“May I have this dance?” Fletch Garrison smiled at her.
“Sure, why not. I hope I haven’t forgotten all the country dances.”
“I’ve been sitting at the bar trying to figure out who you are. I knew you’d been to Pleasure Valley before.”
“Do you remember my name?”
“I sure do. You grew up real fine,” he said as he swung her into the dance. “Welcome home, Lacey.”
“How’s all the family?”
“We’re fine. Mom and Dad are still living in the home place, although Dad’s turned over the running of the ranch and other businesses to us. He sticks his nose in once in a while,” Fletch said, and grinned. “But not often.”
“Do you all still live in Pleasure Valley?”
“Yep, it’s our home. None of us have any hankering to go far away, except for Heath. He stays in New York most of the time, and takes care of the financial side of our various businesses.”
“You aren’t missing anything by not moving to the big city,” Lacey said.
“You sound disillusioned. I’m surprised you aren’t married with a family.”
“I was, but I took back my maiden name after he died.”
“I won’t ask why. It’s none of my business. But I see hurt in your eyes.” The music had stopped, and they walked back to her chair. “Thanks for the dance. I hope to see you around more.”
Lacey watched him saunter back to his place at the bar. She glanced at the pool table and recognized his twin brothers, and two of the other Garrison brothers, Cort and Devin. She wouldn’t bother Devin tonight about finding a house for her.
They all looked enough alike that you knew they were brothers. Being good-looking, personable, and wealthy made them a target for most of the women in the room. Lacey couldn’t blame the ladies looking their way when she was doing the same.
Chapter Two
Hunter woke late. He’d stayed up watching old movies and thinking about Lacey and their friendship. He’d never expected to see her again, especially not in Pleasure Valley. It seemed she’d made a sudden decision to live here without visiting first. He showered and dressed in casual slacks and a collared shirt. It was the required attire for Sunday dinner. His stomach growled. He couldn’t wait to chow down on Mom’s good cooking.
He was the last to arrive. Fletch and Cort raised their eyebrows. “You left early and come here late. Tell us who she is,” Cort said.
“I went straight home.”
“A likely story,” Fletch said.
“Don’t tease him,” Mom said. “All you boys need to find a good woman and settle down. I’m the only one in my knitting group who doesn’t have any grandchildren to knit for, and I don’t like it.”
Hunter smiled at his mom. She was five foot three and all her sons towered over her. But she had a look that brought instant attention and obedience.
Today, her blue eyes were sparkling, and they knew she was half kidding. His father stood behind her, all six foot two inches of him. He smiled down at his wife. She had the whole family wrapped around her little finger.
Once they’d gathered around the large table, the conversation focused on general topics to do with the ranch and other businesses they’d invested in. Hunter glanced across at Devin. “Did Lacey Donelles speak with you last night about looking at houses?”
“No. Is she back in town?”
“You probably saw her and didn’t recognize her. She doesn’t have pigtails anymore,” Fletch said. “I danced with her. She’s a fine-looking lady.”
“She wants to buy a place. I recommended you,” Hunter explained.
His mom had glanced up when he said Lacey’s name. “I remember her. She was a sweet girl. What’s she like now?” Mom asked Fletch.
“Reserved, and she has sadness in her eyes. She’s been married, but took back her maiden name.”
“That says a lot,” Mom said. “She must have been hurt bad. I’m wondering if she’s running away and expecting to find things the same here as when she was a child. Nothing stays the same.” Their mom shook her head. “I’d like to see her.”
“She’s staying with Doreen,” Hunter said.
“I’ll wait until Devin contacts her.” She glanced at Devin. “You can bring her by to see me. We’ll have cake and coffee.”
“She might not want to come, Mom.”
“I’ve heard you can sweet-talk any lady.” His mother raised her eyebrow and Devin blushed while the rest of the family laughed.
When they went to leave later, Hunter corralled Devin by his truck. “When you make the appointment with Lacey, let me know. I’d like to be at Mom’s when she comes by.”
“Are you looking at taking an interest in our new resident?”
“Just curious. She might need a few friends.”
“Hah, you aren’t thinking about being her friend.”
Devin waved and strolled off to his vehicle.
Hunter drove into town and stopped at his office. He liked to work when it was quiet. He had a few cases to look over before going to court next week. When he finished, he stretched and decided to call the Morris’s house. Maybe Lacey would be interested in a ride.
* * * *
Doreen answered the phone from where she sat at the kitchen table talking with Lacey. “Hello. Hunter, it’s good to hear from you. Yes, she’s here,” Doreen said in spite of Lacey shaking her head no. She forced the receiver into Lacey’s hand.
“Hello, Hunter.”
“I’ve been doing some work at my office, and I’m ready to leave. I thought you might like to ride around Pleasure Valley and see some of the changes.”
“Doreen and I were going to do that tomorrow.”
Doreen kicked her in the shins and said loudly, “I have to help Billy with some paperwork tomorrow. You all go ahead today.”
