Her Rodeo Rancher

by M. K. Stelmack

  Raine and Jenna came first in harmonizing colors of pale pink and yellow, pausing their horses for photos.

  Keith nudged Will’s elbow. “Dana wants you.”

  Will scanned the guests.

  “Fifth row. This side. The end.”

  Dana sat with Austin on her knee, tapping her hand. What? Will looked down at his hand.

  “Doofus.” From Keith. “She wants to know if you remembered the ring.”

  How did Keith figure that? Will checked, smiled back a yes. Dana’s attention flicked to Keith, who must’ve signaled something, because she sucked in her lips to stop a laugh. Fine. If the one thing they were doing together was laughing at him, so be it. Raine and Jenna moved on.

  Then came Caris in matching pink and yellow leading Janet’s horse ridden by Krista. Well, barely ridden.

  “Who’s the one in blue?” Jasper, one of the groomsmen, said.

  “Alyssa’s replacement. Krista,” Keith whispered.

  “She ever been on a horse?” Jasper cracked through the side of his mouth.

  “Doesn’t look like it,” Keith beside him answered.

  Krista swayed in the saddle with a two-fisted grip on the horn, despite Silver’s easy walk. His mother watched, her smile fixed. Caris taking the lead rein was not a bad plan for most horses, but Silver liked to know who was in control, otherwise she’d put herself in charge. And from the backward bent to Silver’s ears, she didn’t think Caris’s horse made the grade.

  Caris stopped for the requisite pictures and Silver obediently stopped, too. Krista sat astride the horse, unlike the others who had managed sidesaddle easily. They’d probably advised Krista to sit that way for greater stability, but it meant her skirt was hitched up to midthigh and she had to keep one hand pressed between her thighs so the material wouldn’t rise any higher. Some pictures those were going to make. Also—

  “She’s barefoot,” Ryan commented.

  A dangerous option when you and the horse weren’t partners. Or even acquainted. Krista adjusted herself in the saddle, her heels tapping Silver’s sides.

  Silver, trained to respond to the slightest touch, stepped forward, the lead rein slipping from Caris’s hand. Silver walked straight past Caris’s horse and kept going, away from the entire event. Caris moved her horse up to Silver to recapture the rein but, tired of following, Silver showed her haunches, not letting Caris close.

  Caris hurried to secure her horse to the hitching rail likely planning to return to Krista. Meanwhile Krista was attempting to get Silver to move toward the rail, but her pulls on the reins confused the mare. She snorted and didn’t budge.

  A titter arose from the horse-savvy crowd. A bunch of people laughing at Krista when she’d had no say in this predicament. Will felt a rush of annoyance with his sister. Why hadn’t she warned Krista? He would’ve been happy to give Krista pointers.

  He started toward Krista but his dad was already on the move. He strode across in that easy way of his and picked up Silver’s lead rein. He spoke to Krista. Her reply made his father break into a full smile.

  He said something back and the two of them chatted like old buddies as his father led Silver to a large lilac bush beside the hitching rail. All three disappeared behind the bush, and when they came around the other side, Krista was on the ground. His dad, ever the gentleman, hadn’t let the crowd witness her probably graceless dismount.

  He should’ve been there instead. Krista was his sort-of date, after all. Beside him, Ryan straightened. His bride had arrived.

  Will barely recognized his sister on the back of her palomino. She was all white and ruffles as if she’d dropped into a cloud like the ones floating in the blue sky above. Will leaned close to his best buddy’s ear. “Just so you know, I’ve already got a brother but I only have one sister.”

  “Thinking the same,” Keith said from his other side.

  Ryan nodded once. “Understood.”

  Laura dismounted and Krista risked stones and splinters to rush over and do the last-minute fussing with the dress and bouquet. The other girls assembled to begin the procession but Laura was losing her nerve. Even from where he stood, Will noticed the bouquet shake. Krista had seen it, too. She came right up into Laura’s face. Will remembered doing the same for Laura before toboggan rides, the big math final, the barrel race. Reminded her to break it all down, to keep her eye on the goal.

