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EPILOGUE
This girdle was the most uncomfortable garment Bobbie had ever worn. It went by another name these days, but she’d worn something very similar for her first wedding, and it had been called a girdle.
As soon as she stepped into the Cupid Ridge Inn dining room, everything was forgotten but the sight of the man she loved. He was at the front of the room, surrounded by the people they loved more than anyone in the world.
Lucie, their now-permanent kitchen manager, had recommended a violinist she knew from working in the restaurant industry. Now, that violinist fired up a beautiful version of the wedding march.
Bobbie began her slow walk up the aisle, taking deliberate, hopefully graceful, steps in time with the music. They’d rehearsed all this last night, but she hadn’t prepared herself for how handsome Gus Knott would look in that dark suit.
What really took her breath away as she neared him, though, was his eyes as he took her in. He was a man deeply in love, and she felt exactly the same.
And then she was standing directly in front of him, his arm outstretched, elbow bent. She settled her hand into the crook of his arm and smiled up at him. Together, they turned to face the minister.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love of Roberta Ludington and Augustus Knott. Should anyone present object to their union, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Those words were often omitted from wedding ceremonies these days, or so she’d been told. But Bobbie insisted on leaving them in. If Phoenix or Sawyer or anyone else had issues with them marrying each other, she wanted that person to say so. She wanted their voices to be heard. They’d worked hard to bring the two families together. As the beloved pastor of her longtime church just said, if they didn’t speak now, they should keep quiet about it.
Nobody spoke. Bobbie smiled to herself. Nothing but silence.
Out of the corner of her eye, the two men who would have been most likely to object—her son Sawyer was several groomsmen back from the best man, Phoenix—were watching, smiles on their faces. They approved. Not only did they approve, but they supported the love Bobbie and Gus had for each other.
When the time came for them to read their own vows, Bobbie’s nerves notched up a level. She’d prepared, rehearsed, and rehearsed some more, but this was the first time she’d be reciting them publicly.
She looked Gus in the eye and spoke from her heart, even going off script a little in the process. “You were here all along, right in front of my eyes,” Bobbie said. “But only once I opened those eyes and really looked at you did I see the possibilities.”
She took a deep breath. It was important to focus on him and shut out everyone around them. She wasn’t used to sharing her most private feelings publicly, but that’s what this day was all about.
“You made me fall in love again. You’ve made me live again, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.”
And then it was Gus’s turn. He was smiling, and his eyes even looked a little misty. The sight was making her tear up, as well.
“Bobbie Ludington, you’re one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met, and I’m not just in love with you. I admire you—everything about you. The home you’ve created on your property and the family you’re helping create on ours. Today, we don’t just combine our ranches and families. We combine our hearts. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
They were both being more than a little corny. She had a feeling their kids were groaning inwardly. But they were speaking from the heart, and that was what mattered.
She was still lost in the way he was looking at her when the minister spoke the words that sealed the deal. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Gus pulled her into a kiss that brought warmth to her cheeks. This definitely wasn’t the type of public display she found comfortable. But her embarrassment was easy to forget when they turned to face the rows of relatives, friends, employees, and Cupid Ridge residents who’d shown up to celebrate their love.
They really were blessed to live in the most beautiful town on Earth, surrounded by so many amazing people, including the children they raised. The next generation would be raising their children here, and Bobbie and Gus would be watching it all, beaming with pride at the family they built…separately and now together.
