Page 99 of Marrying Mr. Majestic

I ran a hand over Way’s back and clasped his hip. I knew Way was looking forward to seeing his friend—the woman who’d been there for him many times over the years—and I was happy for him. I even liked Eden—she and I had warmed toward each other over the past year, once she’d accepted that I wasn’t going anywhere. The fact that she’d fallen head over heels for a fellow adventure racer had probably helped that along.

The look Way gave me suggested he knew exactly what was going through my mind, but he didn’t seem to mind my possessive little display. In fact, he leaned into my touch, his eyes lit with a teasing gleam…

Which was when Natana walked up and slapped a piece of paper against my chest. “Silas Concannon, First Gentleman of Majestic, you’ve been served.”

My stomach swooped as I grabbed for the paper to see what it was.

The familiar Majestic Rodeo logo was splayed across the top of the flyer.

The Majestic Rodeo Presents: Archery Night!

Join us for fun, food, and archery at the Majestic Rodeo

Featuring: Open, Bowhunter Freestyle, Bowhunter “Outlaw”, Bowhunter Barebow, Traditional Longbow, and Recurve

Cash prizes and custom buckles! Visit our website for more information and to register.

I glanced up at her. “You challenging me, Ms. Whiteplume?”

“You’re dang right I am. After our impromptu target shooting last month, your ass is mine, Concannon.” She shot me a wink.

Way’s cheeks flushed an attractive pink.

“Cowboy?” I murmured after everyone else was distracted asking her questions about the event. “What’s got your dander up?”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a rodeo buckle, for one thing.”

My eyebrows skyrocketed. “Is that right?”

He shrugged. “I’m thinking just the rodeo buckle. And possibly my hat.” My heart did its familiar stampede as I watched my husband’s eyes darken. “While I remind you who your ass actually belongs to.”

Even after a year, my blue-eyed cowboy managed to surprise me… in the very best and hottest ways. “I think it’s time to go home, Mayor Fletcher,” I growled.

He grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb over my wedding ring—the band of gold I’d never been able to remove and now planned to wear forever—then leaned in to whisper against my lips.

“I think you might be right.”

DEV’S EPILOGUE

I’d heard about Final Night for months. It was a Majestic tradition, and so far, just being here for it had made me feel like a true local.

But as I made my way through the crowd on Poke Street, I was half-inclined to head back to the ranch and call it a night despite enjoying myself. Seeing the Fletcher family’s reaction to Sheridan’s announcement was bittersweet. There had been times in the past year when I’d envied their close family dynamic, but other times, like tonight, it had made me uncomfortable. They weren’t my family—not that I had much of one anymore—and seeing them together sometimes reminded me of my loss.

Majestic, Wyoming, had been my home now for almost a year. When I’d arrived to help with roundup, I’d never expected to stay for long, but the wide-open space, the scent of horse and hay, and the utter lack of anyone other than Silas who knew my sad story had made it a kind of unexpected sanctuary. So I’d bought some land and put down roots for the first time in years. After the last thaw, I’d broken ground on my first house, and now I rode Trigger over there nearly every day to oversee construction and bask in the natural beauty of the site.

For the most part, I had everything I’d ever wanted. A beautiful outdoor playground with never-ending trails to ride. A purpose in improving Fletcher Ranch’s horse breeding program and helping care for the herds. Good friends who reminded me to laugh and enjoy living in the present rather than stewing over the past. A billion dollars in the bank—a number that still terrified me sometimes but meant I’d never go back to my hardscrabble childhood. And soon enough, when construction was finished, I’d have a place on earth to call my very own.

As I watched Silas and Way’s happiness, though, I’d started to feel that maybe I didn’t have everything I wanted. The winter nights out here were long and cold, and I’d often wondered if they’d be better spent with a warm body and kind soul sharing my bed. While Majestic was a wonderful place to live, it wasn’t exactly brimming with what Way jokingly referred to as “casual encounters,” much less potential life partners.

Not that I had any interest in one of those anyway.

“Devon, get over here!” Way’s aunt Blake called from the nearby Love Muffin booth, where she was busy passing out her famous toffee bars and Bo’s new honey garlic chicken skewers. Big vats of lemonade weighed down a table behind her, and coolers full of ice were stacked underneath. My arms twinged at the reminder of the heavy lifting I’d helped her with earlier.

“Congratulations,” I said, offering her a smile after hearing Sheridan and Bo’s news. No one would spoil that baby more than Jolene Blake. “I just saw Sheridan and Bo.”

Her face lit up as she handed me a skewer. “Gonna have us a baby, Dev. Best be prepared, especially since Waylon is going to take a little warming up to the idea.”

That surprised me. Way seemed like the quintessential family man. “He doesn’t like kids?” I understood the aversion. Babies and I didn’t really get along, but it was mostly because I didn’t know what to do with them. As a single man mostly spending my time with other single men, I hadn’t spent much around them at all.

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