Colt leans over and hands a computer tablet to Rhett, who grins down at it before holding it out to me. My heart lodges in my throat when my eyes land on the somewhat pixelated but undeniable smile on my handsome son’s face.
"Hey, Dad. Sorry, I'm late. Hope you haven’t started without me." Tears prick my eyes, but I can’t tear myself away from the screen. “Mags wanted to give you a little surprise of her own since you’ve done so much for her. Hell, for all of us. And there’sno way I’d want to miss out on your weddin’. I love you, Dad. I loveher.”
“I do too, kid. Love you too.”
“So how ‘bout we both stop cryin’ and we get you married, huh?” he says, wiping his own eyes and making me chuckle as I do the same.
“OK, kid. Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Dad.”
The familiar chords ofWhen You Say Nothing at Allstarts playing over the speakers and all heads but mine turn toward the open gate behind us.
Rod gives me a knowing wink before nodding for me to turn around. When I do, I lock eyes with my breathtaking bride walking toward me.
Her hair flows down her back in loose waves, a white veil resting on top dancing in the gentle breeze as she approaches. Her lace and satin dress clings to her hips before dropping down to the ground with cowboy boots peeking out at the bottom.
I’ve seen Mags dressed up and dressed down many times over the years. I’ve seen her naked, I’ve seen her sick, I’ve seen her happy, sad, wracked with grief, and elated beyond measure. But to me, right now, coming toward me to become my wife, she's never looked more beautiful.
Her eyes are glistening with tears when she reaches me. We both reach out to wipe the other’s cheeks at the same time, making the women and men standing as witnesses around us laugh and sigh.
I take her hand in mine and rub my thumb over her knuckles, pausing over her engagement ring that will soon be joined with a wedding band.
A surge of emotion wells up inside me. The love and devotion I have for her, the respect, honor, friendship, and absolute trust I have in her, is indescribable. The journey we've been on together, the obstacles we've overcome, the loss we’ve endured, and the unwavering support we've given each other have all brought us to this moment. And I wouldn’t change it for a second.
“I love you,” Mags whispers as she stares deep into my eyes.
I gently squeeze my fingers around hers and smile. “Love you too, darlin’. Feel like gettin’ married to me tonight?”
She shrugs and shoots me a wicked grin. “Thought you’d never ask,Ernest.”
I smirk, ignoring the gasp and murmurings of every single member of the Bull Mountain Ranch who have just learned the answer to their most asked question.
And with the sounds of the rodeo and a gentle breeze from the mountains washing over us, Margaret Lucille Gallagherfinallybecomes my wife.
The End
Or is it…
EPILOGUE 1 - WYATT
January
After three months of working harder than I have in my entire life–which says a lot for someone who lives on a ranch–I'm back in Spring Haven and more than ready to catch up with Dad and Mags and the rest of the ranch family.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve kept in touch, and they’ve all gone out of their way to keep me included in life at the ranch—right down to weekly updates about the animal gang’s antics. But nothing beats seeing the people you love in person.
That’s not to say I’m not grateful for the experience I had as a crab boat greenhorn, but I realized early into my stint on the boat that it wasnotthe life for me.
That doesn’t mean I’m planning on staying at Bull Mountain Ranch for long though. That’s news I’m yet to announce though.
My first stop after driving into town is to see Mags at the diner, except that when I pull my new-to-me pickup truck into aparking spot right outside the restaurant I find the place closed. “What the hell?”
I even second-guess myself and check the clock on the dashboard to make sure it's not past closing time. But nope, I’m not going crazy, it’s barely seven at night. Which means the diner should be in the middle of the dinner rush, and everyone from the ranch should be sitting at our corner table. Our Friday diner dinners are a tradition. So whereiseveryone?
Wyatt: Hey. Where are y’all?
Red: Hey. Are you back?
