Page 35 of Ropers Can’t Tie Knots (Kissing Ridge Cowboys #3)

twenty-two

Hunter

Wedding Day

J ackson chuckles at my back.

“Hunter, if you check the time anymore, I swear the entire universe will freeze to teach you patience.”

Huffing a breath, I grab my hat and button my single jacket button. “I just want to see him.” I can’t believe I’m missing the guy after a single night apart.

Jackson’s firm hand on my shoulder turns me towards the door. “Come on, then. We can wait outside and stick to the plan.”

“Is everything okay at the other end?”

Gabe wanted to spend last night with his best friend, Riley.

I wanted us to dress together and greet our guests, but Gabe was a bit of a traditionalist that way, and he wanted that moment of seeing his groom.

I wasn’t about to deny the man, even if I didn’t know what the big deal was with the ‘ first look .’ Although Jackson is my best friend and sitting around last night just talking and bonding more than we ever have was something truly special.

“Right as rain.” Jackson smiles, but it fades when I turn to face him.

Since we woke up this morning to get the horses all washed and ready, I’ve been a ball of emotions.

Happy and sad. Hopeful and scared. This is all so new to me, but I know I need to spit it out.

I’ve been working on that a lot, and I swear it’s never going to get easier.

“Jack…I…” Puffing a breath, I try to gather the words I’ve played repeatedly to say to him. “I can’t believe I’m already tripping over my words, and I haven’t even gotten to the vows yet.”

“It’s an emotional day, and I’ll give you a pass on it,” he jokes, and his eyes crinkle at the edges when he smiles.

“You were there for me when others weren’t, Jack.

I just want to say…I want to thank you for being my family when I had none.

I love you, and if I ever had a brother, I’d wish he were like you.

” Clearing my throat, I gaze into the pasture where the giant white tent sits waiting for us.

I should have said this last night, but it took me all night to think of what I wanted to say.

Jackson blows out a breath and swallows. “We’re doing this, are we? Okay. It’s my privilege to call you my friend, and it’s my honour to call you brother, Hunter. We don’t need blood to say that.”

Stupid allergies, making my eyes water.

“I just wanted to thank you for being here. For everything, really.”

“I’ll always be here for whatever you need. Always. That’s what friends are for, and I know I can count on you just as much.”

He pulls me into a hug, and we stay there for a moment, Jackson lending me the quiet strength he always carries.

“I can’t believe I’m getting married by choice,” I say with a laugh when we separate. “I keep thinking this is all a dream.”

A good dream, though. It’s definitely not any sort of nightmare. It’s just surreal .

“Love does that. It makes reality a little more bearable that way sometimes.” He pats his jacket pocket, and relief washes over him. “I thought I forgot the ring.” His eyes widen. “Shit. I forgot the corsages. Be right back.”

He rushes back into the ranch house, and I watch the caterers putting the finishing touches on their setup inside the large barn. Gabe and Riley’s idea to rent a makeshift dance floor and have the reception here immediately after the ceremony was one I instantly loved.

Our training arena for the rodeo clinics, a building that normally has bucking bulls, horses, and men swearing when they hit the ground, has now transformed into an intimate space suitable for a celebration of love.

With a hot dog buffet. Can’t forget that.

A part of me cheers, imagining my grandfather in a rage at our wedding here, but I think it’s the perfect way to claim my space. People love me, and I’ll do my best every day going forward to remember that.

“Riley would have my head if I forgot this,” Jackson says.

He opens the container with our corsages.

Teal again, the one thing from our original wedding that we were okay to keep.

As Gabe said, his favourite colour would always be teal.

Jackson pins it to my lapel, and I do his like Riley showed me, just as the first guests arrive.

Not like we have a large guest list, but when Margie steps out of the minivan dressed like the mother of the groom, I need to take a minute and breathe before greeting her.

“Margie… ”

“Don’t you dare make me cry before the wedding and photos, young man.” Her voice hitches, and I hug her.

“Okay. I won’t say anything until after, but if the man asks who gives me away, you better raise your hand.” The gravel crunches next to us, and one of the young men currently staying with her extends a hand.

“Hi. I’m John. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” I shake his hand and nod towards Margie. “Take care of her today. You take the front row. Your name is on a chair.”

A few more cars arrive and follow the signs to the parking area. Jackson directs guests to the chairs under the tent while I greet the two men I don’t recognize.

