“Your family’s barn. Do you rent it out?”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. “We never have, but then again, no one has ever asked.”
A slow smile moved over her face.
“I think you might know where I’m going with this?”
“Yes, I believe I do. If I remember correctly, Harley used to say her dream wedding would be in our barn.”
My chest tightened at the thought of marrying Harley there. Hell, marrying Harley anywhere made my body tremble.
I pointed to her. “Bingo. I’d love to hold our wedding there, if you and your folks agree to it.”
“Tripp, I think that is a wonderful idea. It’s large enough to hold a number of people.”
“Perfect. I haven’t officially given Harley a ring and or done the whole drop down on one knee thing yet, so maybe I can do that, as well as break the news to her we’re getting married in the barn while actually being in the barn.”
“I love that idea. I’ll give you the gate code. Give us a day’s notice to make sure the barn is cleaned up.”
Laughing, I raised my brows at her. “Lori, that barn is so damn clean you could eat off the floors.”
She chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far.” She paused for a moment. “What’s the second thing you wanted to discuss?”
“You.”
“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself.
“Yes. I think you should run for mayor.”
She scoffed. “Please, you can’t be serious, Tripp.”
“I’m dead serious. You love this town, you want the same things I want for it and you’re respected in the community. You’d be perfect.”
Lori fiddled with her hands in her lap as she let my words sink in. “I have the kids…”
“Josh would help out, I know he would. He’s a damn good father.”
Chewing on her lip, she looked down.
“Think about it, but I was sort of hoping I could pass the torch to you this afternoon at the press conference.”
Her eyes shot up to look at me. “Wow. Okay. Let me talk to Josh about it. Can I get back with you in a few hours?”
Glancing at my watch, I smiled. “If it’s a yes, just show up. If it’s a no, I totally understand.”
Lori stood and I followed her lead. She took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, well, you’ve given me a lot to think about in a short amount of time.”
I walked her out of my office to the lobby.
“As far as the other thing we discussed. Would tomorrow be too soon to head out there?” I asked.
“Nope. I’ll make sure everything is ready for you. I’ll text you the gate code.”
We shook hands. “I hope to see you later.”
The corners of her mouth rose, and I had a feeling I would for sure be seeing her this afternoon.
“Tripp, where in the world are we going?” Harley asked, her legs bouncing up and down in the passenger seat of my truck.
“You are terrible with surprises, do you know that?” I said with a chuckle.
“I can’t help it! Are we going to the land?”
“No.”
“Um, are we going to San Antonio?”
“No, why would we be going there?”
She giggled. “I don’t know. It feels like we have been driving forever!”
I had been driving around town for the last thirty minutes. Mrs. Johnson was now standing outside on her porch staring at me as I drove by. I was waiting for Sheriff Miller to show up behind me any second. The last time I drove by, I reached my hand out the window and waved to Mrs. Johnson. She held up a pie like she wanted me to stop for some.
“Are we almost there? This blindfold is making me claustrophobic.”
“How? It’s only covering your eyes.”
After one more drive around the square, I headed to Lori’s place. It was fifteen minutes outside of town.
“We’re almost there. Another ten minutes or so.”
Harley went on and on about her meeting with the architect earlier this morning. I listened as she told me how she wanted a rustic feel to the new vet’s office, but with modern technology. We had decided my office would be in a separate building, but not far from the vet clinic. Even with sound proofing, Harley thought barking dogs might be disruptive to my office. After talking to Jonathon about it, he also agreed with Harley.
I pulled up and rolled the window down and punched in the gate code.
“What’s that noise?” Harley asked when the gate started to swing open.
“Nothing,” I said, driving over the cattle guard.
“Cattle guard. We’re still in the country.”
“Harley Carbajal, stop trying to figure it out.”
“Fine! I’ll stop.”
When I finally reached the barn, I put my truck in park and turned it off. “Wait here. I’ll come around to get you.”
She nodded and folded her hands in her lap to wait.
As I walked around the front of my truck, I took in a deep breath and felt for the ring box in my jeans pocked. I’d bought this ring over ten years ago and kept it in my safe. I’d only pulled it out once the entire time—when I had gotten the letter from Harley that I never read.
I took my cowboy hat off and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to get my damn heartbeat and breathing under control.
“This is it,” I whispered, opening the truck door and reaching for the love of my life. After I helped her down, she took in a deep breath.
“Horses,” she whispered.
“Yep.”
“Are we going riding?” she asked, excitement in her voice.
“Baby, the kind of riding I want to do wouldn’t be appropriate for where we are.”
She laughed and tried to hit me, missing me by a mile.
I guided her to the barn and my knees almost buckled. Lights were strung up across the barn and a small round table sat in the middle, flanked by two hay bales.
Lori walked out from one of the rooms and gave me thumb up.
“Did you do all of this?” I mouthed to her.
She nodded and made a heart shape with her hands as her mother appeared at her side.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to them. They walked quietly past us as I led Harley farther into the barn.
Harley did a little jump as I brought her to a stop. “I hear horses.”
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yes! Take it off already!”
