The Reluctant Wrangler (15 page)

He closed the space between them. “I love you, Nikki, with all my heart. I knew I shouldn’t, and I tried not to, but every day I spent with you, I loved you a little more. I’m amazed by your kindness, the way you work with the boys and let them know how special they are to you. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Her gaze dropped. “I don’t—”

“The boys need you. Kirby needs you.” She seemed to waver, but said nothing. “And I need you.”

She looked up, her teary gaze meeting his.

He was done wasting time. “I want you to be my wife.”

“Oh, Mac, I—”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “If you’re going to say no, please think again.”

Behind him, he heard the sound of a door opening, then footsteps on the flagstone. Nikki looked up and he turned around.

Tanner walked toward them. “Don’t say no, Nikki.”

Jules followed, and they stopped next to Nikki. “And come back home with us.”

“Please,” Tanner added.

“I…” Nikki began, and then turned to look at Mac. “I’ve never even considered the possibility,” she admitted. “But I can’t deny that I love you, too, so I guess I’ll have to accept.”

Ignoring the others around them, who were laughing and cheering, he let out a yell and scooped her into her arms. “You won’t be disappointed,” he told her. “I’ll spend my life making you happy.”

“I’m already happy,” she answered, pressing her palm to his cheek as tears filled her eyes. “There’s nothing that could make me happier than to marry you.”

“Don’t be so sure of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s all Jules’s doing.”

Nikki turned to her sister-in-law. “What is it?”

“Kirby won’t be going back to his father,” Jules explained. “I also managed to get Mac temporary guardianship, until all the necessary paperwork is done. Then Kirby can be adopted. Don’t ask me how I did it,” Jules said with a wave of her hand. “I can’t tell you, but it’s done.”

“But adopted?” Nikki asked.

Mac smiled and held her closer. “By us, if that’s what you want.”

Her eyes danced with joy, and she kissed him, with
the whole family watching. “How can I ever thank you?” she whispered.

“Spending a lifetime with me,” Mac answered. “But you might ask Jules and Tanner the same.”

When she looked at Tanner, who stood with Jules and Shawn, he said, “You can come home with us. That’s all the thanks we need. We’re a family.”

“A family,” Nikki whispered. “I finally have a family.”

Nikki wove her way through the friends and neighbors who had gathered at the ranch to share in her marriage to Mac. The early-spring day had dawned clear and cool, and she hadn’t stopped smiling since it had begun.

But she didn’t get far before Hettie Lambert stopped her. After a hug, Hettie stepped back. “I just want to know where you found your beautiful wedding dress, and then I’ll leave you alone.”

Nikki’s smile widened. “Mac’s mother had it made for me in Boston,” she answered, smoothing her hand down the gleaming satin of her gown. “When she heard I wanted a traditional Cherokee wedding dress, she searched for someone who could make it.”

“The beading is exquisite, and I love Mac’s shirt.”

“It’s called a ribbon shirt,” Nikki explained. “Another Cherokee custom.”

Hettie leaned closer. “I’m so pleased to see Tanner accepting his Cherokee heritage.”

“I am, too, but don’t expect to see him wearing a headdress,” Nikki added laughing.

Hettie turned to speak to someone else, and Tanner stepped up to Nikki. “Where did Sally go?” he asked, glancing around the yard. “I saw her during the ceremony, but haven’t seen her since.”

“She and Roger left shortly after the ceremony was over,” Nikki replied, surprised that he’d recognized their mother.

“Why did she leave? I didn’t even get to say hello to her.”

Nikki could only tell him the truth. “She said this wasn’t the time for the two of you to meet, after so many years, and thought it would be better to wait until another time.”

Tanner nodded slowly, as if trying to grasp what it meant. “Maybe they can come for Shawn’s graduation in May.”

“I’m sure she’d love that,” Nikki answered, smiling.

“There you are,” a female voice rang out. Tanner moved away and Nikki turned to see Kate walking toward them, carrying one of her twin boys.

When Kate reached them, she sighed loudly. “Aunt Aggie needs you, Hettie. She’s in the house with Bridey, and they can’t seem to agree on whether gas or electric is best for cooking. I refuse to comment.”

Hettie tipped her head back and laughed softly. “And they think I can settle it? I stopped cooking years ago. But I’ll see what I can do.”

When she was gone, Nikki turned to Kate. “I’m so glad you agreed to be a part of our wedding. I know your hands are full with the twins.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world. We all wanted to be here.” She looked at the eight-month-old she held and smiled. “Didn’t we, Tyler? And Daddy has Travis, so we’re all dandy.”

Nikki looked up to see Trish and Paige walking toward them and waved. “All we need now is Jules.”

“She’s on her way,” Kate answered with a nod of her head in the other direction. “In case you wondered,
we planned to all be here together before you and Mac leave.”

“You’re all so wonderful,” Nikki said as the others joined them.

“Kate, are you crying?” Paige asked.

Kate shook her head. “I never cry.”

“Ha!” Trish said, adjusting the blanket on the baby girl in her arms. “Only when Dusty proposed, her wedding, my wedding, when I went into labor with Krista—”

“Okay, okay,” Kate admitted. “There are those moments. Like this one.”

Nikki felt tears of her own, thinking of the joy they all shared.

Paige brought her back to earth. “I’m supposed to remind you that it’s time to leave, Nikki, so we’d better wrap this up.”

Each of Nikki’s friends produced a new silver dollar, while Paige explained. “It’s a tradition in my family for the bride’s closest friends to give her a shiny new coin on her wedding day for luck.”

Nikki looked through misty eyes at the silver in her hand, and knew she was blessed.

“Time for you to be off on the adventure of your new life,” Trish said, her voice thick with emotion.

When they’d dried their tears, they joined the rest of the wedding party and guests. Nikki wiped the last of her tears with the back of her hand and smiled. This was what she had always dreamed of, being part of a big, caring family. And now she had it. All of it.

Tanner, standing beside her, pulled her into a hug. “We’re going to miss you, little sister.”

Nikki smiled and looked up at him, the threat of more tears stinging her eyes. “I’m going to miss you,
too. All of you. But we won’t be gone so long. We’ll be back before Shawn graduates.”

When Tanner released her, Mac, holding Kirby’s hand, slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I won’t have her to myself for long. She has a long list of EAP seminars to attend for accreditation. Somehow, though, we’ll squeeze in a
little
honeymooning.”

But Nikki wasn’t listening to what Mac was saying. Across the new spring green of the lawn of the Rocking O, she could see a man coming toward them. He walked with a limp and leaned on a cane, but his approach was determined.

As he drew nearer, Nikki recognized him. He’d been to the school when she was twelve, and he’d been a student there for a few weeks. He’d also visited her grandmother, but she hadn’t made a connection. Now she did.

Slipping away from Mac, she walked toward their visitor.

“Where are you going?” Mac called to her.

She didn’t answer. Mac would understand when he knew. And so would the others.

When she reached the man, he gave her a wry smile. “You grew up, Nikki,” he said.

“So did you, Tucker.”