Page 43 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

Jett

May

“Stupid fucking tie,” I muttered under my breath. After a dozen attempts, I still couldn’t get the damn thing knotted properly, and frustration had me sweating through my dress shirt.

The bedroom door unlatched behind me, but my eyes remained fixed on the standing mirror as I tried again in vain to make the silk cooperate.

“How’s it going in here?” Daisy asked, coming into view through the reflective surface.

“Terrible,” I huffed out before turning around. I yanked the loose end of the tie from around my neck. “Remind me why I’m tying a noose around my neck again?” I hadn’t even worn a tie at my own wedding.

The tiniest smirk curved on my wife’s lips as she carefully eased the fabric from my hand and looped it through my collar before working to secure it into a knot. “Because”—her eyes remained focused on her task—“our daughter is getting married today and you want to look your best for her. ”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” I swallowed as she tightened the knot so that it came to rest at the base of my throat.

“There,” Daisy said softly, her palms skimming down my chest as she admired her handiwork.

Grimacing, I tugged it away from my neck. “Feels like I’m being strangled.”

“You only have to wear it for the ceremony and until we’re done with pictures. Then you can burn it for all I care.”

I grunted. “It’s a good thing I love her.”

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes growing glassy. “Wait until you see her.”

If Daisy was this emotional, I was sunk. Even if by all outward appearances it seemed like I was the stoic one, I’d had a soft spot in my heart for Aspen since the day she was born.

All at once, it hit me. I was giving away my little girl today, entrusting her well-being to another man for the rest of her life.

Mac was a good man. He’d proven that a hundred times over during the past two and a half years since Aspen first brought him home.

Yes, he was a little eccentric—in cahoots with my ma of all people, the two of them feeding off each other like they were part of some late-night comedy routine—but he brought out the best in my daughter.

I had never seen her smile so much; her laughter was a constant presence.

More than that, he’d brought her home . Not just to Rust Canyon, but to Sullivan Ranch.

The two of them had taken up residence in that cabin that had served as my personal hell once upon a time, claiming it as their own.

Though it wouldn’t be long before they moved out, as they were building a home of Aspen’s design on the property.

My baby girl was here to stay, and I had the man she was about to marry to thank for that .

“It’s been so nice having all the kids around,” Daisy mused. “It’s like back when they were all in high school again and the ranch was the place to hang out.”

I hummed. She wasn’t wrong about that.

The past week brought a heavy dose of nostalgia. Beyond the chaos of the wedding week festivities—a majority of which took place on our land—Bex coming back to town had stirred up all kinds of drama.

My daughter hadn’t seen fit to tell her best friend that Mac had befriended Tucker Grant, and the boy who’d broken Bex’s heart and caused her to avoid this town for a decade would be her partner for the wedding—the best man to her maid of honor.

So far, there’d been a broken wrist, a blowup at the church, and a fiancé who had come and gone so quickly I’d only heard mention of the man.

Last night, the pair of former high school sweethearts seemed relatively cozy, but then, out of nowhere, Bex took off running, and Tucker gave chase.

That was the last anyone saw of them until this morning, when the girls and guys began getting ready for the day’s big event.

Honestly, I couldn’t worry too much about any of that right now. My focus needed to be on keeping it together long enough to make it through the ceremony. But I had a feeling all bets were off once I laid eyes on my sweet girl dressed all in white.

“She’s waiting for you.” Daisy pressed a kiss to my cheek and stepped back.

There was a two-ton elephant sitting on my chest, making it hard to breathe, but I managed to nod, forcing my feet to move until I found myself at Aspen’s door.

When I knocked gently, my daughter’s voice called out, “Come in!”

Eyes sliding shut as I sucked in a deep breath, I turned the knob and pushed inside .

The world stood still as I drank in the sight of the angel set before me. White lace cascaded over her slight curves, a crown of flowers sitting atop her head. She looked like the perfect country bride.

Her bright blue eyes glistened, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she lifted the fabric away from her hips, with a shy, “What do you think?”

I swallowed roughly, my voice coming out thick. “I think you’re one of the best things I’ve ever done with my life.”

Blinking furiously, she dropped her gaze to the floor and whispered, “Daddy.”

