“Wow.” Jackie whispered, suddenly invested in her phone screen.
“Who looks like Riley Green?” Bea’s face appeared in the mirror’sreflection behind us. For a moment, we all froze, until Jackie played it off.
“We’re talking about Jesse. Estelle wants his body.”
Bea laughed. Her face was radiant today. I had it on good authority—my sister-in-law’s—that Bea had spent some time with the groom last night despite traditions. And, well, it showed. Her entire presence practically levitated with joy. She kept touching her hair and lips and she couldn’t stop smiling. She kept getting texts that made her squirm and glance around the room before texting back.
Bea said, “You do know Jesse is thirty-five, right?”
“Age of prime.” Jackie smacked her lips. “Delicious.”
Estelle thought for a moment. “I’m at peace with an age gap.”
Bea laughed again. “Well, good luck with him, Stell. Tag and I would love to see the man go on a date, but there’s no one that turns his head. Trust me, we’ve tried.”
“Really? Are you sure?” Jackie’s eyes widened then cut to me. “No one?”
I gave her a warning glare.Don’t you dare.
“Yep.” A facetious smile crept onto Bea’s face as she looked back at Estelle. “He’s overdue for some TLC, sis. I vote you go for it.”
Estelle cooed, “TLC just so happens to be my speciality.”
“Great. Keep me updated.”
Our chit-chatting ebbed and flowed as Estelle pulled my hair back with pins and did my make-up. Jackie propped her feet up on the table, and Bea perched on the arm of my chair. We laughed and talked about the old days and Jackie caught us up on the drama she was having with her boyfriend. Eventually Sarah and Randi joined us and we all laughed until we had stitches.
It felt good.
For years, I wasn’t myself around my own family. I constantly worried about how my life and marriage and happiness would be perceived. Even now, I kept a tight rein on the way I responded and hoped nothing I did or said would give anyone a reason to ask questions. I fiercely protected what little Garrett and I shared—and I had nothing to show for it.
Why was I like this?
Garrett had whittled the Thompson DNA out of me, one scrape at a time.
And I let him.Whydid I let him?
The day flew by, and suddenly, we were tucking Bea into her dress, smoothing her ironed curls, and fussing over the way the tulle gathered around her pink cowgirl boots. Estelle sprayed everyone with more hairspray until we were coughing and laughing and jerking the can out of her hands.
Finally, it was time.
The wedding venue was truly breathtaking. When Bea informed us that the entire wedding would be happening in a pasture at Meadowbrook, I had my doubts. But standing in front of the simple ceremony site stole the breath from my lungs. An arch with wispy tulle stood before the background of green rolling hills and big, blue sky with puffy white clouds. On the left side of the ceremony was a small tented area with tables decorated for the reception.
Guests were already seated when my sisters, Dad, and I parked near the pasture. He was shuttling all the ladies from the cabin to the pasture, where we were instructed to line up behind a series of old wooden doors that were propped at the end of the aisle. Bea would hide there until it was time for Dad to escort her to Tag.
Dad smiled. “Go on. I gotta go get the bride.”
The groomsmen had already gathered at the doors. Cooper, my groomsmen. Harlan, a ranch hand. And the best man, Jesse.
The entire wedding had a very casual vibe, fitting for a ranch, but I had no doubt that white button up shirts, nice jeans, and shiny belt buckles was the Meadowbrook version of “dressed to the nines.”
And my goodness. It was a look that worked for Jesse.
The white shirt hugged his broad shoulders, the tucked tails accentuating his strong waist and stocky thighs. His hatless hair lifted in the breeze, the subtle reddish hue of his hair glinting in the sun.Talking to Harlan, he laughed, and I realized how striking his smile was.
I blinked, mesmerized, until Jackie’s sharp elbow caught my ribcage. “Careful. You’ll catch flies like that.”
I snapped my mouth shut.
