2. Mira #2
The officiant looks between the three of us. It’s obvious he wasn’t prepared for this moment. Good thing I am.
“Cord,” I gasp his name, leaning on every lesson my drama professor gave me in my college acting class, the one Ronnie talked me into signing up for. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze flicks to mine and for a moment, something flashes on his face that makes me think he’s known deep heartbreak. “I couldn’t let you get married without telling you how I feel.”
“Who is this?” Stuart demands belligerently. His tone sends a fresh wave of anger through me. How dare this man act self-righteous in this moment when he’s been sleeping with someone else for a year. Yeah, I went through his phone when he left it alone.
Finally, the officiant stutters out weakly, “On w-what grounds are you objecting to this union?”
“On the grounds that I am completely in love with the bride,” Cord says, his voice booming across the venue.
There are gasps and whispers from the crowd.
In my imagination, the scene wasn’t quite like this. It was quieter, not nearly as loud. But Cord is playing his part so well. I like the way he looks like a man who’s on the verge of losing his soulmate. Like a man who will fight for his woman.
“Have you been cheating on me?” Stuart hisses from between clenched teeth even though he still has a smile on his face. I hate that stupid fake smile he uses when he wants everyone to think he’s the good guy.
I turn to the officiant. “Give us a moment.”
Grabbing Stuart, I tug him a few steps away and turn my back to our waiting audience. They can still see his expression, but I don’t care.
“That’s what this is, isn’t it?” Stuart demands, his face taking on a mottled shade. It makes me oddly happy to know he’s upset, even if he’s not upset about losing me. He’s only upset about losing my fortune.
Cord steps close behind me, his body heat radiating. For some reason, feeling him at my back gives me an unexpected surge of strength.
“I haven’t been cheating on you,” I say, my voice quiet and even, “but I know you’ve been cheating on me. This is your out. You need to leave right now.”
To my surprise, Stuart doesn’t immediately turn and flee. Of course, he doesn’t. There’s too much money at stake.
“I’m not giving up on us,” he sputters. That’s when my cowboy steps around me.
He puts a hand on Stuart’s shoulder. His voice is just as quiet as mine was. “She’s given you a graceful out. You can leave with those pretty teeth still in your head or not. The choice is yours.”
Behind us, I can hear the crowd growing louder, but I don’t turn toward them.
I briefly register my dad’s voice above the din.
He’s clearly working the crowd and calming them.
He’s always been the type that can step up and lead in any situation.
It’s why I had no hesitation over making him my business partner.
Stuart is silent, calculating. But I see the moment that it dawns on him that he can’t win in a fight against Cord. No doubt he’d go for a swing if he thought he could get the upper hand.
“She’s not worth it,” he finally snarls.
The heat in Cord’s glare could scorch the earth. “You lost a fucking treasure, and you’re too stupid to realize it.”
“Is this about her money? She’s loaded, but she’s fat, and she’s awful in bed. Barely makes any effort at all to please—”
I open my mouth, fully prepared to point out that neither of those justify him cheating on me. I deserve better than this lying weasel.
But before I can say anything, Cord’s hand is on Stuart’s neck. He squeezes hard enough to make my groom wince. “She’s gorgeous, and it’s not her job to please you, you pathetic asshole.”
He doesn’t give Stuart a chance to respond because he’s walking him through the side exit and ushering him out of the ballroom.
I breathe a soft sigh, grateful that the pretending is over.
I did everything I set out to do today. I walked down the aisle on my father’s arm. I prevented a marriage that would have been a horrible mistake, and I acknowledged to my cheating groom that I knew what he was doing.
Now all I have to do is dismiss the rest of my guests. The people on Stuart’s side are already leaving, including my almost mother-in-law who’s going to be someone else’s problem soon. The thought is the one silver lining in all of this.
My dad turns and catches my eye. He mouths, “What’s going on?”
