A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding

by Nicole Helm

  But when she pushed the door open, Cora groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, God. Stop that you two.” When she dared open her eyes, Lilly and Brandon had only moderately stopped that. In that their mouths were no longer fused together, but they still had their arms around each other.

  Lilly grinned at her. “Well, knock.”

  “I was trying to be considerate of the babies.” She gestured at the playpen where Aiden and Grace happily gurgled at each other. “Aren’t babies supposed to cure you of all that?” she asked, gesturing at Brandon and Lilly’s linked forms.

  “Not cured, just desperate for the occasional moment of peace. We’ll take it where we can get it.”

  Brandon, who at least had the decency to look a little shamed, unwound himself from Lilly. “I’ve got to go make those calls. Do you want me to take one?”

  Lilly waved it off. “Make your calls first. They’re liable to start screaming the minute you get a hold of someone.”

  Brandon nodded, kissing Lilly quickly on the cheek, then dropping a sweet pat on each of the babies’ heads before exiting the office.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask. . . .”

  “But you need a babysitter for the babies so you and Brandon can get it on.”

  Lilly chuckled. “Please. Please. I’ll owe you eight million favors. I swear the second that man’s penis gets anywhere near naked they start screaming.”

  “Little baby cock blockers,” Cora cooed at them, earning a groan from Lilly. “Sure. I’d do it tonight, but I already told Micah we could go over to the Tyler ranch. What about tomorrow?”

  “That’ll work.” Lilly’s gaze zeroed in on Cora, that I can read your mind if I try hard enough look. “The Tylers again?”

  “Micah’s loving the riding lessons,” Cora returned, irritated to feel her face warming.

  “Can you afford that?”

  The warmth died into a cold chill. “Yes, I can afford that,” Cora snapped.

  Lilly winced. “I’m sorry. Old habits.”

  “Right,” Cora said, smiling thinly. She didn’t want to blow up at Lilly, and she really should be used to it, but it still smarted. Those old wounds never did seem to fully heal. She opened her mouth to make her excuses to leave, but Lilly spoke first.

  “Tori said there was a cowboy at your door last night.”

  Cora’s mood went even further south. “Tori is a loudmouth.”

  “When were you going to tell me about him?”

  Cora heaved out a sigh. “I don’t know, when I thought you wouldn’t question my judgment.” So, never.

  “Cora . . .”

  Cora didn’t dare look at her sister. She knew she’d see hurt there. “I . . . I just need to do some things without your old habits right now,” Cora managed, being as non-accusatory as she could. Because none of this was about Lilly. It was about Cora trying to get herself together without Lilly’s interference.

  “I know. I’ve been backing off though. I’ve been doing a good job, haven’t I?” Lilly nodded toward the playpen. “They’ve helped me mellow. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want us to be sisters or friends.”

  “Well, of course we’re sisters and friends.” Cora blew out a breath, forcing herself to look at Lilly and all that hurt. “We work together. I . . . I love you. I’m just still building myself up. I need to be strong enough to tell you to back off.”

  Lilly’s mouth curved just a hint. “I think you just did.” Cora let that realization sink in. She had, without even second-guessing herself, pushed Lilly back. For possibly the first time in her life without being immature, mean, or petulant.

  Every once in a while a moment like that washed over her, when she could see and feel the changes she’d made—the maturing and the healing—and it was something like hitting a brick wall at full force.

  Followed by a welcome rush of pride and joy. She was doing this thing. Changing and growing and getting better.

  Lilly stepped forward, gently grabbing her by the elbows. “I hope you know how proud I am of you. All you’ve done in the past year to get your life together. I’ve tried really hard to butt out. I’m sorry when I fall back into that place of wanting to control things for you.”

  “I know you mean well.” People always did when they wanted to protect and care for a person. Maybe that was the true thing broken inside of her: she couldn’t accept care or protection or maybe even love without turning into the worst version of herself.

  She pushed that thought away. She wasn’t broken. She was healing. What she felt for Shane wasn’t that grasping, desperate need to fill an empty spot within herself. She hadn’t been down and alone when he’d sauntered into her life. She’d been in a good place, and Shane only added to it, didn’t torpedo her down into that worst version. He did that all without asking for anything in return.

