Chapter 31
31
RYLAN
It took months of rehabilitation and healing for me to get back on my feet. Joss helped me every step of the way—from dragging my ass to physical therapy, to making sure I did my exercises, to massaging my sore muscles to help ease my pain.
What helped the most was that she moved in with me shortly after I left the hospital. I’d mentioned it briefly one night when she said she needed to go home to feed her fish, and by the end of the week, her entire twenty-gallon tank was sitting in my living room, with Clyde and Gary and all the other critters gawking at me as I sat on the couch.
She somehow convinced Van, Kolton, Weston, and Zane to give up their Saturday, and the next thing I knew, she was living with me for good. She was sleeping in my bed. Cooking for me or making fun of my lack of cooking skills. She made my life a thousand times better, giving me that sense of adventure I was always searching for.
Joss and I were soon back to the dates we’d had before I was shot. Until I was walking on my own, she’d drive me all over, bringing me to bars and restaurants where we could watch and sometimes enjoy the fun. Once I was walking again, our dates moved outside at times, and often involved strolling around parks with Frank bringing us trinkets and begging for nuts.
Outside one of our new favorite country bars, Joss dropped her phone to her side and glanced up at me. “Okay, Mom and Dad should be here in the morning. They have to leave bright and early the next day, but at least they’ll make it to the reception.”
“That’s good.” I pulled her against me, hoping the warmth of my body would soak into hers. “I’m glad they’ll be able to be here.”
Her parents’ inability to get away from the zoo was something Joss had mentioned when we first started talking about our wedding reception. I hadn’t believed her—hadn’t believed her parents wouldn’t want to drop everything to be here for this. But I didn’t realize just how much their lives revolved around the animals. From feedings to injuries to the sudden, unexpected birth of a monkey that forced them to hand-rear the infant and take it everywhere with them.
All in a day's work at the zoo.
“I just wish Cheyenne could be here,” Joss murmured, snuggling closer against the cold.
“You know she would if she could,” I offered, my stomach twisting with my lie. I hated keeping secrets from her. But with Joss planning every last piece of our reception, from the food to the venue to the decor, I wanted to do one thing for her.
I had Vinny and his hacker friends hunt down Cheyenne. After assuring her that Peter was in jail and she and her family were safe, I convinced her to come to our wedding to support her friend. I may not have been able to offer Joss much help with the planning, but paying for Cheyenne and Dakota to come see her was the least I could do.
It was a surprise. One that should have been here at the bar about three minutes ago.
Inside, where it was warm and dry and the drinks and food were ready and waiting, our friends had gathered for our last-minute bachelor/bachelorette party—if you could call it that, considering we were already married. I’d convinced Van to pick Cheyenne up from the airport and show up late, with some excuse as to why Joss and I needed to meet him outside.
He’d played his part, and as I caught sight of his head popping out of the cab of his truck, a grin stretched across my face. Because the passenger door swung open, and out stepped Joss’s surprise.
“Look, gorgeous,” I told her, edging her back and pointing down the street. “He’s finally here.”
“About time,” she muttered before she turned her head and sucked in a sharp breath. “Cheyenne? Dakota? Oh my God!”
I hobbled after her—the cold made my thigh throb, just like it did Joss’s hand—and laughed as Joss threw her arms around her best friend, the two of them jumping around like a couple of teens. My heart swelled at the sight, my smile going wider with each step I took.
Dakota smiled down at the girls, though he looked up as I got close. Joss stopped her jumping and wiped a tear from her cheek before embracing Dakota too.
“What are you two doing here?”
Cheyenne gestured to me as I shook hands with her brother. “Someone hunted us down and threatened us with your unhappiness if we didn’t show.”
“Rylan!” Joss admonished me, but I shook my head.
“Now, come on, gorgeous. Don’t even try to pretend this surprise isn’t the best thing in the world.”
Joss wrapped her arms around my neck, tugging me down for a kiss. “Maybe not the best thing.”
She pulled back before I could get my fill but tucked herself into my side.
“I can’t believe you’re both here! Look at you!” She gestured to her friend, who was dressed much like we were, in jeans and cowboy boots. “You look amazing! And Dakota! Your hair is all grown out!”
Dakota dipped his chin as his sister tugged at a long lock of his hair. “It’s taken forever, but he finally looks like himself again.”
“It’s been a long road,” he said, yanking his hair from his sister’s grasp. “It’s good to have it back. And it’s good to see you doing well.”
“Thank you. You too.”
“Should we go inside where it’s warm?” Van asked from behind me.
“Absolutely!” I rubbed my hands together, then tugged at Joss’s arm. “I swear, I’m feeling lucky tonight. I’m going to beat you this time.”
“Beat her at what?” Cheyenne asked, sneaking up beside me and giving Joss a look. Joss returned it, but I spoke before she could.
“We made a bet,” I told them as we reached the front door. “They’ve got a mechanical bull inside, and we agreed that the person who stayed on longest got to choose our honeymoon destination. And this damn bum leg of mine kept me from winning.”
Van snagged the door and pulled it open. “And he keeps trying to beat her, even though it’s obvious she can’t be beat.”
I gave Van a playful push. “I can do it! Just you wait and see.”
“Don’t count on it.” Cheyenne planted herself in the open doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Joss. “Are you going to tell him, or am I?”
“Chey!”
“Tell me what?”
“That your wife grew up riding real bulls, so bum leg or not, you still wouldn’t beat her.”
“What?” I turned to Joss and found her hiding behind her hands.
Dakota gave a quiet laugh. “Our father did the rodeo circuit back home. Where some people had a swing set for their children to play on, we had a barrel strung up on bungee cords in our barn to help us learn how to ride bulls. Joss got her start on our sheep before she learned to ride a bike.”
“The only reason she didn’t stick with it was the zoo.”
“No.” I turned my gaze to my wife. “Say it ain’t so, gorgeous.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“My wife’s a liar. Did you hear that? She’s a liar!”
Van shook his head. “Isn’t that the same thing you did to us with rock climbing?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I grabbed Joss’s hand, tugging her into the bar and over to the tables we had set up in the corner. We joined our friends, and we spent the evening the only way I would have wanted to: Together.