The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy

by Robin Bielman

  “Andrew says your phone isn’t in his car,” Ava called out.

  “Maybe it fell onto the ground,” she said, walking back to the couch and pushing Maverick to the back of her mind. “Can I use yours?”

  She called the hospital and sure enough, they had her phone. Only it had been destroyed when a car pulling up to the hospital ran over it. She asked to be connected to Hugo’s room next, and was glad to hear from Maria that things were status quo. She handed the cell back to her sister and covered her face with her hands. “At some point today, I need to get a new phone.”

  An hour later, Andrew showed up with breakfast burritos—he argued she needed something more substantial than a glazed doughnut if she planned to be at the hospital all day—and regaled Ava with stories from Windsong.

  “On a scale of one to ten,” Ava said, “how hot was Maverick?”

  “With or without his cowboy hat?” Andrew asked.

  Kennedy made to leave the room. She didn’t want to hear anything about Maverick. He’d had all day yesterday to get in touch with her before she lost her phone, and the fact that he didn’t told her everything she needed to know. They were done. He’d taken her albeit unpleasant note and respectfully decided to let her go without any further exchange.

  Andrew stayed her with his hand on her arm.

  “Oh my God. He wore a cowboy hat?” Ava fanned herself.

  “I need to get dressed and head to the hospital,” Kennedy said, reading the clock on the wall. Visiting hours started in thirty minutes.

  “I know you do,” Andrew started, “but there’s something I didn’t tell you yesterday.”

  Kennedy stiffened, unsure if anything else about yesterday mattered. Her usual curiosity, though, got the best of her. “What?”

  “Before I left the ranch, I had a quick heart-to-heart with Bethany. She asked about our sudden leaving and I told her about Hugo. She was really upset on your behalf, and said she spoke for the whole family when she said she wished you the best and hoped Hugo would be okay. Then she told me about Maverick.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Yesterday was the anniversary of his girlfriend’s death.”

  Kennedy’s fist flew to her mouth as a rush of compassion overwhelmed her. “I didn’t know.”

  “I didn’t think so. It was also her birthday.”

  “No,” she whispered, pressing her closed hand against her lips. As if Nicole’s death wasn’t tragic enough, she left the world the same day she entered it. “So, yesterday was…”

  “A tough day for him. Bethany said every year he drives to San Francisco to spend the day at the cemetery and to see Nicole’s parents. He refuses company and makes it a solitary thing.”

  “I would have—” She stopped herself. If she’d known, she would have gone with him instead of attending the wedding in a heartbeat. She would have wormed her way into his plan because she knew he could have used the support. And that’s what a person did for someone they loved, whether they liked it or not.

  She froze.

  She loved him.

  Ava gently took Kennedy’s fist and lowered her arm. “Breathe,” she instructed.

  Kennedy took a deep breath. She loved him. With her heart. With her soul. And she was overcome with sympathy for him. “He’d already left when I got to his house?”

  “I think so.” Andrew wrapped up the remaining half of his burrito.

  “Do you think he even read my note?” She hoped not. Maybe a window had been left open and a gust of wind came through his kitchen and blew the piece of paper into a black hole. She hated the brief, unkind words she’d left him with, made much worse with this new knowledge.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I should call him.” She looked around the room for her phone before remembering it was roadkill.

  “Use mine,” Andrew and Ava said at the same time, phones thrust at her.

  She pulled a face, remembering she didn’t have his number. “I need to call the inn.” Her eyes darted back to the clock. “But I can’t right now. I can’t think about anything other than Hugo.” She stood, threw away what was left of her breakfast. “I’ll get a new phone later and reach out then.” At the moment, she could only deal with one important person at a time.

  In the privacy of her room, she leaned against the closed door and slid down to the floor. It felt like the walls were closing in on her. Hugo. Her interview in Boston. Maverick.

  The day went by in a blur. She’d dressed, driven to the hospital, and remained by Hugo’s bedside with Maria. When Hugo finally woke fully with his memory intact and much better mobility in his arms and legs, she and Maria literally jumped for joy. She’d never been so relieved.

  Hugo moved out of the PICU and to a regular room. At the request of Maria, Kennedy spoke with his doctors. Given the seriousness of his accident and his underlying health condition, they decided to keep him in the hospital until his surgery.

  Left cardiac sympathetic denervation surgery. A big deal, but necessary given the failure of his defibrillator. She explained the procedure to Maria, assured her it was the best option, and promised to stop in tomorrow before her flight to Boston.

  By the time she left the hospital, it was too late to head to the Apple Store for a new phone. She added it to her list for tomorrow, wishing she could wrinkle her nose and stop time for a couple of hours so she could catch up.

  Ava and Andrew were waiting for her with pizza when she walked into the apartment, and she almost cried at the consideration. They watched a movie while they ate, but mostly Kennedy sat dazed and unfocused for a good chunk of time. Before the romantic comedy ended, she excused herself and fell into bed, bone-tired from the mental workout of the past two days. As was becoming habit, a slow-motion montage of Maverick played behind her eyelids as she drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning she packed an overnight bag for her trip to Boston. She settled on a black knee-length skirt, light green blouse, and black pumps for her interview, linen pants and a comfy tee for the plane.

