You Say It First--A Small-Town Wedding Romance

by Susan Mallery

  “It’s complicated. They have to be able to travel a route without low bridges or overpasses.”

  “Let me guess. There’s an app for that.”

  Carol laughed. “I sure hope so. Otherwise, I’m going to be doing a lot of really unusual research. And there’s no getting it wrong. Giraffes do not bend their heads on command.”

  “That puts my problems in perspective.” She would guess there would be a lot of back roads taken. She doubted the giraffes would be comfortable at freeway speeds. “You’re going to need a giraffe wrangler or something.”

  “First I have to find out if I can buy any. After that, I’ll figure out how to raise the money. Then I’ll worry about the wrangling aspect.”

  “Speaking of wrangling,” Pallas said, her voice teasing, “how was it hanging out with Cade?”

  “Stop trying to fix me up.”

  “I’m not. I’m asking. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been on a date. There has to be some guy who catches your eye. I might be biased, but I think my brother is very handsome and—”

  Pallas stopped in midsentence as a perfectly reasonable explanation for Carol’s lack of dating occurred to her.

  “I’m not a lesbian,” her friend said drily.

  “It’s okay if you are.”

  “Gee, thanks. But no. And while I appreciate the offer of your brother, I’ll get my own guy.”

  “Should I ask when?”

  Carol hesitated just long enough for Pallas to lean forward and ask, “Who is he? I can tell there’s someone.”

  “There’s a guy I like but it will never work and I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Is he married?”

  “No. And gross. He’s not married.” She grabbed a chip. “What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ was unclear?”

  “So there is someone?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he lives in town?”

  Carol sighed. “Maybe.”

  “That means yes.”

  “Don’t make me sorry I like you.”

  “Now I’m going to speculate. But only with you,” she added quickly. “I won’t say a word to anyone else.” She made an X over her heart. “I swear.”

  “Uh-huh. We’ll see. Now can we change the subject? Oh, I know—what about your love life?”

  A fascinating question, Pallas thought, at least to her. “Nick and I have been hanging out.”

  Carol’s eyes widened. “Hanging out as in going to game night or hanging out as in you’ve seen him naked on a regular basis?”

  “I’ve seen him naked.” She pressed her lips together. “It’s very nice. All of it. Him, the naked part. I like him.”

  “A lot?”

  “Maybe. Not that it matters. He’s not going to be a permanent resident for very long.” She explained about his commission in Dubai.

  “You could go with him,” her friend said.

  “No, I couldn’t. I have a business here. Plus, he hasn’t asked me.”

  “What would you do if he did?”

  Something Pallas hadn’t thought about. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter—he won’t. We’re both very clear that this is a temporary thing and I’m okay with that. When he’s gone, I’ll deal.”

  Life would return to what it had been before and she would be fine. At least she hoped she would be fine. Sure, she would miss him, but it wasn’t as if she was in love with him.

  As for him caring about her... She couldn’t even think the L word. Because she’d been taught that love had to be earned and she wasn’t sure she had. Or could.

  “I’m glad you’re having fun,” Carol said. “One of us should be.”

  “If you tell me who your mystery man is, I could help.”

  “Thank you, but no. I’m fine. I’m strong and independent and I’ll get over him, then find someone better.”

  “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?” Pallas asked.

  “Both.”

  * * *

  PALLAS LEFT AFTER lunch but instead of driving back to Weddings in a Box, she turned in the other direction and headed for the family ranch up by the base of the mountains. Talking about Cade had made her miss him. With Nova and Joel’s wedding canceled, she had some free time, so why not visit her brother?

  Despite Carol’s claims that he wasn’t the man she was secretly pining for, Pallas couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he was. If nothing else, she could see if Cade was the least bit interested in her friend. Maybe a little matchmaking would help her feel better about the loss of the alien wedding.

  She stopped at the security gate and punched in the code, then drove down the mile-long driveway. On both sides were fenced-in pastures. Straight ahead was the old farmhouse and behind that was a huge, state-of-the-art barn.

  By the time she got to the house and parked, Cade was walking toward her. She got out of her car and laughed.

  “Let me guess. Some security system told you there was an intruder.”

  Her brother hugged her. “It said the gate had been activated by an authorized code. There’s a slight difference.”

  “Not much of one.” She looked at the weathered two-story house. The roof was new, and the structure sturdy, but it needed a coat of paint, not to mention a good window cleaning. “How are you surviving out here?”

  “Good. I have all I need.”

  “Your saddlebag and whatever else it is cowboys require to get through their day?”

  “Something like that. Come on. I’ll buy you a lemonade.”

  “You have real lemonade?”

  “Made fresh by my trusty housekeeper.”

  She thought of her small place and how the closest she got to having someone cook for her was when she got takeout. “You have a housekeeper?”

  “I have a lady who comes in twice a week to clean, do the laundry and leave the refrigerator filled with meals.”