Standing here, looking at the beautiful creature I’d made with the love of my life, I couldn’t believe there had been a time in my life when I didn’t want children. The young fool I’d been couldn’t even begin to comprehend all I would have missed out on in their absence.

The joy that a simple smile from them could bring.

The comfort of knowing they were safe when I tucked them in at night.

The pride that swelled within me as I watched their accomplishments.

The love that filled my heart nearly to bursting every time I looked at them.

Was it always easy? Hell, no. But I wouldn’t trade the two of them for the world.

Jerking my chin toward the open door behind me, I offered Aspen my arm. “Can’t let you be late on your big day.”

Her palm came to rest on my elbow as I guided her down the stairs.

The first thing I saw when we stepped onto the front porch where the bridal party waited was my wife’s grabbable ass as she bent to speak to a pair of children.

One of Aspen’s classmates had married Tanner Winfield’s youngest boy, Colt—the same one who’d been his daddy’s shadow during our barn raising, what felt like a lifetime ago—and together they had three little ones.

The older two, Aubree and Barrett, were serving in the wedding party as the flower girl and ring bearer, and it was no surprise that Daisy gravitated toward them.

I cleared my throat loudly, and she straightened before she spun around, eyes wide, but they immediately softened when they landed on Aspen.

A trembling hand rose to cover her mouth. “I better get out there before I ruin my makeup.” She gave our daughter’s free hand a quick squeeze and then scurried off toward where the guests were seated around the side of the house.

My gaze swept over Aspen’s bridesmaids, Bex, Penny, and Harper, dressed in identical blue dresses. “You look lovely, ladies,” I remarked.

“What ’bout me?” Barrett’s tiny face pulled into a scowl.

A chuckle broke free from my chest. “You look mighty handsome, little man.” I winked at his sister. “You too, sweetheart.”

Looking at them, I couldn’t help but feel like only yesterday Tripp and Aspen had been their size. Damn, where had the time gone?

Music sounded from the string quartet, and that was our cue. The girls all wished Aspen good luck as, one by one, they made their way down the porch steps and walked around the corner, until I was left alone with my daughter.

This was the final moment before I gave her away.

Now seemed as good a time as any to impart some of the wisdom gleaned from my three decades of marriage to her mother.

Patting her hand, I said, “I wish I could tell you that the hard part is over once you find the one person placed on this earth meant to be your perfect partner.” My lips pulled together, and I sighed.

“But the truth is that life has a habit of testing the strength of your relationship. Those are the times when you need to double down. Clinging to each other is the only way you’ll make it through.

You’ll always be stronger together, no matter the situation you may be faced with. Understood?”

In my periphery, I caught her slight nod. “I understand.”

“Good. Now let’s get you hitched.”

Slowly, we followed the path the others had taken.

When we cleared the side of the house, the musicians switched to a different tune, and everyone gathered rose to their feet in anticipation of our arrival.

The second we reached the far end of the aisle, and Mac came into view, Aspen sucked in a sharp breath that turned into a gasp when he barreled straight toward us as fast as his legs could carry him.

I jumped out of the way just in the nick of time as my daughter’s fiancé put his hands on her face before kissing her softly. With their foreheads resting together, I could barely make out his whispered words.

“Your love saved me, Aspen, and if it takes the rest of my life to thank you, that will be time well spent. I’m so lucky to call you mine.”

Aspen let out a stuttered exhale. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Mac nuzzled her nose, chuckling softly. “Guess I should go back to my spot then, huh?”

She nodded her agreement, and he pulled back to apologize to their invited guests before trekking back down the aisle. The music resumed, and I retook my place at my daughter’s side as we made our way toward her groom.

A giant grin split Mac’s face when we reached where he stood, his brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.

The preacher asked who was giving this woman away, and I replied that me and her mother were before stepping forward to shake the hand of the man who would be my son-in-law within mere minutes.

Leaning in, I said low, “You take care of my baby girl, you hear? ”

Mac pulled back enough to meet my eye before he replied, “It’ll be the honor of my life, sir.”

In that moment, I felt a kinship with the man. We would forever be bonded by our love for the same girl. Though mine had begun when Aspen took her first breath, his would last until she took her final one.

With that, I surrendered my daughter to his care from this day forward.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was in good hands.