Page 134

The small crowd erupted in cheers as Colt sealed his lips with Remi’s. The salt of her tears remained on his lips as the kiss ended.

“I’m pleased to reintroduce Mr. and Mrs. Colton Walker!”

The cheers rose as the congregation stood to their feet. The guys from the ranch hooted, and every woman in the room wiped their eyes.

Colt swept Remi and her flowing dress into his arms and carried her down the aisle, ready to love her and their family with everything he had for the rest of his life.

Bonus Epilogue

BRETT

Brett sipped punch out of the teensy clear plastic cup. The reception was cool and all, but would it kill them to use bigger cups? He’d refilled the squatty little thing a dozen times already. Half of his dinner had been spent running back and forth to the refreshments bar.

“Brett.”

He turned at the call and tipped his kiddie cup to Everly. “Hey, nice party.”

She tilted her head and gave him a proud grin. “Thanks. Would you mind helping out? I need someone to help load the gifts into Colt’s truck.”

The punch slid down the wrong pipe in his throat, and he coughed. “Were we supposed to bring gifts?”

Everly waved her hand. “Not really. The invitation said that the couple were already established in their marriage and didn’t need gifts, but a few of the church friends wanted to give something anyway.”

“Whew. That’s a relief. Yeah, I’ll help out. Lead the way.”

Brett chucked his trusty cup in the trash as he followed Everly to one of the Sunday School classrooms. Everly’s description of “a few” might differ from Brett’s. There were no less than twenty bulky gifts on the long table.

Everly picked up one of the bigger ones. “Hold out your arms.”

Brett did as he was told as Everly stacked the presents.

“Okay. That’s enough for this load.” She picked up a few of the medium-sized gifts and a jingling set of keys. “I’ll go first and get the doors.”

Brett followed her out the side door of the church to where Colt’s truck was parked. Darkness had fallen, and a light layer of snow covered everything in sight. Everly clicked the key fob and opened the back door of the truck.

“You just stand there, and I’ll load them in,” Everly said.

He handed over the last one. “I think we can fit the others in here.”

“If not, we can use Blake’s truck too.”

The loud rumble of an engine interrupted the quiet night, and they both turned as headlights shone their way.

The truck sped up the road and jerked to turn into the church parking lot. Rubber burned and snow flew as the driver locked the brakes. The vehicle shook to a stop, and the passenger door opened. A thin woman fell out onto the gravel pavement, not even trying to brace for the impact.

Brett was running before the truck peeled back out onto the road. “Get Jameson!” he shouted over his shoulder at Everly. Brett had watched the woman’s head bounce off the pavement, and the foreman had been an EMT in his former life. If the woman needed medical help, Jameson was the closest, fastest option.

Brett slid to the ground beside the limp body. Dark blood tangled in her hair, and she lay limp on her side.

Brushing the hair from her face, he shouted, “Ma’am? Ma’am?” The silence turned his stomach as he cradled her head to roll her over. She fell lifeless into his waiting arms, and he pressed his fingers to her neck, searching and praying for a pulse.

His own heart was beating loud enough to pound in his ears, and he closed his eyes to focus on the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips. Finally, the small flutter of her heartbeat allowed him to breathe. He leaned his ear to her mouth and closed his eyes to focus again. He couldn’t hear breathing.

Frantic, he pushed the matted hair from her face. The pounding and crunching of quick footsteps in the thin snow behind him should have calmed his panic, but it didn’t. Blood was everywhere, and he was powerless to help.

One last brush of her hair, and he could see her face.

He couldn’t hear the running footsteps anymore. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t see anything but the familiar face in the dim moonlight. Even swollen and bloody, he’d always recognize the face that haunted his dreams.

“Thea.”