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ARCHIE

My first season in the NFL is in the books. It was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to go back to training camp in the summer. But right now, it’s all about my girl. It’s finally our wedding day.

Emma wanted to get married on my parents’ ranch, which, of course, thrilled my mama. It took some time for Emma to decide on exactly the right spot for the ceremony to fit her rustic ranch wedding theme, but she did, and I gotta say, it’s perfect.

The location is a little far from the main house, so we have tractors with trailers to bring guests to the wedding site.

Then the reception is closer to the house, under a tent.

My brothers, friends, my dad, daughter, and I jumped on the trailer and are all heading over now.

Some of the guests are starting to arrive, so we figured it was time to make our way out there too.

I have Lainey in my arms, but she’s reaching for my brother Aiden. She’s obsessed with him. And my dad too.

“You want to see Uncle Aiden, Sunshine?”

“Gimme my girl.” He reaches for her and takes her from me.

She’s dressed in a pale yellow dress, and a headband is holding her wild, curly locks from her face. She’s almost a year old now and getting so big.

Lainey puts both of her hands on his face and squeezes his cheeks together for a very drooly kiss.

“Lucky you.” I laugh because he now has drool on his face, but he just smiles and wipes it away.

“A little drool never hurt anyone—right, princess?” He kisses her cheek, then turns her so she’s facing everyone. “So, brother, you ready for this?”

“You know it. It feels like forever since I asked her to marry me. It seems like we’ve been married though, so it’s just a formality at this point. But I wanted her to have the wedding she wanted, and it was impossible to try to make it work with me in season.”

“No doubt. I’m just glad it worked out for me to be here, too, with my bye week.” He hands Lainey off to my dad because she’s getting squirmy again.

“Me too. I wouldn’t have wanted to get married without you here.”

The tractor starts to slow as we climb up a small hill and approach the wedding site. I haven’t been out here since the wedding planners and florists were out here earlier, so I’m a little surprised when I see it. My mama is already there to welcome guests and direct any last-minute details.

There’s an aisle between bales of hay in rows for seating with blankets lying on top of the bales, and at the end of each row is a bouquet of sunflowers in what looks like glass mason jars.

The altar is formed by an arbor, woven with sunflowers and other white and yellow flowers.

A small acoustic band is sitting along the side of one of the rows, playing music as guests take their seats.

It’s exactly what Emma wanted, and I can’t wait for her to see it.

Casey, Beck, and Liam step off the trailer first, followed by my brothers. My dad stands and steps toward me, and Lainey reaches out for me to take her. God, I love this little girl. She’s everything good. I kiss her on the cheek before she wraps her little arms around my neck.

“You ready for this, son?”

“Hell yeah. I can’t wait to see her coming down that aisle.

For me, this is just a formality, but I wanted her to have everything she wanted.

I would have married her the day I asked her—actually before then—but my baby girl here had a different plan for us, and I couldn’t be happier.

” I pull Lainey back a little to look at her face. “I have everything a man could want.”

“That you do. Take care of them, protect them, put their needs before yours. Always.” He reaches out to run his hand over Lainey’s head.

“You’re a good son and an amazing father, and we’re so proud of the man you are.

Love you.” He leans in and wraps an arm around my shoulders and the other around Lainey and me.

“Thanks, Dad. I learned from the best. Love you too.”

I step away and grab Lainey’s tiny cowboy boots off the bench. I bought my girls matching white cowboy boots for the wedding. Emma squealed, but I think she was more excited about the baby’s than her own.

“All right, old man. Let’s do this.”

“Lead the way, son.”

We step off the trailer and move toward the arbor at the end of the aisle. My brothers and my boys are huddled around each other when we get there, so I hand Lainey to my dad and go stand with them.

“What’re y’all doing over here?”

I see Liam pouring whiskey into red shot cups and passing them around. When he gets to Austin, I swipe it out of his hand.

“Mama would kill you, and I can’t have you ruin Emma’s day.”

“That’s not fair. Ace and Aston get to have one, but I don’t?”

“Settle down, Austin. You’re only fifteen. You don’t have enough hair on your chest to appreciate the taste of this fine bottle of whiskey. ”

“Says the brother only four years older than me. You shouldn’t be drinking either, Aid. This is some bullshit right here.”

