Chapter 36
Ronan
“I’m not gonna lie, Tate. This place is awesome.” Fitz mutters, walking along the group with his hands in his pockets. Tate walks a little ahead of everyone, Alli’s hand in his as their two boys run much further ahead of everyone in favor of seeing the horses they’ve missed during the season.
Presley walks beside her and Tate’s younger brother, Levi, wiping her forehead on a towel and glancing at Ryan occasionally. When she sneaks a look at him again, he’s already watching her. They both look away awkwardly.
Oh, this is gonna be good.
I bite my lip to hide my grin as I catch Emmy’s eye. My girl is just as observant as I am and we share a smile. I pull on our joined hands, bringing her close enough to smack a kiss to her cheek.
“I love you.” I murmur, wrapping my around her shoulders, her arm across her chest, hand still holding mine. I don’t care how hot it is here on Tate’s Texas ranch, I want her close to me.
“I love you more.” She grins.
Out of nowhere, there’s a flash of big teeth coming to chomp at my head. I duck.
“What the fuck?” I screech, hunching over Emalyn to protect her.
She cackles, falling toward the ground and only remaining upright- albeit crouched- because of my hold on her.
I’m still ducking for cover, looking for what tried to attack, when a puff of breath hits my cheek.
My head rears back, arching my back nearly into a backbend as the group dissolves in laughter.
The wheezing kind at my near death experience.
“Ronan, I thought you wanted to see the horses?” Tate quirks a brow, biting a lip and barely containing his laughter.
“I didn’t realize they’d be the size of a… of a…” I stumble over my words gesturing to the massive creature towering over me.
“…a horse?” Ryan finishes for me. I shrug, digging the toe of my shoe into the dirt.
“More like an elephant.” I murmur. Emalyn rolls her lips in, eyes soft. The others hold back their laughs until Fitz snorts and they all break.
“Oh fuck you guys.” I wave them off as Hudson comes up next to the fence on his own horse.
“Aw, come on Uncle Ronan.” He says, “I was scared too— in the beginning.”
“Thanks, Hud. At least someone gets it.”
“Like way in the beginning. I’m talking about back when I was a baby.”
I flip him off, earning me two smacks on the arm.
One from Emalyn, and one from Alli. Hudson’s grin is smug.
I know I didn’t hurt his feelings. He loves being a shit disturber, always has.
I, the uncle and main target of said disturber, would know.
When the girls turn back around, he mimics the gesture and sticks out his tongue.
It takes a lot of coaxing and plenty of treat rewards before the horse and I can safely ride together. I tried to get more but Tate wouldn’t feed me anymore.
Scowling, I shake my head.
“I thought there’d be more grit on a ranch. This is peaceful.”
“Only because Mom’s here instead of spending half her time in New York.” Levi snorts. “She wanted everything to be perfect for her two favorite children.”
Presley looks like she wants to be offended but seems more confused.
“Mom’s been spending time in New York?” She frowns. A look between her and Tate passes.
Before they can answer, a firework whizzes past me, barely missing me and sending my horse rearing up.
I’d like to fall off, but the things got my feet in the cowboy things and it's a bigger fall than it looks like in the movies. I hug around its neck, hanging on for dear life. Tate comes to the rescue, true cowboy style saying “whoa” and settling her.
“This is the worst trip ever, Tate.” I snap when he calms the wild beast. He just laughs, a full belly laugh.
“No, it’s the best.” He nods before smacking me on the back. Although we are around the same height, the beefy defenseman is ranch strong.
Meanwhile, Emalyn is a natural on her white horse with her cowgirl hat crowning her curls beautifully.
Thankfully, the ride is over after a loop through the forest trails, where Tate shares stories from Allison and Hudson’s first visit out together.
My eyes narrow on the two lovebirds, always grinning like they have a secret.
“We’re having a party tonight! Everyone go home and get fancied up!” Tate calls. By home he means our rooms. There’s a lot of us from the team, and most of us don’t have a house in Texas of all places so we split up in rooms on each of the properties.
Fitz. Ripley and Ripley’s daughter are staying at Tate’s older brother, Scotty’s house. Ryan, Presley, Coach King— Randall— are staying at his mom, Rachel’s house and Emalyn and I get to stay with Alli and Tate. Cause we are the favorites obviously.
“No candy! Just get dressed and get back in the truck!” Alli calls to her boys.
“Aw, Momma” Matty whines.
Shooting them a wink, I use my back to shield the view of the candy bars that I'm holding from their mom. Just to ensure no one comes looking for me or Emalyn for a while.
“What, Matty?” She asks, quirking a brow.
Their eyes go wide as they snatch them from me and dart off in the direction of their rooms.
“Nothing, Mom!” They shout in unison from down the hall.
Emalyn shakes her head at me, rolling her lips in. I snag her around the waist and pull her into our room, locking it behind us and guiding her straight to the shower.
“I have missed you all day,” I say against her neck where I suck and nibble the skin.
“We’ve spent the whole day together.” She giggles. I growl.
“I don't care.”
I pull her under the faucet, not bothering to strip her clothes yet, and swallowing the gasp it pulls from her with a kiss.
Our kisses get louder and wetter, and when I slip my fingers down the front of her shorts, the moan that escapes her nearly makes my knees buckle.
After making her come twice in the shower and once in the bedroom against the wall, we finally get around to getting our clothes on.
The party is supposed to be some fancy get-together, but seeing as it’s Texas and nearly every day feels like summer, I don’t think he’ll mind me wearing a breezy shirt and blue jeans.
