Luke and Gage had turned the easy chairs to face each other and had been playing checkers on the table where she and Raven—Aaron—had set their beer bottles. No fire in the fireplace.

  At three in the afternoon, sunlight poured through the windows. The room wasn’t the same at all, yet the lingering scent of wood smoke and those two comfy chairs brought it all back—the muted lighting, the dancing, the kissing…

  Focus, Caitlin. “The gray pants look sharp. Like the shirts, too.” They’d all buttoned their shirts, but only Ryker had bothered to tuck his in.

  “Luke and I did good with these outfits.” Badger came toward her. “You’re lookin’ prettier than a speckled pup.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”

  “He does,” Luke said. “He needs a new charming Southern compliment because that one’s growing moss.”

  “I can change it up.” He cleared his throat. “Darlin’, you’re more beautiful than a pecan pie coolin’ on a farmhouse windowsill.”

  “Thank you, Badger. You’re more impressive than a Hasselblad.”

  He blinked. “Now there’s a compliment to treasure.”

  Ryker looked over at him and grinned. “You have no idea what that is.”

  “I’m not sayin’ yet. Waitin’ to see if you know.”

  “I don’t.” Wes grabbed his phone and tapped on the screen. “It’s a camera. Very expensive one.”

  “I knew that.” Badger smoothed the front of his pleated shirt. “Is this the right look for my close-up? Or are we supposed to be pulled together and spit-shined for this photo shoot?”

  “Virginia was vague about what kind of images she’s after, so we’ll have to wing it.”

  “I’m exceptional at wingin’ it.” He swept an arm around the room. “Here’s your settin’, Caitlin. Think it’ll work?”

  Nicely played, Badger. She took her time surveying the familiar room. “It’s a good space, casual. And homey. How about this setup—all you guys at the table, hanging out, petting Delilah, playing poker and drinking…whatever it is you’re drinking?”

  “Water.” Ryker spoke the word as a command, which it probably had been. “Once the clothes came out of the garment bags, the Bloody Mary jugs went back to Gage’s truck.”

  “Water.” She chuckled. “I guess it doesn’t matter what’s in those cups. They look like they should have booze in them. They fit the mood I’m going for—six manly guys playing a little poker, sipping adult beverages and savoring the calm before the storm.”

  Luke nodded. “I like it. I think Mom would, too.”

  “Badger?”

  He nodded. “Excellent idea.”

  “After that I can film everybody getting ready for the big moment, when it’s time to tuck in the shirts, put on the vests and grab the coats.”

  “The beginnin’ of the adventure.” Badger looked over at Luke. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me, either.”

  “I want to get you two saying that on the video. Okay, everybody. Gather around the poker table.”

  “Luke and me got bumped out, though,” Gage said. ‘It’s just the other four guys. That’s why we were over there playing checkers.”

  “Nobody has to know that, either. For now, we’ll create the illusion that you’re all in the game, having a rousing good time.”

  “In other words, we’re setting the scene.” Aaron exchanged a glance with Badger.

  He nodded. “Understood.”

  She just bet they understood. Those co-conspirators knew exactly how illusions worked. “Luke and Gage need to have poker chips at their places, though.”

  “Used nearly all of them,” Aaron said.

  “Could you redistribute what’s on the table?”

  Ryker frowned. “Redistribute the chips?”

  He looked so pained that she swallowed a bubble of laughter. Quite likely the ginormous stack belonged to him. “I’m not a poker player, so maybe that’s a bad idea, especially if there’s money involved.”

  “There isn’t,” Ryker said. “This was a last- minute idea.” He pulled out his phone and took a picture of the table. “Okay, redistribute.” He grinned and held up his phone. “I have my evidence.”

  Badger clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations on abandonin’ the field for the good of the order, Cowboy. April would be proud.”

  “Alrighty, gentlemen,” Aaron sat down and flexed his fingers. “Help yourselves to Cowboy’s stash and ante in.” Picking up the deck, he began shuffling. “Five-card stud, jokers wild.” He flipped cards off the top of the stack with practiced ease, a riverboat gambler, complete with tight-fitting vest.