  Krista wrapped her hands around Laura’s bare shoulders. Those talented hands that infused serenity into whomever she touched. Do your thing, Krista. Sure enough, Laura’s eyes lifted to look past Krista to Ryan. Her goal. Krista gave Laura’s shoulder a quick rub, and Will felt it in the soles of his feet. Laura nodded and Krista hopped to her place in the bridal procession.

  All eyes were on Laura as she walked with her dad down the aisle, but Will was distracted by Krista and her bare toes, right to where they stopped across from him.

  Painted blue, her toes waggled. He glanced up to find her grinning at him.

  Barefoot, her hair in a ponytail, and wearing a pretty blue dress, she looked like a whole lot of fun. Keith cleared his throat pointedly. Will ignored him. He wasn’t marrying Krista, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy walking back up the aisle with her on his arm.

  * * *

  KRISTA’S ARM TUCKED into his as they approached the reception line, Will leaned to her ear. “You short a pair of shoes?”

  Krista looked down, mock-gasped. “Oh man, I was wondering what everyone was staring at. You wouldn’t happen to have another pair on you?”

  He patted his suit pockets. “Straight out.”

  “Never mind. I’ll raid Laura’s closet before the pictures.”

  “I can run you back to your place. It’ll take under a half hour.”

  Will was prevented from getting Krista’s reply by the formation of the reception line which placed the wedding couple between him and Krista. After a long procession of clasping sweaty palms and hugging perfumed aunts, he finally regained Krista. “How about it?”

  “Shoe shopping in under a half hour? That’ll be a new world record.”

  “I believe in you.”

  His faith turned out to be well-founded. Will had assumed they’d go to the fancy shoe store downtown, but Krista dug in her heels because she couldn’t afford another pair there. When he started to protest she’d firmly said no, he wasn’t paying and no, she wouldn’t consider paying him back. Then she’d asked him to please take her to Walmart. She had an idea which turned out to be a pair of white sneakers with two artificial blue daisies attached to the laces.

  “Blue’s good,” Will said. “Matches your eyes.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “Uh, Will. They match the dress. That’s the point.”

  Her point, maybe. He was making an entirely different one. “Not sure about white. They don’t seem practical.”

  “There are no blue shoes, and it’s practical to buy shoes a color I can wear with other outfits.”

  “Point taken.”

  He began to doubt her rational side though when she opened her phone on the way back and began muttering to herself.

  “What’s that you say?” he said extra loud as if she was talking to him.

  “My speech. I’m doing the bride’s toast. And you’re doing the toast to the groom.”

  “I am?” He did know but it was worth it to see her half die from an anxiety seizure before she realized he was joking.

  “I’m not sure why I’m worrying,” she said as they got out from his truck. “If you screw up, it’s not my problem. I just don’t want—”

  “To ruin it for Laura. I understand.”

  She didn’t, either. At first the phone in her hand shook so hard it was all Will could do not to jump up to the podium and hold it for her. But then she set it down and turned to Laura and poured out her heart. The two of th
em and half the room were bawling by the end.

  Dry-eyed, Keith whispered to Will. “First she melts hearts, then breaks ’em.”

  Keith didn’t know Krista.

  Will and Krista nailed the dance, or at least they didn’t goof up so bad they stole from the main attraction, Ryan and Laura. At the final song beat, Krista beamed up at him. “All right, I think we can finally have fun.”

  “You haven’t been?” He meant to sound lighthearted, but he detected his own regret.

  Krista’s gaze lingered on him, probably wondering if she’d hurt his feelings. “Today was way better than I ever believed possible,” Krista said. “Better than how it started with Silver. All I could think about was ‘What if I break your mom’s horse? She will kill me. Wait, no she won’t have to because I’ll do it for her.’”

