Learnin' The Ropes

by Shanna Hatfield

  The touch of his lips to her hand sent a delicious shiver coursing through her. Nothing in the world, not even half a million dollars and a restored muscle car, mattered to her as much as the man sitting beside her. “I know he didn’t do half the work. He can barely figure out how to use a wrench, let alone anything else mechanical,” she said as they neared the ranch yard. The hands ran out to admire the car and for the next several moments, Lexi let them all take turns sitting in it and commenting on the car. Swede finally herded them all back toward the bunkhouse with a wink Ty’s direction.

  Lexi drove the car into the garage while Ty closed the door then helped put the cover back over the mustang.

  As they sauntered out the side door, Lexi looped her arm through Ty’s and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You’re amazing, you know that?” she said as they strolled through the yard and up the porch steps.

  “Nope.” Ty held open the back door for her.

  “I don’t know anyone else who could have done what you did to dad’s car. It would have cost me a fortune to have someone restore it.” Lexi walked into the kitchen and poured them both glasses of iced tea.

  “It was a labor of love.”

  The smile on his inviting lips nearly made Lexi drop her tea. Swiftly taking a better grip on the cold glass, she held it to her throat, hoping to cool off a bit. Her insides felt like they were on a slow simmer, getting hotter and more molten by the minute.

  “Want some dessert?” Ty asked, washing his hands at the sink and then sliding a foil-covered pan across the counter to her.

  “Sure.” She reached for the pan. “What did you make?”

  “Brownies. Special brownies.” He removed a plate from the cupboard and set it down by the baking pan.

  “What’s so special about them?” she asked. Before Ty could respond, she took off the foil and set it aside, picking up a knife. With it poised over the pan of brownies, she slowly set it down on the counter and looked from the pan to Ty and back again.

  “Do you mean it, Ty?” She couldn’t believe what she saw. In the chocolate frosting covering the brownies, Ty had spelled out “marry me” with M&Ms.

  “Absolutely.” He pulled his hand from his pocket and dropped to one knee. Gently taking her left hand in his, he slid a ring on her finger that fit perfectly. “Lexi Jo Ryan, I love you more than anything in this world. I can’t live without you and I don’t even want to try. Will you please marry me? I don’t have a thing to offer you except my love. I hope you’ll accept it for the rest of my lifetime.”

  Lexi couldn’t speak, could barely think. She yanked on Ty’s hand, and he stood, gazing at her expectantly. Instead of answering him, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, laughing and crying against him before covering his face in kisses.

  “Does that mean yes?” Ty asked with a deep chuckle that made Lexi’s knees wobble.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, forever yes. But on one condition.”

  “What’s that?” He pushed her back far enough he could look in her eyes.

  “Soon,” Lexi said with an impish grin. “I don’t want a long engagement. The sooner I belong to you, the happier I’ll be.”

  Ty gaped at her in surprise then pulled her flush against him, sealing the deal with a kiss that left them both breathless.

  “I’d be happy to oblige, ma’am,” Ty said, in his best imitation of a drawl. “Ya’ll just tell me when and where to show up.”

  “You can count on it, buckaroo.”

  Lesson Twenty

  Happily Ever After Isn’t Just for Fairytales

  “Woohee, pard! Ya been worse than a love-sick pup

  since ya set eyes on thet sweet lil’ gal.”

  The last Saturday in July, a day according to Swede that was hot enough to make a cactus sweat, was a perfect day in Ty’s opinion.

  At eleven that morning, Lexi would march down the aisle set up in the yard at the ranch house and vow to love him until death do they part.

  At a quarter past ten, Ty paced back and forth in the bunkhouse. Jan insisted he remain there so he wouldn’t accidentally catch a glimpse of Lexi before the ceremony.

  He didn’t bother to tell the woman that he’d talked to his bride-to-be five times already that morning and she’d sent him three text messages.

  Finally sitting down with a glass of sweet tea and a cookie, Ty mused over how much his life had changed in a few short months. He’d gone from being homeless, desperate and without a plan for his future to working at a job he enjoyed in a place that he never wanted to leave with a woman who whispered to his soul.

