Ryder sat in his lawn chair under the horse trailer awning enjoying a cup of coffee while checking messages. He wasn’t normally one to spend a lot of time on his phone. The way he saw it, phones were for phone calls. The only reason he had a fancy one was because his old flip phone finally stopped working and he’d been forced to get something new.
He had hoped he might hear from Lorri though.
A little lisa butterfly skittered across his shoulder. Maybe it was the same little lisa that Lorri had been delighting over the other day. Her spontaneous delight of the simplest things resonated with him.
He pictured Lorri riding the creek trail on Dottie. The way her hair moved in the light breeze, her skin kissed by the sun. No one would have believed she’d never ridden before. He remembered her squeal when he’d splashed her, and the reckless laughter that followed. It made him laugh now.
She’d talked to a ladybug, and when she walked through the tall grass back toward the old mill house, her fingertips sweeping the green growth as high as her waist, he’d caught his breath.
“One last look,” she’d said, taking off before he could answer. “One last goodbye.”
“I’ll bring you back,” he’d promised. “It’s not really goodbye.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, Ryder.”
And he’d found comfort in that. Don’t threaten me with a good time.
It had been a good day. Seeing these all-so-familiar things through her eyes, fresh and new, brought new respect to the good fortune under which he lived his life.
It had been a long time since he’d spent time in the company of a woman. There’d been a few dates over the years since Valerie died, but they’d been awkward. And not of his doings. Friends invited him over for dinner only to find they had also invited the perfect girl. They meant well. He tried to remember that, but he didn’t appreciate it much.
He’d had the same thought every time that happened.
I already met the perfect girl. Married her and vowed my life to her.
What made his friends think he needed a second best?
Grief was a funny thing. Just when he thought he was making progress, someone would push him and he’d clamp onto the past again even tighter than before. Giving up that empty spot where his heart used to feel happiness felt too much like letting go of all the good memories.
He missed Valerie and Ronnie Dwayne every day. It was fine by him if he relived those good memories every last day of his life.
If he died an old man only clinging to the memories he had with them—his wedding day. The birth of his son. Sunday dinners. All of Ronnie Dwayne’s firsts. Every goodnight kiss—if that’s all he died with, he’d have so much more than many people would ever experience in their lives. He was thankful for that.
Lorri was different. She wasn’t a divorcée looking for a replacement, or a single mother hoping for a new dad for her kids. She was just another person, like him, hardworking, honest, and playful. Beautiful in a girl-next-door kind of way, her confidence intrigued him. The way Lorri enthused over the small things that made this town special delighted him as much as the first vine-ripe tomato of summer. He couldn’t wait to show her more of Dalton Mill, and there was nothing more to it than that. No pressure. No expectations.
He hadn’t asked many questions. Hadn’t even wanted to, but today he found himself wondering about her. Where she grew up. Her favorite foods. She’d mentioned she didn’t cook. Did she eat takeout or those little frozen cardboard-box dinners? What was her career like? He knew she’d created the logo for The Wedding Ranch, but how does someone fall into that kind of job?
Ryder’s phone rang—disappointment fell over him as he saw that it was only Ross.
“What’s up, Ross? Is everything okay at the venue?”
“We have a slight hiccup. I could use your help if you have time.” Ross blew out a breath. “Sorry for the last-minute ask, but Cody loaned out his rental car to one of his friends, and that’s how he and Kasey were going to move from the ceremony to the reception. Do you think you could bring the horse and carriage down to take them back to the tent after the vows? I can come up with something else if you can’t. I get it, but—”
“Not doing anything but staying out of the way today as promised. I’m happy to help, Ross.”
“Great. You’re the best. They’ll be surprised, and I think they’ll really like it.”
“What do I need to wear? I didn’t bring much down here with me.”
“Doesn’t matter. Jeans and a black T-shirt would do. As long as you’re wearing your cowboy hat, it’ll be fine. I know you’ve got that.”
“Got my pants on, don’t I?”
“Yes, sir. Yeah, nothing fancy. The horse and carriage are fancy enough. All eyes will be on the bride and groom anyways.”
“I’m on it.” His mind was already thinking about what he’d need to do to pull it together in a hurry.
