The Cowboy's Surprise Bride

by Macie St James

  “Pictures like that can come back to bite a political candidate,” Colton pointed out.

  Exactly. She made a mental note to herself to delete that photo as soon as this was over. The last thing she needed was a sex scandal.

  Or was it?

  She was running for mayor against Forest Cobb, an older man who had held the office for the past four years. The old-timers in town loved him, but younger generations did nothing but complain about him. It was the perfect opportunity for a young, energetic, completely opposite person to swoop in and grab the younger vote.

  But Mayor Cobb wasn’t making it easy. He loved to point out that he was married with two college-age kids and therefore a more suitable candidate. What was left unsaid was that Mina couldn’t have more going against her, as far as his older supporters were concerned. She was unmarried, no kids, no prospects, and she’d just landed back in town a couple of hundred days before filing to run—barely above the minimum required to qualify.

  A sex scandal would be way bad for her campaign. But the hint of a romance with a tall, blond, handsome lawyer-turned-business owner? That might not be so bad for her.

  “He won’t start moving until you have a seat.” Colton’s words called Mina’s attention to the fact that Robby was still standing.

  Robby obediently plopped down on one of the hay bales across from them. “I’m going to have to bring my little nephew to this,” Robby commented. “It’s right up his alley.”

  Colton seemed to perk up a little. “Opening day is tomorrow. I think it’d be great if you both showed up. It’s one thing to grab a photo op, but having the whole community see you here…”

  “Will Mayor Cobb attend?” Mina asked. There wasn’t a ranch big enough to house the two of them. They’d be lucky to make it through the remaining weeks without her losing her temper. The man loved to make little digs that implied women had no place in public office.

  “He hasn’t been invited,” Colton answered.

  Robby held up a finger and tapped around on his screen a minute before speaking. “He’s out of town right now.”

  Colton looked at Mina, eyebrows raised.

  She laughed. “Robby’s amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “You’d have to keep up with the mayor’s schedule on your own,” Robby said.

  Mina winced. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “I wouldn’t want to know,” Colton said. “The guy’s a complete jerk.”

  “No comment.” But she had a hint of a smile on her face as the hayride smoothly rolled over the trail the Briscoe brothers had prepared.

  Colton glanced at her. “Well, you have my vote. And there’s never been a better time to run against the mayor. As someone who’s trying to start up a business, I can easily see that the younger families moving in are the future here. We need fresh ideas and innovation.”

  Mina found herself watching Colton, fascinated, as he talked. She’d forgotten just how thoughtful and well-spoken he was. Even in high school, he’d seemed ahead of his time, although he’d definitely done what it took to fit in with his beef-head jock friends.

  Colton shook his head. “But you have a tough row to hoe with your opponent.”

  “A tough row to hoe?” she asked.

  Robby didn’t even look up from his screen while answering. “Farming term.”

  Colton rushed to clarify. “It refers to a row of crops with tough soil. Hoeing is—”

  “I know what hoeing is,” she interrupted.

  She realized after the words came out that they’d sounded harsh. What was wrong with her? She always came across as far too abrupt when she was nervous, and Colton had her nerves completely on edge.

  “I mean, I’m familiar with the term,” she said, softening her voice as much as possible. “I was just curious why you thought the mayor was particularly tough.”

  “His comments about your personal life. The way he sort of passive-aggressively digs at you. Don’t think people aren’t noticing.”

  “Especially younger women,” Robby said. “The eighteen to thirty non-male demographic is not a fan of Mayor Cobb.”

  Colton whistled. “Wow, he is amazing. He keeps all this information in his head?”

  “Like a human database,” Mina said. “He could be the next U.S. President.”

  “I could use someone like him to help make Pumpkinfest a success.”

  “I don’t think you’ll need him.” Mina looked around. “Everyone in town knows about this place. You’ll have crowds every weekend.”

  “This town has changed a lot since high school. That eighteen to thirty demographic Robby mentioned? Most of them are new to town. We have communities popping up all around here.”

  Mina bit her lip thoughtfully. “True. We’ll make sure at least one photo lands in Sunday’s paper, but we need to get crowds here Saturday.”

  What was she doing? Helping him promote his ranch? She was supposed to be playing it cool here, pretending this was just another campaign stop. Instead, she found herself reverting to that same insecure teenager who had made sure she put herself as far away as possible from him in any room they were in together.

  Colton cocked an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’ll be showing up?”

  She looked at him and instantly felt an all-too-familiar flutter in her stomach. It didn’t help that even if she’d walked onto this property as a complete stranger, she still would have that reaction to him. Something about those intense blue eyes got her every time. She’d caught him staring at her so many times as a teen, and every time she’d react by pretending she hadn’t noticed. In truth, though, she’d noticed, and each stare had stayed with her for days.

  Mina turned her attention to her campaign manager. “Robby, can you check my calendar for tomorrow?”

  Having him check her calendar was completely unnecessary. She knew what was on it. Aside from a breakfast meeting with an alderman, her schedule was free for most of the day. She did have a scheduled video chat with her mother, but that could be moved to Sunday if necessary.

