Page 54 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

Soon the vows were made and the rings exchanged.

“By the power vested in me by the State of Montana, I now declare you husband and wife. Tate, you may kiss your bride.”

Tate didn’t need a second suggestion. He slipped his hands around Stephanie’s back and offered a small smile. Hopefully his eyes would say the rest. Or maybe his mouth. He dipped her low and kissed her for as long as he dared before setting her back on her feet. “I love you,” he whispered.

Her radiant smile dispelled any lingering misgivings. “I love you, too,” she returned.

Pastor Marshall cleared his throat. “May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Tate Sullivan.”

Stephanie accepted her gorgeous bouquet from Harper as her fingers twined with Tate’s.

He held up their joined hands as his brothers let out shrill whistles, quickly echoed by his cousins and a few others in the crowd. Many laughed and cheered. On one side of the front row, Jamie yelled, “yay!” and clapped his hands. On the other side of the same row, Stephanie’s parents quietly embraced each other. Hopefully Arlys’s tears were happy ones. Tate had his doubts, but he’d win them over, sooner or later.

Tate led Stephanie down the aisle and out the doors to the lodge’s wide veranda before stopping to kiss her again.

“Dude.” Bryce elbowed him, Harper at his side. “Have pity on the rest of us.”

Max laughed. “Are we doing photos now? Because when we’re finally done, I’m going horseback riding. Daylight’s wasting.”

Tate shook his head, grinning. As if his and his bride’s daylight wasn’t also wasting, but it was only noon. Quite a few of the Creekside Fellowship ladies had brought sandwiches and sweets and were working with Nadine to lay out the refreshments while others rearranged the chairs to surround tables.

Stephanie had asked her friend Ainsley Cavanagh to act as photographer, so Ainsley began directing the wedding party on where to stand on the deck overlooking the lake.

Tate had to admit the two bridesmaids’ dresses went well together, although they were differing styles and shades of blue. They’d be set off nicely with the sparkling sapphire waters of the lake behind them.

Then the friends slipped away, and Jamie joined them for family shots. Then Bryce and Maxwell and Mom and Dad joined them, the parents standing on either end, with Mom holding Jamie.

A shot of grief pierced Tate for a moment. Wally and Ashley should have been here, holding their own small son. This was the first major Sullivan event since their deaths last Thanksgiving, and these family photos would always be bittersweet with that in mind.

But it was his wedding day to Stephanie, and he stepped aside so she could have photos with her parents. Jack still looked a little stiff, Arlys weepy, but that might have nothing to do with their opinion of Tate. Or… it might. His own job was to make their daughter so happy she never had any regrets to bring to their attention.

Then it was just the two of them. Oh, and Ainsley, who snapped photos from every angle in dozens of poses.

Tate tried to block her out, at least partially. All he wanted was to kiss his wife in privacy. Okay, and more, but that was going to have to wait.

* * *

“I’m so happy for you!” Carey flung her arms around Stephanie and squished her tight.

“Thanks. I’m happy, too.” Stephanie’s gaze tracked Tate across the great room where he stood, Jamie on his shoulders, talking to his uncle, Theodore. Many of their guests had already departed after sharing a light reception.

“I can’t believe you landed yourself a ready-made family!”

“I know. Jamie’s amazing. Did I tell you he called me mama the very first time he saw me?”

“You did. That’s so sweet.” Carey lowered her voice. “Have you seen pictures of his mom? Do you look like her at all?”

“Tate showed me some photos, and I’d say no, I don’t. She was really pretty—”

“So are you.”

Right. Stephanie had trouble believing that. She had a mirror. But this wasn’t the time to argue with a friend. “In a different way. She had blond shoulder-length hair and a heart-shaped face.”

“So, to Jamie, he simply felt that you would be kindred spirits. That’s adorable.”

“Something like that.”

Tate’s Aunt Bridget approached the guys on the other side of the room. She glanced toward Stephanie and said something to Tate. He turned, caught Stephanie watching, and sent her a wink and a grin before replying to whatever his aunt had said.

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