  “Then can’t you tell me about Mr. Cowboy?” Lilly asked hopefully. “As a sister and a friend. Not as someone who might pass judgment or force her advice on you.”

  Cora stared at her sister. The identical blue eyes, and all that hope in them. Lilly had always had to be more mother than sister, more authoritarian than friend, but that was the past, and part of maturing and healing for Cora was trusting herself enough to choose relationships that could be equal. Being the one in charge of making sure they stood on equal ground, not letting or wanting anyone else to take over.

  “Well, he’s a rancher. Handsome. Sweet. And way too good . . .” for me. But she didn’t allow herself to verbalize the thought. She deserved some good too. “He’s so good I’m almost afraid he’s a figment of my imagination.”

  Lilly propelled Cora into her desk chair. “I like where that’s going,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “He’s good with Micah?”

  “So sweet and patient. He’s the oldest of five kids, and he takes care of the ranch and his family with kindness and protectiveness, and they all just accepted Micah right into that without a second thought. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She glanced down at Aiden’s dark head and thought of her brother-in-law, who had been kind and protective when it came to Lilly and the babies. “Rarely seen anyway.”

  Lilly smiled softly. “It’s hard to believe, I know, but there are some really good guys out there. I’m glad you found one.”

  Cora stared down at her hands. The truth was, she wanted to confide in Lilly about not telling Shane about her past. About Micah’s fears. But didn’t that put her on uneven ground again? Asking for help instead of figuring it out herself.

  “You don’t seem ecstatic.”

  “I’m scared,” Cora replied, the honesty falling right out of her. Then she laughed. How stupid she sounded. “I know I’m forever falling in lust with a guy and calling it love, or just wanting it to be love and calling it that, but this is different and scary and awful and too damn soon, and I think it might be love.”

  Lilly laughed. “Oh, that sounds all too familiar and thus all too possible.”

  Cora glanced up at Lilly’s bemused face. “You were kind of a mess when you were falling for Brandon.”

  “Kind of?” Lilly scoffed. “The biggest mess I’d ever been. Rather determined to screw it all up out of fear too, because I could not admit to myself or anyone else I was afraid. I think you’re a step ahead of me, sis.”

  Cora breathed in a deep breath and let it out. “Step ahead. Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

  Lilly reached down into the playpen and picked up a fussing Grace. “I hope you’ll let us meet him.”

  “Oh. Right.” Cora tried to imagine the Tylers and Evanses together and . . . Actually, it wasn’t that hard to imagine. Brandon and Lilly might be all business and polish, and the Tylers might be all no-nonsense ranch people, but they were one devoted group.

  “I’m going to go change Gracie’s diaper. Can you keep an eye on Aiden?”

  Cora nodded. Lilly disappeared, and, when Cora’s cell rang, she answered it absently without even looking at who was calling. �
�Hello?”

  “You sound distracted.”

  She smiled at the sound of Shane’s voice. “Funny how that happens when I was up all night for nefariously dirty reasons.”

  He chuckled. “Nefarious, huh?”

  “The nefarious-est.”

  She loved the baffled sound to his laugh, as if he couldn’t help himself but to find her charming, no matter how ridiculous she was.

  “How was Micah’s camping trip?”

  It warmed her that he would call, call to ask that. “Good. He saw a bear, though Sam assured me it was from an appropriate distance.”

  “I’m sure that eased your mind completely.”

  “Oh, yes, bears and my son didn’t give me a panic attack at all.”

  “Of course. You still up for dinner? Mom’s planning a big old barbecue. Any special requests from either of you two?”

  “No, we’ll eat anything I don’t cook,” Cora returned, earning another laugh. Oh, hell, she was scarily in head over her heels with him. “You know, I was just talking to my sister. She wants to meet you.”

  “Well, I want to meet her too. Why don’t you invite her and her family tonight? Mom put us boys in charge of grilling. Mol’s in town getting groceries. I’ll text her to pick up a few more.”

