"Eula! Where is my dearest Eulalie!?"

Eula snapped her book closed, a copy of The Last of the Mohicans from Adam's collection, her favourite of Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales. She leapt up from her chair and looked at Ben, who appeared as bewildered as she did.

"It seems you're being called out," Ben said, indicating the door.

Eula set the book down on the low table before the fireplace, smoothed her lilac cotton skirt and adjusted the collar on her cream coloured blouse.

"What can he be making such a fuss about?" she asked, feeling suddenly nervous. It was so unlike Adam to be boisterous; he either had something wonderful or something terrible to share with her, and either way it set a flurry of butterflies loose in her stomach.

"There's only one way to find out," Ben said ushering her towards the door and practically pushing her out into the yard.

Adam pulled up a prancing Sport, who seemed no worse the wear for his quick trip to Virginia City and back. Seeing Eula, Adam's face broke into a beatific smile, he practically beamed, his endearing dimples on full display.

He swept off his hat and held it to his chest.

"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be," he said, adopting a rich and theatrical tone.

"Adam, I don't... is that Great Expectations?" Eula fingered the buttons of her blouse, rather confused at being quoted Dickens while standing in the yard at end of day.

Adam slipped off of Sport and, without even bothering to loop a rein over the hitching post, swept Eula up into his arms and whirled her around in several dizzying circles.

Although still terribly confused, Eula couldn't help but laugh - Adam's joy was contagious.

"Alright, alright, put me down!" she demanded at length.

Adam set her down on her feet but took her hands in his own, which admittedly was a good thing as she was a bit unsteady after the spinning.

"Adam, this is so unlike you. What's become of the brooding, reserved gentleman who rode away from this house just this morning?" Eula teased affectionately.

"It's all done with!" Adam exclaimed. "Soon enough Blythe will be the former Mrs. Cartwright."

Eula had assumed that he'd been in Virginia City on ranch business, not personal business. She was surprised, but happily so. It took her a moment to consider his words, for their full impact to sink in.

"Truly? You're sure?"

She could hardly believe that today was the day they had been waiting for, that Blythe would not be making poor Adam's life miserable any longer. It hardly seemed like the shrew to back down so quickly. But then again, bullies were often cowards - perhaps the idea of being faced down was enough to send her running at last. Or, perhaps she sensed that there could be no reconciliation, that she had lost Adam for good, no matter what tricks she might have thought she had up her sleeve.

Adam took her in his arms and Eula felt herself give in wholly to his embrace. There was something warm and wonderful in a hug that held no trace of lust or artifice. She felt a love emanating from him that she could neither doubt nor resist, even if she had wanted to.

"I was made and meant to look for you and wait for you and become yours forever," she whispered softly, answering his earlier sampling of literature with one of her own. She had a fondness for the love between Robert Browning and his equally poetical wife.

He took her face in both of his hands and looked at her adoringly, "I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss."

And with that, he put his lips to hers. Eula had never, that she could recall, actually swooned in her life. But at that moment she felt herself melting into Adam's loving embrace, surrendering herself to the moment and forgetting all that existed outside of it.

Here was the man she had loved for as long as she'd known what love was. A man who could ride, wrangle, mend fences, throw punches, and handle a gun. But also a man who could hold her in his arms with tenderness, quote Shakespeare and kiss her like... well like this.

"Alright, you can all come out now. I know you're standing there waiting," Adam called when he broke the kiss, grinning down at Eula.

The front door flew open and the three remaining Cartwrights spilled out into the yard.

Ben clapped his eldest son on the shoulder and Hoss put an affectionate arm around Eula.

"Does this mean you're getting married?" Little Joe asked, his voice raised in excitement.

It suddenly occurred to Adam that, aside from that night in the mountains when the topic had been somewhat hypothetical, he had not actually discussed marriage with Eula, nor had he offered an official proposal.

"Well..."

Eula smiled at him and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "If he'll have me."

It was Ben's turn to hug her, which he did, before turning fatherly once again and insisting everybody get back inside and get to bed.

In the hall Adam pulled Eula into another embrace, giving her a sound kiss that said how much he hated to leave her for another night alone in their respective beds.

"Tomorrow we'll make all the arrangements for the wedding."

"And wire my father. It's important to me that he be here."

"Of course. But, Eula?"

"Yes?"

He kissed her again, slipping a hand onto her back and pulling her so close to him that she could quite plainly feel how he wanted her.

"Tell him to hurry."