Page 20 of Something Tangled Something True (Rosa Ranch #1)
QUE SE VAYA PA LA PINGA
“I still can’t believe they were all okay with the idea of Ryder and I getting married,” I tell Mayte, shaking my head.
“Stop moving so much. I’m gonna stab you with these pins if you keep acting like a damn bobble head,” she threatens as she continues working on pinning my curls on top of my head for our little ceremony tonight.
“And what did I tell you? Those people? They are your people, Lola. Your parents and his want you to be okay, and god, they hated Lemmon.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. When we were kids, Lemmon had done a much better job at acting like the sweetheart she so desperately wanted everyone to believe she was, but her grudge against me grew every year, and Ryder’s parents weren’t shy about telling me how upset they were that he and Lemmon had gotten together.
At the time, I’d thought it was solely out of loyalty to me, but Mayte’s kept me in the loop on his relationship, and it was clear she was worse to him than she ever was to me.
“Regardless, I think we’re all excited to see this happen. We’ve been rooting for the both of you to wind up together since middle school. You were inevitable, even if the way you’ve wound up doing this is less than traditional, and you’ve had some hiccups along the way.”
“We aren’t really together, Mayte,” I remind her.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me dream .”
The thing about that is Mayte doesn’t just dream.
She dreams big and then does her damndest to bring those goals to fruition—much like this wedding she managed to plan in less than a week.
Granted, it’s nothing big, exactly how I wanted.
Our parents, her and Isabela, and Ezekiel will be there, but she still managed to throw it all together so quickly.
That’s the benefit of having an event planner for a best friend.
“Dream a little smaller this time,” I say, but I know it’ll go in one ear and out the other.
“Agree to disagree,” she says, and I can see her wide, mauve-lipped smile in the mirror. “We’re almost done. Give me a couple minutes and then we’ll get you dressed and in the arms of that sweet man.”
She continues fussing over me until she’s sure I look exactly as she envisioned.
“Okay, now don’t be mad,” Mayte says, refusing to make eye contact with me.
A knot twists in the pit of my stomach. “What did you do?” I groan out.
Instead of answering, she heads into her closet, pulling out a black garment bag she holds in front of me. “I didn’t like the idea of my best friend getting married in a sundress off the clearance rack, even if it is pretend.”
“You didn’t need to do that,” I breathe, but my words get caught in my throat as she unzips it.
Inside is a cream gown with thin straps, with what looks like a long lace train bundled at the bottom. There are delicate lace appliqués over the entire dress. It’s stunning , everything I could have ever wished for, and perfect for an intimate sunset ceremony .
“It’s too much,” I croak out. My throat grows impossibly tight at the gesture.
She waves her hand dismissively and then pulls the dress out of the garment bag. “Don’t worry, it’s not. It’s a rental. I’ll return it to Ever After on Monday.”
Tears prick my eyes, and her expression softens.
She places the dress down on the bed, winding her arms tightly around me.
“This is going to be good for you— both of you. I promise. I can feel it in my bones. And you need to get better so you can dance and live your life the way you want and deserve to,” she says into my hair, pulling away and cupping my shoulders.
“You look gorgeous, Lola. Ryder’s a lucky man. ”
We spend the next few minutes getting me into this gorgeous gown and simple flats before making the short trip to the field at the furthest end of the property.
My heart is pounding out of my chest when I see Ryder looking as mouthwatering as ever, standing in front of a thin gold arch facing the setting sun.
The field is overflowing with vibrant wildflowers in a rainbow of colors, and our parents stand on either side of the arch, Isabela in my father’s arms.
Mayte takes my hand in hers, walking the rest of the way with me. She whispers, “You ready?”
And I am. I see Ryder in his navy-blue suit, his eyes raking over me with a look so fiercely confident it settles the anxiety brewing inside me.
My parents smile brightly at me, and Mami wraps me in her arms. “I’ve never seen a more stunning bride, mija .
I’m so glad things turned out this way. It would have broken my heart to see you marry that other man.
” Her words cut through me, and the realization I would have never been happy with Russ finally hits home.
I knew this; I’d known it for far longer than I’d care to admit, but my own mother confirming those thoughts does wonders for the guilt I’ve been pushing down.
