31. Chapter 31
Rabble
R abble could feel Skye’s coiled nervous energy pulsing around them.
Maybe their proximity affected her. The warmth of her body seeped through her incredible dress, into his own clothing, and onto his skin.
And he did mean incredible . The cream color brought out the golden tones of her skin, and those sparkling crystals on her dress and in her hair made him want to find each one and kiss them all.
Yes, it was a wedding dress, and at one point that might have bothered him, especially considering how he’d found her just days before. But now, seeing Skye choose to stand up here, facing the entire town and standing beside him, well, that alone was just about heaven.
The truck began to move, getting into position for the start of the parade and Skye jolted against him.
“Steady,” he breathed against her ear, her scent intoxicating.
“I want to do this,” she whispered back, the desire to persevere clear in her voice.
Rabble tried to soothe her with his gentle touch, but he wasn’t sure that worked well. “He can’t hurt you. Your stepmother can’t hurt you. Want to know why?”
She gave a short, breathy chuckle. “They’re locked away for kidnapping?”
He shook his head, a little surprised Skye was making jokes. “Well, yes, but there’s another reason.”
“Because you won’t let them.” Her tone edged toward serious, though she sounded resigned with a canned answer she thought he expected.
“Well, you’re right about that too, but no.” Rabble gave her a soft smile. “Because, Skye, you are too damn strong for that.”
She leaned in and Rabble pulled her against him tightly, tucking her head beneath his chin. Besides, with the float moving in earnest now, he could use that as an excuse to hold her tighter, even if for only a short while.
“Tell me something good, Rabble,” Skye said quietly. Her voice held such weariness, like a woman whose bright-as-the-sun personality had been hidden behind cloud cover for too long.
She was drawn as firmly as a bowstring, and he could feel her scarcely controlled anxiety crackling just beneath the surface.
Skye probably didn’t want him to tell her how good she felt in his arms, how his heart seemed to soar when she was near, or how amazing and beautiful she was.
She already knew all of that. At least, he hoped she did.
But, again, was that really what she needed to hear?
He could give her something different to focus on. “I’m thinking of turning my parents’ old land into a camp for kids from low-income and underprivileged families.”
She pulled back from him, stunned. “Oh, my goodness, Rabble, that’s wonderful!” Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him fiercely.
Rabble breathed out a slow sigh. He had brought up the idea to the twins the night before, unsure what they’d think, especially since they didn’t establish Rabble it had sat in his pocket every moment since she’d returned it to him with a knowing smile.
Rabble surged to his feet and swept Skye into a tight embrace, the kind that came with never wanting to let go. As the cheering and whistling increased, the world started moving again, along with the float that had stopped during his proposal, not that Rabble or Skye had noticed.
The flower girls tossed candy from the trailer into the crowd.
Thankfully, Elyza had the foresight to fill the girls’ baskets with chocolate and not harder candy as pieces bounced off unsuspecting parade-goers.
Declan and Dash clasped his shoulders, steadying and congratulating him—Declan in his usual loud manner and Dash in his calmer, more subdued way.
Bekah and Kellyn pulled Skye into a screeching huddle-hug that only increased in size when Elyza jumped from the truck bed onto the trailer to celebrate with her friends.
During the rest of the parade, Skye periodically flashed her ring at the crowd, grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl. He recognized some of them, older now than they’d been when he left town, but they shouted louder, telling him that there had always been those rooting for them all along.
Throughout the parade, Rabble stole glances at his fiancée, at the woman he knew and loved, at the woman this town knew and loved, pleased he could help her replace her earlier panic with happier memories.
Seeing her joy was all he ever wanted. And in the same way she had done for him as children, he would strive to protect her peace for the remainder of their lives.