  “I don’t want to—”

  “Bring them,” he insisted. Then there was an odd pause, and if she had been reading into things she might’ve called it uncertainty. “If you want to, that is.”

  “I do. I do want to.” It scared her to want things like this, this much.

  “It’s settled then. See you in a bit, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.” More than okay, really. “Shane?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I . . .” What idiot said that after one not-even-date and over the phone? Not this idiot. “I wanted to say thanks for last night. Best date I’ve ever not been on.”

  He laughed. “We’ll try again.”

  “Can we fail again, too? I really liked the failing part.”

  “I’ll make sure of it. See you soon, Cora.”

  “Bye,” she managed, feeling so many things at once she could hardly grasp any of them as she hit End on her phone.

  She looked up to find Micah in the doorway giving her one of those unreadable stares. She smiled at him, feeling a little too off-kilter right now to face that look straight on. “You ready to go?”

  Micah only nodded.

  * * *

  Shane was flipping burgers when he spotted Cora’s car on the crest of the hill. It was followed by a truck, which had to be her family.

  Shane wasn’t sure why he felt queasy. He was good with people, and Cora’s sister and brother-in-law weren’t likely to hate him on sight.

  Probably.

  “Looking a little green there, pal,” Gavin offered with a grin. “Worried about the family’s approval? Well, this is serious.”

  “Bite me,” Shane muttered without much heat. He wasn’t afraid of serious. Didn’t particularly like getting razzed on it, but he wasn’t afraid.

  “Mattie’s parents loved you. Maybe it’ll be good luck if Cora’s family hates you.”

  Cora stepped out of her car, offering a smile and a wave. Micah jumped out of the car too, already racing toward Boone.

  “Cora isn’t anything like Mattie,” Shane mumbled, watching Cora wait for her sister and brother-in-law to pull two small babies out of the truck’s back seat. Back then he’d loved Mattie, yes, but he’d wanted to marry her because he’d wanted things to be settled. He’d wanted to start his future.

  With Cora, he just wanted to be with her. Much as he could.

  “Hey, guys,” Micah said breathlessly, his gaze bouncing from face to face. “Is Molly here? Can I get a ride in?”

  Shane couldn’t hide a grin. A kid’s enthusiasm when he was head over heels for horses was hard to beat. “Dinner is just about ready, but I bet if you’re real sweet to her, Molly’ll give you a lesson after we eat.”

  “Awesome,” Micah managed, looking back at the approaching Cora and company. “Babies are gross,” he offered, nodding toward the two bundles being carried by a large, bearded man and a woman who looked an awful lot like Cora, down to eye color and sweet dimple. “But my cousins are okay.”

  “You want to head over to the stables real quick? I’ll take you over,” Boone offered. “Gotta hear about this bear.”

  “It was gigantic,” Micah said gleefully, and Shane tried to ignore the slight pang of jealousy. Boone would always be infinitely cooler, and Shane just had to accept it.

  Micah scurried off with Boone, and Cora approached, looking nervous. He didn’t mind it. “Take over the grill,” he said, handing off the spatula to Gavin.

  “Cora got any more sisters?” Gavin asked after a low whistle. “Damn.”

  “Manners, idiot,” Shane returned before heading to meet Cora. “Howdy,” he offered, tipping his hat because he knew it would knock at least a little of the nervousness out of her.

  She rolled her eyes. “He’s just being a dork. He does not actually say howdy,” she offered to her sister. “Lilly, Brandon, this is Shane. Shane, my sister and her husband, and my niece Grace and my nephew Aiden.”

  The bundle of girl yawned. The bundle of boy babbled.

  “It’s nice to meet you all. We’re just having a laid-back, picnic-type meal tonight. Everything’s about ready.” He gestured toward the picnic tables where Mom and Molly were setting up.

  Mom, as if she could just sense the appearance of new people, hustled over, Ben trudging behind her. “Lilly, Brandon.” Of course Mom already knew them from dealing with Mile High Weddings. “I’m so happy you could come over. And with your little ones.” She held out her arms. “Oh, please let me hold one.”

