by Dylann Crush
Delilah snuck a look at Jasper, who appeared to clench his jaw before dropping his chin to his chest. She closed her eyes and focused on the way his hand felt in hers. That moment when he’d caught her . . . just thinking about it had her heartbeat ratcheting up and her pulse thundering through her ears.
Suzy squeezed her hand, then let it go. “Thank you. I normally honor him by myself. It’s nice to have friends and family take part.”
Jasper let her hand drop from his. “You sure you’re okay riding to town with Suzy?”
His aunt dabbed a tissue under her eyes. “What do you think I’m going to do to her? Stuff her?”
Delilah gulped in a breath. It diverted down the wrong pipe and she coughed, sputtering in an attempt to catch her breath.
“Suzy, was that really necessary?” Jasper guided Delilah to the edge of the dinette bench. “You know she’s joking, right?”
Nodding, Delilah pressed a hand to her chest, then cleared her throat. “Of course. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you at the kickoff.”
He hesitated.
“Go on, get out of here. Leave us girls to get ready. Of course she knows I was joking.” Suzy dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. “Besides, I don’t have the equipment to work on something her size out here. You know that.”
Delilah bit her lip to keep from laughing. Hopeful that Suzy was just a tough old bird who liked to get a rise out of folks, she grinned up at Jasper. “Go on, Suzy and I will get along just fine.”
He gave his aunt a final long look, and some unspoken message passed between them. Then he adjusted his baseball cap and grabbed his keys from where he set them on the counter. “You’ve got my number?”
Delilah nodded.
“Call me if you need anything?”
She nodded again.
“Anything.”
“Got it.” She stood and picked up her makeup case. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“All right.” He pressed a kiss to his aunt’s temple, then turned and walked out the door.
Delilah waited as the truck engine turned over and the sound of his retreat crunched over the gravel drive. Suddenly the trailer seemed so much bigger without Jasper Taylor taking up all the space and sucking in all the air.
“Bathroom’s right this way.” Suzy covered the length of the trailer in just a few steps. “You can change in the bedroom if you’d like. You’ll have more room in there.”
“Thank you.” Delilah smiled at the woman as she stepped inside the small bathroom.
“You’re more than welcome. I’m always happy to help out my kinfolk. Any friend of Jasper’s is a friend of mine.”
“Oh, we’re not exactly friends,” Delilah tried to explain. “He’s the hospitality host.”
“We’re all friends around here, sugar.” Suzy propped her hands on her hips. “You need a towel to take a shower or anything?”
“No thank you. I’ll just change into my kickoff outfit and redo my makeup.”
“Suit yourself. You hungry? I can make you something to eat right quick before we have to go to the party.”
“I’m fine, thanks.” No telling what kind of meat Suzy might have sitting around in her freezer. The thought made Delilah’s stomach roll.
“Best get to it then. I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
“Thank you.” Delilah pulled the bathroom door shut behind her, enclosing herself in the small space. Two chipmunks sat on a log suspended above the toilet. She shook her head and focused on her reflection in the mirror.
Her arrival in Ido hadn’t gone exactly as she anticipated. Hopefully the evening celebration would go well. She lost track of time as she brushed and dabbed and highlighted, her fingers expertly applying the makeup in a routine she’d perfected over the years.
Suzy said something, then a man’s voice reverberated through the trailer.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “You about ready? We’ve got a visitor and he’s got a special ride to get you to the party tonight.”
* * *
* * *
Jasper checked his list once, twice, three times. This afternoon had been such a mess, tonight needed to go off without a hitch. They’d already pushed Delilah Stone to the edge. He could tell by the way her wild-eyed gaze had darted from beaver to bobcat at his aunt Suzy’s place. If she fled before she had a chance to pass judgment on their tiny town, he’d never hear the end of it.
“You ready?” Lacey joined him in the gazebo, baby P in her arms.
