Page 70 of Dairy and Deadly

“Thanks.” Johnny’s eyes were damp when he stepped back.

“That’s not to say it’s been easy putting up with you,” Clint drawled with a devilish twinkle in his eyes. “Kind of glad you’re about to become someone else’s problem.”

Johnny belted out a laugh and dropped to a tackling stance.

“Huh-uh!” Clint backed away chuckling. “I don’t want to have to explain to your bride how you got blood all over your shirt.”

As if!“You really think you can take me, squirt?” Calling him squirt was a standing joke between them about their half inch difference in height. It was a nickname Johnny only used when he was trying to goad him into a wrestling match.

Clint’s eyes twinkled brighter. “I’m gonna answer that question another day. Consider it a wedding gift.”

“You’re on!” Just thinking about their future brawl was enough to put Johnny’s game face back on.

They shook hands, silently promising to finish what they’d started. Later. Then Clint shoved him toward the door. “You’d better hurry if you wanna beat Caro and me to the altar.”

Johnny skidded to a halt with his hand on the door handle. “Sounds like you didn’t stop with one kiss.”

“Nope.” Clint sounded smug.

“You and Caro, huh?” Johnny was still having trouble wrapping his head around that.

“Yep.”

“But she’s…” Johnny wasn’t sure how to continue.

“I know.”

On that mind-boggling note, he left the room and made his way to the altar.

The number of guests seated in front of him was astounding. The sanctuary was nearly full, which was a real head-scratcher since he’d only proposed to Ashley a week earlier.

“You’re welcome.” Clint, who’d followed him to the altar and remained glued to his side, nudged him with his shoulder. “I told Caro to send you the bill, but she says it’s her wedding gift to y’all.”

“She did all of this?” Johnny couldn’t believe it. There were ribbons and flowers everywhere, candles flickering, and live music playing. He glanced dazedly at the platform behind him where a pianist, two guitar players, and a violinist were gathered.

“She’s an events planner, bro.” Clint sounded proud enough to burst buttons off his shirt.

“I thought that was just—” Johnny stopped talking when the man seated at the piano nodded at him and launched into the opening chords of the wedding march.

Johnny nearly swallowed his wisdom teeth when Ashley appeared at the back of the sanctuary. There’d been no time to purchase a wedding dress and have it shipped all the way to Heart Lake. Yet there she was, walking down the aisle in a gown of ivory lace with a hem that swept the floor. Her auburn hair was piled loosely on top of her head, with lots of wispy ringlets against her temples and cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to cup her face and drag his fingers through them.

The middle-aged man with a receding hairline who was leading her down the aisle was Jeff Perkins. Her father. An electrician from Dallas. A man who’d been unable to make it to town before the day of the wedding. His jeans and boots, however, were a testament to just how attentive Caro had been about communicating the details to all members of the wedding party.

Mr. Perkins led Ashley to Johnny. “I’m Jeff Perkins, the guy you’re gonna have to deal with if you don’t make my daughter happy.” Though he kept his voice down, he sternly searched Johnny’s features.

“Dad!” Ashley blushed to the roots of her hair, while Clint choked back a laugh.

“I’ll hand you the gun, sir, if I fail to do exactly that,” Johnny promised and was rewarded by an answering glint of moisture in the man’s gaze. He wished he could’ve reached out to the guy before now. Between running a dairy farm, serving as a PI at Lonestar Security, and keeping his new fiancée safe, it had been impossible to add a visit to Dallas during their one-week engagement.

“Thank you.” Jeff Perkins reached out to clasp his shoulder before transferring Ashley’s hand to his arm.

The ceremony didn’t take long. After an opening prayer and a short scripture reading, they launched right into their exchange of vows.

The white-gold diamond solitaire and wedding band he’d purchased from a local jeweler was a little loose on Ashley. They’d have to get it resized. She presented him with a black sterling band in return.

The minister spoke a closing prayer, and it was over.

“I love you, Mrs. Cuba.” Johnny gave his bride a tender kiss, overwhelmed that God had seen fit to give him a second chance at happiness.

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