Page 76 of Trying Not to Need You

“Nah, I’m the lucky one,” I say, taking the strip of images she hands me.

“You ready for this?” Dad asks.

I can’t help it. I toss my head back in laughter. “I’m ready, old man,” I tell him once the laughter subsides. “No cold feet. No second-guessing. In fact, you can go out there and tell them I’m ready now, and we can get this show on the road.”

“We saw her before we came to see you,” Dad tells me.

“Asshole,” I mutter good-naturedly, and they both laugh.

“She’s glowing.”

“My wife is a stunner,” I say, nodding. I can’t wait to see her in her dress. She kept it at her place, well, her old place, because she moved in with me after my proposal at the Hideaway. She was already pretty much living there. We just made it official by cleaning out her old room. So now, everything she owns is at our place, where it belongs. More than just her clothes and her toothbrush. All of her, mixed in with all of me, and soon, our two babies will be here. Okay, not soon, but I can imagine these next few months are going to fly by.

“Well, let’s go. You don’t want to be late,” Dad teases.

I stare down at the strip of images and smile. I’ve already cut one off, and it’s in my shirt pocket. I needed them with us today as I prepare to make their momma mine in every way. Grabbing my cowboy hat off the table, I place it on my head and stand. “Let’s do this,” I say, and my parents smile. Mom wipes more tears from her eyes, gives me one last hug, and we make our way to the flower garden, where Baylor and I are getting married.

The flower garden has been transformed with even more flowers for today’s ceremony. Baylor and I decided not to have anyone stand up with us because we didn’t want to have to choose, and if we picked all of them, well, we wouldn’t have any guests.

“Welcome to the family, son. You take care of my girl,” Grandpa Dean says as he stands next to me, waiting for Baylor to come down the aisle. Baylor is thrilled that her grandfather is marrying us, just as he did with Ellison and Copeland.

“I love her, sir. I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

Of all three of them, I think to myself, but I don’t know if she’s told them yet or not.

Dean nods, and a smile breaks over his face. I whip my head around, and my breath stalls in my lungs.

There she is. My wife.

Music plays, but I can’t hear it. I can’t hear anything but the rush of blood in my ears. Baylor’s smile is wide, and when she reaches me, there are tears in her eyes. I lean in close, kissing her cheek. “You’re beautiful, wife,” I murmur.

She mouths, “Thank you,” and her grandpa Dean begins.

The ceremony is a blur. All I can see is her, and all that I hear is her “I do,” and then, I’m kissing her. I’m kissing my wife, my Baylor, the woman whom I’ve loved from afar for years but never thought I’d get the chance to love freely, openly, as my own, yet here we are.

“I love you, Mrs. McBride,” I murmur against her lips.

“I love you, Mr. McBride.” She grins, and we turn to face our friends, our family, and I pull our joined hands in the air between us. Everyone cheers, and we head back down the aisle to the tent we rented for our reception.

There are a few long tables set up with chairs and wedding decorations. We didn’t want a separate table. We wanted to sit and mingle with those we love who are sharing this day with us. We told Alice we just wanted a buffet-style lunch. Pulled pork, mac and cheese, green beans, rolls, and of course, the wedding cake that Courtlynn made for us.

Once everyone is seated, Baylor and I remain standing.

“Thank you all for being here for us today.” I glance over at Baylor. “My wife and I have some news we’d like to share with all of you.”

“We already know you knocked her up, McBride!” Courtlynn calls out, and everyone laughs.

“Yeah,” I say. “But did you know we’re having twins?” I counter, and the tent goes silent, until it’s not. Cheers, laughter, tears, hugs, handshakes, slaps on the back… it’s chaos in the best kind of way.

I try to hold on to my wife, but her sisters manage to pull her away, with baby Lainey in the middle of their smiles and happy tears.

“Congrats, my man. Welcome to the family,” Copeland says, stepping up next to me. He nods to where the four girls and Lainey are huddled together, smiling and wiping at their eyes.

“That’s a thing,” Copeland says. “They’re really close after losing their parents.”

“I know.” I nod.

“Just wait,” he tells me. “They’ll pull us in.”