Sassy Blonde: USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

by Stacey Kennedy

  When she finally stopped, she looked down at the shadowed drawing. It definitely wasn’t a masterpiece, but it showed her intent. “Yeah, yeah, Pops. I get it now,” she said to herself. This whole time, she’d been following Clara and Amelia. But she needed to lead. With a smile, she hopped up and hurried to get dressed and threw her hair up in a messy bun.

  Right on time, she trotted down the staircase, finding her sisters and Penelope sitting at the kitchen table, a box of Danishes in the center. Maisie ignored those and slapped the drawing down on the page.

  Clara studied the piece of paper. “Not your usual beauty. What exactly am I looking at here?”

  “Our barn.”

  “Okay,” Clara said slowly then looked to Maisie with lifted brows. “You want to decorate it?”

  The drawing depicted her favorite spot, where she’d been with Hayes. Romantic and whimsical, she’d drawn that same décor throughout the entire brewery. “We needed that last festival to make us stand out. We all know that. It’s going to hurt us and hurt big time. We needed that final push for our social media. That didn’t happen. But who’s to say we can’t bring the party here?”

  Amelia took the piece of paper. “To the barn?”

  “Yes,” Maisie said. “We put on a festival of our own, but make it even better. Our type of party, done our way.”

  Clara gazed at her with intense focus. “Go on.”

  Maisie drew in a big, deep breath, her belly filled with butterflies, and sat next to Penelope. “Okay, we share the party all over social media. We’ve got the beer, and this is our chance. We take what we’ve got that’s not already promised to the restaurants and bars here, and we serve it until it runs out. We all know this is our only shot. We either bring out the big guns or go home. We can bring in a band, set up a dance floor outside the barn or something.”

  Penelope asked, “But where would you get a band on such short notice?”

  Maisie didn’t even hesitate, already thinking all this through. “First, let’s aim to have the party in a week. That’ll give us the time we need to get the event out there. Second, I thought we could approach Megan.” She was Nash’s wife and owned the best bar in town, Kinky Spurs. They had an in-house band, and Maisie was pretty sure she’d agree to help out.

  Silence drifted around the table. All eyes on Clara. She finally exhaled deeply and looked to Maisie with a smile. “This idea didn’t come from Luna Whittle, right?”

  Maisie snorted a laugh. “No, of course not.” Well, yeah, it kind of did, but Clara in her non-believing ways didn’t have to know that. “Please. Put me out of my misery. What do you think?”

  “I think”—Clara scanned the drawing again—“I think your idea is beautiful, and I can’t wait to see it in real life.”

  Amelia and Penelope squealed.

  “Really?” Maisie asked, bolting from the chair. “After all that’s happened, you’re actually going to let me do this?”

  Clara nodded and rose. “I never said we couldn’t do things your way; you just never offered any ideas.” She gave Maisie a warm hug. “Make it happen. Let me know the date.”

  When she left the room, Maisie exchanged a long look with Penelope and Amelia. “Did that just happen?” she asked softly.

  Amelia nodded and kissed Maisie on the cheek. “You done good, Maisie-Moo. Let me know if you need any help on my end.” And then she was gone too.

  “Pinch me,” Maisie said to Penelope. “Let me know I’m not dreaming.”

  Penelope pinched Maisie’s arm. Hard.

  “Ow,” Maisie gasped.

  “Nope, not dreaming,” Penelope said with a sly smile, picking up her half-finished Danish off the table. “Want me to come to Kinky Spurs with you?”

  Maisie considered. Maybe for the first time ever in her life, she said, “I actually think I need to do this myself.”

  A half an hour later, she was doing exactly that, walking into Kinky Spurs alone. The bar on Main Street had wood paneling from floor to ceiling, with the space basically being a large rectangle bookended by two stages. One stage had the band’s instruments, the other had a mechanical bull with mats surrounding it. Reclaimed wood tables were spread out between the two stages, and the place smelled like peanuts and beer.

