Page 44

Maverick

W e hop out of my truck and stare up at the courthouse building.

This place is the reason we’re here today.

It almost feels like a separate life since we last stood here on these very steps.

Technically, it was. When I look back, my life will be divided into two.

Life before Ava and life with Ava. And I don’t think I really felt what living really was until I loved her.

She squeezes my hand, and I look over, smiling from ear to ear. “You ready?” Her loose waves rustle with the Wyoming breeze, and she tucks her wild locks behind her ear.

“Absolutely.” I squeeze her small hand back, her fingers laced perfectly in mine.

We walk hand in hand and make our way to our separate booths.

The Judge looks over to us, still not looking too impressed, and takes a seat at her podium.

“Alright, you two, it has been a quick six months.

I see you both survived. It appears that all court orders were followed.

Should you both wish, your request for divorce will be granted. "

Unsure of what the proper courtesy is in court, I raise my hand. “Your Honor?”

“Yes?” She quirks a brow, and I almost feel like I’m going to be scolded.

Clearing my throat, I say, “We have actually decided to stay married. ”

She stares at us both. A small fissure of her icy exterior begins to show when her lips curve up a little. She pushes her glasses back up on her nose and folds her arms over one another.

“Let me get this straight. You two, who had never met before getting married, are wishing to stay married?” She looks over to Ava for confirmation.

“Yes, your honor.” Ava gives a nod before smiling over at me.

“Well, I’ll be.” Her smile grows a little larger and she does one single nod of her head. “You know, I’ve done many things in my life. Never did I imagine I’d add matchmaker to the resume.” A smile takes over my face and laughter echoes throughout the room.

“Thank you, your honor. I’m not sure we would be where we are today if you wouldn’t have made us stick it out,” Ava says.

“Something tells me you two would have found each other again, one way or another. But I’ll take the credit. Well, I guess that makes me pretty useless in this case. I wish you both many years of happiness.”

“Thank you, your honor,” Ava and I say in unison.

“You’re dismissed. Have a good day,” she says.

And a good day it is. I get to keep my girl until forever ends.

Today marks the start of forever with Ava.

We head out of the courtroom, and I have one burning image in my mind. Ava dressed in white. We missed that step, and it’s eating at me. Not knowing what she would look like as my bride.

We get back in the truck, and my brain keeps turning, making me more quiet than usual.

“You okay?” She looks over at me with a hint of worry on her face.

“Hell yeah, you’re officially Ava Ryder.

Today is the best day.” I grab our linked fingers and kiss her knuckles.

And I truly mean it. Today is the best day of my life.

But I have to wonder what her dream day would have entailed.

We skipped that whole part. But she doesn’t seem sad or that she’s missing out.

She flashes me a smile when I use her soon-to-be-official last name.

“Ava Ryder does have a good ring to it, doesn’t it?” She grins once more at me before looking out the window while gears turn in my head.

We get back home, and I make an excuse to help the boys out on the ranch, but really, I need an expert opinion.

Walking into the big house, the large windows allow light to spill into the living room. It’s my favorite thing about this space, all the natural light. Looking over to the kitchen, I spy the two people I am looking for.

“Ladies. I require some advice and, potentially, your services.” Mabel and Aspen both pop their heads up from whatever they are baking on the counter. “Well, you know Ava and I had court today.”

Mabel's face falls, and she places a lightly floured hand over her chest which luckily is covered by an apron. “Oh, Mav, I’m sorry.”

I hold up my hand, wanting to stop them before they start panicking. “We didn’t get divorced.”

Both Aspen and her mother drop their jaws. Sometimes, I forget that Aspen is the spitting image of her mother. While Mabel’s hair is grey now, and her face has a few more creases in it now than it did when I was a riled-up teenager, their expressions are the exact same .

“So you’re saying that you two stayed married.” Aspen holds up a whisk and points it at me, taking a few extra seconds to wrap her head around it.

I hop up onto the barstool that sits next to the counter, sensing it’s going to take them a minute or two to come to terms with this.

Ava and I didn’t tell a soul. I didn’t tell the boys, and she didn’t tell Erin, her other friends at home, or Aspen.

We just decided for ourselves and then got on with it.

“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. She’s officially Mrs. Ryder. ”

“Holy shitballs, Maverick,” Aspen says. Her mom rolls her eyes at her language. But I’ve heard Mabel drop some gnarly F bombs in her day, so I know exactly where she got it from.

“Yeah, so back to why I’m here.” I tap the marble counter a couple times to keep their attention.

“Oh yeah, sorry. Go on.” Aspen ditches the whisk in the bowl and leans on the counter, one elbow propping her head up.

