by Candis Terry
Allison sighed and walked up the gazebo steps to make sure no further disasters lurked. As she looked out over Town Square, she knew there couldn’t have been a better venue for the radiant bride and her handsome cowboy to exchange their vows.
During her days on the cable TV show My New Town, Charli had taken a run-down piece of grass smack-dab in the center of Sweet and turned it into something spectacular for the entire community to enjoy. She’d designed the new Victorian-style gazebo that now stood within the glow of thousands of tiny white lights. Thanks to the very talented Antoine, the gazebo was also draped with gorgeous garlands of hydrangea, roses, iris, and lilies.
A month ago, Allison would have explained away the tingles skipping through her system as anxiety over the preparation for the ceremony. This evening those vibrations were created by sheer happiness.
And someone very special.
Everything had changed since she’d come to Sweet, all because of Jesse and his insistence on showing her a glass-half-full life instead of half-empty. She’d dared to hope, to take a chance, and the rewards, so far, had been incredible. Though she didn’t exactly know where or how everything would go, she realized Jesse had opened doors to possibilities she’d never imagined.
When she briefly closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind, her heart openly admitted that she’d fallen in love for the first time in her life.
Hopefully, if miraculously he felt the same, the last.
For her, Jesse Wilder was the one.
“Everything looks just beautiful.”
Allison turned to find Jana standing at the head of the aisle.
“Charli has amazing taste.”
“I agree. She’s marrying my son.” Jana smiled as she walked toward her in a pretty but simple royal blue tea-length dress and a corsage pinned at her shoulder. “But the compliment was for you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You.” Jana took her hand and clutched it tight. “Without your help, Charli and Reno’s dream wedding wouldn’t have come true. The flowers, the music, the cake, and the reception. No one else would have ever thought of using Jesse’s house.”
“It’s actually the perfect place.”
“It is. I have no doubt the wedding would still have taken place, but you’ve given Charli and my son a beautiful beginning to their life together.”
“They deserve to be happy.”
“And they will be.” She tucked her hand beneath Allison’s chin. “You deserve that same happiness, sugarplum.”
A sigh slipped past Allison’s lips. “I didn’t used to think so, but . . .”
“Things change.”
Allison nodded. “They do.”
“I’m glad.” Jana gave her cheek a gentle pat. “You and Jesse are so good for each other.”
Allison wasn’t surprised Jana was aware of their relationship. They were, after all, a close family. Even if Jesse hadn’t said anything, the sparks between them were pretty obvious.
“I know he’s good for me,” she said. “I’m not so sure he thinks I’m good for him. Or that reputation he worked so hard to build.”
“Oh that boy. So misguided.” Jana chuckled, then the hint of a frown pulled her blond brows together. “You do realize it’s all myth, right?”
“I wouldn’t say all. But yes, I do realize his exploits took on a life of their own.”
“I’m so glad. I’ve told him over and over that someday those stories were going to ruin everything for him when he found the right woman and fell in love. I’m glad you can look past all that silliness.”
When he fell in love?
Had he mentioned that to Jana, or was it merely wishful thinking?
Was she the right woman?
Allison didn’t know. She had to admit the idea frightened her a little. There was a whole lot of responsibility in being the right woman. Or even the maybe-kinda-sorta woman. But with Jesse, she’d be willing to take that chance. With him, she’d be willing to push aside her fears. To just allow herself to dream of a possible future spent in his arms gave her shivers of anticipation.
“Well,” Jana said, “guess I’d best go check on Reno. He’s as nervous as a cat in a bathtub. Who’d have ever thought he’d be preparing for his wedding in the back room of the hardware store.”
Allison laughed. “Maybe we should have decorated the aisles with little hammers and wrenches.”
“I’m sure they’d come in handy in the future, when Charli needs to give his stubborn head a good whack.” With a smile, she turned to leave.
“Jana?”
Jesse’s mom turned and tilted her head just slightly. Her big, blond, Texas-sized hairdo never wobbled.
“I think you’re just wonderful. And I’m sorry it took me so long to come around,” Allison said. “I think my father is very lucky to have found you. And I truly wish you both a lifetime of happiness.”
“We’re lucky to have found each other.” Jana’s smile was so genuine, Allison’s heart clenched. “Just remember, sugarplum, it doesn’t matter what road you travel, or how far, or when you come around. When love is meant to be, there’s nothing that will stop it. Not time. Not place. Not circumstance. You remember that.”
A sigh stuck in Allison’s chest as she watched Jana walk across the street and disappear into the hardware store.
Who knew when she stepped off that plane in San Antonio that everything she’d thought, dreamed, or imagined would change.
Life was looking really good.
No one in their right mind would choose to be stuck inside a monkey suit on a sultry Texas night, but to see his brother happy, Jesse would have worn a suit of molten lava.
