by Rhea Regale
Snow covered the sloping meadows that stretched far beyond the warm glow of the ranch’s dining hall. The wedding ceremony was a small, warm, and cozy ordeal with close family and friends. The ranch staff had decorated the rustic dining hall in a wintry wonderland. Bare branches beaded with fake ice glittered among the dozens and dozens of candles. Live branches of spruce lent a piney scent to the air and a dash of color to the floral spreads. Bouquets of red-and-white roses filled vases on the tables.
Everything was beautiful, perfect, and breathtaking.
Especially the two men standing at the head of the room, waiting for her to join them.
Brent played Travis’s best man. Lexi’s sister, Rose, came from Colorado to be her matron of honor. The evening couldn’t be any more perfect as she walked down the aisle in a daze, her gaze shifting between the two men who held her heart. They stole her breath, so handsome in their tuxes. The love that glowed in their eyes left her stomach a whirling ball of butterflies.
The priest went through the vows. Lexi could barely restrain the tears as she faced her future with Travis and Brent. Every dream she ever had stood in front of her in the form of two strong, powerful men, brimming with love, life, and vitality. She had so much to offer them, so much to give them, and, in return, they offered her their world.
At last, the priest pronounced Travis and Lexi man and wife. Travis brushed his fingers over her cheek, his grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. His dark eyes glowed with contentment and joy, a thin sheen of moisture adding another stroke of brightness.
Lexi reached up and covered his hand with hers.
“We will love you forever, Alexis,” he murmured, leaning toward her. She closed her eyes. Her body weakened as he slipped his arm around her waist, tugged her close, and sealed their marriage with a kiss that had the crowd hollering and applauding, and Lexi melting in his embrace.
The reception that followed was filled with dancing, food, and congratulations. Travis and Brent remained by her side the entire night.
As the evening drew to a close, a handsome man in his midthirties came over to them.
“Aw shit!” Travis gaped. A smile instantly lit his face. The man returned the expression, startling green eyes casting her an admiring glance. She couldn’t help but notice the tweak of sadness that wove through his gaze as he looked at her.
“I see you’ve finally grown up, cuz,” the man said, taking Travis in a strong hug. He greeted Brent with the same masculine hug then shook his head. “Hell, I never thought you’d be tied down before Rylan or Brody, or any of the Casanova cousins, for that matter.”
“Would’ve lost that bet, Colt,” Travis said. He draped an arm around Lexi’s shoulders. “I’d like you to personally meet Alexis Coller. Lexi, this is Colton Ryder, the famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask—rodeo star and owner of Ryder Ranch.”
Yes, she recalled Travis filling her and Brent in on the dark stigma that had settled around the champion rodeo star after the suspicious death of another competitor.
“Yeah, yeah,” Colt said, his lips tugging into a deeper smile but never touching his eyes. He held out his hand, and Lexi accepted the shake. “Pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on breaking this wild mustang in. I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with my cousin.”
“Nothing shy of it,” Lexi agreed.
Brent glanced around the thinning crowd. “No date?”
Colt shrugged a shoulder. “Flew in for the wedding. Gotta leave first thing in the morning.” He leaned in and surprised Lexi with a kiss on the cheek. “My best wishes to you, Alexis.”
The night progressed. The rest of the guests filtered out of the hall until Lexi was alone, at last, with Brent and Travis. They stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out into the December night. Snow continued to fall over Ryder, the soft white flakes settling down in beds of white.
“This night isn’t quite over, doll,” Brent said, taking her left hand in his and spreading her fingers. He slipped her engagement ring and wedding band from her finger. She looked up at Travis, who watched with a satisfied grin, teasing those handsome dimples in his cheeks. Cool metal slid around her finger again. Brent had added a matching diamond wedding band to encase the engagement ring. “To complete our bond.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckle behind the symbols of their shared love. “I love you, Alexis.”
“We love you,” Travis said.
“And I love you two,” Lexi said through the thick lump in her throat.
For the first time this evening, tears squeezed past her eyelids as she rested her head against Brent’s shoulder, one arm tucked around him, one around Travis. Standing here, in the arms of the two men she loved, she knew she had finally found the place she belonged, the men she belonged to, and the person she was meant to be:
Alexis Coller-Standon, newest resident of Ryder, Kansas.
THE END
WWW.RHEAREGALE.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Growing up, I was always the quiet girl who knew everyone but never quite fit in. I kept busy with dance, cheerleading, and numerous other activities. I was an overachiever, a hard worker, and very dedicated to anything I pursued. When I decided that I loved writing enough to follow along the writer’s career path, nothing deterred me from reaching my goals. I didn’t go to college straight out of high school, but rather focused all my free time and energy into my stories. Negativity could not steer me off the path of my dreams. It only made me more determined to succeed as a writer. Now, with a loving husband and a son who is sweetly proud of his mommy, I continue to do what I love most: Write from my heart and share my stories with the world.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
About the Author