Page 30 of Old-Fashioned Rancher

“I should stay here. I’ve been putting off some stuffy bookkeeping.”

“The bookkeeping can wait. Let’s go to the courthouse and get married.”

She blinked at me, wide eyed. My stomach twisted and my throat went dry. I had intended to have the ring in hand before I popped the question. But it was all tumbling out now anyway.

“We can put together a big fancy wedding later,” I hurried to add. “It’s not a very romantic proposal, I know, but I thought when we tied the knot, it could just be you and me. Then you can invite the whole damn town—”

Birdie flung the sheets aside and raced for the bathroom.

“I’ll be ready in five minutes! Don’t leave without me!”

She was dressed in record time, flying out of the bathroom breathless as she twisted her hair off her neck into a hurried knot. Bouncing on her toes, she rose up to place a quick peck on my lips. I chuckled.

“You’re not disappointed?” I asked.

Birdie grabbed her boots and tugged them on.

“Why on earth would I be disappointed?”

“It’s hardly a proper proposal. I didn’t even get down on one knee.”

She waved me off.

“Grady, if you got down on one knee, you’d have trouble getting back up.”

I frowned, but I let the comment slide. Mostly because it was true.

“I don’t have a ring yet,” I pointed out. “And I promised to get you a big diamond.”

Birdie slipped her arm through mine.

“I know you’re a man of your word. Now, let’s go get married.”

I grew increasingly nervous as we neared the courthouse. For my previous marriage, I’d been too cocky to realize the full extent of what I was getting into. This time, I knew exactly what I had to lose if I screwed things up with Birdie.

Meanwhile, Birdie seemed steady as a rock. She signed the paperwork with a firm signature, while my ink was shaky and jittery on the paper. I tugged at my collar, attempting to get some air.

Birdie put her hand on my shoulder, unbuttoned my collar, and pressed her lips to my neck. I closed my eyes, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. We were good for each other. It was going to work this time.

When the paperwork was finished, I turned to Birdie, wrapping my arms around her waist.

“Wife,” I said, savoring the wonderful taste of that word in my mouth.

Birdie grinned from ear to ear.

“Husband,” she replied, and I knew I would never tire of hearing her say that as long as I lived.

Chapter 10

Birdie

One month later

Avery and I managed to wrangle Grady into a Christmas wedding. Despite his good-natured grumbling, I think he secretly enjoyed watching us turn the ranch into something out of a fairy tale, wreathed in velvet red ribbons, glossy holly garlands, and mistletoe. He might not be thrilled about the guest list a mile long, but he liked celebrating this new chapter in his life.

A fresh blanket of snow had fallen the night before, leaving everything swathed in pristine white, sparkling in the sunlight. A heated tent had been set up on the front lawn for the ceremony and reception. The ranch hands had been busy all morning shoveling the sidewalk and plowing the driveway.

“Damn complicated thing,” Grady muttered.

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