Doreen had apparently guessed what Hunter had said. Lacey frowned at her. Hunter had to have heard Doreen’s comment.
“Then how about it?” Hunter asked.
“Sure. When will you be here?”
“In about twenty minutes. See you soon.” He clicked off his phone.
Lacey frowned at Doreen. “You know I want to avoid him.”
“Why? He’s handsome, and you liked him a lot before.”
“I was twelve.”
“So now you’re old enough to take your friendship to a deeper level.”
Lacey reluctantly smiled. “You haven’t changed a bit, and you have a dirty mind.”
“Sex is not dirty unless you’re doing it on the ground.”
“You are impossible.” Lacey hurried to her room and took a quick glance in the mirror. She refused to worry about her appearance. She had on jeans and an old pink school T-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. Lacey grabbed a light jacket and got back to the kitchen before he arrived.
“Why didn’t you put on something prettier?” Doreen asked.
“I don’t want to encourage him.”
“Well, you probably won’t in that outfit.”
Doreen’s front door bell rang. “I’ll get it.”
Lacey heard Doreen and a deeper, sexier voice talking. They walked into the kitchen. Lacey put on her polite smile.
“Can I get you a piece of pie and some coffee?” Doreen asked.
“Thanks, but Mom filled us to the brim at lunch.”
He looked across at Lacey. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Hunter put his hand at her waist on their way out the door. A shiver of awareness ran up Lacey’s spine. She didn’t want to feel anything with any man at this point. She wanted peace.
Doreen stood at her front door smiling. “Have a good time, you two.” She waved and closed the door.
“You and Doreen must have kept in touch all these years,” Hunter said as he opened his truck door and helped her inside.
She waited until he walked around and got in before answering. “We did. She even came to visit when I graduated from
high school and college.”
He started the truck and drove onto the highway. “Why didn’t you ever visit?”
“I’m not sure. Mom discouraged the idea at first, and then I got involved in other things and tried to forget Pleasure Valley. You know I never wanted to move. Thinking about it made me sad.”
“It’s a good place to grow up in and to live as an adult.” He turned down Main Street. “You can see how much this area has grown.” He drove around several side streets and pointed out all the various businesses and shops. Then he drove out of town toward the west.
“New people have moved in and started farms and ranches. Several artists and a writer bought homes in the area.”
Lacey grinned. “I’ll bet when they moved in there was lots of gossip.”
“Sure was, and the ladies were very curious to meet the romance writer.” Hunter glanced at her. “What did you study in college, and what have you been doing all this time?”
Lacey took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about herself, but she had to start somewhere. Pleasure Valley still wasn’t that big and the people would be curious. Better her tell her story than for them to read it online first.
“I studied political science.”
“You did? Along with my law degree, I got a minor in political science. I’m one of the county commissioners.”
She almost groaned. Just my luck, the first man I find interesting is involved in local politics.
“What did you do with your degree?” he asked.
“At first I ran campaigns. I met my husband when I ran his. We got married right after he was elected to Congress.”
Hunter gave her a quick glance again. “You said he died.”
“Yes, he and his current girlfriend, at that time, had been drinking. He missed a curve going too fast. He died, and she was injured, but lived.” Lacey swallowed around the lump in her throat. “The news spread across the country, and I got a lot of fake sympathy, but some was sincere. Still, you remember the negative the most.”
His large, tanned hand reached out and covered hers where she was gripping them tightly in her lap. “I’m sorry. It must have been a terrible time for you.”
“The worst part was I’d just found out I was pregnant. I lost the baby.” She pulled her hands away and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “I still grieve my lost baby.”
Hunter parked the truck on the side of the road. Then he pulled her into his arms. He didn’t say anything, but he held her close against his warm chest. His steady heartbeat against her ear was strangely comforting. She breathed in his scent of cedar with a hint of citrus with every breath. He didn’t talk. He just let her cry and gently rubbed her back.
No one had just comforted her quietly. They’d always told her time would heal her wounds or she’d have other children. Nothing she could believe at the time.
Lacey didn’t want to move. She cuddled closer against his wide, well-muscled chest. She allowed herself to enjoy being consoled. Gradually the tears stopped, and she reluctantly pulled out of his arms. He brushed her damp hair off her forehead and handed her his handkerchief.
“Thanks, I didn’t think men carried these anymore,” she said.
“We cowboys still do,” he teased, making her smile. “I’m sorry I asked those nosey questions and made you cry.”
“Don’t be. It’s been a year, and I’m mostly over it. Just occasionally it hits me unexpectedly.” She touched the front of his shirt. “I got you all wet.”
Hunter grinned. “I was glad to be of service, ma’am.”
“Now you sound like a cowboy. What happened to your dream of raising horses?”
“I have a few on the side, but I became more interested in the law as I got older and then politics as a way to change things in a positive direction.”
“Hah, nothing really changes.”
He tipped her chin up, and she looked into his stunning blue eyes with just a hint of green mixed in. They glowed in his tanned face with his dark brown hair falling over his forehead. He was handsome, sexy, and dangerous to her peace of mind.
