Page 55 of Ride a Cowboy

It wasn’t that the passion had faded. It had just blended with commitment to form something even better, something Macie hadn’t ever experienced.

Hank was the first to pull away. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and grimaced. “Much as I’d like to move this to the bed, I told the others we’d meet them down in the bar in twenty minutes. I think they wanted to walk around the Strip, watch that dancing fountain outside and maybe find somewhere for a late dinner. You up for that?”

Macie hesitated. She was definitely anxious to see more of the city, but they had all day tomorrow for sightseeing, as well as a trip to the clerk’s office. The wedding ceremony was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Hank noticed her delay in responding. “Macie?”

“Or,” she suggested, “we could tell them to take off without us, order room service and eat really decadent food off each other’s naked bodies. There’s a whirlpool tub in the bathroom.”

Hank’s cell phone was in his hand before she’d even gotten to the tub information. “I’ll call Porter. We can meet them for breakfast instead.”

She laughed and reached for the room service menu as Hank explained to Porter that they were too tired from traveling to do much more tonight. Macie didn’t doubt for a minute that Porter wasn’t fooled by that line, but it was clear he didn’t offer up much of a fuss.

“Okay?” she asked when Hank hung up.

“Yeah. Pretty sure he and your dad are going to give us shit for it tomorrow though. Porter was already making jokes about starting the honeymoon too early. In truth, I think he only would have been upset if Adele had bailed on dinner.”

Macie agreed with that assessment. “Remind me to pull Adele aside tomorrow to ask her what the hell’s going on with her and Porter.”

“I will. And while you do that, I’ll give Porter the third degree too. Maybe between the two of us, we’ll manage to piece it out.”

Macie handed Hank the menu and he called down to place their order. She was touched when he added a bottle of champagne to the list.

“You’re a master at this romance stuff.”

He shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I’m not doing anything that doesn’t fall on the list, am I? Champagne, roses, limo, fancy hotel room. Pretty standard fare. In fact…” He slipped his phone onto the iHome and searched through his music. “I think soft music and dancing might be the only things we’re missing. Want to practice our first dance?”

She nodded and stepped into his arms as Frank Sinatra filled the room. Macie laughed as he spun her around to “The Way You Look Tonight.” It was the perfect song for the time and the place, with the big band sound, the old-timey feel, the lights of Vegas gleaming brightly beneath them.

Maybe it was textbook romance, but Macie didn’t care. It was her first time taking the class and she loved every second of it.

The first song was followed by “Fly Me to the Moon,” so they just kept dancing and spinning and laughing. They probably would have kept going all night if not for the knock on the door and the arrival of dinner. Hank tipped the waiter after he set the tray on the table.

During the meal, they discussed the ceremony. They’d decided to exchange their own vows, so now, in addition to struggling to write Brandi and Amanda’s ceremony, she was stressing out over finding her own words. “Why did I agree to this?”

“Isn’t it usually the man who bitches about writing vows?” Hank teased. “Honestly, Whiskey. They don’t have to be long.”

“I guess you’ve already written yours.”

He gave her a shit-eating grin. “Had them ready since the day after you said yes to my proposal.”

“I hate you.”

Hank covered up their empty dishes and picked up the New York cheesecake, nodding toward the bed. “Come on. You promised me food and naked body parts. We might be in Vegas, but I like the idea of licking New York off you.”

Two days later, Hank stood next to Porter in the courtyard of the Bellagio in their Sunday best, surrounded by ornate beauty, flowers, music, soft sunshine and a warm afternoon breeze. None of it held a candle to Macie, as she walked toward him.

Two days after his proposal, Amanda and Brandi had shown up at the ranch and whisked Macie away for a full day of shopping in Douglas, the three of them determined to find the perfect wedding dress.

Macie had gone to great lengths to hide it from him since. She said she’d actually found it in a vintage shop, opting for something more old-fashioned. The full skirt came to just below her knee, and it had a high neck with tiny pearl beading around the neck and around the waist. It was cream, rather than white, which looked perfect against her pretty brown hair.

Amanda, Adele, and Macie’s mom, Louise had arrived at their hotel room at the crack of dawn this morning, shooing him out and taking charge of Macie. He couldn’t fault their efforts. Not one damn bit. Her long, wavy hair was pinned up in back with lots of curly wisps hanging around her face.

Macie wasn’t usually one for much makeup, but she’d done something to accentuate her whiskey-colored eyes, making them look larger, deeper. Jesus. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.

And she was going to be his wife.

When Macie reached him, she gave him an almost shy smile that betrayed her nervousness. While Hank had stood here before, for Macie, this was all new. Uncharted territory.

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