“As ready as we’ll ever be.” He turned in a circle, doing one final check-in to make sure all was going according to the plan.
“You’re sure Suzy will have her here in time?” Lacey didn’t have the same unwavering faith in Suzy’s abilities. In addition to working for the taxidermist, Suzy was the local florist. Up until Lacey started bringing in brides, his aunt mainly worked with the town’s funeral parlor. But recently she’d been doing a whole lot of weddings, and never missed an opportunity to cross over between her two loves, sometimes working a small token of local wildlife into one of her bridal bouquets.
“The town’s got a lot riding on this competition.” Lacey bounced her son on her hip, even as she pinned Jasper in place with her glare.
“I know. So do I.” He glanced toward his boots, the ones he’d polished to a shine. “That’s why I don’t think I’m the best person to act as hospitality host. If we don’t pull this off, I don’t know what we’re going to do at the farm. Dad seems hell-bent on replanting, but it’s going to take years for new trees to start producing.”
“You may not be the best person, but you’re my only option.” Lacey shifted the baby and put a hand on his arm. “We’re in this together. We’ll make it work.”
He shook his head.
“Unless you want me to offer the job to Suzy instead.” Lacey shrugged.
His thoughts bounced back to Delilah’s reactions at Suzy’s place. He couldn’t leave the fate of the town or the farm to his eccentric aunt.
“Fine.” He let out a sigh. “I’ll do it.”
“I hoped you’d see things my way.” Lacey gave him a confident grin, like she knew she had him over a barrel the whole time.
At that moment, a loud noise caught their attention. Sounded like a dozen Harleys headed their way, right through the center of town.
“What the heck is that?” Lacey’s hand dropped, and she turned to face the incoming rumble.
Jasper walked to the edge of the gazebo, straining to catch a glimpse of what might be causing the noise.
A motorcycle turned the corner. Followed by another. And another. He put his hands to his temple. So help him, if his aunt had done what he suspected . . .
“Please tell me Suzy isn’t involved in this?” Lacey’s lips were set in a straight line, but her eyes went wide.
“I don’t know.” Jasper shook his head, his arms falling helplessly to his sides. He’d asked Suzy to make sure Delilah got to the event in one piece, but he should have specified how.
The local biker gang, if one could call it that, slowed as they reached the center of the square. Jasper jogged down the steps and over to the curb, each step taking him closer and closer to his downfall. He could feel it in his core. Lacey would fire him for this. Delilah would be traumatized and tear out of Ido faster than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
But when he reached the curb, he caught a glimpse of Delilah’s wide grin. Her perfectly aligned, whiter-than-white smile hit him in the center of his chest. Helmut reached out and offered a hand, helping Delilah climb out of the low sidecar attached to his motorcycle and get her footing.
“What’s going on?” Jasper directed the question to Suzy, who was in the process of climbing off the back of a bike.
“The boys showed up and wanted to give us a ride into town.” She waddled, slight
ly bowlegged, joining him on the curb. “Your friend seemed up for the adventure, so here we are.”
“Here you are?” Jasper muttered through clenched teeth. “Are you deliberately trying to send me into cardiac arrest today?”
“Settle down, we’re just having a little fun.” Suzy swatted at his shoulder.
Jasper turned away from his aunt, making a concerted effort to clear the frustration from his expression before facing Delilah. She stood on the curb, perfectly poised, not looking like she’d just ridden ten miles in the sidecar of a death trap on wheels.
“Are you okay?” Jasper reached her and took in her appearance. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves. The light yellow dress she wore practically glowed under the early evening sun. If she’d been traumatized by the ride into town, she was doing a damn good job of hiding it.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She peered up at him through full, dark lashes. His chest warmed at her attention.
“I just . . . I didn’t realize my aunt would be riding in with her club.”
“It’s a gang, not a club, Jasper.” Helmut approached, his fingers wrapped around the handles of Delilah’s bags.
