Page 37 of Claimed By the Cowboy
She walks toward me, slow and steady, and I catalog every detail. The way the dress moves with her graceful steps. How the flowers in her hair catch the light. The soft curve of her lips as her smile grows wider with each step that brings her closer to becoming mine.
Halfway down the aisle, disaster strikes.
“MAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
The triumphant bleat echoes through the barn, and I close my eyes in resignation. So much for bribing Cheese Puff into good behavior.
A collective gasp goes up from our small gathering as the goat appears at the far end of the barn, moving with purpose toward the altar. She’s dragging an entire roll of toilet paper behind her, the streamers fluttering like victory banners.
“Oh, no,” Luna breathes. “Please tell me she didn’t?—”
“She raided the supply closet,” Delaney mutters grimly.
Cheese Puff prances down the aisle like she owns the place, tissue paper streaming from her horns like a bridal veil gone terribly wrong. The roll bounces along the floor, unspooling faster than anyone can stop it.
This is when my wedding turns into a complete disaster like every other important Sutton family event Cheese Puff has ever crashed.
Then Kitty starts to laugh.
Not polite wedding laughter. Real, genuine, from-the-belly laughter that fills the barn and makes everyone else smile despite the chaos.
“Come here, you ridiculous menace,” she calls, extending her hand toward Cheese Puff like she’s coaxing a child.
The goat pauses, startled, clearly expecting screaming and chaos—her usual reception. Instead, she gets a bride who’s more amusedthan angry.
“That’s right,” Kitty coaxes, her voice warm with humor. “Come on, bring them here. You can be part of the wedding if you behave.”
Kitty waves her bouquet like it’s a snack. Cheese Puff tilts her head, considering. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, she trots over, and Kitty drops the bouquet into Cheese Puff’s waiting mouth.
After a few thoughtful chews, the goat drops the bouquet. The flowers are a little worse for wear—stems bent, petals scattered—but Kitty cradles them like they’re precious.
“Perfect,” she declares, flashing the goat a dazzling smile. “Now, go sit with Luna and try not to eat anything important.”
Cheese Puff obeys, trotting over to curl up beside Luna’s chair like the world’s happiest flower girl.
Angus gapes. “Did that goat just?—”
“Follow orders?” Henry finishes dryly. “Looks like she did.”
Kitty continues her walk down the aisle, bouquet in hand, grinning like this is exactly how shewanted her wedding to go. When she reaches me, her eyes are dancing with mischief.
“Only you,” I say softly, taking her hands in mine, “would allow a toilet-paper-draped goat to crash our wedding.”
“She just wanted to be included,” she whispers back. “I know how that feels.”
The simple words hit me in the chest. This woman—my woman—has spent so much of her life feeling excluded, overlooked, unwanted. But not anymore. Never again.
“Lord above. First time I’ve had livestock in the bridal procession,” the reverend who married both Henry and Angus declares. He stands in front of us, Bible in one hand, smirk firmly in place. “Another day, another Sutton wedding,” he says with a wink.
Tom squeezes my fingers. “Sorry, Reverend, I’m the last one. After this, you can finally take a rest.”
“Are you sure? What about those cousins of yours?” he fires back, brow lifting as he spears a look at Daniel, Ethan, and Gabriel. “I swear, every time I get a call from a Sutton, I brace myselfbecause there’s usually a wedding, a brawl, or a goat involved.”
Laughter ripples through the barn. Cheese Puff bleats loudly as if to confirm his point.
“Guess today we’ve got all three,” Angus mutters dryly, earning another round of chuckles.
The reverend sighs with theatrical resignation. “Well, Lord willing, this is my last Sutton for a while. My poor heart can’t take much more excitement.” The laughter fades into anticipation. “Are you both ready?”
