Page 52 of Roping the Rodeo Queen
"Clay McKendrick," she finally says, her voice steady now, "I'm about to walk down that aisle and make you the happiest man in the West."
"You already have, darlin'.Everything else is just paperwork."
Sarah clears her throat loudly."If you two are done having a moment through drywall, it's time to get this show on the road.Clay, get your butt downstairs to the altar before I drag you there myself."
I straighten my shoulders and take one last look in the mirror.The man staring back at me looks like he's about to either win the lottery or get trampled by a bronc---maybe both.I adjust my bolo tie one final time and head for the door."See you down there, Mrs.McKendrick."
"I'm not your missus yet," Jo shoots back, but there's warmth in her voice now instead of panic."But ask me again in ten minutes."
The walk down to the lobby feels like the longest ride of my life.The Cheyenne Grand has been transformed into something that looks like a cross between a western chapel and a garden party.White roses and baby's breath are wound around the rustic wooden archway where I'll be standing in approximately thirty seconds.My hands are sweating, and I resist the urge to wipe them on my pants.
The string quartet Casey insisted on hiring has begun to play a song that sounds vaguely familiar, probably because it's been stuck in my head for the past week during rehearsals.I move into my position next to Pastor Williams, an older man with a wrinkled face who's officiated more cowboy weddings than he can count.The man wears the patient expression of someone who's seen plenty of nervous grooms.
"Breathe, son," he murmurs out of the corner of his mouth."I've yet to have one pass out on me, and I don't plan to start today."
"Yes, sir."I straighten my shoulders and gaze out at the assembled crowd.It's smaller than the usual wedding---just family and close friends, the way Jo and I both wanted it.My parents are seated in the front row with Dad looking uncomfortable in his Sunday suit but proud as a peacock.Mom dabs at her eyes with a lace handkerchief she's been carrying around all morning.Jo's folks are seated across the aisle.Hank Callahan sits up straight, seemingly unbothered by the solemnity of the occasion.Then I see him dab at his eyes, like my mother had done, and I realize Hank's just as emotional as the rest of us.
The music shifts, and my pulse kicks into overdrive.This is it.The big moment.
Casey appears first, sashaying down the aisle looking elegant in a dusty rose dress that complements her dark hair.She catches my eye and gives me a reassuring smile before taking her place across from where I'm standing.Then Sarah follows, wearing the same bridesmaid dress as Casey.She holds her bouquet in both hands winking at me as she passes, which somehow makes me feel both better and worse at the same time.
The music swells, and it's a song I recognize now---"Canon in D," because Jo said if we were doing this wedding thing, we were going to do it right.The doors at the back of the lobby swing open, and I suddenly forget how to breathe.
Jo takes my breath away, looking so beautiful that's she reminds me of a fairy-tale princess or something out of a half-forgotten dream.The dress---God, the dress---is everything I imagined and nothing like I expected all at once.The ivory silk seems to shimmer in the natural light and moves exactly like water, just the way she hinted.It's simple but elegant, with a neckline that accentuates her lovely body and sleeves that somehow manage to be both demure and sexy as hell.Her auburn hair is swept up in some complicated arrangement that Casey probably spent an hour on, with a few loose strands framing her face.
But it's her expression that nearly brings me to my knees.The panic upstairs in the bathroom is gone, replaced by a mix of pure joy and conviction.She's looking straight at me like I'm the only person in the room.Her father walks beside her, and I can see the exact moment he transitions from protective dad to proud father giving away his daughter.When they reach the altar, he shakes my hand vigorously.
"Take care of her, son," he says quietly, and there's no threat in it---just a father's love wrapped up in four simple words.
"Yes, sir.You have my word."
I offer my arm, and Jo accepts it.The moment her fingers curl around my elbow, the world settles back into place.All the nervous energy that's been eating me alive for the past hour just...disappears.
"You look like a fairy-tale cowboy."She roves her gaze over me, admiring my pressed suit with obvious appreciation."Almost didn't recognize you without hay in your hair."
"Jo, you..."My voice fails me completely.I clear my throat and try again."Jo, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Her cheeks flush pink, but she doesn't look away."Told you it was worth the wait."
Pastor Williams clears his throat gently, and we both turn to face him, though I can't seem to stop stealing glances at Jo.The way the light catches in her hair, the slight tremor in her hands as she grips her bouquet, the freckles across her nose that she didn't bother to hide with makeup because she knows I love them.
"Dearly beloved," Pastor Williams begins, his voice carrying through the transformed hotel lobby."We are gathered here today..."
I try to focus on his words, I really do, but Jo is standing beside me, and my brain can't seem to hold on to anything except the vision of her.I catch fragments of the pastor's speech---something about love and commitment and the joining of two souls---but all I can focus on is the woman at my side and the miracle that she's about to become my wife.
When it comes time for the vows, Jo turns to face me fully.Her green eyes are bright with unshed tears, but her voice is steady.
"I never thought I'd be here," she begins, and the raw honesty in her voice makes my throat tighten."Standing in fancy shoes, wearing silk, promising forever to a man who once told me my roping technique needed work."
A ripple of laughter moves through the crowd, and I can't help but grin.That particular conversation had ended with her dumping a water bucket over my head.
"But here's the thing about you, Clay McKendrick---you never let me settle for good enough.You push me to be better, stronger, braver than I thought I could be.And somehow, you make me want to be soft too.You taught me to trust in something bigger than just myself."
She pauses, and I watch a single tear escape down her cheek.I want to reach out and brush it away, but I can't move an inch.
"Clay, I promise to love your stubborn streak, even when it drives me crazy.I promise to support your dreams, even the ones that scare me.And I promise to never, ever let you win a race just because we're married."
The laughter bubbles up in the crowd, and even Pastor Williams cracks a smile.Jo's grin is pure teasing now, and I shake my head at her while smiling.
