Page 69 of The Wedding Ranch
He always stored the carriage in tip-top shape after every use, but that barn got dusty, especially in the summer, and this summer had been drier than normal. He grabbed a decent pair of jeans and a clean shirt and tied them to the back of his saddle, then climbed up on Thunder and loped over to the barn to get things ready.
The wedding wasn’t until one, so he took his time shining up the carriage and readying the horses. A quick change of clothes in the barn, and he’d be over there in plenty of time to take the bride and groom from where they were tying the knot in front of the tall tobacco barn back over to the big tent for the reception. A whole hog, apple in the mouth and all, hadbeen on coals since last night. When the wind shifted, he could catch the smoky smell of it. At least now that he was working the ceremony, he could grab a nice hot meal that he didn’t have to cook before going back down to the Rest Stop for the night.
He sprayed off the carriage and wiped away the last droplets with a chamois made of goat leather, then hitched Thunder and another horse, Buckshot, giving everything a quick polish as he went. It looked good as show day. No one would ever know it was a last-minute decision.
Ryder had just changed clothes when Ross texted a message they were ready for him to head that way.
Ryder walked back into the barn and pulled the champagne bucket from the storage room, filled it with ice pellets, then slipped a bottle of good champagne down into the sterling silver pail. He’d done this routine of driving the happy couple to the reception a few times by now, so he was prepared. By the time the “I dos” were done it would be perfectly chilled. He placed the silver bucket and two long-stemmed glasses in the wooden rig he’d built into the wagon solely for that purpose.
He climbed onto the raised seat and lifted the leather reins into his hands. One flick of his wrist and they rolled forward at an amble. He loved driving these horses. He looked out over his property as they moved across the field.
A good life we have here.
He propped his boot up on the wooden rail as the carriage rattled over the pasture. Noticing the dust on his boots, he slid the toe of one behind his pant leg giving it a quick shine.Better. Not that anyone would be looking at his footware, but it made him feel better. He had to admit he was kind of glad he wasgoing to get to see Cody Tuggle up close and personal. He enjoyed his old country style of music.
He rode over humming one of Cody’s older songs.
Ryder stopped the horses on the back side of the second building out of sight. From here, the carriage was out of view, but Ryder could see the huge wooden cross he and Ross had spent weeks building, sanding, and staining. It was gorgeous and rugged, and rose nearly ten feet into the air.
Together they’d also built wooden planters that were now filled with fresh flowers.
Today Reece had piled gorgeous arrangements with fluffy white hydrangeas that looked almost like clouds. White flowers spilled over the sides, some big and some small, the greenery adding a soft touch.
Using the carriage to move the wedding party wasn’t something new. Ryder had been happy to oblige whenever the kids needed him for these events, and the horse and carriage had turned out to be one of those special options that had become a popular choice.
They’d done this carriage exchange so many times, Ryder had the timing down to a science. As soon as the bride and groom took the first step of their walk back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. he’d pull the horses up. The guests were so focused on the couple, clapping and cheering, they wouldn’t hear the noisy carriage. It was as if the horse and carriage magically appeared as the crowd parted. The bride and groom would step right up and onto the carriage and he’d drive his horses over to the reception area.
The pathway was made from old cobblestones, adding to therugged sound of the iron and wooden wheels. Ross and Reece had somehow found a deal on a container of cobblestones that had been brought over to the US on sailing ships in the 1800s and used to pave the streets along the coast. The shipping container had been long forgotten. The town had purchased them at some point, but no one knew by who or for what, so they’d put them in the auction along with some old furniture and outdated, rode-hard utility vehicles. There were no other bids on the container.
Ross had bought the whole lot for two hundred dollars. Of course, it cost way more than that to get them delivered and laid, but they’d turned it into a family project. The worn edges of the cobblestones made for interesting work, like a puzzle, but it made for good old-fashioned curb appeal and the horseshoes sounded so good, almost a hollow clip-clop, against the hard stones.
Ryder pushed his cowboy hat back on his head to cool down; at least in the shade there was a bit of relief. He rested his arm on his knee.
Across the way, music from the party tent seemed like background music in a movie, with him, the star in an old western movie, waiting for his big entrance. Skulking back here behind the barn, his imagination drifted. In his mind’s eye, four bad guys wearing black hats and bandannas pulled across their faces raced over the hill in his direction, guns blazing, horses snorting. He imagined what it would be like to slap the reins and roll the wagon out full speed toward them, pulling his Winchester from below the wooden seat. Slipping the leather reins under his boot not to lose control of the carriage, he’d stand, cock that rifle low, and take them out one by one.
Okay, so maybe I’ve seen one too many westerns.
Voices nearby stole his attention. Guests made their way over from the big tent, chasing his John Wayne moment away. The first few rows in front of the cross where the bride and groom would take their vows filled quickly.
People of all ages in a wide range of attire, from blue jeans and trendy short dresses to long gowns and suits, drifted in taking up every seat and flanking the surrounding areas. Ross and Reece had once told him that standing room only was the preferred amount of seating in a fancy wedding.
Didn’t make sense to him. If he were having a highfalutin wedding he’d want to see to it that everyone had a chair. Showed what he knew about this stuff.
Conversation got louder until the pastor took his place. The crowd quieted in anticipation.
Cody Tuggle entered from between the buildings wearing Old West–style tails and a silver belly cowboy hat with a cattleman crown and that low tug on the front of the brim he was known for. Four other men in matching suits joined him. Ryder only recognized one of them and that was the lead guitarist in Cody’s band.
There was a quiet moment and then suddenly music flowed from the speakers. Not the wedding march, but rather an instrumental piece with a country-western flair to it.
A little girl who couldn’t have been more than four or five years old wearing a long white dress over cowgirl boots and a ring of flowers in her hair started down the aisle. Ryder remembered when Reece and Ross were that little.
The little girl took a step, sprinkled a few petals, and then looked around and waved, giggling the whole time she wasweaving in and out, trying to avoid trampling the delicate petals she’d just tossed in front of her.
As she zig-zagged her way down the aisle, Cody’s chin lifted, his smile so wide all you could see was teeth beneath the brim of his hat. The little girl walked toward him, sprinkling more white rose petals.
A young boy in a silver belly cowboy hat that matched Cody’s carried a pillow down the aisle. He didn’t dawdle or look around. His boots and spurs jangled as he marched straight up to Cody and stood next to him. Cody gave him an appreciative nod.
The pastor said something to the children, and both nodded, then the little boy took the little girl’s hand in the sweetest moment. Ryder wasn’t the only one to think so, because audible approval swept across the crowd.