I removed the blindfold. She stood there with her eyes squeezed shut.
Leaning in, I placed my mouth to the side of her ear. “Open your eyes, Lee.”
I took a step back to see her reaction. It didn’t take her any time to realize where we were.
“The Durham’s barn!” she exclaimed as she spun around in a circle.
While she was taking everything in, I dropped to one knee and held the ring box out.
“Harley,” I said, trying to keep my voice strong and steady. When she turned to me, she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
“I’ve waited so long for this moment. Dreamt about it almost every night.”
Her body started to shake with sobs.
“You’ve always held my heart, since the first day I looked into your beautiful emerald eyes. You were always the one. I’m so sorry I was blind all those years, but if you’ll do me the honor, I swear to you I’ll make every single day the best day of our life.”
Harley dropped to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she nodded.
“I love you,” she choked out before throwing her body against mine. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly while she shook from crying.
“I love you too, baby. More than you’ll ever know.”
When we finally drew back, I took her left hand and kissed the back of it. “This ring has waited for ten years to be on your finger. Let’s put it on, shall we?”
My hand shook as I slid the ring on her finger. The princess cut diamond was surrounded by
ten smaller princess-shaped diamonds. The band was engraved while gold and was breathtaking.
“Tripp, this ring is stunning. I don’t…I don’t even know what to say.”
Cupping her face with my hands, I replied, “Say you’ll marry me, in this barn, with our family and friends watching.”
Her eyes widened. “In this barn?” Her tears came again, and I saw the happiness dancing in her beautiful eyes.
“Yes! Whenever you want, I’ve already talked to Lori about it.”
Harley shook her head, unable to form any words.
“Are we going too fast? Just tell me if we are.”
“No, this is all so…beautiful. Amazing. Wonderful. You’re making all of my dreams come true, Tripp, and I…I want to stand on the tallest mountain and scream how happy I am.”
I chuckled as I stood and brought her with me. I pointed to the table that had been set up. There was a chilled bottle of champagne and a fruit and cheese plate. She gazed up at the strings of lights with tears in her eyes.
“Did you do this?” Harley asked, taking a seat.
“I’d love to take credit for it, but Lori and her mom did it.”
“Oh my God, it’s just so perfect. What a thoughtful thing for them to do.”
I poured us each a glass and took a seat. “What do we toast to?” I asked with a wink.
She looked up as if in deep thought, before her eyes swung back to mine.
“Let’s toast to our future.”
“Our somewhat unplanned, go with the flow, future?”
A wide, beautiful smile appeared on her face as she lifted her glass to mine. “Yes! To that future!”
“Tonight is family dinner at my folks’ place. Should we have a date in mind when we drop the news to them?” I asked.
Harley set her glass down and popped a grape in her mouth. “Let’s see, it’s early May. Corina is due July 19. We could do it after the baby is born? But then we risk it being really hot.”
I agreed. “A wedding in July or August in a barn in Texas is going to be hot.”
We both let out a breath of air. “How fast can we throw this thing together?” I asked with a wiggle of my brows.
Harley pulled out her phone and started texting someone.
“Who are you texting?”
She looked up and winked. “Paxton. I can trust that she won’t say anything to anyone.”
After Harley typed out a long text message, we sat there and waited for her response.
Harley stood and started walking around the barn. “The way it looks right now, with the lights, it’s perfect. We only really need to add a trellis and altar and places for people to sit.”
She spun around and looked at me. “Hay bales. With blankets on them!”
I smiled. “I love that idea.”
Chewing on her lip, she started walking again. “We could set up tents outside for the reception if Lori and her folks agree to it.”
Her phone beeped with a text. When she read it, a huge grin spread across her face.
“What did she say?”
She flipped the phone for me to see it.
Paxton: May 26. Two weeks. It’s doable.
We both looked at each other.
“Two weeks.”
“What about a dress?” I asked.
Tears filled her eyes. “That’s not a problem.”
“The cake and food?”
“That’s not a problem!” Lori shouted as she rushed in. “I can take care of all of that.”
Harley and I stood there, staring at Lori.
“Sorry! I couldn’t help but overhear y’all. I was walking back to get my phone! I left it in the tack room.”
“Lori, y’all are okay with this? We’ll keep it small, family and friends only.”
“Are you kidding? Yes! My mother is going to be over the moon. Do you know how much fun she had setting this up today for y’all? She was already making plans for the wedding. I think my mother just found a new job…event planning!”
“This is it, then. We’re getting married in two weeks!” Harley exclaimed, jumping up and down along with Lori.
I leaned back against one of the stalls as I watched my future bride running around with the possible future mayor of Oak Springs. Both of them acting like two little girls blurting out ideas and squealing in delight after each one.
Best fucking day of my life.
I stood with Waylynn on one side and Paxton on the other. The three of us stared down at an old trunk my mother was trying to get unlocked.
“How old is the dress?” Waylynn asked in a whisper.
I was positive my look of horror answered her question.
“It’s going to be okay. Vintage is…in…right now,” Paxton added.
