Page 4 of The Bull Rider & the Wedding Planner

Just last month, Easton had pursued the fascinating female warrior Autumn Cardon. Once again, it hadn’t been meant to be as the lady was in love with the bachelor billionaire of the year Jarom Love. That op had cost him the NFR and the smooth skin on his forehead.

Easton’s lack of his own enchanting wife definitely wasn’t from him not being the most enticing, charming, and handsome cowboy on earth or any lack of effort on his part. He dated plenty. He simply couldn’t find anyone to shove Cassie from his memory. It was pathetic, and only Walker knew part of the truth. Even Walker didn’t know how painful and final thebreakup had been.

He and Cassie had grown a little distant over the four years that she’d been in school, rarely seeing each other in person but texting or talking on the phone most days. Heaven was smiling down on them, he thought, when he had a rodeo within hours of her third big shindig after graduation and being hired by a large event company out of Syracuse. He’d made it work to drive to the fancy wedding she was in charge of as soon as his event was done and surprise her.

The joke was on him when he found her dancing in her boss’s arms and then the loser kissed her and she didn’t even shove him away. Easton had thrown the entire wedding party into upheaval when he stormed through the dancing throng, ripped Baxter Churchill away from Cassie, and downed the man with one well-placed jab.

Easton had been protecting her, standing up for their relationship, and admittedly gratifying his own anger and pride. He’d been far too upset in the moment to stop and think of a more rational approach, but was there a better approach? Honest truth, that punch and standing victor over the jerk had been glorious.

Cassie hadn’t thought so. She’d yelled at him that he was out of control and she never wanted to see him again.

She hadn’t. That was for dang sure. Easton might not have the love of his life, but he had his pride. He’d stormed out of that fancy wedding, blocked her number and her accounts on social media, vowed to shove her from his heart and mind, and he hadn’t sung besides the hymns at church in six years.

She’d not only cheated on him but had claimed he was out of control for standing up to the loser she had been cheating with. That night, it had slapped him in the face as hard as that image of her kissing another man that he and Cassie must be all wrongtogether. He’d been wholly committed to her, no matter how many beautiful cowgirls hit on him on the rodeo circuit. He would’ve done anything for his Cassie, even move to stifling New York if she would’ve ever agreed one of the dozen times he’d asked. And there she was, cheating on him and yelling at him instead of apologizing. She’d probably been cheating on him for a long time.

Still, he often imagined flying across the country, dropping all his manly pride, and begging her to give them another chance. He stopped himself every time.

Easton kicked at a rock on the sidewalk with his Tecova boot. Lot of good his pride did him, sleeping alone every night.

The door to Dan’s Grocery Store flung open just as he reached it. He caught and held the door, smiling at the tender picture of a mom clutching a small child in her arms. The mother’s head was bent close to the little girl, listening to her prattle. A swath of soft blonde hair covered the lady’s face.

That hair looked as silky and appealing as Cassie’s had. He remembered trailing his fingers through it on too many occasions.

Cringe! Could he not go one minute without thinking about her? She invaded every thought. If he thought about his Savior as much as Cassie he’d be a saint at this point.

The lady flipped her hair back and glanced up at him, a gracious smile on her pretty pout of a mouth. “Thank you … Easton?” Her voice pitched up as wariness filled those teal-blue eyes that used to look at him as if he were her superhero.

“Cassie?” Easton leaned heavily into the door he held, his legs failing at holding up his large frame.

Neither of them said anything for a few beats. They simply stared at each other. He drank in every bitof her—the sharp, classic beauty of her face, the teal-blue eyes, the pouty and alluring lips, the silky blonde hair. She’d matured in all the right ways. She was as beautiful and appealing as she’d always been to him. The most perfect woman in the world to match his own perfectness.

He almost fell to his knees and sang out “Beautiful as You” by Thomas Rhett. That startled him. He listened to country all the time but hadn’t had the impulse to sing lines to anyone since she had dumped him.

He wondered what she thought as she stared at him. He poked out his chest, then remembered the ugly, puckered red scars just under his hairline on the left side of his face. He wasn’t perfectly handsome any longer. He was tempted to put his hand to his forehead. At least his hat hid most of the damage.

He straightened away from the door and let it fall closed. Hiding his shock at the miracle of Cassie Johnston gracing Coleville’s soil for the first time in ten years, he turned to face her fully. It made his scars visible, but his mama hadn’t raised any wimps. He folded his arms across his chest, knowing it made him look tough and ‘hot’ in many women’s interpretations.

“Mama, who’s that?” the child in her arms questioned, giggling. “He’s a giant cowboy!”

Easton couldn’t resist grinning at the little girl, tipping his hat to her. “I’m Easton Coleville, pretty lady. It’s an honor to meet you, and I can glaze myself and assure you how blessed you are to be meeting me.”

He extended his hand even as his insides froze. Another slap in the face. Mama? Cassie was a mother? Since when? Sure, he’d ignored any local gossip that mentioned her name and he’d unfollowed her on every social media site six years ago, but … this little one had to be at least four years old. Had she gotten pregnant with the loser she’d cheated on him with? Her boss? Was she married? He tried to check her ring finger, but her hand was buried in her daughter’s coat.

It shouldn’t matter. Couldn’t matter. He and Cassie were dead and buried. Yet if she was here in Coleville … and if she was single …

Was this a sign from above?

Fear and wonder intermingled inside him. This woman had wrecked him six years ago and now everything was lining up too perfectly. His injury keeping him here and humbling him, the agony of losing her never leaving him, and now running into her like this? His Heavenly Father must be telling him something, and of course he was confident and brave enough to step into the ring.

Easton had never buried his pride, but for Cassie, he would. He’d forgive her for cheating and rizz her like no other. His confidence soared in heaven above and himself. Cassie would fall for him, be grateful for his willingness to forgive and humble himself, and all of his once-lofty dreams could come true.

The child released her grip on her mom’s neck and placed her small, soft, dimpled hand in his. Easton felt the ground shift and his heart seemed to grow in his chest.

This was Cassie’s daughter. She was a beautiful replica of her mother down to the teal-blue eyes and pouty lips. Who was her father and was he still in the picture? Jealousy warred with the warmth he felt toward the pair. The longing to have this mother and daughter in his life was more impactful and jarring than being hit by an explosion six weeks ago. These two beauties were meant to be his, notsome other yahoo’s.

“Pleased to meet you, sir cowboy. I’m Presley Johnston.”

Easton’s brow wrinkled as he darted a glance at Cassie and tried to keep up. Johnston? Was Cassie still single? Divorced? Widowed? Why hadn’t the little one taken her father’s name? It was a good sign for him.

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