Later, when the music started—fiddle and guitar twining sweet through the rafters, Lincoln led me onto the dance floor. His hand found my waist, the other threading through mine, and for a moment, I forgot anyone else existed.
“You okay?” he murmured, searching my face like he wasn’t sure if I’d crumble or soar.
“I’m perfect,” I said, smiling up at him. “And don’t you dare argue with me.”
That earned me a rare, unguarded grin. The kind that showed me every reason I’d fallen in love with him in the first place.
We swayed slowly, my cheek against his chest, his heart beating steadily beneath my palm. Around us, the family clapped in rhythm, hooted when Lincoln spun me, and laughed when he pulled me back against him like he couldn’t let go.
After the first dance, Wes stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Mind if I steal the bride for a minute?”
Lincoln hesitated, then nodded, pressing a kiss to my temple before placing my hand in Wes’s.
“Don’t step on my toes,” I teased weakly.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Wes said, but his voice was thick.
As we turned slowly in the light-strung barn, he leaned down. “Your dad should’ve been here. Since he isn’t, I’ll tell you what he would’ve. You deserve this. Every bit of it. Don’t forget that.”
My eyes blurred, and I had to blink hard to see him. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For walking me down that aisle. For everything.”
“Always, Kristin,” he said, squeezing my hand.
By the time Lincoln cut back in, I was laughing again, my tears drying for good this time. The night spun out in food and music, kids darting between hay bales, Nora and Fallon singing along to every song, Kipp and Ryder arguing over who danced worse.
And through it all, Lincoln never strayed far. His hand brushed mine, his gaze found me across the barn, and every time I caught him, I saw the same thing reflected.
Love. Pure and simple.
When the last song wound down and the barn was glowing soft in the late hour, he pulled me close one more time, his lips brushing my ear.
“Worth the wait?” he asked.
I smiled, leaning into him. “Worth everything.”
The barn was starting to quiet, the music winding down to softer notes. People lingered at the food tables, kids yawning against quilts spread out on the hay bales. The air smelled like wildflowers and smoke from the lanterns burning low.
Lincoln’s hand found mine, warm and steady. “Ready to go home?” he asked quietly, his lips brushing my ear.
Home. Our house on the ranch, the place that had seen every high and low between us. Tonight, it would see something new. A beginning.
“Yeah,” I whispered, smiling up at him.
We stepped out into the cool night, expecting the stragglers to be gone by now, but the entire Flying Diamond family was gathered in the yard. The stars glittered overhead, and lantern light spilled across familiar faces. Griffin and Elle, Nora and Kipp, Ryder and Lexie, Nash and Fallon, Julie and Phil, Wes and Gwen, Fred, Wanda, Jake and Tayla, Lydia and Faith, and Aunt Helen. Even the little ones, bundled and sleepy, were perched on their parents’ hips.
And then, softly at first, voices began to rise. “Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you…”
My breath caught in my throat. I squeezed Lincoln’s hand, tears burning hot as the sound swelled. The men’s low rumble, the women’s high sweetness, children’s voices weaving in like a promise of tomorrow.
“Let me hear you whisper that you love me too…”
Lincoln looked down at me, his jaw tight, his eyes shining more than I had ever seen. “Do you think they planned this,” he murmured, almost in disbelief.
“I think they did,” I whispered back, laughing through my tears.
We walked slowly through them, surrounded by music. Faces glowed with joy, boots tapped against the dirt, and I felt the love pressing close around us. Not just Lincoln’s, but the family that had claimed me, that had chosen me.
“Keep the love light glowing in your eyes so true…”