  She wouldn’t have thought she’d be attracted to that image at all, let alone wildly attracted. Wrong-o. Aaron taking command of the poker table was sexy as hell.

  He picked up his cards and glanced at her. “Are you going to shoot video of this or stills?”

  “Vid—” She paused to clear the hoarseness from her throat. “Video first.”

  “Need some water?”

  “Good idea.”

  “There’s a pitcher in the fridge.”

  “I know.”

  His eyes widened.

  Whoops. “I mean, I assumed you had one. Everybody does, right?” She hurried into the kitchen and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe nobody would notice that little slip.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After Caitlin left, Aaron waited for Cowboy to take him aside. The guy already had his suspicions. Then again, maybe nobody had noticed her rapt attention while he’d dealt the first hand. She’d looked at him like he was her favorite piece of candy in the box.

  He’d wanted to shout for joy. Clearly she was into him, which meant this could turn out to be the best damned day of his life. But he hadn’t wanted anybody else, least of all Cowboy, to start speculating. Time for damage control.

  Except that startling her and offering a glass of water had made things worse. Nobody commented on Caitlin’s flustered behavior, though, not during the final preparations at the house or the brief time the guys waited in a back room of the venue for their cue.

  On the other hand, Cowboy had more important things to worry about than Aaron’s love life. The double wedding ceremony had thrown him into military command mode, but he wasn’t in total charge of the mission—a double whammy for a born leader.

  He’d lost the battle of the rings. Despite his protests, Delilah would soon be in control of a small fortune in wedding jewelry. He’d talked Luke out of attaching the rings to her collar until they were inside the building, but she would still carry them down the aisle.

  Cowboy was also tasked with getting Badger’s valuable bagpipes to the chapel and stashing them somewhere up front in readiness for the promised concert. He’d transferred them from Badger’s truck to the ranch van, and from the van to the chapel. Leaving them on the floor up near the altar hadn’t worked for him, so he’d commandeered a metal folding chair to set them on.

  Virginia had objected to his practical but inelegant solution. He’d negotiated a compromise by locating a drapery in a back room to throw over the metal chair. Yeah, Cowboy might not have the bandwidth to question Aaron’s relationship with Caitlin. Just as well.

  Luke attached the rings to Delilah’s jeweled collar. In the chapel, Bryce and Nicole launched their playlist of gentle yet upbeat country love songs to welcome the guests.

  On Cowboy’s signal, Badger led their group of three to the right side of the altar and Luke led Wes and Gage to the left side. Each of them carried a white Stetson tucked in the crook of his arm the way men in vintage photos held their bowlers.

  No minister stood at the altar ready to perform the double ceremony. Warren would end up there eventually, after he’d walked Hayley and Abigail, one on each arm, down the aisle. Abigail would be part of a loving family again after losing her folks several years ago.

  Aaron scanned the crowd for a glimpse of Caitlin. He looked past her twice before focusing more closely on a woman with lustrous curls and a gauzy, form-fitting dress in shades of green and blue.

  The woman turned, aimed a camera in his direction briefly, and hurried to the other side of the room in a graceful blur of color. Caitlin.

  “See someone special, Raven?” Cowboy’s voice was soft but distinct.

  Aaron continued to face forward and his lips barely moved. “What makes you think that?”

  “You sucked in a breath. I know that sound. Usually means a guy’s just been blindsided by a pretty woman.”

  He remained silent. He’d neither confirm nor deny.

  “Caitlin told me there was no way you two would connect. Seems you’ve managed to find one.”

  “Jury’s still out.” His twenty-four-hour reprieve would be over soon and he’d get the verdict. Judging from the way she’d looked at him today, he had a fighting chance.

  “I wish you luck, buddy.”

  “Thanks.” He regretted leaving Cowboy out of the loop. Even if Badger had been right and their Air Force buddy would have disapproved, it didn’t sit right that he’d been kept in the dark. But what was done was done. Now was not the time to correct the situation.

