Cocky in a Cowboy Hat (Crossroads Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  He leveled her with a look. “As soon as possible, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes. The sooner the better.”

  The intensity of his stare changed, and suddenly he broke out in a grin. “We’ll talk more on it in the morning.”

  Her stomach still twirled with what she could only name as excited flutterings. “All right. I’ll see you at dawn.”

  When she reached the door, he spoke. “Better be bright and early. You gotta make up for the chores you missed today.”

  She turned with a smile. Things really might work out.

  * * * * *

  “Stack those odds and ends over there around the corner of the garage.” Aidan gave the command to his cousin, Cort, who held two boxes of old, probably useless, tractor parts.

  Cort took off around the garage. Behind Aidan, Kaoz and two of the ranch hands borrowed from the Bellamy were busy tearing apart a stack of more junk accumulated over his years living on the ranch.

  “Never knew you to be a hoarder, Aidan.” Kaoz picked up an old rusty teapot and dropped it into a box.

  He shrugged. “Never know when you might require a teapot.”

  “Those are words I never thought I’d hear from my cousin’s mouth,” Kaoz drawled.

  “Me either.” Cort entered the garage again and picked up a toolbox. “Where do ya want this?”

  “Put it in the bed o’ my truck for now. Seems a good enough place ’til after the wedding.”

  Cort stopped. “You’re really doing this?”

  Aidan glanced up from the stack of wood he was slowly sorting out into useful and worthless piles. “What?” he asked.

  “You, the self-declared bachelor for life, is getting married.”

  “Yup.”

  Cort arched a brow. “What changed?”

  Aidan considered several answers, but he couldn’t tell anybody that this marriage would help Liberty retain more than her money. Her pride was on the line, as well as her sanity. Preserving her happiness had become one of Aidan’s goals in life.

  He stuck to the truth.

  “For one, she’s one smart woman. Smarter than most. You know I never did tolerate those giggling, stupid females draping themselves on me. Liberty comes up with a lot of great solutions around here.” He dropped some boards onto the keep pile. “We work well together. And you should see her with the animals. There isn’t a sweeter woman, cross my heart on that.”

  “Good traits, cuz, but it’s still rather fast, wouldn’t ya say?” Kaoz asked.

  “Maybe he’s eager for the weddin’ night,” Cort jibed.

  Aidan didn’t stop the grin crossing his face. “The woman’s been driving me crazy since the moment I set eyes on her. That rockin’ body of hers has had me tangled up for a lot of long nights. Days too. Especially when she bends over.” He shook his head and tossed more wood onto the keep pile. “But really it’s her eyes that get me every damn time.”

  He caught a trace of movement in front of the open garage door and glanced up in time to see Liberty sneaking around the corner of the garage. He swung his gaze to Cort standing nearby.

  His cousin knew she’d heard as well. No matter—everything he said was the God’s honest truth. And about the wedding night, he hoped to hell he’d get her in his bed again. He got turned on simply thinking about peeling off her wedding attire—slipping off high heels, peeling down pantyhose, running his fingers over the flesh he exposed after he unzipped her gown.

  His Levis were getting a bit tight behind the fly.

  “What time is it, Cort?” he asked as he dumped a big armload of wood onto the burn pile.

  “A bit after one o’clock.”

  Aidan straightened. “I gotta go.”

  “Wait, you’re leaving your own garage cleanout party?” Kaoz looked him over.

  “That’s right. I got an appointment.”

  “Are you actually wearing a tux, Aidan?” Cort’s brows shot up.

  “Nope. Goin’ to buy some rings.” He waved to the clutter still along a wall. “Cort, you’re in charge of the decisions concerning that crap. I don’t care if you toss it all in the dumpster. Catch ya guys in a bit.”

  When he stepped out of the garage, he looked in the direction he’d seen Liberty go. He spotted her slipping into the horse pasture and the way the horses crowded around her, he knew she carried a bag of baby carrots in her pocket.

