The Bride's Secret

by Sophia Summers

  With those thoughts, as she pulled into the hotel front drive, she paid the driver and hopped out, full of energy, to find Wyatt.

  The elevator wouldn’t come fast enough. When at last it dinged open, she rushed in and used her card to push the top floor. But it wouldn’t’ work. Frustrated, she waved it in front of the round black sensor. Nothing. The top floor wouldn’t light so she could push it. Others entered with her and she felt foolish so she stepped out and went to talk to the front desk. “My key cared isn’t working anymore.” Her fingers tapped. She shuffled her feet from side to side.

  “Wyatt Jackson?”

  “Well, yes, it’s his room. I’ve been sharing it.”

  The skepticism in the woman’s face did nothing to boost Carisa’s confidence.

  “He might have checked out. I cannot tell you why his key is not working.”

  “What? That’s not possible. He would have told me. What time?”

  “I’m not at liberty to give you details. For security purposes that’s all I can tell you.”

  “But you’re saying he checked out?”

  “I’m not at liberty to give you those details.”

  Carisa pocketed the key. Keepsake. She let her feet take her wherever they would. He left? Just like that? She didn’t think she could function normally in public so she headed back to her own hotel room.

  The elevator dinged again, this time on the fourth floor and she walked to her room door. She reached for her key and it worked. But when she stepped into the room, another key sat on the table. “What?”

  She fingered it and then reached in her pocket. No other key. So she’d tried the wrong one on the elevator? Maybe? Energy coursed through her. She ran out of her room, down the hall and back to that dreaded elevator.

  The button stayed lit this time and made no change even though she pressed it close to twenty times while she waited.

  “It won’t make things move any faster.” A kid’s voice matter of factly pronounced.

  “Yes, thank you.” She turned. “Henry! How have you been?”

  “Uh, great. How have you been?”

  “Good. I’m going up to see the freeze tag champion right now. Anything you want to tell him?”

  “Tell him he’s going down.”

  She laughed. “Looking for a rematch, huh?”

  “Unless he’s chicken.”

  “Ho ho. I’ll pass on the message.”

  “He nodded and then they both climbed in the elevator together. He got off two floors above and then she waved the key card over the black sensor, and the top floor lit! She pushed the button five times for good measure and bounced on her toes, waiting for it to arrive

  The door opened, slower than usual she was sure of it and she ran into the room. The maids had been there. Everything was precisely in its place and it smelled of lemon. She ran to her room. Everything was still there. Then she ran across the living area and into Wyatt’s room. Nothing in sight. She ran to the closet. Nothing. Then she opened his drawers. And gasped in relief. Clothes. She remember he hadn’t brought any luggage. And she sagged in great waves of happiness. “He’s still here.”

  “Where else would I be?”

  She whirled around. Wyatt stood in the doorway to his room and smirked.

  “Oh Wyatt.” She ran for him and threw her arms around him. “I thought you’d left. The front desk sort of pretended you had. My key didn’t work but then I realized I had the wrong one so the right key worked, but then I didn’t see you anywhere.” She caught her breath and felt her face heat. She stepped away and moved to the window. “I’m such a head case. I’m sorry. Can we start over this whole conversation?”

  “No way. I like the direction this is going. Let me see if I got this right. You realized you can’t live without me as soon as you thought I was gone?”

  His eyebrows rose innocently enough but she sensed he was teasing. “Oh stop. I’m embarrassed enough already.”

  “I’m sorry. I am. Let’s go sit on the balcony. It’s a gorgeous night.”

  They opened the sliding glass door and the sounds of waves washed over Carisa, a great calm filling her. The stars were out, the moon shone of the water. “You’re right. This is almost magical.”

  “We should go down there. Want to walk on the beach?”

  “Yes. Let me grab my sweatshirt.”

  She changed into flip flops and her sweatshirt and they walked down together. The night air cushioned them in a cool blanket. The sand still felt warm on their feet. Wyatt reached for her hand and with the feel of his hand, cradling hers, suddenly Carisa’s life clicked into place. She wanted things to work out with Wyatt. More than anything. “Where do you even live?”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know where you live.”

  “Oh.” He laughed. “Well, most of the time I live in an apartment in Manhattan. It’s just easier to live there than try to commute from anywhere.”

  Their hands swung together gently with the rhythm of their walking. He stared out in front of them. “And you live in the upper east side, right?”

  She nodded. “I work downtown.”

  “That’s pretty great.”

  Her smile almost hurt her cheeks. “Yeah. I think that’s pretty great too.” She laughed and then he joined her and soon they were laughing harder and hugging their stomachs and all the tension seeped out. He pulled her up against him. “Of all the places in the world you could have lived, you live near me.” He eyes sparkled down at her. “I want this to work out.”

  His arms encircled her, and she felt warm, cared for. His eyes saw only her. His mouth grinned in expectation. She couldn’t believe how lucky she could be for such a man to want to be with her.

