The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret (19 page)

And, taking him by the hand, she led him into the house, to his
bedroom, where she did.

Later, when they emerged, both deliriously happy, he grabbed
her hand. “Let’s go find José and give him the news.”

Talia barked. They both turned, watching as a low-slung silver
sports car pulled into the drive and parked behind Skylar.

“Chantal,” Matt said, grimacing. “Apparently she and José are
engaged. Do you mind waiting here while I go get him?”

“Not at all,” she said. “I’ll talk to her. I’m sure we have
lots in common.”

Though he wanted to tell her he doubted that, he kept silent.
She’d figure it out on her own.

Hurrying down the back steps toward the barn, Matt shook his
head. As far as he could tell, Skylar would have no way to relate to the bitter,
self-absorbed woman his best friend wanted to marry. He could only hope for
José’s sake that she’d changed.

He found José in the barn, brushing down one of the mares.

“Chantal just pulled up,” Matt said.

José’s entire face lit up. “Great. I was gonna tell you, but
things have been crazy. We have an appointment at city hall with the justice of
the peace to get married this afternoon.”

“Married?” Aware his mouth was open, Matt closed it. “Are you
sure Chantal’s okay with that type of ceremony?”

José shrugged. “She’s the one who suggested it.”

Would wonders never cease? Still, for his friend’s sake, Matt
felt he had to warn him. “Sometimes women say things and hope you’ll understand
that they don’t mean them. Why don’t you get married here, on the back patio or
something? Give it a few days and I’m sure we can get the place looking
nice.”

“We’re doing it today,” José said stubbornly. “It’s all
planned. We got our marriage license last week. As a matter of fact, we were
wondering if you—and Skylar, if she’s interested—would be willing to be our
witnesses.”

“Of course.” Clapping his friend on the back, Matt nodded.
“It’s the least I could do.”

“Thanks.” They started toward the house.

“I have news of my own,” Matt said. “Skylar and I are getting
married, too. I just asked her and she said yes.”

Grinning, José high-fived him. “About time the two of you came
to your senses. Hey, maybe we can make it a double ceremony.”

“It’s a seventy-two-hour waiting period once you get the
marriage license.” Matt was actually relieved. He didn’t want to get married at
city hall by a justice of the peace. He wanted to plan a ceremony Skylar would
always remember.

* * *

When at first she’d seen Chantal strolling toward her
with the unique confidence held only by the very beautiful, Skylar looked down
at her faded jeans and scuffed boots and tried not to feel frumpy. But to her
surprise, Chantal greeted her with a friendly smile.

“Matt went to get José,” Skylar told her after introducing
herself. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

To her surprise, Chantal hugged her. “Thank you,” she gushed,
looking girlishly delighted. In fact, she glowed with happiness as she held out
her hand so Skylar could examine the ring.

It was not the large rock Skylar would have expected a
supermodel to wear. The small diamond winked brightly, the white gold or silver
band adorned with flowers.

“It’s beautiful,” she said and meant it. It was exactly the
sort of ring she herself would wear.

“Thank you. José picked it out. Say—” Chantal leaned in close
“—José and I have an appointment at city hall to be married this afternoon. He
plans to ask Matt to be his witness. I know we’ve just met, but I was going to
ask a total stranger to be mine. Would you mind standing up for me?”

Touched, Skylar nodded. Evidently she wasn’t the only one who
walked the world alone. She had one question for the other woman. “It isn’t
weird for you?” she asked. “I mean, since you dated Matt and all?”

“Nope.” Chantal didn’t even hesitate. “We were never in love
with each other. It was more like killing time. Though I never would have met
José if not for Matt. The instant I saw José, I knew.”

“Me, too.” Skylar spoke without thinking. At the other woman’s
curious look, she hesitated, wondering if Matt would mind her sharing personal
news with his ex. Since this woman was marrying his best friend and would
forever be involved in their lives, she decided he wouldn’t and smiled shyly.
“Matt and I are also getting married. I don’t have a ring yet—he just asked me a
little while ago.”

“Congratulations!” Chantal squealed, enveloping Skylar in
another perfumed hug. “Maybe you and Matt can get married with José and me this
afternoon.”

Skylar shook her head. “We haven’t gotten a marriage license
and there’s a waiting period. Plus, there’s no ring.”

Cocking her blond head, Chantal considered. “You know, I
wouldn’t mind a ceremony here at the ranch. Would you consider making it a
double?”

Staring at this woman that she’d just met, Skylar tried to
think. Both she and Chantal had no one else, and since she’d lost Robbie and
Bryan, she’d become more and more isolated and antisocial.

Right now, she was initiating sweeping changes in the way she
lived her life. Starting over. Maybe the time had come to open herself up to the
possibility of making new friends.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be pushy,” Chantal said, glancing
away. She must have believed Skylar’s silence stemmed from disapproval. “Forget
I said anything. I’ll just go ahead with my wedding this afternoon with the
justice of the peace.”

“No, that’s not it.” Impulsively, Skylar reached out and
touched the other woman’s arm. “You deserve a better wedding than that.
Actually, I love the idea. Matt and José are best buddies, after all. I think
you and I might become friends, too.” She shrugged, feeling a certainty and
sense of rightness. “Let’s see what the men think, all right?”

Chantal looked so relieved that Skylar knew she’d made the
right decision. A wedding was another new beginning, too. Why not share it?
After all, she would no longer be alone, nor would Chantal.

José agreed. Skylar got the impression he’d do anything Chantal
asked him to do, even though it meant waiting to get married. Though Matt, she
reflected happily, had also consented to the plan.

First, though, he said he had something to tell her. Taking her
aside, he swallowed hard, letting her know whatever he had to say was important
to him.