  Behind the bar was Megan Blackshaw. She was trim, with freckles dusting her nose, wavy sandy-brown hair, and she had one crystal blue eye and the other was a warm brown. Behind her was a bright pink neon KINKY SPURS sign with large deer antlers overtop. At this time of day, it was rare there was a customer, but Maisie often did beer deliveries in the morning.

  “Hi, Megan,” Maisie said, shutting the front door behind her.

  Megan lifted her head from her paperwork and greeted Maisie with a kind smile. “Hey. I wasn’t expecting any deliveries today.”

  “That’s actually not why I’m here,” Maisie explained, reaching the bar and sliding onto one of the metal stools. “I have a favor to ask.”

  Megan placed her pen down, giving Maisie her full attention. “Hit me with it.”

  “Okay, so I guess I’ll start at the beginning…” Maisie relayed every little thing that happened from the beginning of the festival to now, to how much they still needed to create buzz about the brewery. “Without this final festival, we risk another brewery standing out and having a better chance at getting a distributor.”

  “And you can’t have that,” Megan agreed with a nod. “What can I do to help?”

  “I wondered if I could rent your band?”

  “For a party?”

  Maisie nodded. “I’ve decided to throw a big barn dance at the brewery. I admit I’m not exactly sure how to do all that, but I figured getting a band is a good first step.”

  Something sweet and infectious crossed Megan’s face as she tilted her head. “You know, today must be your lucky day. I happen to know how to throw a good party.”

  She most certainly did. Megan wasn’t even thirty years old and she’d made her bar a huge success. Nothing in town could compete with it and no one even tried. “Is that an offer to help me with this?” Maisie asked gently.

  “Of course!” Megan said. “Us boss girls in River Rock need to stick together. Not only am I sure the band will play for you, but I’ve got all morning to help you brainstorm the hell of out of this party.”

  Luna’s words flowed through Maisie’s mind: Ask for help. It’s out there. Maisie managed, “Thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me,” Megan said, smiling warmly. “Your Pops came into my bar when I first opened. He stopped in every day for a beer, and we’d talk for hours. Whatever I can do for him, and you and your sisters, I’ll do without question.” Megan strode around the bar and sat beside Maisie on the stool. “What do you have so far?”

  Maisie took the piece of paper from her pocket. For the first time, she didn’t feel foolish for not having a business plan like Clara would. She handed Megan her drawing. “I’ve got the décor.”

  “Wow,” Megan said, awe in her voice. “Maybe you could make this a monthly thing at the brewery. Or even host wedding receptions and things like that.” Her gaze met Maisie’s. “This is really beautiful, Maisie. Truly.”

  Maisie’s heart swelled a hundred sizes bigger. “Thanks.” And for the first time, she felt like she was finally getting something right.

  Hayes pushed away the documents on his desk and cursed. The case was going nowhere, and the day had already been long, even though it was only midafternoon. He’d continued to watch the surveillance videos from every angle the amusement park offered up, but he’d hit dead end after dead end. Hayes doubted the theft was by chance. Even though he spotted the guy who broke into his truck, dressed in a dark hoody, the thief clearly knew where the security cameras were and avoided being recognized. He also hadn’t slowly walked up the truck. He strode toward it with purpose, and had gotten inside fast, signifying to Hayes he already knew the truck and trailer were there. That he’d already scoped it out, meaning he had to h
ave already been at the amusement park. Hayes stayed on this footage, watching every single person who came to the amusement park, feeling like the clue he needed to find another way to identify the criminal was right there. Hayes studied the lanky guy’s mannerisms. He had a subtle limp in his right leg. While Detective Stewart had seen this video too, Hayes still felt compelled to stay there to watch.

  On top of that, thoughts of Maisie kept distracting him. He felt edgy, restless…uncomfortable. For a long time, she’d made all that go away. Determined to take the break he needed, and after a quick call to Nash’s brother, Shep Blackshaw, Hayes texted Maisie: Can you meet me at Blackshaw Cattle Guest Ranch?

  What time?

  An hour.

  See ya there.

  Wear jeans.

  This sounds very PG rated.

  Hayes chuckled. Will you be disappointed if it is?

  I’ll let you know when I get there. See you soonish.

