27. Logan
logan
It was a beautiful day for a wedding.
There was barely a cloud in the sky when we woke up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to the ranch. It was going to be a full day of activities to get everything ready.
Stetson and I were in charge of the ranch chores so that Dani and CT could focus on what was important.
“You ready?” I glance over at my daughter, who’s beaming in her seat as we bump along the road down the driveway to Cal’s house.
Dani had asked Lue to be a bridesmaid, and when my daughter heard the request, you would have thought she was getting the key to the city.
Part of her bridesmaid duties was to participate in the activities, and she was still buzzing from last night’s movies and candy night with Dani and her friends.
“I was born ready,” my daughter replies, giving me a smile. “Is Thea coming? ”
I smile at my daughter’s eager voice and nod my head. “She is. So are her sisters.”
“Good. I like Thea, Dad.”
I look over at her after I park the truck and smile. “I like Thea, too.”
Lue looks like she wants to say more, but before she can, my cousin steps out onto the porch, looking like she’s glowing this morning and waves us in.
I send her a wave and head out to the barn to get chores done before the ceremony begins.
Stetson and I work quickly to get everyone fed and cleaned up. It takes a couple hours, given how many horses we’ve got in training right now, but we get it done in a hurry.
“Your girl coming today?” Stetson asks, wiping the sweat off his forehead and replacing his hat. We’ll both need some serious showers before the wedding.
“Yeah.”
“She bringing her sister?”
I smirk at the hopeful tone in his voice and reply, “I think she is.”
“Good, I’m gonna get a dance out of her yet.”
Stetson has had a hopeless crush on Annmarie for a good long while now, and while he hasn’t made it a secret, Annmarie has not once shown any sign that she was receptive to those feelings.
“Don’t push it, Stets.”
“I’m not.” He glares at me, both because I’m telling him to back off and because of the nickname he hates. Better than the one I called him when he was a baby. Little Stetsy hates that nickname. “I’m just going to be honest about how I feel and take it from there. ”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Fine but wait until after the ceremony.”
“No shit.”
We head over to the empty apartment above the old barn to shower up. It was once Graham’s place, then Dani and CT’s before their house was finished, and now it sits empty so we can use it to get ready.
Showered and cleaned up, we put on our freshly polished boots and cleaned straw hats and head back over to Cal’s, where the ceremony will take place.
A short brunette woman is ordering people around, setting up the area where I assume the ceremony will take place.
“Good, extra muscle. Derek! Get these two to work,” the short lady demands, and Derek, one of Graham’s best friends from the military, comes over, shaking our hands.
“She’s kinda scary,” Stetson says to Derek, nodding at the woman several feet behind him.
Derek grins. “Who, Rachel? Nah. She’s a piece of cake.”
We take his word for it and move to help line up chairs for the ceremony. I watch it all come together, and there’s a tug in my chest, something clicking into place after watching it, and I have a feeling that same tug will happen when I see Thea today.
My cousin deserves this day, and so does CT. I was happy for them.
CT comes out, and we shake his hand, ribbing him about being nervous.
Rachel and the photographer come over and hand us all beers just as Graham arrives, and all us groomsmen cheers before we take our drink.
The photographer clicks around us, but we focus on CT, doing our best to lighten the nerves that are visible on his face .
Finally, the time has come, and Graham’s friends usher people to their seats before bringing out the family members not in the wedding.
My mom is ushered in, and I smile at her from where I stand at the front.
Apparently, it’s customary for the men to stand at the front instead of walking down the aisle, and I’m okay with that.
I see the moment Thea arrives with her sisters, and my breath catches in my throat. Her hair is down in long curls, and she’s wearing a flowy blue dress that lays across her body just right. My mouth waters at the sight.
“Don’t get too excited there, Logan,” Stetson whispers to me as I watch Thea grab the arm of one of the ushers and get seated.
I elbow him and unintentionally glance at my mom, who gives us both the look. I straighten up.
Finally, it’s time for Dani to walk down the aisle, and I smile when I see her casually walk down, smiling broadly and not concerned at all with walking to the beat of the music. I glance at my future cousin and see him grinning back at her, his eyes only slightly misty.
The ceremony is quick and sweet and to the point. Dani and CT say a few words to each other, making the audience laugh, and like everyone else, I let out a breath when they’re finally married.
All of us have waited for this moment since they were fifteen years old, and to finally see it happening, is the closing of a chapter.
