She spun around and both hands flat on her husband’s chest, she brushed at invisible lint. “You wore your favorite jacket. The one with the elbow patches. You said it made you feel like a rich lord.”
His dad smiled. “Still does. And it still fits.”
That had his mother teetering on a smile for half a second. “It crushed me to see you wrapped around Anne. Until that day I had believed that whatever had been between you two was buried in the past. I knew, if I didn’t want to lose you, I’d have to keep you far away from this place.”
“What?” His dad shook his head. “I have never, ever kissed another woman since finding you. Not Anne, not anyone.”
“But I saw you. And you were so sullen and lost after we went home. You hardly spoke to any of us. I knew you were regretting letting her get away.”
Ryan squeezed Nicole’s hand. What a day to air the family laundry. He made a strong note to self, never ever let Nicole doubt how much he loved her. For the rest of his life, he was going to make sure she felt very loved by him. The thought had barely passed through his mind when the wordsrest of his lifebegan spinning around in his head. The rest of his life. That was what he wanted. What he’d fight for if he had to. What he had to convince her of. Letting go of her hand, he let his hand slide around her waist and tucked her in a little closer, kissing her temple lightly. “Sorry about all this.”
She shook her head. “Don’t be. It strikes me it’s past high time they resolved this feud.”
“Wait a minute.” Brian stepped out from behind his wife. “Are you referring to the wedding where I was the best man?”
Mariah shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t remember.”
“The one,” Brian stared at her pointedly, “where I slipped in the mud a few minutes before I had to make the toast?”
Looking up, his mother squinted as though trying to read the answer without her glasses. “Did you?”
“And I,” Ryan’s dad, came around to stand between his brother and his wife, “loaned Brian my clean jacket to wear for the toast.”
“And thenmywife told me how proud she was of my great speech and gave me a long big kiss that had me wishing the reception would end sooner than later.” Uncle Brian reached beside him to take hold of Aunt Anne’s hand. “And then I gave my brother back his jacket.”
Now his mom’s eyes were as round as a silver dollar. Her head jerked around to face her husband, who was bobbing his head, and then back to her brother-in-law, who had his arms crossed in front of him, glaring at her.
“Dear Lord.” Aunt Eileen stepped into the fray. “Do you mean to tell me that all these years, all this pain, was because you didn’t know your husband loaned his brother a jacket for a few minutes at a wedding?”
Her mouth slightly open, her eyes filled with a different kind of pain, his mother spun around and hugged his dad. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t tell me,” Patrick Farraday said softly.
Holding back tears and sniffles, she slowly turned to face the two women she’d been estranged from for too many years. “I don’t know how to say I’m sorry. For ever thinking, never mind believing…”
Aunt Anne extended her hand to Mariah’s arm. “Anyone could have made that mistake under the circumstances. I just wish you’d told us all those years ago.” Anne proceeded to pull her sister-in-law into a hug. Within moments, all three women were hugging and crying and apologizing and the men standingbehind their wives merely looked relieved this entire mess was now behind them. At least Ryan hoped so.
“Just a little misunderstanding.” Nicole was beyond flabbergasted that something so little as a momentarily loaned jacket could have created so many years of loss and hurt for so many people. “I just can’t imagine.” Her gaze shifted to Ryan, her heart swelling with something uniquely strange to her, and yet, something she desperately wanted. Not for today, not for now, but for always.
“I guess this is why communication is key.” Ryan grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the crowd.
Without hesitating, she followed him. Truth was, she’d follow Ryan anywhere. And wasn’t that something unexpected coming from her. She’d always assumed that someday she’d find a good man to marry and settle down with, whatever that meant, but this, this feeling that took root deep down inside her, it was more than she ever expected. And something she desperately didn’t want to lose. “I don’t think I can blame your mom for fighting the only way she knew how to keep the man she loved.”
“But it wasn’t necessary.” Ryan sighed. Coming to a stop around the corner to where chairs and a red carpet had been set up for the ceremony in front of a lovely altar with a flowing drapery hanging from the canopy. The view of God’s country behind it making the perfect backdrop for lifetime vows.
“To her it was.” She paused to look up at the makeshift church. Bows tied at every chair along the aisle. Massive flower pots creating walls on the far sides. “What an amazing place for a wedding.”
“I was just thinking that. Every wedding at the ranch is slightly different and yet always perfect.”
She took a step over to one of the dark cedar posts holding up the sheer fabric draped from above. “Definitely perfect.”
Ryan tugged at her hand, spinning her around to face him. Except he wasn’t there. Her gaze dropped, as did her mouth. Wide open with one hand flying to her lips as she stared down at Ryan on one knee.
“I’m sorry to say, I don’t have a ring. Until a few minutes ago, I didn’t even know I was going to do this. But my one takeaway from the recent drama is that I never, ever want to lose you. I want to share the rest of my life with you. For better, for worse, and for all the crazy relatives and mysteries that life has to offer. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you, and I promise,” he paused to draw an X over his heart then wrapped her hand again in both of his, “that I will never give you any reason to ever doubt just how much I love you. Ever. Will you marry me, Nicole?”
Her hands still pressing against her open mouth, she managed to hold back the tears of joy and nod her head. “Yes, yes, and yes.”
Springing up to his full height. Ryan pulled her into a tight embrace. “Just so you know, I’ll go wherever you want, back to Oklahoma, to Sadieville, here in Tuckers Bluff or Timbuktu. As long as you’re with me.”
