"Nine years."
"Worth every damn day."
He presses his forehead to mine. His hand spreads over my bump, over April, over everything we made, almost lost, and got back anyway.
The sun drops behind the ridge. And the yellow diamond catches the last of the light, glowing on my finger like a little piece of sunset I get to keep.
“When? When can I become your wife?” I ask.
In all honesty, I don’t want to wait. In a perfect world, I’d marry him tomorrow. Right here at our spot. With our family and no one else.
“I’d marry you tomorrow, Harper.”
I look up at him through my lashes. “Do you think we could get everything planned by next weekend?”
He smiles, his perfect white teeth appearing.
“I told you once I’d get you the stars if I could, baby. A wedding next week? Easy. If that’s what you want?”
“That’s all I’ve ever really wanted, Acey.”
Harper Sterling.
Finally. Finally. Finally.
CHAPTER NINETY
Ace
Song- I’ll Be Around, Garrett Kato
Ten days. We planned our entire wedding in ten days.
And now I'm standing here, sweating my ass off in a shirt and suit pants with my cowboy hat. The one she picked out all those years ago. A busted arm, but the cuts on my face have healed, and Harper covers hers well with concealer most days.
None of that matters.
Colt, Hunter, and Jett stand beside me. In the front row, we've left three seats empty for Mom, Dad, and Paulie. The rest are filled with everyone we love.
Lola, due any day now, sits with Violet. Wyatt stands at the side with Gary, who is, of course, in his wedding outfit, which consists of a bow tie that he's already tried to eat twice.
We've got Penny, Seven, and Harper's new girl, Sparkle Toes, lined up along the paddock.
Tate, Romeo, and the men who work this land sit together, scrubbed up so well I barely recognize half of them. And thenHarper's family. Her mom is already in tears. Uncle Bert is already drunk, I can tell by the way he's applauding at nothing. Her dad is around the back with Harper, waiting to walk her down the aisle lined with yellow flowers.
Yellow. Like her diamond. Like the sundress she wore at sixteen. Like every good thing in my life. Our family. Every crazy one of them is here. And that's all we need. Not a show, just the people who understand our love.
The music starts.
Colten grips my shoulder. "Breathe, big man."
"I am breathin'."
"You're vibrating."
"That's the same thing."
And then she's there.
