MacKenzie Fire(102)

“Happy to.” Ian winks at me, but I can tell he’s as nervous as I am. His hands shake as he pulls out the paper to read what he’s written. The paper trembles.

“Candice.” He looks at me and smiles. His lips quiver. “The most beautiful girl I ever met. I knew she was the one for me the day that she shot me in the leg.”

Almost everyone laughs. A few of the less-in-the-know guests gasp. I have to bite my cheek to keep from smiling. He is so going to pay for that one tonight.

“And then when she tackled me to the ground and stuffed my face full of snow, I knew she was a fighter, so that made her even more my kind of girl.”

I shake my head at him and look over at his mother. She’s shaking her head too but smiling through tears at the same time.

“When she threw herself in front of a mountain lion and saved my life, I knew I’d be much better off with her around, what with all of life’s dangers that could come upon me as I grow older. I knew then that she’s brave and courageous, just the kind of woman you want to have your back when life comes at you.”

Several guests are nodding. Others are looking around, probably trying to decide if he’s making all this up.

“When she brought Candy the calf back to life and cared for her in the tenderest of ways, I knew that she’d be a good mother to our kids. That’s really important to me since I consider myself a family man and plan to have about ten children.”

I’m crying now, imagining having Ian’s babies. They’re going to be amazing people, I know this. I’m not sure about ten of them, though. We’re going to have to negotiate that point.

“And when she got in a bar fight with a girl who was trash-talking her friend and took a dart in the arm for me, I know she was loyal and a great companion. That’s the kind of lady you want at your side when you grow old and eventually incontinent.”

I can’t hear the guests anymore. All I can hear are Ian’s words. I’m so in love with this man, it should be impossible. But I’m not changing his diapers, no way.

“Last and not least, when she took me home and introduced me to her wonderful family, I knew that she trusted me with her heart. And I just want to say today in front of all these witnesses that I’m going to work every day of our lives together to keep earning and deserving that trust, because I know how valuable that quality is in a relationship.”

He nods his head once at me, wipes the sweat off his brow and mouth with a handkerchief and then says, “Your turn, City.” He stuffs his paper into his pocket without bothering to fold it up.

I reach into the front of my dress and pull my vows out of my bra.

Ian’s eyes sparkle and the guests laugh as I open the paper up. It’s a little sweaty and some of the ink has smeared. Good thing I’ve read through it about a hundred times already.

I clear my throat to get the frog out of it, ignoring the tears that are now drying salt tracks down my face.

“If you had told me six months ago that I’d be marrying a cowboy, living on a cattle ranch, and putting my hand on chicken butts, I’d’ve told you that you must be thinking about my friend Andie.” I look over my shoulder at her and she blows me a kiss while crying.

“But here I am, marrying a cowboy and living on a ranch, and God help me, touching chicken butts every morning.”

Ian laughs silently and moves closer.

I tap him with my flowers to make him keep his distance.

“Some people in my life have called me crazy. Maybe even a little silly. They question my need to Google things and research medical conditions. Ian is the one person in the world who just accepts those things as part of who I am.” I pause and look out at the crowd. “Google is your friend, people. I’m serious. It’s not a person, it’s a collective group of people who want to help each other, and that’s a good thing.”

I go back to my paper. “The thing about Ian is that until I met him, I didn’t know what I wanted in my life. I thought my life was full and perfect. But when I met him and suddenly had him in my face, like literally pushing snow in my face, I didn’t know what I’d been missing. Now I do know. There was this person that wasn’t in my life who needed to be. Someone who would love me no matter what, even when my boobs deflate and my butt sags and I have stretch marks like Andie does all over my belly.”

Ian frowns and shakes his head, forcing me to tap him with my flowers again.

Andie clears her throat, but I ignore her.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is, is that I’ve found true happiness, and I’m not going to screw it up. I’ll honor you, sometimes obey you, do your hair and nails, your laundry on all the odd days of the month, and I’ll cook too if you want me to, although I have to confess that the spaghetti I made you was the first time I ever cooked anything so you might want to invest in some cookbooks or some lessons for me before you take me up on that part of my offer.”

“I think you should promise to obey me all the time,” Ian whispers.

“Only in the bedroom,” I whisper back.

“Works for me,” he says, grinning from ear to ear.

I clear my throat to finish. “And last but not least, I promise to be the best rancher’s wife that I can be, since I know that’s where you heart is and that’s what you really want to do with your life.”