You’re one of us, Ruby.
We’re more than friends. We’re all sisters, and we don’t need a wedding for that.
You’ll always have us.
Tears singed the backs of my eyes. My nose twitched. I scrunched it up to keep the tears from spilling. The women surrounded Ruby, oozing support and affection. I’d never seen anything like it.
The emptiness I kept covering up yawned open so wide it was going to swallow me whole. My chest ached. Only four of these ladies were related by blood, yet it didn’t matter. They were there for Ruby. They would be there for each other. I didn’t have to witness it to know.
Autumn lifted her head from the huddle. “Madison, bring it in. You’re with us now.”
Was I still dreaming? Or had I just woken up to six friends? Zero to six. Just like that. And I’d be going to the wedding as Teller’s plus-one even though I had an invite of my own. From my friend.
I joined them, and Scarlett and Summer yanked me into the fold. “I’m going to make your cake, Ruby. As a friend. It’ll be my wedding gift to you.”
I was with them now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Teller
My island was covered with flat knives, spreading tools, piping bags, fake wildflowers, and cake stands. Last Sunday, Madison had run to Bozeman to buy supplies for Ruby and Tenor’s wedding cake. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, she’d been practicing her frosting spreading and piping skills. She’d baked several practice cakes.
I’d had lemon cake with raspberry filling for dessert Monday, vanilla cake with homemade lemon curd for breakfast on Tuesday, and white chocolate strawberry for Wednesday breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That flavor was my favorite.
I’d kept Madison fed—with something other than cake—and hydrated. I’d also refilled her red apple jelly bean supply, adding root beer flavor when she’d been especially harried.
Thursday had been for the real attempts, and then she’d decorated on Friday. I’d taken the day off to help my siblings get Tenor’s shop ready for the reception, but I’d hung around the house in case there were any piping disasters and Madison needed a shoulder to cry on.
She’d done a wonderful job. She and Ruby hadn’t wanted to copy the design the first bakery was going to do. The final result was three tiers of summery perfection. She’d lightened the color and added more yellow with a wild sunflower anchoring the twine of wildflowers.
Then there were the cupcakes. She’d made three dozen of each and frozen half. Just in case.
I was salivating over what was in my freezer.
Who knew I had such a sweet tooth?
And Madison was the perfect confection.
It was just before noon. Tate had swung by earlier to grab the cake and cupcakes. Madison and I would head to Tenor’s so she could get the cake tiers assembled and fix the decorations before the ceremony started.
She was upstairs getting ready. I tugged on the cuffs of my sleeves. Tenor had wanted the day to be semicasual. I was wearing my good black jeans and a pressed white shirt, and I had polished the dust off my best pair of boots.
I might’ve told Madison that my dad couldn’t bear expensive boots mucked up with ranch work, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t bought myself a pair of black Luccheses. The light gleamed off the silver tips.
Why was I nervous?
I ducked into the bathroom and checked my hair one last time. It was combed like normal. My beard was freshly trimmed. I looked like myself, yet I was double-checking my reflection like I was going on my first date in high school.
Heels tapping the hardwood above my head spurred me out of the bathroom. I rushed to the base of the stairs, and my heart stopped. “Goddamn, woman. You take my breath away.”
Madison wore a loose, dusty-blue sleeveless dress with pale pink flowers etched around the hem, so light they looked like they were floating up the skirt to her hips. The skirt billowed around her legs with each step, teasing me with glimpses of the smooth flesh underneath. The brown square-toed boots with classic stitching on her feet kept the dress perfectly casual. She’d fit right in.
She hit the landing and my gaze went right to her cleavage. TheVonly hinted at the creamy globes underneath. Her hair was in a loose braid and wound around the crown of her head. Loose tendrils fluttered around her face.
She smoothed her hands down her front. “You really think it’s okay? Not too much or too little?”
“Just right.” I feathered the backs of my fingers over her face. “So damn beautiful.” All I wanted was for the wedding to be over, to bring her home and flip that skirt up. But I wouldn’t take one second of today from her. She would get to hang out, have fun, and be an immortal part of my brother’s day.