  A firm slap to his shoulder jerked him from his thoughts and almost made him choke on the cookie.

  “You ready for this?” Nate asked as he took a cookie off the platter on the table and helped himself to a glass of tea.

  “Absolutely,” Ty said with a grin. He was so glad Nate, Beth and baby Jax were able to attend the wedding. Nate would serve as his best man while Beth stood up with Lexi. The ceremony was going to be small and intimate with a larger gathering of neighbors and friends for the reception that would immediately follow.

  Large tents were set up around the ranch yard with plenty of room for everyone. The reception was to begin at noon, giving the bridal party time for photos to be taken before all the guests arrived.

  There would be a catered barbecue meal and a dance floor had been set up, even if Ty couldn’t imagine anyone would be foolish enough to dance in the sweltering heat. Although large fans blew air inside the tents, Ty figured they’d better have plenty of beverages and ice on hand because people were going to get overheated.

  When he proposed to Lexi a month ago, he wasn’t sure what she meant by wanting to get married soon. He had no idea he would be anxiously await the moment he said ,“I do” just four weeks later.

  She tackled the wedding with the same organized, get-it-done attitude she brought to everything. Of course, she included him in the plans, but he didn’t care what she wanted to do as long as the end result was them being married.

  Keeping his hands off his very tempting fiancée had been an excruciating challenge, but he made it.

  No matter who was there or what was going on, they were leaving for a four-day honeymoon in Sisters, Oregon at three that afternoon. He’d reserved a romantic cabin right on the edge of the Deschutes National Forest. While wildlife lingered just steps away from the patio door, the property where they would stay offered a resort complete with a spa, movie theater, and restaurant. Should they feel the need to leave their room, they wouldn’t suffer from a lack of things to do.

  Thoughts of the honeymoon must have made him flush, because Nate grinned at him and slapped his back again.

  “I see you’re concentrating on all the really important details of today,” Nate said with a teasing grin. “You sure you’re grown up enough to be a fit husband?”

  Ty glared at his brother-in-law and friend.

  Nate laughed and helped himself to another cookie. “You know I’m kidding. Your sister is about to bust her buttons. She is so proud of you and excited for you. We both are.”

  “Thanks, man.” Ty leaned back in his chair. “Of all the places I thought I’d end up, I never imagined it would be here.”

  “Who could have predicted you’d be a homeless man living in your pickup, move to the middle of nowhere, fall in love with a beautiful cowgirl, and somehow talk her into marrying you?”

  “Why does it sound bizarre instead of fantastic when you put it like that?” Ty chuckled. “Lexi likes to make it sound like a fairytale. You know, happily ever after and all that.”

  “I know,” Nate said. “Of all the people who deserve to be happy, Ty, you are at the top of the list.”

  “Don’t go getting all mushy on me like the girls,” Ty said, imagining the female emotions on the rampage up at the ranch house.

  Not only was Beth there with baby Jax, but also all of Lexi’s female cousins, aunts and grandmother Sunny.
<
br />   Sunny flew to Redmond three days ago. Lexi and Ty picked her up at the airport. Ty wasn’t sure what to expect, but he would have known the older woman even if she and Lexi hadn’t been waving to each other, laughing and crying. They looked exactly alike. With a smile, he realized his soon-to-be-wife would be a very lovely woman in her old age, Ty waited for Sunny to finish hugging and kissing Lexi before she turned her attention to him.

  “Well, good gracious, girlie, you certainly picked a looker, didn’t you?” Sunny studied him for a moment. “Give your new grandma a hug, sweet thing.”

  Gently, Ty hugged the vivacious woman, inhaling the soft scent of roses and absorbing her welcoming warmth. Before he could let her go she pulled his head down and whispered in his ear. “You’re going to take good care of this girl of mine, aren’t you, Tyler?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I plan to cherish her every day for the rest of our lives,” he whispered.

  “Good boy.” Sunny kissed his cheek and looped her arm around his. Squeezing his bicep, she glanced up at him with a saucy grin Ty had seen on Lexi’s face. “Nice guns.”

  “Grandma!” Lexi exclaimed, shaking her head at her grandmother.