  Brandon transferred the boy lump to Mom, and she sighed happily. “Oh, it’s like I can’t even remember when they were this tiny.” Mom cuddled the baby to her chest while Ben shifted uncomfortably next to her.

  “Better, uh, help Gavin with the burgers.” Ben hightailed it to the grill.

  “Never had kids of his own. Babies make him squeamish. Well, come on, you two, well four, come eat. Eat, eat, eat,” Mom said, ushering Lilly and Brandon toward the tables while Gavin and Ben took plates of meat to the warmers Molly had set up.

  “I should go get Micah,” Cora said, taking a step toward the stables.

  Shane stopped her. “I’ll grab him,” he offered, squeezing Cora’s arm. “You load up your plate.”

  She smiled up at him, then got to her toes and brushed her mouth across his.

  “What did I get that for?”

  She grinned up at him. “Guess you’re just pretty or something.”

  He grinned down at her. “I know your sister is here and all, but I plan on sneaking you away later.”

  She bit her lip, giving him a once-over. “I’ll hold you to that, cowboy,” she murmured before sauntering off after Lilly and Brandon.

  Shane walked over to the stables, more than just pleased with himself and how things were going. But as he entered the building, Boone’s voice interrupted all that peace and contentment.

  “Long as your mom says it’s okay, you can come with us. It’s about three days, and we drive the cattle—”

  “No.” The command came out of his mouth before Shane even thought of it, before Boone or Micah had even realized he was there.

  Boone turned slowly, that icy cold look in his eye. “You’re not in charge of me, Shane.”

  “No, but I am in charge of this ranch, and, unfortunately, Micah’s age makes him a liability.” He noted Micah’s mutinous expression and did what he could to assuage it, though he knew, thanks to Boone, he was going to be the bad guy no matter what. “I’m sorry, Micah. Those are the rules. They always have been the rules. I can’t change them when they’re there for safety reasons.”

  “But Boone said—”

  “Boone was wrong and spoke out of turn. We can’t have anyone on the cattle drive under th
e age of fifteen. That’s the beginning and end of it.”

  “It doesn’t have to be,” Boone said.

  “Yes, it does. You’ve been home for a few weeks tops. You don’t get to sweep in and change things. We’re talking about a kid’s safety here. Not your pride.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Maybe you should stay away from the kid since you can’t seem to control your mouth.”

  “Whatever,” Micah mumbled. “I don’t even care.” Then he stormed out of the stables, very clearly caring.

  “You’re being a dick,” Boone growled, pressing his luck.

  “You’re being completely irresponsible. You cannot take a twelve-year-old who is still just getting used to horses on that kind of drive.”

  “You and Gavin went all the time when you were kids. I’m not stupid. You ended that practice because you didn’t want the rest of us underfoot, not because it was dangerous.”

  “I ended that practice because people got hurt,” Shane bit out. He did everything in his power to keep his temper under control, but screw Boone for always swooping in, trying to be the fun-time guy.

  “Who?”

  Oh, he wanted to go down this road? Fine. “You really buy the story Dad died accidentally with no interference?”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “Nothing.” He was not losing it like this over something so small. Much as he hated to admit it, he was more angry with Boone for making him the bad guy with Micah than anything else. That didn’t excuse this outburst though. “Like I said, I’m in charge. On this matter, what I say goes.”

  “Oh, hell no, you don’t get to shut it down. What did you mean? Dad did die accidentally.”

  “Yeah, he did.”

  Boone took a step forward and fisted his hand in Shane’s shirt. Shane resisted the urge to push him away. He would not get in a fistfight with his injured brother. Not with Cora out there, that was for damn sure.

  “Then what did you mean?” Boone asked in a low, threatening tone.

  “It means it was an accident, but it could have been avoided.” Shane hadn’t told anyone this. Not even Mom. Not Cora, not Gavin, no one. “I was underfoot, about got myself trampled. Dad saved me, and that’s how he died. Keeping my ass alive. So. Yeah, an accident, but one that wouldn’t have happened if he’d kept kids out of it. Next time you want to include Micah on something, you run it by me first.”