  Hayes heaved a long sigh down at the papers strewn out on his desk. The answer was right there in front of him. He could nearly taste it. Frustrated, he checked his email once more, but Neil hadn’t sent anything along to indicate he was any further ahead in the investigation. The bigger problem? Time was running out. His father was being lenient by letting Hayes work this case. If nothing developed soon, the case would be considered cold and shoved aside. Hayes couldn’t allow that to happen. He needed this solved. For Maisie.

  He left the station and drove the twenty minutes to the cattle ranch. When he arrived at the big gates, he headed past the wrought iron sign that read: BLACKSHAW CATTLE CO. AND GUEST RANCH. For years, the Blackshaw family had owned the largest cattle ranch in Colorado, but when their company faced hardship after Nash’s father died, they’d turned business into a working dude ranch. They’d found success there.

  Hayes worked his way up the long driveway with mature evergreen trees hugging the lane. The narrow path soon opened to the guest ranch. Straight ahead was a stone farmhouse, where Nash grew up with his older brothers. On the right were twelve log cabins where the guests from the dude ranch stayed. In the middle was a large limestone fire pit and Adirondack chairs.

  As he slowed his rental truck, he spotted Shep, Nash’s older brother, exiting the barn with two tacked up horses at his side. His eyes were a silvery blue, his hair dark brown, and there was nothing fancy about him. He was a homegrown country man, with a dark-brown cowboy hat, plaid button-down, worn blue jeans, and scuffed brown boots. Hayes quickly parked and got out of his truck. “Can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” Hayes said by way of greeting. He needed a ride. The freedom. The quiet. And the dude ranch had well-trained horses.

  Shep gave an easy smile. “It’s not a problem. These two could use a good ride out anyway.” He offered Hayes the reins. “Tie ’em back up at the corral when you’re done. Some of the boys are out on a ride with our newest guests. They’ll put them away when they get back.”

  “Will do.”

  Shep looked like he was fighting a smile. “Try not to fall off these ones.”

  “Ha,” Hayes said with a snort. “These ones are sane. Unlike the horses at your brother’s place.”

  “Yeah, but you are the one that rides them,” Shep shot over his shoulder as he walked away.

  Hayes shook his head and chuckled.

  The crunch of gravel sounded behind him. Hayes turned to find Maisie’s MINI coming up the driveway. The heavy weight on his chest slowly lessened.

  After she parked next to his truck, she jumped out of her car. “Ah-ha, I knew it. We’re going for a ride, aren’t we?”

  Hayes noted her cowboy boots and her tan cowboy hat sitting atop her wavy hair. She wore a flowered blouse and tight jeans that made focusing on anything but her killer body difficult. He cleared his throat and nodded. “I needed a break from the case and thought you could use one too.”

  She smiled when she reached him. “A break is good.” Boldly, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him like it was the most natural thing she’d ever done.

  Up until this moment, he never realized how much he liked that about Maisie. Everything with Maisie was easy. Like a breath of fresh air. Her soft lips brushed sweetly and perfectly against his, making him want to deepen the kiss until they were both breathless and sweaty. He forced himself to back away. He hadn’t invited her here for that, no matter what his body wanted. He gestured at the smaller horse. “Up you go.” She sidled up to the horse, took hold of the reins, and grabbed the horn of the saddle. He took her knee, and she bounced once on her foot before he hoisted her up. He adjusted the stirrups to her size. “How long has it been since you’ve ridden?”

  “Years, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay.” She winked at him. “As long as you can catch me.” She spun the horse, gave the mare a kick and cantered off toward the hill at the back of the house that led to the vast Colorado meadows.

  Hayes laughed, shoved his foot in the stirrup, which was close enough to his height to be comfortable and he clicked his tongue. The chestnut horse cantered off easily, and once Hayes passed the house, he gave the horse a slight squeezing and opened him up to a gallop. The scent of warm earth carried along the breeze, the sun set over the snowy, peaked mountains, and the grasses blew in the wind as Hayes rushed by.

  When he caught up to Maisie, she laughed, slowing the mare to a walk. “Dammit, I should have gone faster.”