  The remaining three McGavin brothers, their two cousins from Scotland and Michael Murphy kept busy ushering guests to their seats as the hour drew near. The renovated barn was spacious, yet it was packed, both with Eagles Nesters and folks from out of town.

  Aaron located Caitlin again, this time crouched near the far wall, switching lenses. When she stood up and turned in his direction, her skirt swirled around her, shimmering in the lights. A dress made for dancing.

  He hadn’t asked if she was planning to take pictures all evening. Her promise to give him an answer sometime tonight had implied they’d have time to talk, maybe even share a dance.

  The venue had two reception areas, one indoors and one open-air with heaters spaced among the tables for cool nights like this one. Both couples had voted for the outdoor facility with its canopy of twinkling white lights. He couldn’t ask for a more romantic setting.

  Bryce and Nicole finished their number and paused. The soft murmurs from the guests ceased. Caitlin slipped behind Gage, Wes and Luke to position herself where the minister would eventually stand. The opening chords of Shania Twain’s From This Moment On filled the chapel as Delilah appeared at the far end of the aisle.

  Everyone turned to look, snap pictures and smile. During the rehearsal, she’d come straight down the aisle. But that was yesterday. The pews had been mostly empty.

  Delilah calmly surveyed the situation before setting out with a clear plan to take advantage of the vast potential for strokes and ear scratches. She stopped at each row, moving from side to side so she wouldn’t miss a single opportunity to be petted, photographed and cooed over.

  “Knew it,” Cowboy muttered. “Knew she’d be a pain. This could take—” He paused as the dog’s behavior changed.

  Delilah’s head came up and she faced the front of the chapel. Then she trotted briskly forward, tail wagging.

  “She’s comin’ to me,” Badger murmured.

  “Or Luke,” Cowboy said.

  She ignored both men and headed for the position Warren would eventually occupy, the spot Caitlin had temporarily appropriated. The music nearly obscured the sounds of Caitlin quietly praising the dog and a cookie crunching.

  “Remind me to thank her,” Cowboy murmured.

  “I will.”

  As Nicole and Bryce continued to sing From This Moment On, April in vibrant yellow and Roxanne in fuchsia appeared at the far end of the aisle, each carrying a colorful bouquet. Walking side-by-side with measured steps in time to the music, they approached the altar and the men standing there.

  Cowboy’s sharp intake of breath made Aaron smile. The imposing soldier had been bushwhacked by April in a flowing gown with flowers in her hair. She took her place next to Aaron.

  Next came Sheila in turquoise and Ingrid in deep green. Ingrid focused her gaze and her happy smile on Wes. Sheila’s glance held his and she gave him a friendly wink before taking her place next to Ryker.

  Nicole and Bryce brought the Shania Twain song to a close and let silence reign for a few seconds, allowing the suspense to build. The number Abigail and Hayley had chosen for their entrance with Warren was a closely guarded secret.

  When Nicole and Bryce dove into the happy beat of Taylor Swift’s Love Story, the guests stood and turned. Anticipation was thick in the air. Abigail, Hayley and Warren didn’t disappoint. They came out dancing.

  Not just a little step here and there, either. When they opened with a complicated line dance, Aaron figured they’d spent hours choreographing and practicing this sucker. With fake bouquets, too, because both women included their bridal bouquets as part of the routine. He glanced back at Caitlin, who’d positioned herself perfectly to video the action. No doubt she’d been in on this.

  The guests greeted the line dance with laughter and applause. As everyone clapped in rhythm with the song, a grinning Badger donned his white hat so he could clap along with everyone else. All the guys followed his lead.

  Warren segued into a three-way maneuver, expertly twirling each bride in turn. Hayley and Abigail partnering for a quick two-step and Warren demonstrated some hilarious hip-hop skills that brought whistles of admiration. All three shimmied the last few feet before throwing up their hands and giving each other high fives.

  The guests roared their approval. Aaron cheered until his throat was sore. Tradition went out the window as Badger swept Hayley up and whirled her around while Luke busted some moves with Abigail. Mopping his brow with a handkerchief and polishing his glasses, Warren smiled at Virginia, who applauded wildly from the front row. She gave him two thumbs up and blew him several kisses.

