That Wild Texas Swing
Page 23
“I’m not changing for him,” Liz said. “I’m adapting.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Same thing. Has he even seen you? Does he know what you’re doing? And you broke his heart. What makes you think he’ll want you back?”
Liz had asked herself the same thing. “I have to see.”
Maggie grunted, and excused herself to the kitchen.
Liz was rarely scared of anything, but these women made her anxious, so she kept close to Evelyn’s side. She thought Maggie would be more supportive, but no, she sat at the other end of the table, eying Liz suspiciously.
When the meeting began, Liz felt like the women were speaking another language, and everything sounded so complicated. She’d had no idea so much work went into the festivals, though if she thought about it, well, yeah, they had a lot of angles to think about.
“So what subcommittee do you see yourself on?” Sage asked Liz.
Lord. She didn’t know. She put on a smile. “Wherever you need me.” That was a risk. Sage could put her on parade clean-up, for all she knew. At least that wouldn’t take a lot of brain power.
The front door opened and slammed shut, rattling the china in the cabinet. Brisk footsteps echoed in the hall. Liz looked from Evelyn’s shocked face to the doorway, where Killian strode through.
He scanned the table and his gaze landed on her. He walked forward and braced his hands on the back of an empty chair.
“What the hell are you doing?”
She blinked. “I’m in a committee meeting.”
“I see that. Why?”
“Ah.” She glanced at Evelyn, not exactly having an answer for that. What was she going to say, that she was practicing to be his wife? Maggie was right. He hadn’t said he wanted her back.
“Is this what you think I want?”
“Ah.” Wow, where had her vocabulary gone? She was rooted to the chair, and felt the gazes of all the women on her.
“I never asked you to change for me. I never wanted you to change for me. I fell in love with the woman you are, the woman who took the risk of starting her own business, the woman who takes care of her family, the fun-loving sexy woman who makes me feel alive every minute I’m with her. I don’t need anything more from you than that. I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear to you from the beginning.”
Her heart pounded in her throat at his words, and she felt herself rising from her chair. “If I’m in your life, I need to be more involved in the town.”
“Maybe. Maybe throw in a hand here and there. Maybe wear something besides cut-offs when we’re at an official function. But you don’t have to change who you are.” He moved closer and lifted his hand to her hair, tugging a few strands so the weight of it fell around her shoulders. “When did you decide to do this?”
“A few days ago.”
His fingertips trailed across her cheek. “You didn’t think you could come to me and tell me what you’d figured out?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
He laughed. “Oh, you did.” He curved his hand around the back of her neck and angled her face to his. “Does this mean you love me?”
The air left the room as a dozen ladies drew in a breath, waiting for her answer. “It does.”
He grinned, that grin that had melted her resistance so many times. And then he kissed her, his mouth angled over hers, parted just enough that his breath filled her, making her whole in a way she hadn’t been in weeks.
“Lose the suit,” he said against her ear when he brought her into his arms. “But you can keep the heels.
Liz twisted her hair into a knot at the back of her head. Honestly, what Texan in her right mind would get married outside in the summer? For some reason, Labor Day had sounded good to Victoria, though it was still hot as blazes. That form-fitting dress she wore was going to be miserable in a few minutes.
At least Heather’s yard was shaded, and really beautiful, actually, considering the drought and all. The coastal plains had had a bit more rain this summer than usual, so everything was nice and green. Heather had set up giant fans around the yard to add a breeze. Liz was fairly confident her hair styles would stand up, but that was why she was here, wasn’t it?
She leaned against the French door looking down on the yard and watched the bridesmaids proceed to the music provided by a string quartet. She grinned over at her sisters, who had come to give her a hand. They’d busted their butts to get the bride and her five bridesmaids gorgeous, but the work paid off.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister’s voice echoed from the speakers set up at the base of the lawn, and Liz sought Killian in the crowd below.
She wasn’t at all surprised to see him looking up at her. He always seemed to know just where she was. He smiled, and she drew her necklace from beneath her t-shirt. Her engagement ring still felt awkward, so she wore it on a chain when she worked. She waved it at him so it winked, then tucked it away again.
Once the ceremony and pictures were done, and the cake cut, Liz was off-duty. She changed into the dress she’d brought, slipped the ring on her finger, and stepped out to meet Killian.
“You look amazing,” he said as he guided her onto the dance floor.
“You say that no matter what I wear.”
“Because it’s always true.” He stroked his fingers up the back of her neck. “So you want to get married outside?”
She stiffened, as she always did when he talked about their wedding. They hadn’t set a date yet, though she had to admit, being here today was inspirational.
“Maybe in the dead of winter.”
He chuckled and pulled her into a spin to avoid Maggie, who was dancing with Jackson. As pretty as Jackson was, he couldn’t dance very well. Liz was pretty sure he was counting his steps.
“I’m serious. I’d like a date.”
She looped her arms around his neck and tossed her head back. “Well, we have to work it in between the Fall Festival and the Christmas Festival and the Bluebonnet Festival and the Fourth of July celebration.”
“I think we can probably squeeze it in.”
“And we have to make sure we’re not stepping on Grady and Cassidy’s toes.”
“Hey, if they don’t hurry up, they’ll have to worry about stepping on ours.” He stroked his fingertips over her cheek. “I want you to be my wife. Let’s make that happen.”
She smiled and nodded, and he spun her again, this time just to make her laugh. Nothing was as magical as dancing the night away under the stars in the arms of her one and only.
Dear Reader,
Thanks so much for reading That Wild Texas Swing. I thought it would be fun to write a good boy and a bad girl, and it was! If you enjoyed it, could you leave a review? Loved it, hated it…I’d like to know!
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Thanks so much for reading, and I hope to hear from you!
MJ Fredrick