“Sorry, Helmut. Aren’t you supposed to be doing the food?” Jasper glanced over to the tables under the gazebo.
“Sure am. Deputy Phillips brought that generator over, and the team should be showing up with the vittles any minute.” He held up Delilah’s bags. “Where do you want me to put these for you?”
“I’ll take them.” Jasper reached for the bags. “I’ll just put them in my truck until after. I plan on running you back to your trailer when we’re done here to make sure you get settled in okay.”
“Thank you.” Delilah nodded.
“I’m gonna show the guys where to park.” Helmut gestured over his shoulder. “Then I’ll start setting up.”
“Great,” Jasper said. “Be right back.” He walked the short distance to his truck and locked Delilah’s bags inside the cab. Delilah didn’t look any worse for wear but what the hell had Suzy been thinking? From now on he’d have to keep a closer eye on the contest judge. He couldn’t afford for her to get the wrong idea about Ido or, worse, get injured and hold it against them.
“So where do you want me?” Delilah joined him and they made their way to the gazebo together.
He could think of several responses, none of them particularly appropriate in the moment. So, he cleared his throat, chased away the illicit thoughts of Delilah underneath him, her tight yellow dress scrunched up above her thighs.
“We’ll have you in the gazebo to start. Like I said earlier, the high school marching band will kick us off, then Mayor Cherish will say a few words. Since you want to say something, we’ll have you go next. Then it’s just a meet and greet. Should be pretty casual.” He cast a glance her way.
She met his stride, even though he had no idea how anyone could walk in the tall heels she had on. “That sounds great. Your little town has been so welcoming so far.”
So welcoming. Was that a genuine comment or was she in beauty queen mode? It was hard to tell. “About that ride to town,” he started.
She turned to him, her eyes shining. “I’ve never ridden in a sidecar before. It was . . . fun.”
“Fun?” His gaze roamed over her. How was she not covered in dust?
“Well, it would have been more enjoyable if they hadn’t put a pop-up rain shelter over me until we hit the pavement. But I had to protect my hair.” She ran a hand over her blond waves.
“A rain shelter?” He racked his brain, trying to figure out what his aunt had done. Didn’t really matter now. What mattered was that Delilah had arrived, uninjured, apparently untraumatized, and ready to kick off the next thirty days.
“Your aunt is an interesting woman.” Delilah smiled again and something inside him simmered.
He let out a laugh. “That’s an understatement. I’m sorry if she got out of hand. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Ms. Stone.” Lacey met them on the sidewalk, baby P squirming in her arms. “I’m so sorry about your trailer. I think we’ve got it sorted now. There shouldn’t be any additional problems with your power.”
“Thank you. Now who’s this?” Delilah asked.
“This is baby P.” Lacey juggled her son from one arm to the other. “It’s time for dinner and he’s not especially happy right now.”
“Baby P?” Delilah cocked her head.
“We haven’t agreed on a name quite yet,” Lacey said. “But we’re working on it.”
Jasper bit back a grin. The kid would probably be walking before Lacey and her husband, Deputy Sheriff Bodie Phillips, came clean on a name. Rumor had it Bodie had flubbed the birth certificate and Lacey refused to tell anyone the kid’s given name. Ten months old and the poor kid was still going by baby P.
“Jasper, can you take him for a minute? I want to walk Delilah around the square and ask a few questions.”
He glanced to baby P and back to Lacey. She held her son out to him, and he didn’t have a choice but to take the wriggling baby in his arms. “What kinds of questions? Should I come along?”
“Girl talk.” Lacey scrunched her nose as she took Delilah’s arm. “Just give us a few minutes, okay?”
He held baby P close to his chest as the women moved down the sidewalk. The baby’s brow furrowed as he watched his mom and food source move farther away.
“Hey, little guy, she’ll be back in a minute.” Jasper bounced the kid in his arms, the same way he’d held his younger brothers and sister. It had been a while since one of his siblings was this little, but holding a baby was one of those life skills that automatically came back. He still remembered helping his mom with the younger kids.
