Page 89 of A Sunny Sweetheart for the Cowboy

“Oh, Weston! It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.

He slipped the princess-cut diamond on her finger and kissed her knuckles.

The camera flashed.

Why, again, had he let Graham and Cadence in on his plan to propose at intermission? Right, someday they’d be glad for the photographic memories. Right now, though? He wanted to soak in the moment with a little privacy.

The piano music segued into fiddling, and the group headed back to the dance floor leaving Weston and Paisley alone — mercifully.

“Do you want to dance again?” he asked.

“I want that snack you picked up more.” Paisley pressed a quick kiss to his cheek then tugged him to sitting on the plank steps. “Also, I might be parched. That punch looks good.”

Weston passed a flute to her and looked at his own. Know what? He was hungry and thirsty, too. There was plenty of time to dance. Plenty of time to make plans for their life together. Plenty of time to experience the fireworks that would be going off after this set of dances to celebrate America’s independence.

And to experience the fireworks his life with Paisley would be forever peppered with.

Fireworks, he decided, would be good.

Epilogue

It didn’t hurt as much as Maxwell had dreaded.

Heather had returned for Graham and Cadence’s wedding — she and Cadence had been close, after all — flashing a diamond ring and a smiling guy in a suit to all her former coworkers. She looked up at Emerson in adoration, and he returned the expression.

And Maxwell was strangely okay with it.

He’d wondered for months how he’d feel about seeing her again, so it was a bit of a relief, like he could close the door, knowing she’d be all right. That she was all right.

His cousin’s wedding today had made him realize he wasn’t getting any younger, as though Heather’s parting shot last spring hadn’t already jabbed a hole in his oblivion on that score.

Maxwell lingered on the fringes of the lodge’s great room and surveyed the wedding guests as they socialized while waiting for the newlyweds to come down the grand staircase and run the gauntlet to their car.

Dad and Uncle Theodore, the groom’s dad, ranged the room, both consummate businessmen, endlessly working the crowd. Grandfather was present with Eleanor at his side, Aunt Nadine beside them. Mom made small talk with Aunt Bridget. That was going to end any second, as they despised each other and only managed a modicum of politeness since they both worked for the family business.

Tate and Stephanie had hired a sitter for Jamie and Simon, much to Mom’s dismay. It was a family wedding, after all – shouldn’t the boys be present? Never mind that Jamie wasn’t quite three, and Simon a drooling, colicky baby.

Movement to his side drew Maxwell’s attention. “Hey, Bryce. Quite the party.”

His brother shook his head with a slight scoffing sound. “You’ll never catch me getting hitched here at the ranch.”

“I thought you’d vowed never to get married anywhere, let alone here.”

“There’s that, too. Who knew nerdy Graham was such a sap? He’s totally gone on Cadence, like he can’t even walk if she doesn’t beckon with her pinkie. He’s nothing but a puppet on a string.”

“Really?” Maxwell laughed. “That’s how you see it? I think they’re kind of cute.” It had taken Heather’s departure last spring to open his eyes to the fact that maybe there ought to be more to life than the next renovation, the next flip.

“What, you’re going to be next?” Bryce snorted a chuckle. “In case you didn’t notice, Heather brought her fiancé to this shindig. You missed the boat.”

“Heather and I were never meant to be. I’m glad she’s happy now. And Jordan’s stepped right up to help me oversee the crew, so it’s all good.” Maxwell even meant it.

Bryce slung his arm across Maxwell’s shoulder. “You and me, bro. We’ll grow old together. Living the life. Answering to no one.”

That sort of future didn’t look as enticing as Bryce seemed to think. “Sounds lonely.”

Bryce laughed. “Then you don’t get out enough.”

“I’m not one for short-term hookups.” Too focused on the rush of the next flip, he hadn’t been one for relationships at all. It shouldn’t have taken Heather’s departure to make him see that, but it had.

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