The reception was chaos in the best possible way. Someone had rigged up speakers in the second barn, and music filled the evening air. The tornado had damaged half the structures on the property, but somehow that made this celebration feel even more precious. We were all here, together, alive, and witnessing something beautiful rise from the wreckage. Tomorrow we could deal with rebuilding. But today was about celebration and love.
“Xavier!” I turned to see Pastor Mike heading my way, a small gift in his hand. “I just wanted to congratulate you on putting together such a beautiful wedding!”
“Uh… thanks…” I laughed nervously. “Not my best work, though. I usually don’t plan for tornadoes.”
“I don’t think anybody does,” he nodded. “But obviously this wedding was meant to be. I’ve never seen a happier pair or a town so united behind them.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“I wanted to ask a favor,” he added quickly, holding out the present to me. “Can you give this to Beau and Lucas with my apologies? We’ve got a handful of people in town with no place to go at the moment, so the church is playing host until their families can come get them. I’ve got my hands full of hungry cowboys and old folks that need some of God’s love right now.”
“Of course,” I said, taking the gift. “I’ll let them know. I’m sure they understand.”
“Thank you, Xavier.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “You’re a good man. I hope everything with you and the sheriff goes well.”
“You,” I said with as much sass as I could muster. “Are too observant for your own good.”
He just grinned. “I’ve been told that more than once.”
He turned to leave, but I called after him. “Hey! We had quite a few no-shows today because of the storm. Can I send the extra food down to the church for the people you’re helping?”
Pastor Mike grinned. “Yes, you can. God bless you.”
I shrugged. “Someone should eat it.”
He waved and was on his way. I delivered his gift over to the appointed table and wrote a quick note to Lucas and Beau before tucking it into the ribbon. I pulled the head server aside and told him about the plan for the extra food and gave him the keys to my rental to have it delivered. It wasn’t the good deed of the century, but I figured the people of Sagebrush could use all the help they could get right now.
Finally, I made my way back to the door and waited until everyone from the wedding party filed back in. They’d been outside doing their best to get some photos in the undamagedsections of the property. The last to walk in was Marcus and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Took you long enough,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.
“Lucas and Beau wanted to get photos with everyone,” he grinned, his smile making warmth bloom in my chest. “You only get married once.”
“You don’t know the people I know then,” I laughed. We both turned to watch Lucas and Beau head toward the main table, everyone clapping and cheering them on. “But for those two… I think once is all it will take.”
Marcus pulled me tight against him, his strong arms making me feel safe and wanted in a way that I still wasn’t used to. “Come walk with me,” he said. “We’ll be back in time for the speeches.”
I followed Marcus out into the cool evening air, my hand in his as we walked away from the warmth and noise of the reception. The sun was setting over the damaged property, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange that made even the broken fences and collapsed outbuildings look beautiful in their own way.
We didn’t speak at first. We just walked, our boots crunching on gravel, until we reached the old cottonwood tree at the edge of the property. It had survived the tornado without a scratch, standing tall and defiant against everything nature had thrown at it.
Marcus turned to face me, his green eyes serious in the fading light. “Xavier,” he started, then paused like he was gathering his thoughts.
My stomach tightened. I knew that tone. It was the same one he’d used when he told me he couldn’t be with me, back when fear had ruled both our lives.
“I’ve been thinking,” he continued, reaching up to cup my face with one calloused hand. “About what you said. About your job, about traveling, about how you can’t just stop being who you are.”
I swallowed hard, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“And you were right,” he said softly. “I can’t ask you to give up your life for me. That’s not what love is supposed to be.”
“Marcus—”
“Let me finish,” he said, a small smile playing at his lips. “I don’t want you to give up your work. I don’t want you to change. What I want is for us to figure this out together. If that means you’re traveling half the month, then that’s what it means. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I stared at him, hardly daring to believe what I was hearing. “You mean that?”
“I mean it,” he said firmly. “I’ve spent too long being afraid, Xavier. Afraid of what people would think, afraid of losing my job, afraid of being myself. But watching those two in there...” He gestured back toward the barn where music and laughter spilled out into the night. “They reminded me that love is worth the risk. You’re worth the risk.”
