Cherished Embrace (Cherish Cowboys Book 3)

by Charlene Bright

  “You’re a natural at visualizing things, I’d imagine. Not me, I need a full-out sketch along with a five-page brief describing it.” He chuckled at the ridiculousness of that truth—it was him.

  “Nothing wrong with that. Everyone has skills that come in handy at times.”

  “What do you need help with at times?” he asked.

  “With business, I know how to do the books and am efficient at it, but I can’t stand it. If I made enough money for someone else to do them—someone I could trust—I would hand over that responsibility in a heartbeat.”

  “I love people like you—that’s what makes my world go round,” he said. “Unlike you, I love the books and can’t stand the marketing and promotion. It literally makes me feel itchy.”

  “You allergic to people?” she asked, smiling softly.

  “No, just trying to convince someone why they need me. They should just know they do, darn it.”

  The two burst into laughter, and that laugh carried them all the way to Millberry Farm, where they exited his car with big smiles on their faces.

  “I think I should do your marketing and you should do my books,” she said as they walked up to the barn.

  He put his hand on her back for a second and said, “That’s a good plan.” Then, realizing what he’d done, he quickly pulled it away.

  She noticed and didn’t know what to make of it. His touch had felt surprisingly natural and good to her, but the ease at which she accepted it startled her. You’re just not ready for that, she thought.

  “How nice that you two came out together,” Olivia called from outside the main entrance of the barn. She’d just hung up her cell phone and watched them walk toward her. Their strides were step for step and at the same pace. She loved little details like that, as she thought they spoke volumes about compatibility. Who wanted to be with someone who was always way ahead of them or lagging behind, after all?

  “Yeah, nice,” Brayden said with a smirk in his tone. Normally something like this would have embarrassed him, but he found it to be an interesting challenge. And Kelsey didn’t seem to mind, either, which made it better. It would have been pathetic if they weren’t on the same page.

  “I sold my car so Brayden can drive me everywhere,” Kelsey said.

  Olivia’s jaw dropped. Brayden looked at her, a bit dazed by her words. But she started laughing.

  “Real funny, Kelsey. I thought you had lost your mind for a second,” Olivia said.

  “Just keeping you on your toes,” she replied. Then she looked at Brayden and winked playfully. Her voice lowered into a whisper, “You ready for a bit of fun trouble?”

  “What do you have in mind?” he replied in an equally soft voice. They were still walking toward Olivia, who was still watching them.

  “Let’s act clueless and egg them on a bit. Don’t be shocked at anything I do out of the ordinary, okay?”

  “Fine, as long as I can join in too,” he said. He instantly loved the plan, because while he was controlled on the outside he did have a good sense of humor. Most people just didn’t expect it, which made it work well from his perspective, but ultimately led to a lot of explaining of just what the joke was to others. And that made a joke become an epic failure.

  Once they were next to Olivia, the game was on. Since both Kelsey and Braden were more coy and subtle, it would be a slow-paced game, but definitely worth the wait.

  “Let’s go in and get started. Everyone else should be here shortly,” Olivia said.

  “Sure. You have the sketches set?” Kelsey asked.

  “Right here. Why don’t you two look at them while I use the little girl’s room,” Olivia said. She handed over a folder and went to the bathroom.

  Kelsey and Brayden walked to the bar top and opened it. The plans were drawn meticulously and precisely, with a sketch of the property’s layout that looked like it was drawn to scale.

  “Whoever made this might give me a run for my money in the anal department,” Brayden said.

  “Olivia did. She loves to plan, and, I’m pretty sure, party too. I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t already have the sketch on file for—” Kelsey stopped.

  “For what?” Brayden asked, definitely interested.

  “Well, she is engaged, after all, and there’re not a lot of places here in Cherish to have a wedding.”

  “But she’s not from here, right? Maybe she’d get married there,” he said.

  “Maybe …,” she said, looking off in the distance.

