“Maybe we could practice your pouncing technique when we get back from the picnic,” Heath suggested.
As usual, the gravel in his tone and the heat in his eyes did crazy things to her insides and she reminded herself forcibly that it would be really, incredibly rude if they didn’t turn up at the picnic.
“Stop leading me into temptation, McGregor,” she warned him, scooping up the picnic blanket on her way to the door.
“Can’t help it. You inspire me.”
He caught up with her at the pickup, and she tossed him the keys and slid into the passenger seat. He started the truck, put it into gear, then caught her hand and brought it to rest on his thigh, his own hand settling warmly on top of it. Something he almost always did when they drove together these days. Just one of many little habits of affection that had developed between them.
Andie glanced at him, and her heart literally ached with all the love she felt for him. He had two days’ worth of stubble on his jaw and his hair needed a trim, but he was easily the best-looking, sexiest man she knew, and one day soon, he would be her husband.
Her awareness of his love—her faith in it—was still new enough that the knowledge sent a thrill through her and made her feel a little teary, but she was long past the point where she doubted the sincerity of his feelings. It was impossible to hold onto her fear when he loved her so well, so fervently, so sincerely. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, the way he made her happiness the burning priority of his life…
“Where are we meeting Lily?” he asked as they headed into town.
“Near the statue.” She snuck a quick glance at him. “Beau’s joining us, too.”
Heath didn’t say anything, but there was a subtle change to his posture and she knew he was mentally climbing onto his high horse. Now that they were real-engaged and not fake-engaged, he wanted Beau to eat his words along with some serious humble pie. Beau had other ideas—ever since Heath’s proposal, her brother had stubbornly refused to say anything except offer her and Heath a terse congratulations.
She figured he’d come around once Heath asked him to be best man. Of course, Heath would have to realize he wanted Beau to be his best man first, which might take some time. It was tempting to interfere, but Andie wasn’t about to meddle in a friendship that was almost as old as she was. It was up to the men to sort their issues out.
The west end of town was busy, the streets lined with cars, and Andie guessed the Summer Solstice picnic was going to be counted as a success by the powers that be. The many picnic blankets dotting Bramble Park confirmed her guess, and she and Heath waved to acquaintances as they made their way toward the statue commemorating the copper miners that had been so important in the foundation of Marietta.
Lily and Beau were waiting side by side, both looking less than pleased to be in one another’s vicinity. Andie sighed inwardly. This was either going to be the kind of day that healed rifts, or the kind that became legendary for its awkwardness. At the moment, her money was on the latter, but she was holding out hope for the former.
“Hey. Sorry we’re late. Heath couldn’t decide what to wear,” Andie said.
Heath responded to her blatant lie with a grin, well aware she was trying to goad him. “Nice try.”
Andie hugged Lily, feeling a pang of guilt over the fact that they hadn’t had a good girly catch-up since things had taken off with Heath. She absolutely refused to become one of those women who lost contact with her girlfriends because she’d become half of a couple, and she gave Lily an extra-firm squeeze before letting her go.
“We need to have a margarita night,” she said.
“You know where to find me,” Lily said. Was it Andie’s imagination or was there a flicker of sadness in her friend’s eyes?
“This week. You pick the night,” Andie said.
“Wednesday, since it’s hump day?”
“Hump day it is.”
Andie turned to her brother next, noting that he and Heath were doing the strong, silent thing instead of catching up the way they normally would.
Yep, it was going to be an awesome afternoon.
“Thanks for coming,” Andie said, kissing his cheek.
“Figured I was lucky to get an invitation,” Beau said.
Heath threw him a sharp look, and Andie’s hopes for the day took an upturn. Maybe her brother wasn’t going to be as stubborn as she’d suspected he might be.
“Where do we want to sit?” Andie asked.
“I already reserved us a spot near the bandstand,” Lily said. “‘Figured you’d want to be close for when the big announcement is made.”
Andie rolled her eyes. “We are so not going to win.”
