Page 18 of Marrying the Billboard Cowboy

Today was about control, about seizing the reins of his own life. His father’s words from the night before echoed in his mind, a relentless drumbeat urging him to conform, just like they had his whole life. But as each button slipped through its hole, Zeke felt a quiet rebellion take root. He could handle ranching, but his true dreams lay in the delicate dance of flames under a pan, in the aroma of spices mingling in a perfect symphony. He was never quite as at peace as he was when he was cooking.

“Zeke?” Kaitlyn’s voice, soft and tentative, called him back to the present.

He turned to see her standing in the doorway, a simple blue dress hugging her slender frame, her brown hair pulled back from her face. She looked every bit the bride, albeit one with uncertainty etched into the dark pools of her eyes.

“Ready?” he asked, offering a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Kaitlyn nodded, her gaze locked with his. “As I’ll ever be.”

With each step toward the courthouse, Zeke felt the weight of his decision anchoring him. They were two souls bound bynecessity, but even that bond held power. In this union, he might not be claiming true love. But he was claiming an ally.

Inside, the corridors of the courthouse stretched on, cold and sterile. Their shoes clicked in unison, a staccato rhythm against the hard floors. Stetson walked between them, his hair combed neatly, though his jeans were wrinkled.

“Zeke,” Kaitlyn whispered, breaking the silence between them. Her hand reached out behind Stetson’s shoulders, fingers brushing against his. It was a simple touch, yet it sent warmth spreading through his chest.

He squeezed her hand gently. “We’re in this together,” Zeke replied, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing within.

Together, they continued down the hallway, stepping into the chamber that would seal their fates. The judge awaited, a silent witness to the crossroads of their lives. As they stood side by side, ready to speak the words that would bind them, Zeke felt a strange calm settle over him.

This was right. This was his choice. And as he glanced at Kaitlyn, her own determination mirroring his, Zeke knew that no matter the challenges ahead, they would face them as one.

His hands felt clammy as he held onto the gold bands, the cool metal a stark contrast to his warm skin. Kaitlyn’s voice quivered ever so slightly as she recited her vows, words of commitment that echoed in the high-ceilinged chamber.

“I, Kaitlyn, take you, Ezekiel, to be my lawfully wedded husband,” she spoke, her voice gaining strength with each phrase.

Zeke cleared his throat when his turn arrived, his fingertips brushing against hers as they exchanged rings. “I, Ezekiel, take you, Kaitlyn, to be my lawfully wedded wife.” His voice, usually so sure and casual, now carried a weight he had never knownbefore. Vows he had once viewed as mere formalities now resonated deep within him.

The judge looked between them, his expression solemn yet kind. “By the power vested in me by the state of Colorado, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He paused, offering a small smile. “You may kiss your bride.”

A rush of emotions flooded Zeke at the declaration. Relief washed over him first, relief that the decision was made, that there was no turning back from this path he had chosen. Happiness bubbled up next, surprising in its intensity, warming him from the inside as he realized the significance of the moment. But amidst it all, uncertainty lingered, a nagging question at the back of his mind—was he ready for the lifelong journey he had just embarked upon?

He blinked away the sudden moisture threatening to cloud his vision, focusing on the woman who now bore his ring. They had taken a leap of faith together, stepping into an uncertain future with nothing but trust to guide them. And in that trust, Zeke found a strange sense of peace. Perhaps this was what it meant to walk by faith, not by sight. Enough light for the step he was on.

It was not the life he had envisioned, nor the one his father had planned for him, but it was his—a life of his own making.

The silence of the courthouse chamber settled like a soft blanket around them. The judge’s last words echoed off the walls. Zeke turned to Kaitlyn, his broad shoulders squaring as he prepared to bridge the gap between their separate lives.

He leaned in, close enough to see the flecks of green in her dark eyes, to feel her tremulous breath against his cheek. Their gazes locked, and something passed between them. In Kaitlyn’s eyes, Zeke saw hope shimmering through layers of past pain, her vulnerability barely veiled by the strength that had carried her to this moment.

Their lips met, and the world narrowed down to the soft pressure, the gentle yielding. It was a kiss of promises and beginnings, tender as the first snowfall back at Redemption Ridge Ranch. Zeke’s heart, which he kept safely guarded behind a gruff exterior, swelled with an emotion he couldn’t quite name.

The warmth of Kaitlyn’s lips lingered against his, a softness that defied the hardships she’d faced. Zeke’s heart thrummed in his chest. The faint scent of her shampoo—a floral note clinging to her brown hair—drifted up to him. His hands trembled slightly as they found the small of her back. Kaitlyn’s own fingers traced the line of his broad shoulders.

The kiss, meant to be a simple seal upon their vows, became a discovery. The taste of her, sweet and tentative, stirred something within Zeke he hadn’t anticipated. Despite his resolve to hold her at a distance, he felt the urge to pull her closer, to deepen their connection.

Kaitlyn’s breath hitched gently at his increased intensity, her own surprise mirroring his, yet she didn’t pull away. Instead, her body yielded to his hold, her presence melding with his as if two halves of a long-fractured whole were seeking to mend.

Time seemed to pause, and Zeke found himself savoring the sensation of Kaitlyn’s touch, the way her pulse fluttered against his skin. This wasn’t the script of a man who had vowed to keep his emotions guarded, nor the careful plans of a woman seeking nothing more than security for her child.

Zeke’s initial resistance crumbled, replaced by a burgeoning desire to protect, to cherish, to honor this woman in ways beyond mere obligation. He caught another precious glimpse of the vulnerability and longing she so fiercely guarded. She was so strong, and loved so fiercely.

As he pulled back, Zeke held her gaze.

Stetson’s voice broke the silence. “Mr. Zeke?”

“Marvel,” he murmured, not quite ready to break the magic of the moment. His voice was a low rumble, thrumming with the same undercurrent of solemnity that the vows had carried moments before.

“Zeke,” she breathed out, her shy smile carrying the hint of that sass that intrigued him. Curiosity colored her face, most likely at his strange declaration. The nickname had slipped out, the realization of her tenacity loosening his tongue.

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