She tilted her head and looked into her own eyes.
Hasn’t he proven to you that he’s trustworthy?The thought lingered, and Briar had no idea what to do with it.
“He has,” she finally said, her fingers finally getting every last braid twirled into a crown and pinned in place. “But Lord, why can’t I trust myself? What if I’ve just fallen for him, because he’s so handsome, and so funny, and so good? Haven’t I gotten myself in trouble like this before?”
She thought of her previous boyfriends, and yes, they’d been handsome, and they’d been known to show kindness, but she wasn’t sure she would label any of them as specificallykindandgood. Briar had never thought anyone was good the way she thought Tarr was.
“So why does he like me?” she asked herself as she got up from the vanity and moved to step into the pretty purple dress she’d bought for today’s wedding.
She’d barely buckled the silver sandals she hoped she wouldn’t regret wearing when Wiggins flew into a barking fit, rushing toward the door and then back over to where she sat on the edge of the couch, finishing with her shoes.
“Come in,” she called, because she expected their visitor to be Tarr himself.
Sure enough, the devastatingly gorgeous cowboy opened the door, chuckled as he praised Wiggins for his excellent guard-dog skills, and then straightened to look at Briar. They’d been to church together several times, and he wore something similar now to what he usually did then: black slacks, white shirt, tie, and a jacket. Today’s wasn’t leather, though, but one that matched his navy-blue pants.
“Wow, you’re looking amazing, honey.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her.
“I’m worried about my shoes,” she said, lifting one heel so he could see them. “They moved their wedding up a whole month, and I don’t know if it’s warm enough to wear an open-toed shoe outside for very long.”
“I don’t think we’re gonna be outside for very long,” Tarr said.
“No?” Briar asked. “Last time I talked to Kristie, she said they’re definitely getting married outside at the farm.”
“Yeah, but I think all the dancing and everything is inside the barn, and it’s heated.”
“Oh, so I might be okay,” Briar said.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he said.
Outside on the porch, the sun shone brightly down. Briar took a deep breath of the springtime air and watched Wiggins as he trotted along the fence line that bordered the front yard from the fields beyond.
“I think if I ever got married,” Briar said, noting the way Tarr whipped his attention to hers. “I would want it to be in the spring like this.” She moved carefully down the steps, holding up her dress so she didn’t trip.
“With a lot of flowers, and a big blue sky with still a little hint of crispness in the air, and all the trees blooming.” She smiled out to the still-leafless trees. “I think April is too early, because those trees don’t even have buds yet, and I want there to be greenery everywhere.”
“Noted,” Tarr said, his tone a little bit scratchy.
“I’ve been thinking a lot, Tarr,” she said as she carefully laced her fingers through his. They slowly walked down her sidewalk toward his truck. They had plenty of time to talk on the way to the farm, as it took eighty minutes without traffic, and she didn’t expect any on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
“I think one of the reasons that I haven’t been able to really think too much about getting married is because I would want my parents there.”
“Would you?” he asked, plenty of surprise in the words.
“I think so,” she said. “And that means I have to reach out to them and try for a reconciliation, and that feels really hard.”
“I’ll bet it does,” he said.
They reached his truck, and she turned toward him, looking up into those deep, dark eyes that had captivated her from the moment she’d seen him. “You know how it is; you’ve tried with Wayne.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I do know how it is.”
He opened the door for her and ran his fingers from her elbow to her wrist. “And let me tell you, sweetheart, it’s only that first text or call that’s hard.”
“He still hasn’t responded to you, has he?” she asked.
“No,” Tarr said, shaking his head. “Because making that first call or text is hard, and he doesn’t know how to do it. So you don’t have to figure out everything with your parents, you just have to figure out how to make that first call or send that first text.”
Suddenly, everything felt less overwhelming, and Briar nodded as he whistled for Wiggins to come get in the truck. She had no idea what she would even say to her mom or dad as she got into the passenger seat. The terrifying thought of what they might say back to her ran through her mind.
