Epilogue
Epilogue
Ripley
I could not believe it had been almost nine months, and we were finally heading back to Montana. It was going to be so strange living in a house when we weren’t chasing the rodeo circuit, but I was seriously looking forward to it.
Everything had changed for Cade and me, in all the best ways. Sure, we still traveled the circuit, but we’d purchased a new bus that suited our new needs better, and Cade made sure I got lots of Daddy’s attention. Even more than I would have liked sometimes. If I thought he was protective and overbearing as my friend, as my Daddy he was damn near impossible.
And I loved it.
Except when I didn’t.
It was hard to adapt at first, and to learn that the things I just did without thinking before were not necessarily safe or acceptable in Daddy’s eyes. There was no more saddling up Destiny and riding around exploring things without telling Daddy where I was going or what I was doing. And he needed to be able to get a hold of me at any time. It should have felt suffocating after years of basically doing whatever I wanted to, but it didn’t.
We pulled through the security gates of Rawhide Ridge and the butterflies danced in my tummy. I looked at my reflection in the window and smoothed my dress.
“Excited, baby?” Daddy asked, making eye contact with me in the rearview mirror.
“Very. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my friends, and I can’t believe we actually are going to live in a house like normal people. I can’t wait to see how all of the furniture looks and everything.” I bounced on the balls of my feet. “How much longer?”
“Sit down, Little girl. It’s just up here around the bend. Master Derek let us build on the outskirts so we could have easy access to the horse trails.”
I climbed into the passenger seat so I could see better. “And we have a barn and corral too, right?” I knew we did, but I hadn’t seen it yet, and I liked hearing about it.
“Yes, babygirl. It's all been built. All we have to do is move in.”
Cade pulled the bus into the long driveway, and I could see a small crowd of our new friends waiting to greet us. I’d dressed in my favorite sundress, even though the late fall weather was getting chilly in the Montana mountains. And I was wearing my brand-new pink sparkly cowgirl boots Daddy had bought for me, even though he grumbled about them being worthless for any actual cowgirling. He was so cute when he acted like he didn’t want to give me all the things a Little girl could ever want. It was so obvious that he loved doing it and the grumbling was all for show. Especially when he was the one who reminded me to wear them as often as I could.
The bus rolled to a stop and I was jumping out the door before Daddy even cut the engine. I ran to Reese, Wren, and Master Derek’s Little wife, Sadie, and was welcomed with a group hug as we all squealed excitedly. Daddy had worked out a deal with Master Derek that he and I would work closely with Travis, Wren, Arlo, and Reese during the off-season taking care of the horses, and maybe giving some riding lessons. We didn’t need the money, but neither of us did well when we were bored. It would be a welcome distraction, and we would get to work with animals and be with people who had become good friends.
It could not be a more perfect situation. Or so I thought.
A throat cleared behind me, and I turned to see Master Derek looking at me expectantly. Did he want a hug, too?
Letting go of my besties, I twirled around to give the big man the biggest ‘thank you’ hug I could muster. Instead, I almost tripped over Cade, who was crouched down behind me. No, not crouched. He was down on one knee!
What on earth?
“Welcome home, babygirl. We’re about to start a new chapter of our lives together, and I wanted to start off on the right foot. Or knee, if you will.” He winked. “So, we’re getting married, right here, right now, with our closest friends here to witness it.”
My heart pounded in my chest with excitement and I wanted to fling myself at him, but first I had to get one thing straight. “That is not a proposal, Cade Wyatt. That’s you being a bossy butt and telling me what we’re doing.” I crossed my arms over my chest and pushed my bottom lip out in a pout. “Do it right.”
“Fine, but if you don’t say yes, I’ll have to bare your bottom and give you a sound whoopin’ until you change your mind.”
I rolled my eyes. There was not a chance in hell I would say no, and he knew it. We’d talked about getting married. We’d even talked about how we wanted to do it. No huge to-do, no frills, nothing. It wasn’t our style, and I didn’t feel the need to put on a show for anyone. Did I know he was going to do it right then? No, but it really didn’t matter.
“Ripley Buck, I have loved you deeply for as long as I have known you. Our love may have shifted over the years, but it’s only gotten better, and I fall more in love with you every minute of every day. Will you please make me the happiest cowboy in the world and say yes to becoming my wife, and my Little girl, for the rest of our lives?”
I let my pout turn into a slow smile as he spoke. “That’s better. Thank you,” I said smugly before dropping the act and squealing with excitement. “Yes. Yes. Yes, I will marry you!”
Cade jumped to his feet and grabbed me in a hug, twirling me in a circle. I grabbed his face and kissed him with everything I had.
“You’re supposed to wait until I tell you to kiss the bride,” Derek said, laughing.
“Right, right. Sorry.” Cade let go of me enough that I slid down his body until my sparkled boots were safely back on the ground.
“I don’t mean to rush this, but unfortunately my schedule is tighter than normal today. Do you have the rings?” Master Derek asked.
“Right here.”
Cade pulled a ring box out of his pocket and opened it so I could see. Inside was a very simple, yet perfectly elegant set that included two wedding bands. I never pictured Cade as a jewelry guy, so I’d never given much thought to his wedding ring. But the idea that he’d wear a ring on his finger telling everyone he was off limits made my eyes tear up.
A tap on my shoulder had me turning to see Wren holding a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers out to me. Her and Reese had smaller ones to match.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered, all of a sudden overcome with emotions.
“It is! It really is! I told you the Ranch was magic.” Wren gave me a hug, careful not to smash the flowers between us. “Now, go marry your Daddy.”
She turned me around and gave me a little nudge to move toward Cade and Master Derek. I had never seen my Daddy smile so big.
Cade and I may have had a non-traditional start to our relationship, but everything we’d been through had led us to that one perfect moment. And as Master Derk announced us as husband and wife on the front porch of our new house in the simplest ceremony a couple could have, I knew I would remember this moment for the rest of my life and beyond. And I was now a firm believer that Rawhide Ranch really was magic.
The End