fifty-five minutes. Hell, he couldn’t make even a simple wire halo in that amount of time.
“But I can speak my mind,” he whispered as he picked up his phone and sent her a text: Meet me at the tack room?
One came back immediately: On my way.
Most of the guys were snoring when he slipped out the kitchen door and jogged across the pasture. He put a hand on a fence post, sailed over the top strand of barbed wire, and was out of breath when he reached the barn. Stopping for a minute to catch his breath, he checked the time again. He had forty-five minutes now to convince her his love was real. After all, it would be bad luck if he saw her on their wedding day before she walked down the aisle.
She met him right inside the barn doors. “Please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”
He put his arms around her and drew her close to his body. “Not one bit. I had to see you before midnight. I had to tell you something, and it can’t be done over the phone or by a text.” He held her out at arm’s length and gazed at her worried eyes. “I love you, Alana Carey.”
She gasped. “What are you talking about?”
“I loved you when I was three years old, maybe even earlier, but that’s my first memory of you. You had on a blue-and-white-checked dress, and you were rocking a little stuffed pony in the church nursery. I’ve loved you our whole lives, and I can’t tell you the exact moment that I fell in love with you, but it’s been sometime over this past month. You are the kindest, sweetest woman I’ve ever known—and the sassiest, most determined, and the most bullheaded.”
“At least you aren’t wearing rose-colored glasses and seeing only my good side,” she joked.
“I know you, and you know me. We both see things as they are.” He stopped long enough to kiss her. Could he really do this? Was he ready for a lifetime commitment?
When the kiss ended, he took both her hands in his and dropped down on one knee. “I love you. I’m in love with you. Let’s make tomorrow real. Let’s grow old together. Will you marry me, Alana Joy?”
She knelt before him, and he was afraid she was going to refuse until he saw the tears streaming down her face. “Yes. Yes, I will. I love you so much, Pax, and I’m in love with you, too.”
He took her in his arms and held her, both of them on their knees and his tears blending with hers. “Cowboys aren’t supposed to cry,” he said, “but, darlin’, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world tonight.”
“Strong cowboys have strong emotions,” she whispered as she brought his lips to hers.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I’m getting married today,” Alana squealed when she awoke on Saturday morning. She threw off the covers and sent Pax a text: We’re getting married today.
She got a message back with a dozen heart emojis and one word: Yes!
“Did I hear my new granddaughter yelling in here?” Iris carried breakfast into her room on a tray. “She sounded happy about something that’s happenin’ today.”
“I’m in love with Pax,” she said.
“Well, I would certainly hope so, since you’ll be married to him in about twelve hours.” Iris set the tray on the bed. “I wanted to do something really special for you today to welcome you into my family, so I made my cinnamon rolls for breakfast. You’re gettin’ these fresh from the oven, and there’s plenty more in the kitchen for the rest of the girls.”
“Oh, Iris.” Alana opened her arms for a hug. “I’ve always envied Pax because he had you, and now you’ll be my grandmother too, and our baby will have a great-grandmother. That’s so exciting.”
Iris bent and gave Alana a hug. “I’m a blessed woman to have both you and Bridget in my family and to see my boys both happy. Now eat up, and let’s get this show on the road. We’ve got a lot to do today. The hairdresser will be here in an hour, and I expect it will take her several hours to take care of all of us.”
She started toward the door and turned to say, “Trudy said to tell you that she’s asked Rachel to help her during the wedding and for you not to worry about her one bit.”
“What’s Trudy going to be doing that she needs help?” Alana