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  Amazed at what she was saying, especially in front of this crowd, Jared slowly started walking toward the stage. His gaze locked with Leigh’s, and she smiled.

  “You know, sometimes you don’t realize what someone means to you until someone else says something bad about them. I have to thank Janet for her nasty comments. They’ve made me face what I’ve felt for a long time but didn’t want to admit—I love you, Jared.”

  A gasp went through the crowd, and Jared felt his heart thump wildly. She’d said she loved him. And in front of a lot of people.

  “I love you, too,” he told her. “And thanks for standing up for me.”

  She grinned and came over to the edge of the stage. Kneeling, she leaned over and kissed him. Jared couldn’t believe how wonderful, terrific, amazing this woman was.

  And he was lucky enough to have her love him. Life didn’t get any better than this.

  When the kiss ended, Leigh leaned back and whispered, “Marry me?”

  Since she still had the microphone in her hands, that whisper echoed around the gym. Jared laughed. “I will if you will.”

  By now, the crowd was clapping and cheering them on. When Leigh yelled, “Yes” the entire room broke into applause.

  After Leigh set the microphone down, Jared reached out and lifted her into his arms.

  “I really do love you,” she said, caressing the side of his face. “I can’t believe how stupid I was not to realize it sooner.”

  “That’s okay. I’m just glad you finally realized.” Then he kissed her.

  Yeah, life didn’t get any better than this.

  **

  Sometimes life is too good to believe, Leigh Barrett-Kendrick decided as she slipped into the arms of her new husband for their first dance as a married couple.

  “Did I tell you yet today that I love you?” Jared tugged her even closer. “That I adore you? That I’m absolutely crazy about you?”

  Leigh pretended to think. “Um, well there was that one time in front of the minister. No, wait. Then all you said was ‘I do.’ I don’t remember anything about you loving, adoring, or being crazy about me.”

  He chuckled and feathered kisses down the side of her neck. Slowly the band started to play something completely unrecognizable but romantic all the same. Jared glided her around the dance floor inside the reception hall.

  “Then let me rectify that right now. I, Jared Kendrick, do love, adore, and am certifiably crazy about you, Leigh Barrett-Kendrick. I promise to treat you like a goddess—”

  Leigh laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Which, of course, I am.”

  “To me you are,” Jared said.

  Oh, well, there was no way a woman could let a man say something that romantic without rewarding him, so Leigh kissed him long and deep. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have this man love her so. Her life was perfect. Absolutely perfect. She had a wonderful man who loved her, and whose rodeo school was finally taking off. She also had a new job teaching math at the high school, and a family who was too precious for words.

  Yes, her life was perfect.

  And the wedding today had been perfect, too. That, of course, was thanks to the excellent planning she and Jared had done for the past ten months. They’d made all the decisions themselves, and even though she’d never thought it was possible, they’d had no problem reaching compromises whenever they’d had different opinions.

  Now, looking back on the wedding, she had to admit that every detail had been flawless. Not a single thing had gone wrong.

  Well, not many things anyway. Sure, her brother Trent’s dog, Brutus, had taken a big chomp out of the wedding cake. And Chase and Megan’s new son, Kyle, had spit up all over Megan’s matron-of-honor dress. And Emma, who was about to give birth any day now to a little boy, had started feeling oddly, so no one knew for certain if she’d make it through the reception or not. Then the smell of that spit-up had made Erin, who’d only recently announced she was pregnant and no doubt also was going to have a boy, to have to race off to the ladies’ room seconds before the wedding was to start.

  But still, the wedding had been perfect for Leigh because she’d been with her crazy, wild, meddlesome family while she’d married the man she positively adored.

  If that wasn’t perfect, she didn’t know what was.

  When they finally ended the kiss, Leigh grinned at her new husband and flicked open the top two buttons on his vest. “Got any plans for later this evening?” she teased.

  She felt his hands on the back of her dress, and she knew for a fact he’d slid down the zipper. She’d deliberately bought this dress because it had a zipper on the back.

  “I don’t know. Let’s see, I may take out the trash. Watch a little TV. Why, you have anything special in mind?”

  Leigh giggled. “Um, let me think. How about making insane, unpredictable love to your new wife?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” He kissed her again.

  While they were kissing, Leigh flicked open another button on his vest. She wasn’t going to be the only one standing on this dance floor half-dressed when this song ended.

  And speaking of this song, it was so familiar, yet she couldn’t place it. Drat. It was driving her crazy.

  She tried mentally humming the tune softly, but still had no idea.

  Where’d she know it from? Unable to think of the title after a couple of seconds, she broke off the kiss and looked at Jared. “What is this song they’re playing? I know I know it, but I can’t think of what it is.”

  He grinned. “It’s our song, darlin’. Don’t tell me you don’t remember it.”

  Their song? They didn’t have a song. Did they? Had she forgotten something? “What are you—” Suddenly it hit her, and her mouth dropped open. She stared at Jared, then started to laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Jared twirled her once again to the music, which was kinda difficult considering the band was playing a slow, mushy rendition of the “Hokey Pokey.”

  “What else would I have them play?”

  “What am I going to do with you?” she teased.

  “Love me forever?” he suggested.

  Leigh smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Did you love Handsome Cowboy? Then you should read Handsome Rancher by Lori Wilde and Liz Alvin!

  Chase Barrett, is on the bachelor block thanks to his matchmaking sister, Leigh. She's determined to do away with her three overprotective brothers—but in the nicest possible way!

  She's got Megan Kendall finally doing something about her hidden, long-held feelings for Chase—the rancher's always insisted there's no such thing as true love. But will Megan and the Barrett family turn Chase into a true believer instead?

  Handsome Rancher is the first book in the humorous romantic Handsome Devils series by Lori Wilde and Liz Alvin

  Also by Lori Wilde

  Handsome Devils

  Handsome Rancher

  Handsome Boss

  Handsome Lawman

  Handsome Cowboy

  Texas Rascals

  Keegan

  Matt

  Nick

  Kurt

  Tucker

  Kael

  Truman

  Brodie

  Dan

  Rex

  Clay

  Jonah (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Lori Wilde’s site.

  Also by Liz Alvin

  Handsome Devils

  Handsome Rancher

  Handsome Boss

  Handsome Lawman

  Handsome Cowboy

 

 

 
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