Lily and Heath exchanged a quick glance and Andie narrowed her eyes.
“What do you two know that I don’t?” she asked suspiciously.
“Nothing. You think Jane would allow anyone to steal the thunder from her big announcement?” Heath said.
Andie wasn’t entirely convinced by his innocent routine but Lily was leading the way toward the blanket she’d spread out to the left of the bandstand. A jazz trio were playing—not Andie’s favorite form of music, but for some reason a perennial at outdoor events—and they spread out her and Heath’s blanket next to Lily’s and unpacked a bottle of wine and some glasses. Her bother hovered for a couple of minutes before joining Lily on her blanket, carefully keeping well away from her.
For the first time she seriously considered Lily’s contention where Beau was concerned. Did he really disapprove of her because he knew she’d once been a stripper? Her brother had never struck her as being judgmental or a prude, but there was no getting around the fact that he simply wasn’t his normal, relaxed self when he was around her.
“Who wants wine?” Heath asked. Everyone did, and Andie occupied herself with handing out glasses while Hearth poured.
“To Andie and Heath,” Lily said once they all had a drink. “May you always be this happy and this in love.”
Andie got a little misty-eyed when her friend produced a gift from her tote bag and passed it over.
“Don’t get too excited. It’s not a Lear jet or your own private tropical island,” Lily warned.
“You shouldn’t have. We don’t need gifts,” Andie said. Having Heath was more than enough for her.
“It felt like something that needed to be documented,” Lily said, her smile bordering on cheeky.
Andie gave her friend a bemused look before tugging at the ribbon and peeling the paper free. Inside a layer of tissue paper was a beautiful reclaimed oak frame, and inside the frame was a clipping of her and Heath’s profile piece in the Copper Mountain Courier.
“Oh. I missed this,” Andie said, glancing up to give Lily a grateful smile.
“I thought you might have.”
A color picture accompanied the article, one of the shots Marly had taken near the fountain in the little pocket park. Marly had caught her and Heath in a moment of laughter, and Andie’s chest got a little tight as she saw the expression in Heath’s eyes as he looked at her. He looked charmed and amused and a little bemused, as though someone had just hit him on the back of the head with something hard and heavy and he was feeling a little dazed. She passed the frame to him and watched the slow, acknowledging smile curl his mouth as he studied the photo.
“Pole-axed,” he said, glancing across at her.
She grinned. “Didn’t know what hit you.”
“You can say that again.” He set the frame carefully to one side and looked at Lily. “Thanks for our first family heirloom.”
“My pleasure.”
Andie noticed that Beau kept glancing across, trying to catch a glimpse of the image, and she passed it to him wordlessly. His face was expressionless as he studied the image and read the article, but he shot Heath an assessing look when he’d finished.
“What?” Heath asked.
“You look like you’ve got a head injury,” Beau said.
Andie
almost snorted her wine out her nose. “Beau.”
“A head injury,” Heath said thoughtfully. “I was thinking it looks more like I’ve just been hit by a tranquilizer dart. The type they use at the zoo when an animal escapes.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Beau’s mouth. She glanced at Heath. He was doing the trying-not-to-smile thing, too.
Men.
“Why don’t you two just kiss and make up? Save us having to watch you flirt with each other all afternoon?” Lily said.
“Only time I’m kissing Beau is if he needs CPR,” Heath said. “And even then I’d think twice.”
“I don’t need to think twice,” Beau fired back. “You’d be shit out of luck if the situation was reversed.”
This time their smiles were more pronounced, and Andie settled back against the warmth of Heath’s chest and heaved a silent sigh of relief. Apparently there was not going to be a huge family rift and endless stags-locking-horns action between her husband-to-be and her brother. Definitely a load off.
“Hello. Looks like we’ve got a bit of action going on up on the bandstand,” Lily said.
Andie glanced across and saw that the jazz trio were setting their instruments aside to make way for Jane Weiss and the mayor, Maynard J. Gleeson.
