“River’s a tough one. Big Bad SEAL didn’t scare her off.”
I’m grinning, but as I watch Sheriff Baker take up his spot, there’s a tumbleweed stuck in my throat.
“Go on.” She shoves me and I slice through the small crowd. A few guys from LSS and their girls are gathered in a group. Gray and his daughter, and Mae stop talking and swivel my way.
Dee Dee gives me a wink. Probably admiring the tux outfit she put together for me with River’s guidance. No pink, miraculously.
River called this my anti-hero look. Black on black on black.
The fiddle player by the arch tips his chin to his instrument and a long, slow note comes out of the wood andstrings, sending a chill through me and all my arm hairs standing up.
Christ, feels like I took a shot from that sound right in the heart.
But nothing compares when I turn in my spot and catch sight of my bride. Caleb momentarily blocks my view as he hugs his sister.
They exchange a few words, her eyes bright, his expression bordering on pain. A few seconds later, he’s moving toward me, the black tux he’s wearing shifting over his large shoulders.
He takes his spot beside me, a don’t fuck up vibe pelting my back.
“You run, you die,” he says under his breath.
I chuckle. “Not running anywhere but to bed with your sister.”
He kicks my leg and Sheriff Baker grumbles in his throat. “Boys…”
Rae Lynn skips out of the house, hair flying. Bouquet glowing against her charcoal gray dress.
“Oh, Jesus,” Caleb drawls. “That dress. Guess I might be running to bed withyoursister.”
It’s a good thing that River said she’s amused by men fighting in tuxedos because if this keeps up, there might just be a brawl.
But all thoughts of anyone, anything else in the world cease to exist when River steps out of the shadows and into the sunlight.
I barely notice Gunnar wagging his way down the aisle until he sits on my boot, his tail thumping the ground proudly.
River is my world now, an invisible cord running from her heart to mine.
Lace everywhere, dark hair loose in a waterfall of curls,flowers woven around her crown, she’s the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen.
I’m so fucking in love, I can’t breathe.
The hem of her dress rides up showing off her custom wedding boots, threaded with gold and pink, just like the bouquet she’s carrying.
My eyes have never stung so hard as they do when she steps in front of me, and blows me a little kiss, the sunlight glinting off her shimmery lip gloss.
“Hey, beautiful.” I manage to rasp out through gravel and dust.
“You look good in black, hero.”
“I love your dress.”
“Go on. Kiss her,” Sheriff Baker waves his note paper. “Cause you ain’t gonna pay attention to a word I say until you do.”
He’s right.
I drag River in for a not at all polite kiss, knocking the bouquet out of her hands, causing Gunnar to bark at the thing.
I forget where we are momentarily, until Caleb kicks me in the ankle again.
