“Shay?” he asked.

  The counter in front of her didn’t hold any food, unless a giant cake counted as food. Travis supposed it did, but not the kind he’d expected.

  He got his feet to move, and as he got closer, he saw the pinks, blues, yellows, and greens in the frosting. All pastels. All soft and fluffy and very much like something Shay would serve at a…baby shower.

  “Surprise,” she said, her voice somewhat rusty in her throat. It seemed to scratch, and Travis’s eyes read the same word on the cake before he looked up at his wife.

  “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispered, and that simple sentence blew up Travis’s whole world.

  Joy streamed through him in a way he’d never experienced before, and he reacted to it by laughing and darting around the island to get to his wife.

  “Are you serious?”

  “There are balloons, a cake, and a banner,” Shay said, her eyes filled with tears and her smile stuck to her face. “What do you think?”

  Travis whooped and lifted her off her feet as he hugged her. She giggled too, clutching his shoulders as he spun her around.

  He set her down and gazed into her eyes. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” Shay tipped up to kiss him, and Travis could carry that on for a while.

  But Rissa said, “Ohhh, I probably shouldn’t be here.”

  He’d forgotten about her completely, and he pulled away and looked at his sister. He wouldn’t let go of Shay, and he grinned at Rissa. “All right, Clarissa,” he said. “You get to show us how amazing of a secret-keeper you are.”

  Shock covered her face, and she held up both hands. “I’m leaving,” she said. “I saw nothing.” With that, she turned and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind her decisively.

  Travis chuckled and looked back at his wife. Then he kissed her again, because she’d made all of his dreams come true, and he loved her with his entire body, mind, and soul.

  23

  William Cooper opened his front door, expecting to find Travis or Lee standing there. He got both of his brothers, each of them holding something Will would wear in just a few minutes. “Morning,” he said, suddenly overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the two men in front of him. The three of them had been through so much in their lives, and while Will got the angriest with them the easiest, he also loved them deeply. He turned away and cleared his throat before he could start weeping.

  He'd been so emotional this week, and he knew why. Everything he’d waited for and wanted for so long was happening. Today.

  In two hours, he’d be married, and in four, he and Gretchen would be on their way to Galveston. He’d planned a couple of days there on the beach, and then he and Gretchen would set sail on a ten-night cruise that would take them down to South America and back.

  Will absolutely could not wait. He loved his farm life, and Gretchen swore up one side of their conversations and down the other that she couldn’t wait to live in this cabin, on this land, with him. He’d told her countless times that he’d move in with her after they got married, because she had a cute little house with all those wreaths for the front door.

  They’d also talked about moving to Short Tail, where her father lived. Reggie, her dad, had been alone for a few years now, and he had a big, beautiful piece of land that Will could help him care for. In all honesty, Will believed he and Gretchen would end up there eventually. Probably sooner rather than later, as Reggie’s health wasn’t great, and he and Gretchen spent two or three evenings with her dad already.

  “You ready?” Lee asked.

  “Yes,” Will said without elaboration.

  “Gretchen’s at the farmhouse,” Travis said, closing the door behind him. “Shay’s there with her and Mama. Her dad’s currently being educated on all the finer points of running a dairy farm by Daddy.”

  Will turned and looked at Travis, sure he was joking. He grinned like the Cheshire Cat, which meant he wasn’t.

  “Daddy,” Will said, shaking his head.

  Lee smiled too. “They’re fine,’ he said. “Reggie likes Daddy.”

  “The aisle is set,” Travis added, draping the garment bag he carried over the back of Will’s couch. “Reggie said he was going to practice before the wedding.”

  “It’s smooth?” Will asked. He’d been out to the new barn that morning too, and the flooring hadn’t been done yet. What had been done certainly wasn’t level or without things that could trip up the older gentleman, and he’d left it with his trust that the ceremonial suppliers knew what they were doing.