“I see Maynard has bought himself a new waistcoat,” Heath said.
Marietta’s mayor was known for his colorful waistcoats. Today’s was a vibrant mustard-yellow, an unfortunate choice for a man with more than a little ginger in his hair.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Jane said, her voice booming over the speakers. “It’s so lovely to see so many of you enjoying the sunshine at the Summer Solstice picnic. Don’t forget that we will have live music all day and into the night. The party goes on! But before we enjoy the next band, we have a rather wonderful task to perform—announcing the winners for Marietta’s Great Wedding Giveaway competition. This has been such a rewarding exercise for so many of us involved in the giveaway. We had the chance to read so many stories of cute meets and perfect proposals…”
Andie caught Heath’s eye, remembering how all this had begun—her foolish ramblings at the Valentine’s Day ball, Sharon’s feral attack in the saloon, Heath’s kiss to save Andie’s pride. It had been a roller-coaster ride, but it had been worth it. Heath smiled and shifted so that he could wrap his arms around her from behind. Secure in his arms, Andie refocused on what Jane was saying. As Heath had mentioned earlier, having benefited from the giveaway in the best possible way, it seemed only fair that they be here to congratulate and celebrate the winning couple.
“…I can assure you there were tough discussions within the judging panel. But there was one couple that we all felt captured the spirit of the giveaway more than any other. Maybe it was their heartfelt entry, or the video the groom provided. Or maybe it’s just because they make a fabulous couple, and we can’t wait for them to have their happy ever after. Everybody, please join me in congratulating the winners of Marietta’s Great Wedding Giveaway… Heath McGregor and Andie Bennett!”
The crowd clapped and whistled, heads turning toward where she and Heath were sitting. Andie frowned, not quite understanding.
“Did she… Did Jane just say our names?” she said, twisting to see Heath’s face.
He was grinning, and she swung back to see that Lily and Beau were grinning, too.
“She did just say our names!” Andie said. “Oh my god. Ohmygod. We won. We won!”
“Heath and Andie, can we get you to come up here so we can all get a good look at you love birds?” Jane called from the bandstand.
Heath stood and Andie followed suit, grinning but confused now that her brain had kicked in.
“But… we didn’t have half the stuff the other entries did,” she said. “No photographs or playlists or videos. I hope there hasn’t been some kind of mistake.”
“Well… There may have been a video.” Heath winked at her.
Andie blinked. “But how did you—Why would you—I’m confused.”
“I did the camera-work,” Lily said, putting up her hand. “Heath was the talent and the editor.”
“When did you do this?” Andie said, staring at the dark horse she was about to marry.
“Remember that quote I was working late on last week?”
“Why did you do this?” Andie tried again, baffled. Filming a video… It was so out of character for Heath, she didn’t even know where to start.
“Jane offered us the opportunity to add one to our entry, since we entered at the ball. And you know my competitive streak,” Heath said.
“Better shake a tail feather. That woman from the Chamber of Commerce looks like she’s about to come hunting for you,” Beau warned.
Still grappling with the news that Heath had made a video, of all things, to augment their entry, Andie allowed him to lead her to the bandstand.
“Here they are, everybody. Andie and Heath,” Jane said.
The Mayor stepped forward to shake their hands, and Jane kissed and hugged them both. Andie was surprised to see a sheen of tears in the other woman’s eyes, and to feel the genuine warmth in her embrace.
“I’m so pleased it was you two,” Jane whispered in Andie’s ear.
“I’m sure we’d all like to hear from the happy couple,” Mayor Gleeson said.
Heath glanced at Andie, and she shook her head adamantly. No way was she taking the mike and talking to a park full of people she barely knew. Heath accepted the microphone, drawing Andie under his arm as he faced the crowd.