  Amidst the commotion, Aaron caught movement in his peripheral vision. Caitlin was taking advantage of the hubbub to unobtrusively change her vantage point. She hurried down the side aisle and around the back of the last pew to stop partway up the middle aisle and crouch there, camera at the ready.

  As everyone settled into their seats, Warren stepped forward. “Dear friends, we’re gathered here to unite not one, but two couples in matrimony. Because I’m not qualified to choose who shall be married first, we’ll let God decide. I’ll flip a coin.”

  He got a laugh for that.

  “Heads it’ll be Hayley and Badger, tails, Abigail and Luke.” Pulling a quarter out of his pocket, he flipped it in the air and leaned down to peer at the coin on the floor. “Tails! Abigail and Luke, come on down.”

  Aaron chuckled. “I love this guy.”

  “Me, too,” April said. “He’s being funny now, but he gets solemn when he starts the actual ceremony.”

  Ryker nodded. “He helped us write our own vows.”

  “Didn’t know that.” Aaron edged a little closer so he wouldn’t miss parts of it like he had with Ryker’s. The setting in a meadow with twittering birds and everyone on horseback had made hearing difficult.

  This ceremony certainly meant a lot to Luke and Abigail. Their words to each other were tender and they choked up a little as they said them. Warren did, too. A few people in the audience sniffled. Virginia watched with tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Aaron’s chest grew tight with longing. A vague restlessness he’d dealt with for years was transforming into something approaching a goal. The vision wasn’t clear yet, but he had a hunch it had quite a bit to do with Caitlin.

  Luke called Delilah over and she came and stood quietly like a good pup. Abigail slipped a ring on Luke’s finger and he slipped one on hers. The ceremony ended with their gentle kiss and a standing ovation from the guests. Badger gave his hat to Ryker before taking Hayley’s hand and striding over to hug Luke and Abigail. Then he drew Warren aside for a quiet word.

  Warren nodded and faced the guests. “Before Hayley and Badger exchange their vows, Badger has something he’s composed for Hayley.”

  Composed? He’d learned how to play the bagpipes in a short time and created a tune from scratch? Aaron had always admired the guy’s creativity, but this was beyond amazing. His IQ must be through the roof.

  Badger fetched the bagpipes from the chair where Ryker had left them. He snapped off a salute to Alec, who sat with his sweetheart Tansy and the rest of the large McGavin clan. Alec grinned and gave him a short, approving nod.

  Then Badger turned to Hayley. “There are words to this song, darlin’, but I can’t play and sing at the same time.” He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “You’ll have to imagine how they go with the music.”

  She took the paper, her expression stunned. “Badger, I had no idea you wrote a—”

  He smiled. “That’s the secret for creatin’ a great surprise. Here goes.” And he began to play. Quietly.

  Or at least not as loud as Aaron was used to. He’d heard Alec perform and it wasn’t like this. Alec played war pipes that were best listened to outdoors. Badger was making love, not war.

  Aaron shifted his position so he could watch Hayley’s reaction. She listened with the paper held tight against her heart and her hand pressed to her mouth. Tears glistened in her eyes.

  The song ended slowly, with the haunting sound of the pipes fading to a whisper. Badger lowered the instrument and held Hayley’s gaze. “I love you.”

  She tried to speak and failed. Closing the distance between them, she rose on tiptoe and placed a soft kiss on his mouth.

  Badger’s voice was gruff. “Let’s get married, darlin’.”

  She nodded.

  Ryker stepped up, took the pipes and returned them to the chair.

  Warren gave his daughter a few moments to compose herself. When he began the ceremony, his voice wasn’t completely steady either.

  As they faced each other, Badger took his bride’s hands in his. Aaron couldn’t see Badger’s face, but he had a great view of Hayley’s. It glowed with a love so deep his chest tightened.

  She took a breath. “Dearest Badger, I love you as a partner, a friend, a lover, and, most of all, a playmate.” She squeezed his hands and her eyes gleamed.