“I love you. I’m going to keep telling you every day for the rest of our lives. In every song we write. In every kiss we have.”
He kisses me softly right then and there. There’s whooping and cheers from the crowd.
“You’re supposed to wait to do that!” Tanner yells good-naturedly.
Walker shoots him a glare before turning back to me with a tender smile. “I love you, baby. And I thank my lucky fucking stars every day that you love me too. “
“Language, Dad!” Jonah sing-songs.
I try to get through my vows. I really do. I make it as far as “I knew from the moment you called me copperhead” before I completely lose it. By the end I'm crying too hard to say mine properly and Walker just laughs and kisses my forehead.
“Close enough,” he says.
Daryl officiates and reads the words that I can barely concentrate on enough to repeat. Walker slides a diamond wedding band on my finger, and I slide a simple gold one onto his.
When my now-father-in-law saysyou may kiss your brideWalker takes my face in both hands and kisses me while everyone we love and no one else in the entire world is there to witness it.
The rest of the day is a beautiful blur.
Daryl's toast, which makes everyone cry.
Slade’s toast, which makes everyone laugh. Kind of surprising for someone who looks like they last cracked a smile about a decade ago.
Tanner dancing with Cassidy before she pulls away and leaves him looking wrecked for a good while after that.
When I come around the corner, I see Josie and Rafe sitting on the back porch steps, a bottle of champagne besides them. She’s kicked off her heels and he’s giving her a leisurely foot rub. She takes a drink directly from the bottle and passes it to him, where he takes a long pull of his own.
They’re not talking. Josie’s just gazing at the moon risingover the mountains. And Rafe’s gazing at her like she’s the one who hung it.
Talking to Walker or any of the Rhodes boys, you’d think Rafe was as good as their blood brother. But the way he’s looking at the baby sister of the family, not to mention touching her, is anything but brotherly. Those two are mighty cozy with each other.
I back away, unseen.
Everyone deserves to have some secrets.
At some point Walker dances with me in the golden hour light, one hand at my waist, his forehead dropped to mine, both of us barely moving. Later, Jonah sits on my lap and insists that Walker play a song on the guitar for everyone.
He does.
One of his own songs. One ofoursongs.
As the day fades into the low, golden light just before sunset, the wedding party goes on. And I find myself drifting away from the hubbub, taking a moment to look at it from the outside in.
This is my life now. These people. This valley. This sky going amber and rose over a place I've known my whole life and never really seen until this summer.
Walker comes up on my left. Jonah comes up on my right, tucking himself under my arm.
“How’s my beautiful bride?” Walker murmurs in my ear.
“Happy,” I say simply. “Really…” Making sure Jonah’s not looking, I mouth the word “fucking” at Walker, grinning. And continue in my normal voice, “Happy.”
He grins, pulling me tightly to him. “I think I’ve thoroughly corrupted you, my sweet wife.”
“And you don’t even have the decency to look ashamed about it,” I tease.
“Never,” he agrees. He kisses me softly. “Not when I get to spend the rest of our lives doing it.”
He takes us both to the cottonwood tree and produces a small knife from his pocket.
