Page 119 of Before You Can Blink
Snorting, I muttered, “All this way. We’re a ten-minute drive from town.”
“Be grateful,” she hissed under her breath.
“You better do as she says, Jett,” Mac chimed in as we drew closer. “It’s shark week, and she’ll bite your head clean off.”
Eyes bulging, my daughter lunged at her husband, but I was quick enough to loop my free arm around her waist in the nick of time.
“See? What did I tell you?” Mac flashed me a smug smirk.
“Better sleep with one eye open tonight, Blaze,” Aspen gritted out.
“So spicy.” He booped her nose. “I dig it.”
Lord, the man had a death wish.
Voice low, I said in Aspen’s ear, “If I make a good show of my appreciation, can you promise me you won’t kill him until later when the two of you are in private?”
Glaring at the target of her rage, she countered, “Only if you agree to help me bury the body.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I released her. “All right. You have yourself a deal.”
“Down, Papa! I play!” Paisley wiggled in my arms, and I set her down.
Taking a moment, I glanced around the gathering. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that every soul who called Rust Canyon home—all six hundred ofthem—was in attendance.
Heat rose up my neck as I tugged on the back of it, offering my guests a polite smile. “Days like today force me to count my blessings, and I can honestly say this community is among them. So, thank you all for coming out to celebrate with me and my family, and if it’s not too much to ask, make sure to wish my granddaughter, Paisley, a happy birthday as well.”
Aspen gave me a nod of approval, speaking to the crowd. “Food and drinks are in the tent. Everyone feel free to help yourselves and enjoy!”
The mass of bodies dispersed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My enjoyment over being the center of attention died along with my rodeo career, thirty-six long years ago.
Daisy rushed over, clasping my hands. “Were you surprised?”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Oh, stop pouting about it.” She swatted at me playfully. “The kids put in a lot of work for this.”
“Where was all this when you turned sixty? Doesn’t sit right that I’m getting something you didn’t.”
Lifting her eyes to the sky, she shook her head. “Did you forget that, when I turned sixty, they threw my retirement party?”
Oh yeah. I kinda did.
But in my defense, that also happened to be around the same time when all the grandkids started showing up, one on top of the other, and life got hectic with trying to set up Tripp and Penny to take over the ranch.
“That’s what I thought.” Linking her arm with mine, she practically dragged me toward the open-air tent. “Come on, you’re the man of the hour. Gotta go circulate.”
Greaaaaaaaat.
Socially exhausted after making the rounds, I found myself seated at a large table, surrounded by my immediate family, their spouses, and our closest friends.
While we were beneath the tent, we were close enough to the edge that I could see the kids running around on the lawn.
Although we officially had only five grandchildren, there were several others we’d brought into our fold and cared for as deeply as our own.
Against all odds, Tucker Grant and Bex Crawford had found their way back together and had gotten married not long after Aspen and Mac. Together, they had a boy, Bowen, who was just shy of seventeen months old, and twin girls, Oaklynn and Saylor, who were two months old.
And you couldn’t forget about the Winfield kids. Aubree was now practically a teenager, and her younger brothers, Barrett and Grady, were always eager to help out whenever they visited the ranch.