  He watched her for a long minute as she doled out treats to each and just knew she’d be baby-talking them. Yup—sweet as they came. And soon to be his wife.

  The minute she accepted his proposal, he’d wanted to grab her up and kiss the breath out of her. But since it was meant to be a business deal, he restrained his urges. He knew she liked his kisses—all over her delectable body—but he wouldn’t push her for a wedding night. For now, it was enough she trusted him.

  She turned into profile and he saw a smile before he heard her laugh at something a horse did.

  His chest tightened, prickling with that sensation he couldn’t put a name on, but it had to do with seeing Liberty happy.

  If he was to be a husband, real or fake, he would do his damnedest to ensure she laughed every day they were together.

  She twisted her head and saw him. Their gazes held for an eternal, pounding heartbeat. Finally, he tugged his hat brim in greeting before walking away…aware that she watched him go.

  * * * * *

  Liberty’s insides felt like warm caramel from what she overheard Aidan saying to his cousins about her. And warming more because his cousins’ wives descended on the place like wedding planner locusts, armed with boxes of tulle, fat white jugs to hold wildflowers, a small helium tank for those balloons Aidan requested and so much more.

  She got caught up in the excitement of decorating the garage for the small wedding reception. Brielle and Joss were easy to talk to, and they had some fantastic ideas about decorating the garage.

  “A little tulle here, draped across the doorway, will hide that garage door opener,” Joss said. “Liberty, what do you think?”

  “It works.”

  Joss eyed her. “But what do you want? It’s your special day.” She offered a warm smile.

  “I agree with you. Honestly,” she insisted. Her first wedding, she’d had a planner, paid with Redding’s fat checkbook, and she had only been required to nod or shake her head at each choice thrust before her. Though she never pictured herself getting married again, and under such odd circumstances, she did wish to make it the prettiest country wedding she’d ever seen.

  Joss climbed the ladder to begin draping the white, floaty tulle, and Liberty passed her tacks to hold it to the wood doorway.

  “Are you sure you should be on the ladder while pregnant?” Liberty asked.

  Joss waved. “I’m not huge yet. Let me have my fun!” The woman was curvy, but her baby bump wasn’t entirely prominent in her well-draped top that rode low over her hips.

  “You just had this laying around?” Liberty looked at the box filled with what looked like miles of tulle.

  “Brielle used it at her reception, and she had no use for it. Since I’m a fashion designer and haven’t yet gotten to my own special day, she thought I could use it in some way.”

  “Speaking of special days, I don’t know why you’re spinning your wheels, Joss. Cort’s been asking you weekly if you’re ready to plan that wedding,” Brielle piped up from a few feet off where she unwrapped tablecloths from tissue paper. Each white cloth she pulled out left Liberty with a new pang.

  She was getting married in two short days. The minute that license was in hand, she would bind herself to Aidan. So he could protect her assets, she reminded herself yet again.

  But he likes me too. He said as much. He called her smart, and that counted for…well, everything. The comments he made about her body went a long way too, she must admit. But knowing he respected her ideas and actually implemented them too meant the world to her.

  Joss waited for another tack, which Liber
ty gave her. “I’ve been so busy launching my clothing line and keeping the boutique stocked for customers, plus the web shop now, that I haven’t had enough time to really plan what I want for my wedding. Besides, I have to make my dress and Cort’s attire too.”

  “If you keep heaping duties onto the pile, you’ll never get to the part where you say ‘I do,’” Brielle piped up.

  Joss slanted a look toward her man, standing at the rear of Aidan’s truck unloading folding chairs borrowed from the local firehall. “I won’t wait too much longer.” By the expression of love on the woman’s face, Liberty had a clue that she couldn’t wait to tie the knot with her love.

  After draping the tulle in a beautiful arc over one door, they decided all three needed to match. This time Liberty climbed the ladder to replicate the work on the second opening. She stopped mid-hang when she felt someone staring at her. Her skin prickled before she even met Aidan’s icy gaze.

