Ryan swung his leg over the saddle and reached down for Sienna’s arm. She placed her foot in the stirrup, and with his help was quickly seated on his thighs. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and took hold of the reins. Using his knees to apply pressure to Keeper’s sides, the horse responded and took off at a canter across the field.
Ryan felt Sienna lean back against him, and he had never felt such contentment, such happiness, and such excitement for the future. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear as they headed for her parents’ house.
Sienna tilted her head back and smiled at him. Her eyes, the color of the grass in the pastures, shone with love. “I love you, too.”
They rode, holding tightly onto each other, as they shared their love in whispered words.
“Oh no,” Ryan groaned.
“Oh no? I’m sorry, I thought it was a good thing we love each other.” Sienna smirked.
“Not that. That’s wonderful, and I’ll never get tired of hearing you say those words. It’s that.” Ryan nodded his chin forward.
“Oh no.” Sienna cursed as they crested a small hill and came into view of her parents’ house. Or what she could see of the house through the dozens of parked cars in front of it.
“Looks like we’ll have to wait to celebrate privately again,” Ryan whispered near her ear, placing a kiss on her neck. Shivers ran through her body in anticipation. But knowing they had the rest of their lives together stopped her from turning Keeper in the opposite direction.
“I can’t wait. But first, wave at our parents,” Sienna whispered back and wiggled her bottom just to hear him groan. She had a little payback to dish out for running away from his feelings for so long.
“I can’t believe it!” her mother called out as she and Paige clung together with smiles across their faces.
“Finally.” Sienna could have sworn she heard her mother then whisper to Paige, whose grin only grew larger in response.
“Let me help the old married woman down,” Sienna heard from the other side of Keeper. She turned her head and squealed.
“Carter! What are you doing here?” Her brother held up his hands and grabbed her around the waist. In a quick move, he had her on the ground and was smiling down at her.
At twenty-six, Carter was so much like their father with a sprinkle of their mother thrown in. Sienna was the complete opposite of that. Carter was just a half-inch shorter than Ryan, with dark brown hair that showed auburn highlights if the sun hit it right. And his strong square jaw and dimples had a bevy of girls swarming him throughout high school and college where he played wide receiver. But underneath the muscles and dimpled smile was the kindest man she knew. And she didn't think that just because he was her brother. He was quiet, observant, and sweet. Someday he would make an excellent husband and father.
“Mom called and told me what was happening. I didn’t want to be the only person not here. Congratulations. I know it took you two a while to come together. It's just like wine. Drink it too soon and it’s sour. Give it time and it’s perfection. And you two are perfection.” Carter bent over and placed a kiss on her cheek, then he was pushed aside and enveloped in hugs from her mom and Paige.
“Oh, look at the ring on her finger.” Paige sniffed as she held Sienna’s hand in hers and smiled. “A perfect fit.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Parker. This is your ring; you should be wearing it,” Sienna said a little worriedly, but her future mother-in-law just laughed.
“Honey, it’s also tradition when you give the ring to your son that your husband gets you a new one. A much bigger one for putting up with them for so long.” Paige flashed her finger and now it was time for Sienna and her mom to drool over the large emerald-cut diamond now gracing Paige’s finger.
“And for heaven’s sake, you’re a grown woman and about to be my daughter. I think you can call me Paige at the very least.”
“And you can finally be an official part of my family!” Sydney squealed as she ran over to Sienna and wrapped her in a hug.
Ryan thumped his father’s back and hugged him. Will was still looking questionable about this arrangement, though. When his father finally let go, Will stepped forward and held out his hand. Ryan’s smile dropped from his face as he seriously shook his future father-in-law’s hand.
“I still don’t know how I feel about this. It’s hard to let your daughter go, but I guess I feel the most comfortable knowing it’s you. You always did love her. Promise me you’ll take good care of her. She’s my little girl.”
Ryan tightened his grip on Will’s hand. “I promise on my life I will make her happy.”
“You better or I’ll kill you,” a low menacing voice said from behind him. “Brother.”
Ryan turned around and saw Carter standing there with a serious look to match his father's. But then he smiled and thumped him on the back. “Welcome to the family.”
A gentle hand touched him on the elbow, and he turned to find his grandparents standing with Sienna’s grandparents. They were in their late eighties now, but still very much in love. That’s what he wanted with Sienna, and the two examples of how to live were right there in front of them.
Ryan leaned down so his grandmother could kiss his cheek. “I’m so happy for you both. I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see one of my grandbabies marry.”
“Grandma,” Ryan smiled, not wanting to think about them not being around in the future.
“You think you can finally die happy now, my dear?” his grandfather asked with a quirk of his lips. The Ashtons laughed and Ryan suddenly felt as if he were on the outside of a joke.
His grandmother patted her husband’s wrinkled hand and smiled at him. “Not yet. I think I need a great-grandbaby first.”
Then it was a blur of cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and somewhere a bottle of bourbon appeared and quickly disappeared. The whole time he kept Sienna in sight, if not by his side. The sun set over the black four-board fences, and all the people they loved celebrated his and Sienna’s engagement. It almost made him feel bad he was going to sneak away with Sienna for their own celebration. Almost.
