“Ew. Still not enough to scare me away.” She snuggles down further, melting into me as I continue running my hand through her soft hair.
I pull my phone out of my pocket with my left hand. I do a quick search of my Contacts, and call Bliss’s mom, who’s somewhere in the Pine Ridge Market now.
Betsy answers the phone after three rings. “Hello?”
“Hi, Betsy. This is Zane.”
That finally has Bliss sitting up and looking concerned.
“I just wanted to run something by you.” I keep my tone polite but firm. “Bliss and I would like to get married in that old barn on my parents’ property. It’s big enough to hold everyoneif the weather goes bad, and we’d be able to have the reception there, complete with some dancing.”
“In a barn? Are you sure? Both of Bliss’s sisters were married at the church in town.”
“I’d rather not have a wedding there. Again.”
Bliss slaps a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. I grin at her.
“Ohhhh, of course!” Betsy exclaims. “How thoughtless of me!”
We chat for a few more minutes, and then I hang up.
“How did you convince her so fast?”
“That’s easy. Pity. Your mom’s a softy underneath and doesn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
“I wish she felt the same way about me,” Bliss mutters.
I reach out and tweak her chin. “Cheer up. We get to do the wedding your way. And I’m taking you into Bend.” I turn the truck on.
“What are we doing?” she asks, looking concerned.
“We’re going to get you that new pair of boots.”
She smiles and slides into the passenger seat, buckling up. “Zane, you’re turning out to be quite the fiancé. Not bad at all!”
CHAPTER 13
Zane
We’re downto one week until the wedding. One week until I’m standing at the end of an aisle waiting for my bride.
I finish filling my travel coffee cup and snap the lid on. It gives me a flashback to a time when Bliss and I spilled coffee all over ourselves. That morning has been etched into my mind as the day I felt hope again. Bliss had made me feel alive and like I would maybe someday feel okay again.
She probably doesn’t even remember that drive, but I do. The way we tried to use her thin jacket to dry up the coffee we both spilled. The way she wore one of my sweatshirts later that day, and it was so long it practically draped to her knees. I snapped a picture of her wearing it and have been using it as her contact photo ever since.
Today I’m driving over to the Flying J to help Bliss move some of her sheep to my irrigated pasture. We might not be married yet, but I heard she needed a place to move her animals to since her dad just bought a new group of cattle.
I’d already agreed that she could have the Coyote Creek piece, and so we might as well get everything moved over there now.
A heavy knock sounds on the door. I’m not expecting anyone, but I head to the entryway and open the door.
“Dad,” I greet him in surprise.
He rocks back on his heels and takes off his cowboy hat. “Mind if I come in for a minute?”
“Sure thing.”
He follows me into the house and shuts the door after him. “What are you up to today?”
