Ryan shook his head. "I appreciate it, but I should get going."
Laura’s eyes brightened. "Any fun plans?"
He shoved a hand in his pocket. “I’m picking up some friends from the team. Going out for a bit.”
Russ gave him a pat on the back. "Don’t get home before midnight.” He turned to Amaya. “Ready to help me with the garden? The tomatoes are getting big."
Amaya’s eyes lit up. "Can we pick some?"
Russ chuckled. "Not quite yet, but I’ll show you how to prune the vines."
Ryan gave Amaya a hug, then went back out to the car and drove down the winding country road with the window down. The air smelled of fresh hay.
He turned off onto a gravel road, and Country’s ranch came into view. He turned into the driveway of the first house on the road with Country’s truck out in front of the garage. He walked up the steps and found Jenna already opening the door for him.
"Glad you could make it," Country called out from the kitchen. He leaned out and waved. In a flannel shirt and jeans, he looked every bit the cowboy he was, complete with a ten-gallon hat. Jenna, on the other hand, looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine, her blond hair pulled back in a loose bun and a strappy dress flowing around her legs.
Ryan gave Jenna a quick hug.
She grinned. "You ready to get your dance on?"
“Yeah, I’m not dancing.”
She rolled her eyes. “Country, he says he’s not dancing!”
“He’s dancing!” Country yelled back, then walked into the front room. "You know she only agreed to come because you and Polk were going to be there, right?"
Ryan smirked. "And here I thought it was because she loved you sloppy drunk."
Jenna snorted. "Mmm. Yes. Give me more groping please."
Country scoffed. "Maybe I’m playing hard to get tonight."
“You’ll definitely be playing hard.” Jenna gave him a look, then seemed to remember Ryan was still standing there.
Ryan chuckled, but the sight of them together hit him in the gut. He’d accepted that his marriage and the relationship he’d had with Kara died the night she collapsed on the living room floor, but sometimes a kernel of grief popped out of nowhere. He cleared his throat. "Wedding plans coming along?"
Jenna twisted the ring on her finger. "Not much to plan since Polk has taken over."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “He’s planning things?”
Country slung an arm over Jenna’s shoulder. “I asked him to take over building a dance floor, and that’s extended into patio lighting, a new arbour, seating, and menu planning. He says they all contribute to the ambiance, and the floor won’t work unless they're right.”
Ryan laughed. "He realizes he only has a month, right?”
“August twentieth. The shotgun wedding we always dreamed about.” Country grabbed his keys off the coffee table, and Jenna snatched them from his hand.
“If I’m the DD, I get to drive both ways. So you have to endure me driving your truck sober.” She grinned.
Country ground his teeth, and Jenna’s smile grew wider.
Ryan followed them down the steps, his mind drifting back to his wedding. Or lack thereof. He’d been the one pushing to elope, and Kara had been only too happy to go along with it. Would he have done it differently if he’d known they’d only get eleven years?
Polk appeared through the back gate just as Jenna opened the truck doors.
“Ryan.” Polk tipped his hat, and Ryan saluted him. They all piled into the truck, Ryan and Polk taking the backseat.
“Careful back there. Polk’s in a dry spell.” Country waggled an eyebrow.