Alongside his brothers, he stood inside the Victorian gazebo his soon-to-be sister-in-law had created. A shiver that had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the elation in his brother’s eyes, danced down his back as he watched that effervescent woman walk down the aisle. Jesse had seen radiant brides before, but none glowed quite as dazzlingly as Charlotte Brooks. In a strapless dress that was a little lacy, a little ruffly, and a whole lot Charli, she had her eyes focused on the man she was about to marry. Her smile was wide and steadfast, and Jesse knew he could only hope to be so fortunate as to have a woman look at him that way.
Beside him, his brother sighed. While that same almost silly grin was planted on Reno’s face, his dark eyes were lit with a “hurry up” brightness that left no question he was anxious to make Charli his wife.
Thanks to Allison’s help and her creative friend from Seattle, Town Square had become a floral fantasyland with twinkling lights and even candlelit lanterns at the end of each row of pristine white chairs. Yet as spectacular as the twilight setting might be, Jesse didn’t understand all the fuss. It wouldn’t have mattered if there had been one flower or a million. A single ribbon or a truckload. Because as sure as he was standing there, neither Reno nor Charli noticed.
They only had eyes for each other.
Jesse swept his gaze across the friends and family gathered together and zeroed in on Allison at the back of the crowd. Earlier, she’d flitted about like a hummingbird, fluffing out the petticoats on Izzy’s little dress, straightening boutonnieres on tuxes, calming nerves. She was a pro. Yet the whole time she’d been doing her job, she’d been unable to hide her excitement over these nuptials. And he hadn’t been able to stop himself from kissing the smile that never left those pretty lips.
Even in front of an audience.
He no longer felt a need to hide what was growing with velocity between them. And by the way she’d wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back, neither did she.
Now, as Charli and her father, in full-dress uniform, stepped up into the gazebo, Allison stood at the back, watching and smiling with pride. She’d helped rescue this moment in time, and Je
sse could almost see her chest rise on a happy sigh.
His respect and appreciation for her selfless deeds created a huge lump in his throat. When she caught him looking at her, a smile blossomed on her face, and she gave him a pinkie wave. Pleasure rolled over him with just that small gesture. In that moment, he realized the connection they shared was rare and wonderful. No doubt the journey on which they were about to embark would be an adventure.
He couldn’t wait to get started.
With reluctance, he pulled his attention away from Allison and back to the ceremony just as General Brooks handed off his daughter to Reno. The about-to-be-marrieds didn’t even wait for the vows or exchange of rings to kiss and whisper I love yous. Even as the audience chuckled, and the ceremony began, Jesse noticed there wasn’t a dry eye in Town Square.
After traditional vows were exchanged, Reno and Charli also spoke the personal vows they’d written. Charli’s version comically included promises of no décor changes without prior notice, and ignoring Reno’s grumpiness after a long day of counting nails and bucking hay bales. But it was her whispered promise of at least one barn dance per year where she’d forget her “you-know-whats” that got Jesse and his brothers laughing.
Annie might have gotten her gun; but Charli had gotten her man by conveniently forgetting to don underwear beneath her party dress.
Reno’s promises had been to continue to call her Fancy Pants even though she mostly wore jeans, to finally paint a mural in their home just for her, and to love her even when she wore bunny slippers and a big fuzzy robe.
The ceremony ended with a kiss that made everyone go “Awwwwww.” As the preacher introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Reno Wilder, Charli lifted the hem of her wedding gown in a cancan dancer fashion to show off her hot pink rhinestone-covered cowgirl boots. With the crowd chuckling, the newlyweds walked up the aisle arm in arm.
Heart content, Jesse’s gaze drifted to the empty chair in the front row that held his brother’s Marine photo, cap, and medal-and-ribbon-studded jacket. Briefly, Jesse closed his eyes. In his mind, he pictured Jared sitting there, nodding his approval in that stubborn-ass big-brother know-it-all way.
Amid a skipped heartbeat, that vision altered as the image of Jared’s blue-eyed gaze locked with his own.
The smile on Jared’s face faded, but his nod lingered in a slow up-and-down motion that flashed a ray of sunlight across his pale hair. Jesse’s heart clenched as he received the meaning of Jared’s unspoken message.
It’s time to tell them all.
Was it possible to float on air? Because surely, as Allison watched Charli and Reno come up the aisle arm in arm and grinning like there was no tomorrow, that’s what was going on. She’d witnessed hundreds of weddings before, but she’d never seen anything quite like this one. And she was sure she’d never before required a tissue for anything other than touching up a bride’s smudged lipstick or lending it to a guest who’d forgotten their own. But as her new friends had spoken their vows, Allison had felt the need to blow her nose in goose-honking fashion.
As they passed her by, Reno gave her a wink, and Charli mouthed a thank-you. They didn’t need to thank her. In her newly awakened eyes, it was vice versa.
While the crowd dispersed, Allison stayed behind to make sure the chairs and florals were transported to Jesse’s house for the reception.
“Hey, darlin’.”
Before she even turned, she smiled. There was only one Southern drawl that deep, that smooth, and that sexy that could send her heart dancing in a million directions.
“Hey yourself, handsome.”
