Reverend Sands pronounces us husband and wife, and he cheers along with everyone else when Logan picks me up off the ground and kisses me silly.
Mama cries, and Mrs. Rattles complains loudly about her terrible luck in losing her daughter’s July fourth wedding date to a man who stole her day and then switched brides.
We face the crowd as Reverend Sands says, “Best wishes to the newlyweds!”
A loud meow follows, and Mr. Bingley comes out of his hiding place and brushes past my legs. I pick him up in one hand and keep my other hand tight in Logan’s.
But before we can take even one step down the aisle, Logan’s father calls out, “Bull!! He broke free! Holy cripes—we’ve got to get him!”
He jumps out of his seat and runs down the aisle ahead of us.
“Somebody help him!” Daddy yells. “That’s his bull on the loose!”
113
My father points out the window at the bull running on the wrong side of the fenced field by The Cowherd.
Blake, Logan, and his three brothers are down the aisle faster than I can blink.
Mr. Bingley sails out of my arms and heads for the safety of his bed as the entire place goes into a frenzy and everyone storms the front door.
The photographers and reporters are the first out after the Wild boys, and Skip starts shouting. “We need a photo! Bull breaks free from his pen! Awesome headline!”
I walk outside with Ginny, and we stand on the porch and watch as the bull keeps moving.
“Oooh, look Macey!” She gestures to Logan galloping by on horseback with Blake, Reid, Ty, and Jesse close behind on their own horses.
And yeah, all five guys look hot as hell.
“What are they going to do?” Skip asks me as he cowers beneath the porch awning.
“They’re gonna rope him,” I say.
“Cool.” Skip looks at me in newfound awe. “So your husband really is a cowboy.”
My husband.
“He was always a cowboy.” I smile as Logan rides close to the bull’s head and forces him left so Blake and Reid can lasso him. They bring him inside the fence, and Mr. Wild calls out to them to take the bull further back to a different field until he can fix the broken gate.
“Let’s follow them on the outside of the field so we can get some more photos,” Skip calls out.
Everyone takes off after him like a huge wave. I lose Ginny in the crowd and decide to circle back alone to The Cowherd.
When I get inside, I stand in the chapel for a few minutes by myself, enjoying the emptiness and the silence. I remember Logan and me saying our vows up on the altar, and I look down at my ring and exhale happily. It’s not too tight, it’s not too heavy, and I don’t want to rip it off my finger and drown it in the toilet.
I leave the chapel and wander into the saloon where I walk behind the bar and glance at Vivian’s diary. I wonder if it will stay locked up in the museum forever after tonight. I climb up on the counter to take out my purse from the closed cabinet where Mama hid it for me during the ceremony, and then I pick up an untouched glass of Loganiskey off the counter.
“So unsanitary,” I hear as the door opens.
I whip around and laugh as Logan advances on me from across the room.
He climbs up onto the counter, pulls me into his arms, and kisses me.
“How’d you get back here before everyone else?” I ask him as he takes off his suit coat and wipes sweat off his forehead. “Last I saw, you were on the back of a horse playing hero.”
“I told my brothers I had a hot date at the bar.” He grins and takes the glass from me. “And I never got my pre-wedding drink. Come on. Let’s go somewhere private.”
He takes my hand in his free one and we walk down the hall toward the liquor room. As we approach the half-closed door?—