Emalyn puts on a yellow sundress that complements her curly hair and brown eyes perfectly. Lacing our fingers together, we head to the large party tents set up in the back of their property.
It seems the party has just gotten started without us, all of our friends and Tate’s family along with some of the locals hold drinks in their hands, standing in little groups laughing and chatting away.
Tate’s older brother, Scotty appears, holding a microphone.
“Hey, everyone. We’ve gotta surprise for you tonight.
” He says, voice low and raspy like he doesn’t use it much, though I know that’s impossible for a dad of four.
Said four are taking turns cuddling and puppy sitting Poppy currently.
“If you could, make your way over to this next canopy and find yourself a seat. Pick a seat, not a side as we are all family.”
“What do you think it is?” Emalyn leans in to ask me.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s nothing too big. I want to sneak you back to our room.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She grins, smacking my arm.
“Mm, I think you mean ripped.” I flex my arm and kiss my bicep before bouncing my brows, “And well-equipped.”
It’s a stupid joke, but she blushes anyway.
“Ronan.” Scotty holds his hand up to gesture towards me. Patting Emmy’s hand on my arm, I kiss her on the cheek.
“You go ahead, Sunshine. I’ll be right behind you.”
Scotty runs a hand through his hair, nodding politely at a few of the guests passing him. I reach out to shake his extended hand.
“What’s up?”
He glances around before leaning in.
“Allison needs you.”
My hackles rise instantly, and I stand straighter, looking him in the eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” He chuckles, “It’s not bad, it’s just part of the surprise.” He gestures to where the other guests are exiting.
I follow him out of the other entrance and around the corner, where my sister is standing in full glam, wearing a long, cascading wedding dress that hugs her curves. He pats my back and retreats to the guest tent.
I stop in my tracks, a hand to my chest.
“Holy shit, Alli. You’re fucking gorgeous.”
She smiles shyly, laughing lightly. “Think so?”
“I know so. Is this the surprise? You’re getting married?” I step closer, pulling her to my chest in a tight hug, careful not to mess up her styled hair. She nods through a beaming smile.
“Wait, are you needing me to bail you out of here right now? Need me to get Emalyn and the boys, and we take off? One call and I’ll have Dante fire up the engine to the jet.
” I insist, leaning down to look her short self in the eyes, holding her by the shoulders. Rolling her eyes, she smacks her lips.
“Oh, stop. You know Tate is it for me.” Her eyes twinkle under the lights as her hands rub her small belly, only just starting to show, and when she says the next sentence, my chest bursts with pride. “I wanted you to walk me down the aisle.”
“I’d be honored,” I say and mean it with my entire chest. “Just wish you would’ve let me know— I could’ve made the cake.”
“I would say next time… but I know he’s it for me.” She shrugs, giving a half smile as if to say sorry, but we both know she isn’t.
She loops her arm through mine, and the music starts. I walk slowly, and I do not cry. Tate stood by the altar, wiping away tears as covertly as possible, which is to say he sobbed like a baby when he saw her.
Emalyn, Paige, Presley, and Dakota stand as bridesmaids for her, their dresses mismatched, but in a way, it works. On the other side stand Matty, Hudson, Levi, and Scotty as his groomsmen. Both boys stand tall, grinning and whispering excitedly to each other as their mom walks down the aisle.
When I pass her hand off to Tate, I shake his hand and meet his eye. Take care of her.
He nods back, once.
As I turn to sit on the front row next to Rachel, Tate’s mom, I catch Emalyn’s eye. She wipes away happy tears for her friend, eyes finding mine briefly before she holds Alli’s bouquet for her.
My chest becomes tight, and full at the same time because I know, without a doubt she’s the only one for me, too.
And I can’t wait for us to be standing where Alli and Tate are now.
Although, maybe not in Texas. I don’t want swamp ass on my honeymoon.
It doesn’t take long for the packed wedding reception to get rowdy. Fitz flirts freely with the local women. Ripley dances with his daughter, but quickly takes her out of the party when he notices how wild it’s getting. The sun has gone down, and the DJ is playing ass-shaking music.
I glance around, looking for Emalyn. She’s off somewhere celebrating with Alli, so I lean against the bar next to a stoic Randall and pouty Ryan.
“Wow, we have two of the seven dwarves over here. Grumpy and—“
“Shut up.” Randall groans. “I don’t even want to hear what you were going to come up with for me.”
“How do you know you weren’t grumpy?”
He shoots a sideways glance at Ryan, who nurses a beer, eyes on Presley dancing with Paige and Dakota.
I snort.
“Okay, fair enough.”
A pink manicured finger trails over the collar of my shirt, and down where I’ve unbuttoned it while dancing. Emalyn’s fingernails are red, so my head snaps up to see who’s touching me.
Some brunette I’ve never seen before, probably from around here. She gives me a flirty smile.
“Hi there. I’m Savannah.”
Her friend comes up beside her, peering up at me. I’m not an idiot. I know I'm good-looking, and I'm sure these girls know what Tate does for a living. They’re probably here to snag themselves a hockey player. It won’t be me, though.
I place two fingers on her forehead— the most platonic part of her body I can think of— and push her away from me.
“Ugh— what the fuck?” She snaps.
“I have a girlfriend.” I shoot back now that she’s not in my personal space.
“Okay? You could’ve just said ‘Sorry, I have a girlfriend.’” Her friend says from behind her shoulder.
“Nope. I’m not fucking sorry.”
Randall chuckles, it starts deep in his chest before pouring out into a burst of laughter. He pats my back three hard times and clinks his glass against mine.
“You know what, kid? You’re alright.”