  He arched an eyebrow at her. “Trying to show me up, huh?”

  “Always.” Her eyes warmed under the beams of sunlight before she turned to glance out in front of her.

  Hayes followed her gaze, discovering the reason. Deer grazed off in the distance. Shadows drifted over the meadow as clouds passed overhead. The air always smelled cleaner out here. Fresher. Comfortable silence fell between them as Hayes led them through a trail cut out in the thick forest and then up another small hill. They moved closer to the mountains until they reached the stream bubbling across the meadow. “Let’s hang here for a bit,” he said.

  She turned to him with a smile. “Love to.”

  He dismounted, as she did, and then he tied their horses to a tree, letting them graze on the long grasses.

  “I’ve got some news today,” she said, taking off her boots and socks, and rolling up her jeans. She stuck her feet in the stream. “Good news for change.”

  “Oh?” He sat in next to her on mossy rocks. “Do tell.”

  She gave him a cute smile. “In a week, I’m holding a big barn dance at the brewery, since we couldn’t get to the festival. Megan’s going to help with the band and giving me some pointers about it all.”

  His chest expanded at the pride in her face. “This was your idea?”

  She gave a firm nod. “Clara even went for it. Can you believe it?”

  “Yes, I can believe it,” he told her. “Your ideas are amazing, Maisie.” Everything about her was amazing. He liked the cute smile she gave and he reached for a pebble next to him. He sent it skipping down the stream. “Is everyone welcome?”

  “If you mean you, then yes, you’re welcome. Always.” The softness in her voice drew his gaze. “Spread the word as much as you can. I know everyone here in River Rock will be in for this party, but we need to reach people outside of the locals.”

  He nodded. “What’s your plan so far?”

  “Tomorrow I’m putting posters up in all the bars that Megan and I can think of. Social media will hopefully help us a ton. Then it’s just word of mouth, connecting with the right people to make it happen.”

  “Sounds like you got it all figured out.”

  She smiled softly. “You know, I think I actually do, which is weird. I’m usually running around with no idea what I’m doing, but this…it actually feels really good.” He returned the smile, but that smile faded quick, when something changed in her expression. She stared at him openly, with emotion. “I guess that brings me to something I’ve been putting off.”

  He glanced back at her, the sun catching the warmer tone
s in her eyes. “Which is?”

  “Us. Talking about what we’re doing here.”

  His chest tightened and he glanced back at the stream. “Is it necessary to talk about anything?” He glanced sidelong at her. “We’re good, aren’t we?”

  “Good, yes, but…” Her eyes searched his. “But after I went to see Luna, I guess everything she said to me got me thinking about some tough questions.”

  “You should speak up,” he said, even though he knew this would backfire on him.

  She watched him a long moment and then cringed a little. “Do you think you could ever love me? Like, see a future with me? Is that, after all we’ve been through, even possible?”

  Her ability to be a straight shooter always amazed him. That’s partly what pulled him out of the darkness, because she saw a way out of it, and he followed her past his grief. But what she asked…the answer felt so fucking difficult to give her. He ran a hand over his face, so close to opening his mouth and just laying it all out there. But he thought it was kinder to hold back, because he still didn’t know how he was going to tell her about Laurel. “I don’t want to promise you something I don’t know I can give you. This is…I don’t want to mess this up with us. I definitely don’t want to hurt you.”

  She gave him a look that pierced right through him. “Hayes, you’re not the only one dealing with this. Do you think this isn’t weird for me too? Laurel was my best friend. We grew up together. You two were supposed to grow old together. But Laurel’s gone, and there’s all this”—she waved between them—“stuff going on.”

  Hayes couldn’t take his eyes off her, this woman who changed everything for him, as she added, “I’ve thought about this, believe me. A thousand times. I felt guilty, hated myself, and then felt guilty all over again for having feelings for you. But I always came back to the same conclusion, Laurel wouldn’t hate me for anything I felt. That’s not how our love worked. And I know for certain that Laurel wouldn’t want you to ignore that we’re happy, no matter what’s going in that head of yours. She wouldn’t want you to hold back. You know that.”