Epilogue
One month later
If you would have told Archer Rossi last month that he’d be getting married next September, he would have laughed in your face.
Instead, he was attending the wedding of Patch Lambert and taking notes.
This was also an autumn wedding, and Zoey’s one sticking point for the wedding had been that it take place in the fall.
Shocker! He reserved the right to veto pumpkins, but had already agreed to a pumpkin spice latte fountain.
“Do you think a seven-piece orchestra is necessary?” Archer asked, eyeing the musicians tuning their instruments.
She shook her head. “Good grief, no.”
Patch and Robin’s wedding was held two months after they’d announced their engagement to Zoey, at her father’s impressive estate outside of Amarillo.
Archer and Zoey’s wedding, on the other hand, would require quite a bit more planning, and a church.
Archer’s family was so excited to hear their son was getting married that they’d arranged to spend Christmas in Texas and meet his bride-to-be.
They claimed to already be able to tell, from speaking to him over the phone, that Zoey had changed him.
He sounded calmer, his mother claimed, more centered.
Focused. Maybe that was true, but it wasn’t all Zoey’s doing.
After Archer’s injury, he’d wanted to believe that nothing would change.
He still wanted an adrenaline-filled lifestyle and the career to match it.
Deep pride in his ability to protect and defend others fueled his decision.
His natural-born competitiveness did the rest. But then he once again found himself thousands of miles away from home, facing a crisis, and when he’d come out on the other side of it, he was changed.
Just because he could do something didn’t mean he had to.
He was a different man than he’d been before the accident, and he could make different choices.
It did not make him any less of a man to want to be on the sidelines for once.
When he returned to the agency, he had a long talk with Ian about a desk job.
At one time in his life, Archer would have called this decision a failure, but now he saw the opportunity within his reach.
He could have a life here with Zoey, and he could still do the work he enjoyed, only on a different level.
The timing was perfect, because when an old friend asked for his help, Ian had found himself roped into a special project that took him out in the field, unexpectedly.
Now Archer was running the cybersecurity department for Texas EP and enjoying it more than he’d ever thought possible.
He still drove Zoey to work each day, but now he dropped her off and then drove on to Houston, where he currently worked banker’s hours. Life was good, and best of all, he was in love. The object of his devotion stared at him now, smiling from under lowered lashes.
“Are we going to dance?”
“We’ve been practicing for weeks. Of course we are.” He held out his arm and led her onto the dance floor.
The seven-piece orchestra played “It’s a Beautiful Day.” While a celebrity crooner sang. Apparently, Robin was a big fan.
“Who are we getting to sing at our wedding?” Archer joked while he spun Zoey.
He was still getting used to occasionally brushing elbows with actual celebrities. It had started with the job but had worked its way into his life.
“We stand a good chance of an even bigger celebrity, especially if Daddy finds a way to praise the Chiefs this year. I have high hopes.”
“And to think his criticism was indirectly the reason we met. It would be full circle.”
“Would it be okay if I cut in?”
They were interrupted by Robin. She wore the dress she’d bought from Zoey’s boutique, and the best thing about it in Archer’s opinion was that there was no train. Zoey nodded, smiled and stepped aside. Her father found her momentarily and spun her away.
“I just wanted to personally say thank you,” Robin said. “It’s because of you that Zoey accepted me in her father’s life as quickly as she did.”
“You would have been fine without my help. Zoey has a big heart and she secretly wants everybody to be happy and find love. You’ll find out. She would have reached that point with you eventually.”
“I’m glad love finally happened for her. Some of us are lucky in love twice, but her father tells me she’s never been ready to settle down with anyone before you.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Archer admitted, stealing a glance at Zoey, who’d thrown her head back to laugh at something her father said. “Maybe I arrived in the nick of time.”
The song ended and they switched partners again.
“You’re back,” Archer said. “I missed you.”
Zoey wound her arms around his neck. “I couldn’t be gone too long, or you might forget me.”
“Forget you? Not a chance, babe. Not a chance.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Inheriting A Rodeo Cowboy by Michele Dunaway.