Love, Exes, and Ohs (Cactus Creek #4)(58)

“Sweetheart, you once said that everything that’s happened, all the different versions of us over the last decade are all tangled up in each other. For me, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because look at the life we’ve managed to create during that time.” He nodded over at their son, and spanned his gaze over the entire room. “So maybe we don’t have the perfect, the normal, or even the remotely linear path to happily ever after. But throughout it all, you were always with me, and as you’ve explained to me and your friends, I was always with you, too.”

He took her hands in his. “So Xoey Montenagro, will you please do me the unbelievable honor of going out on that second date that we never got to have ten years ago?”

Xoey felt her heart go haywire.

He was just so…perfect.

While some of the townfolk sounded disappointed it wasn’t a wedding proposal, for Xoey, she couldn’t imagine a more romantic, more stunningly perfect request uttered by the man she’d started falling for a decade ago.

Wiping her tears away, she answered, “I will…on two conditions.”

His utterly masculine, thoroughly primal look of joy at the first part of her response turned amused, and fiercely possessive at the second half. “Name it.”

“First, Blake comes with us on our date.”

“Already planned on it.”

“And second, you agree right now to take us to a Bears-Packers game…so you can cheer for the Bears alongside me.”

He gave her a truly pained look then.

“Might as well get used to it.” She smiled. “We’re going to be a Chicago Bears family.”

Instantly, his eyes softened with emotion, and he rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest, “Deal.”

“Then, yes.”

And the crowd cheered.





EPILOGUE


Four Months Later



“YOU DO REALIZE the entire town is going to kill us,” whispered Xoey, as if every wall, tree, and lamp post outside of his truck had ears. “The whole town had a bet going on how quickly you’d get me to agree to marry you after we got together. They are going to freak the heck out when they find out what we did.”

Isaac looked back at her in surprise. “You knew too?”

She rolled her eyes. “The folks in our town aren’t exactly the world’s best secret keepers. I heard folks talking about it at Luke and Dani’s wedding.”

Staring at his wife of forty-eight hours, he still couldn’t believe they were finally married. It hadn’t been planned; they’d just been in Vegas for a date weekend. But that’s what made it special. For once, they hadn’t wanted to wait for the planets to eventually align, or have their lives and futures dictated by the universe. They’d wanted to become husband and wife, and so they did.

Of course, they had every intention of having a ceremony and reception in town with all their family and friends.

But this had been for them.

Not that they expected the townfolk to be any less miffed.

Truly though, their only defense was that after waiting ten years for their happily ever after, neither of them wanted to wait ten minutes to get married.

“We’re going to have to go in sometime, sweetheart.”

She peered up at the side entrance of Ocotillos like it had sprouted horns and a tail. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

When they pushed the service entrance doors to the dining area of the brewpub, Isaac and Xoey came to an abrupt halt.

As did what looked like, at least a hundred townfolk who’d been running around and causing quite the ruckus not two seconds prior.

“Hey guys,” waved Xoey.

With her right hand. To hide the ring, no doubt.

He smothered back a chuckle and mentally started a countdown.

The crowd split like the Red Sea less than two seconds later.

The women rushed over to see Xoey’s ring while the guys headed to the bar to get Isaac a congratulatory drink.

After about five minutes of congrats and other good cheer—two of them spent with their son, of course—who they’d both missed like crazy, Xoey asked the same incredulous question that was on his mind as well.

“You guys aren’t mad?”

The manic meddling, and chaotic co-dependency of the town was actually one of its charms. Suddenly having a bunch of rational folks in their midst was going to take a little getting used to.

“Of course not,” cried out someone from the back he had no chance of pinpointing. “If anything, we’ve been wondering what the heck was taking you two so long.”

Murmurs of laughter and agreement echoed around the room.

Just when he thought he had them all figured out.

“So what’s with all this?” he asked, pointing around the dining room. There were giant poster boards of every color, two whiteboards with notes, clipboards at nearly every table, and a big blueprint of the town square. There were also at least a dozen folks on their cell phones reporting back information to everyone.

Darcy, who was now navigating her wheelchair pretty well with her slowly improving left hand, wheeled up with three clipboards on her lap, and a huge smile. “The town is planning your second ceremony and reception.”

Of course. There was the crazy town they all knew and loved.