Page 188 of Cautious Love

A giggle bubbles from my lips, and Mae elbows me.

“It’s my understanding both of y’all are the newest Mrs. Hayes?” he asks.

We both nod.

“Yeah, uh, I married Ledger.”

“And I married Cooper,” Mae rasps.

He chuckles and gives us each a hug. “Welcome to the family. I’m sorry I couldn’t be at either of the weddings.”

“That’s alright, man,” Cooper says, throwing his arm around Mae.

“Yeah, Ledger and I didn’t have a … typical wedding,” I mutter, and feel his hand slip around my waist possessively.

“Is that right? Hm, I’m still trying to figure out how two beautiful women like you are with my raggedy cousins.”

I snort. “I ask myself that every day.”

“Hey,” Ledger mutters.

“I love your music, by the way,” I gush.

He smiles. “Well, thank you, that means a lot. Ms. Gracie has really been that missing piece for the last few songs we’ve done,” he says, looking around for her.

She’s still talking to June.

“Dallas and Gracie! On deck, intro running!” a stagehand calls from the doorway.

“That would be my cue. It was very nice to meet you, Ms. Shiloh,” Dallas says, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.

I giggle like a little girl, and Ledger literally growls and takes my hand out of Dallas’s.

“It’s Mrs. Ledger Hayes, asshole,” Ledger says.

Dallas winks and Ledger sighs heavily.

“I’m being a gentleman cousin,” he says to Ledger.

Ledger grumbles at him, and I spot Gracie waiting for Dallas at the doorway.

“I’ll see y’all after the show. Enjoy, have fun,” Dallas says.

Everyone yells shouts of good luck, but I look up at my husband. “Don’t worry, sheriff, I’m not going anywhere. Especially since you knocked me up.”

He grumbles and kisses me roughly.

“Yes, sir,” I mutter against his lips.

He grins and I pat his cheek.

We all filter out of the green room to stand on the edge of the stage.

They give Dallas his guitar and Gracie her’s. She frowns, adjusting her hat on her head, and Dallas fixes it for her. Shelooks up at him, and he smiles sweetly down at her. They’d make a beautiful couple, one that would probably piss off a lot of fans.

“You’re seeing what I’m seeing, right?” Mae says coming up to my side.

“I’ve always thought there was something between them. Gracie swears there isn’t. But a man like that doesn’t look at a woman like her just because,” June says, on my other side.