Next came Rosie, looking happier than he’d ever seen her. Not every man was lucky enough to have one great mom, let alone two. That, combined with Herb’s loving guidance, had more than compensated for not growing up with a dad in residence.
Edie looked radiant, too. She’d become Phil’s stepmother only a few years ago, but judging from the way she’d thrown herself into the wedding plans, they’d formed a true mother-daughter bond. Last came Phil, holding firmly to her father’s arm. Every time Liam had seen Karl in the past couple of days, he’d been laughing and joking. Not now. He was obviously too manly to cry, but he was blinking rapidly and his jaw was set.
After they entered the heart-shaped ring of wedding guests, Liam stepped toward Hope to close the opening. Lexi, Rosie and Edie took their positions in the upper left curve of the heart, and Karl placed Phil’s hand in Damon’s before claiming his spot in the right-hand curve beside Cade and Finn. He discreetly thumbed the moisture from his eyes.
The minister surveyed the guests. “Let us all join hands as we surround this couple with the love of family and friends.”
Liam took the hand of the woman on his right and was about to grasp Hope’s when she beat him to it. Slipping her soft fingers through his, she met his gaze, and there was no mistaking the yearning in her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t completely given up on happily-ever-after. He tightened his grip. If she hadn’t glanced away, he might have spent the entire ceremony lost in her tender expression.
Instead she directed her attention to where Phil and Damon stood with the minister. As sunset painted the landscape in shades of pink and orange, everyone took on that glow, but it seemed centered on the couple standing in the middle of the heart.
The words of the ceremony were familiar to Liam, but the emotions they churned up were not. Until meeting Hope, marriage had been a vague concept, an event that would happen to him in the distant future. Yet something had clicked in his brain from that first moment with her.
When he’d talked to Grady about what they’d do if either of them fell in love, he’d been picturing Hope as a likely candidate. Hearing Damon and Phil make those age-old promises with Hope so near, her fingers laced through his, had a powerful effect on him. He couldn’t know whether she was feeling that, too. Logic told him she wouldn’t want to admit it.
That was okay. He could be patient for the next few days. But he was really glad he’d shuffled the order of the lineup so he could share this with her. It might be something to build on.
The ceremony ended, Damon and Phil flinging themselves into each other’s arms and kissing with an abandon that brought whistles and cheers from the guests surrounding them. Then they joined hands and started toward the SUV as Josh pumped up the volume on the recessional. Liam had to let go of Hope because the happy couple needed an exit.
Traditionally the maid and matrons of honor were supposed to pair up with the groomsmen and parade down the aisle, but Karl broke with tradition and hurried after the bride and groom.
“They need a driver!” he called out as he followed them to the SUV. He hopped in, started the engine and off they went.
Edie stood with Finn at the end of the aisle of artificial turf, staring at the departing vehicle. “First of all, that’s my car he’s driving, and second of all, where are they going? There will be no reception waiting for them at the house. We’re all here!”
“But it was dramatic,” Rosie said, laughing. “Come on. Let’s load up and move on out. We won’t be too far behind them.”
In the confusion that followed, Hope ended up riding back with Lexi and Cade. Liam and Grady were the last ones to leave the area. Once they’d made sure no one else needed a ride, they closed the tailgate, climbed in the truck and drove toward the house.
“Nice wedding,” Grady said.
“Different. I liked it.”
“Me, too. I noticed you got next to Hope.”
“Yeah.” Liam blew out a breath. “You might as well know this. I think she’s the one.”
“Does she think you’re the one?”
Count on Grady to cut to the chase. “She doesn’t believe in such things anymore.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t say.”
“Oh, boy. I thought I’d be the one to pick a complicated woman. I figured you’d end up falling for one of your outdoorsy rafting ladies. A straight shooter.”
Liam glanced over at him. “Turns out that I ended up falling for someone as complicated and creative as you, little brother.”
“Then God help you.”
“I could use some divine intervention, so if you have any pull in that department, please use it.”
“You’re not kidding around, are you?”
“No. I know what I want to happen, but convincing her that it’s the right thing won’t be easy.”
Grady settled back in his seat. “I knew all along that this temporary fling business wasn’t your idea. That’s not you.”
“It’s not her, either.”
“Then why did she set it up that way?”
“I can’t say.”
“Maybe you can’t say, but I’m getting the picture. She’s let you into her confidence and into her bed, but not into her heart.”
“Thanks.”
“Am I wrong?”
“No.” Liam found a parking space near the house and turned off the motor. “Like I said, there are issues.”
“I can see that.” Grady unsnapped his seat belt and turned to him. “I can also see that you’re in danger of having your heart sliced and diced, big brother. Maybe you should drive back with me tomorrow and forget about playing house with a woman who’s not smart enough to see that you’re the best there is.”
Liam smiled. “Thanks, Grady.”
“I feel the urge to tell her so.”
“Please don’t.”
