Given where Hunter was standing, even if Abby looked that way, she’d most likely only see Jack and Cat. That wouldn’t surprise her, since Hunter and Kyle brought their dogs with them nearly everywhere.
I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. I looked over at Lance again and held up my ring finger and pointed to it. Hopefully he hadn’t tied the ring to the puppy’s collar until after she fell asleep.
He held up the ring box and gave me a thumbs up.
Then, the doors opened to the greenhouse and Kyle walked in. I could see Abby sitting in the Mule, a wide grin on her face as she watched him.
He had on black pants, a white shirt, a black tie, and the flower jacket. He looked and played the part of the flower guy like a pro.
Hunter hit play, and Abby’s favorite song, “Any Man of Mine” by Shania Twain, started up. Kyle unzipped his fanny pack, shot his hands out and made guns with his fingers before he tipped the cowboy hat he was wearing and started to dance down the aisle, tossing red rose petals in the air.
He took his time, in true Kyle fashion. It wasn’t a very long walk, with the greenhouse only being sixty feet long—which in Abby’s opinion, had not been long enough when we first built it. Brighton laughed her ass off snapping pictures. At one point, the bastard stopped and kissed the back of his mother’s hand as she wiped tears of laughter from her cheeks.
Once Kyle got to the end, he reached his hand out for me and I shook it, then pulled him in for a quick hug. “I love you, man.”
Kyle drew back and nodded. I could see he was fighting to keep from crying. “I love you, too, Bishop.” He gave me a nod and a slap on the side of my arm, then swiftly walked to his table and took a seat.
When I glanced back toward the door, Abby stood there with a wide smile on her face. With a slight chuckle, she announced, “I’m not sure I can top that!”
I, along with everyone else, laughed.
Hunter hit play again, and a Christmas instrumental song began as Abby made her way toward me. Tears burned at the back of my eyes before I finally just let them flow. I could tell Abby was also fighting to keep her tears under control. The song ended just as she stepped up next to me and I let my eyes wander over her. The cream dress she wore was stunning as the crystals that were sewn on it caught the flickering light all around us. And when she walked, I couldn’t help noticing the slit that gave the sexiest peek of her leg. My entire body caught on fire looking at her. Her upper teeth dug into her lower lip, and I reached up and gently ran my finger over her lips to get her to let go.
“You look beautiful, Abs.”
A sob slipped free, and she blinked rapidly as her tears fell. “You…look so handsome, Bishop.”
I cupped her face in my hands and brushed her tears away with my thumbs. “Don’t cry, angel.”
Her eyes closed and she let out a deep breath before she focused back on me.
Smiling, I leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. “You ready to marry me…again?”
Her head bobbed quickly before I gave her another kiss.
“Bishop, that part comes later!” Hunter called out.
Abby and I both laughed. I dropped my hands, and we faced Buck.
As the ceremony began, I couldn’t hear anything but the beating of my heart, or maybe it was Abby’s heart—or possibly both of our hearts beating as one. Abby reached a hand down and wrapped her fingers around mine while we stood there and said our vows for a second time.
“Shall we bless the rings?”
Abby untied my wedding band from her bouquet of flowers and handed it over to Buck. They both looked at me as I stood there, not making a move.
“Bishop? Do you have the wedding band?” Buck asked, slight concern in his voice.
I glanced over my shoulder and nodded to Hunter and Lance.
Abby chuckled. “Tell me Jack isn’t wearing the ring…”
Her voice trailed off as our eight-week-old golden retriever started down the aisle toward us. A giant blue bow was tied around her neck, and she trotted like she owned the damn place.
Abby gasped and whispered, “A puppy!”
Of course, the pup got distracted and made a few stops to say hello to Arabella, then my mom, then Kyle, slowly making her way closer to us. I whistled, and her head popped up. I bent down, and she started running toward me.
Abby bent, too, and was nearly knocked over by the little rug rat. “Oh my goodness! Whose puppy is she?”
I turned her collar and untied the bag Lance had attached. I smiled. “She’s your puppy, Abs.”
Her eyes went wide with shock. “Mine? She’s mine?”
I nodded, scooped up the puppy in one hand, and helped Abby stand back up. Kyle came to my side and took the puppy as I opened the ring pouch and tipped it so the diamond and band both landed in my hand.
Abby was so preoccupied with the puppy Kyle was holding that she hadn’t seen the rings. I handed them to Buck, who smiled.
“Shall we continue then?” Buck asked as Abby grabbed the puppy from Kyle and hugged it to her chest.
I laughed, watching her smother the dog with kisses. She gave Buck a quick look. “Yes! Please don’t mind the dog.”
“You’re going to hold her while we say our vows?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes! Just for a bit.”
Our friends and family laughed while Buck continued on with the blessing. I had already arranged for Buck to have me go first with the rings.
I took both of them from his hand and slotted them together. Abby beamed with happiness when I slipped both the engagement ring and her wedding band on her finger and then said my vows. Once I had finished, she looked down…and sucked in a breath.
“Bishop! Oh, Bishop.”
The puppy started to slip from Abby’s arm, so Kyle jumped into action and took her again. He quietly went back to his table with the puppy fighting to get free.
“Do you like it?” I asked, watching her stare down at the ring.
She lifted her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love it. It’s so beautiful. It’s perfect.”
I reached over and wiped her tears away.
We somehow managed to get through our vows while we both cried like babies. I had never been so happy in my entire life. Happier even than the first time I’d married Abby, and I never thought that was possible.
“Friends and family,” Buck said, a wide smile on his face. “I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop Harris, round two. Now you may kiss your bride, Bishop.”
The room erupted in cheers and laughter as I cupped Abby’s face and kissed her passionately, then dipped her and made her laugh. Kyle let out a whistle, and Hunter called out, “Save it for tonight, you guys!”
When we finally broke the kiss, I leaned my forehead against Abby’s. She ran her fingertip lightly over my jaw and sighed. “Finally, you’re mine again.”
“I was always yours, Abs.”
She drew back slightly and looked up at me. “Do you think they’d miss us if we slipped away?”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “Didn’t we do that at our last wedding too?”
Abby
Wet puppy dog licks on my face woke me from my peaceful slumber. I opened my eyes and smiled as I looked into the sweetest brown eyes I’d ever seen.