“Well, I think it’s pretty obvious that we’re blown away. We didn’t expect to win, but it’s a great surprise and we want to thank the Marietta Chamber of Commerce and all the businesses and craftspeople, who have donated prizes. We’d especially like to thank Jane Weiss, who has been our go-to person through all of this. Most importantly, I want to thank Andie, who entered us in the giveaway in the first place. The best idea you ever had, sweetheart.” Heath pulled her closer, and before she knew it he was kissing her, right in front of everyone.
Andie could feel herself blushing, but she kissed him right back. She figured she would always kiss this man back, as long as she drew breath.
The crowd hooted and hollered as they ended the kiss, and Heath held their joined hands in the air before handing back the microphone. The Mayor said a few words to wrap things up and introduce the next band as Andie and Heath descended the stairs to ground level. Marly was there from the Copper Mountain Courier, her camera in hand, and Andie’s eyes widened as she registered the gentle swell curving the front of the other woman’s shirt.
“Yep, that’s right, I’m pregnant,” Marly said with a smile.
“Congratulations,” Andie said.
“Thanks. We’re pretty excited.” Her gaze found a tall, dark-haired man Andie recognized from around town.
“Great news. Congratulations, Drake,” Heath said, stepping forward to shake the other man’s hand.
They exchanged a few words, then Marly took some shots of them with Jane and the Mayor. Throughout it all, Andie kept a lid on her burning curiosity, but the moment they were on their way back to the blanket and out of earshot, she grabbed Heath’s arm.
“What video?” she asked.
Heath simply smiled and slid his phone from his back pocket, calling up something on the screen before handing it over. An image of him filled the screen, with an arrow watermarked across his face, and she hit the arrow to start the video.
“My name is Heath McGregor,” Heath said on the screen, his gaze admirably steady as he stared down the barrel of the camera. “And I want to talk to you today about the woman I’m going to marry, Andie Bennett.”
The screen changed to a shot of an apple tree, but it wasn’t until the camera pulled back that Andie realized it was the apple tree in her parents’ former home on Collier Avenue. He must have asked the current owners for permission to film in their yard.
At least, she hoped he had.
“You�
��re looking at this apple tree because this is where I first laid eyes on Andie Bennett. She was six years old, and she was way up high in the branches when her brother, Beau, brought me home from school. Even then she was one of the bravest people I know. I never told her this, but even though Beau and I climbed all the way to the top of the tree to check out the view, I was freaking out every inch of the way. But no way was I going to let on that I was scared in front of a girl, so I sucked it up and made out as though I climbed trees like that every day.”
Andie smiled, then shot a look at Heath and found he was watching her with a warm, watchful intensity. She returned her gaze to the screen, but caught his hand in hers.
The screen shifted to a shot of the Yellowstone River, the camera panning to take in a wooded hillside before finally finding the snow-capped peak of Copper Mountain.
“This is where Andie and I used to go camping together with her brother when we were teenagers. Another thing I’m never going to admit to my wife-to-be—she can out-fish me any day, in any conditions. I’d appreciate it if that could be our little secret.”
“You need to look up the definition of ‘secret’,” she said, not taking her eyes from the screen. Heath squeezed her hand.
“For a long time there, Andie was just my best friend’s little sister,” Heath said on the video. “I loved her like my own sister, in fact, and it took me a while to work out that the brave kid who could out-fish and out-climb me had turned into the hottest, most beautiful woman in Marietta.”
Andie shook her head.
“If Andie was standing beside me right now, she’d be shaking her head at that,” on-screen Heath said. “She has no idea how fine she is. My plan is to spend the rest of our lives making sure she does know.”
The camera zoomed closer to Heath’s face, and she was looking straight into his dark chocolate eyes as he spoke, it seemed, directly to her.
“Andie, your faith in me, your friendship and your love are the most precious gifts I’ve ever received. I hope like hell that I’m worthy of them. I love you, sweetheart.”
The video ended, and Andie swallowed the hot lump of emotion in her throat. A tear plopped onto the screen, and she felt Heath’s hand on her chin as he tilted her face toward him.
Make-Believe Wedding (Montana Born Brides Book 9) Page 14
