Page 66 of Waiting for the Rancher
“It’s. Instituted. Of. God.” Mr. Dewitt enunciated each word.
“I realize that—”
“Hush now, Maverick.” Hazel’s hand in his tightened. “You’re interrupting our marriage ceremony.”
A strange, excited tremor flowed through him. “We’re getting married?”
She peeked at him sideways. “I know you said you’d wait, but I don’t want to wait.”
The trembling in his core trailed to his limbs, so that he was suddenly weak. “You don’t want to wait?”
“No. I’ve waited long enough to be with you.”
Was this really happening to him?
He glanced to the reverend and Mr. Dewitt, who were now watching him with wide eyes, clearly as unprepared for this twist in the ceremony as he was.
Hazel turned so that this time she was facing him squarely. Her expression was more serious than he’d ever seen it before, and she lifted her chin almost defiantly. “I want to marry you today. Now. And I never want to be away from you ever again.”
He was usually the impetuous one, but he’d tried earlier to be cautious and go slow and be responsible. Now Hazel was turning everything upside down.
She clutched his hand and tugged him closer. “I love you, Maverick.”
He couldn’t formulate a response. All he could do was pull her into his arms and lower his lips to hers. There was no gentle start. No, he couldn’t restrain himself any longer. His kiss was hard and hungry, filled with all the wanting that words couldn’t express.
Her kiss in return was almost desperate, as if she was afraid he wouldn’t accept what she was offering. Surely she had to know he would have taken whatever she’d been willing to give him, even if it had been only crumbs. And surely she had to know that if she was offering him everything, he was gonna take it without a single question.
But just in case she had any doubt, he broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck. “You’re the love of my life and the only thing I’m living for, angel.”
Just to make sure she understood how much he loved her, he touched his lips to hers, this time softly but with enough promise to let her know that the kiss was just the beginning of many more.
The reverend was smiling and looking at his prayer book, and Mr. Dewitt was whistling under his breath and staring at theceiling. “Guess I know who will be using my best room when this is over.”
Hazel’s lashes fell against her flushed cheeks.
Maverick grinned at the idea of using Mr. Dewitt’s best room for a day or two or three. That was definitely gonna happen. But first...
Maverick released her hand, dug in his pocket, then pulled out the velvet bag. He opened the drawstring and slid out a ring. It was a gold band, delicate like Hazel and yet so strong.
Maybe she would have accepted it today if he’d proposed to her on Lover’s Overlook, but he liked how this had worked out. It had happened in a way he never could have planned even if he’d tried.
He held the ring up. “I’ve been ready to marry you for a long time too. No more waiting.”
“Does this mean you’re done interrupting, and we can finish the ceremony?” Hazel smiled, and the beauty of it went straight to his heart.
He slipped the ring on her finger. “It means I can’t think of anything I’d like to do more.” And he meant it.
24
The final shovel of dirt landed in place over the coffin.
Hazel held Maverick’s hand tighter and rested her head against his arm, hoping he could feel her comfort.
His body was hard and stiff and unyielding as he stood beside the rest of his family at the graveside of their mother. His body had been hard and stiff and unyielding ever since the dear woman had passed two days ago.
Hazel knew Maverick blamed himself for his ma’s deterioration over the months after his pa’s passing, but he wasn’t to blame for his ma’s death any more than his pa’s. The good thing was that Maverick had finally made peace with his pa’s passing, and she knew that over time he’d do the same thing with his ma’s.
Sterling rested his shovel in the long grass and stepped back to stand with Mother, Father, Scarlet, and other friends of the Oakleys who had come to the funeral to support the family.