Waylynn and I turned at her. I snarled as she shrugged. “What? It is!” she softly said.
“Gosh darn it. Why won’t this thing unlock?”
“It’s a sign!” Waylynn declared as Paxton reached around and hit her.
My mother twisted and tugged on the padlock.
“Mom, honestly, I can buy a dress.”
“Nonsense!” she exclaimed, glancing at me over her shoulder. “I know the second you see your great-grandmother’s dress you’ll love it.”
“Great-grandmother?” Waylynn gasped. She pulled me and Paxton back and out of earshot of my mother.
“That means it’s going to cover you from head to toe. Like…one of those dresses that buttoned all the way up the neck, complete with a chastity belt!”
My fingers brushed over my neck as I swallowed hard.
“Look at your figure! You have boobs! Hips! Skin that looks like the sun god himself kissed you. We cannot have you in an old timey gown. It’s got to be against your Latino roots!”
Paxton nodded. “I agree, not necessarily with the whole Latino roots thing.” She shot Waylynn a weary look. “I think it’s time to tell your mom you want to buy a gown.”
I took in a shaky breath. “Crap. I guess I have to break the news to her.”
“You do!” Waylynn added.
Paxton took my hands in hers. “You can do this. Remember, it’s your wedding and you’ve waited a long time for this day.”
Chewing on my lip, I closed my eyes and dug deep down for the courage to tell my mother I wasn’t wearing Great-Grandma Rose’s wedding gown.
“I got it!” my mother exclaimed.
“We’re too late!” Waylynn whimpered, her hands running down her face as she let out a groan.
The three of us walked toward the old trunk like something evil was going to jump out at any second. My breath caught in my throat as my mom opened the trunk. We all gasped.
“What is that?” Paxton exclaimed.
“It’s beautiful,” Waylynn and I both said at once.
The light-gold lace caught my eye first. Small pearls were hand sewn into it, with a different pattern lining the sweetheart neckline and the shoulder straps.
My mother pulled the dress out, letting the champagne-colored tulle fall to the floor.
“Goodness, how long is this train?” Paxton asked, gathering the fabric up in her hands.
“Grandma Rose had exquisite taste. She had fashioned a designer in Paris make this one-of-a-kind gown. Of course, because she was ahead of her time, it was considered risqué.”
I stared at the beautiful vintage gown. “Momma, why didn’t you wear this for your wedding?”
She chuckled. “When my mother showed it to me, I fell in love with it. Tried it on, and it didn’t fit. I was heartbroken and refused to let my mother take it in somewhere and have it altered. So we tucked it back in this trunk and I’ve waited until the day you told me you were getting married to take it out.”
“Did grandmother wear this dress?” I asked, my fingers brushing the delicate lace.
“No. Grandma Rose didn’t care for my daddy and made it clear to my mother. So, being the stubborn fool she was, she refused to wear the dress. She, of course, regretted it.??
?
I looked past the dress into the trunk. “Holy shit!” I said, reaching down and pulling out the lace boots. Turning, I held them up for Waylynn and Paxton.
“I’m so wearing these,” I declared.
“Can you imagine Tripp’s face when he sees you in nothing but…” Waylynn looked at my mother. “Cover your ears, Maddi.”
Mother chuckled. “Girls, I’m not ignorant of what will happen on Harley’s wedding night. And I agree with you, Waylynn. Tripp is going to trip all over his tongue when he sees you in these boots and your wedding lingerie.”
My cheeks heated.
“I can’t believe my great-grandmother dared to wear such sexy pieces for that time period,” I gushed.
“She was a rebel, to say the least. Now, this lace lining the back will need to be removed, exposing your back. Some of the buttons feel a bit loose, so we’ll need to get those adjusted, as well. Mindy Crawford is a fine seamstress. She’ll be able to do it, and I know she will use extra care and caution.”
The gown was placed up against me by my mother as we all gazed at my reflection in the attic’s long, floor-length mirror.
“What if it doesn’t fit?” I whispered.
“It will. Your body is exactly like Rose’s. I’ll need to find her wedding picture. You are the spitting image of her, just dark hair and darker skin.”
“Really?” I asked, my eyes lifting. I remembered my great-grandmother Rose. I was seven when she passed. Closing my eyes, I pictured her, sitting in the rocking chair of our house. Even in her eighties she was beautiful. I can still picture the elegant dress and hat she wore as she took tea from my mother.
Paxton leaned in closer to me. “Let’s try it on. I’m dying to see it on you!”
When I agreed, Waylynn and Paxton nearly ripped off my clothes. My mother laughed while taking a seat in an old antique chair.
“Mom, what’s all this furniture doing up here?” I asked.
“It all belonged to Rose. When she passed, Momma stored it up here.”
I’d only been in our attic once, and that was when Tripp was trying to get a bat out. I swore I saw a women looking back at me through this mirror. I screamed, running downstairs and past my father who was walking up the attic stairs to help Tripp. That was the first and last time I set foot up here until my mother begged us to come look in this trunk. Now I was thanking the Lord above I let her talk us into it.