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“We prepared our own.” Rhett’s voice interrupts my own…shockingly. Because I did not write my own vows. We literally decided to do this about two hours ago. Where the hell did he get the time?”
“Okay, then,” I drawl. “I guess we wrote our own?” I look at him, my eyes wide and confused.
Rhett just winks at me.
“When I first met you, Poppy Sharpe, you infuriated me.”
Off to a good start.
“There were so many things about you I didn’t like. You talked back. You had my brothers wrapped around your finger. And my kids were smitten with you.”
“What’s smitten mean?” I hear Wade whisper.
“Means you liked her a lot,” Katherine answers.
“Oh,” he says.
“But,” Rhett says, trying not to laugh, “I came to realize that all of these things that drove me crazy were actually the things that made me love you. You challenged me. You loved my family. And you accepted and loved my kids.”
I squeeze his hands and try to blink away the tears. I didn’t expect this from my grumpy cowboy.
“I promised you on your birthday that I would work every day to deserve you. And I want to promise that again now. Poppy, I promise that I will wake up every day loving you, caring for you, and working to earn every bit of happiness you give me. I will go to bed loving you and wake up choosing you.”
“That was beautiful,” I whisper, not trusting my voice. I’m a mess, tears sliding down my cheeks so quickly I can’t stop them.
“Poppy?” The officiant turns to me, and I nod, realizing I’m going to have to wing this.
“You can read the standard vows if you want, poppyseed. I know I threw this on ya,” Rhett teases.
I narrow my eyes at him, making him laugh, and clear my throat of the ache that always accompanies crying. This is why I never brought up doing our own vows because I knew I’d be an absolute mess.
“Rhett, even though you’re the grumpiest cowboy I’ve ever met, I’ve fallen in love with you. From the way you treat your mother to the way you love your children. And even though you drive me absolutely insane sometimes, I wouldn’t have you any other way. I love you, and I promise to keep on loving you every day. I promise to choose you and this life we make together for the rest of our lives.”
I turn toward Jolene and Wade.
“I love you both as well, and I promise to be the best I can be for both of you. I promise to give you all the love I have to give every day. I’m not just marrying your daddy; I’m marrying this family. Thank you for giving me a safe place to land.”
“Thank you,” Rhett mouths when I turn back toward him.
The officiant says some stuff, but honestly, I’m too ready to kiss my husband that I miss everything. I barely register Wade coming over with the rings, Rhett putting mine on and then me putting his on him.
But what I do register is Rhett scooping me up in his arms as he kisses me. He kisses me so hard that his hat pushes mine off. Katherine grabs it, and then Jolene is throwing her flowers in the air in front of us. The kids squeal and cheer, picking up the flowers and throwing them over and over again as Rhett and I get lost in each other.
“We’re married,” he says, pulling back to look at me. I get the warm and fuzzies all over again when I see the joy in his honey-brown eyes. “Thank you for marrying me.”
“You’re welcome.”
He throws his head back in laughter, and it’s contagious, making my own bubble up out of my chest.
“God, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, cowboy.”
THE END
