I didn’t answer him. Instead, I shoved a cat into his arms and another into Beau’s. “Those belong to Mrs. Patterson.”
“Marcus!” I heard a familiar voice call from inside.
Without a second thought I pushed past the three of them into the shelter. “Xavier? Xavier!”
I’d barely made it ten feet in the door when I saw him. His hair was a mess, his clothes soaked through, and even from this distance I could see his face was blotchy like he’d been crying.
“Marcus!” His voice cracked on my name, raw with emotion.
Xavier crashed into me hard enough that I stumbled backward, his arms wrapping around me with desperate strength. He was shaking, or maybe I was shaking, or maybe we both were.
But I didn’t care. He was alright. We both were. And that was all that mattered.
“You idiot,” he sobbed against my neck. “You complete fucking idiot. I thought?—”
But he didn’t get to finish. I swept him up in my arms, kissing him hard. He melted into me, his hands fisted in my shirt. When I finally pulled away, breathless and relieved, I didn’t care that everyone was staring.
“I love you, Xavier,” I said before he could speak. “I love you so much.”
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at me. “I… I love you too you fucking idiot.”
Chapter 26
Xavier
Isat in the front row, next to Beau’s father, with tears streaming down my face. They were happy tears as I looked on at Lucas and Beau standing there, holding hands, reciting their vows to one another.
“Beau,” Lucas said, the biggest smile I’d ever seen on his face. “I don’t know if I can begin to express how special you are to me. When I first came to Texas, I thought I was just passing through. It was just another place to conquer and leave behind. But you...” He paused, his voice catching. “You showed me what home really means. Not a place on a map, but a person who sees you for who you truly are and loves you anyway.”
Beau’s eyes glistened in the afternoon light streaming through the barn windows. The whole place had been transformed. There were fairy lights strung across the rafters, wildflowers in mason jars on every surface. It was simple and beautiful, just like them, and the best we could do with the entire ranch in shambles after the tornado.
I glanced at Beau’s father beside me. He sat with his weathered hands clasped in his lap, his jaw working slightly like he was fighting his own emotions. When Lucas had first shown up on the ranch two years ago, I’d worried how this would allturn out. The city boy and the cowboy. It seemed like something out of a story too sweet to be real.
But watching them now, I knew it was real. More real than anything else I’d ever seen.
“You taught me that strength isn’t about closing yourself off,” Lucas continued, squeezing Beau’s hands. “It’s about having the courage to open up, even when it scares you. And God, you scare me, Beau Turner. Because I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. And I never will.”
A soft sob escaped Dolly as she stood next to Beau in her black sequin dress. She’d been crying since the processional started.
“Lucas,” Beau began, clearing his throat. “When I met you, you scared the shit out of me.” There were a few laughs from the crowd. “Because I wasn’t ready to admit what I wanted or who I was just yet. But you crashed into my life, turned everything upside down, and showed me that what I wanted more than anything was not only to be true to myself, but to love you loudly and proudly for the entire world to see.”
I watched as Beau’s voice grew stronger, more confident with each word. This wasn’t the shy, quiet rancher Lucas had told me about all those years ago. This was someone who’d found his voice through love.
“You showed me that being vulnerable isn’t weakness—it’s the bravest thing a person can do. And I promise you, Lucas Greene, I’ll be brave for you every single day for the rest of my life.”
Jack Montgomery Turner let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob beside me. I reached over and patted his shoulder, and he gave me a nod, not bothering to wipe the tears rolling down his weathered cheeks.
Sheriff Marcus Webb smiled warmly at them both from his place as their officiant. “Well,” he said with a smile. “I don’t haveany power to marry you.” He held up a certificate so the crowd could see it. “But this little paper says it’s a done deal.” There were a few chuckles from the crowd. “So, I suppose y’all better get to kissin’.”
Lucas didn’t wait for Beau to move first. He pulled him in, one hand cupping his face, and kissed him like they were the only two people in the world. The barn erupted in cheers and applause, and I found myself on my feet with everyone else, clapping so hard my hands stung.
When they finally broke apart, both grinning like fools, Lucas raised their joined hands in the air in triumph. Beau’s face was flushed pink, but he was beaming.
As they walked back down the aisle together, I caught Lucas’s eye. He mouthed “thank you” to me, and I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
Jack leaned over to me. “Never thought I’d see the day,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “But damn if I’m not grateful I did.”
“Me neither,” I said softly.