“Hi! Riley told us to just come ahead.” He offers a hand in greeting. “I’m Charles, and I’ll be performing your ceremony today.”

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. We’re super appreciative.”

His smile is charming, and I immediately love how at ease he is.

“I’ve always wanted to see the Rocky Mountains, so it’s perfect.” He motions to the very imposing man next to him. “This is my husband, Dave.”

“Nice to meet you. This is a great place,” he says as he looks around. The man is a giant, and Charles rattles on about the ceremony while I watch the guy take a cookie from his pocket and eat it while he listens as well.

“I spoke to Gabe. He’s so charming. He said you both had your own vows, and Riley said no religious readings, so I’m all set to get you hitched. If you don’t have any questions for me, I’ll go wait at the front. ”

“I’m good. Wander around if you’d like. The horses are friendly.”

Things get a little crazy after that. Cars arrive and people are flowing in, taking seats, and while we only invited fifty people, it feels like there are five hundred here. Jackson keeps directing guests, and finally , Gabe’s Lexus pulls into his usual parking place.

He doesn’t get out right away, and the longer he takes, the more I sweat. If this was a dream, this would be the part where I wake up.

My heart beats triple time when he finally steps out and the breath whooshes from my lungs as I close the distance to greet him.

“Counsellor, you are a sight.” My voice sounds like I’m chewing gravel, but I don’t fucking care.

Gone are the suits from the first wedding.

Both of us chose well-fit jeans and boots, with fancy sport coats and pressed shirts.

He’s fit so well into the country life, he didn’t want to force me into something uncomfortable like last time.

Gabe barely wears his suits to work anymore, either, and he says he doesn’t miss it.

Although sometimes I do, because it’s hot to dirty him up when he’s all put together with a tie and jacket.

“So are you,” he breathes. I’m not waiting to kiss him, and I grab the back of his neck, pressing my lips to his.

“I told you we’d do it right and put your heart back together,” I whisper across his lips.

“I hated waiting. For this…and to see you.”

A throat clears, and Riley stands nearby in attire to match Jackson. “I don’t care if you kiss before the ceremony, but try not to muss things up.” He pats Gabe’s arm. “Just watch for the signal from me. Enjoy these moments.”

Gabe

When I pulled up and saw Hunter waiting on the front porch, hands clasped in front of himself like he didn’t know what to do with them, I was frozen. Not with fear or an indecision, but with the reality of what was about to take place.

At our first wedding, the day of our first kiss, even, he was so stoic. There was no joy in his face, and his eyes didn’t light up like they do now when he looks at me. Everything about that day was fake…except for the orgasms that night. We didn’t fake those.

He was a poster model for what uncomfortable looks like. In a suit he hated and marrying a stranger, he was distant, and the little connection we had was purely physical.

Seeing him now on his ranch and watching the smile grow as I walk towards him is something I always wished for. I never knew how much until I met this man, and he changed my life.

“You can muss me up later,” I murmur as Riley leaves us for a moment of alone time. Most of the guests have arrived and I’m happy to have this moment alone with Hunter. “I missed you last night. ”

Hunter dips his head. “I missed you, too.” His thumb rubs across my knuckles before he brings it to his lips. “I’m so ready for all of this, Gabe. I never dreamed of being someone’s husband, but no one else ever made sense to me.”

“I know what you mean.” Hunter was never supposed to make sense.

He wasn’t supposed to be anything, but I ended up liking him more than I originally planned.

Hunter didn’t just make sense. No one else could ever compare.

“They say the best relationships sometimes start unexpectedly, and in this case, I think that’s right.

I didn’t expect this, Hunter. I didn’t think I’d fall so hard for you that I’d cry over divorce papers and ache so hard to marry you for real that I’d have anxiety over it. ”

Hunter kisses the back of my hand again, and he says nothing, but he doesn’t need to. His eyes tell me everything, and I know he hurts sometimes still for making me sad, but he doesn’t need to. It’s easier for me to move forward from the past, but with time, he will, too.

Looking over Hunter’s shoulder, I see Riley give me the wave that they’re ready to start when we are.

“I’m ready to be your husband and kiss you in front of our friends, if you are.”

Hunter glances back at the tent before turning back to me.

“Some kisses are worth waiting for, and that’s one kiss worth the wait, Gabe.” He squeezes my hand. “Let’s not wait any longer to start our forever.”