Beneath a blanket of twinkling stars and glowing lanterns strung like fairies between the trees, Dani followed Carson’s lead around the softly lit dance floor. “Thank you,” she said again, but the words still seemed wholly inadequate to express her gratefulness for all her family had done to make her wedding day perfect.

The island of opulence her mom had created in the middle of Falcon Ridge, the beautiful altar her Papas had built, the flowers, cake, the promise of forever with Clay, all of it had been more than she’d ever dreamed. But Connor and Carson’s contribution to the fairytale wedding had been something she’d never forget.

“I still can’t believe you got Kyle Dodge to sing at my wedding.”

After a marathon photoshoot with Pryce, she and Clay had finally joined the reception. She’d noticed the jumbo screen mounted behind the head table, but had no idea what they’d planned to use it for. When her favorite country singer appeared live behind her a few minutes later, his smile filling all nine feet of the huge screen, well…let’s just say she was sure that video would get Con and Car’s blog a few million hits.

Speechless, she’d clenched Clay’s hand to her heart, giggling and nodding like an idiot as Kyle congratulated and wished them well, but when he’d broken out his guitar and began to play the song they’d chosen for their first dance, the floor had disappeared from beneath her and never returned.

She’d been floating on a cloud ever since, dancing her boots off for hours and feeling no pain, until movement along the edges of the darkness caught her eye and she recognized Papa Daniel, walking alone toward the altar.

Carson must have seen it, too, because he slowed to a stop as the song played on. They watched Daniel meander aimlessly through the rows of empty white chairs in the distance. There was no purpose in his direction until he reached the front row, where he sank somberly down onto the empty seat beside the one she’d reserved in Cade’s honor.

“He must miss him terribly,” Dani said, the ache in her chest constricting the words to a wavering whisper. “I should go to him.”

“No. Give him a few minutes,” Carson suggested. “Hey, don’t cry.” He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and anxiously turned them back onto the dance floor. “There’s no crying on your wedding day. Papa Daniel will be fine.”

“Please.” Dani swiped at her tears. “You bawled like a baby at your wedding.”

“Yeah, well, that’s different.”

“Of course it is.” Dani rolled her eyes, following Carson’s lead despite feeling like her boots had suddenly been filled with concrete. “I still miss him, too,” she admitted, glancing up at the stars.

Cade was always watching over us. The last words Papa Daniel’d spoken at Uncle Cade’s wake had stuck with her, easing the raw ache of his absence in the months since, but there were times she thought the pain would never go away. He’s still watching, just with a better view.

She didn’t know if it was true, but she pressed her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss into the night sky just in case, hoping he’d catch it and know she was thinking of him.

“We all miss him, Boo,” Carson sighed, then nodded toward Papa Daniel, still sitting alone in the dark. “That was a nice touch, though, reserving the seat for him.”

Dani smiled up at her brother. “It was Breezy’s idea,” she admitted, scanning the guests as Carson spun her around in search of her sister-in-law, frowning when she didn’t see her or Connor. “Where is Breezy?” she asked. “I haven’t seen her since we cut the cake.”

“Man,” Carson chuckled. “Papa Joe was right. Bev outdid herself with that cake. I think Clay’s dad has proposed to her at least a dozen times.”

The sound of his anxious laugh deepened her curiosity, and she drew back to look at him.

“The triple-chocolate fudge layer was my favorite,” he continued, “though the strawberry filling in the other one—”

“Car.” She pulled him to a stop at the edge of the dance floor. “Why are you avoiding my question? Where’s Breezy?”

Her brother slumped forward with a sigh. “She’s fine,” he insisted, pulling her back into his arms. “She just needed some fresh air.”

Fresh air? “Car, we’re outside, in the middle of a field.”

“I know,” he maintained. The panicked look in his eyes begged her not to push the subject but made her all that more determined to know.

“Car, what—oh.” She frowned when she realized what he was trying not to say. “I thought she was doing better since…you know…”

Uncle Cade’s last words to Breezy had shocked them all, but despite Connor and Carson’s concerns and caution, Breezy had latched onto them like a lifeline. The hopelessness in her eyes had vanished, and Dani couldn’t remember a day since then that she hadn’t been bubbling over with renewed excitement about going on tour with her brothers.

“If she’s feeling depressed, you don’t have to stay,” Dani offered. “You can even take what’s left of the chocolate cake.”

“What—no.” Carson shook his head. “She’s not depressed.”

