Page 49 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

Blaine wanted to say so much to each of them individually. He felt like he had a good relationship with each brother, and as he looked around at them, their eyes meeting and catching, his love for his family swelled again.

“Spur, thank you for leading us and being the best oldest brother there is.” He smiled at Spur, who just blinked back at him. He probably had no clue how much his example meant to Blaine.

“Cayden, thank you for showing us how to hold our tempers and be proper Southern gentlemen.”

Cayden grinned and touched the brim of his black cowboy hat. It looked so foreign on him, as Cayden usually wore a white hat.

“Trey, thank you for your undaunted spirit. Nothing ever scares you or stops you, and I want to be like that too.”

Trey simply smiled at him and pressed his fist to his chest, right above his heart.

“Lawrence, you’re my favorite of all the brothers.” He grinned around at the others, hoping they knew there weren’t really favorites. “You have a pure heart, and don’t ever let anyone tell you that’s a bad thing.”

Lawrence looked at him with wide eyes and nodded.

“Ian, I know you’re hurting, and I wish with everything inside me that I could take it for you. I would, you know. I’d carry it for as long as you needed me to, for as far as I needed to.” He swallowed, unsure what else to say to the man who studied the floor instead of looking at Blaine. “I think we all would, and I guess I just want you to know you don’t have to be alone. We’re all here for you, anytime.”

He switched his gaze to Conrad. “Conrad, I wish I had your talent with horses. It’s crazy how smart you are, and you deserve a life of goodness that’s as amazing as you are.”

“Wow, thanks, Blaine.” Conrad actually looked surprised, and Blaine knew he didn’t tell his brothers how much he admired and appreciated them often enough.

“Duke.” Blaine’s voice cut out at the end of the name. “I couldn’t do my job without you, and I think the Lord sent you just to take care of me.” He slung his arm around his youngest brother’s shoulders. “I love you, and I’m glad we get to work together every single day.”

“Me too, Blaine,” Duke said softly, a glow on his face.

“I love you all,” Blaine said, looking at the last man in the room. The one who’d taught them all. “Daddy, what else is there to say?” His chest shook, and he pulled in a breath to try to steady it. “You’ve given us all this good life, this beautiful ranch, and some sort of tenacity we don’t understand.” He put both hands over his heart. “I love you, and I owe everything I have and everything I am to you. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a Chappell, and I hope I can live up to the name.”

Daddy wiped his eyes and said, “I wish your mother was here.”

Blaine had already spent an hour with Mom that morning, and she knew how he felt about her. “All right,” he said. “Huddle up.”

They all stepped in a couple of times, creating a tight circle, each of them lifting their arms around the men next to them. Blaine bowed his head, leaning toward the center of the huddle.

“Lord,” he said. “We thank Thee for this day—my wedding day.” Joy filled him, and he smiled. “Bless us all to be safe and experience some measure of happiness today. We’re grateful for each other, and for our family all over Kentucky.”

The perfect picture of Tam entered his mind, and he said, “Bless Tam to be calm and filled with light. Bless Momma to be pliable, and bless us all to forgive her for whatever is still plaguing us.”

His mind blanked, and he figured that meant he’d said enough. “Amen.”

Instead of a rousing “Amen,” the brothers usually gave, they each said it in a much more subdued tone. They stayed in their huddle for a couple of moments, and then Blaine straightened, breaking the moment and the group.

“Let’s go,” Spur said, his voice rough, starting to turn toward the door. “Wait.” He looked around at the brothers, lingering on Blaine. “I have some news, but I don’t want to steal anything from your wedding day.”

“Good news?” Blaine asked.

Spur nodded, and Blaine waved at him to go ahead and say it.

“Olli’s pregnant,” he said slowly, a smile creeping onto his whole face.

A moment of silence passed, and then congratulations started going around. He accepted hugs and kept smiling and laughing.

“Okay, okay,” Spur finally said. “We’re going to be late, and I think we all know what that does to our mother.” They started streaming toward the door, and Blaine just watched them go.

It was Cayden and Lawrence who paused at the door and turned back to him. “You comin’ or what?” Cayden asked. He and Lawrence both held out one arm, beckoning for Blaine to come with them.

“Yeah,” he said, grinning. “I’m coming.”

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