“I want to plan a surprise wedding. She would want it to be small and simple anyway. But she deserves her day. And I want her to have it.”

“From Maverick the bull rider to Maverick the romantic. Are you sure she would be okay with not planning it?” Mabel questions.

“Honestly, yes. I’ve thought about it a lot. She’s had to plan every detail of her life, so I’d like to do this for her. And it won’t be extravagant, but I want it to be her perfect day, hence why I need you ladies.” I gesture my hands out to the two of them.

“Well, obviously, you have a terrible sense of style. If I’m being honest, so does Ava. It’s probably best if you leave this in my hands,” Aspen retorts. Jesus. I’m already regretting this .

“You’re kind of an asshole, Aspen. Anyone ever tell you that?” I cock my head, expecting Mabel to give me the same look she gave Aspen. Except she’s nodding her head in agreement. The motion causes a little chuckle to rise out of me.

“Everyday. But you all love me anyway.” And we do. She is the little sister I never had. This whole family is the family I never had.

“Okay, well, I need you to get a hold of Erin. I want all of Ava’s friends to be here. And I think Erin would be the best place to find out what Ava’s dream wedding would look like. Do you think you could do that for me?”

“Yes.” She nods her head, wiping her hands on her apron before pulling out her phone and wildly typing.

“And Mabel. Can you make the food? I don’t think there will be a lot of people. Twenty at the most, but likely more around fifteen?”

“Of course, anything for you, my boy.” She reminds me every now and then how lucky I am to have her, not with words but with the ways she shows up for me.

My mom may not have chosen to stay around, but Mabel decided to love me like I was her own and I think the fact that she chose that makes it even more special and real.

“Alright, well, I’m going to go tell the boys.”

“Wait, you told us before them?” Aspen’s eyes grow wide. “Wow, I’ve never felt more special in my entire life.” She holds one hand to her chest while gripping her mom’s upper arm. The smile on her face is downright glee-filled.

“We need to work on how low you’re setting that bar.” I hop off the stool. I pick up my hat off my head as a sound off and run to find my two dipshit best friends .

Walking around to the barn, I hear a commotion. And where there is commotion, there is Weston. And where there is Weston, there is Rhett cleaning up his mess.

I swing open the door and head over to where we store the hay.

“You guys in here?” I holler out.

“Yeah, in the back. Counting bales,” Weston’s voice yells out.

I come around the corner and stop in front of them, slipping my hands into my front pockets. “You need help?”

“No, if Rhett could keep track, we would be done by now.” Weston puts his hands on his hips and cocks his head at Rhett.

“If you could fucking count, we’d be done.” Rhett points back at him. While none of us are blood brothers, you’d never be able to tell by the way we all bicker.

“Well, sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you guys real quick.”

They both stop what they are doing and look at me. “You good?” Weston asks.

“Yeah. I’m better than good. You’re looking at a married man.” I stand tall and proud because being Ava’s husband is the best title I’ve ever had.

“Did the judge deny the divorce?” Rhett prods. A mixture of shock and confusion is on his face.

“Nope, Ava and I decided that we want to stay married. She makes me the happiest man alive and I’ve learned my lesson on taking that kind of shit for granted.”

Rhett smiles and does something we’ve never done—pulls me in for a hug. He taps my back twice and holds onto my shoulders. “Glad to see you’re finally using that head of yours.” He smacks the side of it. “You’d be a moron to let that go. ”

“I know. Also, I am throwing her a surprise wedding. So, I’m going to need a best man and a groomsman.” They both cross their arms as their expressions get serious. “There’s no way I can pick between you two, so I am going to let you two figure that out.”

They stare each other down like they are sworn enemies.

“How do you want to do this?” Rhett asks.

“Arm wrestle?”

“Bring it on, noodle arms.” That might not have been Weston’s best idea. Rhett is a beast of a man. While none of us are small at over six feet, but Rhett is like a fucking lumberjack.

We make our way to the side office and I take a seat at the head of the table. The boys position themselves on each side of the table.

“On the count of three,” I tell them. “One… Two… Three!”

Both boys grunt as they put their weight behind them and lean in. Weston’s eyebrows knit together, while Rhett looks a little too calm for this to be looking like a challenge.

Weston, being the little fucker that he is, kicks his leg under the table, making Rhett lose his composure and smacks his hand down.

“You cheating fuck, but if you want it that bad, you can have it. I’ll still be glad to stand beside ya, man.” Rhett slaps my shoulder and stands up. Something tells me he knows Weston would want it more, and he lets him have it.

“Alright, I’ll let you both know what I need from you here in a bit.”

Walking out of the barn, I feel like the luckiest man in the world. Now it’s time to plan the wedding of my girl’s dreams.