  He tipped his head to look at her, a crooked smile on his handsome face. Her insides flip-flopped, and her breath hitched. The moment stretched on. Though he didn’t lay a finger on her, she felt his warm gaze as if he’d stroked her.

  “Looks beautiful.” His tone roughened.

  Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t referring to the tulle?

  “Thank you. I like what I see too.”

  The other side of his mouth tilted to match, and he offered her a private grin. “When you get a minute, will you come down and talk to me?”

  “Yes.” She threw her attention to Joss and Brielle, now busy unfolding the tablecloths and using a small steamer Joss brought from her clothing boutique to loosen the wrinkles from the linen.

  Aidan walked off, and she watched him return to the bed of the truck, grab six more wooden chairs and heave them onto his shoulder to carry to the opposite side of the garage to line the tables.

  Her insides jittered as she considered what he wanted to speak to her about. They’d been so busy with preparations and the general running of the ranch that they hadn’t had a moment to establish ground rules. She didn’t know much about Aidan’s expectations. Did he think she’d take his name? She mouthed it aloud: Liberty Bellamy.

  A little bit of a mouthful, so maybe she’d stick with Baker. It was her maiden name, after all, what she picked for herself following her divorce.

  When her mind rotated within a mile of her ex, she thought about what he’d done. After placing several phone calls to the bank, she learned that he indeed had signed in using her login information and transferred money to his own account. Exactly half—down to the penny. Money that her grandpa wanted her to have now sat in that asshole’s account, and with his income he didn’t need it. He’d done it to rile her—again.

  She finished her task and climbed down the ladder, standing back to assess her efforts. Compared to the draping Joss did, she made a muck of it.

  “Don’t worry—nobody can do as well as Joss when it comes to fabric. She’ll fix it for you,” Brielle whispered in a conspiratorial way.

  Liberty couldn’t help but smile in return. “Thanks. It’s good to know it isn’t only me.”

  “It’s not!”

  “Excuse me. Aidan wants a word with me.” She took her leave of Brielle. Aidan stood at the rear of the truck again, and she watched the pull of his muscles on his spine and rippling across his shoulders beneath his T-shirt as he dragged the chairs toward him.

  He glanced at her and straightened.

  “I’m ready for that talk.” Why did she feel suddenly nervous? They were friends.

  Lovers too.

  About to be married.

  That changed everything—didn’t it? Wouldn’t they still be friends…and possibly lovers again?

  Her pussy clenched at the mere thought of having him between her legs.

  He grabbed her by the hand and started walking. She kept up with his slow gait as they rounded the garage. She stopped in her tracks and sucked in a gasp.

  “You haven’t seen it yet?” he rumbled.

  She shook her head, dazed and dazzled by the sight of a makeshift chapel set up outdoors. An octagonal platform had been set up at the end, and two of the big fence posts had been set on either side. Between them, somebody—she guessed it was Joss—had strung more tulle wound with flower garlands in shades of cream and dusty rose that Liberty had selected.

  Stumps had been cut as bases for what appeared to be old barn wood planks for benches. Rows of them were set up for the wedding guests.

  Her throat clogged off. She couldn’t imagine how all these ideas would come together, but seeing it now shook her to the core. She was getting married in a couple days, to a man she hardly knew. And it would be a beautiful rustic country wedding of her dreams.

  If she still had dreams about weddings, that was. Clearly, she had some inclination toward them, or she wouldn’t be tearing up now.

  She turned to Aidan. He searched her eyes. “I hope those are happy tears.”

  She gave a wobbly laugh. “I’m not sure what they are to be honest. This is all happening so fast.”

  “I know. I wanted to talk to you about some things, Liberty.”

  She nodded.

  Still gripping her fingers, he tilted his head toward her. “First off, you should know I spoke with my legal counsel.”

  “And?”

  “They feel strongly we can fight this and have the full amount stolen from your account returned.”

  “But at what cost?”

  He shrugged. “Who cares?”

  “I care! I can never pay you back for it.”