  “Oh, hush, girlie,” Sunny said stepping away from Ty. She walked in a circle around him, surveying him like she would a prized bull. Dressed in Wranglers, a snap-front shirt, polished boots and his Stetson, Ty looked like he belonged on a ranch. Anyone unaware of his background would never know he wasn’t an authentic born-to-ride cowboy.

  Approvingly, Sunny nodded her head. “I do believe, Tyler Lewis, that you will more than do, especially with a tushie like that.”

  “Grandma!” Lexi’s face flamed bright red as she grabbed her grandmother’s arm and dragged her out to Ty’s pickup. Ty picked up Sunny’s luggage, hiding his embarrassment, although he was pleased that he had passed the older woman’s inspection.

  In the few days she’d been at the ranch, Ty had felt a connection to Sunny. Maybe it was because he missed having a grandmother or because they shared the same sense of humor. It could have been because she and Lexi were so much alike. Whatever it was, they hit it off and had spent many hours laughing and joking, much to Lexi’s enjoyment and dismay when the teasing turned to her.

  Now, as he and Nate waited for the signal it was time to assemble in the yard, Ty couldn’t help but wonder what Sunny was saying to Lexi.

  “Aren’t you nervous, girlie?” Sunny asked as she helped Lexi settle the veil on her head. Standing before the full-length cheval mirror in the master bedroom, Lexi sighed with contentment as her grandmother leaned over her shoulder and peered in the mirror.

  For Lexi, it was like looking into her future. For Sunny, it was a chance to see into her past. Warmed by the moment, they both smiled.

  “Why would I be nervous?” Lexi adjusted the veil so it rested more firmly on her head. Her grandmother had chased everyone else out of the room so they could have a moment together. Lexi appreciated the quiet after having her aunts and cousins flitting around her all morning.

  Sunny fussed with her skirt then stood back and surveyed the picture Lexi made in her white taffeta mermaid-style gown. With cap sleeves and a simple bodice, the skirt was made of crisp individually sewn pieces of taffeta in a layered pattern that hugged her trim figure before belling out at mid-thigh. Lexi’s luxurious raven hair was piled high on her head in a profusion of curls with tendrils escaping down her back. A diamond necklace that belonged to her mother encircled her neck. It had been the gift her dad gave her mom on their wedding day. Her bouquet was a simple bunch of coral roses.

  “I’d be nervous if I had a man as fine as that Tyler Lewis waiting downstairs to wed me,” Sunny said, fanning her face with a lace handkerchief. “My stars, but he is a handsome thing. And such a big man, to boot. Now your grandpa, he was quite a catch in his day, too. I was more wound up than a prize heifer in the bull pen the day we got married. I suppose you already know what you need to know about the honeymoon. If not, I’ll give you some pointers.”

  “Grandma!” Lexi tried to hide her smile. If she’d said that word in that admonishing tone once in the last few days, she’d said it a hundred times. Her grandmother had a habit of saying the most shocking things, or at least they were supposed to be shocking. Secretly, Lexi was amused much more than she should have been. Especially by the way her grandmother and Ty got along so well. That pleased her more than anything.

  “Honestly, honey, are you scared or nervous?” Sunny took Lexi by the shoulders and stared at her.

  “No, Grandma,” Lexi said. Dreamily smiling, her thoughts shifted to her groom. “I can’t wait to marry him. We’re going to be wonderfully happy together.”

  “I quite think you will be, sugar. You couldn’t have found a better man to marry.”

  Emotions Lexi had tamped down threatened to spill over. “Thanks, Grandma. That means a lot to me.”

  “Before we make a mess of our makeup, let’s just cut this off right now,” Sunny said with a choppy laugh. “I’ll go find your aunts and see if they are ready to get this show on the road. It’s time.”

  Lexi gave her grandmother another hug as Beth knocked on the door and entered, carrying Jax.

  “Oh, give that precious boy to me,” Sunny said, sweeping him up on her way out the door. “I could just eat you up, little man.”

  Beth handed over the baby and smiled at Sunny’s back as she hurried out the door.