“I wouldn’t really, at least not at this stage, when she might still come to her senses on her own. But if she ditches you, I’ll have to give her a piece of my mind.”
Grady’s loyalty touched him. “I’m not so smart, either. A smart guy would go back with you tomorrow, but I have to see this through. Otherwise I’ll always wonder if I’d given up too soon.”
“Hmm.” Grady drummed on the dashboard, something he tended to do when he was thinking. “I get that. Whenever I hit a rough patch with a sculpture, I have the same thought. I could ditch the idea, and I’m so tempted, but then I might be haunted by the possibility that I gave up when I was on the verge of a breakthrough.”
“Exactly.”
“See, I work with metal and you work with people, but the concepts are not that different. I try to bring out the beauty in the metal, and you’re digging for the beauty in the souls of your rafting clients.”
“Or in this case, a wedding guest.”
“Right.” He punched him lightly on the arm. “Go with your gut, bro. Every time I’ve done that, my sculpture is so much better.”
“Good advice.” Liam opened the driver’s side door and climbed out of the truck.
“Hurry!” Hope stood on the porch in her green dress and purple rain boots. “They took the box thing off the wedding cake and—”
“Messed up the cake?” He and Grady walked faster. “Please don’t tell me they messed up that cake.”
“They’d better not have,” Grady muttered. “Not after all we went through to get it there.”
“The cake’s fine,” Hope said. “But they can’t find the cake topper. Do either of you know where it is?”
Liam clapped his hand over his shirt pocket, but of course he hadn’t been wearing this shirt.
Grady stopped and glanced at him, eyebrows lifted.
“I put it somewhere.” Liam tried not to panic. That topper had been important to Damon. �
�Somewhere safe.”
“Mentally retrace your steps,” Hope said. “You’ll remember.”
“God, I hope so.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “It was in my shirt pocket when I set the cake down on the pool table.” Then he’d turned around to find Hope. Her smile had made him forget everything else.
“Right.” She walked down the steps and came toward them. “I don’t remember you taking anything out of your shirt pocket.”
“I didn’t. Then Ty and Whitney drove up.”
“And Brant and Aria,” Grady said. “And we had lunch. Did you still have it then?”
“Pretty sure I did. I’d sort of forgotten about it, in fact.”
“How about when we cleaned up and changed clothes? You would have noticed if you’d still had it in your pocket, right?”
“It wasn’t there by then.”
Hope frowned. “I hope it didn’t fall out.”
“The pocket snaps shut.” He continued to review the course of events. Karl, Damon and Cade had shown up to play pool, and he’d stopped them from moving the box... “That’s it!” Impulsively he grabbed Hope and gave her a quick kiss. “I know where it is.” He turned to Grady. “When they wanted to move the cake, I remembered I still had the topper. I got out the horseshoes and tucked it behind the set of checkers in the game closet.”
“Hallelujah.” Grady smiled. “Gonna give me a kiss, too?”
“Maybe not.”
“I have photographic evidence that you kissed me once upon a time.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Liam grinned. “When you were about ten days old and looked like Yoda.”
“An awesome baby, I was,” Grady said in his gravelly Yoda imitation.
Hope laughed. “Nice.”
“An awesome brother, he is.” Grady tilted his head toward Liam.
“I know.”
Grady started to say something else, and Liam cut him off. “We’d better go unearth that critical doodad so we can get this party started.” No telling how far Grady planned to take his little riff or how pointed his comments would become. Liam had always been protective of his little brother, but he hadn’t realized until now that Grady felt exactly the same about him.
19
THROUGHOUT AN EVENING filled with belly laughs and happy tears, Hope kept remembering Grady’s words. An awesome brother, he is. She watched Liam joking with his foster brothers. Love shone in every teasing exchange. The first time he’d walked into the hotel lobby in Cody, she’d seen a handsome man. She still adored his blue-eyed, dark-haired gorgeousness, but now she saw so much more—kindness, loyalty and fierce protectiveness.
Grady shared those traits, and his comment had been meant as a warning. If she hurt Liam, Grady would shun her. Rosie and Herb wouldn’t be happy with her, either. She might be politely welcomed at Thunder Mountain Ranch because of Phil, but she would no longer be accepted the way she was now.
She hadn’t set out to hurt Liam but quite likely that would happen. He’d switched places before the ceremony so he could be with her. That had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with his growing affection and his not-so-hidden agenda. He was falling for her, and he wanted more than a week’s fling.
Not surprising. Anyone seeing him surrounded by his friends and family would recognize a man secure in his identity, a man ready to share his life with someone special. Their paths had crossed when he was looking for something she couldn’t provide. She should clarify that and she’d talk with him later on tonight. She’d broach the subject before they got naked. After that, rational discussion would be impossible.
But her plan didn’t turn out to be as workable as she’d thought. She didn’t want to discuss it while he drove them down to the meadow. The road was slick and muddy and he needed to concentrate.
