Page 62 of Boston (Coral Canyon: Cowboys #12)

He led the way to the door as Adam checked the clock above it.

He was leaving a couple of minutes late, but Boston peeled off to the right to head toward the bridal suite to let them know, while everyone else went left.

He needed to stage himself at the altar, and everyone else except his father would be in the wedding party.

Adam tried not to be too concerned about anyone else.

He nodded to the blonde woman who stood at the door.

Julie worked with Boston, and they would make sure that everything got done the way it needed to.

Adam focused on his breathing and the gloriously cool temperature of the air, the beautiful reds and oranges and golds in the trees, and the scent of pine that permeated the amphitheater.

A huge wooden trellis had been set up, with sage threaded through it.

Pink flowers dominated, but some ivory with silver on the tips had been woven throughout as well.

It spanned the entire width of the audience—six chairs on each side, with an aisle down the middle—and a waterfall of flowers and vines hung behind the altar.

Adam had never seen anything like it, and he almost didn’t want to step out and take his place, as people were still taking photos and selfies.

Every chair had a bright pink bow tied around it, with sage and wheat and that silver-tipped flower coming out of it. The aisles had been marked by lanterns that glowed softly in the shade of the amphitheater, and a sea of silver glitter had been sprinkled down the middle to create an aisle.

Adam could personally appreciate every detail he saw, because not a single thing sat out of place.

Julie came to his side a few minutes later. “It’s time,” she said. “I’m going to ask everyone to take their seats.” She twisted slightly and surveyed the crowd. “Do you see anyone missing?”

Adam suddenly went face blind. He managed to find Otis and Georgia in the front row, with OJ and Anya right next to them.

Across the aisle sat his mother, with the rest of the row empty for his siblings and their spouses.

His father sat on the end of the second row, and Adam figured anyone else who hadn’t made it here on time could miss it.

“I think we’re ready,” he said to Julie.

She turned and nodded, then gestured for him to take his place at the altar.

It had been constructed from the same fine wood as the trellis, and the top had been padded with the sparkliest pink fabric Adam had ever seen.

An A and a J sat there in gleaming silver thread, and he ran his finger along the curve of the letter that started Joey’s name.

“She’s going to love this,” he said.

Julie smiled at him and moved to the side, just as the processional music filtered down from hidden speakers in the trellis.

Adam pulled in a breath, realizing that his wedding was beginning.

He looked down the aisle, his heart tumbling through his chest. He clasped his hands in front of him and tried to calm himself as Ian and his wife, Sarah stepped onto the sea of glitter first.

Ellie and Paxman came next, and Adam loved his siblings powerfully as they grinned at him and stepped delicately forward in time with the music.

Harry and Belle came next, and Adam’s chest squeezed.

Harry could be a complete grump, but he’d turned on his country music star persona, and he beamed as brightly as a star.

Bryce and Codi came after them, and then Kassie and Reggie, Cash and Rosie, Boston and Cora, Cole and Liesl, Eric and Corrine.

Adam hugged them all and whispered “thank you for coming” over and over.

They all took their seats as the music continued to play, and Adam hadn’t noticed when Otis had slipped out.

He appeared at the end of the aisle now, coming up the stairs there as if he were lifting out of the ground.

He smiled at everyone, and he possessed plenty of country music star charisma too.

He turned halfway back and extended his right hand, and Adam’s beautiful Joey seemed to float up the stairs to his side.

She wore a gown fitted to her frame in a beautiful, pale ivory. She had not wanted white fabric, or lace, or anything that looked like a ball gown.

This dress had tiny spaghetti straps that went over her shoulders, and the shininess of the fabric caught the light of the lanterns as she passed the back row.

Her glorious white-blonde hair had been swept up into a crown on her head, which had been adorned with tiny, delicate pink flowers.

Her very persona gave off the silver, ivory, and pink that she’d chosen for the wedding.

She didn’t wear shoes, and Adam caught a flash of pink on her toenails, before his eyes flew back to hers. He could not believe this woman loved him, and yet it struck through him as true as anything.