“All right, Griffs, hush up. This isn’t about you. It’s about Archie.” Liam hands me a shot. “Okay, boys, let’s gather round.”

“Hey, that’s my line.” I smirk.

“Yeah, but I’m taking the reins today.” He lifts his cup, and everyone in the circle follows suit.

“I’m not as good at these as you are, but I’ll take a stab at it.

” He clears his throat. “May you always walk in sunshine and never want for more. May good fortune and peace always be at your door. May the love and friendship you have guide you whenever you’re in doubt.

And may the good luck that’s with you never run out.

Here’s to you, my friend and brother. We couldn’t be happier that you locked this girl down with a baby. ”

Everyone laughs.

“Cheers to Archie and Emma!”

“Cheers!” rings around the circle, and we all take our shots.

“I love y’all, and I couldn’t ask for better friends and brothers to be standing up here with me today. Come on now. Bring it in.”

I open my arms wide, and we all wrap our arms around each other. We pull apart when we hear the other tractor coming up the hill.

“Showtime, Arch.” Aiden pats me on the back, and we all move to stand by the arbor.

In my gray suit and my best white cowboy hat and my best boots, I wait for my girl.

The pastor steps up and stands behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

I look over at my mama, Dad, and Lainey and wink.

My mom is bouncing Lainey on her lap, which means she’s probably getting a little restless or hungry.

My baby girl doesn’t like to sit too long.

She’s always moving. I can’t imagine what she’ll be like when she actually takes off. Trouble.

I see more of my family, some of my old teammates, including Bo Callaway, and some of my new teammates. I give a few waves and smiles.

But then the music starts to play, and I see Emma’s bridesmaids—Livi, Peyton, Mia, and Charlie—step off the tractor, but they’re blocking my view of her.

Then I see her mom, and then her dad. Finally, there she is.

Emma holds her dad’s hand as she steps down.

When she looks up, our eyes meet, and her smile is so wide.

I nearly run down the aisle to grab her.

She decided to have both of her parents walk her down the aisle. Their relationship has gotten much closer since Lainey was born. And then when they moved down to be closer to us and help with the baby, my family just kind of scooped them up into our crazy brood.

When she reaches the end of the aisle, I walk up to her and her parents, and I reach for her hands. “Hey, darlin’.”

“Hey, Arch.” Her smile is wide, and her eyes are shining.

She looks as happy as I feel. Then she looks over at my parents with our baby girl and squeezes my hands.

The pastor starts speaking, but I can’t hear anything he says.

I’m completely locked in on my beautiful bride.

She’s wearing a cream-colored lace dress that just seems to flow down her body.

It dips a little low between her breasts, and it’s sleeveless, and there’s a strap that hangs loosely along her shoulder.

She’s absolutely gorgeous in it, and I can’t wait to take it off her later.

“You look good enough to eat, babe.” Emma squeezes my hands.

“Darlin’, I can’t wait to get you in the shack tonight. While that dress is gorgeous on you, I’m dying to get you out of it.”

I can’t help but lean in and kiss her. She tastes like cinnamon.

We pull back when Lainey lets out a giggle and claps her hands. The guests all laugh, and Emma and I both look over to see our happy baby girl. Emma gives her a little wave, which makes Lainey bounce up and down on my mama’s legs.

“Okay, friends. Let’s get this started. We’re gathered here today to celebrate the love between Archie and Emma.

As I’ve spent time with these two, I can honestly say the love I feel from them is pure and the kind that never ends.

” He opens the book in his hands. “They’ve asked that we not take too long to get to ‘the good part.’ Archie, Emma, I see you’re already holding hands, so you’re moving things along for me. ”

Everyone laughs again.

“Archie, did you have a few words to say to Emma?”

“That I do, sir.” I clear my throat because I feel like I’m getting a little choked up.

“Emma, today, I make this vow to you, but in truth, you’ve had me wrapped in your world since I saw you across that dance floor.

I think I knew even then that we were meant to be together.

You’re my greatest love, my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and the best mom to our baby girl.

I promise to nurture all your dreams and help you reach them, as you have with mine.

I promise to share my whole heart with you and remember to show you how deeply I love you every day.

And I promise to love you loyally and fiercely for as long as I live.

” I reach out and brush a tear off her cheek.