“Thank you, Mami .” I give her a kiss on either cheek and press one to the top of my niece’s head, her soft brown curls pulling a smile across my face.
Mami cups my shoulder and whispers into my ear, “ Ay mija, ahora sí vas a respirar tranquila. Y que se vaya pa’l carajo. ” My shoulders shake as I playfully roll my eyes.
My dad and each of Ryder’s parents give me a hug as well, and Ezekiel tips his chin at me.
I move to Ryder, taking a deep breath before meeting his eyes.
The sun hits his baby blues just right, so I’m able to see how glossy they are as he takes me in. There’s not a chance Russ would’ve been half this emotional on our wedding day.
He saw me as a prize to be won, a means to an end. Nothing more.
And after years of being told I wasn’t worthy of more, I started to believe it.
A deep sadness grips my heart, but Ryder reaches out for me, taking my hands gently in his, drawing me to the present. He pulls me into his strong arms, pressing a warm kiss to my forehead.
Mayte takes her spot between us, preparing to officiate this ceremony.
“You are so gorgeous, Lola,” he whispers into my hair.
Lola. Not darlin’, but Lola . I love it when he says my name like that, like it holds a million emotions and incredible memories in the four letters of my name alone.
“I know this probably isn’t how you’d envisioned your wedding day, but if I’m going to fake marry anyone, I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. ”
My whole body warms at his words, but this is already touching on dangerous territory, so I pull out of his arms and give him a small smile before turning my attention to Mayte.
Because, ultimately, he’s wrong. This is exactly how I always imagined my wedding day.
“You lovebirds ready to do this?” Mayte asks, her eyes glowing brightly .
We both nod, but Ryder’s eyes widen, and he says, “Wait!”
My heart sinks as he runs across the small hill to one of the work sheds. Did he get cold feet all of a sudden?
My worries are silenced a moment later as he runs toward us with something hidden behind him. “You needed a bouquet,” he explains, producing a tiny bundle of origami paper flowers.
There’s a tingling sensation at the nape of my neck, and my face heats as I will the tears not to fall. “They aren’t as pretty as the ones you make, but I did my best,” he says, thrusting them into my hands.
I clutch them in my left hand, running the pads of my fingers over the delicate edges of the petals.
A sob threatens to choke me, but I swallow it down.
My eyes flit up to meet his, and the world falls away as I’m met with a look that could end a war or bring world peace.
It’s in this moment that something becomes incredibly evident to me: Ryder Lockhart will go to the ends of the Earth to make me happy, and I’d be a fool not to let him.
He’s forgiven me for leaving him when he’d needed me most, and I can forgive him for marrying Lemmon.
He hadn’t known the full extent of our history, and now that he does, I truly believe he’d never have betrayed me if he were aware.
“They’re perfect, Ry,” I finally choke out. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, darlin’.”
Mayte swipes at a tear, clearing her throat. “Sorry, allergies. Too many damn wildflowers out here.”
We go through run-of-the-mill vows Mayte picked out for us, but every word Ryder speaks feels too personal, like he isn’t really following a script at all.
I can’t see what he has written on the paper in front of him through the thick curtain of tears gathered in my eyes.
I latch on to his declaration of devotion and protection, allowing them to soothe the sting of a marriage that never was. Gracias a Dios.
When he slides the gold band on my finger, I can’t help but stare in astonishment at the marquis-cut diamond flanked by two tiny triangular stones. It’s elegant and beyond perfect.
This is another unnecessary stab to the heart, one Ryder would have no way of knowing he’d cause.
The giant, gaudy ring Russ gave me was everything I detest. It was flashy and served only the purpose of showing off how much money he has.
But this ring? It shows Ryder put a whole lot of love and attention into picking out something that reminded him of me .
Mayte’s voice drags me back. “By the power vested in me by the online officiating course I took last night, I now pronounce you wife and husband.” A chuckle escapes my lips, and at the same time, Ryder pulls me into him, clutching my cheeks in his warm hands and planting a firm kiss against my mouth that knocks the wind from my lungs.
It’s so chaste my lips miss him when it’s over.
Or maybe that’s just me.