Dakota Love Me: Tiller Brothers Book 2

by Lee, Judith

  “There’s an ambulance already out front. You can take it and we’ll call another one for Brad. He’s breathing and is knocked out, but this time we’re going to get the victim to the hospital first.” He shook Dakota’s hand. “By the way, we got Sharon, and got your money back. She’ll be going away for a long time.”

  “Take care of her kid Roy. He let us in. He’s just a kid and needs a better parent than life gave to him.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  They had been at home in Georgia’s cabin for over two months. Dakota hadn’t seen her today. Last night she had kicked him out to stay at the main house. Today was their wedding and he couldn’t wait to make it official.

  It had been a long two months of healing. Georgia had started seeing a shrink, as she called Julie her psychologist, and she was back to being her normal self again. She smiled all the time and he caught her holding her hand to her stomach often when she didn’t know he was watching. Her smile had always done it for him. Contentment, oh yeah, he felt it. He had even gone with her for couple’s therapy. Surprisingly it had even helped him deal with the terrible grief of his father’s death which he had been hiding from everyone around him. If anyone had ever told him that he, the tough former bull-rider, would benefit from going to a shrink, he would have had to put a fist through their mouth. But Julie was really awesome and she made them both comfortable. She made them both see the different stages of grief after losing a parent. It had helped Georgia who had blamed herself for her mom’s death because she was the one who had made her go horseback riding that morning and then she had told Julie she had been in so much shock she was convinced the delay in getting help had caused her mother’s eventual death. He knew it would take time, but now that he and Georgia knew what triggered her guilt and anxieties, it had really started helping.

  Also the physical therapist had been working Dakota over and he decided that having a shoulder rehabbed was worse than being stomped on by a bull. At first he’d gone to a physical therapist in Casper by himself, but as Georgia got her strength back she started going with him. They had loved her at the clinic and it wasn’t long before they found out that she was a physical therapist and they practically offered her a job on the spot. They specialized in sport’s injuries which is what Georgia specialized in.

  Georgia was really elated about going back to work and she had even worked on him a few times. She didn’t hold back on her future husband. If anything she pushed him harder, but he always had the bring-it-on attitude with her because they were both so competitive. Oh, she still had her fears and didn’t want him to ride much until she was convinced that his concussion was completely healed. She had done a lot of research and told him that if someone had a serious concussion that if they had a recurring head injury that it could cause permanent damage.

  He humored her because of her recent scare even though he wasn’t a cautious man and not afraid to take risks, he had two mighty important reasons to listen to Georgia. Getting a new scat scan might be the only way to convince her he had gotten over the concussion, but for now he was willing to go along with her. It was part of her healing, too, he knew. He had no doubt they would both be back on horses real soon, helping Justin to run the ranch.

  Cody walked in and looked at Dakota in his black tux, cowboy hat and new boots and a white rose on his lapel. “Damn, she’s going to fuck your brains out when she sees you in that get up. Remember how she liked the picture of you at Tammy’s wedding. Damn, she didn’t even notice how good looking I looked, but today none of us have a chance. Are you ready little brother?”

  Dakota couldn’t help but smile. He was too damn happy even to give Cody hell or hit him in the shoulder. “Let’s get this done. I feel like I’ve waited forever for her to be my wife, even though it’s just been a few months.”

  “When we fall, we fall hard and fast. We Tiller men just know what we want and we go for it. Come on, we’re supposed to enter the newly remodeled barn from the side entrance and wait for Georgia to make her grand entrance. You won’t believe how many flowers Justin’s dad had brought in. He had the barn wood floors re-varnished and they are nice enough to be in anyone’s home. The new heaters he had installed have made the room nice and warm and comfortable. Cameron, Matt, and I put in all the chairs yesterday afternoon while you and your woman were having pre-marital sex,” they both laughed, “and wait ‘til you see the gazebo that Justin built where their preacher will marry you. There must be two hundred people in there waiting for this shindig to get started, so what say you brother?”

  “Let’s go. I’m so damn ready.” And he hit Cody in the arm, “That’s for the pre-marital sex statement, you asshole.”