Sienna laughed at Ryan’s dramatic groan as Sydney told him they both had to let her design their wedding attire. Sydney punched her cousin in the arm, and Sienna just laughed harder.
“Can we elope?” Ryan asked before being whacked on the back of the head by too many women to count.
“Not a chance. I can’t wait to see what Sydney designs for us,” Sienna said excitedly.
“Me too,” Layne jumped in. “I look very nice in blue or green.”
Sienna, Sydney, and Layne broke out in laughter as Ryan rolled his eyes and latched onto the only other man brave enough to enter wedding talk.
“Which color would you prefer, Jackson?” Ryan asked his quieter, younger brother.
“I don’t care as long as Bethany is in a dress with easy access.”
Sienna smacked his arm. “You’re lucky Greer is at school and didn’t hear you say that.”
Jackson gave a mock shudder of the youngest Parker. Their little sister was a crack shot and very much believed women could do anything men could do and most of it better. So far, she’d proved her two older brothers she was right.
“Don’t worry, I’m texting her now,” Abigail, Ahmed and Bridget’s daughter, joked as Jackson lunged at her phone.
“Then I’ll text Dylan what you told me over Christmas,” Jackson threatened.
Zain and Gabe joined them as the two of them went shrieking off.
“We’ll plan the bachelor party,” Gabe grinned.
Sienna just shook her head. “I don’t even want to know.”
“It’s okay, we’re going to plan the bachelorette party.” Reagan and Riley grinned and a silent challenge was issued. Layne and Piper held up their hands and took a step back. It was going to be twins versus twins on who could throw the best party.
Kenna Ashton raised her glass of champagne and clinked it against Paige and Dani’s. From their seat on the outdoor couch, they watched their children lost in each other’s eyes.
“It took longer than we thought, but not bad for our first try,” Kenna toasted.
“I’ll drink to that.” Paige smiled.
“So will I,” Dani said, clinking glasses with her two best friends.
“Did you write it down?” Kenna asked.
“Sure did,” Dani told them and held up the spiral notebook.
Paige shook her head. “I can’t believe Miss Lily handed over her matchmaking books for safekeeping until we pass it down to Zinnia. There are generations of matches in here. I saw ours. The Rose sisters had us all picked out before we even knew it.”
“How many does this make?” Kenna asked.
“I have twenty-four notebooks at home. Dani just started number twenty-five,” Paige said in amazement.
“One hundred forty-nine marriages,” Dani said, looking up at Sienna and Ryan. “Well, we’ll just count this as one hundred fifty.”
“And they had no idea we planned it all along.” Paige raised her glass and the three best friends cheered again.
“But who’s next?” Kenna asked as she looked at the men and women celebrating around them.
“Zain?” Paige wondered.
Dani shook her head. Her oldest wasn’t ready yet. “He’s getting there, but not yet.”
“What about Sophie?” Kenna asked the group, and they swung their gaze to where Cade and Annie’s oldest stood talking with Miles and Morgan’s only child, Layne.
“Look,” Dani pointed to the shadows. “I’d know that look anywhere.”
“You think?” Paige asked.
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. But what about Sydney? She’s almost twenty-eight. She’s seen the world with her modeling career, established a major business, and even appeared on the Forbes list right under the designer Allegra Simpson for most powerful influences in the fashion industry. All she’s missing is someone to come home to at night.” Kenna smiled.
“Perfect,” Paige agreed.
“I’ve got her name written on this page, but who do we write on the other page?” Dani asked.
“Oh.” Kenna slumped back in her chair. This wasn’t as easy as she thought.
“We might need some help with this one. Luckily, I know just the person to ask,” Paige said conspiratorially.
“Then a toast to number one hundred fifty-one,” Dani said, closing the notebook and holding up her glass.
“Cheers!” the women said, dissolving into giggles.
“Amateurs,” Marcy Davies whispered to Betsy Ashton as they clinked their own glasses in celebration of their grandchildren’s engagement while they watched the three best friends across the room.
“Do you miss it?” Miss Lily asked her two sisters as they watched Sienna and Ryan quietly sneaking out of the party.
Miss Violet shook her head. “No, look how happy those three are.”
Miss Daisy and her sisters looked to where Kenna, Dani, and Paige were laughing. “They didn’t even have a clue we were helping them on their first match.”
“Bless their hearts,” the sisters said all together.
* * *
Ryan didn’t let go of Sienna’s hand while he drove her car home. They didn’t need to say anything either. Their feelings were plain as day on their faces. He parked the car and went to open the door for his fiancée. He liked the sound of that, although he liked the sound of wife better.
Hand in hand, they walked up the steps onto the porch. Ryan dropped her hand while Sienna unlocked the door, and then he scooped her up into his arms. Sienna squealed merrily, and Hooch howled his delight as Ryan carried her over the threshold.
“I think you’re supposed to wait to carry me over the threshold until we’re married,” Sienna giggled.
“Who said I was carrying you over the threshold?” Ryan asked, the corner of his lips quirking up.
“Um, you just did it,” Sienna said, breaking out into laughter.
Ryan shook his head. “No, sweetheart, I’m carrying you to bed.” Ryan used the bottom of his foot to close the door.
“One of these times, I’m going to walk to our bedroom.”
“But not tonight.”
Ryan carried his future wife to their room and celebrated the night and all the nights yet to come.