  She was having Robby check her schedule as a delaying tactic. An excuse to look away from Colton before he made her melt into a puddle on the straw-covered floor of this trailer. Or, worse, fall into him again and have a reappearance of that embrace she wouldn’t be able to forget no matter how hard she tried.

  “You have the whole afternoon free,” Robby said. “Do you want me to schedule something?”

  “I’d love to bring some people with me.” She turned back to Colton. “Maybe get you a few more ticket sales.”

  More people meant some protection. If she talked some of her volunteers and their neighbors into joining her, she’d be surrounded by a crowd when she ran into him. She could also try to talk Robby into coming along. She’d have her crew, and Colton would surely be too busy to talk to any of them, so she wouldn’t have to worry about turning into a shy adolescent the first time his gaze landed on her.

  “That would be great,” he said. “The more, the merrier.”

  Robby looked up from his screen. “It’s on your calendar. Do you need me to tag along?”

  “No,” Colton said.

  Surprised, Mina turned to look at him. No? Should she be outraged that he’d given orders to her campaign manager?

  “I mean…I think it’d be better if you just show up as you,” Colton rushed to amend. “Maybe wear some jeans and cowboy boots. Do you have a cowboy hat?”

  Mina laughed. “A cowboy hat? You do know I was living in D.C. at this time last year.”

  “Baseball cap and a ponytail?” Colton asked. “Maybe some sneakers and a college sweatshirt.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would I wear all that? It’s a professional appearance.”

  Colton gave her a pointed look. “That’s the problem.”

  The hayride slowed to a stop back where they’d started, but none of them moved. Colton sighed, seeming to think maybe he’d said too much. But he was
in this far, so he obviously thought he should continue.

  “What’s the problem?” Mina asked.

  “The community needs to see you as one of them, not a politician,” Colton said. “The anti-Cobb. He runs around in those too-tight suits, looking all stiff. The key to getting the younger vote around here is to show you’re one of them.”

  Mina would be the first to admit she’d spent way too much time around politicians and not nearly enough around people her own age. That was especially true since she’d returned to Canyon Falls. Many of her high school friends had moved away, and those who remained were now married with at least one kid. Nothing could keep someone from going out for happy hour drinks like a new baby, she’d found.

  So she’d thrown herself into what she’d come home to do: work. Most of her time was spent with her campaign manager and volunteers, and all of their interactions were related to the campaign. Even her run-ins with locals had been while campaigning, and that was a completely different dynamic from catching up over a cup of coffee or lunch.

  Mina nodded. “You’re right. Casual it is.”

  “Do I need to schedule some shopping time this afternoon?” Robby asked.

  Mina and Colton both turned to look at him. He was still holding his phone but was watching them.

  “For what?” Mina felt like she’d missed something somewhere.

  “Do you own casual clothes?” Robby asked. “I’ve never seen you in anything that wasn’t work appropriate.”

  “Of course, I do.” Mina’s voice portrayed far more confidence than she felt. She was mentally inventorying her closet. Yes, she owned casual clothes, but they were more of the around-the-house variety. She didn’t have anything appropriate for a fall festival on a ranch.

  “My brother’s girlfriend probably has something in her closet,” Colton said. “I could ask.”

  Mina sighed. “I’ll find something but thank you both. I really need to get back to work.”

  It seemed to hit both of the guys at once that they were now at a complete stop. Hank had gotten out of the truck and was standing next to the driver’s side door, arms crossed over his chest as he appeared to patiently wait for whatever they were all going to do next.

  Now that the truck had stopped, Robby had been activated, which meant everything would move in fast motion from this point forward. Mina had learned to just stay as close on Robby’s heels as she could. That ensured she was always where she needed to be.

  “Careful!” Colton called out as Mina hopped up and rushed to the edge of the trailer. “Hank, could you give them a hand?”

  Robby jumped down without assistance, but Mina accepted Hank’s offer to help her steady herself. She put her hand in his and stepped off, all too aware that she definitely needed to invest in some more appropriate clothing for the campaign. Chances were, there’d be more situations where she’d be better off wearing flats and maybe a pair of dress pants than a skirt and heels.

  She spun around to face Colton as he stepped off the trailer. “I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Briscoe. We will be sure to repay the gesture by spreading the word about your festival. We’d also appreciate your vote.”

  The smirk on his face made her feel like maybe she was blathering on too much. He seemed amused by her.

  “Yes, ma’am. Just do me one favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Call me Colton.”

  Mina swallowed around the lump in her throat. Yes, she’d been avoiding that. For some reason, calling him Colton reminded her a little too much that at one time, she’d written his name with hearts all around it on the back inside cover of her notebook. He, of course, would have no way to know that, but it bugged her all the same.

  “Colton,” she managed to say. The word sounded a little strangled as it came out. She just hoped he’d chalk it up to her having a hard time separating from her professional side.

  Colton smiled, looking her in the eyes in the way that made her stomach do flip-flops. “We’ll be watching for you tomorrow.”

  “No special treatment!” Mina said. The words came out a little louder than she’d intended. “I want to be part of the crowd.”

