Page 34 of A Sweet Deal for the Cowboy

The four of them stood there in silence, and Gunner knew they were wondering if he planned to say anything, but Nova didn’t look impatient. She just kept smiling.

“Uh ...” Gunner managed.Get it together ...“I am usually a man of few words ...” He cleared his throat. “But I thought these should be my words. So, here goes. I know that the circumstances that brought us together were not ideal. And I’m not saying that I’m glad they happened. But I am sure glad to be standing here with you. So I don’t ever want you to question this or to wonder about my commitment here. Hard things brought us here, but that doesn’t mean that our future can’t be awesome, and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen. I will be the best husband that I can be.” Suddenly, Gunner was very tired, and he thought about stopping there, but there was more that he wanted to say, wasn’t there? Had he even made an actual vow yet? He took a big breath. “So I promise to love you, help you, honor you, cherish you, and protect you as best I can for the rest of my life.”

A tear formed in her right eye and popped out onto her long lashes, and it was all he could do not to wipe it away. He looked at Nick. “That’s it. I’m done.”

Ryker laughed again.

Nick smiled at Nova. “Would you like to wing it too?’

She nodded and then muttered, “You might be a man of few words, but you sure do know how to make them count.” She took a big breath. “Okay, so I am not sure how to follow that, but I just want to say thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for opening your home and your heart to the kids and me.” She squeezed his hands. Her eyes brightened as if she’d just thought of something. “But I want you to know,” she said quickly, “that I’m not feeling desperate right now. I’m not feeling like Ihaveto marry you. One thing about my personality is that if I ever feel trapped, I will run like the wind.” She paused and smiled gently as if she knew he would need a moment to process what she was saying. “So please know that I’m marrying you because I want to marry you. There is no place I’d rather be right now. And I also promise to do my best to love you and help you ... and ... I forgot everything else you said, but yeah, I will love you, Gunner Bridge, and I’m so, so glad that Old Yeller broke down when and where she did.”

The rest of the brief ceremony went by in a blur. Ryker gave them their wedding bands, and they each put one on the other. Gunner was glad his hands weren’t shaking when they did so. And then Nick was telling him that he could kiss his bride, and he wondered why it hadn’t occurred to him earlier to worry about this.

Suddenly, this scene—the four of them standing in a sanctuary with the lights off—felt so public. Was he really supposed to kiss this woman here in front of these men? He hardly knew her! And did she even want him to kiss her? Should he just give her a respectful peck? No, that might hurt herfeelings. He wanted to kiss her for real. He didn’t know if she wanted him to kiss her, but he didn’t want her to think that he didn’t want to kiss her.

Oh boy. He felt like he was drowning.

But then the smile started to slide off her face, and her eyes widened just a little as if she were considering being afraid of something—and then Gunner’s instincts took over. He grabbed his new wife around the waist and pulled her into him and kissed her like his life depended on it. Whether she wanted this particular kiss or not, he was never going to let her think that he didn’t want her.

As if it were coming from far, far away, he heard someone clapping, and someone laughing, and then there was some chitchat fading away—but Gunner just kept kissing his wife.

Chapter 24

Nova and Gunner sat in a small waiting room, waiting for someone to lead them to Priscilla’s cubicle. Nova didn’t need to be led. She’d been here before. She knew exactly where it was. Trauma had burned it into her brain, but apparently family services didn’t want angry people wandering around unchaperoned.

She hated to admit that this made some sense.

Gunner sat stiffly beside her. She could feel his discomfort coming off him in waves. She attributed his uneasiness to where they were and what they were about to attempt—but then he said, “I feel like a husband should be holding your hand right now.”

Her chest filled with a surprise so sweet it made her eyes water. He stared back at her with eyes full of tender concern.

She’d been so focused on the practical steps that she needed to take to get the kids back that she hadn’t given any thought to the new reality that she was married to this man, that she was a wife, that she had a husband. “Well,” she said, trying to keep her voice light, “a wife who is basically losing her mind right now with anxiety would be very grateful for a husband who would hold her hand.”

His lips twitched in a smile, and then he reached over and wrapped his warm hand around hers, sending an entirely unexpected shiver through her entire body.

She hadn’t realized how giant this man’s hand was. His skin was rough but pleasant, and she was no longer feeling impatientwith Priscilla’s schedule. Now she was content to sit here for a while.

But that didn’t happen. A frazzled looking woman appeared in front of them. “Right this way.”

Now the nerves attacked Nova’s stomach again, and she wished Gunner hadn’t let go of her hand.

He’s your husband, a small voice whispered in her brain, and she grabbed his hand again.

Priscilla sat behind her cluttered desk with a pinched look on her face. She looked up when they appeared, but she did not greet them.

Nova forced a smile. She was sure that it looked horrible because she never faked anything, but she didn’t think an honest glare would do much for her cause.

“I wanted to let you know that I have found housing and an awesome job. I now have plenty of rooms for the kids, and I can support them easily.”

Disbelief tried to take over Priscilla’s expression before she could rein it back in. She glanced at Gunner as if she didn’t understand how he fit into the story. Nova didn’t think she owed this woman any explanation, but she gave one anyway. She hooked her arm through Gunner’s. “This is my husband, Gunner Bridge. He owns a ranch in town.”

Now disbelief won the battle. Priscilla’s wide eyes flicked back and forth between their faces. Then, “I’m sorry, what?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I can provide complete care for the kids now, so I’m updating you on things.”

She stared for a long time before saying, “You’re married.”

Nova nodded. “Right.” She held up her left hand.

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