  She had breakfast on the table when Ava wandered into the kitchen ready to go to class. “Morning, sunshine.”

  “Ugh. I’ll be so glad when school is over. Thank you for this.” Ava downed a plate of scrambled eggs, then buttered a piece of toast to take with her. “Have a good flight and kick butt tomorrow.” She kissed Kennedy’s cheek. “Call me tonight.”

  “I will. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  At the knock on the door five minutes later, Kennedy glanced around, thinking Ava forgot her keys or a textbook or something. She opened the door wide. “What did you—?”

  The rest of her sentence died on her tongue as she swallowed past the lump in her throat.

  “Maverick?” She almost leaped into his arms.

  Almost.

  He looked equally happy to see her, his eyes a lively blue and his lips sliding into a slow, untroubled smile.

  “Hi, Shortcake.” His deep, friendly voice erased every ill thought she’d had about him over the past two days.

  “What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Who’s working the ranch? Don’t you have a lot to do this week before you go?”

  His dimples made a subtle appearance. “First things first, everyone’s fine.”

  “That didn’t sound very convincing.”

  “Probably because I left Hunter a note that I was driving here and would be back tonight and he’s no doubt cursing my name and the day I was born and planning some form of revenge.” He nodded inside her apartment. “Can I come in?”

  “Yes, of course.” She stepped aside to give him entry. His smell engulfed her, making her legs weak. God, he smelled good.

  He stood in the middle of the room in jeans, a black T-shirt, and boots and glanced around her apartment.

  “I was just fini
shing breakfast. Can I make you some eggs and toast?”

  “No thanks, I’m good,” he said, finally meeting her gaze.

  She couldn’t stop staring at him, was lightheaded from the way he filled the space—her space—and from those earnest blue eyes of his.

  “Kennedy?”

  “Uh-huh?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry.” She blinked away his mojo. “Just surprised to see you.”

  He made a motion for them to sit. With his broad shoulders, he took up a good portion of the couch, but she managed to situate herself on the opposite end and leave some much-needed space between them. She deserved a medal for the Herculean effort it took to resist touching him. Does he have a magnet in his pocket with my name on it or what?

  “I didn’t like how we left things, so I drove down this morning hoping to catch you. I tried calling but—”

  “My phone broke,” she interrupted.

  “So you’re not ignoring me?”

  She shook her head. She feared he’d always hold a place in her head and heart. “Not on purpose.” And wow. He must have left at two a.m. to be here now. “Don’t move.” She jumped to her feet and poured him a cup of coffee. “It’s not Claudia’s, but it’s all I have,” she said, handing him the kick of caffeine that tasted maybe half as good as the brew from Baked on Main.

  His fingers brushed hers on the handoff. The usual tingles danced up her arm.

  “Did you leave me a message on my phone?” she asked, voice steady, thank goodness.

  “A couple.”

  “I didn’t think I’d hear from you again. What did they say?” Two days ago when she’d stood in his kitchen, their relationship lay in ruins at her feet, but now she hoped he was here to bring it back to life.

  “I always planned on a proper goodbye, despite what I think you took away from my letter.” He narrowed his eyes, not in an angry way but in a pleasantly annoyed way, and she understood—she had read it without asking. “What I wrote that day wasn’t meant for anyone to see.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have looked at any of them.” She ducked her head, ashamed of herself for invading his privacy.

  He lifted her chin with his finger. “You’re right—you shouldn’t have. But I’m sorry, too, if I hurt your feelings.”

  They traded small smiles.

  “So you came here to set the record straight?” Because nothing else had changed. She was still headed to Boston and he was still set to travel and return to Windsong.

  “I came because I needed to see you in person. First, to wish you luck on your interview and safe travels. But more importantly, Bethany mentioned you yesterday afternoon, and when she said Hugo’s name, I remembered how special he was to you and I wanted to make sure…” He quickly inhaled, then let out a sigh. “I wanted to be here for you.”

  She sucked in her lips to keep her emotions in check. And to stop herself from saying something foolish like, I love you, Maverick Owens.

  “Is Hugo okay?” he asked when she didn’t say anything.

  “Yes. Or he will be. He needs surgery again, but I’m confident he’ll come out of it better than ever. He’s a tough kid.”

  “Like you were.” If he didn’t stop with the niceties, she feared she’d drag him to her bedroom. And keep him there for as long as he’d stay.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” His gaze flitted around the room before settling on her carry-on bag. “Looks like you’re packed and ready to go.”

  She jumped to her feet, having momentarily forgotten she needed to get a move on. “What time is it? I’m sorry to cut your visit short, but I need to get going. I told Hugo’s mom I’d swing by the hospital, and then I need to go buy a new phone before I head to the airport for my flight this afternoon.”

  He stood, took her hand. “Would it help if I got the new phone for you and dropped it off at the hospital?”

