Dakota had moved into the ranch house, and whenever Jace wasn’t working, he was there. The four of them—Blade, Dakota, Millie, and Jace—had become a family, and Blade loved every second of it. Dakota, being the independent woman that she was, insisted on helping with the ranch, and Millie wanted to help too, so it was a family business. Together, they had made a success of it, and Blade hoped that his parents would be proud of what they had accomplished.
***
Dakota made her way down the passage and to Millie’s room. She knocked first and then peeked inside. “You need any help?”
Millie’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please.”
Dakota stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Nobody was supposed to see the bride before the wedding.
“All right,” Dakota said, walking over to her. “Let’s turn you into a princess.”
For the next half an hour, Dakota helped Millie get ready for her big day.
“I never thought this would happen to me,” Millie told her. “I thought I would be alone my entire life.”
“Nonsense, a pretty woman like you. If Jace hadn’t shown up, some other handsome man would have.”
“I highly doubt it,” Millie replied with a laugh. “But it doesn’t matter because Jace did show up, and he’s amazing.”
Millie was right. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that both of them found men who loved them and accepted them for who they were. Dakota had always been an outcast, too. She was mixed race and didn’t act the way ladies were supposed to, but Blade didn’t care about any of that. He had seen her for who she was, not who people wanted her to be.
“He’s a lucky man to have you,” Dakota told her.
Millie looked in the mirror, adjusting the pearls that decorated her neck. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I do,” Dakota said with finality. “And so does he.”
There was a knock at the door, and both of them turned to look.
“Who is it?” Dakota called.
“Your husband!” Blade yelled back.
Dakota still marveled at the fact that she was married to Blade, and not only that, she was carrying his child. Before he had kissed her, she had never thought that they would end up together. She had hoped and dreamed, but as brave as she was, she hadn’t dared to act on her feelings until Blade had. Their first kiss was one of the highlights of her life.
Dakota walked to the door and opened it a fraction, peeking out. “What is it?”
“We’re ready,” he replied as his eyes moved up and down her body, causing her skin to warm up.
After Blade had left the kitchen, Dakota had changed into her dress for the wedding. She didn’t usually wear dresses, but it was a special occasion, and most of her pants didn’t fit anymore. She loved the fact that they were having a baby, andher pregnancy had been a breeze, but she really missed being able to wear whatever she wanted.
Dakota glanced over her shoulder. “Are you ready to do this?”
Millie nodded. “Yes.”
Dakota stepped back and opened the door. “I guess you can come in then,” she said.
Blade stepped into the room, his eyes landing on his sister. The look on his face was priceless. They had never thought that Millie would talk again, let alone get married, and Dakota knew how much it meant to Blade to see his sister happy and thriving.
“You look beautiful,” he told her, holding his arm so that she could hold on to it.
Dakota followed after them as they made their way to the barn. They had gone all out with Millie’s wedding. Dakota and Blade’s wedding had been a simple affair. They had gotten married at the court and then celebrated by going for a ride in the wilderness. It was what they had wanted, but Millie had always dreamed of being a princess, and she deserved nothing less.
Once she had started talking, Millie had quickly found herself again. With Jace by her side, she had become moreoutgoing, and it hadn’t taken her long to make friends. The whole town adored Jace, and slowly, they were starting to like Millie too. That was why they were having their wedding in the barn. They needed a place with enough space for all the people who wanted to celebrate Millie and Jace’s love.
Not a lot of people had big weddings, but both Jace and Blade had insisted that they spare no cost, and for the last week, they had been preparing. The barn was decorated with flowers, a band was hired, a cake was specially made, and enough food to feed the entire town was prepared. Everything was ready for the biggest celebration of Millie’s life.
After seeing Millie suffer for so long, Dakota loved seeing her so happy. It was amazing to see her become the person she was always supposed to be. They had Jace to thank for that. Dakota had no idea how he did it, but he had somehow managed to break down her walls and gain her trust. Millie was happy again and had even started going out. She wasn’t as scared anymore and was spending less time taking care of her vegetable garden and more time having fun. Millie’s sudden recovery had taken a huge burden off Blade, too, making him much more relaxed.