  Will laughed, and she broke into her terrific smile. This was why it had been so hard to refuse Krista all those years ago. He felt so good around her.

  “Thank God I’ll never have to get on a horse again.”

  And there it was, his reason for why he’d refused her. Age difference aside, he couldn’t be with someone who didn’t love horses. They had no future then or now. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t move deeper in another direction.

  “About this fake girlfriend thing,” he began, stopped. This was harder than he supposed. What if she blew him off?

  Her smile wavered. “You saw me in action and changed your mind?”

  “No.” Far from it. “Might have to work around your equine skills, but I was thinking that given how well today went, there’s no need for us to fake at being friends.”

  Krista reached her arm around his neck—and then he felt her flip down the back of his shirt collar. “Yeah, I think we blew that by standing here on the dance floor while everyone else is dancing.”

  Will took in his surroundings. They were like rocks amid a stream of moving people. He edged them off the floor. Krista seemed about to speak when Alyssa appeared.

  “You two looked pretty good out there.”

  He’d made a point of sidestepping her whenever possible today. He didn’t want to deal with her, not when he was busy with Krista.

  “Thanks,” Krista said. “Will made us look good.”

  Alyssa gave him the once-over. “I believe it.” She was coming on pretty strong, right in front of Krista, who had wiped her face clear of its earlier liveliness and was now neutral.

  “A couple of rough spots for you, Krista,” Alyssa continued.

  Now why did she have to bring that up? “Krista did just fine, if you ask me. And I ought to know, seeing as how I was right there with her.”

  Both women startled. What did he say so wrong? Krista said in a rush to Alyssa, “I’m glad you came. Have you had a chance to speak to Laura? Other than after the ceremony, I mean?”

  Laura was sitting at a table of aunts and uncles. Ryan was doing his hosting duties at another table with his family tribe. Alyssa’s mouth twisted. “She’s got plenty of company, I’d say.”

  The DJ struck up a song Will liked. He could teach Krista this one, easy.

  But Alyssa moved between them. She wore a dress with giant pink flowers, so it was like a garden had sprung up in front of him. “Still remember the two-step?” Alyssa asked.

  “I do,” he said and he had no choice but to dance with Alyssa. Otherwise, his brush-off might lead to a scene he’d promised Krista he’d avoid, and quite honestly didn’t want to create. He watched her wander off to have her own fun while he pretended not to miss her. Odd how he didn’t have to fake having fun with his fake girlfriend.

  Fake girlfriend and for-real friend.

  * * *

  KRISTA TURNED HER back to the dance floor so she didn’t have to watch Alyssa in Will’s arms. That might appear a tad obsessive. She and Will were only friends, after all. Very new, straight-out-of-the-wrapping friends. But—the way he’d hesitated to dance with Alyssa, shy and worried, as if her reaction really mattered—something more was there.

  Or she simply wanted there to be more. She forced her gaze to drift among the guests at the tables, lighting on Dana and Keith. A toddler in an adorable dress shirt and pants was standing on Dana’s lap. Austin, Keith’s boy. He started stomping on her lap. Keith didn’t waste a second but swept up his son and calmly began threading his way among the tables to the exit, Austin howling and kicking as if his dad was kidnapping him. Dana watched them uncertainly and then dropped back to her seat.

  She looked lost and lonely. Krista found herself going to her, even though they were little more than acquaintances. But hey, misery loves company.

  “That cute dude knows his mind,” Krista said.

  “More like he’s out of it. It’s a half hour past his bedtime and he refused to nap this afternoon with all the excitement and noise, so now he’s overtired.”

  “Keith’s got a handle on it.”

  “He refused my help. Told me to take the evening off. Enjoy myself.”

  Austin had been perched on Dana’s lap during the ceremony, Krista remembered. “You babysat him the whole day?”

  “Not the whole day. Keith helped when he could, but it’s his sister’s wedding, so I wanted him to have a break, too.”

  So this was why Dana had declined being Will’s fake girlfriend. She and Keith were a thing. “How long have you two been dating?”

