Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(91)

“Hell will freeze over before that happens.” Fiona smiled. “But congratulations, sister. I thought this might happen on down the road, but I did not see this coming this quickly.”

Allie groaned. “Please tell me we aren’t going to have to endure the wedding book again.”

Lizzy laughed and leaned her head on Toby’s shoulder. “No, ma’am. No wedding book. No big wedding. Friday night y’all come over to my new house and we’ll have a preacher there. Blake and Allie can stand up with us. Mama, you and Deke can be the witnesses. Or we can go to the courthouse one afternoon and it will all be done. You sure you can’t stay until then, Fiona?”

“No, darlin’. As much as I’d love to be here, I’ve got to get back to work or I won’t have a job, and I do like to eat so I have to make money,” Fiona said.

“Friday night sounds good to me,” Blake said. “Whew! My mind is still reeling. Have you told our mama, Toby?”

“Not yet but I will,” Toby said.

“No more bars and chasin’ women?” Deke sighed. “I’ve lost the best bar buddy I ever had.”

“Yep, you sure did.” Toby nodded. “But Jud will be here in the fall and I’m sure he will be ready to take on that role.”

“I’m not complainin’. I got my sassy sister back,” Allie said.

“Yep, you sure did.” Lizzy grinned.



On Friday night, after work, Lizzy hurried home to Audrey’s Place for the last time. She dressed in a white eyelet lace sundress that skimmed the tops of her new bright blue cowboy boots with lace insets on the tops. Sitting still while her mother wove fresh white daisies and a few wild flowers into her hair was not easy.

“Stop fidgeting,” Katy said.

“She’s more nervous than I was,” Allie said.

“You were marrying a wild cowboy and you’d tamed him. I’m marryin’ the hot cowboy in the Dawson family and I’m not even his type,” Lizzy smarted off.

“Oh, honey, the way he eats you up with those blue eyes, I’d say his type changed drastically when he came to this part of Texas,” Katy said. “I’m going to miss you, baby girl.”

“I’m not the baby girl. Fiona is and I’m tellin’ you she’ll get tired of that big city shit someday and show up here in Dry Creek,” Lizzy told them. “It’s perfect, Mama. Just what I wanted. We’ve got fifteen minutes until we need to be at the house. Have you got any last-minute advice for me?”

“Never go to bed angry. Always talk to each other. Never talk about each other behind the other one’s back, unless it’s to your sister or to me. We can still love Toby even when he makes you mad as hell, and we’ll listen to you vent without judging either of you. But remember if you vent, then we have the right to tell you if it’s you who’s wrong in the fight.”

“How about you, Allie? You got anything to say?”

“I’m still worried that this is too fast, but like Mama says, he looks at you like Blake does me and I believe with all my heart and soul that Dawson men can be trusted. So go get ’em, sister. I’m just glad that you’ll be living right next door to me and you aren’t moving off to Wichita Falls or Mexico,” Allie answered. “And I wish Fiona could be here.”



Toby plowed all day, took a quick shower, and dressed in creased jeans, shined black boots, and a white pearl snap shirt. That’s as fancy as Lizzy wanted him to be and he was fine with her decision. He’d picked a huge bouquet of roses that day, and with Allie’s help they’d wrapped blue satin ribbon around the stems to hold it together for Lizzy.

He’d never been so nervous in his entire life. He combed his dark hair back, looked at the reflection in the mirror above the sink, and told the man staring back at him that he was the luckiest son of a gun in the whole world. Tonight he and Lizzy would start their married life in their new house.

Their ugly house as she called it but there wasn’t one thing ugly about it to Toby. The walls might need some paint and they had very little furniture, but it was their home, the place where they’d love, argue, make up, hopefully raise kids, and someday even see grandkids coming around to visit. Nothing with that much potential could be ugly.

“Been where you are and know how you are feelin’.” Blake leaned against the doorjamb into the pink bathroom.

“I want it to be done with so I know she’s mine,” Toby said.

“Never thought I’d hear those words out of your mouth.”

“Me, either. I hear a vehicle. Is it the preacher or the ladies?”

“One. Two. Three. Four.” Blake counted off the doors as they slammed. “I’d say it’s both. If you are going to change your mind, now is the time to run.”

“Hell, no! I’ve never wanted anything more in my life,” Toby said.

“Then get married and get on with living.”

Someone knocked on the door and Blake opened it. The preacher stood there with a Bible in one hand and the marriage license in the other.

“Come right in,” Blake said.

Blue looked up from the corner of the living room and growled.

“Does that dog bite?” the preacher asked.

“No, he’s only protecting his new harem of kittens. The mama cat is somewhere in the house, but he’s adopted those babies and thinks they are his. Long as you don’t try to take one of them, he’s fine,” Toby explained.