  Brayden put his hand on her shoulder for a brief second and squeezed it. He’d heard Olivia walk out from the restroom and smiled as he could only imagine her expression.

  Kelsey responded to Brayden’s hand on her shoulder again and suddenly wondered if it had been smart at all to encourage their little game. What if she got confused and obscured the boundaries? It was risky, which meant that she had to remain diligent and accept the cat-and-mouse play that she’d set herself up for.

  “What do you two think?” Olivia said, now standing in front of them, looking back and forth to each of them and smiling brightly. Her smile was so bright that you couldn’t help but take notice. And it was never brighter than when she had an agenda.

  “This is great. Brayden was just saying that it looks like a pro drafted it,” Kelsey said.

  “Well, it pays to plan,” Olivia said.

  “Indeed,” he said, looking at her.

  “So, what’s first?” Kelsey asked.

  “Saying hi to me,” Mal said. She walked into the barn, followed by Wade and Colton. “This is the best planning committee ever!”

  “You’re saying that because you don’t have to take care of all these small details,” Olivia said.

  “PR takes a lot of work,” Mal said.

  “Because you’ve quadrupled the past year’s efforts,” Wade added.

  “Now, honey, you’re either with me or against me. I don’t think you want to be against me, do you?” She batted her eyes and then laughed as he rolled his.

  “What did I sign up for?” he asked, shaking his head, but then leaning over to give Mal a kiss on her forehead.

  “A girl never gives her secrets away prematurely. Otherwise, you might try to run like that bull in Colton’s field,” she said.

  Kelsey watched them. She truly did envy their playfulness and the love that was so evident in their every word and action. That was the type of relationship that really appealed to her, one where you could be yourself and not be fearful of being honest, no matter what your quirks were.

  Then Kelsey heard a sigh and looked over to see Brayden watching them as well. What had happened to him? She wanted to know so badly, but not at the risk of having to open up the wounds from her past in return. They’d finally begun to heal and the scabs had become tougher to tear off. She liked it that way.

  “Well, why don’t we get this started. I think we only have the place for three hours.” Kelsey broke the chatter.

  Everyone looked at her and Brayden said, “You’re the boss.”

  “If only everyone just did what I wanted them to,” she replied. A radiant look crossed her face. She was thinking about how interesting it would be to be one of those people who had everything go one’s way.

  Brayden watched her smile and noticed a gentle beauty about her; it was the kind that you wouldn’t necessarily notice when you first walked by someone, but once you talked to them it demanded to be noticed. He wondered how many people had just drifted by her, maybe even looking for “the one,” but not giving her a second look. The thought made him sad, actually, as he often felt like the male version of that scenario.

  Within twenty minutes, all the sub-committees of the decorating committee were running around the entire property of Millberry Farm, laying out their plans and taking notes. Kelsey and Brayden decided where donations and the auction would take place. Olivia and Colton were organizing where the various decorations would go and talking about how they’d get the straw bales into p
lace for the event. Mal and Wade were measuring where the stage would go for the music and then they’d started slow dancing. As lovey-dovey as they always were, they were going overboard that day. It had been getting crazier and crazier, actually. Everyone could tell.

  Finally, the planning was done and the group realized they were the now alone at the farm.

  “Hey, if you guys are up for it, we should all go to Sergio’s for dinner,” Mal said.

  “That sounds great to me!” Olivia was quick to reply and then wrapped her arm around Colton’s. “That is, if Colton is good with it too.”

  He looked at her, resigned but joyful “I’m fine with it.”

  “Hey, how come you didn’t ask if I was fine with it?” Wade asked, pretending to be offended.

  “That was poor form on my part. I’ll make it up to you later,” Mal said. Then she yawned.

  “Maybe you need to go to sleep, not out to Sergio’s,” Colton said to his sister.

  “Never mind what I need. I’m great. Just a busy day. But we’ve gotten a lot done and I feel great. Plus, I can make sure that the posters are still up there,” she said.

