Page 61 of Soldier Cowboy
He turned to her. “Really?”
“What? This is an emotional time.” Her lower lip quivered.
She was a soft touch, but this didn’t bother him because it was real. Honest emotion glittered in her blue eyes, and he used his thumb to catch one of her tears.
Dinner was served and dancing began, with Sean and Bonnie’s first dance as a married couple. They danced obscenely close (if you wanted to take Delores’s opinion) to the music of Ed Sheeran.
“This is ‘Perfect,’” Jennifer said as the song played with lyrics about two people who were kids when they met and fell in love.
“Think so?”
“I meant that’s the name of the song.”
“Very predictable. I would have chosen something a little less, I don’t know—”
“Weepy?” Jennifer completed his thought with scary accuracy.
People cried too much at weddings. Leave that for the funerals.
“And a little more heavy metal.”
Jennifer made a face. “Yikes.”
After the first dance, it was a free-for-all and Sean danced with Delores. Bonnie danced with Riggs, then later Jackson Carver, Lincoln, and the rest of the men lined up for a chance. It was never difficult to find a man around these parts. Women were another story. But tonight, Sean had a line of them, too. All the former contestants, Jolette Marie, and even Cherisse.
“Want to dance?” Colton said to Jennifer.
“You don’t want your turn with Bonnie?”
“I’ll dance with her later.” Colton stood and offered his hand. “For now, it would look weird if I didn’t dance with my fiancée.”
Even if Coltonwas simply putting on a show, Jennifer appreciated the way he’d held her hand and walked her to the faux dance floor. She enjoyed the way he held her close in his arms, one hand lowering to her back. With any luck, they would only dance with each other tonight. The whole newly engaged and in love thing played into that narrative.
It was a beautiful day, and the sun began to crest over the hills in impressive splashes of purple and pink. Whomever had put on this wedding, the producers of the show, or Bonnie’s family, they’d knocked it out of the park. The white tent outside the main house gave a sense of seclusion and protection from the sun. Beautiful gardenias and blue hydrangeas filled the tent with color. The food had been a delicious mix of Tex-Mex and continental cuisines, the kind where one didn’t have to eat with their hands.
And Sean and Bonnie Lee appeared so in love that every time Jennifer looked at them, she felt her eyes fill. How inspiring to see this kind of lasting love still existed. Bonnie had mentioned someone always loving a little bit more than the other but today seemed to be one of those times in which love was equal.
“Did I tell you that you’re beautiful?” Colton said, lowering his chin so close to hers they almost rubbed together.
“You don’t have to say that.”
“Give me a break. I’m trying to be vulnerable here.”
“You?” She glanced up at him. “Why?”
“My therapist said it’s necessary for a full recovery.”
“Oh, yes, true.”
That was somewhat disappointing, as she would have rather heard about his undying devotion to her, but that was unnecessary, not to mention unrealistic. And she couldn’t argue with a soldier working toward full mental health. She certainly hadn’t witnessed any of the hostile behaviors she used to see in Joe before he’d gone through rehabilitation for drug treatment. Colton seemed well adjusted but the fact he’d even had to mention becoming vulnerable told her maybe she wasn’t seeing everything. Maybe he was struggling and she’d been too busy with her own problems to notice, pining away for this handsome man she was spending time with.
“Thank you for saying that,” Jennifer said. “In case I never told you, I find you ridiculously handsome.”
“I accept the compliment. Look at me, being all vulnerable and stuff.”
“Are you, though?”
“Yeah. With you, it’s easy. You see me as I am, and not someone you have to repeatedly thank. You know who and what I am and I’m grateful for that. This is a job.” His lips quirked in the hint of a smile. “How’s that for vulnerable?”
