A startled sob escapes me and I lean my head against his chest. “I would have given anything for him to be here, but this comes pretty damn close.”
“Nah, you’re just saying that so our feelings aren’t hurt.”
I shake my head. “I’m really not. You boys raised me just as much as Mama and Daddy did. Colton isn’t the only reason I’m staying at the ranch. As much as you boys drive me crazy, I can’t stay away from any of you.”
“Well, the feeling’s mutual, sis. If you hadn’t come back from New York, we were planning to come get you.”
I smile at Wade and wipe away my tears. Wyatt cuts in and twirls us around the floor. He dips me and I can’t help but laugh. “I swear to God, if you make me cry the way the others have …”
“And ruin that pretty makeup? Not on your life.”
I hold him close and sway in time to the music.
“You know, even if Daddy was here for this, I think he would have insisted that we all dance with you anyway.”
I stare up at his sea-green eyes. “You think?”
“Yeah, I do. But even though he ain’t here, he’s not the only one giving you away today. You’ll always be our Lemonade.”
“Yes I will.”
My husband steps up beside us and Wyatt squeezes me tightly before letting me go. “You’re a lucky bastard, Colt.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“I know I don’t need to tell you that if you ever hurt her—”
“You’ll castrate me, I know.”
Wyatt chuckles darkly and pats Colton’s chest. “I was gonna say I’ll hold you down while she does it.”
“Jesus.” Colt grimaces and then sweeps me into his arms. “Then I better just work every day at keeping her happy.”
“You better,” I warn.
After several more dances and not nearly enough to eat, I gather all of the women together for the bouquet toss. I stand on the dance floor and turn away from the room as I kiss the bouquet and hurl it over my shoulder. I turn around to see who the lucky woman is, and I’m met with a silent room. All eyes are on Cash, who’s staring wide-eyed and holding my flowers as if someone just threw a newborn in his lap.
“Oh, hell no,” he says, and thrusts them at the gorgeous redhead by his side.
“I think you just ensured the end of that relationship, Mrs. Hayes.” My handsome husband slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close.
“I have to disagree, Mr. Hayes. I bet Carla and Cash will be married within the year.”
Colt chuckles and then sips his whiskey. “No way.”
“Colton, what happens when you bet against me?”
He grimaces. “I lose.”
“Exactly. Cash is smitten, and those two are getting married, which makes Carla my new best friend. God knows this ranch could use some young blood.”
“I take offence to that.”
“You can take offence to whatever you like, it don’t make it any less true. Now, let’s do one last spin on the dance floor and then you can take me and the baby home to bed, cowboy.”
He narrows his eyes and stares down at me. “Baby?”
I nod. Colt shakes his head. “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?”
“Fifteen weeks along.”
A slow smile spreads across his face and he lowers his lips to my ear. “I didn’t think this day could get any better, but you’ve just made me the happiest man alive.”
I grin up at my husband and wonder how I got so lucky. I let him go once, I left them all—the love of my life, my family, this ranch searching for something I would never find any place else but these 300,000 acres. Ranching is in my blood, raising cattle is in my DNA, and I can’t believe I ever dared to call any place but in Colt’s arms home.