Waiting on a Cowboy - Jennifer Ryan Page 0,111

linen cloths and topped with white dishes, crystal glasses, and vases filled with Liz’s favorite pink peonies, white snapdragons, and greenery, silver place settings, and dark blue napkins to match Trinity and Adria’s bridesmaids’ dresses.

Adria added something to the tables that took him back to their early school days. Bowls of grapes sat beside cake plates with stacks of chocolate chip cookies. The very items they’d traded at lunch more than once, but especially on the day Liz boldly told him she was going to marry him.

He should have listened. He shouldn’t have fought it so hard.

He should have known she was right.

He made her wait on him a long time.

And here he stood, everyone looking at him in his tux standing next to the justice of the peace waiting on his bride.

Drake and Declan stood at the back near the road where the black SUV pulled up. Adria got out first and took Drake’s arm. Trinity followed and took Declan’s. They walked toward the aisle as the music started. “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac accompanied them down the aisle and the lyrics about love struck him right in the heart because he felt his love for Liz grow each and every day.

Trinity and Adria were beautiful in their dark blue dresses. His brothers were cleaned up and admittedly handsome in their black tuxes. The elegance to this country affair.

Drake released Adria to stand opposite Tate, gave him a smile and a smack on the back when he took his position as best man next to Tate.

Declan separated from Trinity and walked up to him, put one hand on Tate’s shoulder, the other on his face, and gave him a huge smile, then stood beside Drake.

And that’s when the wedding march began and he looked down the aisle and there she was, beautiful in her white strapless dress. His elegant bride. Rhinestones and pearls encrusted the entire top of the dress at her breasts, then nothing but white satin draped in a perfect line down her torso, hips, and legs where it flared out at the bottom. He’d never seen her look more . . . amazing.

With her deep red hair bundled at the back of her head in waves that created a loose bun encircled by rhinestones, swept back from her gorgeous face and bright green eyes and the smile she gave him . . . pure happiness.

Her parents, Ken and Leslie, stood on either side of her.

Liz carried a pretty bouquet of white roses in one hand and hooked her arm through her father’s.

They walked down the aisle toward him and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

It took all his self-control to wait while Liz turned to her mother for a kiss on the cheek, then one from her father before Ken took Liz’s hand and held it out to him.

Tate clasped hands with Liz.

Ken placed his over their joined ones. “Take care of each other.”

“We will,” Tate promised.

Ken and Leslie took their seats across from Tate’s mom and dad, who’d left their RV at a campsite in the California redwoods and flew in for the ceremony.

Liz faced him and squeezed his hand. “I’m going to marry you,” she whispered, making him smile and taking him back to kindergarten and her bold declaration.

“Na-uh.” This time he teased, instead of denying what seemed fated.

They shared a laugh that eased their nerves and excitement.

The justice of the peace put his hand over theirs. “Some things are inevitable, like the sun rising every morning. Like the love Tate and Liz share that led them here today. And so we gather to celebrate their very special relationship.

“It’s not often you meet someone in childhood and they remain your best friend for life. Even rarer, that the friendship that kept them close all these years turned into a love of a lifetime.

“Marriage is a union. And though Tate and Liz have shared that bond for most of their lives, they’ve invited their closest friends and family, the people most important to them, to watch them take this next step in their joined lives.

“They have written their own vows. Tate,” the justice of the peace prompted.

Tate took a deep breath and met Liz’s brilliant, welcoming green eyes. “I love you. I’ve loved you practically my whole life. I picked you for Red Rover, dodge ball, to be my teammate and my best friend.” He squeezed her hand. “I picked you to be my wife. We’ve shared a million memories. I can’t wait to make

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