Owen covered his mouth as he watched his friend hit the ground flat on his back, again. “Why don’t you just rent a buggy?”
Dade turned his head and looked over at him. “It’s not quite the same.” He huffed out a breath and looked up at the white face looking down at him. “Just step on me, Sadie, and save me from this.” He grinned as the horse bent down and nibbled at his hair with her soft mouth.
“I think she’s rather taken with you, Mr. Jones.” The small woman hopped down from the fence and walked over to look down at him, again. “This woman is a very lucky to have you.”
He grinned up at the little red head. “Even if I’m on a stretcher?”
She laughed and pulled the bridle as Sadie nipped at his hair again. “Sadie thinks so.”
Dade sat up slowly and tired not to groan as he got to his feet again. “She just likes me because I’m the only rider that falls at her feet on a daily basis.” He reached over and ran his hands over the horse’s neck. Smirking at the tiny woman he sighed. “Help me, I only have until tomorrow and if I can’t lean to the side without falling off, I’ll never be able to pick Cora up into the saddle with me.”
“If she’s as tall as you say, then I don’t know what to do to help.” She patted the horse. “You’ve come a long way, you can gallop now without bouncing all over the place.” She watched him push against his lower back. “Okay, new plan. We’ll teach you how to slide off cowboy style, and then you can put her in the saddle and get back on.”
Dade huffed out a breath. “Anything that will keep my ass off the ground would be perfect.”
Owen shook his head as Dade climbed once more into the saddle. He grinned as Dade trotted by atop the tall white horse. “Does the word tenacious mean anything?”
Dade turned his head and grinned at him. “Maybe.”
Rachel nodded and looked quickly behind them again. “A horse?”
Leena grinned and nodded. “Yes, tomorrow while we do the decorations.”
“Oh my gosh!” Kasey gasped. “That is so, so…” She bounced. “Cora is so lucky.”
Rachel laughed. “I can’t wait to see this, hell yes, that will be better than a toaster or some gift.”
Leena nodded. “Yes. I have to get back.” She turned. “Oh! Bring cameras. I want every second photographed.”
Kasey nodded. “Definitely.” She grinned at Rachel and then ran back towards the line.
Dade paced back over to the van and pulled out the rest of the vines and stalks.
“How you holding out?”
He jumped then turned to see Owen smirking at him. “Great.”
Owen chuckled. “You’re wired, almost jumped over the van.”
Dade nodded then took a deep breath. “Hope she finds the place.”
Owen looked at his watch. “She seemed like a pretty smart lady, she’ll be here. Go kiss Cora or something and try to calm down.”
Dade took another deep breath. “Easy for you to say, you’ve already done this part.”
Owen patted him on the shoulder and smirked as Dade winced. He shoved him towards the path. “Go. I’ll let you know when she gets here.”
“Good.” He turned and walked back down the path. Are you crazy? He shook his head. Whatever gave you this asinine idea in the first place? He stopped and picked up the few vines that he’d dropped the last trip.
All you have to do is stay on the back of Sadie for, what a minute, okay maybe five. You can do this. He took a deep breath. And not drop Cora. Oh, that would help set the romantic atmosphere, dropping her off an eight-foot-high horse. He stopped and closed his eyes. What am I doing?
“Thought the grooms were supposed to be nervous.”
Dade jolted for the second time and turned. “Hey, Rach.”
Rachel shook her head and walked over and looked up at him. “You need to settle down son, don’t make Doc have to do CPR on you.”
He grinned. “That bad huh?” He looked down the path. “Think Cora’s noticed?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, us gals took one look at you earlier and knew we’d have to keep her out of your path today.” She smiled. “It’s going to be fine.”
He huffed out another breath. “Easy for all you to say, you’re not trying to do something as stupid as I am.”
“It’s not stupid, it’s incredibly sweet.” She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming. “You brought the ring, right?”
His eyes widened then he sighed and touched his pocket. “Yes.” She reached up and grabbed his face and pulled his head down to kiss his cheek.
“Go get her.”
“Hey! Hands off my woman.” Steven was walking up the path grinning at them.
Dade smirked. “It’s her hands on me, Doc, you lose.”
Steven walked over and put his arm around Rachel. “I was sent to find out if Dade was making the rest of the decorations from scratch.”
Dade looked down at the vines he’d dropped at his feet when Rachel had startled him. “Guess I’d better get these down there.”
Steven patted his shoulder and grinned. “We’ll take them, Owen is standing back there trying to get your attention.”
Dade stiffened and turned. “She’s here.” He looked at them then back to Owen. “Shit!” He rubbed a hand over his tightening stomach.
Rachel bent down and picked up the decorations. “Go. We’ll tell Cora you’re bringing the rest.”
Dade nodded and walked back toward Owen. Ten minutes. Ten more minutes and you can breathe, he told himself over and over again as he passed Owen without so much as a word.
“I’ll go clear everyone out of your way.”
He nodded and kept walking.