  “Obviously your salary is much bigger than mine. I’m jealous.”

  “I don’t pay for her,” he said with a grin. “She’s a condition of my employment.”

  “Great. Now I have to hate you. And drink all your lemonade.”

  He was still chuckling as he led the way up the porch steps and inside.

  As she followed him, Pallas tried to remember the last time she’d been in the old farmhouse. She must have been in her early teens.

  She and Cade had both learned to ride when they were maybe five or six. She hadn’t been very interested, but he’d loved everything about the ranch. In the summers he’d practically moved in with the ranch foreman, who lived in the house as part of the job.

  The furniture had changed, she thought as she walked through the large living room, but was positioned the same. The stone fireplace was exactly as she remembered, as was the wooden rocking chair by the fireplace.

  The kitchen hadn’t been updated. There were still gingham curtains at the big windows and an antique stove some big city designer would kill to get his hands on. The refrigerator was new, as was the microwave. A farm sink, big enough for a good-sized litter of puppies to swim in, stood in front of the large bay window.

  “Do you feel isolated out here?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m close enough to town to get what I need and far enough away from everyone to enjoy the quiet.”

  “And by everyone, you mean Mom?”

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “I didn’t say it—you did.”

  He put ice in glasses, then poured what looked to be real lemonade. Pallas took a sip and sighed. “Delicious.”

  “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  They walked out to the back porch, which was about twice as wide and three times as long as the front one. There were chairs and
rockers, a swing hanging from the eaves and a rattan sofa. He motioned to the latter, then sat next to her.

  “What am I looking at?” she asked.

  He pointed to one of the fenced pastures. “Just wait. You’ll see in a second.”

  She leaned back against the cushion and breathed in the warm, fresh air. Maybe it was all the grass or the pond or being closer to the mountains, but the air wasn’t as dry here as it was in town. She liked the sound of the birds and—

  “Look!” She pointed as a brown mare and a darling, leggy, awkward colt walked into view. “Baby horses. I want one!”

  “He’ll cost you about twenty grand.”

  She nearly choked on her drink. “Seriously? He’s a baby.”

  “It’s all about potential.”

  “And good advertising. Twenty grand? For a horse?”

  “That’s nothing. I want to buy a stallion for the ranch. He’s a special guy. I’m not sure I’m going to get him, but he’ll be about twenty times that.”

  Pallas did the math, then gasped. “Or you could just go buy an island.”

  “Hard to improve a breeding program with an island.” Cade rested one ankle on the opposite knee. “I probably won’t get him, but it’s fun to think about.”

  “Is there an auction or something?”

  “No. The owner doesn’t sell many horses and I’m sure others have offered more than me.”

  “Who’s the owner?”

  Amusement filled her brother’s eyes. “King Malik of El Bahar.”

  Pallas’s knowledge of geography was sketchy at best. She knew El Bahar was south of Saudi Arabia—maybe on the water. The country was a close ally of the United States and was often referred to as the Switzerland of the Middle East. And even she had heard of their horses.

  “He’s hinted he’s willing to sell a few horses in his stable. Rida’s the only one I’m interested in. I’ve sent a letter to the king and heard that he’ll be getting back to me in a few months. We’ll see what happens.”

  “No offense, Cade, but why on earth would the king of El Bahar sell to you and not one of the other billion and, I’m guessing, rich people interested?”

  “Because he likes me.”

  Pallas blinked. “You’ve met him?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “The king of El Bahar?”

  “He was the Crown Prince then. His father stepped down when King Malik’s oldest son turned eighteen.”

  Apparently her brother had quite the secret life. Of course he’d been gone close to a decade, but still. They talked regularly and texted. At no point had he felt the need to mention he’d met the soon-to-be king of El Bahar?

  “Is he nice?”

  “That’s not a word I’d use. He’s very commanding, but a decent guy. He was in Texas, looking at horses, and took several of us out to dinner. Our relationship is my only shot at getting Rida, but if I could, it would change everything.”

  Pallas was still trying to wrap her mind around her brother’s share. “I wonder if I should look at offering harem weddings.”

  “Isn’t that more of a guy’s fantasy than a woman’s idea of a good time?”

  “I guess you’re right, but it’s interesting to think about. If you buy the horse, would you go to El Bahar to pick him up?”

  “They’d probably bring him here and send someone along to get him settled. Not a problem I have to deal with now.”

  She touched her glass to his. “Here’s hoping it becomes a problem.”

  He chuckled.

  She returned her attention to the mare and her foal. They looked so right together, she thought. Content to simply be on this beautiful late spring day. She and her mother had never been like that. No matter what, there had been tension. Pallas had been so eager to please, but no matter how she tried, she’d failed. Even when she’d been little.

  “Do you remember much about Dad?” she asked.

  “Sure. He brought me out here to ride every weekend until he died.”