  “I want us to work out too.” She frowned. “But Wyatt.” A sigh escaped her before she could stop it.

  “Uh oh. What’s this?”

  “You sure you want my mess in your life?”

  “I’m sure. Carisa. You’re not a mess. This whole time you keep saying you’re emotionally challenged or whatever. I’ve decided you’re looking at yourself from the wrong angle. I think you finally found yourself, finally became emotionally strong and that’s what made it possible for you to step away from something you didn’t want, to be strong enough to say no in the face of all that pressure to say yes. I’m so glad you did.”

  “Me too. I didn’t tell you but he was totally cheating on me.”

  “I know.”

  She stopped their walk. “You knew?”

  “Well, no, not concretely, but I suspected. And don’t be looking at me with so much accusation. I didn’t know you at all at the time, remember? And I hinted as much.”

  She dipped her head. But still, her situation was that much more embarrassing if Wyatt knew.

  “I just suspected. He was checking out girls, accepting phone numbers so I just assumed.”

  “He told me all about it. Said he was going to change…but—”

  Wyatt snorted.

  “I was out before I even knew about the cheating. That new intel just synched the deal.”

  “What a creep.”

  She shrugged. “So you don’t think I have emotional problems?”

  “No, I really do think you finally healed of whatever emotional problem was bothering you, and that gave you the strength to run away.”

  He pulled her back into his arms. “I like you here.”

  “We don’t have to go back until Tuesday.”

  “I know.” His eyes were bright, happy.

  “Do I still have a room in your suite?”

  “I won’t sleep there if you don’t.”

  Wyatt held her close and Carisa saw the moon in his eyes. He cradled her, dipping her just a bit before lowering his mouth and pressing his lips to hers. “I love you.” His lips murmured across her mouth. Then he pressed more completely again and again with his own.

  She clung to him, filled with a happiness she had never known. With each kiss, she tried to show him
, tried to tell him how important he had become. But soon even that was forgotten as he continued, pulling, urging, loving her in return. When he paused, his forehead against hers, eyes full of light, she smiled.

  “I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Carisa ran out the door with Wyatt at her heels. “We are gonna be so late.”

  “If you worked for me, you could go in whenever you wanted.”

  “Well, I don’t work for you, and lawyers keep crazy hours.”

  His hands wrapped around her small waist. “But I like you here.” He pulled her close, and his smell, his solid abs, his warm smile made her melt against him.

  When his lips found hers, she almost forgot she had places to be. Her hand reached up and her fingers spread through his hair.

  When his kisses turned insistent and she didn’t think she would ever be able to stop, he groaned. “Have a good day, wife.”

  “What? That’s so not fair.”

  His eyebrow rose, a wicked teasing spark tempting her. “I don’t want you to be late.”

  “Oh, I will get you for this.”

  “I hope so.”

  When she turned to smile, right before the door shut he called. “Have a good day. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

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  The Bride’s Cowboy Chapter 1-2

  Chapter One

  Jed McCallister stepped into an overly decorated reception hall back in his childhood town, Thayer Falls, Wyoming. Everything, from the horse shoe decorations, to the mechanical bull in the corner, to the huge balloon arc, filled him with nostalgia. Not that he hoped to live here again, have this life, but to relive for a moment, a happy memory of his childhood. And of course, this town is when he still had his mother.

  A short woman with sparkly eyes and curlier hair than he’d ever seen looked his direction and immediately clicked her heels towards him. When she got closer, he saw the ear bud in her ear and then waited while she finished a conversation, standing right in front of him.

  “We need the punch refilled, less vodka this time. Yes. And make sure the mics work for the speeches.” She must have ended the call because she tipped her chin up to look into his face. “You are Jed McAllister.”

  He dipped his head. “That’s right Ma’am. At your service.”

  “Glad you could make it for the last wedding party responsibility.” Her eyebrow raised but her tone was nothing but congenial.

  “Are you Marguerite?”

  “Yes. In just about five minutes, we’ll be announcing the wedding party dance. You’ll be dancing with Trista Hastings—”

  “Well now, ma’am, I was wondering if I might make a special request?” He smiled his most charming smile.

  She almost dismissed him immediately.

  “I’ve heard only wonderful things about your ability to roll with the punches, to make the most of any wedding mishaps. This would be small fry compared to what you’re used to, I’m sure.” He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

  “And what’s your request?”

  “AnnaMae.”

  Her eyebrows lowered. “Done.” Then she turned on her heels, clicking back in the direction she’d come. He shook his head, planning to never have a reason to cross that woman. Now, to find AnnaMae Caruthers, sister of the bride. He scanned the crowd, searching for her signature curls, her petite form.