“This is so beautiful.” Cora whispered as she stood back and looked at the arbor. “We need pictures.” She turned to Kasey. “Where’s the camera?”
Kasey pulled one out of her pocket. “Go stand under it, we’ll have a thousand of us under it.”
Cora grinned and nodded. “Okay.” Walking quickly over, she ran her hand down the vines. Bending down she picked up a few primroses from the ground and put them into her hair. She turned and grinned at Kasey. “Just let me dream for a moment.” She stopped when she saw Kasey was pointing the camera in the direction of the path. Turning her head, her eyes widened. It was horse.
It was Dade.
On a horse.
He was riding toward her, his long hair flying back from his face. When he was almost to her the horse slowed. She looked up at him with huge eyes. She couldn’t find any words.
He looked at her standing under the vines and flowers of the arbor. Her dark hair framed her beautiful face. Flicking the reins, he moved Sadie to come to a stop beside her. Reaching behind him, he pulled out the bouquet of red and white roses and held them out to her. Her mouth opened but she didn’t speak as she took them and smiled at him. Sadie pranced a few times impatiently. “Ride with me?” he asked, barely able to form the words?
Cora stood there looking up at him and then to the flowers in her hand. Dade grinned when she jumped as Owen gripped her waist and picked her up, setting her in front of him.
Dade gave Owen a grateful look. Wrapping his arm tightly around Cora he swung the reins to turn Sadie towards the open area. She leaned her shoulder into his chest and looked at him.
“Dade?”
He looked down at her and smiled. Leaning down he kissed her quickly, not wanting to not watch where Sadie was heading. “Hang on.” He prodded Sadie with his heals and the gentle animal broke out into an easy stride taking them to the end of the garden area.
Cora looked down at the ground and clutching the roses against her chest. “Where did you get a horse? You went to get decorations.”
He reined Sadie in then stopped her and dropped the reins. It’s easy, he told himself as he scooped his hand under Cora’s legs and flipped his leg over to slide to the ground holding her tight against him. He walked over to a large rock and sat her on it gently. Kissing her lips lightly he dropped down to one knee and looked up to see her soft eyes searching his face. “I wanted to do this, at least this part right, Coralee.”
She swallowed and looked at him. “What part, Dade?”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Smiling as he saw her shaking hand gripping the roses tightly. Still holding her hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring and held it in with his palm closed around it. “I don’t have any soft words for you.” He watched her swallow again. “I can’t do magic to impress you.”
He kissed her hand lightly again. “I can only say that I love you with all that I am and always will.”
“Dade.” She whispered with her eyes watering.
“I want to hold you every day, Cora, and make you mad often.” He took a deep breath as her hand dropped the roses and wove into his hair. “I want to spend the rest of my life trying to find ways to make you happy.” He kissed her hand again and let go of it to hold the ring in front of her. “I want you to marry me, Coralee, and give me that chance.”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked from his face to the ring. “Yes.” She whispered. She watched him slide the ring onto her finger then lean over and kiss it. She slid forward on the rock and hugged him tightly.
He pulled the roses from between them and stood holding her against him. She leaned back and smiled up at him. Gripping the back of her head gently he kissed her hard, needing to show her how he felt. Her hands went to his hair and pulled his mouth closer to kiss him back.
Pulling back, she brought her hand around and looked down at the ring. The amber glowed back at her. “It’s beautiful, Dade.” She whispered with smiling at him.
He grinned. “It’s a smoky quartz, supposed to help with forgiveness. I thought I would be bound to screw up, often, and you might need a little help.” He handed her back the roses and ran his hand down her cheek gently. “I love you.” He whispered it and watched her eyes shine back at him.
“I love you too and I’m so happy.” A tear rolled down her cheek. She jolted when the roses she held behind him moved. Smiling, she looked behind them to see the horse pulling at them. “I think your horse is jealous it didn’t get any roses.”
Dade turned with his arm holding Cora to him and looked at the horse. “Sadie, I’ve been telling you all week I’ve got my own woman.” The soft muzzle touched his shoulder. He grinned and rubbed his hand along her jaw.
“I can’t believe you rode to me on a horse.”
He smiled at her. “Always told you I’d forever be your white knight.”
Cora laughed. “And you are.” She glanced back to see the others standing just outside the garden area looking over at them. “We better get back or Leena’s going to be a puddle at Owen’s feet.”
Dade kissed her again then sighed. “Okay, just don’t fall off until I get up there.” He grabbed her waist and lifted her to sit sideways across the saddle again. Picking up the reins he swung up behind her and pulled her tight against him. He didn’t nudge Sadie into a trot this time, just let her set a slow easy pace in the direction of the others.
Leaning down he kissed Cora, lingering over her mouth to kiss her again. He glanced up briefly to make sure Sadie wasn’t going to try to tree them. He grinned down at her. “When?”
She leaned against his shoulder and smiled at him. “You’ve just asked me and now you want a date?”
