Page 39 of Claimed By the Cowboy
Kitty and I move to the cake table, her hand warm in mine. When we cut the first slice together, she feeds me a bite with gentle fingers, her touch making me want to forget about tradition and carry her straight to bed.
“Your turn,” she says, lips quirking with mischief.
I take a forkful of cake, aiming for her mouth. But at the last second, I swipe a dab of frosting on her nose instead.
“Tom!” she squeals, laughing as she tries to wipe it away.
“Oops,” I say innocently. “Let me get that.”
Instead of using a napkin, I lean in and lick the frosting from her nose, the simple contact sending fire racing through my veins.
Kitty’s breath catches, and when I pull back, her eyes are dark with want.
“Behave,” she whispers, but her voice holds no real protest.
“Not a chance, darlin’. You’re mine now. I don’t have to behave anymore.”
The promise makes her shiver, and I file that reaction away for later.
Dancing follows cake, with Beckett providing guitar music that ranges from sweet to silly. I claim the first dance, of course, pulling Kitty into my arms as he plays something slow and romantic.
“Happy?” I ask, swaying with her under the stars.
“Deliriously,” she admits, resting her head against my chest. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and this will all be a dream.”
“Not a dream. Real as it gets.” I tighten my arms around her. “You’re my wife now, Kitty Sutton. No take-backs.”
“Good,” she says fiercely. “Because I’m never letting you go.”
We dance through several songs, surrounded by family and laughter and the kind of joy I didn’t knowexisted until today.
Dad cuts in for a dance with his new daughter-in-law, his face soft with affection. Henry twirls her around the dance floor, making her giggle with his dramatic dips.Angus is next, all stiff formality, until Kitty deliberately steps on his boot. He huffs, but the corner of his mouth twitches, and by the end of the song, he’s smiling as if she’s worn him down with her charm.
Then Shay waddles out, belly first, and declares she’s not missing her chance. Kitty dances with her, too, the two of them swaying in exaggerated slow-motion while Henry looks on like he’s ready to catch his wife if she topples. Everyone bursts into laughter when Cheese Puff tries to butt in—literally—nudging Kitty’s hip until she gives up and lets the goat “dance” a few steps with her.
But when the music slows and I reclaim my wife, pulling her back into my arms where she belongs, I know it’s time.
“Ready to go to the cabin, Mrs. Sutton?” I murmur in her ear.
She tilts her head back to look at me. “What cabin?”
I nod, letting the secret slip with a grin. “One of the cabins we usually keep for the vets. It’s private, tucked away from the main house. I figured it’d make a good place for us to start.”
Her lips part. “It’s ours?”
“Yeah, darlin’.” I stroke my thumb over the back of her hand. “I’ve already talked to Dad about it. We’ll remodel it, extend it, make it ours. Big kitchen for when you decide you’re in the mood to bake, porch swing so I can watch the sunset with my wife every night, whatever you want.”
Her breath catches, eyes wide and shining.
My voice drops. “A home. A place that’sours. Not borrowed, not temporary. Just you and me building something from the ground up.”
She swallows hard, blinking fast. “Tom, that’s—” Her voice breaks, and she presses her forehead against my chest. “That’s everything I didn’t know how to ask for.”
I hold her tighter, resting my chin on her hair. “Good. Because it’s ours.” I pull back, grinning. “Besides, you didn’t think I was gonna take my bride back to the house with half my familylistening through the walls, did you? It’s a little crowded there nowadays.”
She laughs, a little shaky, a little shy, and it goes straight to my chest. “Guess not.”
“Good,” I murmur, tightening my hold as the music swells around us. “Because tonight is ours, Kitty. Just you and me. No goats, no brothers, no arrangements hanging over our heads.”
