The Cowboy and the Angel | ✓

Chapter Eighteen

"This weddin' was amazin'," Tavin bragged as the wedding guests started clearing out.

Jason nodded. "It was very emotional."

"How so?" Annalyn giggled as Leroy fed her another piece of the off-white cake.

"It was so emotional even the cake was in tiers!" Jason answered. He couldn't help but laugh at his own joke whether anyone else thought it was funny or not.

"Jason!" Dixie tried to scold him, but failed miserably when she burst out laughing.

Leroy rubbed his face. "Oh Lord help us!"

Tavin crooked an eyebrow at Jason. "Do I need to pray for you?"

Jason winked and shot a look at Dixie before turning to Tavin. "You might want to, Reverend. I'm in need of divine assistance."

"Look at my sister like that again and I will," Tavin said flatly. The sparkle in his eyes was the only thing that kept them from thinking he was actually serious.

"Wait a moment," Annalyn cut in. "He just called you Reverend."

Tavin folded his hands. "Well, he is partly true."

"Wait what?" Jason burst out, nearly spitting his sweet tea across the floor. "I was only jokin'."

"What you meant for harm, God meant for good, my friend." Tavin laughed and smiled. "I am Abilene's new preacher. . .without a church."

"Tavin!" Annalyn looked at him in surprise. "So you're gonna be preachin' on Sundays?"

"Yes, whenever I fix the church. It's so run down I'm not sure if it's even repairable."

Dixie squeezed her brother. "I'm so happy for you!"

"What persuaded you to do this?" Jason asked curiously. "I thought you didn't wanna be a preacher."

"I didn't, but God did," Tavin affirmed. "I talked with Bro. Blackstone, and he helped open my eyes to some things."

Annalyn grabbed Tavin's arm. "All of us are supportin' you."

"Indeed we are," Leroy agreed. He gave Jason a meaningful grin. "That means we won't have to wait for Bro. Blackstone to come back around before we can have another weddin'."

Tavin gave a smile and a nod. "Right."

"Y'all about ready to wrap it up and head home?" Matthew walked up. His face, though still covered with faded bruises, was split into a broad smile. He was a walking, talking, and breathing miracle.

Leroy smirked as he gave Annalyn a look before turning to his father. "Yes, sir! I'm ready."

Tavin ignored that look on Leroy's face and beamed a smile at Matthew. "I believe we all are."

Jason stretched, smoothly slipping his arm around Dixie in the process. He kissed her forehead and grinned. "How about I escort you home, Angel?"

"By all means, do it," Tavin answered before she could. "Pa's done left, and I got some business to finish before I can leave. And I don't want her to go home by herself 'cause it's late."

Dixie rolled her eyes at her brother. "I can take care of myself, thank you, but--" she flashed a beautiful smile at Jason, "--I'd love for you to come with me."

Jason gripped her hands, leaning so close to her their lips brushed together. "Then it's a done deal."

"Did y'all see that?" Tavin gasped, staring at the others for help. "She turned me down for him!"

Annalyn gave him a pouty face. "Tavin, you did just say you had somethin' better to do than take her home."

"I did not!" Tavin sputtered. "Leroy?"

Leroy shrugged. "That's what it sounded like to me."

Tavin tried to pooch his lip out, but he couldn't possibly do that without laughing. He barely managed to hold in a chuckle. "Y'all were supposed to be on my side."

Annalyn cut her eyes at Leroy. "We're on the side of love."

Tavin slapped his forehead. "Oh, brother!"

"O, brother, I shall depart with thy sister," Jason joked in a goofy voice. He grabbed Dixie's hand. "Let us remove ourselves from their company, my dear little lady."

Matthew looked heavenward. "Lord, help that boy. I believe he's lost his mind."

"I may have lost my mind, but I've found love," Jason corrected as him and Dixie exited the barn. It took them just a few seconds to mount up, and before long, they were heading the long way to the Harden's.

As they rode slowly side-by-side, Jason's mind was everywhere but with him. His thoughts were full of a wedding, of Dixie, of him and her, of their future. He wanted to take their relationship to the next level with all his heart, but he was caught up on the how and the where. He looked up to the heavens and breathed a prayer. As the stars twinkled before his eyes, he felt an unexplainable urgency in his heart.

"Why'd we stop?" Dixie asked softly, her loosely curled hair twirling in the wind.

Jason mentally shook his head as his eyes refocused. He hadn't realized they'd stopped until now. Up ahead, he saw a grassy hill and instantly knew what he was about to do. He dismounted with a smile before helping Dixie down. "I wanna show you somethin', sugar."

She giggled as his large hand enfolded hers and his long fingers made their way through hers. "What is it?"

"Now that, my dear, is a surprise." He winked, giving her hand a tug. "And I know how much you love surprises."

Dixie couldn't argue with that as they made their way through the swaying grass. Every now and then a luminous firefly would light up, its soft glow reflecting in Jason's eyes. Overhead, the sky was blanketed in a deep purple dotted with glimmering stars as the last fingers of sunlight retracted to give the moon, in all her pale glory, time to shine.

"Look," Jason said softly.

Dixie gasped, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's beautiful!"

Below them, the rest of the grassland played out to a scatter of trees. Fireflies danced like tiny flickering stars through the dark grass as it rolled like an ocean wave in the breeze.

"The works of God's hands are marvelous," Dixie said in awe.

"Scripture says every good and perfect gift comes from above. And the most perfect gift is standin' right in front of me." Jason squeezed her hand, looking down into her eyes. "You're all I've ever wanted and then some. I don't know what I'd do without you, Angel. You've been by my side through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want you to know that I'll be by your side every hour of every day for the rest of my life."

"Jason. . . ." Dixie blinked back the tears as he grabbed her other hand and got down on one knee.

He kissed the top of her hand softly. The smile on his face was unlike any she'd ever seen before. "I love you, and I promise to love you until the end of our days. Dixie Harden, will you marry me?"

She couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and they streamed down her cheeks. "Yes!"

Jason stood up, and she launched herself into his arms. He smiled into her hair as she laughed and cried. He closed his eyes, thanking God for the gift of Dixie.

"I love you, Cowboy," she murmured into his shirt.

"I love you more, my angel." Jason rubbed her back and smoothed her hair. "As much as I wanna marry you right now, I'm gonna give you some time to prepare."

She lifted her face from his shirt with a bright, teary smile. "How long?"

"Until the moment I come back from Dry Gulch. I'll be gone for two weeks at most, after that, you're mine. I can't wait any longer."

"Neither can I."

As the moon made her way to her throne high in the sky, the cowboy held his angel, swaying to the beat of their own hearts.