Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
I t was a wedding unlike any other wedding.
Not only because the decorations and cake were orange and black. Or that everyone in attendance wore costumes. Or that a black straggly cat with one chewed-off ear was the ring bearer and after performing his duties now watched the reception from the top of a stack of hay bales. This wedding was unlike any other because the bride was unlike any other. Not because she was dressed like a witch, but because of the person beneath the green makeup, pointed hat, and long black flowing dress.
Halloween Holiday Carson was as unique as her name.
She might look like a stiff wind could easily blow her over, but no wind—literally or figuratively—would ever knock over Hallie. She was as tough as nails. If you messed with her, you were liable to get the sharp edge of her tongue or a knee in the balls. But that didn’t mean her heart wasn’t as soft as the waves of blond hair that framed her green face. When she loved, she loved deeply and completely.
She loved a lot.
She loved Jelly Roll, George Strait, Dixie Chick, Taylor Swift, Buck Owens, Mickey Gilley, and every other animal her family had adopted. She loved her town and every ornery resident in it. She loved her family and would go to the ends of the earth for them.
And she loved an ex-football player now turned high school coach.
Jace didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky.
But he wasn’t going to waste this special night wondering. He was just going to enjoy every single second of having his feisty, softhearted, loving wife in his arms.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” He wanted to brush a kiss on the top of her head, but the pointy witch’s hat made that impossible.
She tipped her head back and studied him with those eyes that looked even greener next to the green makeup she’d used on her face. The love he saw made his heart catch. “About a hundred times, and I got to tell you, Jace the Ace, I’m starting to get a little worried you have a thing for goth.”
He cocked a brow. “How can I not when I married a woman named Halloween?”
The scowl that usually appeared when anyone used her given name didn’t show up. Instead, a slow smile lifted her lips. It was the same smile he’d seen a lot of lately. A satisfied smile. Like Jace, it looked like Hallie had finally accepted who she was and had embraced it. The wedding theme and décor was a perfect example. The colors, costumes, and October thirty-first wedding date had all been her idea. Jace hadn’t cared about any of it. He would have gotten married buck naked on any day, or on any planet, to become her husband.
“Good point.” She thumped his shoulder pads. “I’m certainly developing a thing for sexy football players.”
“Sexy? Are you saying I’m making you hot, Mrs. Carson?”
She ran a finger along the collar of his football jersey, sending heat pooling. “Very.”
She lifted to the toes of her cowboy boots and kissed him. The warmth her lips and tongue infused in him made him feel more than just sexual desire. It made him feel like he was right where he should be. When she drew back, he was breathless and lightheaded . . . and unwilling to wait a second longer to have her all to himself.
He took her hand and headed for the open barn doors. Seeing as how Hallie was now running the ranch, it had only made sense that Jace move into the Holiday house. He had just purchased a huge king-sized bed to replace the two twins in Hallie and Noelle’s old bedroom and he was looking forward to trying it out.
“Where are you taking me, Jace Carson?” she asked.
“Back to the house where I intend to show you some new plays I’ve been working on.”
“Football or sexual?”
“Both.”
She laughed and tugged him to a stop. “Sorry, Coach, but I have other plans.”
He realized his mistake. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Hallie. I shouldn’t have assumed you wanted to leave the reception. You want to keep dancing. We’ll keep dancing.”
Hallie looked up at him with a soft smile. “I don’t want to keep dancing. I want you to demonstrate all your new plays . . . just not where my parents and grandma can overhear us.”
He tipped his head. “Us? I believe it was only you making all the ruckus last night.”
“Which is why it’s your turn tonight.” She leaned up on tiptoe and whispered into his ear. “Meet me in the hayloft in five minutes, football stud.”
Need consumed him and he couldn’t help pulling her close. “Why do we have to wait five minutes? Let’s just go now.”
The smile faded from her face. “I need to go find Noelle and make sure she’s okay.” Noelle and her boyfriend had recently broken up and Noelle had looked pretty devastated the entire wedding. Jace understood why Hallie needed to check on her.
“Take your time.” He gave her a soft kiss. “I’ll be waiting.”
Unfortunately, it took him a while to make his way to the hayloft. All the townsfolk stopped him to talk about Friday night’s game. The Wildcats had won—thanks to Sophie’s kicking—and were now in the playoffs. Coach Denny had decided to retire after the season, but planned to show up occasionally to give his advice. Mrs. Stokes had tried to talk Jace into signing a five-year contract, but he had refused. He loved football, but he’d come to realize that he didn’t need it to make himself feel loved and worthy. He had his family and friends for that. He would coach as long as it didn’t interfere with him enjoying time with the people he held most dear.