He nodded and kissed her again. “Yes, I’m not waiting months,”
She smiled at him sweetly. “Are children in this arrangement at all?”
“As many as you want, just marry me soon, love, I don’t want to go without you another day.” He glanced up again to see they were almost to the others.
“We’ll sneak off after we get everyone else married.”
Dade grinned down at her. “You are so perfect for me.”
Cora kissed his throat. “Took you forever to realize it.”
He glanced up to see Kasey taking one picture after the other. “Smile for your engagement photo.”
Cora looked up and saw the others almost at their feet. She grinned at Leena holding her hand over her mouth with tears running down her face. “I cried too,” she said softly.
She started to sit up when Dade pulled her back against him and dropped the reins. Lifting her legs, he slid down the side of the horse again until his feet touched the ground. He lowered her slowly down his body then grinned. “We won’t discuss how many times I had to practice that.”
“Hope you don’t mind, but I watched.” The small redhead stepped out from the path.
“Pretty impressive, huh?”
She walked over and picked up Sadie’s reins. “You sat her well today, Mr. Jones.”
Dade shrugged. “Oh, I think she took pity on me and did everything she could to not have me on my back looking up at her.”
“You’re welcome to come around and ride her any time you want, she’ll miss you.” She grinned at Cora. “Congratulations, quite the man you have.”
Cora leaned into him. “Thank you.”
They watched her lead Sadie back up the path then Kasey flung herself at Dade. “You rock.” She grabbed his face and pulled his head down to kiss him quickly. “I cried.”
He grinned down at her. “Seems to be going around.”
Rachel hugged Cora then grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. Putting her hand over her heart she looked at Dade and smiled. “Not every woman has their own white knight.” She walked over and hugged him. “That was amazing. I wish I’d brought the camcorder.”
Steven walked up and patted his back, he grinned when Dade winced. “How often did you hit the ground learning that?”
Dade laughed. “I lost count.”
Cora covered her mouth. “That’s how you cut your arm?” He nodded and hugged her again.
“That’s nothing, I figure by tomorrow my whole back and ass are going to be black and blue.”
She grabbed his face and smiled at him. “Oh Dade.” She pulled his face down and kissed him softly. “I’ll rub you down with some ointment that I’ll have Leena make when we get back.”
He grinned boyishly. “All right, now we’re talking.”
She shook her head and turned to everyone. “Well, I have a fiancé to coddle and a lot more food to make, so I think we’d better get home and get to work.”
Kasey nodded. “I’ll come help.”
Chris frowned. “What am I going to do?”
Kasey smiled up at him. “You are going to go home and take those two with you.” She pointed to Steven and Owen. “We women decided something was going to be traditional and we won’t see you again until we’re walking towards that arbor.”
Steven’s mouth dropped and he looked at Rachel. “No, angel, don’t tell me that.” He looked around. “Tonight is Halloween…the kids… you have to dress up with me…”
Rachel smiled and flipped her tongue ring out. “I think it will help the wedding night, don’t you?”
He smirked. “I don’t think it will need help.”
“What are we supposed to do for the next twenty-four hours?” Owen asked Leena quietly.
Leena shrugged. “Wait?”
Owen sighed and kissed her. “Oh, that helps.”
Chris looked at Dade hugging Cora still. “You coming with us?”
Dade shook his head. “Not a chance, I plan on getting in Cora’s way as much as possible for the rest of today and tonight. I’ll meet you at your place in the morning.”
Cora turned in his arms. “Do you realize how much work I have to do?” She looked at her watch. “Kathy and Ralph can’t be at the house until later, and it’s going to be a long night.”
“Aw, honey, I’ll help. I can hand out candy to the little kiddies.” Dade pulled her back towards him.
She shook her head. “No, you’ll distract.”
“But …” She placed her hand over his mouth and smiled.
“It’s only twenty-four hours, Dade.”
He sighed and pulled her hand down. “Fine. I’ll go babysit the grooms.” He scowled at the men. “Not a word.”
Steven grinned and held up his hands.
Owen pulled Leena into his arms and turned to walk up the path.
“Poor, Dade.” Kasey patted his arm as she caught up to Chris.
He turned and sent Cora a leering look. “Will pouting help?”
She smiled and wrapped her arm around him as she turned to follow the others. “No, but if I get done early enough, I’ll send you a come-hither image.”
“Please get done early. I’m not happy that I’ve finally got you, but now can’t have you.”
Cora laughed. “Oh, you can have me, Mr. Jones, just not for the next several hours. After that I’m yours whenever you want.”
“If you send me a page tonight, be dressed and waiting in something from those drawers, I can be there in ten minutes from Chris’ house.”
“Deal.” She whispered against his mouth before jogging ahead to catch up to everyone.
He sighed and stopped to look back down the path. Four sets of lives were now joined. He grinned, watching where they led was going to be one hell of a ride.
The Magic Seasons Romance continues with book 5, Winter Mist, also available on Readict!