After they’re announced man and wife, we make our way back down the aisle. I hook my elbow with Amy’s, one of Dani’s good friends from showing all these years, and she points to Thea as we pass. “She your girl? ”
I nod proudly. “She sure is.” I wink as we pass, and she continues to clap with everyone else, smiling at me.
“Well, grab her then,” Amy says, releasing my arm and taking off.
I pause for two seconds before I reach my hand out to Thea, and she hesitates for a moment before she grasps my hand in hers and lets me pull her into the aisle.
She walks down the aisle with me, and I smile down at her as we go. She looks up at me, and her lips break out into a grin.
We join the wedding party, and Dani gives her a big hug, hugging me second.
“Congratulations, you are a beautiful bride.”
Her words niggle at me, and I frown, wishing that I could have given Thea something like this instead of what we did.
Suddenly, the courthouse feels…shameful.
“Thank you! Man”—she waves a hand at her face—“it was hot up there. I feel like my makeup is melting off.”
Rachel rushes over with something and dabs at her face before anyone can move. Dani looks at me in surprise, but lets Rachel do her thing. Then, just as fast as she came, she’s gone.
Dani blinks and looks at Thea and me. “Wow, she’s like a wedding ninja.”
“She put together a beautiful wedding,” Thea comments, her hand tightening on mine. CT comes over to join our group, his arms winding around his wife’s waist, and Thea smiles at them.
Before long, we’re whisked away for photos, and Thea leaves to see her sisters. I almost ask her to stay.
I almost tell her she’s just as much family as anyone.
That she’s my wife and, as such, should be in the family photos.
But no one knows the truth, and I can’t betray Thea’s trust by telling everyone just to give me the satisfaction of having her all to myself, of being able to parade her around as my wife.
I’m proud to be with her. I want to show her off, to take her home tonight and wake up with her tomorrow, to know that these coming weeks, we’re secure in what we have.
But Thea isn’t ready for that.
I can see it in her eyes. Her trust for me is building, but there is still a piece of her that holds back.
I can blame her ex for that.
Music starts in the backyard, and tables have replaced the chairs that were previously there. Looks like the wedding planner put some of Graham’s friends to work. Someone walks by me carrying four folding chairs on each arm, and I blink for a second when I realize who it is.
“Mitch?”
He stops and turns to me, and I stand in shock at the sight of him.
“What the hell happened to you?”
He nods his head at me. “Logan.” His voice has gotten deeper since I saw him last, and I don’t know if it’s possible, but my little brother looks like he’s grown several inches, now nearly towering over me.
“I didn’t know you were coming, man.” I look over his face and am surprised to see that the entire left side of it is bruised and busted.
“I took some time off. Been at Mom’s.”
I step closer. He’s still holding the chairs up in the air, and his arms don’t seem to be bothered by the weight. “What happened?”
A few thoughts run through my brain—bar fight, he owes someone money, he slept with someone’s girl …
His expression stays hardened, and he looks so much older than thirty. “A bull decided to ram me into a fence.”
I let out a breath of relief. Not that that is great, but it’s better than some of the other options. “Shit.”
His eyes that were trained on mine, shift to the left. I follow his gaze and find Thea there. waiting for me. I reach out and pull her to my side.
“Thea, this is my brother Mitch. Mitch.” I incline my head. “This is my girl, Thea.”
Introducing her as my girlfriend just feels wrong.
“Hi.” Thea waves, noting that my brother’s hands are full. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
He nods at her, then without a word, walks off. I stare after him for a minute, wondering if more happened than he’s letting on.
Thea nudges me. “Everything okay?”
I look back at her, the sun is hitting the back of her hair just perfectly, and there’s a light breeze blowing by, moving her dress for her and making it look like she’s swaying to the music.
I reach up and cup her face, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone. “Everything is perfect.”
The music goes up a notch, and I watch in amusement as CT is forced to dance his way into the party, with Dani happily dancing next to him. I hold Thea under my arm, and we laugh at the joyous energy they both exude.
CT has definitely been more himself in the last year since they reunited, but the CT I see today is the Cade I grew up with.
Worry-free, happy, grateful to be alive.
The bar is set up, and I realize it’s the local MC with their brewery. Of course, they send some of their girls to do the serving, but I do see Mick, one of the higher officers of the club, helping behind the scenes.
I make a mental note to chat with him about our little bar visitor when things calm down.
But for now, I take Thea to the makeshift dance floor, pull her into my arms, and dance with her until the sun starts to set, and hope that this event is just the start of our life together.