A Cowboy's Song

by Megan Ryder

  Her hands flew to her cheeks. “Oh my God. I’m sure you’re just saying that.”

  He took her hands and drew them down, stepping close until she was forced to look up at him. “No, I’m not. You are gorgeous and sexy and sassy and wonderful. Don’t let anyone ever tell you different.”

  She blushed. “Okay, well, I’d better be getting back to the house. Tara has a million and one things for us to do tonight. Seriously, you have no idea.”

  He snorted. “I can only imagine.”

  He opened the door and watched her walk down the hallway toward the arena where Chase waited. He was in so fucking deep with her.

  So screwed.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ty stood next to Chase and West at the altar they had built, as the music swelled outside the barn slash training arena slash wedding venue. If he hadn’t helped build the damned place, he’d never believe it was a true training site for horses. The floor had been swept clean of dirt and sawdust, so the wood planking was evident, and the women had decorated the hell out of the place, making it unrecognizable from its intended purpose.

  Barrels had been used as makeshift small tables around the perimeter of the small gathering of people. Tables and chairs had been brought in for eating, and each table had been decorated with a cowboy boot and flowers, keeping with the western theme. The rafters had lights strung from them, the guys having been directed to do that the night before, and the girls had wound them down each of the poles, even though it was going to be daylight for the wedding. The light brightened up the interior and added a nice touch to the whole day. Gene had made pallet signs directing people where to go, and most of them had settled in the chairs that were set up by the pond, waiting for the ceremony to start.

  They had hired Scene of the Herd to play for the wedding, and they were playing some nice instrumentals while everyone gathered. West was standing stock-still, facing down the aisle where Tara would be walking, not fidgeting one bit. Chase was uncharacteristically solemn, maybe remembering a few months ago when he was in a similar position marrying Hailey. But instead of cracking his usual jokes, he clapped a hand on West’s shoulder and gave a firm nod.

  “You’ve got this, man. You taught us how to be stand-up men. Now this is your time to have it all.”

  West turned and gave Chase a blank look and, in that moment, Ty saw the tension that was riding his brother hard. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were fixed as if he were hanging on by a thread. Now was not the time for Chase to get all stoic and serious. Good thing Ty was prepared. He glanced around; the other two groomsmen, Gene and Cam, were a few feet away, talking quietly between themselves though that surprised Ty as Gene was notoriously close-lipped with just about everyone.

  He turned West around to face forward, away from the crowd, and handed him a flask of good old Johnny Walker. “Thought you might need a little something to help take the edge off. You’ve got this, West. She’ll be here and making sure everything goes exactly as she planned.”

  West gave a short nod then took a long swallow of the flask. Chase grabbed it, too, and took his own swallow. Ty gave him a look.

  “Hey, you were offering. Smart thinking. Of all of us, I never thought West would need it, not like me who was a complete basket case that day.” Chase cocked his head. “Wonder what you’ll be like, little brother.”

  “Leave him alone. He has enough going on,” West suddenly said, his voice hoarse, then he took another swallow from the flask.

  Ty grimaced. “I can handle it. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to find out anytime soon. Piper is headed back to Nashville after the wedding, and I’ll be taking the herd out to the summer pasture in a couple of weeks.”

  West finally focused on him fully, giving him a considering look. “You know, the hands can handle it. Tony has been doing it long enough and he is the foreman. One of us doesn’t always have to go.”

  Both Chase and Ty stared at West in mock shock, and Chase snatched the flask out of his hands and gave it a sniff. “You’re cut off, man. That’s just crazy talk. I think something has affected your brain, whether it’s love or alcohol.”

  West gave him a half-hearted shove. “No, seriously. I’ve been driving us all pretty hard, but I think that may have been wrong. Look, we all need a life outside of this place. Chase, you have the horses and Hailey now. Ty, maybe it’s your turn.” The music started to change, and the justice of the peace cleared his throat. West gave a low curse. “Look, now isn’t the time, but we need to talk about it.”

