Page 26 of Forever After All

“We rode together,” Jess said quickly.

“Oh, well. You two have a nice time,” Mrs. Scott said, clearly not understanding Jess’s non-answer any more than he did.

He’d been the one to backpedal when Jess asked if this was a date. It was his own fault if she told people they just “rode together.”

“Bye, Mrs. Scott,” Jess said with a wave.

Linc fidgeted in his seat. Was it getting hot?

No, it wasn’t anywhere near warm. It was April in Wyoming.

Jess sat beside him and leaned in. “I hope she doesn’t tell her friends.”

Linc swallowed and leaned in. Anything that brought him closer to Jess was a gift. “Tell her friends what?”

“That I’m still on the market. My first date crashed and burned. It’s so stressful. I don’t know how some people do it all the time.”

Soon, everyone started calming down and finding seats. Whispers buzzed as Ridge took his place at the arbor.

Weddings were a circus. Linc would rather get kicked by a bronc than stand up in front of a hundred people. Being the center of attention had never been his thing.

Cheyenne appeared in the back, and everyone turned to see her.

As awkward as it was to be at the front, the bride might have it worse. People came to see the bride in her ridiculously expensive dress.

Spending a month’s worth of paychecks on a dress wasn’t his idea of romantic, but he seemed to be in the minority.

“Good grief. Look at the shine on that thing,” Jess whispered beside him.

“Trust me, I noticed. I think they caught the glare in Cody.”

“I don’t want to know how much that dress cost. I might throw up.”

Linc suppressed a chuckle. Jess wasn’t flashy, and while she wasn’t a penny pincher, she wasn’t extravagant with her finances either. He hardly ever saw her with something new.

Even the dress she’d worn was understated. The navy hung in folds, but the neckline and even the slit were modest.

It was the perfect dress for her. She didn’t need flash to draw attention or look good.

There were prayers, verse readings, and vows exchanged. Sniffles peppered the air, and boxes of tissues were passed down the rows.

Ridge and Cheyenne made a good couple, but they hadn’t always been that way. After Cheyenne sold Ridge out for a hefty check, they’d all thought the two were really finished.

Apparently, love was stronger than hurt, and the two mended their fences. They’d been inseparable ever since.

If Ridge and Cheyenne could go from dislike to love, who was to say he and Jess couldn't move from friends to more? Even Colt and Remi had figured out how to turn their friendship into a romantic relationship.

He glanced over at Jess to find her eyes were dry. That hadn’t surprised him much. She wasn’t a crier. In fact, he’d only seen it once, and that was after he’d gone with Brett to help save Thea from her demented family.

Jess had shed a tear, then she’d frowned and tried to make him promise not to scare her like that again.

He hadn’t made the promise. If someone needed help, he’d do everything in his power, and that might mean facing the front lines. If push came to shove, he’d stare down the barrel of a shotgun again.

When the newlywed couple kissed, everyone clapped. Another thing he couldn’t imagine doing in front of a crowd was kissing. It seemed like a private thing, and while it was expected at a wedding, he still didn’t think he could do it.

He glanced at Jess again. Would she want a wedding? She wasn’t the type to make a fuss, and she didn’t like it when people touched her. It would be hard for her to get on board with all the congratulatory hugs.

“Yessss!”

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