He always stored the carriage in tip-top shape after every use, but that barn got dusty, especially in the summer, and this summer had been drier than normal. He grabbed a decent pair of jeans and a clean shirt and tied them to the back of his saddle, then climbed up on Thunder and loped over to the barn to get things ready.
The wedding wasn’t until one, so he took his time shining up the carriage and readying the horses. A quick change of clothes in the barn, and he’d be over there in plenty of time to take the bride and groom from where they were tying the knot in front of the tall tobacco barn back over to the big tent for the reception. A whole hog, apple in the mouth and all, had been on coals since last night. When the wind shifted, he could catch the smoky smell of it. At least now that he was working the ceremony, he could grab a nice hot meal that he didn’t have to cook before going back down to the Rest Stop for the night.
He sprayed off the carriage and wiped away the last droplets with a chamois made of goat leather, then hitched Thunder and another horse, Buckshot, giving everything a quick polish as he went. It looked good as show day. No one would ever know it was a last-minute decision.
Ryder had just changed clothes when Ross texted a message they were ready for him to head that way.
Ryder walked back into the barn and pulled the champagne bucket from the storage room, filled it with ice pellets, then slipped a bottle of good champagne down into the sterling silver pail. He’d done this routine of driving the happy couple to the reception a few times by now, so he was prepared. By the time the “I dos” were done it would be perfectly chilled. He placed the silver bucket and two long-stemmed glasses in the wooden rig he’d built into the wagon solely for that purpose.
He climbed onto the raised seat and lifted the leather reins into his hands. One flick of his wrist and they rolled forward at an amble. He loved driving these horses. He looked out over his property as they moved across the field.
A good life we have here.
He propped his boot up on the wooden rail as the carriage rattled over the pasture. Noticing the dust on his boots, he slid the toe of one behind his pant leg giving it a quick shine. Better. Not that anyone would be looking at his footware, but it made him feel better. He had to admit he was kind of glad he was going to get to see Cody Tuggle up close and personal. He enjoyed his old country style of music.
He rode over humming one of Cody’s older songs.
Ryder stopped the horses on the back side of the second building out of sight. From here, the carriage was out of view, but Ryder could see the huge wooden cross he and Ross had spent weeks building, sanding, and staining. It was gorgeous and rugged, and rose nearly ten feet into the air.
Together they’d also built wooden planters that were now filled with fresh flowers.
Today Reece had piled gorgeous arrangements with fluffy white hydrangeas that looked almost like clouds. White flowers spilled over the sides, some big and some small, the greenery adding a soft touch.
Using the carriage to move the wedding party wasn’t something new. Ryder had been happy to oblige whenever the kids needed him for these events, and the horse and carriage had turned out to be one of those special options that had become a popular choice.
They’d done this carriage exchange so many times, Ryder had the timing down to a science. As soon as the bride and groom took the first step of their walk back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. he’d pull the horses up. The guests were so focused on the couple, clapping and cheering, they wouldn’t hear the noisy carriage. It was as if the horse and carriage magically appeared as the crowd parted. The bride and groom would step right up and onto the carriage and he’d drive his horses over to the reception area.
The pathway was made from old cobblestones, adding to the rugged sound of the iron and wooden wheels. Ross and Reece had somehow found a deal on a container of cobblestones that had been brought over to the US on sailing ships in the 1800s and used to pave the streets along the coast. The shipping container had been long forgotten. The town had purchased them at some point, but no one knew by who or for what, so they’d put them in the auction along with some old furniture and outdated, rode-hard utility vehicles. There were no other bids on the container.
Ross had bought the whole lot for two hundred dollars. Of course, it cost way more than that to get them delivered and laid, but they’d turned it into a family project. The worn edges of the cobblestones made for interesting work, like a puzzle, but it made for good old-fashioned curb appeal and the horseshoes sounded so good, almost a hollow clip-clop, against the hard stones.
Ryder pushed his cowboy hat back on his head to cool down; at least in the shade there was a bit of relief. He rested his arm on his knee.
