Reed snapped his head up and looked at her. “This is exactly why…what?” he asked.

Courtney was staring at Reed. She walked up to him and looked at his nose. She went into the bathroom and came out with a wet washcloth.

“You have some, um…some dried blood still on your nose. You should probably go say sorry to Mitch. I have to go help Whit get ready.”

They stood there for a good minute, just staring at each other.

For Christ’s sake, why can’t they just both admit that they love each other?

Mitch walked back into the room and cleared his throat. “Reed, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to provoke you and start this whole mess. Layton, I’ll understand if you don’t want me in the wedding.”

Courtney looked around at each of us, confused as hell, before turning back to look at Reed.

Reed glanced at Courtney before he stood. “Don’t worry about it. I better go check on things.”

He started to walk away when Courtney grabbed his arm. “Wait, Reed, why did you say it was your fault…”

“It doesn’t matter, Courtney. You better go help, Whit. It’s getting close now.” He moved past Courtney and walked around Mitch as he headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Courtney looked at me and then slowly started walking out. She stopped in front of Mitch and asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

He shook his head, and she nodded before heading back down to Whitley.

Mitch turned to leave, and everyone else followed out of the room. I was alone now—sitting here on my wedding day, holding a fucking piece of ice up to my eye.

I swear if I get a black eye, I’m firing Mitch.

We’d already had it out the day after I asked Whitley to marry me. I’d confronted him about keeping in contact with my father. Things hadn’t been the same between us since then. I really hated to lose him as a friend and as the foreman to the ranch because he really knew his shit, but it looked more and more like that might happen.

Kevin walked back into the room and smiled. “Dude, I saw Whitley.”

I smiled at just the mention of her name. “Yeah? How did she look? I mean, I couldn’t really tell, but it looks like her hair is all the way up with some curls hanging down.”

Kevin laughed as he walked up and hit me on the back. “She looked beautiful. You’re just gonna have to be patient.”

I tried to smile, but all I wanted to do was hit someone. I was so frustrated. “Fuck! How much longer?”

Kevin looked at his watch. “Forty minutes. You’ll have to head downstairs soon and make your way to the gazebo. You have to get there before Whit.”

I nodded and picked up my mother’s small cross necklace and put it into my pocket. She had given it to me when she was in the hospital. She’d told me that when I got married, I had to put it into my pocket, so she could be with me the whole time. I turned and picked up Mike’s dog tags and put them into my other pocket.

“Let’s go do this.” I smiled and followed Kevin out and down the stairs.

The thought of Whitley getting ready in our bedroom was driving me insane. I just wanted to see her. I just wanted to talk to her for one quick second.

“Hold on.” I walked up to the master bedroom door.

“Stop! Layton, you can’t go in there,” Kevin called out.

“I’m not. I just want to hear her voice.” I knocked on the door.

“Whit? It’s me.”

Courtney barely opened the door. “Layton! What are you doing?”

“I just want to hear her voice, that’s all.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Gah! Fine. Hold on. Step back a bit, you overly romantic ass.”

Courtney shut the door, and I heard her talking. The door slowly opened, and I smiled when I smelled Whit’s familiar perfume—Coco Chanel.

“Hey, baby. I heard you and the boys had a little bit too much fun earlier,” Whitley said.

I let out a small laugh. “Yeah.” I reached my hand around the door.

The moment she took my hand in hers, I felt my stomach drop.

God, I love this girl more than life itself.

“Whitley?”

“Yes, Layton?”

“I love you so damn much. I just want to hold you in my arms and never let go.”

I felt her squeeze my hand.

“I swear to God, Layton…if she cries and messes up her makeup before she even gets down the aisle, you will have a black eye for sure!” Courtney called from inside the room.

“I love you, too, Layton, more than anything. I can’t wait to see you.”

I let out a laugh. “What are you wearing under your dress?”

She giggled. “Let’s just say, you won’t be disappointed.”

Oh God. I want her. I need her.

“Let’s just skip all this and leave for the honeymoon now.”

“Okay, that’s enough. You have to get ready, Whitley. And all this lovey-dovey shit is making me sick.” Courtney pulled our hands apart. “You’ll see her in a few minutes.”

I took a step back as I watched the door close. I leaned up against the door and rested my forehead on it. “I love you,” I whispered.

Reed slapped my back and pulled me away from the door. “Dude, let’s go. We need to get down there.”

I smiled as I looked at my best friend. I wanted him to be as happy as I was, and it sure as hell wasn’t with Anna. Reed had just told me a few hours ago that Anna wouldn’t stop bugging him about moving in with her. He was tempted to do it just to shut her up. Then, he’d talked to Whitley, and I’d never seen him so pissed in my life. When I’d tried to talk to him about it, we had kept getting interrupted.