  He gave each of his brothers a quick hug. “You guys are the best brothers a guy could have. Thanks for being here for me.”

  Ty blinked rapidly, not wanting anyone to see the wetness in his eyes. He pretended not to notice Chase doing the same and instead focused on the aisle where West was staring, his gaze lasered on the end where Tara would appear momentarily.

  First, A.J. and a little girl whom Tara knew from town walked down the aisle, not quite in sync but they got there. A.J. was carrying the pillow Ty and Chase had to clean last night. The little girl, maybe four years old, was throwing rose petals on the ground haphazardly, even hitting some of the guests, but no one cared. She was too damned cute for anyone to say anything. Then the bridesmaids started down the aisle—Sierra, followed by Emma, then Piper and Ty’s brain sort of short-circuited at that moment.

  The bridesmaids all wore seafoam-green dresses that left their shoulders bare and an awful lot of Piper’s chest displayed for everyone to see. The top was all lace to the waist where it then hugged her body to the floor in a slight flare at the feet. Damn but what he wouldn’t give to know what she wore to keep that top up, and what it would take to slide it down and free her breasts. He shifted in his place, his tuxedo pants getting a bit tight when they shouldn’t be. She gave him an impish smile and winked just before taking her spot on the opposite side of the aisle.

  Finally, the song changed to John Berry’s “Your Love Amazes Me,” and Tara stood at the end of the aisle, by herself, framed by the sun behind her. She stood still for a long moment, her eyes completely focused on West, just as he was staring at her.

  Her dress was dazzling—not that Ty knew anything about dresses, but Piper had talked about it that week after their fitting. She had said it was Tara’s mother’s dress and was fancier than she had expected, and Piper hadn’t exaggerated. The dress was covered in beads and lace and was so elegant, fitting Tara perfectly. This was the image they all had had of Tara, the refined lady who didn’t belong on the ranch, who moved to San Francisco and had plans beyond Montana until life threw her curveballs. But she bounced back in true cowgirl fashion and fought her way back to where she belonged.

  Yet deep inside, there lived this lady.

  He glanced over at West, at the love that shone in his eyes, reflected in Tara’s. This was not a mismatch, as it might seem on the outside. No, this was a couple who would go the distance.

  Tara walked down the aisle, fairly glided really, until she got to the end and held out her hand. West took it, and Ty felt the wetness behind his eyes again. This time, he didn’t bother hiding it. They were his family, and he was proud of them. Damn, it was a beautiful moment.

  *

  There hadn’t been a dry eye in the house, or in the meadow in this case. Piper could have blamed allergies since they were outside for the ceremony, but she didn’t care if anyone saw her cry at the ceremony. Everyone knew girls cried at weddings. So what? They posed for pictures and had more of the pink punch that was the root of all evil, while the guys shared a silver flask. She limited her intake, noting that Ty did the same, since after the pictures was the big moment for both of them.

  The song. The first dance.

  Finally, the pictures were done and nerves had completely taken over somewhere deep inside her belly, fluttering around like wild hummingbirds going after the feeders her mee-maw used to have outside all summer.

  Ty exchanged a glance with her, and they ducked away fro
m the crowd and headed around back to get ready for their part in the announcement. Before he went over to the guitar, he pulled her to him and kissed her, keeping his hands on her shoulders, not touching the lace that circled her arms. He was acting so careful of the dress, she had to laugh.

  “I won’t break, you know.”

  “How the hell is that staying up? I mean, I don’t want it to fall and let everyone see what no one else is allowed to.” She arched her brow and he flushed. “You know what I mean.”

  “Trust me. This dress is going nowhere, even with the dancing we plan to do later. It’s called foundation garments, and they were hell to put on and even worse to take off.”

  His eyes took on a devilish glint. “I hope I get to see them later.”

  “See them? You’re going to need to pry me out of them. Bring a crowbar. Now, are you ready for this?”

