The old cabin looked just as Maddie remembered it from the first time Joseph had brought her here. The sagging roof had been bolstered, and the door with its leather hinges reset so it hung straight. Bluebonnets, daisies, and buttercups waved cheerfully to the crowd gathering in their little valley on this warm mid-summer’s day. She’d fallen in love with the land, the home, and the tall Texas cowboy who’d captured her heart all those years ago. She still missed him, but moments like today made her grateful to be alive.

The chairs were filled with family and friends in a rainbow of color, from soft pastels to vibrant eye-catchers like her granddaughter was wearing. Sophia had just made her appearance, strolling down the center aisle accompanied by the wedding march played on the snowy white baby grand piano they’d had flown in for the occasion. More than one man’s gaze admired the deep plunge on the bridesmaid’s sapphire dress she wore with such class it was hard to imagine she was the same girl who’d cleaned horse stalls just a few hours earlier.

She made her way to the front porch, and smiled tearfully up at her handsome brothers in their navy-blue tuxedos and bow ties. Tony beat them down the stairs, looking very debonair in his three-piece suit and slicked back hair. He crooked his arm and led Sophia to her place on the top stair, kissed her cheek, then moved to the opposite side and folded his hands in front of him.

A hush fell over the crowd and everyone rose. Consuela helped Madeline to her feet, then offered her a lace hankie and she realized her cheeks were wet with joy. The child of her heart was starting a new phase of his life today, and as Cassandra came into view, breathtaking in a flowing white gown of Venetian lace, her lovely face glowing with love, Maddie knew he’d made a good choice.

* * *

Matt smiled out over the crowd with seeming calm, while inside he wondered if he was having a heart attack. His chest ached—though that could be because he couldn’t breathe past his cummerbund—his heart was lodged in his throat, his hands were clammy, and his vision was blurry. Yep, definitely a heart attack.

Then everyone stood, turned toward the end of the aisle, and an angel floated into view. It all dropped away. The anxiety, the crowd, the music, all of it gone.

She was beautiful.

He’d known it before, but today, she took his breath away. Her gown glittered in the sunlight with the hundreds of Swarovski crystals she’d told him were sown onto the bodice, yet it couldn’t compare to the sparkle of her gorgeous green eyes or the emotion betrayed by trembling lips.

As she joined him on the porch and the service commenced, he was filled with a powerful mix of satisfaction and exhilaration. Soon they would begin their life as man and wife, right here on the land his ancestors had homesteaded and protected for generations of their offspring, as he would for his children.

“Do you have any words you’d like to say to each other?” the preacher asked, smiling as he patted their joined hands.

“I do,” Matt said, and everyone laughed. He grinned at the crowd, then gazed into Cass’s eyes. “When I told you I loved you, and you said you loved me too, that was the best day of my life—until now.” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and he brushed them away. “You are my heart, my life, my world. I promise to be your best friend, your lover, your soulmate for as long as we both shall live.”

Now tears were dribbling down his face too, and she wiped them away with unsteady fingers. “The night I met you, I remember wondering what kind of man took advantage of another man.” He cringed and she squeezed his hands. “But then I got to know you and everything changed.”

She glanced out at the crowd and gave a watery smile to her father. “You see, I learned the problem wasn’t with you. It was me.”

She turned back to Matt and gazed up at him with so much love it almost brought him to his knees. “You taught me to believe in myself. To be strong, and maybe most of all, to forgive.” She reached up and gave him the sweetest kiss, it was like a benediction. “I love you forever, Matthew Shaughnessy.”

The crowd cheered, clapping wildly.

The preacher grinned and said, “We better get you two married or there’s going to be a mutiny. Who has the ring?”

There was a moment of panic as Aaron felt around in his pockets and came up with nothing, but then he used a sleight of hand trick and brandished the little blue box.

Matt mock-growled and clapped him on the back. “Wait until it’s your turn, buddy.” The two brothers shared a heartfelt moment before Matt turned back to his bride.

He opened the box and took out the sapphire and diamond ring that had landed him a stunningly beautiful fiancée and gently placed it on her finger.

“The best bet I ever made,” he murmured for her ears only.

“You may kiss the bride,” the preacher boomed.

“Well?” Cass smirked.

Matt grinned and swept her into his arms. “I thought you’d never ask.”