Across the way, music from the party tent seemed like background music in a movie, with him, the star in an old western movie, waiting for his big entrance. Skulking back here behind the barn, his imagination drifted. In his mind’s eye, four bad guys wearing black hats and bandannas pulled across their faces raced over the hill in his direction, guns blazing, horses snorting. He imagined what it would be like to slap the reins and roll the wagon out full speed toward them, pulling his Winchester from below the wooden seat. Slipping the leather reins under his boot not to lose control of the carriage, he’d stand, cock that rifle low, and take them out one by one.
Okay, so maybe I’ve seen one too many westerns.
Voices nearby stole his attention. Guests made their way over from the big tent, chasing his John Wayne moment away. The first few rows in front of the cross where the bride and groom would take their vows filled quickly.
People of all ages in a wide range of attire, from blue jeans and trendy short dresses to long gowns and suits, drifted in taking up every seat and flanking the surrounding areas. Ross and Reece had once told him that standing room only was the preferred amount of seating in a fancy wedding.
Didn’t make sense to him. If he were having a highfalutin wedding he’d want to see to it that everyone had a chair. Showed what he knew about this stuff.
Conversation got louder until the pastor took his place. The crowd quieted in anticipation.
Cody Tuggle entered from between the buildings wearing Old West–style tails and a silver belly cowboy hat with a cattleman crown and that low tug on the front of the brim he was known for. Four other men in matching suits joined him. Ryder only recognized one of them and that was the lead guitarist in Cody’s band.
There was a quiet moment and then suddenly music flowed from the speakers. Not the wedding march, but rather an instrumental piece with a country-western flair to it.
A little girl who couldn’t have been more than four or five years old wearing a long white dress over cowgirl boots and a ring of flowers in her hair started down the aisle. Ryder remembered when Reece and Ross were that little.
The little girl took a step, sprinkled a few petals, and then looked around and waved, giggling the whole time she was weaving in and out, trying to avoid trampling the delicate petals she’d just tossed in front of her.
As she zig-zagged her way down the aisle, Cody’s chin lifted, his smile so wide all you could see was teeth beneath the brim of his hat. The little girl walked toward him, sprinkling more white rose petals.
A young boy in a silver belly cowboy hat that matched Cody’s carried a pillow down the aisle. He didn’t dawdle or look around. His boots and spurs jangled as he marched straight up to Cody and stood next to him. Cody gave him an appreciative nod.
The pastor said something to the children, and both nodded, then the little boy took the little girl’s hand in the sweetest moment. Ryder wasn’t the only one to think so, because audible approval swept across the crowd.
Both children stepped in front of Cody. He placed a gentle hand on each of them as four women began walking down the aisle one at a time. Everyone twisted in their seats waiting for the big moment when the bride would make her appearance.
A vision in white, Kasey stepped out of the tall tobacco barn. The white-washed boards and the tobacco stick star on the front of the building was a nice contrast to the image of femininity seeming to float her way toward him in the white gown.
She paused and squeezed the hand of an older woman as she walked by, and then stopped next to Cody. They exchanged a heartwarming moment. Kasey handed her bouquet to her maid of honor and faced Cody, placing her hands in his.
It was a simple, but lovely ceremony.
Ryder thought about his wedding day. It was in a stuffy church. His rented suit was so tight he could barely breathe and the patent leather shoes pinched his sweating feet until his toes were numb. That preacher had gone on and on longer than any Sunday service. He’d have killed for a bottle of water, but he toughed it out, because the most beautiful girl he’d ever known—not just on the outside, but the inside too—had agreed to marry him. He could still feel Valerie’s tender shaking hand in his as they said their vows.
’Til death do us part.
This ceremony wasn’t long and drawn out like that though. Not scripture after scripture. It was short and sweet. Musical interludes paced it nicely, but it was still done in record time. My kind of wedding.
The pastor announced the couple as husband and wife, and then introduced Mr. and Mrs. Tuggle for the very first time.
The boy ran into the bride’s arms and then Cody grabbed him and lifted him into the air, taking his bride’s hand and leading her down the aisle.
Everyone cheered.
Ryder clucked his teeth and flicked the reins. The carriage rolled forward on cue, stopping right on the mark for his guests.
Ross gave him the okay sign and mouthed “thank you.”
Ryder sat face forward with his hat tipped low, so as not to take any attention from the bride and groom. Across the way though, he spotted two beautifully dressed women talking. One of them almost looked like Lorri.
Girl is in all my thoughts.