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “I think so. I’m used to singing for everyone already so this should be nothing different.”

  She arched her brow. “Nothing different?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Shit, Piper. You know what I mean.”

  She took pity on him and stroked his arm. “You’re looking mighty fine in that tux. I kind of thought you guys would show up in jeans and boots.”

  “Well, you got the boots right.”

  She lifted her dress to reveal the white boots all the bridesmaids wore. “Same here. Now, let’s go blow minds!”

  She started to head inside, and he pulled her back for a quick hug. “Thanks for helping me relax before we go inside.”

  She grinned. “No problem, cowboy. It was my pleasure.”

  *

  Ty heard Grant announce the bridal party, one couple after another.

  “Now, for something special, groomsman Ty Evans and bridesmaid Piper Raines.”

  Ty helped Piper up the steps. She wasn’t kidding that the dress didn’t offer a lot of movement, and for a moment he thought he’d have to carry her and the guitar up on stage, but they made it and stood at the center, each with a microphone. He settled the strap of the guitar around his neck then cleared his throat, nerves finally settling on him.

  This was it.

  “Hello. Welcome to this special day. Most of you already know me. I’m West’s brother Ty. Chase, West, and I all came to live here a long time ago through the foster care system. Douglas took us in when we had nowhere else to go. We became a family here, first with Douglas, then each other, then with all of you here in Granite Junction. But still there was something missing. Today, West has found his missing piece, the other half to his soul. The fact that it was Douglas’s daughter, the woman who had connections to the ranch and this town, only makes it even more special.”

  He took a breath. “You see, on paper, Tara and West shouldn’t work. She’s a little bit city and he’s all country.”

  Everyone in the crowd laughed, even Tara and West, standing in the doorway, arm in arm.

  Ty smiled. “They each had plans that took them on completely different paths from each other, plans that didn’t involve love, each other, or this ranch. Well, not on Tara’s part at least. Yet, somehow, life brought them back here where they found something new, along with a new direction and life.”

  He gestured to the doorway. “So, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Weston and Tara Morgan, and invite them on the floor for their first dance.”

  They both walked in, huge grins on their faces, Tara with tears already in her eyes. They came to the center of the dance floor and stood facing each other. Ty glanced at Piper and nodded. He started strumming, and they began to sing the song they’d written from their hearts for the couple who meant so much to both of them.

  Planting new roots, watering dirt

  Growing from the places we were.

  Family photos were covered in dust

  The frames turned down until we became us.

  When the sun came up and washed me new

  I never thought it could look like you.

  But here we are standing face-to-face

  My beautiful light, I wouldn’t change a thing.

  ’Cause your kiss covers my eyes

  From the things in the world that aren’t right.

  I wanna be with you all night

  And wake up with you next to me.

  If your heart is all I hold

  I’ll be the safest place it’s ever known.

  There ain’t a word I’ll leave untold

  To tell you how much you mean to me.

  I never planned on loving someone so deeply

  But ruined plans aren’t always a bad thing.

  Photos of us are scattered around

  A brand-new home in the memories housed.

  Saddling up and settling down

  I finally see what my story’s about.

  It’s finding you and it’s finding me.

  We had a rough start, but love ain’t easy

  To figure out and it’s hard to keep.

  But, baby, loving you is my favorite thing.

  Ruined plans aren’t always a bad thing.

  The crowd was silent as the song ended. Tara and West had both frozen, staring up at Ty in shock as they realized this wasn’t a song they had ever heard before but West gently guided her into a slow dance, and they began to move as if they had always danced together, their movements perfectly choreographed and in tune with each other. When the song ended, there was silence as if the crowd was letting the words sink in, the music echoing in the room, then applause broke out.

  Grant slapped Ty on his back, breaking Ty out of his trance. Grant took the guitar, yelling in his ear, “Go see them. I’ve got this. Then we need to talk later. When the fuck did you start writing songs, man?”