  Dana’s eyes widened. “We’re not dating. We’re just...friends.”

  Another couple caught in the slick ground of Friendland. “I’m sorry, I misread that. You two seemed...a couple.”

  Dana brightened. “You think?”

  Ah. “You’d like to be...close to Keith?”

  Dana colored. “That obvious, is it?”

  “No. You two work well together, is all.”

  “He really got burned by his ex. All women are off-limits now.”

  It was none of her business but she couldn’t sit on the obvious, either. “You are different,” Krista said quietly. “He trusts his son with you. He’s known you forever.”

  “Yes, and that’s the problem. To him, I’m another family member.”

  “If you keep acting like one, then that’s what he’ll keep on believing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Who was she to give romantic advice, given her bust with Phillip? Except she’d learned the importance of honesty. “Define yourself differently. Like how you refused to be Will’s fake girlfriend this year.”

  “He told you about our arrangement?”

  That man. Not honest with Alyssa and now he was holding back on his best friend. Dana would find out soon enough. “Yeah. After you turned him down, he asked me.”

  Dana’s eyebrows nearly lifted clear off her face. “You?”

  “I know. After today, people will say Will’s crazy to take me on as his girlfriend.”

  “What? You agreed?”

  “Yeah. He sweetened the deal by saying I might pick up a few clients.”

  “You two are using each other?”

  “Sort of. Are we using each other if we both know we are?”

  “I guess it’s fine. Let me warn you that you’re in for an exhausting five days during the rodeo. He used to pay me back with concert tickets, flowers, dinner. It was like we were dating, he was that grateful.”

  “The girls come on that bad?”

  “As bad as Alyssa with him right now.”

  Krista stole a glance. Alyssa was dancing close, despite the looseness of Will’s hand on her spine. She was a good dancer, way better than Krista’s hopping.

  Dana leaned close. “Does Alyssa know, by chance?”

  “No. Not yet.” Hopefully she wouldn’t, either. Not until after Will had talked with her.

  Dana sat back. “That’s a ticking bomb.”

  “One Will�
��s reluctant to be anywhere close to when it goes off.”

  Will’s best friend studied Krista. “But you’re saying that we both need to get out of our comfort zones.”

  “That’s my experience, Dana. You have to know what you want first.”

  “I want four kids by age thirty-five. But I’m already thirty, and not a father for them in sight.”

  Krista grinned. “You’ve already got one kid. The father just doesn’t realize it.”

  The music ended, and without thinking, Krista searched the dance floor for Will. There he was, scanning the tables. For her? Alyssa was tight against him.

  Dana tapped her arm. “Will seems to be looking for you. You’re his new comfort zone.”

  That was what he wanted from her. Friendship. A comfort zone. And that’s what she’d accepted. Except somehow it left her wanting more.

  * * *

  FIVE DAYS LATER, Krista was seated at the deck table on the covered front porch of Bridget’s house. Krista’s sisters had been staring at her all night.

  She’d had enough. “What? What?”

  “What do you think, Krista?”

  “Oh, quit that, Mara. I hate when you psycho-people make us say what you already know.”

  “It’s like with Isabella’s math questions,” Bridget said, referencing her oldest daughter. “Show four ways that six plus five makes eleven.”

  “Okay then, Krista,” Mara said, nestling into her deck chair. “Show me four ways that you’ve fallen for Will Claverley.”

  Krista swirled the red wine in her glass. “I can’t even show you one. It is possible to like a guy but not want to be with him. Dana and Will, for example.”

  Mara crossed her legs and swung her foot. “It’s possible. Not entirely convinced in this case.”

  “I already explained our situation weeks ago and there’s no point rehashing it.”

  An SUV with a logo for Penny’s on the passenger door pulled up. Jack, Bridget’s husband as of four months ago, got out. It had kept Krista believing in true love when her adopted sister and her newfound cousin had taken a second chance on each other.