Page 156 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

She laughed and shook her head. “I guess we’re getting married!”

Doc pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and cheers rang out. There was a flurry of activity as everyone took their seats again. Doc and Juliette stood inside the lantern heart, in front of the altar he and their son had built, and with Lucas by their side, they pledged their everlasting love and were pronounced husband and wife.

As he kissed his bride, the celebration began anew. They were showered in hugs and peppered with questions about their due date and how Juliette was feeling. Lucas was cheered on for how great of a big brother he’d be, and he ate up the praise. Champagne bottles were popped, and toasts were made by just about everyone.

“I’m really happy for you all,” Birdie said. “But while you’ve been busy getting engaged, and married, and having babies, and finding love on this ranch, I’m still single. Me.” She motioned to herself, planting a hand on the hip of the one-piece wide-legged paisley pantsuit dwarfing her petite frame. “I mean, really.” She pointed at their parents. “This is your fault. I expect you to find a good-looking single man and have him walk onto this ranch and only have eyes for me. I’m giving you six months to get that done. Got it?”

Tiny burst into laughter.

“Sweetheart, that’s not how love works,” their mother said.

“My butt it doesn’t,” Birdie said. “Billie and Dare’s first kiss was in that barn.” She pointed to the barn. “Cowboy and Sully met here. Doc took one look at Juliette right here on this ranch and fell so hard, it lasted all these years. And Ezra? He kissed the flipping life out of Sasha as a teenager, and she was never the same again. Then he came to live on the ranch, and now look at them.”

Everyone glanced at them. Ezra was holding Gus and had one arm around Sasha. “Love you, Bo Peep,” he said, and kissed her.

“See?” Birdie crossed her arms, staring at her mother. “Dad took one look at you and came to the ranch and never left.” She lifted her chin triumphantly. “Tell her, Dad.”

Rebel cleared his throat and said, “It’s going to take a mighty strong man to take on that one.”

“You’re not wrong, son,” Tiny said, before turning a softer gaze on Birdie. “I love you, darlin’, but we didn’t pick your brothers’ and sister’s partners.”

“That was the magic of the ranch, honey,” her mother said. “We might’ve nudged things here and there, but we don’t choose our children’s forever loves.”

Birdie groaned. “You guys suck. I need cake! Can we cut the cake? Or is that controlled by the magic of the freaking ranch, too?”

As laughter and jokes ensued, Lucas nudged Doc and said, “I love it here…Dad,” and hurried off to get cake with Layla, as if he hadn’t left Doc slack-jawed.

“Did he just call you Dad?” Juliette asked.

“Uh-huh” was all he could manage. As they made their way toward the happy mayhem that was his family, he looked at his beautiful pregnant wife and at their adventurous, healthy boy, and he was sure his heart was going to pound right out of his chest. These were the moments he lived for. They’d shared hundreds of them over the last eight months, and he looked forward to a lifetime filled with them.