  The music changed and the bride and groom took to the floor for their dance. They looked happy. He was sure they’d get on well. Watching the groom’s smile as he did a line dance with his wife made Jed’s dissatisfaction with his own life flicker alive. Usually he was happy, running his ranch, working the land beside his dad. Occasional dates with the women in town kept the loneliness away. But watching Bobby’s face light up whenever he caught his new wife’s eye clenched at something in Jed’s heart and he knew what he’d been forcing aside for a couple years now. He wanted someone in his life. He wanted what Bobby and Maribelle had.

  Then a familiar profile made him smile and he started moving in her direction before thinking. She shifted in her seat and looked down at her phone. He whisteled softly to himself. This woman was no scrawny seventh grader. AnnaMae had changed. He corrected. AnnaMae would always look like AnnaMae, but now, she was so much more. Her hair piled on top of her head, curls hanging in ringlets down around her face, the curls he used to want to tug, just once, and watch them boing back up into shape. Her nose turned up at the tip like it had before. Her cheekbones, pronounced, her face, thin. Just like the AnnaMae he remembered. But her dress, her curves. She had grown and was so much more than he ever imagined. His old crush from seventh grade had become a stunning woman.

  Chapter Two

  Anna wanted to be happy for her sister, the newest bride in the Caruthers family. The words to Boot Skoot Boogie blared louder than necessary. Maribelle and Bobby danced their first moments as man and wife to their own made up line dance. Anna winced when a portion of the dance involved Maribelle shimmying while Bobby danced around her, clapping.

  She looked away when Maribelle moved her hands in a circular come hither arm gesture while her husband pretended to be dragged by an invisible rope. “Okay.” Many around her laughed and cheered, calling out to the happy couple, but Anna shifted in her chair and pulled out her phone.

  At last the music changed and a pair of boots stood to her front. Nice boots. Country but expensive, real boots. Her eyes travelled up the tux pants to the broad shoulders, perfectly fit jacket, bowtie, strong jaw, intelligent eyes of someone who was talking to her, his hand outstretched. Surely not to ask her to dance.

  She shook her head. “I’m sitting this one out.”

  “It’s the wedding party dance.”

  “What?” All the bridesmaids were being led out to the floor by the groomsmen. The wedding planner, a fiery woman named Marguerite, was giving her the eye. She stood just to send that woman’s attention elsewhere. “But you’re not a groomsman?” She’d never seen him before.

  He dipped his head. “I am. I got stuck up on the ridge with half a herd of cows and barely made it just now.”

  She rolled her eyes. Oh boy, another small town cowboy.

  He held out his hand again. “Shall we?”

  Her fingers slid into his palm and its smoothness surprised her. No rough, cowboy scratches, no callouses, just tight, strong, and smooth. “You from around here?”

  “I am, born and raised.”

  “How come I’ve never seen you before.”

  “Moved away when we were in middle school. But I’m Jed McCallister.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Jed?” Scrawny, mousy Jed, full of trouble Jed, smartest kid in their school. The guy she secretly had a crush on anyway…

  He pulled her into his arms with the ease and confidence of a man who knew his way around women. “And you’re AnnaMae Caruthers.”

  “Anna, is fine. Just Anna.”

  “I’ve always liked Anna
Mae.”

  When she gave him her newly acquired New York glare, he chuckled, “but Anna is fine too.”

  She couldn’t believe Jed McAllister was back in town. “So, how have you been? It’s been forever.”

  “Great. Well, at first the move wasn’t all that great. Seventh graders being rough on the eyes to most, but things got better.” He winked and she imagined they would have improved if he filled out quickly to what was holding her now. “We were always going to end up on the ranch. It’s my family’s land. When Grandpa passed away, it passed to my dad. So we went.”

  She found herself enjoying their dance. Instead of swaying back and forth, he moved, adding a little country swing and flair.

  “Do you swing dance?” His eyebrows raised. “A little two-step?”

  The music felt even slower, every couple around them rocking back and forth together. “Yes, but now is hardly…”

  He broke away with one hand and stepped back doing the two step which she matched, his eyes sparkling with challenge. “Just how much do you swing?”

  Never one to ever back down from a challenge, she grinned, “as much as you.”

  His laugh followed, natural and unforced. Then he tipped his head and they danced. The song changed, a little more peppy, with a faster beat so they moved, doing dips and sways and spins. He pulled her in for a super low dip; instead of lifting her back up, he asked, “Do you do lifts?”

  “If you can lift me.”

  “Oh, I can lift you.” His face lit, and he raised her back up with a laugh.

  His confidence made her smile. And she didn’t doubt him one bit. These cowboys were strong, and his muscles were nothing short of huge. He started with an easy lift, grabbing her about the waist. She bounced on one of his hips, then the other, down between his legs then he whipped her up high into the air.

  She laughed and had to admit, even to her small-town-avoiding self that she missed this one thing about home. No one in New York knew how to swing, not really.

  They moved, they danced, they stomped and spun until her throat was dry and hair a mess. “I need a drink.” She waved.