Page 64 of Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas 2)

The dress fit perfectly after the few alterations Jake’s mom had made, its scooped neck modest and the skirt ending just above the ground. Rand had bought a pair of white pumps that she had spent all week walking in, afraid of falling on her butt. The heel was only an inch but still, she’d almost twisted an ankle walking to the church doors.

The one thing that was really making her crazy was the lingerie both Calhoun sisters and Jamie had insisted she wear. “Don’t you want your legs to look pretty when Jake pulls the garter off?”

After the girls had explained that little custom and she had insisted that no one was lifting her dress up, she’d still lost the battle. From the bustier, to the barely there panties, and the itchy thigh highs clipped to the blue garter belt, she was a walking Victoria Secret advertisement. She walked a lot straighter with the bustier than she usually did, but it was still an item she would never wear again, if she didn’t die from lack of oxygen first.

All of the ladies turned when someone knocked on the door. As Jake’s mom opened it, Earl’s scowling face came around the slab of wood. Rand had never been so happy to see anyone.

“Why don’t you ladies go find your seats? The service is about to start and the last thing that girl needs is a bunch of babblin’ Betties rattlin’ her nerves.” Rand covered her mouth to hide her smile as several ladies glared at Earl and the rest varied between looks of insult and oblivion. Jake’s mother kissed her cheek. “You look lovely, Rand. My son is a lucky man.”

Rand blushed. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Jake’s mom left the room, and M.J. hugged Rand unexpectedly and patted her back. Tabby gave her a wink as she followed her sister out and Jami

e, looking very pretty in a lavender tea length dress, waved as she shut the door.

Rand stood facing Earl, at a loss for something to say. He wore his dress blues and the uniform made him seem more imposing than normal. He’d shaved for the occasion and for a minute, she saw the young man in the pictures her mother had loved so much.

He stepped close and held his uniformed arm out to her. “Should we get this thing over with?”

She slipped her newly manicured hand onto his offered arm. “Thank you for doing this, Earl.”

He patted her hand and said, “I’m honored to do it.”

She took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She saw his skin burn with color and he gruffly said, “We better hurry before your young man gets impatient.”

Your young man. In about twenty minutes, Jake was going to be hers by Texas state law. Her heart pounded and her stomach fluttered as Earl led her out the door to where her groom waited to say their vows.

When they reached the end of the aisle and she saw Jake standing under the arch, she felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest like the creature from alien.

“You ready, missy?”

Rand squeezed Earl’s arm without taking her eyes from Jake. “I’m ready, Earl.”

The music started and Earl led her up the aisle.

Jake stood up at the front of the church and stared at his bride to be as she hung on Earl’s arm tightly, never taking her eyes off Jake. His breath caught in his throat and his tongue felt hog tied in his mouth at how lovely she looked; so feminine and graceful.

“Holy shit!” He heard Red rasp behind him and the preacher’s stern admonishment, but he ignored both. Dustin clapped him on the shoulder and said, “You are one lucky son of a bitch, brother.”

He didn’t even respond. All of his attention was focused on the vision in white coming down the aisle towards him.

He took the two steps down and met Earl and Rand at the bottom. Earl leaned over and kissed Rand’s cheek before passing her hand over to Jake’s with a scowl. Jake nodded at the older man and Earl let Rand go to take his seat in the front. Jake couldn’t stop staring at her as he led her up the steps to stand in front of the pastor.

He spent the ceremony in a daze, answering the pastor’s prompts without looking away from Rand’s thick lashed brown eyes. She seemed to be just as entranced as he was; her eyes wide and dreamy.

The rings were exchanged, a simple white gold band to match his grandmothers ring for Rand. When Jake saw the simple ring Rand had bought, he grinned. She knew him so well.

“You can go ahead and kiss your bride now, Jake.” The Pastor said.

He didn’t even hesitate as he brought Rand against him and slipped his hand behind her neck. His other arm wrapped around her waist and he dipped down to taste his wife’s lips. Wife. He was married to Rand, no matter that it was supposed to be a business arrangement, there was nothing professional about the feel of Rand’s hands wrapping around his biceps or the way her mouth opened under his. He continued to kiss her, lost in the sweet taste of her until Red nudged him from behind. “All right, lover boy, save it for the honeymoon. I’m starving.”

The men in the crowd laughed while the ladies tittered. Rand’s face was a bright pink as he pulled back and released her.

“Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Jake Hansen.” The pastor announced and loud cheers erupted in the church.

Red slapped Jake’s back and said, “Well lets head on over to the Double C. Heard there’s a pretty good spread being laid out for this shindig.”

Jake looked over at Rand, who was being hugged hard by Jamie. Her beautiful face was flushed, and suddenly, spending hours with half the town of Loco didn’t seem like such a great idea after all.

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