Before I can respond, Cord storms back in. This wasn’t part of our plan. In fact, I never mentioned it to Lauren. I only asked her to have him interrupt the wedding and get the groom out of here. I didn’t mention him coming back in.
To my shock, Cord drops to one knee. He pulls a ring box from his too-small tuxedo jacket.
I gasp, my heart skipping a beat. “What are you doing?”
“Mira, what is going on?” My father hurries to us. He sounds hurt and confused.
Cord ignores my dad and opens the box. He gazes deep into my eyes.
“I will always protect you. I will be faithful to you all of my days, and I’ll take care of you for the rest of time.
I don’t want to spend one more second apart because I’m in love with you, Mira Moore.
Would you do me the honor of giving me your forever? ”
I look at the diamond and at the sincerity in his eyes. My heart pounds. He’s on one knee, offering me everything I want. A good marriage to a sweet man who believes in protecting my heart.
“Yes.” The word shocks me with the way it feels so right to say. This is all acting. All for the sake of my dad and our remaining audience.
“Wait.” Dad tugs me away from Cord, stepping a few feet away. Pretty sure Aunt Brenda just snapped another picture of us. Is she putting this on social media? I really hope not. “Mira, are you sure about this? This man...I don’t even know him, and I thought I knew all your friends.”
“We met at a charity event,” I say because the lie is a partial truth.
If it weren’t for the fundraiser named Cuddle a Cowboy, I never would have met Cord.
Cord who just proposed to me. This is crazy...
and yet it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.
I can’t second-guess my instincts. I’ve used them to navigate too many business deals.
“And you love him?” He presses.
“No one has ever made me feel this way before,” I explain, and it’s true.
I’ve never had this rush of emotions. I’ve always been to sensible for that.
But there’s this feeling in my gut telling me that if I let Cord walk away right now, I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting it. “Walk me down the aisle again?”
He turns and nearly bumps into Cord. “Don’t hurt my girl.”
Cord nods solemnly as if he’s taking an oath. “Never.”
“All right, folks, we’re doing this again,” my dad says addressing the remaining crowd who lets out a series of gasps and whistles. Clearly, they weren’t expecting this anymore than I was.
Cord smiles, and it softens his leathered features. “You just made me the happiest man in the country.”
It only takes a few minutes to start the wedding over again. This time, when my father walks me down the aisle, he says, “You come home to me if you’re not happy. Don’t you ever stay with someone who makes you feel like you’re not worthy.”
I give him a serene smile, not understanding why I feel at peace with this decision. I only know that I can trust this cowboy in a way that I could never trust Stuart.
Despite the tuxedo, Cord looks every inch the cowboy as he stands at the front of the ballroom, his gaze blazing. His work roughened hands take mine in his, and he leans close. “It’s all going to be okay.”
To anyone else, it looks like sweet things. But to me, it’s the first time I can breathe since I said yes to Stuart’s engagement.
We repeat our vows to each other, and it strikes me that his voice never shakes and he never stumbles over the words.
It’s like he’s spent a lifetime practicing for this moment.
When he slides the simple gold wedding band on my finger, I love it so much more than the one with the crazy number of diamonds on it.
After the officiant says it’s time to kiss the bride, butterflies tumble in my stomach. I’ve never had a reaction to a man like this. Never wanted to be kissed so badly that the anticipation was sweet torture.
Cord looks like he feels the same way. His hands go to my hips, and he pulls me close. Our breaths mingle as he growls, “Come here, wife.”
The meeting of our lips is gentle and soft. He kisses me like I’m precious, someone to be held and cherished. I melt into him, letting him hold my weight as he teases my mouth open and strokes my tongue.
I press against him, suddenly needing to feel him everywhere. He’s big and strong and makes me feel like I’m finding home.
When he finally lifts his head, I’m drunk on the feeling of his lips, desperate for another taste of him. The look he gives me is filled with masculine longing. His voice is gritty when he says, “Welcome to the start of forever.”