Dani furrowed her brows. “Then what is it? What’s wrong with her? Is she sick?”

“No-I mean, yes, but it’s not…” Carson released an anxious sigh. “Look, I’m not supposed to tell you, okay?”

What? “Car?” When it was clear he wouldn’t say more, she reached for her phone in her back pocket to call Breezy, cursing when she realized she was still wearing her wedding dress. “Was it the food? Did she get food poisoning from the reception dinner? Oh, my God! I told Mom not to serve chicken.”

“No!” Carson snagged her arm when she turned to go find Clay, who was holding her phone for her while she danced. “The chicken was fine,” Carson insisted. “She doesn’t have food poisoning, she’s…”

Dani crossed her arms, waiting on her bonehead brother to elaborate.

Carson closed his eyes on another sigh. “How can I say this?” he mumbled, scratching his head. “We’re not trying to have a baby anymore,” he finally said, smiling.

Dani stared up at him. Had he lost his damn mind? “So, she’s not sick, but she is, and she’s not depressed, because you’re not trying to get pregnant, and you’re happy about that?”

“No-yes! Ugh!” He took her by her shoulders and spoke slowly, as if she were the one with the comprehension problem. “We’re not trying, because…”

“Car, I heard you, but what does that have to do with her being sick—holy shit!” she gasped when it finally hit her. “She’s pregnant!”

“Shh!” Carson pressed his hand over her mouth but she shoved it away. “Nobody knows yet!”

“Oh my God, Car!” And just like that, she was back on her cloud. Joy for her brothers and sister-in-law propelled her forward and she tackled him with a hug. “That’s awesome!”

“Christ, Dani! Shut up,” he hissed, guiding them away from the dance floor. “You’re gonna get me hamstringed if Mom hears you.”

“Why?” she asked as he pulled her arms from around his neck. “Why don’t you want anyone to know?”

“We only found out a few days ago,” he whispered, looking to see if anyone had heard them. “She didn’t want to say anything until after the wedding.”

“What? Why not?”

“Shh-Dani, please.” He motioned for her to lower her voice. “She’s been sick and didn’t want everyone freaking out and making a big deal about her on your wedding day.”

That was crazy! “Where is she?”

“Dani.” He stepped in front of her when she turned to go look for her.

“C’mon, Car. I won’t tell Mom. I promise.”

“Breezy’s gonna kill me,” Carson grumbled and hung his head in defeat. “Her and Con went up to the house to lie down for a bit, before you leave for your honeymoon—Dani wait!”

She skirted through the crowd on the dance floor. After a dozen snags by friends and family members wanting to congratulate her and Clay, and one close call with their mom and dads, Dani and Carson finally made it up the front steps. The house was swarming with waiters, caterers, family, and guests as they rushed into the foyer.

“Oh, look! The blushing bride!”

“Hi, Mrs. Ketling.” Dani hugged Grassland’s former sheriff’s wife.

“That was a beautiful wedding, dear.”

“Thanks,” she offered, making her way to the stairs. “I’ll be sure to tell Mom you thought so.”

“Where’s that handsome new groom of yours?”

“Leave the poor girl alone, June,” Sheriff Ketling grumbled as he made his way from across the room. “Carson, your Papa Nate over there tells me you and your brothers are going back on tour,” he said, offering Carson his hand. “You know, I used to play in a band back in my day.”

Carson eyed Dani with contempt as she used the distraction to skirt by him and made her way up the stairs to her parents’ bedroom, expecting to find Breezy curled up in the bed. Instead, she was assaulted by the sight of Cory’s bare ass, his slacks and underwear pooled around his ankles.

“What the fuck, Dani? Get out!”

Shocked, she jumped back and pulled the door closed, but before it latched she heard a familiar giggle. “No way,” she muttered as she stuck her head back around the door. “Molly?”

Half naked in the armchair in front of her kid brother, her maid-of-honor swiped her lips as she leaned around his bare hip and gave Dani a pinched grin. “Sorry,” she giggled.

Dani started to protest, but nothing came out. She clamped her mouth closed, then opened it again with the same muted result, unable to decide if she was cool with her best friend and youngest brother hooking up at her wedding, or if it was the most fucked up thing she’d ever seen.

“No!” Dani shielded her eyes when Cory reached for his pants. “Keep going—I mean—don’t…stop—oh God—sorry! I was looking for Breezy.”

“In my room,” Cory gritted out.

Cringing, Dani pulled the door closed and put as much space between her and it as fast as she could. “Breezy?” she called through Cory’s bedroom door, deciding to knock this time.

