I wrap the blanket around my body and jump on my brother’s back, pummeling him with all my might. “West William Winchester, you get off the man I love. Right now!”
The whole room freezes. The whole room except Wyatt. He picks up my discarded panties and wrinkles his nose. “What the hell are these?”
“Alright all of you, out!”
“What the fuck is going on here?” West says. “You better start talking, Colton Hayes, or I’m gonna drag your naked ass out into the pasture and kick it all the way to Austin.”
“You will do no such thing!” I chide and stand, straightening my hair as I address the room. “All of you listen up ’Cause I’m only gonna say this once. Colt and I are together now.”
“We are?” Colt says with a shit-eating grin, and I give him a look that says he better shut his damn mouth before I take him out to pasture and kick his ass.
“We are. No one is kicking anyone’s ass. If you don’t like it, too damn bad. I left him once and it was the biggest mistake of my life, so I ain’t ever letting him go.”
“Jesus.” Wade rubs the back of his neck. “When did she get to be just as scary as Mama?”
“Hasn’t she always been like that?” Wyatt whispers back.
“Now,” I continue. “Y’all are gonna march your butts outside and ride on back to the ranch. Colt and I are staying a little while longer.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Colt says, pressing his fingertips to his bloody lip.
West looks as mad as a cut snake, but he and the boys all file out one by one, and shut the door behind them.
“And leave us a damn horse!” I shout.
Colt groans from the floor and climbs to his feet. “I am not ashamed to say I am so fuckin’ hot for you right now.”
“Well good, because you’re not the only one who gets to wear the Wranglers in this relationship.”
He tucks his fingers into my blanket dress and pulls me closer. “Don’t I know it.”
“You’re not freaking out that I just ordered you to be with me?”
“Not in the slightest. There’s no one else I’d rather be ordered around by.”
“Good, because I plan on bossing you for a long time.”
Colt screws up his lips and then winces—likely from the pain.
If Colt can’t kiss me properly, I’m gonna kill West.
“Are you ruining my chance to ask you to marry me, Lemon Winchester?”
“Nope.” I shake my head and wrap my arms around his neck as he grips my ass through the scratchy wool. “I know you like to keep to tradition, but I’m just sayin’, don’t go plannin’ the rest of your life without me, Colton Hayes.”
He leans in and presses his forehead to mine. “There is no rest of my life without you, Lemonade.”
EPILOGUE
Lemon
Wyatt grins at me as I stand outside the barn, fidgeting. “What?”
“Nothin’, just … you look happy, Lemonade.”
“Well, that’s because I am. The man I’ve loved my whole life is standing on the other side of that door—he is standing on the other side of that door, right? I’m not walking into a room without a groom, am I?”
“Honey, Colton Hayes’s been waitin’ to marry you since the first day he laid eyes on you.”
“How would you know—you weren’t even alive then.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve seen it in his eyes every day since.”
I shove my bouquet at him while I fan away the tears that are threatening to ruin my makeup. “I can’t believe I’m getting married.”
Wyatt frowns. “Me either. Are you sure you don’t wanna run? We could have a horse saddled up in five minutes and be riding off to the airport with those tickets of yours to Barbados. Drink a little rum, meet some cute men?”
“No offense, Wyatt, but none of those cute men could even compare to who’s waitin’ at that altar.”
“Alright then. You ready?”
I smooth my dress and take back my bouquet. “I’ve never been more ready.”
After the first dance, Wyatt steps up to the microphone and I frown, holding my husband’s hand. “What in the world is he doin’?”
He taps the microphone and it echoes through the barn. “Howdy, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Wyatt, the youngest of the Winchester children. I happen to be the best speaker out of the bunch so, you know, I get the fun job of announcing this special moment.”
“Did you know about this?” I whisper to Colt.
“Yeah, I knew.”
“As you all know, our daddy is no longer with us. God rest his soul. But it wouldn’t be right for our little Lemonade to have to sit out a daddy/daughter dance on her wedding day.”
“Oh my God.” I cover my mouth and try to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill over my lashes. I’m gonna kill them for making me cry in front of everyone on my wedding day.
“So, if y’all wouldn’t mind clearin’ the dance floor, we Winchesters are about to get wild,” Wyatt says with a wistful grin.
“Winchester wild!” West and Wade both answer the call by hollering the way only we Winchesters know how.
I shake my head at them, and Wyatt clears his throat. “We love you, Lemonade. And I know I speak for everyone when I say we’re so happy you and Colt worked your shit out. I don’t know how much longer this town could stand to see him moping.”
Colt grins as he wraps his arms around me. “I did not mope.”
“Yes, sir, you did,” West says as he claps a hand on his new brother-in-law’s shoulder. “Mind if I dance with my little sister on her wedding day?”
“You can have a dance,” Colt says, placing my hand in my brother’s. “Just remember, I want her back as soon as this song’s done.”
West nods and takes me in his arms as the first strains of “Dance with Me” by Morgan Evans fills the barn. “You look perfect, Lemonade.”
I laugh through my tears. “I’m pretty sure we both know I’m far from perfect.”
He shakes his head. “Not to me.”
“Why are y’all determined to make me cry today?”
He chuckles as I pull him in close. “Because we figured it was the only day we could. You’d kick our ass any other time, but not while you’re all prettied up.”
“Shows what you know.” I pull away and lift my skirts. “I still wore my shit-kickin’ boots.”
“Of course you did.” He laughs and draws me closer to press a kiss to my hair, then he twirls me into Wade’s waiting arms.
“Well, howdy, sis.”
“Let me guess, this was your idea?”
“Nope. It was West’s.”
“Oh, then I’m definitely kickin’ his ass afterward.”
“As long as you’ll let me get it on tape,” Wade says. “I’m so proud of you, darlin’. And Daddy woulda given anything to be here for this.”