  “Never asked you to. It’s a matter of principle for me now. I won’t be bested by some guy swinging around his little dick.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Tell me it was little.”

  That brought a laugh bubbling up her throat. She nodded. “Extremely average.”

  “Good.” He straightened a bit, more serious now. “With that out of the way, I have something else I want to do.”

  She waited. He appeared nervous, shifting from foot to foot and rubbing her fingers as if he polished leather.

  All of a sudden, he dropped to one knee.

  Her jaw fell open. He was…proposing? After he already asked her to marry him?

  Stunned, she could only gape at him as he withdrew a ring that glinted gold in the sunshine. The fact his hand trembled sent a spark of feeling through her chest.

  He wet his lips. “Liberty…will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  Her insides wobbled. Her knees felt as if someone replaced them with her favorite lemon meringue pie. The icy depths of Aidan’s eyes turned into blue fire as he awaited her answer.

  What she saw on his face made her heart give a hard squeeze.

  He poised the round-cut diamond set in warm rose gold at the tip of her finger.

  Throat trapping in her words, all she could do was nod.

  He grinned and slipped the ring to the base of her finger. After a long thudding moment, he stood and pulled her into his arms. She slid hers around his waist and held on to keep from falling over. He anchored her to him and bowed his face into her hair.

  When she tipped her head up to him, he swooped in and kissed her. The softest, most exquisite brushing of lips she’d ever experienced in her life, that left her knees even weaker and her insides molten.

  Applause broke out, and they withdrew, turning as one to see all the family members assisting in the wedding setup standing there.

  Liberty buried her face against Aidan’s broad chest to hide her smile.

  * * * * *

  Aidan raised his hand in a wave of farewell as his cousins climbed into their trucks and headed down the driveway. Between chores on his ranch and the Bellamy, somehow they’d managed to set up a wedding chapel and a reception hall.

  The taillights faded in the darkness, and he hitched his thumb in his belt. Overall, a good day. Progress had been made. Liberty smiled most of the time.

  And he’d proposed properly o
n his knee—he grass-stained his jeans—with a ring he’d spent a good chunk of his savings on, along with a set of bands for the big day.

  She’d slipped off partway through the evening for a wedding dress fitting with Joss. After she arrived home, she went straight to her room with a garment bag in her arms. The vision of her carrying that dress left him with no doubts this wedding really would take place.

  Unless she backed out at the last minute.

  Half of him had expected exactly that—until she kissed him out by the chapel. Her soft sigh told him so much more about her feelings for him. Their marriage may not be conventional, but she didn’t dislike him. In fact, she melted against him.

  With the memory of her curves pressed against him, he walked to the house in search of her. When he found her at the sink washing up some dishes, she tossed a look over her shoulder.

  “I think it’s still my turn,” he said.

  “I know. But you worked hard all day and I thought you could use a break.”

  “You worked hard too.” He moved up behind her, reached around her and pulled the drain plug, letting the soapy water swirl away. A few unwashed items sat in the bottom of the sink.

  Liberty fell still, but he heard her rasping breaths. “Well now you will be doing those dishes.”

  He chuckled, lured in by the scent of her shampoo. “Got your dress all fitted?”

  “Yup. Joss said your jacket fits you like a glove.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m relieved you didn’t ask for a penguin suit.”

  “It wouldn’t suit you at all.” She turned her face aside so their mouths were inches apart.

  He stepped back. “Come outside with me. I wanna show you somethin’.”

  When he moved to the glass door and stepped onto the deck, she followed. He pointed to the dark field twinkling with fireflies.

  She sucked in a breath. “There must be a thousand there.”

  “Yup. Make a pretty sight on our wedding night, won’t it?”

  She circled him to stand toe-to-toe. Then she pulled his hat off, threaded her fingers into the hair at his nape and drew him down.

  She kissed him. The teasing nibbles made him hard in seconds. When she slid her tongue along his lip, seeking entrance, he held back a growl.