  “The event’s in such hot demand that people are stealing the posters,” Brayden said. Then he started to laugh, followed by Kelsey. It took everyone else a few seconds to catch on.

  “Exactly, due to Kelsey’s excellent work,” Olivia said.

  “And yours,” Kelsey replied. “And Brayden, too.” She looked at him and their eyes locked for a second. She was doing it as part of the game but it required no acting to play the part of attracted female.

  “Great, let’s go. I’m starving,” Wade said.

  He began walking out the door toward his truck.

  “Kelsey, Brayden, you know where Sergio’s is, right?” Mal asked.

  “I do,” Kelsey said. “Since we came together, I can get him there.” Then she realized that he’d never said if he wanted to go. “Assuming you’re up for it, Brayden.”

  “Nothing else I’d rather do,” he said, then looked at Kelsey and winked.

  She blushed and wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor. He was a bit too good at this game—almost making her believe he was being serious, not just goofing around.

  “Great, we’ll see you there. Whoever gets there first, put our names in. Likely a busy night. I think they have music tonight,” Mal said.

  “That’s right,” Olivia said. “Barn Stormer’s playing tonight. We can get a feel for what their play set is like so we’ll know for the event.”

  “Excellent, we can combine business with pleasure,” Mal said.

  “I like that,” Kelsey said, smiling at Brayden.

  Olivia and Mal looked at each other and smiled, clearly excited. “Well, I’d better get out there before Wade drives off without me.”

  “See you there,” Kelsey said. “I’ll lock up.”

  ***

  “You having a good day?” Brayden asked.

  Kelsey looked at him and smiled. “I am. The event is going to be great.”

  “How do you think our little game is going?” he asked.

  She turned to look at him, hoping her eyes wouldn’t reveal too much. “I think it’s working very well. Maybe too well. We may have set ourselves up for more than we can handle.”

  “Well, if you have friends like mine, they’ve probably said you should test our limits. At least we can test them together, right?” he asked.

  “I like that philosophy. Sold! And you said you weren’t good at sales,” she teased, swatting at his arm.

  “Keep talking like that and I might take care of those books for you,” he teased back.

  “Sold!” she said. “Between the two of us we have one complete business person.”

  I’d venture to guess that I’d have a more complete person as well, Brayden thought.

  When they pulled up to Sergio’s they were the last ones there. Both Colton and Wade had driven out of the farm like mad men. They’d either been really hungry or else they were just that impatient. It was hard to tell.

  Kelsey and Brayden walked in and were immediately waved over to the bar. The two couples were standing there while Wade was placing an order with the bartender.

  “What do you two want?” Mal asked.

  “Beer for me,” Kelsey said.

  “Same for me,” Brayden said.

  “It’s about forty-five minutes’ wait for our table. If you’re hungry, they have popcorn and peanuts in the corner,” Wade said.

  “You want some peanuts?” Brayden asked Kelsey.

  “Well, it might prove entertaining, but then you’d have to rush me to the hospital. I’m allergic—was even allergic before it was all the rage,” she said. She puffed her cheeks out and showed just what a reaction might look like.

  “I think I’ll go with the popcorn then,” Brayden said.

  When he left to get it, Olivia and Mal cornered Kelsey. “You two work so well together. It’s great to see,” Mal said.

  “He’s a nice guy. It’s hard to imagine not getting along with him,” Kelsey said.

  “Well, maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like you two have a little something more going on than planning for the fundraiser. Not that I don’t appreciate all that planning, of course,” Olivia said.

  “And the good PR that it gives us,” Mal added.

  “You two behave,” Kelsey said, aware that her cheeks were starting to ache from the permanent grin that she couldn’t wipe off her face. “We’re just getting along and being friendly.”

  “‘Friendly’,” Olivia said, using quotes with her fingers. “That sounds interesting,” she added, putting “interesting” in finger quotes, too.

  “I cannot believe you just did that,” Kelsey said. “For real,” she added, using her finger quotes.