As we made our way outside, I glanced over toward the master bedroom windows. In less than thirty minutes, I was going to be married to the girl of my dreams.

She is going to be mine forever.

Chapter Thirty: Whitley

I stood in front of my wedding dress, just staring at it. My heart had been racing ever since Layton’s little visit a few minutes ago.

“Okay. Hair, check! Makeup, check, check! Sexy-ass lingerie, check, check, check! The last thing is the wedding dress, my dear,” Courtney said as she walked up next to me.

I looked around at Courtney, Stacey, and Jen. They were all dressed in silver column strapless knee-length dresses. There was just enough of a ruffle on them to make them look elegant, but they were super comfortable. The way the dress fit Courtney and her hourglass figure was sure to drive both Mitch and Reed crazy.

I turned back and watched as my mother walked up to me and smiled. “Can I help you put it on?”

I smiled and nodded.

I had flown back up to New York to go dress shopping with my mother. I closed my eyes and thought about the moment we found this dress.

New York

Four Months Earlier

When my mother held up the Sophia Tolli dress, I scrunched up my nose.

“Mom, the top is silver. I know I said white and silver, but I didn’t mean my dress.”

“Just try it on for me. Please. Humor your mother.”

I put it on, and when I turned around and looked in the mirror, I instantly started crying. It was beautiful. The Paris satin and Italian silk were a perfect combination. The sweetheart neckline highlighted the stunning silver bodice, and the crystal and pearl brooches were stunning and added just the right touch. They would shimmer beautifully in all of the candlelight. The draped Paris satin skirt had side pick-ups. The chapel-length train was breathtaking and would look perfect pinned up. I turned and looked at the detachable back silver bodice. It looked so old-fashioned.

It was so me that it was unreal. I glanced over toward my mother, who was crying.

I wiped my tears away and nodded. “Oh, Mom…” I began sobbing again. “It’s breathtaking. Do you think Layton will like it?” I turned back and looked at myself in the mirror.

She let out a laugh and walked up to me. She put her chin on my shoulder. “You look like a princess. I just can’t believe it.”

“I know, Mom. It’s the most beautiful dress ever.”

My mother shook her head. “No, that’s not it.” The tears rolled down her face. “I can’t wait to tell everyone I picked it out, and you loved it! Score one for mom.”

My mouth dropped open, and I just looked at her in the mirror. We both busted out laughing, and then I told the saleslady I would take the dress.

“Where are you, Whitley?” my mother asked as she held my dress up in front of me.

I smiled. “Thinking about the day we found this dress.”

My mother raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “Come on, honey, we’re running out of time.”

By the time everyone got done fussing over my hair and makeup after the dress was on, I was ready to push all of them away from me.

“It’s fine! Let’s just go.” I slipped on my Louboutin shoes.

I turned and looked at myself in the mirror one last time. I was wearing my grandmother’s pin in my hair, my something old and borrowed. I had on diamond drop earrings that were a gift from my parents, and a simple silver diamond bracelet that Layton had given to me after the rehearsal dinner last night.

My mother tucked a blue hankie inside my corset and smiled. “Your father loved finding this little surprise,” she said as she winked.

I felt my face blush as I quickly looked away.

I couldn’t wait for Layton to see the lingerie I had on under the dress. Courtney had given it to me at the bridal shower, and I’d actually blushed when I opened it up in front of everyone. The fact that the lace was see-through was going to drive Layton mad.

I took one last deep breath and turned toward everyone. I smiled. “Let’s do this shit!”

As we pulled up, my heart started pounding. Layton and Reed had gotten everything ready during the last few weeks. They had made the road smooth, so everyone could drive up to the wedding site in their cars. After the concrete had been poured last week, the path to the gazebo had been built. It was lined with LED candles and looked beautiful.

My mother and Court helped me out of the car and carried the train of my dress over to the walkway. I laughed at how wide Layton had made the sidewalk. He’d kept saying he didn’t want my dress to drag on the ground.

“I still can’t get over how big this sidewalk is. They sure as shit do everything big in Texas,” Courtney said.

My mother and Jen both laughed.

“You said a bad word, Miss Courtney,” Kate said as she looked at Courtney and shook her head.

“Oops, sorry, Katie Mac.”

Courtney had gotten into the habit of calling Kate that ever since she had watched her one night when Kate had insisted she was allergic to mac and cheese and could only eat chocolate ice cream.

As the music began playing, I felt like I was going to throw up.

I frantically looked at my mother. “Mom.”

She reached over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She moved her mouth close to my ear. “Baby girl, you look breathtaking. Layton is going to shit his pants when he sees you,” she whispered so that Kate couldn’t hear her.

I let out a laugh and instantly felt calmer. My mother handed me my bouquet of white roses and smiled as she turned and made her way down the sidewalk.