  “Not a single seam,” Lee said. “It’s going to be amazing.” He gave Will an encouraging smile, his happiness beaming from him in a way Will hadn’t seen before. Rosalie Reynolds had such a big part to play in Lee’s transformation, and Will’s heart expanded once again, this time to make room for her because of her influence on his older brother.

  “You’ve got to relax,” Travis said, his smile slipping. “Why is it that Lee and I are happier than you are?”

  “I’m happy,” Will said, switching his gaze from Lee to Travis. “Just worried.”

  “About what?” Travis asked, moving into the kitchen. “The truffles are done. Your bride is here. Her dad is going to be able to walk her down the aisle, which is beautiful and utterly smooth. You don’t have to work for the next eleven days.” He opened the fridge and took out the milk Will had there. He uncapped it and met Will’s eyes. “Seriously, Will, cheer up.”

  “I’m happy,” Will said again, this time the words almost a growl, especially when Travis tipped the glass bottle back and drank right from it.

  “Will.” Lee approached and put both hands on his shoulders. “There is nothing for you to worry about today. Nothing.”

  Will looked into his brother’s eyes, feeling his own courage and faith strengthen. Lee had always been able to reassure Will, and since he’d been so busy on the farm, with Gretchen, or with his parents or her dad, Will had grown a bit distant these past few months.

  He nodded now and said, “Okay.” He drew in a breath, and finally, the anticipation and excitement he’d felt previously about this wedding—his wedding—could flow through him.

  He smiled, and Lee’s mouth curved up too. “There you are. I see you now, brother.”

  Lee had always been able to see him, and Will drew him into a hug. “Thank you, Lee.”

  “Hey, I want in on this,” Travis said, spreading his arms around both Lee and Will. The three of them laughed, with Travis always the loudest of them.

  “All right,” Lee said as the huddle broke up. “Let’s get you dressed and over to the barn. You don’t want to be late to your own wedding.”

  Gretchen Bellows reached up to re-secure her veil in her hair. She hardly felt like herself amidst all the fabric currently wrapped around her body and flowing in stiff waves that looked like silky layers. She felt exotic and beautiful—and ready.

  Shayla Cooper had been nothing but helpful today, providing the sister Gretchen had never had. Her brother’s wife, Missy, had been in town for two days, and she’d been an absolute Godsend to Gretchen. She’d brought Daddy to the Coopers, and she’d gone back to Sweet Water Taffy to get the truffles after that.

  Then, she’d helped Chrissy come into the brides’ room so she could participate in helping Gretchen get dressed and ready to marry her son. Gretchen loved Will’s mother with the same fierceness with which she’d loved her own mother. They were so much alike, at least in Gretchen’s mind, and there was nothing she liked more than hugging Chrissy.

  Well, maybe hugging Will. Her heart beat out a nervous rhythm as the door behind her got opened. She turned that way and accepted the bouquet Missy gave her. The flowers would make a gorgeous wreath for her and Will’s front door, and Gretchen couldn’t wait to make it.

  The brides’ room started to empty, and Gretchen felt like Cinderella heading to the ball up at the castle. Her castle came in the shape of a big, red barn, and she didn’t want anything else.

  Will said he’d be dressed in a midnight black tuxedo, and she couldn’t wait to meet her dark, grumpy cowboy at the altar and become his wife. He’d changed a lot in the past several months, and even if he didn’t show everyone his softer side, he always gave his best to her, and Gretchen loved him for that. She loved him for his good heart, and his hardworking spirit. She loved him for his devotion to his family and his farm, and she loved him for his ability to look at her and anticipate what she needed, and then do his best to give it to her.

  She exited the room before Clarissa, who gave her a glowing grin, followed and closed the door behind her. Gretchen loaded up in her carriage—a luxury pick-up truck that had vinyl lettering on the side that said “Just Married.” Not yet, but Will and Gretchen would drive this new truck to Galveston in just a few hours.