  Piper hugged him, jumping in his arms, her lips meeting his in a kiss and her arms winding around his neck. “I told you they’d love it.”

  “Love it? Hell, it was amazing. Since when could you write songs? I never expected you to do that, Ty.” Tara pushed passed West and pulled him close for a bear hug, tears streaming down her face. “That was so beautiful. Thank you so much.”

  “Well fuck, man. You didn’t write one for me and Hailey,” Chase drawled good-naturedly.

  “You didn’t ask,” Ty responded with a shrug.

  Chase pulled him aside as the crowd moved off to congratulate the happy couple. “Seriously, that was awesome. I didn’t know you wrote songs. Are you ready for the firestorm?”

  Ty shrugged again. “I don’t know what you mean. I wrote one song for Tara and West. That’s it.”

  Chase shook his head. “You don’t understand. That was really great. People already expect you to sing for them. Now they’ll be asking when you’ll be writing something new. And how much did Piper help you? Is she planning on using this song for anything?”

  “She helped me a little bit with smoothing out some of the words and the chords, but no, this song is Tara and West’s, only.”

  Chase only looked doubtful. “Just be careful, okay? This could really change everything for you. It could be good, or not, depending on what you want.”

  Chase ambled off to find Hailey, leaving Ty to wonder what he could have meant. Of all three of them, Chase understood fame, having been on the bull-riding circuit for several years and experiencing how success could change a person’s experiences and interactions with people. Even now, Chase was often stopped and asked his opinion about riding the bulls, especially at a rodeo. He tended to avoid those events, but it was hard, especially now that he trained horses for the circuit.

  But Ty wasn’t going to see many changes in his life. He wrote a song for his brother and sister-in-law and sang it in front of friends. How could that complicate his life?

  Chapter Twenty

  The wedding went on all day and well into the evening, with the dancing and singing going on past the time the band was scheduled to play. But they didn’t seem to mind, continuing to play, with Ty and Piper joining in
to give them a break. Then they segued to the sound system and played recorded music as they finished up the leftovers. Finally, most had drifted off, leaving the core group clustered around a table. Ty helped Grant and the band pack up their gear, even as he dreaded the inevitable conversation that was sure to follow.

  As they were loading the amps and guitars in the back of Grant’s pickup, the idle talk turned to the song. “I didn’t know you wrote, Ty.”

  “I don’t. This was strictly a one-off, a special occasion, Grant.”

  “That was pretty special, Ty,” Jenny broke in. She tended to do most of the writing for the band and had been struggling of late coming up with new music to tempt the voracious crowds. “You know, we like when you play with us, and we don’t mind that your schedule is a bit irregular. It would really help us out if you could contribute a little more with the songwriting.”

  He didn’t blame her for the irritable tone in her voice, even as Grant glared at her and ushered her away. Ty closed the back of the truck and leaned against it, waiting for Grant. Jenny shot him a disgruntled look and got in the cab.

  Grant came around back. “I’m sorry. She’s feeling a bit stressed trying to find just the right set of songs to record and send to this manager Piper set us up with. Jenny doesn’t think anything is quite right. Not to mention we’re having trouble finding a studio to record something other than the crappy stuff we’ve already done, unless we want to go to Billings, and the earliest time for recording is later this summer. She’s been a bit blocked and not handling the pressure well.”

  Ty shrugged. “I understand, but honestly, this is my first and only song. And this was hard enough. Piper’s manager will wait, believe me. Piper will make sure of that.”

  “Yeah.” Grant looked doubtful. “We’ve just been working at this for so long, you know? We finally get this break and we’re all so frustrated. If you can think of anything, we’d really appreciate it.”

  Ty shook his hand and stepped out of the way so Grant could leave. He headed back inside where his brothers and their wives waited. Wives. Wow, seemed so weird to think about that. Both of his brothers were married now and, thank God, he loved both women completely.