Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
KASEY
Ifeel like I’ve just been electrocuted, like my entire body was set ablaze with the heat and force of Ava, before it disappeared and the dark settled back in, leaving me twitchy and reeling.
I grip the bottle of beer in my hand so tight my knuckles turn ghostly white.
The knot of this stupid tie at my neck suffocates me, and I reach to pull it loose so I can breathe.
“I’ve never seen so many people in here,” Wells observes, seemingly unaware of my struggle to merely exist beside him, his eyes scanning along the swell of people stuffed inside Wild Coyote.
Every seat inside the bar is taken, and at least a hundred more people are somehow still packed in, standing in any open space they can find.
It’s an untraditional reception for sure—we aren’t feeding anyone some fancy dinner, and we sure as shit don’t have a DJ or live music or even a dance floor, but Wells has been slotting quarters into the juke box, and Olivia arranged for some of her coworkers at the café to work the bar so my family could enjoy the night.
“They’re going to clean us out of booze,” Rhett adds. “I’ve already changed more than half the kegs, and I don’t think we have many bottles left in inventory.”
“Well, that’s something,” I say. “At least we get to make some money off this train wreck.” We’ve been running a tight ship lately when it comes to finances.
The ranch only brings in a modest profit during our best years, so our main priority is keeping things in the black.
The bar does a decent job at funding anything our family might need above and beyond what the ranch can provide, but with Melody’s medical bills and funeral, things are tighter than they’ve ever been.
If this reception is any indication of a changing of the tides, of the good this marriage to Ava will lead to in keeping my family afloat, there’s no doubt that I owe her a serious debt for talking me into this.
“Train wreck?” Rhett balks, as if he can read my mind. “Dude, I saw the way you two kissed up there on the altar. Something tells me you’re having a great night.”
“It didn’t mean anything,” I grumble.
“I’m calling bullshit,” he counters, grinning like a fool. His black cowboy hat is pressed low against his brows, his pale gray eyes sizing me up like he can plainly see all the things I’m wrestling with.
I roll my eyes and turn away.
“Hard to think of any of this as a train wreck when we get to enjoy a cake like that.” Wells points his chin to the center of the bar, where a monstrosity of a rainbow cake is on display. He and Rhett both start laughing.
It looks nothing like any wedding cake I’ve ever seen, but Ava seemed pleased when Luna brought it in, her relief when she thanked her genuine.
The mere thought of Ava fires off an instinctual urge to lay eyes on her.
It takes a moment to sort through the sheer amount of bodies but I eventually find her across the room, standing with Layla and her mother, Lynette.
It’s obvious Layla’s making a strong effort to buffer against her mother’s curiosity, but Ava’s face still looks pinched with discomfort.
“Do me a favor,” I ask Wells, keeping my gaze trained on her. “Play something slow?”
Wells nods. “It’ll take a few minutes. There are already a few other songs queued up.”
“That works.” I start pushing through the crowd toward her, but then change course.
I head behind the bar and find the bottle I tucked in the fridge earlier this morning, pulling it out and unwrapping the foil along the top.
After dismantling the wire cage, I pop the cork and pour a hefty amount in a lowball glass since we don’t have anything fancier.
“Kasey,” someone calls over the murmur of conversation just as I walk back out onto the floor. I turn to see Ellis standing near the door, smiling, flanked by Colt and Wylie Jo.
I frown.
His face falls, and I almost feel bad. But then I remember all the reasons why I’m mad at him, and a familiar irritation takes root.
I’m tempted to ignore him and continue on to Ava, but Ellis starts gliding through the crowd toward me, and I know I’m not going to get out of a conversation with him.
“Hey,” he says when he reaches me, his smile reignited. “Congratulations, man,” he says, pulling me into a hug. I go stiff as his body curls around mine, but if he notices he doesn’t let on.
“Thanks,” I mutter, pulling back. I nod a hello to Colt and Wylie Jo. “Glad you all could be here.”
“Sorry we didn’t make it to the ceremony,” Ellis cuts back in. “We had a fence go down this afternoon, and a few cows got loose. Most of them stayed close, but it took a few hours to find the last two. You know how it goes.”
I nod, giving him a polite smile. “Definitely. It’s no problem at all,” I assure.
“So, which one is she?” Colt asks, looking around the room.