  The drive from the farmhouse to the new barn Will had overseen the construction of in the past few months took only a few minutes, and Gretchen let all the women crowd around her to hide her from any cowboy eyes who might be trying to get a peek of her before the wedding.

  They bustled her into a room on the north end of the barn. She’d walk through the barn to the doors on the other end, where Daddy would be waiting for her.

  Will should be standing at the altar outside, another hundred feet beyond the south doors of the barn. There should be matching lilies and roses on that side of the barn, as well as down the aisle, which he’d had custom-constructed so her dad could walk her toward her groom.

  Her back-up plan had included Max, her other brother, walking her down the aisle, but she hadn’t had to call on that yet. Daddy had been at the farmhouse until ten minutes before Gretchen had left, and he claimed to be ready.

  “Let’s go,” Shay said, leading the way down the center aisle of the barn. No animals lived here, as this barn was only for hay storage. Gretchen loved the smell of it, as it often accompanied Will home in his clothes and hair. He did some administration work in the morning with their milk deliveries, and in meetings with Lee and their daddy. Then he spent most of his time managing the cowboys who worked the agricultural side of the farm, and he worked right alongside them out in the fields, barns, and stables.

  He'd been her biggest champion the past few months as she got her candy shop open and running again. He’d taken her father to several appointments when she had things come up that prevented her from being there. Tears sprang to her eyes that such a good man wanted her, but she sniffed and pulled them back. She wouldn’t cry today, not even happy tears. She’d already let her sadness that her mother couldn’t see her get married move through her. Daddy was here. Cory and Max. Their families, and her whole new family in the Coopers. She had all of her employees and plenty of customers from around town who’d come to celebrate with her. They hadn’t come for the truffles; they’d come because they loved her or they loved Will.

  It was such a blessing to be surrounded by people who loved her, and Gretchen would not cry that only one person wasn’t there. Or that she had so many people who’d made space inside their lives for her or Will.

  Her eyes found her father, and they burned once again. “Daddy,” she breathed, her feet moving faster. He wore such an elegant suit, and he’d taken out his oxygen tube. She didn’t mind it or the tank at all, but she wasn’t surprised.

  He smiled at her, and she hugged him with every ounce of strength she possessed. “My, you are wonderful,” he whispered.

  “Thank you,” she whispered back, hoping he knew it meant for everything, not just this. “All right,” Aunt Patty said. “Missy, get her train right. Shay, can you fix her veil? It looks a bit crooked. Then we’ll go take our seats, and when you’re ready, I’ll signal to have the doors open.”

  Gretchen did what her aunt said, because Aunt Patty had been an excellent wedding planner today. She sounded bossy, but kind, and everyone had responded to her requests that afternoon.

  With her train and veil fixed, and all of the ladies who’d helped her gone, Gretchen linked her arm through her father’s and faced the closed barn doors. They opened outward, and her feet fidgeted for that to happen quickly.

  Another minute passed, and Daddy asked, “Do you think they don’t know we’re ready?”

  “Aunt Patty is slow,” Gretchen reminded him. “It’s almost time.”

  Only a few more seconds passed before the doors opened and a trumpeted fanfare filled the air. The scene opened up before Gretchen’s eyes, and it was like walking into the most beautiful country wedding in the world.

  The aisle lay before them, a deep golden wood that didn’t hold a single thing for Daddy to trip over. Posts sat every three rows, wrapped in fresh flowers, the stems interwoven with hay, signaling the union of Will—a farmer—and Gretchen, the softer side of the pair.

  The posts held up a glorious white tent that blocked the evening sunshine, and Will waited down at the end of it, the light coming in from behind him, making him a sexy silhouette.

  Somehow, she could still see his smile, and hers popped onto her face as she and her father took the first step out of the barn and onto the aisle. Fresh, green hay bales sat at the end of every aisle, and the sides of the tent were open to the farm beyond.