“Things can change for the better. I have to believe that.” His brilliant smile made her heart jump. “My brothers tease me about being the optimist in the group.”
“That’s not a bad trait if life doesn’t knock it out of you.”
Hunter turned in his seat and started the engine. “Are you hungry? I am. Do you remember the old fish house by the river? It’s still there. We can get a good fish sandwich or steak if you prefer.”
“I didn’t eat much breakfast. It sounds great.”
When they parked, Lacey stared at the wooden building. “It hasn’t changed a bit.”
“They’ve done some remodeling inside. My brother, Justyn, and his crew did the work. He’s an architect and has designed most of the newer homes around the area and does remodeling, too.”
“Little Justyn?”
“Don’t call him that. He’s six foot two and is twenty-eight years old.”
“When you don’t see people for a long time it’s hard to visualize how much older they’ve gotten. But I did get a glimpse of him at the pool table. What does his twin brother, Joel, do?”
“He runs the lumber business. He’s good at it.”
A waitress welcomed them and walked them to a table. Outside the window, Lacey saw the creek.
“Remember when the creek was fuller and we took old inner tubes and rode down it?” Lacey said, after they’d sat and taken the menus the waitress handed them.
“My butt remembers. Dad didn’t spare the rod when he heard of our antics. He was furious that I’d endangered your life and mine.”
“Mom grounded me for a week and threatened to not let me go around with you anymore,” Lacey added. “She said you were making me into a tomboy. I’m certain getting me away from here was one of the many good things about going to Washington for her.”
“I did miss you. You were a good pal, a good sport.”
“Mom worried we would become more than pals.”
“We might have dated, given time.” He raised his eyebrow. “I do remember our first and only kiss.” He looked at her intently. “You’ve been gone and come back a beautiful woman.”
“I’d only been here one day when I heard about the handsome Garrison brothers,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.
Hunter chuckled. “From Doreen I suppose.”
Lacey nodded her head. The waitress came back at that moment and they quickly scanned the menu and ordered. Lacey decided on the fish sandwich and fries.
“I’d like to take you by the home place for dessert. Mom heard you’re back. She wants to see you.”
“I’d love to see her and your dad. They were always so nice to me.”
“Good. I’ll call Mom now and warn her we’ll be on our way when we finish our meal.” He reached across and took hold of her hand. “I’m serious about wanting to get to know you better.”
“I’m not ready to date yet.”
“When will you be?”
“Maybe never.”
“Then we won’t call it dating. Let’s have fun like we did in the past. I can introduce you to some of the new people and reintroduce you to old friends.”
“You are a smooth-talking lawyer. I’ll think about it. And don’t give me that smile. I remember when you looked at me the way you are doing now. You thought you’d won.”
“You remember more than I expected.” He pulled out his phone and called his mother.
* * * *
The food had been good and she had enjoyed listening to stories about Hunter and his brothers growing up. When they got in the truck, he pulled out and turned east.
“I hope I have room for a slice of one of your mom’s pies or cakes. I’m sure she has something baked,” Lacey said.
“Always. I’ve never stopped by when she didn’t have something good for me to eat.”
“I don’t know what else she fed you and your br
others, but you’ve all grown very tall and large, not fat, but sturdy.”
“We take after Dad and his brothers. They’re all big men.”
“You must tower over your mother.”
“We do, but she still rules the home. One look and it’s ‘yes ma’am.’”
“I can’t wait to see them.”
The home place looked the same. It had a new coat of paint, but the large house stood as a solid reminder how nothing much really changed here. Mr. and Mrs. Garrison came out on the porch to welcome her.
Mrs. Garrison wrapped her arms around her. “It’s time you came home, little one.”
“I’m not very little anymore. I’m taller than you.”
“You’ve grown, but in your eyes I see the little girl I knew. We’ve missed you.”
Then Mr. Garrison gave her a bear hug. “Come on in. Mama’s got all kinds of treats for you.”
They went straight to the kitchen, Lacey’s favorite spot. Sunshine came in the double windows over the sink. The old kitchen table still sat in the corner with six chairs around it and the top was covered with sweets, chocolate cake, blueberry pie, peanut butter balls, and tall glasses of iced tea.
“Sit and tell us all about what you’ve been doing the past almost twenty years,” Mrs. Garrison said.
“Mom, she may not want to talk about things right now. She’s had a difficult time.”
Mrs. Garrison looked from her son to Lacey. “That’s fine. Whenever you want to talk, you know where to find me. Let’s eat some of this dessert.”
“I can’t possibly find room for all of that,” Lacey protested.
“Then eat what you want, and I’ll send some back with you for Doreen and Billy.” She went to the freezer. “I’m pretty certain you’ll want the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.” She got a carton out and brought it to the table, and then she cut a piece of the cake and put a large scoop of ice cream on top.
“You remembered. It is still my favorite dessert.”
Hunter, you and your dad take whatever you want. I’m sure you two can find room for more.”
The Unforgettable Bride [Brides for the Garrison Brothers 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 2
