Two weeks later, Rachel walked across the grass near the creek at Oak Valley. She was dressed all in white, her long veil flowing out behind her.
And waiting for her beside the creek was her cowboy.
She reached him and he pulled her straight into his arms, kissed her long and slow and sweet.
The minister cleared his throat.
“Sorry,” Shane said, “but I waited a long time to come back to Oak Valley. Too long. I don’t want to wait for the good stuff anymore.”
“Well, you’ll wait for this woman if you want to wed her,” the minister ordered.
“In that case, I’ll wait forever,” he said, backing away as Rachel rushed forward and launched into his arms.
The minister rolled his eyes.
“You might as well give up for a while. Once they start kissing, it tends to go on and on,” someone said.
But Shane and Rachel heard, and both of them stepped away. “We like to kiss,” Rachel said, “but we want to get married.”
“We’re going to get married,” Shane said. “Today.”
“And then they’re going to be so happy,” Ruby said. “Rachel is going to college here, and she’s going to be a teacher and our local photographer. Shane is going to be a rancher.”
“I thought that Shane hated ranching,” someone called out.
“He only thought he did. Until he looked at it through Rachel’s eyes.”
The conversation was going on all around Shane and Rachel until someone said, “Shh.”
Shane was very quietly saying his vows. For Rachel’s ears alone. “I promise to love you,” he ended, repeating the words he’d already said.
“I promise to adore you,” Rachel added.
“I promise to…” He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She turned a delicious shade of pink.
“Now?”
“Tonight,” Shane promised.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the minister said, rushing in. “You may kiss the bride.”
But he already was. And as he tipped his bride back and her skirts rode up, the toes of a pair of boots with blue trim peeped out.
“Am I a real cowgirl now?” she asked her husband.
“You’re my cowgirl now.”
“That’s the very best kind. And you’re my cow boy.”
“Right from the start, sweetheart. And to the end of time.”