Page 69 of Dairy and Deadly

“And cut a local company out of the business? No thank you!” She wasn’t convinced a gate would’ve stopped Martin, anyway.

“You know what else bothers me?” His jaw clenched. “How’d he get past the other farm hands, cattle, and even Can Opener without attracting any attention?”

She agreed that was weird. “Nothing on the security cameras?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Just our own trucks coming and going. Because of your unexpected delivery, though,” he gestured at the rose stems spilling out of the trashcan, “I’m gonna have doorbell cameras installed on all the staff cabins, too. Should’ve already done it.”

“It’s okay, Johnny.” It seemed like the right time to remind him of that. “We’re going to get through this. Together,” she added softly.

“Yes, we are, babe.” He crouched down, trying to coax Can Opener closer. “Come here, boy. Even though our fingerprints are all over it, I should probably bag that bow tie as evidence.”

Can Opener danced out of reach every time he made a grab for him.

“He has style.” Ashley chuckled. “We may just have to let him wear the evidence.”

“Barn cat panache,” Johnny joked, abandoning his mission and returning to the sofa and taking a knee in front of her. “Speaking of panache, I have a big question to ask you.”

Her heart turned an aching cartwheel. Once upon a time, she’d longed to see Martin in the same position. Not that Johnny was getting ready to propose to her or anything.

“I know it may seem like I’m rushing things.” She’d never heard him sound so unsure of himself. “But you can’t remain alone in this cabin, Ash. Not with all the bad stuff going on. And I can’t ask you to move into the farmhouse with me without tying the knot. It wouldn’t be right.”

Her eyes felt like they were bugging out. “Tying the knot?”

“You heard me, babe.” He reached for her hands. “It’s the best solution I can come up with since I was already planning on convincing you to marry me someday. Not this soon, of course, but the danger you’re in feels like as good a reason as any to speed up the timeline.” Though his voice was teasing, his expression was earnest.

“Johnny,” she choked, gripping his fingers. “Are you seriously asking me to marry you?” The way he’d gone about it wasn’t the least bit romantic, but it was so Johnny-fied that it took her breath away.

“Yep.” He kissed her with his dark, melting gaze. “I love you, Ash, and there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the rest of my life doing that, if it’s okay with you?”

She nodded, too overcome to put what she was feeling into words.

“I’m gonna need to hear you say it.”

She nodded again. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Thank you.” Without breaking eye contact, he cupped her face between his large, callused hands. Then he brought his mouth to hers.

One week later

I’m getting married today.Again.

Johnny honestly hadn’t seen this day coming. Ever. But he was thankful the good Lord had seen fit to come up with a new plan for his life. A new purpose. A new lifelong partnership.

Clint met him in the pastor’s office at the back of the church. “Thought I might find you here.” He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it.

Johnny stopped fiddling with the silver horseshoe cufflinks his bride-to-be had gifted him the night before. He felt bad that he and Clint hadn’t been able to make time for a sit-down before now, a mere thirty minutes before the ceremony would begin.

“Is everything okay?” He faced his brother-in-law.Soon-to-be former brother-in-law. His exchange of vows with Ashley would change that forever. It was the one part of their nuptials he was dreading.

Clint shrugged. “Yep.” Like Johnny, he was in jeans and boots. They were polished to a glassy shine, and his white dress shirt was starched and pressed to perfection. The only difference was that Johnny was wearing a brown leather vest over his dress shirt.

“Good.” There were so many things Johnny wanted to say, but it was difficult to find the right words. His heart was too full today.

Clint gave a gusty sigh and pushed away from the door. “We’re always gonna be brothers, if that’s why you’ve been acting weird around me.”

“That’s not…yeah, it is.” He spread his hands. “You and I…” He stopped, feeling at a loss for words. They’d been through so much together — thick and thin, rodeo dust and harrowing injuries, joy and tragedy. It was a miracle they’d survived, and they might not have done so without having each other to lean on.

“You and I,” Clint repeated with a determined gleam in his eyes, “will always be brothers. I don’t know how many times I’m gonna have to say it for you to believe it.” His words ended with a noisy oomph as Johnny delivered him a walloping bear hug. “That’s more like it,” he grunted, slapping him back between the shoulder blades. “Now go be happy.”

---