“I tell you what,” Mrs. Stokes said around the wad of nicotine gum she was chomping. She hadn’t dressed up in a costume, but she had pinned a pumpkin brooch on her mink stole. “That little Sophie has a leg on her and she’s tough. Did you see the hit she took?”
Jace had seen the hit. He’d had to catch himself from rushing out on the field. But Sophie had made it clear she didn’t want to be treated any differently than the rest of the team. Thankfully, she’d jumped right back up and the penalty for roughing the kicker had given the Wildcats the ball back. Still, he’d been worried about her for the rest of the game.
And he hadn’t been the only one.
“I thought it was so sweet when her uncle came charging down from the stands to check on her,” Sheryl Ann, who was dressed like a pumpkin muffin, said.
Mrs. Stokes snorted. “Sophie didn’t think so. It looked like that little gal chewed him out good.”
Jace couldn’t help grinning. Sophie was as feisty as Hallie. And speaking of Hallie . . .
“I’d love to talk more about the game, but it will have to wait. Right now, I need to go find my bride.”
Thankfully, he didn’t run into any more chatty townsfolk. When he reached the hayloft ladder, he took it two rungs at a time, figuring Hallie was already waiting for him. But when he got to the top, he didn’t find Hallie.
He found a grinning cowboy vampire, a sexy nurse with hay in her hair, and an extremely angry baker.
“You absolutely disgust me, Casey Remington!” Noelle waved the whisk she held in her hand at Casey who was showing off some pretty realistic fangs. “I mean can’t you go anywhere without seducing some unsuspecting woman?”
“Now, Smelly Ellie, Nurse Nancy here isn’t unsuspecting. In fact, it was her idea to give me . . . a little examination.”
“Sara,” the nurse said. “My name is Sara.”
“Of course it is.” Casey winked at her and Noelle released an exasperated huff.
“I don’t care what her name is, you have no business being in this hayloft. This isn’t your ranch, Casey Remington. This is the Holiday Ran—” Noelle cut off. “What did you call me?”
Casey’s eyes widened innocently. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember the nickname you got in grade school when you farted and our entire second grade classroom had to evacuate and let the room air out?”
“I did not fart! You did and blamed it on me!” Noelle threw the whisk with an accuracy Jace had to admire. It sailed end over end straight for Casey’s head and would have hit him smack dab in the nose if he hadn’t had good reflexes.
He caught it with a wire twang and looked thoroughly impressed. “Nice throw, Smelly Ellie.”
Noelle released a growl and Jace figured if he didn’t want to see blood drawn, he needed to step in.
“Hey, y’all!” He finished climbing the ladder. “Are we having a private party up here?”
“I was hoping to,” Casey said. “But then Ellie showed up and she’s always been a bit of a party pooper.”
“Party pooper? I’ll show you party pooper.” Noelle started for Casey, but thankfully Hallie poked her head through the opening of the hayloft.
“What in the world is going on?” She climbed the rest of the way up and stood next to Jace. She had removed her green makeup and costume and was wearing a flirty dress that showed off her legs. He couldn’t help slipping a hand around her waist and pulling her close as Noelle pointed a finger at Casey.
“I caught this womanizing fool climbing the ladder with this nurse and followed them. I’ll be darned if I was going to let him sully yours and Jace’s honeymoon love nest.”
“Honeymoon love nest?” Casey glanced around. “So that explains the quilt and pillows, camp lanterns, and champagne. I just thought you Holidays knew how to set up a hayloft.” He took the nurse’s hand. “Come on, Nurse Sara. I know another place you can give me my physical.”
Once they disappeared down the ladder, Noelle released an aggravated huff. “I hate that man. I truly hate him.” She followed them down the ladder and Jace figured she wasn’t through giving Casey hell.
Jace looked at Hallie and laughed. “It looks like your sister isn’t as devastated by her breakup as we thought.”
She shook her head and sighed. “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I asked you to meet me here. There are times I wish I was an only child.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. But I think we can remedy any more interruptions.” He pulled up the ladder and set it on the floor. When he turned, Hallie was grinning.
“I do love an innovative man who knows how to deal with my big interfering family. Or I guess I should say our big interfering family. For better or worse, you’re part of it now.”
He thought his heart couldn’t get any fuller, but her words made it feel like it might bust right out of his chest. He pulled her into his arms. “I think I can live with that.”
“Good. Because you’re going to be living right in the middle of all the chaos. And I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s not so much fun.”
“Then we’ll just have to figure out ways to make it fun.”
She looped her arms around his neck and smiled rather evilly. “I might have a fun idea.”
“Really? Because a fun idea just popped into my head too. Which one should we try first?”
Her eyes twinkled with a light that he knew would guide him for the rest of his life. “You know I always like to go first, Jace the Ace.”
He would never mind letting her.
THE END