Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain #2)(219)

She didn’t wear it for three weeks but eventually she gave in.

Now, today was the big day.

“It’s good, honey, but I don’t trust it,” she told me.

“Krys –”

“He’s Bubba, I know –”

I interrupted her. “He’s Bubba and I know he’s had a taste of a world without you and he wants no part of that.”

“Right,” she whispered, not believing me.

“I know something else,” I went on. “I know what it’s like to give up thinking there’s something special out there and I know what it’s like to have it walk into your life and I also know what it’s like not to believe. But, honey, now I know what it’s like to live something special every freaking day.”

“Tate is –”

“Lucky,” I cut her off again, “’cause the something special I have is in me and I give it to him so he gives it right back. And that’s what you’ve got. You’re special, Krystal, and you deserve this and you deserve to know that Bubba finally gets it and he’s going to do everything he can to give it back.”

She shook her head. “Darlin’, I ain’t special, I –”

I got even closer and broke in yet again. “Took a chance on me and, doing it, gave me a shot at a beautiful life. Took a chance on Twyla when no one else would hire her because she’s crazy. Took a chance on taking back Bubba even though you were scared. And you take care of everyone around you, you aren’t sweet about it, but, honey, that doesn’t mean you don’t still do it.” Krystal stared up at me and I finished, “Now, walk up that aisle with Jim-Billy and grab onto a bit of your something special.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

I looked in her eyes, saw she was settled and wasn’t going to bolt. Then I looked at Jim-Billy and he smiled at me so I smiled back. Then I walked to the door of the church and saw Bubba, looking far more nervous than Krystal, Tate at his side at the front of the church. I grinned at Tate then nodded my head at the organist. She started playing Pachelbel’s Canon.

I darted away and grabbed Krystal’s bouquet from Holly and handed it to her then Holly handed me mine then she dashed down the hall to enter the sanctuary by a side door.

I went to stand in the doorway and held my flowers in front of me. In my strapless, pale green, to-the-knee, skintight, way-too-sexy-for-a-church-wedding dress (but Krystal insisted), I walked down the aisle smiling at Bubba then smiling at Tate.

After I arrived at the front, the organist trailed off with Canon and started playing the wedding march.

Everyone stood. Krystal and Jim-Billy walked down the aisle. I felt tears sting my eyes.

After the pastor declared them husband and wife and told Bubba he could kiss his bride, Twyla shot straight up from her pew and shouted very, very loudly, “Yee ha!”

I burst out laughing but Bubba and Krys made out through Jim-Billy jumping up and adding, “About time!” Then Nadine jumped up and yelled, “Woo hoo!” And others shot up, catcalling and shouting encouragement and screaming out cheers.

Bubba quit kissing Krys and they turned to face the congregation and, to be heard over the clapping and shouting, the pastor had to yell his introduction to the new husband and his wife.

Krys and Bubba walked down the aisle having to stop to shake hands, receive tight hugs and weather hearty back slaps.

Tate came to my side and grabbed my hand, I leaned into him, grinned up at him and then we followed.

We had to stop too as Krystal and Bubba accepted a variety of biker-type congratulations and I felt Tate’s mouth at my ear.

“Ace, have I told you how much I f**kin’ love you in that dress?”

I kept my eyes glued to Krystal and Bubba’s back as my br**sts swelled and my mouth murmured, “Um… no.”

“Minute we’re home, that skirt’s around your waist, baby,” Tate whispered, mouth still at my ear.

My ni**les got hard and my neck twisted. “Tate, we’re in a church,” I hissed and his brows shot up.

“You sign the marriage certificate?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“So did I so I figure God doesn’t mind. Fuck, babe, he made you that hot.”

I glared at my old man.

Then I burst out laughing.

* * * * *

I was naked, straddling Tate, his c**k still hard inside me and he’d just come (though I’d come earlier, twice).

I bent and pressed my torso to his, tilting my head back to kiss the underside of his bearded jaw.

“Jesus, Ace,” he muttered, his arms going tight around me.

“What?” I asked.

“Danced all night, drank yourself stupid and you still rode me hard.”

I lifted up to look down at him. “I didn’t drink myself stupid,” I objected.

“Baby,” he whispered, his eyes dancing. “You’re hammered. You just let me do things to you that –”

I smiled because I had and the things he’d done were fabulous.

“It’s my birthday and all day I’ve been at someone else’s party. What? I don’t get my own party?” I asked.

“Yeah baby, you can have your own party every f**kin’ night, you wanna party like that.”