Her eyebrows slowly rise with each word I say. “You mean marrying you?”
I nod. “If you need the pasture, we can work out a lease. But I don’t want you to feel cornered into marrying me.”
“But what about your ranch? If we don’t get married, you won’t get the land.” She looks confused.
I shove my free hand in my jeans pocket, and hold the coffee cup against my chest with the other one. “Yes. But I couldn’t live with myself if I thought you felt trapped in a marriage to me.”
Bliss sighs as she takes a few steps toward me, closing the distance. Her coffee cup clinks against mine; she’s standing so near.
“You’re not the only one who’s getting something out of this marriage. You don’t have to feel guilty, Zane.” She tilts her head back to look up at me, and my eyes fall to her light pink lips. “My mother is desperate to move into her grandmother-era. So desperate that I haven’t been able to relax in my home in years. I’m scared some strange man is going to leap out from behind a corner. But when I’m with you? I feel safe.”
“You don’t feel trapped?”
Bliss snorts. “When have you known me to get trapped into doing something I don’t want to do?”
I give her a hard look. “All the time. Because I think you’re the kind of person who bends over backward to help otherpeople, even at your own detriment. It’s why I want to make sure this is something you want to do.”
Bliss stands there, eyes flickering over my face for a few moments before she answers me. “Zane. I want you to listen to my words because I mean them with every fiber of my being. You are, without a doubt, the only man I could imagine being married to.”
I blow out a slow sigh of relief. “Well, I guess that answers that.”
CHAPTER 14
Bliss
The dayof the wedding came fast. For most people, picking a wedding date has more to do with venue availability. But here in Pine Ridge, it means that everyone has to find time to take a break from spring roundups. All the hay farmers are about to start cutting, and everyone’s gearing up for summer harvests. We decided it was either a quick engagement and a May wedding, or wait all the way until the winter time.
Since my mom has already started turning my room into her new quilting space, Zane and I decided we might as well get married right away. Our engagement has lasted less than four weeks.
No one has commented on the brevity of it, besides telling us how happy they are for us and asking if they can bring some food to the reception. It’s one of the many reasons why I love this town. Even things like weddings aren’t a one-family show. I’ve hardly had to do a thing to get ready for my own wedding with all the volunteer help.
I’m grateful for it, because I have been busy dealing with a group of late lambing ewes that keep having problems. This morning, I had to pull a breech single lamb. Luckily, both theewe and the lamb lived and are doing great. But it wasn’t exactly a very wedding-ish activity to do. It definitely wasn’t an appointment at the nail salon. My sisters were laughing when I came back to the house, splattered with afterbirth. My mom was horrified, and Dad asked if I was able to save the ewe. Both my brothers-in-law were wise enough not to make any comment on the situation.
Both of my sisters are here for the wedding. Briar and her family, along with Belle and her husband, flew up to spend the week with us. We lost both Briar and Belle to Texas when they married. It’s a crying shame because I really like my sisters. And I like their husbands, too. I wish I could convince them to move back.
Briar adjusts the small veil pin on the back of my hair and then comes around to stand in front of me, brushing a few wispy hairs back. “You look so beautiful. I cannot believe you’re getting married today. My baby sister.”
Her eyes are misty, and I’m scared she’s going to make me cry.
“Don’t do it, Briar,” I tell her. “I don’t know how waterproof my mascara is.”
She laughs and pulls me into a hug, careful not to crush my hair or the veil. “I love you so much, and I’m so glad for you. Zane is such a good guy, and I hope you two will be very happy.”
Briar and Zane went to school together. From what I gather, I think they were friends. But honestly, I wasn’t paying that much attention when they were in high school. I was busy in my elementary class.
“Do you think it’s weird?” I pull back a little to look at her face. “Be honest—is the age gap strange?”
She shakes her head. “No. Knowing both of you the way I do, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Actually, I think you will get along really well. You have qualities that complement each other. He’sa lot of fun, and you have a quick sense of humor. I’ve never seen two people more willing to help someone else, and I can see if you aim that kindness toward each other, you’ll always feel loved and cared for. Oh, and I forgot the most important thing: you’re both workaholics.” She laughs when I glare at her. “It’s okay though, because you love what you do. I hope you have a lot of fun because I have a lot of fun with Oliver, even though we’ve been married for seven years now.”
She rests a hand on her belly. “And who knows? Maybe sooner rather than later, Addison and baby Billy will have a cousin,” she says with a grin.
She is six months pregnant and having a boy, which is another reason Zane and I decided to get married right away—because if I waited longer, she wouldn’t have been able to come. Apparently, airlines frown upon people giving birth on an airplane. Addison, my niece, is going to be the flower girl.
“Yes, well, they’ll have a cousin from Belle. Your due dates are only a couple of months apart. You have to give me a while to get used to being married before we even mention a baby.” I force a smile as I realize it might be years before that’s a reality for me. It’s not even something Zane and I have thought about, much less discussed.
The door to the bedroom opens, cutting off anything Briar could say, and Dad steps in. We’re in the Maddens’ house, and Zane’s mom kindly set up all sorts of mirrors for us in the guest room so that we could get ready here.
“Oh, you’re so beautiful,” Dad tells me as he thumps across the floor. He’s wearing his nice cowboy boots today, and he even shined them for the event.
