Page 39 of Crashing the Altar
It was mid-afternoon when we pulled into the rodeo grounds, and Tripp parked his truck near the horse trailers emblazoned with the Sullivan Ranch logo on the sides. Hopping out, I squinted before raising my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
“Damn, not a cloud in the sky,” I mused.
Fingers circled my wrist, tugging my hand away. Before I could even ask Tripp what he was doing, my view of the world became shaded.
I beamed up at him like he was my personal hero—who was I kidding? He always had been—when I realized he’d given me his hat.
“Thank you.” My cheeks grew heated.
Tripp curled two fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face upward. “Can’t have my best girl getting burned.”
The man had called me his best girl countless times, but this was the first time I felt it down to my toes.
“Marks for chivalry,” I teased with a smile. “But what’s going to protect this handsome face?” My touch grazed over his cheekbones above his black stubble.
“How about after I check in with the team, we can browse the vendors, and I’ll buy you a new hat?”
I tugged on the wide brim of the hat resting atop my head and flashed him a cheeky grin. “I’ve grown quite attached to this one.”
“Okay.” Tripp chuckled. “We’ll buymea new hat. Better?”
My head bobbed on an enthusiastic nod. “Uh-huh.”
His eyes lifted skyward in a fake show of annoyance. “It’s a good thing I love you.”
I moved closer, pressing my lips to the base of his throat, murmuring against his skin, “I love you, too.”
Tripp’s arms curled around my waist, hauling my body flush. Without an inch of space separating us, I could feel the contented hum vibratingthrough his chest. “Waited my whole damn life to hear you say those words. Almost gave up hope of ever hearing them spill from your pretty lips.”
As I snuggled deeper into his hold, a peace settled over my soul. “I love you, Tripp. And I’ll say it every day until I die.”
Fingers tangled in my hair, left loose down my back. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
Didn’t he get it? Loving him was as easy as breathing.
I couldn’t explain the pull I felt when he was near, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if perhaps we’d been born to be together.
Now that I was his wife, we never had to be apart.
Talk about a dream come true.
“Penny Atkins, is that you?”
Ricky Patterson lifted the brim of his hat and blinked a few times before rubbing at his eyes. When his hands fell away, and it sank in that my appearance wasn’t a figment of his imagination, he cocked his head to the side. “What in the world are you doin’ here? Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?”
“I did.” I brought my left hand into view, wiggling it so the modest diamond gracing it glinted in the sunlight.
His brows drew down in confusion. “Well, where’s your husband, then?”
“You’re looking at him.” The rich baritone of Tripp’s voice had my thighs clenching as he stepped up behind me, stuffing his hand into the back pocket of my jeans.
Ricky tracked the move with wide eyes and let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be. Gotta say I’m relieved because, for a minute there, it looked like you two weren’t ever going to figure it out.”
I leaned into Tripp’s strong form, craning my neck to peek up at him. “This cowboy cut it close, so don’t let him tell you otherwise.”
His free hand wrapped around my waist, giving a gentle squeeze. “Timing doesn’t matter so long as I’m the one who got you in the end.”
Patting his cheek, I conceded, “So true, baby.”