Connor opened the door, and she bolted inside the dimly lit room, squealing as she tackled her brother in a hug before the door even closed.

Breezy sat up on the edge of the bed, holding her stomach with one hand as she pushed her hair from her face with the other. “Carson told you, didn’t he?”

“Yes!” She ignored Connor’s mumbled curses and ran to Breezy. “I’m so happy for you! I knew it would happen.”

The bedroom door opened, and Carson blew inside like the hounds of hell had been chasing him. “It’s worse than a backstage tour out there.”

Hands resting on his hips, Connor scowled at his twin. “You had to tell someone, didn’t you?”

“Don’t blame this on me.” Carson raised his hands in surrender as he paced to the bed. “I told you not to leave me down there alone. Besides, she was crying, and you know I don’t do crying. And then she kept asking about Breezy, and…I don’t know! What was I supposed to say?” Dani’s sideways glance earned her an eye roll in return as he sat beside Breezy and kissed her temple. “Is it any better, darlin’?”

Breezy gave him a timid nod. “Some,” she said, looking over at Dani, “though I’m not sure I’ll last until you and Clay leave for your trip.”

Dani dismissed her worry with a flick of her wrist. Because they were still in the middle of moving her to Texas, they’d only planned a short, two-day honeymoon to a cabin in Glacier National Park. “There’ll be plenty of time to say goodbye when we get back. Is it morning sickness?” she asked when Breezy clenched her stomach.

“Morning, noon, and night is more like it,” Carson scoffed. “Maybe we should go to the emergency room, just in case.”

“No, I’m just nauseous, and it wasn’t this bad until today,” Breezy insisted. “Can you bring me some more crackers?”

“Sure, babe.”

“And some ginger ale,” she added as Connor opened the door.

“I’m on it.” Connor winked and left to do her bidding but popped back into the room only a few seconds later. “Mom’s on her way up!” His harsh whisper was aimed at Dani. “I think she’s looking for you.”

“Oh shit!” Cory! Dani rushed to the door but stopped and turned back to Breezy. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell her?”

“Not tonight,” Breezy begged. “I’d like to not be puking when we do.”

“Okay.” She hurried back and gave her sister-in-law one last hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Me, too. I mean, for you and Clay,” Breezy stammered.

“Thanks, Boo.” Connor gave Dani’s shoulder a squeeze as she slipped out the door.

“Hey, Mom!”

Her hand poised on her bedroom doorknob, Gabby startled at Dani’s unexpected presence. “There you are. Honey, Clay’s looking for you.”

She blew out a relieved sigh when her mom let go of the doorknob. Her brothers owed her bigtime for covering their asses, a bare ass in Cory’s case.

“What were you doing up here in Cory’s room?”

“Sorry,” she said with a nervous laugh, urging her mom down the stairs. “My bra’s been poking me all night and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I came up here to fix it. Where’s Clay?” she rattled on when Gabby glanced curiously back at Cory’s closed door.

“He’s waiting for you by the bar with his brothers. I think Virgil wants to make a toast,” Gabby said as they descended the stairs. “Shoot! I almost forgot.” She gave Dani a quick peck on the cheek before she turned back. “I’ll be right behind you. I was supposed to grab an extra pacifier from the nursery. Jonah accidentally threw Jo’s in the trash with his empty plate.”

“Mom, wait.” Dani raced to find an excuse to keep Gabby from going back, latching on to the first thing that crossed her mind. “Can you check on Papa Daniel?” she blurted. “I saw him earlier, sitting alone near the altar. I’m worried about him.” It wasn’t a lie.

Her mom’s anxious smile softened to a sad grin. “I spoke to him a few minutes ago. He just wanted to share a few private minutes with Cade. He’ll be okay, honey.”

“Okay.”

“Now, go find your husband,” she ordered with a wink.

Dani stared after her as she climbed the stairs and disappeared down the hallway. “Sorry, guys,” she whispered to herself. She’d done her part. Her brothers would have to fend for themselves. Her husband was waiting on her.

Husband. The peculiar word pinged around in her head as she made her way back to the reception, inspiring more than a smile when she saw Clay leaning against the bar, looking like a GQ cowboy in his black slacks and Stetson, his shirtsleeves rolled halfway up his tan, lean forearms. My husband, she thought, the urge to make it official suddenly racing through her veins.

“Where did you disappear t—mmm,” Clay hummed his approval of her sneak attack, the sound deep and melodic as their lips melded together.

