herself into Nathan's arms and buried her face in his neck, overwhelmed with love for him.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him, laughing as he said, "don't you want to see what else was in the box?"

"I can't believe I forgot it," she said, stepping back from him to look down at the box in his hand. Quinn gasped when she saw the ring inside, it was beautiful. A heart-shaped diamond set in a gold filigree band sparkled in the light; it was exactly what she would have picked for herself if she had chosen a ring.

Quinn watched as Nathan removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Quinn's breath caught in her throat, seeing the ring on her finger. To her, while it was beautiful, it was more about what it represented. The ring symbolised the promise between her and Nathan to love, honour and support each other for life through the good times and challenges they might face. It was a commitment to Allie that they would support her always, raising her and any future children with faith and unconditional love.

Nathan held Quinn's hand in his, admiring the ring on her finger; Bill and Gabe had been right; when it was the person you were meant to be with who held your heart, all you needed to do was ask. "I am so glad you said yes; when you didn't pick the box up, I started to worry," Nathan whispered, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't break the mood between them. Since he had placed the ring on Quinn's finger, it felt like a sacred moment to cherish.

"Never doubt the way I feel about you, Nathan," Quinn said, squeezing his hand, "I was hoping I was right, and it was a ring, then I got nervous and was scared I would drop it," she smiled. "there is nothing I want more than to pledge myself to you and Allie, to share our lives." Gasping, Quinn said, "Allie. We need to tell Allie right away; she will be so excited."

Nathan nodded, "I promised Allie she would be the first person we tell, then Lee," he explained. Smiling at the confusion on Quinn's face when he mentioned Lee, he said, "Allie is still in school, so how about we go for a ride, we can talk about some of the details, and I can fill you in on why Lee second?"

Quinn agreed and, with Nathan's help had Misty saddled quickly. They trotted out of town, eager to be away from everyone, not wanting to spoil the surprise if someone found out before Allie.

As they reached the Meadow, Nathan pulled Newton up and looked across at Quinn, who stopped beside him and glanced down at her ring; he had caught her doing that several times on the ride and smiled. "How about a wager, a race to the other side of the meadow?" he asked.

Quinn narrowed her eyes at him; they both knew Newton was faster than Misty, "What does the winner get?" she asked suspiciously.

Nathan smiled broadly, knowing she was on to him. "If I win, we have a very short engagement; you get to choose the wedding date if you win."

Quinn laughed, "You would be fine if I said I wanted to be engaged for a year or longer?" she teased.

"It would just give me more incentive to win, and as long as you know, I might suggest a wedding in a month or less," Nathan replied, winking at her as he readied Newton up for a quick start. "Do you accept?"

"I do," she said cheekily," and positioned Misty next to Newton.

"Ready. Set. Go!" Nathan called and urged Newton forward. Newton never needed encouragement and took off at speed. After a few moments, Nathan realised something was wrong; he couldn't hear Misty and Quinn behind him. He pulled Newton back, slowing him as he turned back to them to see what had happened.

Quinn watched Nathan take off on Newton, holding Misty back when she tried to follow. This was not a race she wanted to win. A short engagement was fine with her; as far as she was concerned, Bill could marry her and Nathan today; she wouldn't even change into a dress for the ceremony; they would only need to pick up Allie on the way to the Judge's office.

Quinn sat calmly astride Misty as Nathan rode back towards them, pulling Newton up close to Quinn, their knees almost touching. "Are you and Misty okay?" he asked, confused.

"We are fine, Nathan," Quinn said, smiling. "Why did you stop the race? You were in the lead?"

"You didn't start the race, Quinn, I thought…" Nathan sputtered, "You didn't race because you wanted me to win! Shaking his head, "You could have just agreed to a short engagement," he laughed.

"Where's the fun in that. You are right, though; I want a short engagement. I would happily find Allie and Bill and marry you today."

"I don't think the ladies of Hope Valley would let you get away with that. I am sure Rosemary will have grand plans for us when she finds out," Nathan said as Quinn pouted. Leaning over in the saddle, he kissed her lips, "now, how about a nice leisurely ride while we talk about what we need to do during our very short engagement."

Nathan and Quinn walked the horses through the meadow, talking about the plans. Nathan explained why he promised Lee he could be the second to know if she said yes, and that Bill and Gabe had given him similar advice. Quinn's eyes filled with tears when Nathan relayed the conversation he had with Bill about his intentions, and she made a note to thank Bill for it the moment she saw him.

Thankfully, Nathan thought, they agreed on the big things, where they would live, in the row house for now, where they would marry, the Hope Valley Church, despite Quinn's eagerness and the wedding would be as simple as possible and as soon as they could make the arrangements.

Everything seemed to fall into place on the ride. Nathan knew Allie would be over the moon, and he knew his parents wouldn't object. Quinn, he knew, was sad her parents, especially her father, couldn't be there. She was still grieving him, and he knew this wasn't the last time she would miss him at a significant milestone in her life. He knew their friends would be overjoyed; there was nothing to ruin this perfect moment for them.

As they arrived back at the livery and dismounted, Quinn grabbed hold of Misty's reins and led her inside. She turned to Nathan and joked, "Maybe we should have the reception here; I am not sure I would be comfortable in the Saloon, and this is a significant place for us."