  Beautiful music played—not the wedding anthem, as Gretchen disliked that song—and she smiled at their guests with every slow, delicate step she took. She felt more like she was walking Daddy down the aisle than the other way around, especially with the strong grip he maintained on her arm.

  She didn’t mind at all, because she’d dreamed of this day all her life. The closer she got to Will, the bigger her heart grew. The wider her smile stretched. The more she couldn’t look at anyone but him.

  The last few steps narrowed the world to only William Cooper, and she had to force herself to lean over and press her lips to her daddy’s cheek. She whispered that she loved him, and then he passed her to Will.

  He kissed her cheek too, and Gretchen pressed into his touch unable to straighten her lips as they faced the pastor together.

  Their relationship had been full of learning, passion, and fire—literal fire—but Gretchen had zero reservations about marrying him. So when it was her turn to say, “I do,” she did in a loud, clear voice.

  He repeated the same words at the right time, and the pastor pronounced them husband and wife.

  Will turned toward her at the same time she faced him. He wore joy on his face, his smile the biggest she’d ever seen. “I love you,” he said, and he gave her no time to repeat the sentiment before he dipped her and kissed her with all the passion with which he always had.

  She giggled against his mouth, and he raised her back up a moment later, also laughing.

  They faced the crowd and lifted their joined hands into the air, which only increased the volume of the applause and whistles in the crowd.

  She suddenly wanted to run away to the Just Married truck with only her new husband, and she was so glad she and Will had forgone a big dinner. They’d opted for a heavy appetizer and candy bar, and it was only slated to last for ninety minutes.

  Then they could slip away amidst more cheering and clapping, and finally, Gretchen would have her cowboy in shining armor all to herself.

  24

  Lee spun in the rolling chair and opened one of the filing drawers behind the big desk in the office where he ran all the dairy operations. He put the newly signed contract for one of their decade-old customers in the right file and turned back to the desk. He didn’t love the indoor work that Cooper & Co required, but Daddy had systems in place, and Lee hadn’t messed with them.

  If it wasn’t broken, Lee didn’t have time to fix it. Today alone, he’d already worked in the office to get the day’s orders printed on time. Clarissa usually did her orders by the week, but she’d been slowing down more and more lately. Lee had taken over the prepping of the paperwork for the day, and he did it the morning of the delivery.

  Then Will and Rissa showed up, and together, the three of them pulled the product for all those coming to pick up their deliveries. On Wednesdays, Lee had to oversee the loading of a huge commercial shipment that went to six grocery stores from here to Arkansas, and that took a couple of hours.

  He usually then ran over to the farmhouse to start something for dinner if he was using the slow cooker, and no one wanted the oven on in the thick of the summer months. School was about to start in another week, and Lee already mourned the loss of having Ford with him full-time.

  Rose, Rissa, Gretchen, and Shay had put together an amazing birthday party for Ford that had dang near brought Lee to tears. Seeing how many people loved his son brought a dose of gratitude to Lee’s heart every time he thought about it. Seeing Rose interact with Ford was a special kind of magic, and while Martha was obviously very active and present in Ford’s life, Lee knew it would make a difference to have a mother and a father in the home full-time.

  Martha hadn’t remarried yet, and Lee just wanted what was best for his son. He co-parented really well with her, and that hadn’t changed since introducing Rose into their lives. He’d always tried to be supportive of Martha’s dating adventures too, and he was glad they currently existed on a two-way street.

  “Dad,” Ford said, a hint of frustration in his voice.

  Lee looked up from the ledger on the desk. “Hey, son.”

  He held up his hand, and Lee caught sight of a pick. “You missed our lesson.”

  Panic pounded through his veins. His shoulders slumped. “Shoot, I’m sorry, bud. I just got going on some paperwork here.” He didn’t see a guitar. “Did you bring your instrument?”

  “No.” Ford walked further into the office and slouched onto the couch. “I rode my bike over.”