The tip of his tongue flirted with hers, but she wanted more, and her demands were happily met when Clay tipped his head and deepened their kiss, ignoring Beau and Levi’s boisterous taunts.

“We’ll be back in a minute,” Clay muttered against her lips and urged her toward the dark meadow beyond the reception.

“Oh, no ya don’t.” Virgil snagged his belt. “We got a toast to make.”

“Let ’em go,” Beau snorted, raising his glass of bourbon to them. “Whatever they’re gonna do, we all know it’ll only take a minute.”

“Fuck you,” Clay chuckled as he righted his hat, drawing Dani against his side. “So, now that my wife’s finally here, what’s this about, Pops?”

Virgil turned to the bar, and Dani saw the five shot glasses lined up in a neat row, each filled with a clear liquor she readily recognized as the moonshine she’d had the first time she’d gone to visit Clay. A night that was still no more than a fuzzy memory.

He handed one to each of them, and Clay sniffed the contents, his brows raising in surprise. “No way,” he protested, handing the glass back to Virgil. “I’m driving tonight.”

“Don’t be a wimp,” Levi snarked as he took his glass.

“One shot won’t make a bit of difference,” Virgil insisted.

Dani laughed. “Yeah, that’s what you said last time.”

Virgil’s only response was a salacious wink as he clinked his glass to hers. “To true love.”

“Yee-haw,” Beau and Levi scoffed cynically and clinked their glasses against theirs, too.

As they tipped their heads back and downed the shots, Dani and Clay looked at each other with trepidation, but shrugged and tossed their shots back anyway.

“Damn,” Clay hissed, swiping his forearm over his lips. “What is that? One-eighty proof?”

Her throat on fire, Dani handed her glass to Beau, holding her hand up when he offered her another. “I’m good,” she choked out, her gaze snagging on a white padded envelope Virgil had pulled from his back pocket.

“Now,” Virgil cleared his throat, “I was gonna wait until you kids got settled in to give you this,” he said, holding the envelope up to Clay. “But your brothers convinced me you could probably get some good use out of it before then.”

Clay set his shot glass on the bar and took the envelope from Virgil. “You didn’t have to do this, Pops. I told you we’re doin’ okay.”

“It ain’t money,” Virgil declared, nodding at the envelope. “Go on. Open it.”

Clay glanced anxiously at Dani, then peeled back the flap on the envelope. She watched with excited curiosity as he reached inside and pulled out a single piece of paper and a set of keys.

Clay froze, staring at the contents. “Pops, what’d you do?”

The tremble in his hands and the shock in his voice drew Dani in for a closer look. “What is it?” she asked, trying to read the official-looking form.

“He bought Mom’s plane.”

“What?” Dani snagged the paper from Clay. “Certificate of aircraft registration,” she read aloud, glancing down the form to see Clay’s name and address. No way!

“Um, we bought Mom’s plane,” Beau clarified, wagging his finger between himself, Levi, and Virgil.

“Yes, your brothers all pitched in,” Virgil confirmed, giving Beau a sideways glance.

“Including Jackson,” Levi added.

“He did?” Clay shook his head in disbelief.

Speechless, Dani looked up at Clay. Her breath hitched when she saw the tears in his eyes, glistening in the soft glow of the hanging lanterns. While Jackson had accepted their invitation to the wedding, he’d cancelled at the last minute, casting doubt on the progress he and Clay seemed to have made in patching things up.

“Well,” Beau cleared his throat, “technically, Jax owes me a few thousand—ow.” He flinched and grabbed his side, scowling at Levi.

Virgil clamped his work-roughened hand over Clay’s shoulder, his thick mustache twitching with his grin. “Your mother would’ve been proud of you today, son,” he said, nodding at Dani. “I am, too.”

Clay stared at the keys in his hands. “Pops, I don’t…I’m…”

“An asshole?” Beau suggested when he didn’t continue. “A goat fucker?”

“You’re an ass and a goat fucker,” Clay choked out as he rushed his older brother, tackling him in a crushing hug, and then reached for Levi and his dad.

Dani slapped a hand over her mouth, but her spontaneous, giddy sob bubbled out anyway. Not only had they given Clay back a piece of his heart, but Uncle Cade had been right. They were exactly like her family. With all their flaws, when the chips were down, they’d do anything for each other, and the proof of it was shining bright in Virgil’s eyes as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into their group hug. “Welcome to the family, darlin’. We’re damn glad to have you.”

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