He suggested leaving her boots in the truck so he’d be the only one tracking mud in. She went along with the idea even though she thought he was looking for an excuse to act manly. She didn’t miss the significance of being carried over the threshold, especially after they’d spent the entire day focused on wedding traditions.
The inside of the cabin was pretty dark, but Liam didn’t seem worried about illumination tonight. Kicking the door shut, he lowered her to the mattress. “I need you.” His voice was rough, but his mouth was gentle as it captured hers. And his experienced hands made short work of taking off her clothes. He had her out of her dress in no time, and her panties went sailing...somewhere.
Apparently he’d rather kiss her than take off his shirt or his boots. As that kiss became more urgent, he finally moved away long enough to accomplish the bare minimum. His belt buckle clanked and his zipper rasped before the crinkle of foil told her he’d located a condom. Breathing hard, he snapped the latex in place.
The denim of his jeans brushed her open thighs, and his first thrust lifted her off the mattress. Then he held very still as he gulped for air. “Don’t move. Don’t move or I’ll come.”
Her heart pounded with excitement. No man had ever wanted her this much. “Go ahead and come.”
“No.” He swallowed. “I’ll get it together in a second.” Taking a shaky breath, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I’ve been wanting you...ever since we left last night. I wanted to be here, deep inside. I couldn’t think of anything else. It’s been...a very long day.”
Slipping her hand beneath his shirt collar, she rubbed his neck. “I’m sorry.”
“My own damn fault. I tried to think of other stuff.” Slowly he eased out and back in. “But this was always in the back of my mind.” Raising his head, he began a slow rhythm. “It’s a wonder I remembered where I put the cake topper.”
She laughed. “Good thing you did.”
“No kidding.” He leaned down and feathered a kiss over her lips. “I like being inside you when you laugh. But mostly I just like being inside you.”
“I like that, too.” She wrapped him in her arms and closed her eyes. So good. If only she could be the woman he needed in his life.
Rocking forward until he filled her, he paused. “I can hear you thinking.”
“No, you can’t.” She lifted her hips to lock him in even tighter. Now wasn’t the time for discussion.
“What’s on your mind, little lady?”
“You.” Sliding both hands under his shirttails, she cupped his ass and began a slow massage.
He groaned softly. “What else?”
“Orgasms.”
“I wish I believed that.”
“Believe it, cowboy.” She wiggled against him and he gasped. “Believe it and make me come.”
“Ah, Hope.” But he began to move. Gone were the lazy strokes. He grasped her knees and pushed them toward her chest, pumping with deadly accuracy. Delicious pressure built as he quickened the pace. “How’s that?”
“Good.” She began to pant as her climax drew near. “Come with me.”
“But—”
“Please.” She moaned as he shifted his angle slightly, increasing the friction. “I love it when we come together.”
“Me, too.” He took a ragged breath. “You’re close.”
“Yes...yes.”
“Let go,” he murmured. “I’m right behind you.”
Surrendering to the rapid thrust of his cock, she spun into an orgasm filled with light and warmth. She knew it so well now that she didn’t even need to swear. Glorious. When he joined her there, his body shuddering against hers, she held him tight as joy and gratitude washed over her. No matter what happened, she would remember this moment forever.
* * *
DESPITE GIVING HOPE exactly what she’d asked for, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that the other shoe was about to drop. He took care of the condom in the dark and stripped off the rest of his clothes, but then he searched for
one of the lanterns. “I think we could use some light.”
“Not yet.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “I like being able to see you when we...” He started to say have sex, but the description was all wrong. Yet if he said make love, she was liable to read something into it.
“I know you do. But for now, let’s leave it dark.”
“How about the candles? They give off a softer light.”
“Not right now, okay? Come back to bed. We need to talk.”
His chest tightened. “Ominous.” But he climbed back into bed with her and gathered her close. “You’re still wearing your bra. I never took it off you.”
“That’s okay. Listen, I—”
“I want to fix that.” Reaching behind her back, he unfastened the hooks and pushed the straps down over her shoulders.
“I’m trying not to think about why you’re so good at disrobing a woman. You’ve obviously had lots of practice.”
“Some.” He smiled as he finished taking off her bra and dropped it on the floor beside the bed. “Jealous?”
“Yes, and I’m ashamed of myself. I’m not allowed to be jealous under the circumstances.”
“But if you change the circumstances, you can be as jealous as you want.” He drew her back into his arms and sighed with contentment. Her warm, silky body nestled against his was heaven. He didn’t feel like talking. More of what they’d just enjoyed would beat talking all to hell.
“I don’t want to change the circumstances.”
Damn. Apparently he’d made no progress whatsoever. Good thing he had several more days to work with. “Okay. Forget I mentioned it.”
“I can’t, just like I can’t forget that you orchestrated it so we could stand together and hold hands through the ceremony.”
“No biggie. I just felt like watching it while I was with you instead of standing between two of Rosie’s former coworkers.”
Cowboy After Dark Page 17
