Page 93 of Between the Stars

Her eyes shimmer and tears begin to spill over faster than before. “Yes.”

“You’ve always been mine, Abigale. There was never a time when you weren’t. And I will do everything in my power to make you fucking see that.”

Her arms wrap around my shoulders and her lips press to mine, once, twice, three times before she laughs. I open my eyes to see the dog sitting so close to us I think he’s trying to become a part of our family.

“Go away,” I mumble, reclaiming Abbi’s lips, but the dog pushes between us and fucking growls at me, as if he’s trying to protect her from me.

I roll my eyes. “Great. Went from trying to steal you from another man to a damn dog.”

CHAPTER40

Life Changes

ABBI

What is this life?

Two weddings in two weeks.That’s how August goes for us. Barron and Kacy get married first, now Jace and I on our property. He wants to start the memories right away, so we plan an outdoor wedding in the field behind our home.

As I stand there waiting to be tied to my best friend, I think about the last few months.

What’s changed? Other than not being able to fit into anything?

I got a job at a family practice and Jace still works at the repair shop. After another surgery on his shoulder, he’s gained about eighty percent use of his left arm, but he still favors it and doesn’t use it nearly as much as the doctors want him to.

Jace and I, we have normal jobs, spend Saturday nights at a bonfire with friends and Sundays on the ranch. We fight, make up, live, laugh, and everything in between. We don’t drive fancy cars, but live within our means of a country life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

He finished the house, built the babies custom cribs and me a rocking chair. And my heart melted when he showed me because he put so much love into crafting them, and looked so nervous, I burst out crying.

And now, we’re getting married, next to a home he built with his bare hands. Or hand, but like he tells me, I only need one to remind you who you belong to.

Are you blushing? I do every time he says it.

The wedding itself isn’t anything like what I experienced with Griff. In fact, everything is simple. I’m wearing a white cotton sun dress—it’s the only thing that fits—and Jace is dressed in black slacks and a white button-down shirt. He has the sleeves rolled up revealing the deep scars on his left arm. I admit, they’re kinda badass now.

We wait until the sun goes down and under the stars, we say “I do.” I’ll forever remember the expression on Jace’s face right before he kisses me. I can’t even accurately describe it other than he’s in love.

Josie’s maid of honor speech? Oh, you mean Jace’s? Because that’s the only one everyone will remember.

My drunk husband stands up, spills his champagne all over the wedding party and says, “Here’s to love. Here’s to honor. If you can’t come in her, come on her.”

Yep. Says that in front of my parents and our pastor.

“Amen!” Morgan yells, with a bottle of tequila in hand.

I’ll give you one guess as to how the remainder of the night goes.

Badly. Morgan and tequila… you know the rest. Let’s just say he’ll be sleeping off his hangover in the barn with Darth—Sev named the dog—tonight, because I doubt Lillian is letting his ass in bed with her after he decided bull riding naked again was a good idea.

Rhett and Josie, who are now publicly dating, reveal they’re having a baby in nine months. No, they’re not pregnant yet, but have collectively decided they will achieve that task tonight. They’re both very drunk if you hadn’t picked up on that.

It’s late into the evening when I smile at Jace as we dance together. I run my fingers threw his hair and his eyes find mine. His smile tugs and pulls at my heart. “If you could do it all over again, would you?” I ask, swaying to Tim McGraw. It’s tough with my extremely swollen stomach in the way, but we manage.

“The wedding?” He glances around. “I’m sure I could do without seeing Morgan’s white ass again. Or that fucking dog.” I don’t need to turn around to know he’s eyeing the mess where the cake used to be.

We had a wedding cake. But now we don’t… thanks to Darth. He’s a bad dog, but I love him.

“No, our story.” I laugh. “The beginning, the middle… would you change any of it?”

---