  Pallas didn’t recall that happening all that often, but she must be wrong. “He’s a blur to me,” she admitted. “I have flashes of things, but nothing specific.”

  “I remember everything. When Mom told me he’d died, I refused to believe her. I kept telling her there had been a mistake. I had nightmares for weeks.”

  Pallas wondered how she couldn’t know that. She knew that Cade had been upset, but by the time they were ten, they were living relatively different lives. She’d had her girlfriends and he’d been hanging out with the guys he knew. And he’d been gone most weekends. Riding, she thought, the past coming back to her.

  “Did he stand up to Mom?” she asked.

  “No, that wasn’t his way.” He frowned. “I don’t know what they saw in each other. Moving in with Grandpa Frank can’t have helped their marriage. Living with an in-law couldn’t be easy.”

  “Was that his decision or hers?” she asked before adding, “Never mind. We were kids. How would we know?”

  Not exactly a happy topic. She searched for a better one, then smiled.

  “What did you think of Carol?”

  “No.”

  She looked at him. “What does that mean?”

  “You’re not fixing me up with your friends. You can forget it, Pallas. I mean it.”

  “That’s very forceful.”

  “Hey, I have some of Mom in me, too. It’s not just all you.”

  She wanted to protest that she was nothing like Libby, but figured if they went too far into those muddy waters, she would end up with hurt feelings.

  “She’s nice,” Pallas told him. “And single. You both like animals.”

  He sighed heavily. “And this would be you acting exactly like Mom. Give it up, kid. I’m not interested in her and she’s not interested in me.”

  “Are you interested in anyone?”

  “Not right now.”

  “No secret longing for a girl you left back in Texas?”

  “Nope.”

  There was something about the way he said the single word. Maybe it was a twin thing, but she knew he was holding back. She angled toward him. “You’re lying.”

  “There’s no one, I swear.”

  “But?”

  He groaned. “Why did you come here? I forget.”

  “Cade, I’m not going to let it go.”

  “Fine. I was involved with someone when I was in Kentucky. It didn’t work out.”

  “Why not?”

  “She was willing to sleep with the hired help but not marry him.” He held up his hand before she could respond. “I got off easy. She wasn’t the one and I’m glad I found out before I’d made a fool out of myself. Or worse, married her.”

  “But you were in love with her.” Her chest hurt just thinking about it. “She hurt you.”

  “Not that badly. I got over her.”

  “Is she why you came back home?”

  “No. She’s why I went to Texas. I came home because it seemed like a good time for a change of scene.”

  “I’m here if you want to talk.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And I could set something up with Carol.”

  He swore.

  She laughed and leaned against him. “Fine. I’ll let the Carol thing go. Maybe King Malik will sell you the horse and send a pretty horse trainer with him. You two can fall madly in love and have a harem wedding at Weddings in a Box.”

  “You’re a freak.”

  “And yet you love me.”

  “That I do.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  NICK CAREFULLY MIXED the acrylic paint. He’d never been one to work with color—not this way. His wood pieces were varnished, but otherwise left natural,
and with his glass, the color had been added as part of the process. Not after the fact. But papier-mâché was a whole different ball game.

  He’d found the right purple, but he was still playing with the yellows and teals. So far he hadn’t found the perfect combination.

  “Knock knock.”

  He looked up as Violet walked in, pulling a large suitcase behind her. He rose.

  “Hi. Was I expecting you?”

  “No, and you can tell me you’re busy. It’s okay.” She wrinkled her nose. “I just wanted to talk about the wedding.”

  “It’s canceled.”

  “Yes, and yet you’re painting papier-mâché flowers for it.”

  “I guess I can’t let it go.”

  “Me, either.”

  He motioned to the flowers. “I’m going to paint them then send them to Nova. She can use them or not.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” She lowered the suitcase to the floor and opened it. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened. I’m sad, and I decided this was how I would deal.”

  The “this” was a dress. One of the bridesmaid dresses, Nick thought, staring at the garment as she pulled it out of the suitcase and laid it across his desk.

  What had been a simple purple sleeveless dress—fitted through the waist, then flaring out to the floor—had been transformed. Some kind of gauzy fabric formed drapey sleeves. Beads lined the V-neck and tiny star-like decorations covered the skirt.

  He bent closer and studied the stars. They weren’t decorations, they were buttons, with glass centers and some kind of enameling surrounding the glass. The colors were perfect—teal and purple, with a hint of creamy yellow.

  “The design is Indian,” Violet told him. “They’re antique—if I had to guess, I’d say they’re maybe three hundred years old. Aren’t they amazing?”

  “Where did you find them?”

  “Oh, I have buyers all over the world sending me buttons. It’s a real thing,” she added as he stared at her. “An expat found these in a market. They were just sitting in a box, gathering dust. So she sent them to me. I’ve had them a couple of years. I’ve been waiting for the right project.” She sighed. “I’d thought this was it.”