Baby P reached up and grabbed ahold of his ear. Jasper grinned and blew a raspberry on the baby’s neck, earning him a high-pitched series of giggles. Someday he’d have this for himself. A wife, a gaggle of kids. But not until he secured his future. He’d been through enough rough times with his folks to know that he wanted to be sure of his place in the world before he brought a kid into it or took on the responsibility of a wife.
He turned, swinging baby P around in his arms, and caught Bodie coming up the sidewalk.
“I thought I heard something familiar.” Bodie held his arms out and baby P struggled to launch himself toward his dad. “Lacey around?”
Jasper relinquished the baby to Bodie. “She and Delilah are taking a stroll around the square for some girl talk.”
“Girl talk, huh?” Bodie held his son against his deputy uniform. “Everything ready for tonight?”
“Seems to be. I’m surprised we were able to pull it together so fast.”
“When my wife is on a mission, if you’re standing in her way, it’s best to move out of it.”
“No kidding.” Jasper had nothing but huge respect for the mayor. She’d single-handedly revamped the town, and he’d admired her efforts from afar. Now, being central to her continued plans to elevate their wedding operation, he had a different vantage point. Lacey would do whatever it took and expected nothing less of those who’d pledged to help her.
“Good luck tonight. Let me know if you see anything strange going on, will you?” Bodie asked.
Jasper nodded. “Strange like how?”
Bodie shook his head. “I heard Swynton was supposed to be up for this award but got disqualified. They don’t usually take kindly to a perceived slight.”
Jasper’s gut clenched. “You think the whole town of Swynton’s going to turn up and try to steal the show?” That’s all he needed.
“No, nothing like that. Buck might have operated that way, but Mayor Monroe is a lot more subtle.”
Jasper remembered the controversy between the ex-mayor of Swynton and Bodie’s family. Since Troy Monroe had been elected mayor of their neighboring town, the ri
valry had simmered down a bit. “Is Adeline still battling Mayor Cherish for brides?”
“Yeah. She slowed down for a while but now that her daddy’s taken over as mayor, she’s back at it. I told Lacey she needed to sit down and have it out with Adeline, but with the baby and now this”—Bodie rolled his eyes—“there hasn’t been much time. You ought to know better than anyone what Adeline is capable of.”
Jasper hated to admit it, but unfortunately, he did know Adeline better than most.
“Just let me know if you see anything odd. We need this win. All of us.” Bodie tickled baby P under the chin and earned a series of giggles.
They did need this win. Whether Jasper liked it or not, he’d hooked his family’s future to the fate of the town.
But he knew something the rest of them didn’t . . . not Bodie, not Mayor Cherish, not meddling Adeline Monroe-Hawk . . . this wasn’t the first time he’d had to put it all on the line to save his family. And if he had any say in it, the Taylor family wouldn’t go down without a fight.
six
“Thank you for your hospitality. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you and spending time in your romantic town.” Delilah gave the crowd her biggest, brightest smile as she wrapped up her short speech and gazed out over the small group assembled in front of the gazebo.
“Thank you, Ms. Stone.” Mayor Cherish stepped next to her. “We’re excited to have you here and can’t wait to show you the best Ido has to offer.” Lacey nodded toward the tables set up to the side. “If you’d all like to join us for some refreshments, I think we’re ready to get the welcome party started.”
The crowd erupted into polite applause. Lacey flipped the switch on the mic, then turned toward Delilah.
“That went well. I know you’re probably tired from traveling and ready to settle in for the night. Do you mind sticking around for a little bit to mingle before Jasper runs you back to your trailer?”
“I was planning on it.” Delilah tried to find Jasper in the crowd. He stood a head taller than most people, so it didn’t take her long. Her stomach warmed as he met her gaze. His lips quirked into a grin and she found herself smiling back before she regained her composure and turned her attention back to the mayor.