They arrived at the altar, and Otis swept a kiss across his daughter’s cheek, and she hugged him tightly. Her bright blue eyes seemed a little bit wide as she came to Adam’s side, and he quickly linked his arm through hers and kept her close.

“Hey, my roo,” he said, and pressed a kiss to her temple, and then they faced the pastor together.

Whatever happened next didn’t matter. Joey had shown up, and while Adam hadn’t thought she wouldn’t, her presence testified to him just how much she loved him.

The pastor smiled warmly at them both. “What an amazing day to get married.” He spoke with a jovial tone and a big smile on his face. “Am I right?” He spread both arms out toward the world. “Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, and a beautiful couple, so clearly in love.”

Joey pressed her arm against Adam’s ribs, and he found himself feeding off the pastor’s energy.

“I’ve promised Joey and Adam that I wouldn’t go on and on, but I love giving advice on wedding day, and since I get to talk right now, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Adam smiled at him and glanced at Joey. She didn’t seem irritated at all, and it took a lot to get her to that state. They had a tight timeline for the ceremony and pictures before dinner, but the pastor had just started.

“Love is not just a feeling—it’s a daily decision. Choose each other every day, especially when it’s hard, and keep God at the center of your relationship. The more you draw near to Him, the closer you’ll grow to each other.”

Adam let the words sink into his heart, where they rang with a clear bell of truth. Relationships were all about choices, and he did want to choose Joey every single day.

“Now, I believe you two have some vows you’d like to say?” The pastor looked from Adam to Joey and back. “Adam?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat, so he could speak in a clear voice.

He turned to face Joey fully, his hands trembling slightly as he took both of hers in his.

“Joey,” he began, his voice stronger than he’d expected.

“From the moment I helped you after you fainted that very first time, you turned everything upside down in the most beautiful way possible.”

She giggled and shook her head, but she hadn’t made him promise not to bring up her near-fainting spell.

“You’ve taught me so much, first that there’s so much more to life than my work, and that the biggest things can happen in small towns.”

Joey’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he continued.

“You’ve shown me what it means to have a partner, not just in love, but in life.

Someone who challenges me, supports me, and believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself.

I promise to love you through every season, buy you every pink thing you want, to laugh with you in joy, and hold you in sorrow.

I can’t wait to build a life with you that’s filled with adventure, faith, and the kind of love that lasts forever. ”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead and glanced back to the pastor.

The pastor nodded to Joey, who squeezed Adam’s hands before speaking.

“Adam, you came into my life when I least expected it and changed everything. You see me—really see me—not just the parts I want to show the world, but all of me, and you love me anyway.” Her voice caught slightly, and she took a moment to swallow.

“You’ve taught me that love isn’t about losing yourself in someone else, but about becoming the best version of yourself because of them.

I promise to stand by your side through whatever comes, to support your dreams as you support mine, and to love you with everything I have for all the days of my life. ”

She stepped forward and tipped up on her bare toes as he leaned down so she could sweep her lips along his cheek. They both looked at the pastor again, but stayed standing so their families could see them.

“Beautiful,” the pastor said. “Let’s do this. Do you, Adam, take Joey unto yourself, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” Adam said without hesitation.

“And do you, Joey, take Adam unto yourself to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Wyoming, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Adam, you may kiss your bride.”

Adam grinned, so many emotions rushing through him, and cupped Joey’s face in his hands. “I love you,” he said right before he kissed her.

Applause erupted around them, with plenty of cowboy whooping and hollering. Adam himself had never yelled, “Yeehaw!” but he was really looking forward to the day he could.

Joey giggled against his lips, and he pulled away and met her eyes. “I love you too, Adam,” she said.

He turned toward the crowd and lifted their joined hands, and then he lost his grip on Joey as her daddy swarmed her and swept her up into his arms.

He stepped over to his mother and hugged her too, knowing that he and Joey would be reunited soon enough, and that he was now hers forever, and she was his.