Forever After All by Kaylee Ryan

Chapter 23

Rip

Today my little sister marries the love of her life, and I’m a grumpy bastard. Why, you ask? My best friend gets to walk down the aisle with my girl while I’m walking with his girlfriend. As maid of honor and best man, that’s the order of things, but I don’t have to like it. It’s not just me. I’m not the only one. Corbin is a little grouchy himself.

“What’s up with the two of you?” Colby asks.

“Nothing,” Corbin and I mumble at the same time.

“Fuck that. This is my wedding day. You know how long I’ve waited to marry Lara. You two surly bastards aren’t going to ruin in. Start talking.”

I look at Corbin and shrug. “Fine, I’m irritated I don’t get to walk in with Sara.”

Colby rolls his eyes. “And you?” he asks me.

“What he said, with Kenna,” I confess.

“Seriously? Are the two of you so pussy-whipped that you’re whining that you can’t walk in with your girlfriends at my wedding?”

Corbin and I share another look. “Yes,” we say at the same time.

Colby surprises me when he throws his head back in laughter. Reaching into the pocket of his blue jeans, he pulls out his cell and dials. The phone rings out in the room, letting us know he has it on speaker.

“Hey, handsome, you ready for this?” Laramie asks him.

“I’ve been ready. However, our brothers are not feeling the same way.”

“What?” Laramie asks with panic in her voice.

“Yeah, they’re both sulking because they can’t walk in with their girlfriends.”

“Colby!” Lara scolds him. “You gave me a heart attack. Is that all? They’re sulking?”

“Pretty much,” he says smugly, knowing damn well Lara is going to put us in our place.

“Whatever, I don’t care about the order. They can just take their right places when they reach the archway that Corbin, Colby, and their father built for today. All I care about is that everyone who is important to me is there to watch us get married. The rest is just details.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?” I ask, loud enough that she can hear.

Laramie laughs “I’m getting married today, big brother. It’s going to take a whole hell of a lot more than you and my brother-in-law bitching about not walking down the aisle with your women. Besides, I’m sure the four of you aren’t far behind us.”

“Right.” Corbin laughs. “How long did the two of you date before taking the plunge?” he asks.

“That’s us. We started out young. The two of you aren’t getting any younger.” She sniggers.

“Bye, sis. Love you,” I call out.

“Bye, sis. Love you,” Corbin mimics me.

“You two got lucky,” Colby says. “Love you, baby. I’ll see you soon.”

“You’re damn right, you will. Love you too,” Laramie says, ending their call.

“That is not how I expected that call to go,” I admit, running my hands through my hair.

“I was ready to have my ass handed to me,” Corbin admits.

“Yeah, well, my wife is a badass like that.” Colby flashes us a cheesy grin. “Looks like the lineup is changed. Just take your correct places at the altar. Now can the two of you stop sulking?”

“Sorry, man.” I feel a little bad, but not enough to go back to the original plan.

There’s a knock on the door, and Colby and Corbin’s dad, Sam, walks in. “You ready for this?” he asks Colby.

“I’ve been ready.”

“That you have. We’re ready for all of you. Colby, head on down to the archway, and these two will be right behind you with the ladies, and then Laramie and Roger will follow.”

“Let’s do this,” Colby says, pulling his dad into a tight hug. Corbin and I take our turns as well before the four of us head out of my old bedroom and downstairs.

The wedding is being held in the backyard of my parents’ farmhouse. Colby made an arch and covered it with wildflowers, which is where they will stand to say their vows. Laramie wanted a simple country wedding, and she’s pulled it off. Colby heads outside while Corbin and I gather in the kitchen, waiting for the women to join us.

“You two clean up nice.”

A smile instantly graces my face. I turn to see McKenna. She’s wearing a purple sundress and brown cowboy boots. Her hair is in a braid and hanging over one shoulder. She takes my breath away.

“Thank you,” I say, my eyes only for her.

“Hey, none of that,” Sara scolds when I lean in for a kiss. “We don’t want to ruin our makeup.”

That’s when I look over at Sara. She’s wearing the same dress as McKenna and similar boots, and her long blonde hair is styled the same as McKenna’s as well.

“Babe, come on.” Corbin leans in and kisses the corner of her mouth as she swats him away.

“If he gets a kiss, so do I,” I say, kissing the corner of Kenna’s mouth.

“You two are on a roll today.” McKenna laughs.

Instead of commenting, because she’s right, I pull her into a hug. “You look beautiful,” I whisper, just for her.

“And you’re handsome,” she tells me, glancing over her shoulder at me.

“All right, are we ready?” Dad asks, joining us. Laramie has her arm through his, and I’m man enough to admit I get a little choked up seeing my baby sister ready to get married to her best friend.

“Lara.” Releasing McKenna, I go to my sister and place a kiss on her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Her smile is blinding. “You in a better mood?”

“I am. Thank you.”

She shrugs. “You love her. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I glance back at McKenna, who is talking to Sara, and thankfully didn’t hear her. “I do,” I say when I turn back to face my sister and my dad.

“Son, you plan on doing something about that?” he asks me.

“I don’t want to scare her off.”

“She loves you too,” Laramie announces.

“Yeah, I think she does.” I swallow the emotions rising in my throat. I don’t know if it’s that my little sister is getting married or the fact that I just told my family, well, other than Mom, that I’m in love with McKenna. Not that I needed to tell them; it sounds like they already know. “Let’s do this, little sis.” I give her hand that’s not gripping Dad’s arm a soft squeeze and go back to McKenna.

“So, how are we doing this?” Sara asks.

“McKenna and Corbin were supposed to be first.”