“After the gun battle, I took steps to have my name legally
changed back to what it was before. Miguel Lopez.”

He sounded so worried about her reaction that she had to kiss
his cheek. “I’m glad. What made you decide?”

Voice wickedly low, he nuzzled her neck, sending heat all
through her body. “Because I wanted our son to carry on the family name. Do you
mind being Mrs. Lopez instead of Mrs. Landeta?”

She tried to frown and look serious, but failed completely. The
idea of having his son made her dizzy. “Of course not. But does that mean I have
to call you Miguel instead of Matt?”

“Nope.” Eyes full of warmth, the tenderness and heat of his
gaze had her curling her toes. “I’m used to Matt.”

“Then by all means, Mr. Lopez, let’s go get the paperwork
done.”

He froze. “Do you have your birth certificate? I checked out
the paperwork José had. In Texas, you need a certified copy of your birth
certificate, among other things.”

She grinned at his worried expression. “You know, I just got
back from vacation. Because I’m a worrywart, I always have a certified copy with
me. Along with my passport, my driver’s license and anything else I might
need.”

On that note, they headed to town.

* * *

The morning of their wedding, Matt woke to the ominous
rumble of thunder and the howl of the wind. Sliding out from under the sheets,
careful not to wake Skylar, he padded to the window and peered outside.

Lightning flashed, illuminating rain blowing sideways in
sheets.

Perfect, he thought ruefully. Their relationship had never been
smooth. Of course it would storm.

He’d have to scrap their plans to have the ceremony on the back
patio. Pacing, he stopped and smiled slowly as an idea struck him. Of course. He
knew exactly where they’d be wed.

“Matt?” Awake now, Skylar sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Was that
rain I heard?”

“And thunder and lightning. But no worries, I’ll just move the
location and we’ll be fine.”

Frowning, she ran her fingers through her tousled red hair.
“Good thing my dress is satin instead of silk. Where are you thinking?”

Climbing back into the bed, he gave her a slow, suggestive
kiss. “Leave that to me. I promise you’ll love it.”

When he went in to deepen the kiss, she pushed him away.
“Move,” she ordered, smiling slightly to take the sting from her words. “Not
till after we’re married, Mr. Lopez.”

As she sauntered toward the bathroom for a shower, she gave him
a saucy smile over her shoulder. “Tonight, I’ll show you again how much I love
you.” Then she closed the door in his face.

He couldn’t help it—he laughed. He couldn’t wait.

Humming under his breath, Matt went to one of his other
bathrooms and took his own shower. Afterward, he made a few phone calls and
changed the location of the double wedding. He sent one of his ranch hands into
town for umbrellas and got dressed in his Western suit. Through it all, Talia
watched solemnly, as if she understood what was happening.

José arrived an hour before the ceremony. Chantal was already
there, closeted in a guest room getting dressed, just as Skylar was in the
master bedroom. Like Matt, José had been forbidden to see his bride until the
ceremony.

When Matt told José where the wedding was to be held, José
chuckled and agreed it was perfect. The two men played cards and hung out in the
kitchen while they waited.

The justice of the peace arrived. He was given an umbrella and
led away.

When Skylar and Chantal appeared on the stairs, both Matt and
José sucked in their breath. Matt could hardly tear his gaze away from the
beautiful woman who was to be his wife. She’d chosen a champagne- colored dress
that fit her body lovingly. Her red hair had been piled on top of her head with
corkscrew tendrils framing her face.

The wedding, attended only by the ranch hands, was tiny. Matt
had no family and he’d learned neither did Skylar. José’s remaining relatives
were all in Mexico, and Chantal wasn’t speaking to her parents. Talia’s
attendance, Skylar said, was more than enough for her. She’d make a new family
here with him.

Everyone else was already in place, waiting. Matt took Skylar
on his arm, his heart swelling with gratitude. Next to him, José did the
same.

At the doorway, each man opened his huge black umbrella and
walked outside, protecting his woman from the downpour.

Luckily, the wind had died down and the rain no longer came in
sideways sheets. The steady deluge only drenched their feet. When they reached
the old barn, Skylar squeezed his arm and grinned.

“Perfect,” she said. “Our place.”

His heart swelled. He’d known she’d understand.

Inside, among the horses and the scent of hay and manure and
leather, the justice of the peace stood on a raised platform in front of the
stallion stall. Talia had dashed ahead and was seated expectantly on the floor
near him. Flowers decorated every stall door, and if a horse nibbled on them
here and there, well, that was to be expected.

They’d all four chosen to embellish the traditional vows
slightly with a few simple words.

“You are my heart and my life,” Matt told Skylar when it was
time for him to do so, “my shelter from the storm and my rainbow after the
rain.”

As Skylar repeated the words back to him, to his shock he felt
his eyes fill. Not with tears of sorrow or pain, but with tears of joy at this
new beginning. A life full of love and hope, rather than pain and regret. For
both of them.

The justice of the peace turned to José and Chantal. Matt
barely listened as they spoke their vows. He couldn’t tear his now-blurry gaze
from Skylar. His woman, his wife.

With trembling fingers, she reached up and wiped his eyes.
Wonder and love and joy shone on her face, mirroring the emotions in his
heart.

“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the justice of the peace
intoned. “Gentlemen, you may kiss your bride.”

And so Matt did, gladly. Beside him, José did the same.

The ranch hands clapped and cheered. Talia barked. As Skylar
gazed up at him, her green eyes went dark with passion and the promise of what
was to come later.

Arm in arm, they turned to face their new future.

When they turned to exit the barn, they found the rain had
stopped. Above them, in the still-gray sky, a rainbow glowed, transcendent.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
Cowboy with
a Cause
by Carla Cassidy.

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