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The horses turned the bend, and I instantly heard the rush of water from the Frio River. In front of us was the little white chapel sitting in front of our tree. My stomach fluttered but not from nerves. Maybe it was excitement. Or maybe it was the baby. That thought nearly had me in tears. Was our little one making themselves known at our wedding?
As we got closer, I looked at the giant oak tree. It was all coming full circle today.
Once I stepped off that horse, everything changed. I walked up to the blue antique doors and stopped when I saw the sight in front of me. Renee stood there with a baby goat on a leash. My heart melted on the spot.
“Oh my God! A baby goat!”
“Do not get your dress dirty!” Alyssa warned.
The little goat jumped and twirled in the air. Renee and I both laughed. It reminded me of the day I got Patches.
“Do you like her?” Daddy asked.
“Is she mine?”
He nodded. “She’s all yours.”
I nearly jumped into my father’s arms. “I love her so much! I’m going to name her Calamity Jane!”
My father laughed. “O-okay.”
“Ready?” Alyssa asked as she stood at the doors.
Taking my arms, my father and I stood to the side with Renee and one very excited goat in front of us.
Two old high school buddies of Rip’s, Colt and Bill, served as ushers, opening the big blue doors. Alyssa looked at me and winked before she started off into the chapel. Renee jumped up and down, which made Calamity Jane do the same.
“Ready?” I asked her.
She looked up at me and nodded as she held her basket of white rose petals. “Weady!”
“Go!” Daddy said in a soft voice. Renee walked through the doors and Calamity Jane followed.
Bill stood and watched as Alyssa and Renee walked down the aisle. He chuckled a few times and looked over at us. “The goat’s eating the rose petals.”
I covered my mouth and giggled. A part of me felt like Patches was here with me. My stomach fluttered again, and I took in a deep breath, forcing myself not to cry.
The wedding march started, and I looked up at my father. He gave me the sweetest smile. “I love you, pumpkin. You’ll always be my little girl. Always.”
“Oh, Daddy. Don’t make me cry, my makeup will smudge, and I’ll look a fright.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Never in a million years. And it wouldn’t matter. That boy waiting at the end of the chapel loves you with all his heart. I don’t think he would care if you walked in wearing jeans and one of his old T-shirts.”
I laughed. “He probably wouldn’t care.”
Bill motioned for us to start walking. When we turned the corner and entered the little chapel, everyone stood. That’s when I saw him.
Rip.
He stood at the very end, dressed in crisp new jeans, his favorite cowboy boots, and a white shirt with a satin, light-tan formal vest and a brand-new white cowboy hat. My heart felt like it flipped in my chest. Mike stood next to him, dressed almost the same, but his vest was darker and matched Alyssa’s dress.
Something caught my eye and I looked to see Calamity Jane jumping up to try and get onto Aunt Waylynn’s lap.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Waylynn exclaimed as everyone started to laugh over the music.
“Shit, what are the odds?” my father said as I burst out laughing.
Calamity Jane decided she wanted to stick with Renee who had the rose petals and followed her up to the altar where Calamity Jane proceeded to lay down. The excitement of the aisle must have taken some energy out of her.
The long antique table behind the pastor was decorated with the most beautiful greenery and flowers. I had left it up to my mother to arrange the flowers in the chapel, and she had done an amazing job.
But my eyes kept going to Rip.
Stopping at the end of the aisle, Daddy leaned in and gave me a kiss. He placed my hand into Rip’s when asked who was giving me away.
“I’m not giving her away. She is too rare and precious. I am, however, willing to share her with you.”
Rip nodded, his emotions showing on his handsome face. Rip held my hand as I took the step up. We faced one another, and he looked me up and down.
When his eyes landed on mine, he whispered, “Les mots ne peuvent pas décrire mon amour pour toi.”
Words cannot describe my love for you.
My eyes filled with tears, and Rip shook his head as he lifted his brow. “No tears.”
“What if they’re happy tears?”
Rip smiled, and the pastor started the service. I hardly heard a word as the man I had loved nearly my entire life looked lovingly into my eyes while he rubbed his thumbs over the back of my hands. My face was beginning to hurt from smiling so big. When it came time to exchange rings, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The simple, white gold band Rip had shown me was now more elegant, covered in small diamonds and a decorative bead around the edges. It looked exactly like a ring I had seen years ago in a French magazine we were reading in high school.