  Colton saluted, smile still on his face. She had to pull her gaze off his face because her temptation was to stare at him like a lovestruck teen. She needed to get control of herself, which meant leaving and staying far, far away from Colton Briscoe and Cedar Tree Ranch.

  3

  Traffic at Pumpkinfest was a bona fide nightmare. Which was a problem Colton and his brothers had to deal with immediately. But Colton couldn’t help but smile to himself.

  “It’s backed up all the way to the highway,” Colton said, shaking his head.

  “People aren’t happy,” Colton’s brother, Clay, was saying. “Harley says they’re complaining at the ticket booth.”

  Harley was Clay’s girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancée—if he could ever find the time to propose. Planning Pumpkinfest had drained every possible second out of the day. Nights, too, considering nobody living on this property was sleeping very well. Except maybe their little brother, Reilly, who never seemed to let anything phase him.

  “We’ll have to carve out another entrance,” Clay said. “But it’s still a two-lane road leading up here. Not much we can do about that.”

  “I think you’re missing the big picture here,” Colton told his brother. “Opening day is a huge hit.”

  They were standing next to the tractor and trailer, exactly where Colton had helped Mina the day before. The hayride was the only part of the ranch that needed manpower to run things. The hay bale maze, petting zoo, and games were all self-service, making the whole thing slightly easier to run than they’d expected.

  Unfortunately, it looked like they should have put more thought into traffic control.

  Groups of families were already streaming in. They could see them off in the distance. Reilly was helping Harley out at the ticket booth, which probably meant chatting up every person who walked up. Reilly was also the most social of the brothers, followed by Jared, who was deployed overseas.

  “Your hard work paid off,” Clay commented. “Plus, I guess it didn’t hurt that the mayor’s involved.”

  Colton was watching an approaching family, so for a second, he didn’t quite process what his brother had said. His first thought was that Clay was talking about Mina, who Colton was well aware may be showing up today. In fact, it was all he’d thought about for the past twenty-plus hours.

  Suddenly, though, Clay’s words sunk in. “Wait…the mayor? You mean Mina?”

  Clay flashed him a confused look. “No, Mayor Cobb. The mayor.”

  “The mayor is involved?” How had Colton missed that news?

  Clay shrugged. “We’re on his campaign tour. He’ll be here this morning.”

  “He’s out of town.” At least that was what Mina’s aide had said.

  “He’s stopping in on his way out of town, I guess. I don’t know. Talk to Harley. She’s the one who took the call.”

  This probably wasn’t good, but he shouldn’t panic yet. There was no guarantee Mina was even showing up. If she did, what was the worst that could happen? Two mayoral candidates at the same place? Maybe they could set up a debate stage for the two of them and sell extra tickets.

  “You got this?” Clay asked. “I’m going to go see what we can do about traffic.”

  Colton nodded and helped the first group of families onto the hayride. There was a clearly roped-off waiting area that was a safe distance from the hayride loading zone. Colton got a small kick out of the fact that there was already a line starting to form.

  They may have to set up more hayrides if these crowds kept up, although he didn’t fool himself into believing this traffic would continue. Opening day was a big deal, especially if the mayor was expected. This town was still small enough that some old-timers saw the mayor as a minor celebrity, worth showing up to see.

  Correction: soon-to-be ex-may
or. Colton should probably start supporting Mina in thinking she would easily unseat Mayor Cobb from that position.

  Colton started up the tractor and shifted it into gear, following the same procedure he’d practiced over and over the past few days. The goal was to keep the ride as smooth and calm as possible for the passengers, especially with so many children aboard.

  Harley’s voice suddenly came over the two-way radios they’d passed out to avoid relying on cell phones. “Colt? Harley for Colt.”

  Harley had picked up Clay’s habit of calling him Colt for short. He found it kind of cute, mostly because he was so glad his brother had found someone. Before Harley had shown up here last month, passing on her boss’s offer to buy their failing ranch, Clay had spent all his time working and sulking around their parents’ ranch house alone.

  “Go for Colton,” he replied into the radio.

  “Can we pick up Mayor Cobb on your next go-round?” Harley asked. “He just arrived, and we’d like to subtly push him to the front of the line.”

  Colton groaned. So the mayor was here. With any luck, he’d do his whole dog-and-pony show and leave with plenty of time to spare before Mina arrived. Assuming she was coming.

  But he saw another reason to groan as he neared the area where guests were waiting to ride. It was hard to miss the mayor, even in a crowd. He was enormous, towering over almost everyone around him. Plus, he loved to wear light-colored suits—we’re talking powder blue pinstripes, all white, light tan—and his full head of paper-white hair matched his white beard and mustache perfectly.

  Colton just wasn’t in the mood to fake it, but he knew he had no other choice. He had a feeling the man was only here because he’d caught wind of Mina’s visit the previous day, and Colton certainly didn’t want to alienate the current mayor. Sure, he didn’t care for some of the things the guy said, but he could probably take this ranch down with one calculated sentence.

  Careful to keep everyone on the trailer stable, Colton came to a slow stop in front of the gathered crowd, then hopped out as soon as it was safe. He alone was tasked with crowd control here, and if, for some reason, the group got angry that the mayor was being pulled ahead of them, he’d have to find a way to deal with it.