Our fathers have been friends since they were our age, but they grew up outside of Saddlebrook Falls, and Ava and I were pretty secretive about our relationship in high school.
Wiley Jo is scanning the bar too, but when her eyes settle on someone, I follow her line of sight to where Rhett’s still standing.
“I’m actually on my way to her,” I say, turning back to Colt. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll bring her around to say hi.”
I don’t wait for any of them to respond, turning on my heels in the direction of Ava.
My eyes skim along the length of her dark hair as I walk up behind her.
“I have something for you,” I murmur into her ear, giving both Layla and Lynette an apologetic look as I pull Ava away.
I don’t miss the goosebumps that rise at the back of her neck as she turns to face me, her smile pulling into something more genuine.
“You do?” she asks, letting me tug her with me.
When I’m confident that we’re alone enough to avoid anyone overhearing, I hold out the glass for her. “I was hoping I could make a toast,” I say.
She blinks slowly at the drink. “Kasey—”
“It’s safe,” I promise.
Her eyes rise back to mine, her right cheek pulling with the curve of a new smile. “Okay,” she says, taking it from my hands.
I hold up my beer between us, and give her every ounce of my attention.
“I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, I will always be here. I will always stand up for you and support you in whatever ways you allow me to.” My eyes drop to her waist, to her stomach hidden beneath all the lace of her dress. “For both of you.”
She inhales a sharp breath, her hand lifting to cover the place where I’ve narrowed my focus. I lift my gaze to hers and smile. “I mean it, Ava. All my feelings aside, whether we like it or not, we’re family now, and that means something to me.”
Her eyes flutter closed for the briefest of moments, and when she opens them again there’s no mistaking the way they shine. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I hold my beer higher, clinking it softly against her glass. “To us,” I murmur.
She lets out a watery laugh that I feel deep in my bones. “To us,” she agrees. We both take a drink to seal the deal. “Mm,” she hums, peering into her glass. “Is this—”
“Sparkling apple cider.” I wink.
Her eyes soften. “That was very thoughtful.”
A song ends, and the low thrum of an acoustic guitar plays through the speakers before Keith Whitley starts crooning “When You Say Nothing At All.” Holding a hand out between us, I ask, “May I have this dance?”
The way her eyes flare wide has me by the throat. She glances at my hand as her cheeks tinge the sweetest shade of pink. I love how soft she is when she hangs up that armored attitude and gives me her trust.
She tucks her free hand in mine, and I set both our drinks down on a nearby table.
“Kasey, look,” she breathes out, and I force my eyes away from her to look around the room.
The whole bar has gone quiet. Everyone has circled around us, their focus trained on the new bride and groom with rapt fascination.
I catch my mother’s gaze in the corner, where she sits at a table with June and Olivia.
She eyes us curiously, something deep and knowing in her expression.
I press Ava closer, tucking her further into my body, wondering if the baby growing inside of her can feel me too. If it’s possible for her to hear me as I float my mouth to her mother’s ear and quietly ask, “Do you think they believe us?”
Ava slides her cheek against mine as she pulls her face back to look at me. “Maybe we should give them one more kiss?” she whispers, already watching my mouth. “Just to be sure?”
And then she’s pressing up onto her toes, hesitant and a little unsure. I answer with the slow dip of my head until I feel her mouth on mine, and just like in the church I’m jolted by the sheer fucking force of it.
I reach a gentle hand around her throat, tipping her chin up with my thumb so I can gain better access to her mouth. A low and quiet whimper escapes her as she melts into me, her hands dragging roughly up my back. It’s vibrant and daring, and my stomach curls like smoke.
We don’t stay at the reception for long.
It’s obvious Ava’s exhausted, whether from her pregnancy or the day’s long-winded performance.
After the dance we shared in the middle of the bar, our guests became even fiercer in their pursuit of learning our story, hell-bent on pelting us with every question under the sun about where Ava’s been and the progression of our relationship and how we decided to get married so fast. They circled us like vultures, and after seeing Ava flinch when Mayor Moore sidled up beside her, looking like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I decided to get her the hell out of there.
We stumble through the front door of my cabin in the dark, the relief of the silence settling over us. I reach to turn on the lamp in the corner and watch the way it bathes Ava in a warm, golden light. She turns to me, a tired smile on her face. “I can’t believe it’s done.”