  His hand was warm, comforting. She focused on their joined fingers, the skin-to-skin contact setting her blood on fire. “That’s really nice of you, but I can do it.” The longer they prolonged their goodbye, the more it would hurt.

  “I know you can, but—”

  “No buts.” She locked eyes with him. “Thank you for coming all this way. It means a lot. And I’m glad we cleared the air and can go our separate ways without regrets.”

  “If things were—”

  “Different. I know.” She had no doubt the romantic side of her would imagine the two of them together for a long time to come. She’d close her eyes at night and picture him leaving her poems from Rumi, stealing her breath with kisses, laughing with her, making love to her.

  “It was a hell of a week, Shortcake.”

  “It was.”

  “If you ever find yourself in need of some R and R, you know where to find me,” he said half facetiously, half wholeheartedly.

  “I know where to find the ranch,” she teased.

  “Close enough.”

  “Safe travels to you, too.” She tried to slip her hand free, but he held tight. “And good luck with the pesticide. I’m holding you to that postcard you promised.”

  “When you get your phone, text me your address.”

  “You’re here, so don’t you have it?”

  “I don’t have an address in Boston.” He tugged her closer, wrapped his arms around her waist.

  Time disappeared as they took each other in and she cupped her hands around his neck. This was it. Their last kiss.

  Her body trembled and her eyelids fluttered as he canted his head and pressed his lips to hers. She absently wondered if this would have been the same kiss they gave each other if they’d said goodbye on the ranch. As his tongue slipped inside her mouth, she decided, no.

  Because this kiss wasn’t a given. He’d driven hours to make it happen. They’d apologized and shared a soft look, silently admitting they cared deeply for each other. Kennedy cared so much, she feared she’d never feel the same way again.

  Feeling bold and unwilling to let this last opportunity go by, she took his hands and moved them to her butt, fit her body closer to his. He groaned into her mouth, deepened the kiss. She felt exactly what this kiss did to him, and knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him was both exhilarating and tragic. When he broke the kiss and stared down at her, his face creased in anguish, she desperately wanted to end this on a happier note.

  “Did you know the longest kiss on record went on for over fifty-eight hours? A couple in Thailand did it to celebrate Valentine’s Day,” she blurted out. It was the first thing to come to mind. Kissing someone for that long was cause for happiness. And maybe she was implying she and Maverick could beat that record if given the chance.

  “Did you know French kissing for just ten seconds can transfer eighty million germs from one person’s mouth to another?” he asked in return.

  “Where did you learn that?”

  “In vet school. It came up when someone talked about kissing their dog.”

  “With tongue?” She made a face. She liked dogs, but that was gross. Dogs ate their own poop, didn’t they?

  “Yep.”

  “You win,” she said with a smile.

  And just like that, a sense of normalcy filled the air around them. A new normalcy. Because she never would have conceded before.

  “Too bad I can’t collect the prize I really want.”

  O-kay. Time to go before she canceled her life and took up a new one that included setting a new kissing record.

  She stepped to the door and opened it. “I really do need to get moving.”

  They didn’t take their eyes off each other as he made his exit. “Be safe and happy,” he said with affection.

  “You too.” She closed the door and walked into the kitchen. But then quickly spun around, regret an
d sadness eating her up inside. She raced out the door to catch him. For one more hug. One more kiss. One more promise.

  She found an empty hallway. Too late.

  But…an envelope with her name on it lay at her feet. She picked it up and went back inside her apartment to read it.

  Dear Kennedy,

  As I walk away, all I want to do is pull your body over mine and whisper how much you mean to me. It’s always been you, and maybe one day we’ll meet again to pick up where we’ve left off. No matter what, though, I’ll always want what’s best for you. Good luck, Dr. Shortcake.

  Love,

  Maverick

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Five days since they said goodbye

  “Are you sure I can’t come with you, Uncle Mav?” Jenna asked with pleading eyes, her hands clasped in front of her in prayer. She’d decided she’d get a much better education traveling with him than returning to school and sitting in a boring classroom.

  He knelt down to her level. “You know your mom and dad would miss you too much. Not to mention George, Barley, and Rumi.” He’d given his niece Rumi, asking her to take good care of the puppy for him while he was gone. The others were going to families in the area.

  She scrunched up her nose. “Fine. Can you bring me lots of presents, then?”

  “Jenna!” Bethany reprimanded. “That’s not okay.”

  Jenna gave a small shrug like, Sorry, Mom, but it’s what kids do. He hoped she didn’t change too much while he was gone.

  “I’ll see what I can do, pipsqueak.”

  She flung her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  He straightened and looked at his family. They’d gathered around the entrance of the inn to see him off. The week had been a busy one. After returning from L.A. late Monday night, he’d thrown himself into work around the ranch and spent a good amount of time riding Magnolia. “I’ll check in when I can,” he said.

  “No return flight yet?” his mom asked. Her question came from a good place, but it troubled him. He couldn’t rush this trip with a good conscience. He understood his obligation to the ranch and his family, but he owed it to Nicole to do this right. To see the things she missed out on before putting their life together behind him for good.