  “It is what it is and I sense that there’s something special in the air,” Mal said. “I’m an expert in these matters.”

  “And law. And horses. And PR,” Kelsey said. “Keep love out of it, especially if it involves me.”

  Before anyone could speak another word, Brayden was back with the popcorn. “Here you go,” he said.

  He held it out and Kelsey took a few kernels and popped them into her mouth. “Thanks.”

  “And here’s your beer to wash it down,” Colton said, handing it over to her.

  “What type of food do they have here?” Brayden asked.

  “Steak, bar food, and Italian,” Mal said.

  “Weird, Italian food at a place called Sergio’s. Never would have guessed it,” Brayden said.

  “Only in Cherish,” Mal replied, smiling at him. “If you had visited us all more growing up you would have known all about it.”

  “My dad was never as into Cherish as the rest of his family, that’s for sure,” Brayden said.

  “No? Why?” Kelsey asked.

  “He just wanted me to do something less taxing than manual labor. Insisted I go to college. Yet, here I am, running to manual labor for a bit of time.” Brayden’s shoulders rose slightly and then lowered again. “Strange days.”

  “What does he say about that?” Kelsey asked.

  “He passed away last year so I don’t know, but I can still hear his voice. ‘Brayden, take care of your brain and it’ll last you forever. Use your body for work, and it’ll wear out on you.’”

  “Sounds like a man who called it like he saw it,” Kelsey said.

  “Indeed. And that’s the best way to describe him. He was loved by all, but stubborn as heck.”

  “That’s a trait that must skip people, because I don’t see that in Wade,”

  “Oh, it doesn’t get much more stubborn than him,” Mal said.

  “No, Kelsey’s right. I am completely adaptable and flexible to meet other’s needs,” Wade said. He had a cheeky grin on his face and was enjoying the moment.

  “Kelsey, you just went and inflated his ego. It’ll probably take me a week to get it back down to size.” Mal shook her head.

  �
��I always knew Kelsey was smart as a whip. Could tell the first time I met her,” Wade said.

  “Oh, yeah? And when was that?” his wife asked, folding her arms and looking at him, her head tilted and her eyes showing their curiosity.

  “Cheers to the planning committee,” he said, smiling and raising his beer bottle in the air as he changed the subject.

  Brayden leaned over to Kelsey. “That’s a good bit of advice there. I’ll have to take it if I ever need an out.”

  “You need outs a lot?” Kelsey asked.

  “No, I’m more like a ghost—I can just leave without anyone ever realizing it for a good, long while,” he said.

  “I’d notice if you left,” she said. Her cheeks turned crimson. “After all, my partner in mischief would be missing, right?”

  “Right,” he said.

  The hostess arrived to tell them that their table was ready. It was the large round one in the corner and when everyone sat down, they made sure that Kelsey and Brayden were right next to each other. Their knees touched, ever so slightly.

  “What type of food are you in the mood for?” she asked him.

  “Steak and potatoes, I think. How ‘bout you?”

  “Shrimp and pasta,” she said.

  “One of my favorites after a long run,” he said.

  “Well, no carbo loading needed for me, unless you count running around Millberry Farm.”

  “I count it,” he said.

  “Me too,” Colton added.

  Startled that others had been listening to their conversation, Brayden and Kelsey looked up. Just as they did, Olivia swatted Colton’s arm and gave him a warning look.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I think she is mad that you ruined a moment for us,” Brayden said. “Nothing speaks romance like talking about carbs.”

  Kelsey and Brayden began to laugh and then forgot about everyone else for a little bit of time.

  Throughout the meal, the two shared in conversation with everyone else, but inevitably, they always went back to each other. Kelsey had long forgotten the game, but she wondered if Brayden was still playing along. He seemed so genuine and his mannerisms completely sincere—definitely not scripted. It was the most fun she’d had in a long while and it allowed her to feel a warmth in her heart that made her not freeze in fear at the thought of, Maybe again.