Nathan snorted and said, "if not the Saloon, I am sure we could do something at the café. I don't think the horses would like the crowds."

Quinn laughed and set about unsaddling and brushing out Misty. "It's time for Allie to finish school. Should we meet her there, or should we do something else?"

"I don't want to risk running into someone on the way and them noticing your ring, and I never want to ask you to take it off, so maybe you could wait at home for us, and I will bring Allie straight to you," Nathan suggested. The thought of Quinn taking off his ring made his stomach flip over.

"Of course, if it's okay," Quinn queried.

Nathan took her hands in his and said, "Quinn, the row house is your house too, even if you haven't moved in yet, and that's only until we build something of our own." Kissing her quickly, he said, "I need to get going so I am not late, and you need to avoid running into Allie on your way home."

They quickly finished up at the livery and went their separate ways, Nathan thinking about how excited Allie would be and Quinn wondering what everyone's reaction to the news would be.

The students burst out of the school room, eager to be outside in the sunshine. Nathan was pleased to see Allie among the first; he didn't want to spend longer than necessary at the schoolhouse and was eager for Allie to hear the news.

"Hey Dad, what are you doing here today?" Allie called as she saw him waiting. She said, running to him, "you were supposed to go riding with Miss Quinn today."

"Everything is fine, we went riding, but we made it a quick one." Nathan said, putting his arm around her, "I came to meet you because I need you to come straight home with me today." Smiling at her reassuringly, he said, "Before you ask, there is nothing wrong."

Allie grinned at him, "I was going to ask," she admitted. "So why do I need to come straight home?"

"Nope, can't say; it's a surprise, a good one," He said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards home.

"Are you sure you can't give me even a small hint," Allie begged. Frustrated when Nathan shook his head. "Who else knows about the surprise? Does Quinn know? Does Uncle Bill?"

Nathan mimed locking his lips, throwing away the key, and grinned as she rolled her eyes at him. He knew he should talk to her about dropping the 'Miss' before Quinn's name sometimes, but what was the point? He was sure Allie and Quinn would decide on a different name now. Nathan realised Allie had started to get ahead of him and picked up the pace to catch up to her.

Approaching the row house, Allie's eyes darted back and forth, trying to find evidence of a surprise waiting for her, but she couldn't see anything. It must be inside, she decided and hurried up the stairs.

Allie opened the door and looked around, spotting Quinn sitting at the kitchen table. "Quinn, Hi!" she called out eagerly, "do you know what Dad's surprise is?"

"I sure do," Quinn responded with a grin, remaining seated at the table, her right hand folded over her left, hiding her fingers.

Allie bounded over to Quinn, unable to contain her excitement, "will you give me a hint? Pleeeeeaaasssseee," she begged.

Laughing, Quinn said, "no way, you just have to be patient."

Nathan walked up behind Allie and ruffled her hair, "Why don't you sit down, and we can tell you about the surprise."

Allie sat, squirming excitedly, "are we getting a puppy? Am I getting a horse?"

Nathan quickly said, "no puppy, no horse Allie, sorry." Pausing, he reached out to take Quinn's right hand and said, "What we are getting is married."

Quinn watched the emotions play out on Allie's face, disappointment there was no pet and confusion as she processed what Nathan said they were getting.

"Married, you're getting married," she yelled, jumping out of her seat and clapping her hands. "You finally asked her?" looking at Quinn, she asked, "you said yes!"

Laughing at the level of excitement, pleased Allie was happy for them, she said, "Of course, I said yes." Quinn held out her left hand to Allie, showing her the engagement ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful, Dad; you did well to pick something so beautiful," Allie told him.

"Hey, I picked Quinn, didn't I," Nathan said laughing, dodging away when Quinn would have slapped him on the arm.

"Yes, you did, and I am so glad you did. I love you, Miss Quinn," Allie cried as she went to her and hugged her.

"I love you too, Allie; I am so glad you are happy to welcome me into your family," Quinn replied, tears in her eyes.

"I can't wait for us to be a family either," Allie said. Curious, she asked, "Do I still call you Miss Quinn when you marry my Dad?" Allie asked.

"We don't have to decide that tonight, sweetheart. You can take your time and think about it if you like." Quinn said.

Sniffing back her happy tears and wiping her eyes, Allie said, "When are you going to get married?"

Nathan and Quinn talked to her about their race and their decision for a quick engagement with a simple wedding. The three of them spoke of building a home of their own in Hope Valley one day but were happy to remain in the row house until they decided on a parcel of land they all liked.

Nathan sat back as the conversation turned to dresses, flowers, and other things Nathan didn't feel qualified to talk about. He was content to watch the two loves of his life excitedly make plans for the upcoming wedding, thinking about all the arrangements he would have to make.

"Can we go to the café to celebrate?" Allie asked, breaking into his thoughts. "I want to tell Angela and Opal, and I think this calls for chocolate cake."

Nathan and Quinn shared a glance, smiling as they agreed to go for cake; knowing Allie wasn't going to be able to keep the secret too long, they may as well tell everyone.

"I need to stop and tell Lee first," Nathan said, explaining to Allie how Lee had helped him make the proposal possible. "I would also like to let Bill know before everyone else."

Quinn and Allie agreed, and they walked out of the row house, heading to the Coulters to share their news.