When I was younger, I decided I wanted a relationship like they have, one full of love, laughter, and respect. My dad, who’s as much of an alpha as any of the brothers are, treasures my mom and I’ve witnessed him taking care of her, the house, and the ranch after she had major surgery.

He never missed a step and I saw firsthand what it meant to my mom that she had him to rely on when she was recovering.

Nothing was too small for him to do, either. He bathed her, helped her to and from the bathroom, and made sure she got rest whenever she tried to say she was well enough to take care of something.

That’s what I want with my beauty.

That’s what I’ve been building with her, minus the physical part, of course.

We’ve made out plenty of times, and her touch has liquid fire running through my veins, but she’s going to be the only woman I’m ever physically intimate with from this point moving forward, so I see good things in our future, especially if her soft little moans are any indication.

Pulling back, I look in her eyes and ask the most pressing question rumbling around in my head. “How fast can we get married?”

She tosses her head back laughing and the sight has me clutching her hips, praying for mercy because she entices me unlike any other.

She’s my forbidden fruit that I can’t take a bite out of until I hear those words tying her to me.

“Once I tell my mom, aunts, and cousins, they could have one put together in a couple of weeks. Can you wait that long, Mason?”

“I suppose I could,” I grumble, releasing a heated breath. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a courthouse wedding and having a huge reception afterward.”

“My dad would skin your hide and hang it in his living room,” she teases.

“Then I guess we should do things the right way,” I harrumph.

“Stop pouting, Mason,” she scolds, reaching out and poking my bottom lip. “I’ll make them hustle.”

“Alright. I just want my ring on your finger and my patch on your back,” I remark.

Like me, she had certain lines she didn’t want to cross.

One of those being that she wouldn’t wear my patch until we said our vows. Marriage is important to me and in her eyes, that commitment should come first.

We lie here for a few more moments, absorbing the sun and enjoying being wrapped in each other’s arms. When I begin sweating, I tap her ass and sit up.

“Let’s go eat, Mane. I need to get out of the sun and cool down. I never thought about how hot leather can be until it became a part of me and my daily wear,” I complain.

When she stands up, her tummy rumbles which has her releasing another laugh. “Guess my stomach is on board with that plan.”

Numerous phone calls were made once we made it back to her house. And like promised, the women jumped into action and have promised that we’ll be wed in the next two weeks. When she said that earlier, I thought she was pacifying me.

I was wrong.

Colors have been decided, the layout of the backyard of the clubhouse has been formatted, and flowers have been picked out.

I didn’t understand how much work went into planning a wedding, which is why I still think the courthouse was the better alternative.

EPILOGUE

MANE

Standing on the gazebo floor that was handmade by my father, Mason, and his brothers brings tears to my eyes. Watching them from the lounger in the backyard while they crafted it filled my heart with joy. My dad has become a pseudo one for the boys, he’s taken them under his wing and has made them an integral part of our family.

I tune in to the question being presented to me at the right time. “Do you, Charmane Hope Alvarez, take this man as your husband?” Pops asks. The fact that he flew home from Italy to unite us in marriage was the best blessing our wedding could’ve received.

“I do,” I answer. My eyes scan the audience and take in the many guests in attendance. The DreamCatcher MC family and friends aren’t the only ones here to watch us promise each other forever. Mason’s family, the ranch hands, and Cotton are here too.

As Pops asks questions, I answer accordingly, and when he has us repeat after him, I do so on autopilot. I’m so engrossed in the love surrounding us that the ceremony itself is merely background noise. I know it’s being filmed, so I’ll watch it later at some point to make sure I didn’t offer a herd of Highland cows.