“Since Colby is already down there, how about you and Corbin go first?” McKenna suggests. “He’s been standing out there all by himself while we’ve all had each other. He might need his best man, his brother.”

“Done.” Corbin offers Sara his arm, and they wait for their cue to begin their walk down the aisle.

I stand with McKenna, her arm linked with mine, my hand resting on her arm. I can’t seem to stop touching her, no matter where we are. “You ever think about your wedding day?”

“I have.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Are you going to tell me about it?”

“That’s a conversation I should have with my future husband.”

“So tell me.”

She stiffens, then turns to look at me. “Rip?”

“When I think about my wedding day, it’s you walking toward me.”

“You’re up,” Dad says, tapping me on the shoulder.

I wink at a speechless McKenna as we begin our trek down the makeshift aisle. I know that I’ve come on strong, and I know I told myself I wasn’t going to push for more from her, but damn, the emotions of the day got to me.

I want Laramie to be right. I want us to be next. I’m more than ready to start my life with her. I know I need to slow down, but I’m ready for our forever.

* * *

“Can the wedding party please make their way to the dance floor?” the deejay announces.

“Finally,” I say, pushing back from the table and walking to the center of the barn, or in this case, the dance floor for the night. I’ve been sitting at the opposite end of the table as McKenna all night. I get it. That’s how my sister wanted it. Her girls on her side, his guys on his, but I’ve been itching to get my hands on my girl.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say your sister is trying to torture us,” Corbin comments.

“Hey, cowboy.” I hear from beside me.

McKenna.

I pull her into my arms and twirl us around. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

“A time or two.”

“Well, it deserves to be said again. And again, and again,” I say, kissing the tip of her nose.

“Everyone is watching.”

“I don’t care who’s watching, Kenna. If I want to kiss my girlfriend, I’m going to kiss you. If they don’t like it, they can look away.”

“I guess it’s still hard for me to get used to this. Being together in front of our families.”

“You better get used to it. I’m not holding back. Like right now, I want to kiss you.”

“Do you now?” she asks, looking up at me.

I don’t answer her. Instead, I press my lips to hers. It’s just a quick kiss, but it’s more than that in meaning. She’s right, all eyes are on us, as the only three couples on the dance floor, and I don’t want to leave any room for questions. My actions are telling the entire room all that they need to know. McKenna and I are together, and nothing is coming between us. Well, maybe not that last part, but they’ll learn quickly enough. McKenna is my number one.

Over the next few hours, we tear up the dance floor. McKenna dances with my dad, her gramps, and I think every other man in attendance at the wedding. I hate it and love it at the same time. We’re all glad to have her home, but I want her all to myself. That’s fine. She’s already agreed to come home with me. So, while she’s dancing with them, I’m the one she’s sleeping next to. It’s not until after Colby slips my sister's garter off her that I’m able to get her back on the dance floor.

“We need all the single ladies,” the deejay announces when I just finally got my arms back around my girl.

She tries to pull away from me. “Where are you going? You’re not single,” I remind her.

She throws her head back and laughs. “Rip, by single, he means those who aren’t married.”

“Fine, is the minister still here?” I ask, making her laugh harder. She thinks I’m kidding, but I’d marry her this minute without a second thought.

“Mac!” Laramie calls out for her. “Get out there.”

“I’m trying,” she calls back, still laughing.

“She’s not single!” I yell out for my sister, and everyone in the room erupts with laughter.

“Let her go, brother,” Laramie tells me.

“Fine,” I grumble, fighting a grin. “Come back to me,” I say, kissing McKenna quickly.

“Always,” she assures me.

I watch as McKenna, Sara, and about a half dozen other single ladies, correction, unmarried women, gather in the center of the floor.

“Ready, ladies?” Laramie asks. She turns her back to them and counts to three. On three, she tosses her bouquet in the air.

I watch McKenna as she moves to the back of the pack. It doesn’t matter, though. My sister tosses the bouquet with all of her might, and it lands right in my girl’s hands. Everyone crowds around her, laughing and smiling while I stand here thinking about dropping to one knee right here and now and asking her to marry me.

“All right, fellas, your turn,” the deejay announces.

I head straight for McKenna and intercept her as she’s walking off the floor. “So, you caught the bouquet.”

She holds it up. “Looks like it.”

“Does that mean if I catch the garter, we’re destined to be together?”

“It means that you catch the garter.” She stands on her toes and presses a kiss to my lips. “Good luck, cowboy.”

“Wait.” I reach out for her arms, stopping her from walking away. “If I catch it, what do I get?”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

She smiles. “I’m already yours, Rip Callahan.”

I nod. That’s not what I meant, but it will do for now. Making my way out to the floor, I follow McKenna’s lead and situate myself in the back of the pack.

“Ready or not, here it comes,” Colby says, tossing the garter into the air.

All I have to do is raise my hand over my head, and it falls into my palm. I couldn’t have coordinated it better if I tried. Twirling the garter around my finger, I ignore the fact that it was just on my sister’s thigh and that Colby stuck his head under her dress and removed it with his teeth. Instead, I make a motion for McKenna to come my way. Bouquet in hand, she comes to me, wearing a shy smile.

“Look what I found,” I say, nodding toward the garter.

“Lucky you.”

“Lucky me,” I say, pulling her into my arms. I don’t let her go the rest of the night. I keep my arms around her, and I must give off the “she’s mine don’t touch” vibe because no one else asks her to dance.

When the crowd finally dies down and the newlyweds disappear, I lead my girl to my house and spend the rest of the night making love to her, all while thinking about what it’s going to be like when she’s walking toward me in a white dress.