Page 45 of She Autumn Be Mine

“I found out why Maddox wasn’t at my reception.” His jaw clicked under the beard. “Fucking around with a woman like I suspected—one of my mother’s friends. Twice his age. Can you believe that?” He shook his head. “Hockey fame’s ruined him. Montana has gone wild for their hockey team, like Frostbite fever has taken over. One of these days somebody’s going to knock Maddox’s ego flat, and I hope I’m there to see it.”

Poppy Wylde, drifting past with two plates of cake, overheard every word and executed an eye roll of championship caliber. “And to think I wore heels for that man,” she muttered, and kept walking, but I was probably the only woman to hear it.

I filed that away. Something told me the story of Maddox Alexander wasn’t done in this town.

Ivy and Colt found us at the dessert table to say congratulations.

I thanked Ivy for the hundredth time and she waved it off with: “Are you kidding, this was the most fun I’ve had all year.”

Colt snickered, “Imagine how much fun your own wedding might be.”

“You really should set a date. Best day ever, in my opinion,” Jake pulled me into his side, his eyes heating on me.

“We’re trying, but we have two hometowns, two time zones, and too many opinions,” Colt slipped a mint into his mouth.

“We’ll figure it out. We’re in no hurry,” Ivy took a bite of cake.

“Really? I know for a fact you’ve been trying on gowns in Billings when you say you’re picking up shop supplies. So waiting’s not the real plan either, is it, my little boss babe?” He tried to kiss her cheek but she turned away. “I know what you want. I’m standing right here wanting the same damn thing. What I don’t know is why we keep letting the details win.”

I went still beside Jake, wondering if we should be watching this or not.

Ivy set her plate down, crossing arms over her chest. “You want to know what I learned this week, planning this?” She gestured at us and everything, two hours of magic she’d conjured up in five days. “These two didn’t plan a wedding. There wasn’t time. They just wanted to be married, and everyone rallied together to make it happen. So maybe we shouldn’t be planning a wedding.”

That got Colt’s back up. “What are you saying?”

“We should plan a marriage and let the wedding be whatever’s left over.”

Colt nodded slowly, everything dawning on him. “I’m thinking of just the two of us and a witness.”

“Yeah. Something impossibly simple,” Ivy said, stepping closer. “Just us. Soon.”

“How soon?”

“Let’s discuss the details in the morning.” Ivy grabbed that cowboy by the collar and kissed him in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with event planning. Colt kissed her back with both hands in her hair, almost bending her over the dessert table.

Jake and I inched away and we didn’t see the two of them for a while after that.

The send-off happened at full dark. Everyone held sparklers, lighting a path to Jake’s decorated truck. The ranch crew had tied soap and tin cans to the bumper, and a full set of deer antlers were zip-tied to the grille.

We said our thank yous and goodbyes, until only one goodbye remained. The hardest one.

Dot held Stetson, sound asleep against her shoulder. The bag I’d packed for him was already in the McCalls’ truck. This would mark my baby’s first night away from me in his entire life, and everybody could guess which of the two of us it was going to be harder on.

I held him for a long time, with Jake softly caressing my back. My eyes were swimming by the time I made myself hand him back. My makeup was likely ruined, and I didn’t care who saw.

We’d counted every one of Stetson’s firsts. This one was mine. The first night of his whole life without him. Nobody warned me how a first could feel like this. Like handing somebody your beating heart and asking them to drive carefully.

Dot eased him into the car seat. “Stop by late in the morning to pick him up. I’m making pancakes, and this young man will likely be wearing most of them on his sweet face. Come hungry. I’m sure you’ll work up an appetite.” Then, quieter, just for me, with one warm hand to my wet cheek: “He’ll be loved and safe every single minute. That’s the whole job of a grandmother, honey. Go on, now.”

Mr. McCall shook Jake’s hand at the truck, quietly nodding his approval. They drove home.

We drove on to the cabin, but with only part of my heart. The rest of it stayed with Stetson.

FOURTEEN

Claimed

Jake