  Standing at the front of the barn under the gazebo with Cody and his brothers standing by his side felt exactly right to him.

  The concessional started. First Jenny came in holding a beautiful red bouquet of flowers. Then Kate walked in. Dakota took a quick look at Cameron to see if he was surprised. Georgia had wanted Kate to be one of her bride’s maids because she had been there when Dakota and she had started dating. Cameron’s mouth was practically hanging open, Dakota quietly chuckled. His about-to-be wife was playing match maker. Then Tammy came in and Dakota looked at his brother. So much love flowed between them.

  Justin had brought in a band to play for the wedding and reception, and Dakota had been surprised that Jared was leading them and playing a guitar. He liked hearing the country version of Here Comes the Bride.

  His eyes quickly went back to the doors that were opened wider so he could see Justin escorting Georgia in. They moved in a slow march down the aisle toward him, but he only had eyes for Georgia. She was wearing a white, pearl encrusted beautiful wedding gown that hugged her body in all the right places, and flared out gently just below her knees. I think she had told him it reminded her of a mermaid dress or something, he couldn’t remember, or care because all he saw was her blue eyes fringed with thick brown eye lashes, and her lush red mouth she parted when she saw him. He loved this woman so much, he wanted to run down the steps and pick her up and carry her the rest of the way. He might have started forward but he felt Cody’s hand on his shoulder, and a little chuckle from behind him.

  The preacher asked when they got to the front of the room, “Who gives this bride away?”

  “Her mother and I do,” she turned and smiled at her dad. “She’s here you know, I feel her love for you. Be happy daughter, I love you.” She kissed her father and told him she felt her mother’s presence, too.

  When she turned to Dakota he took her hand. Her tiny fingers were slightly trembling and he adored her vulnerability, but he also saw the love in her gaze. It went by so quickly, he hardly remembered anything until he heard the preacher say, “You may kiss the bride.” This he had been waiting for and he took her mouth with pent up passion and love. After several minutes, Cody touched his shoulder.

  He pulled back and glared at Cody. “Kiss your own damn wife, this one is mine.” He reached down, swooped Georgia into his arms and carried her through the waiting crowd of friends and family who were congratulating them along the way. Cody and Tammy followed, Cameron took Kate’s arm and put it through his and he smiled cockily. With Matt and Jenny last. Jared had joined them and she put her arms through both their arms.

  Dakota swung around with Georgia in his arms and looked at everyone. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be back in a little while for the party, so please enjoy yourselves until we get back.” And he did the unconventional and headed toward their cabin to seal the deal. There was never any question in his mind he was never going to let her go again.

  Author’s note

  Thank you for reading about Dakota and Georgia. I hope if you enjoyed this story that you will read the story about how Cody and Tammy’s love began in Cowboy, Save Me. I took several liberties with the dates of several of the rodeo events for the sake of the plot line in my fictional story. Also the order of rodeo events, at the NFR was also randomly c
hanged so that the sequences of Dakota and Georgia spending time together worked for the story line. At the time I wrote this book there were only fifteen finalists to the NFR but this may have changed in recent years.

  About the Author

  Judith Lee

  I was born and raised in Wyoming, the daughter of rancher, although we didn’t live on the cattle ranch when I was growing up. When he retired as an engineer, he went back to run the family ranch. My cousin is a rodeo roper and I have always loved sitting right next to the bull riders at the rodeo even though I usually got mud thrown all over me.

  Although my husband is not a cowboy, he has always been my true love and soul mate. We married the day after I graduated from high school. We have five children, and eleven grandchildren, and I still feel as young and in love as the day I was married.

  My occupations have been many including an insurance agent, real estate broker, mortgage lender, farm and credit lender, Chamber of Commerce Director, a national quilting teacher and writer, and a longarm quilter. I have always been a writer, having written several dozen magazine articles, three quilting books under another name, and have appeared on three different quilting shows.

  I wrote my first book at eighteen. It was about twin cowboys and their soul mates and I may have to bring it back out, brush it off and rewrite it as it was about 600 pages long.

  Don’t forget to join me and read Cameron’s love story. Cameron Find Me coming soon..