Chapter 11 #2
She smiled. “Thanks, Dad.” She glanced around, gaze drifting to where Ryan’s mom and dad were talking to a still excited Justin, while Maddy helped Mikayla pretend to ride Justin’s bike. “I was going to hang out with my friends for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“Of course. Thanks for sticking around for the morning. We appreciated your help with the bike rodeo and the kids.”
“It was fun,” she assured him. A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes. “I heard a rumor that there might be a dirt bike rodeo next year. I’d definitely like to enter that one.”
Good lord. He had to somehow survive his daughter learning to ride a dirt bike?
Still, he smiled at her. “Anything you put your mind to… I guess.”
Talia laughed. Ryan scooped her up impulsively and twirled her in a circle. Laughter grew as Justin spotted the action and rushed in to add his hug to the event.
Ryan smiled down as his family gathered around him, Maddy slipping under his arm where Mikayla pressed a sticky hand to his chest.
“Having fun?” Maddy asked, laughter in her eyes.
Talia grinned. “So much fun.”
“Much fun,” Mikayla echoed, pounding her little fist on Ryan’s chest. “Daddy fun?”
Beyond fun. This was everything he’d ever hoped for, right there in his arms. He pressed a kiss to Mikayla’s forehead then winked at Talia while he rubbed the top of Justin’s head where he clung to Ryan’s leg.
Finally he turned to Madison—his heart forever—and smiled just for her. “Daddy is having a wonder life.”
Maddy’s nod and smile said she couldn’t agree more.
July eighteenth had finally arrived, yet instead of satisfaction, Dustin was cursing himself. Why had they decided on a big, over-the-top wedding? When had the thing grown into the monstrosity it seemed to be?
“You’d better fix your expression, or Charity’s going to take one look at you and run for the hills instead of agreeing to marry you.” Walker stepped in to adjust Dustin’s tie. He frowned and tugged harder. “What the hell kind of knot did you use here?”
“No idea,” Dustin confessed. “My fingers don’t seem to be working. Neither is my brain. God, can we just get this over with?”
To his right, Luke and Caleb both laughed softly.
“He’s thrilled at the idea of marriage,” Luke explained.
“Loves the spotlight. Should be a piece of cake for him,” Caleb added.
Tucker nodded knowingly. “Surprised he didn’t want to swing down from the church rafters and make a real splash of an arrival.” He held little Demi in his arms and she sang quietly, playing with the ruffle on her pretty dress.
Dustin growled softly at them then turned the noise into a sigh.
“Sorry. Not sure why I’ve lost my mind. Charity and I are happy to be making it official.
But right now?” His gaze snapped from one brother to the other before landing on the man who’d become his very best friend, Cody Gabrielle.
“Is it possible to hurry through this bit to the reception?”
Cody shook his head sadly. “Told you that spur of the moment was the way to go.”
“Or planned, but only a few people,” Caleb offered.
Luke’s grin was one hundred percent annoying big brother. “We had nothing but wild horses as witnesses.”
God. Dustin glared at Luke. “You, shut it.”
“Just saying.”
His tie fixed, Walker patted Dustin’s shoulder. “I will be the bigger man and not rub in the fact that Ivy and I also had a small wedding.”
“So good of you not to mention it,” Dustin growled.
Walker continued in his easy rhythm, even as he stepped back beside Caleb. “But all our weddings were specifically for us. Something tells me this wedding isn’t only about you and Charity, is it?”
Dustin opened his mouth to complain then shut it.
Maybe the entire thing had bloomed out of control, but he and Charity had been behind every bit of it.
Like not only having Tyler as a ring boy but finding a way for the other little ones in the family to be included as well.
For Charity’s sister and sister-in-law, Chelsea and Suz, to be fully pulled into the Stone clan.
And Fern of course, standing with Charity. And Cody for himself.
But also Sasha, and Emma, and all his brothers’ wives, and Ashton and Sonora, and Uncle Frank, and the hands who’d worked Silver Stone for so many years that they felt like part of the family as well.
The only one not here was Shim, who’d taken a tech job in Dubai that had no return flights involved until December.
When Dustin really thought it through, the crowd of people gathering today with them made sense. “We have a lot of friends and family we wanted to include. It didn’t seem right to leave anyone out.”
“Which means this is like what we did for each of our weddings.” Caleb laid his strong hand on Dustin’s shoulder. “Exactly what suited us. In your case, that means being surrounded by your people. Never apologize for that.”
As if a shot of fresh air had hit, Dustin’s heart lightened. Caleb was right.
As usual.
Which meant the entire way over to the church and marching up to the front, Dustin wasn’t fidgeting about what came next or worrying about details.
Instead, he watched the people who’d gathered around him.
The ones celebrating with him and Charity as they took another step in committing to each other forever.
Family. Familiar faces and friends. So many of them, and as he met Uncle Frank’s gaze, Dustin knew for certain that he’d made the right decision. There were no regrets over choosing to remain where he’d set down such powerful roots.
He’d help Crooked Creek in any way he could, but Silver Stone was his home. It was his heart, along with the woman he could see glimpses of at the back of the church.
Little Demi and Kyle tossed flowers out of baskets as they tottered their way down the center aisle. Sasha and Chelsea followed them, herding a little when necessary.
Tyler already stood next to Caleb, looking so serious and grown-up at all of six years old, a puffy silver cushion with the rings tied to it held carefully in his hands.
At the organ, Sonora changed to a new tune. A smiling Emma, wearing her outfit from Sasha’s grad, stepped beside her and began to sing. The words of “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector rang out over the full congregation as Charity made her way down the aisle and straight into Dustin’s arms.
Laughter rang out, but he couldn’t help himself. Taking her hand had felt natural, but pulling her close and wrapping her up tight was a necessity.
She smiled up at him, arms around his waist. “Hi.”
Her dark curls were swept up with little red roses and white flowers tucked here and there. Her dress was all lace and buttons, and he was going to have the best time ever getting her out of it later that night.
But now, they had a job to do. “Ready for this?”
She nodded happily. “Okay.”
The official words were said. Dustin got to kiss his bride, and cheers rang from the crowd. All of it blurred together a little even as Dustin tried to soak in every second. Every pound on the back, and hug, and bit of advice from the people of the community who’d gathered with them that day.
The wedding party moved to Silver Stone and took way too many pictures. They shifted locations again, this time to Red Boot ranch, where they had a huge reception and barbeque meal as well as dancing that lasted until after two a.m.