A smile brushed his mouth. Then those sexy lips came down and met hers in a kiss that started out soft and ended up removing her lipstick. The scent of warm, clean male and an aftershave that hinted of vanilla and cedar drifted on the night air and wrapped around her in sensuous tendrils.
“I had a few minutes while they take photos of the bride and groom,” he said. “And I wanted to see how you were holding up.”
“I’m holding up just fine.” She brushed a microscopic piece of lint from his lapel near the small rose boutonniere just for an opportunity to touch him again.
“That was a bold-faced lie I just told,” he said. “I didn’t just want to see how you were holding up. I wanted to see you. Up close. But I guess the and personal part will have to wait for later.”
“Probably.” Darn it. “I think there’s a city ordinance against nudity in the park.”
“At least until after sundown.”
A laugh tickled her lips. She liked that he just said what he thought. And that he’d been thinking about her at all was quite . . . thrilling. “The ceremony was perfect.”
“True.” He glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the wedding party. “But those two could have gotten married in a cave, and they wouldn’t have noticed.”
“It’s just like you said. They’re meant to be.”
His smile broadened as he took her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. “You’re such a brilliant pupil.”
“Does that mean you still have more lessons to teach me?”
“More?” He lifted his large hand and gently brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Darlin’, I have an endless supply. Though I can’t guarantee the studying will require you to wear clothes.”
Even as her girl parts raised a toast to his attention to academic detail, she chuckled. “Promises. Promises.”
“I deliver too. Just like the pizza guy.”
“The pizza guys who come to my door are always fast and only interested in the tip.”
“Guess the comparison stops there. I take it slow.” He leaned in and spoke close to her ear. “And I’m interested in the whole thing.”
“I can verify that you aim to please.”
“Several times a night.” He winked.
From the corner of her eye, she caught movement and saw the wedding party headed toward the horse-drawn carriage she’d hired at the last minute. Jackson was waving Jesse over. “Guess you’d better go. I’m sure they want to include you in the photos.”
“Guess there’s no time to pull you behind the bushes.”
A sigh of disappointment pushed past her lips. “Guess not.”
“Maybe later?” His smile was so hopeful, there was no way she’d even consider turning him down. Not to mention her girl parts, which had swung into the chorus of “Hot In Herre.”
“Count on it.”
He curled his arm around her waist and pulled her against him for a soft, slow kiss that melted her from the inside out.
When Jake shouted, “Get a room,” Jesse withdrew, and Allison immediately missed the connection that made more than just her heart flutter.
After another quick kiss, he said, “See you back at the house.”
Watching Jesse walk away created a mix of emotions. While she didn’t want him to leave, she loved to watch him go. With broad shoulders squared, his long legs ate up the distance between them. The man looked great in a tux, jeans, and board shorts. But he looked best in nothing at all. Allison knew she’d be counting the minutes until she could get her hands on his smooth skin and firm muscles.
As she watched him clamp a hand over Jackson’s shoulder, her phone vibrated from the pocket of her jacket. When she saw Danielle’s name, she tapped ANSWER. “Hey, sis. What’s up?”
“That son of a bitch Andrew, that’s what.”
Whoa. She’d never heard her sister so angry before. Not even when their mother had tried to sabotage her lovely wedding reception by getting drunk and hitting on Andrew’s best man.
What could her brother-in-law have possibly done so wrong that would inspire so much rage? Forgotten to pay the cable bill, and the girls were pitching a hissy fit over missing SpongeBob? Gotten a parking ticket he couldn’t get out of�
��even being a cop? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be that bad.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“All these months that son of a bitch has been telling me he’s working overtime on a prostitution ring? He was screwing a confidential informant.”
“What?” Allison felt like she’d just stepped into another dimension. Her world wobbled on its axis, and she sank down in the nearest chair.
“He was caught with his pants down. Literally. It’s over, Allie.” When Danielle’s voice shattered like glass, a shiver knifed down Allison’s spine. “I don’t understand. We never fought. Not once. He never acted like anything was wrong. I mean, yeah, sure, things have changed over the years, and we weren’t jumping each other’s bones every minute of the day, but I thought that was just the natural progression of being married.”
Allison swallowed. She was still stuck on the words “It’s over.”
How could this happen?
How could the two people she’d counted on most to show her the way to relationship nirvana just . . . implode?
“Are you sure?” she asked. Her sister’s shriek a moment later gave earsplitting verification.
“Of course I’m sure! Just as I’m sure I made up all the wonderfulness about my marriage in my head,” Danielle cried. “It was probably shit right from the start, and I was just too stupid to notice. How is it we can become so blind? Huh? Tell me.”
“Well, I—”
“I mean, when we were in our twenties, everything was so passionate. We couldn’t stand being away from each other for even a minute. But then you have kids, and it seems like your time with each other becomes less in regularity and less important. And when you hit the sheets at night, all you can think is about falling into a deep sleep. Maybe the wonderfulness really was just about the sex. Because, obviously, a hooker can give him what he really wants. Forget about the woman at home cooking his dinner and washing his dirty underwear.”
