Page 57 of Crashing the Altar
Fated. I liked that. Felt like a perfect description for us.
She folded her arms across her chest. “You gonna let the man answer or keep tooting your own horn?”
“That’s not even a choice. Becauseobviously, I would love nothing more than to explain all the ways how I’m the glue that holds this group together.”
My lungs burned with the effort to keep from laughing out loud. Watching Mac was sometimes more entertaining than watching television.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Aspen sucked in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “For the love of God, Tripp. Put me out of my misery already.”
Tripp granted his sister’s request. “I’ll give him credit for coming to Kansas that morning and demanding I come home.” Mac opened his mouth to protest, but the look Tripp shot him had him zipping his lips. “But all I came back to do was to say goodbye.”
My breath caught in my throat and tears burned behind my eyes as I thought about how close we’d come to missing out on the love we were now free to share out in the open.
When he heard my soft sniffle, Tripp gripped my chin, turning my face so that I could see the depth of his love shining in those beautiful blue eyes. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think I had any other choice. Then the preacher asked for an objection, and my reaction was visceral. The words were out of my mouth before I knew what was happening.”
Blinking furiously wasn’t enough to stop a tear from rolling down my cheek.
The calloused pad of his thumb wiped away the wetness, and I swear that man spoke to my soul when he said, “And I don’t regret it. Not one bit.”
The sob that broke the moment wasn’t mine, and both of us turned to find Aspen openly weeping, her body trembling as Mac held her close, offering comfort.
“I’m fine.” She waved off any potential concern. “Stupid hormones have me crying over everything.”
Voice thick, Mac dabbed at the moisture gathered at the corner of his own eye. “Yep. Me too.”
I couldn’t blame them for getting emotional. It was like having my favorite fairy tale come to life.
Except in this one, my prince wore cowboy boots and worked on the ranch I called home. And I’d gladly take him over one who wore fancy suits and lived in a castle any day of the week.
Clearing his throat a few times, Mac changed the subject. “So, where are you two living?”
Tripp and I looked at each other with wide eyes, like it hadn’t occurred to either one of us that while we were in Rust Canyon—even if only for a short time—we needed to figure out living arrangements.
When we’d left, I was halfway to moving out of my parents’ house and into Jake’s, and Tripp’s situation wasn’t much better. When he wasn’t on the road, he had a bed in the bunkhouse. Neither of those was a viable option now that we were married.
“Uh.” Tripp gave a slight shake of his head as if to clear it before turning to answer his brother-in-law. “Not really sure. Just drove in today and came straight here.”
Mac barked out a laugh. “Ah, you gotta love it. The whole rushing into marriage and flying by the seat of your pants thing is gonna be a hoot and a half to watch. I’ll have my popcorn ready.”
Smacking his chest with the back of her hand, Aspen provided the solution to our problem. “Simple. You’ll take the cabin. It’s been sitting empty since we moved into this house.”
That wasn’t a half-bad idea. The one-room cabin had been the only structure on the ranch when Jett and Daisy bought the property. Thoughit had been built in the mid-1800s, the interior had been modernized to feature heat and indoor plumbing. It wasn’t big, but it was perfect for a couple just starting out. Hell, it’s where the elder Sullivans had spent the first few years of their own marriage, living there with two young children.
And the best part was that staying there meant we didn’t have to leave the ranch while we figured out what to do next.
Tripp heaved out a sigh. “Guess that means our next stop is the big house.”
Jett and Daisy were practically another set of parents to me, but damn if my stomach didn’t twist into knots when I realized I had to face them after running off and marrying their only son.
Reagan let out a whimper, her tiny brow drawing down as her lips pulled into a frown. It was almost as if she could pick up on my nervous energy.
“She’s gonna wake up any second wanting to eat.” Aspen pressed on the sides of her breasts, wincing.
“Guess that’s our cue to get out of your hair and give you some privacy,” Tripp remarked, already rising from his seat.
Pressing a kiss to the top of our niece’s head, I sucked in a lungful of her sweet baby scent, hoping it would help center me for the tough road ahead.
Tripp held my hand firmly in his as he turned the knob on the back door to his parents’ house and pushed inside.