  “Your grandmother seems to have decided Jax is part of her brood as well,” Beth said, observing Lexi. She’d never seen a more beautiful bride. Ty would hyperventilate when he saw Lexi. Just thinking of his reaction made Beth smile widely.

  “Grandma thinks you all are special,” Lexi said, smiling at Beth and stretching out a hand toward her. “Thank you for standing up with me. I feel like we’ve already become good friends and I’m excited to finally have a sister.”

  “Me, too.” With care, Beth hugged Lexi, concerned she might crush or wrinkle her dress. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Absolutely.” Lexi cast one last glance in the mirror, hoping Ty liked her dress and the way she looked.

  “Swede has been pacing a groove in the floor waiting for you to come down,” Beth said, helping Lexi adjust her gown as she strode out of the bedroom. “I think it is so sweet you asked him to walk you down the aisle.”

  “I couldn’t very well ask one uncle and not all of them,” Lexi whispered as they walked down the stairs. “Besides, he’s been like a second father to me since I was born.”

  As they reached the bottom step, Swede turned to her with a look of fatherly pride on his weathered face.

  “Woohee! If ya don’t look like somethin’ out of a magazine, I don’t know who does,” Swede said as his eyes filled with moisture. “Yer daddy would be so proud, boss. Ya done good in yer choosing.”

  “Thank you, Swede,” Lexi said, kissing his cheek. “And thank you for everything, including walking me down the aisle.”

  “I’m right honored ya asked.” Swede straightened his jacket as he held out his arm.

  “That tux looks really nice,” Lexi said. Originally, the old cowboy had balked at the idea of wearing a “monkey suit,” as he called it. Eventually, he came around to the idea of donning it for a few hours.

  “It does, don’t it,” Swede commented as he led her toward the front door.

  Lexi’s Aunt Bertie began the processional music. Beth went ahead of the twosome, smiling as she walked down the steps and across the yard on a white gossamer runner with a sweet little girl who belonged to one of Lexi’s cousins. The miniature princess followed Beth, throwing rose petals out of a white wicker basket.

  Not to be left out of the fun, Baby carried the rings, tied to a satin pillow, down the aisle. She stopped beside Nate and wagged her enormous tail then licked the coral bow tied around her neck. When he took the pillow from her, Baby flopped down to watch the proceedings with a goofy grin on her doggy face.

  Ty smiled at Beth as
she walked toward him, Nate and the pastor. Her heart was in her eyes as she shared in this day of love and celebration. If their mom could have been there, she would have loved Lexi.

  The flower girl took her place beside Beth then all eyes turned to the porch as Swede and Lexi maneuvered down the steps.

  Waves of emotion rolled over Ty with such force, he thought for a moment he might be ill. Nate put a steady hand on his shoulder and squeezed, understanding all too well what Ty experienced.

  With the sun picking rich highlights of midnight blue out of her raven curls, Lexi had never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment. The dress fit her to perfection, showing off her womanly curves, while a veil hid her face from him. He could imagine the tears glistening in her big green eyes, the edges of her tempting lips curling up in a smile, and her cheeks glowing pink.

  Suddenly, the crowd disappeared and Ty focused solely on Lexi. On her soft floral scent teasing him, her warmth reaching out to him, her love enveloping him.

  When Swede stopped and placed Lexi’s hand on Ty’s, it was all he could do not to shout, “She’s mine, she’s mine!”

  Instead, he brought his thoughts back into line and smiled down at her with all the love overflowing from his heart.

  Lexi glanced at Ty and lost herself in his bright blue gaze the minute they turned down the aisle and she could clearly see him. Ty and a tuxedo was a lethal combination to her system, but she had no idea exactly how potent it would be.

  Dressed in a black tuxedo with a vest and silk tie, Ty looked like he could have come from some celebrity party with his rich hair carefully combed into place, his new black boots polished to a high shine, and the coral rose boutonniere bringing a pop of color to his ensemble. His tan skin accented the blue of his eyes and the white of his teeth.

  When her eyes connected with his through the veil, heat radiated between them with a force that threatened to make her already weak knees lose the ability to function at all.