by Joanna Wayne
“I just never figured she’d sell the Double K.”
“Frankly, she doesn’t have the resources to keep it going, and to be honest, I’ve never been as happy as I’ve been these past few months. I have some money saved and this seems like the perfect investment.”
“Last time we were together, you said you’d never been happier than being a Navy SEAL,” Riley said.
“That was the truth then and exactly what I needed at that time in my life. But this life is the kind of satisfaction that seeps bone-deep. Not just the ranch, though I sure feel I belong here, but it’s Grace and Jaci and, I don’t know, man. It just feels so right.”
“Don’t you just have temporary custody of your daughter until her mother and new stepfather get back to the States?” Tucker asked.
“Yes, but we’re working on more permanent arrangements. It seems Leslie’s new husband will be working on the project in Cuba longer than expected. We’re talking about joint custody, but with Jaci spending summers and most holidays with her mother and the rest of the time with me and Grace.”
“How does Jaci feel about that?”
“She loves the ranch. Well, mostly she loves horses, but she’s handling the divorce like a trouper. We’re family. She even calls Esther ‘Grandmother’ and Grace ‘Mommy.’”
“And Esther seems to love that,” Tucker said.
“So getting married so soon after meeting Grace doesn’t frighten you at all?” Riley asked.
“Not in the least.”
“You’ve definitely been roped and tied,” Tucker said.
“Except I was the one doing the roping. I was hooked from practically the moment I met Grace. When I thought I was going to lose her to a madman, I knew for certain my life would never be complete without her.”
“I guess that explains the rush to the altar,” Riley said.
“I was ready to marry her the day after she said yes. She was the one who encouraged me to wait until you two could actually coordinate your schedules enough to show up for the ceremony. She’s big on family ties.”
“It all sounds great,” Riley agreed, “but you were madly in love before and look how that worked out.”
“I failed in that marriage,” Pierce admitted. “Leslie and I were like two horses pulling in different directions. There was no way we were going to arrive at the same destination.”
“But you got Jaci out of that marriage,” Tucker said. “She’s a terrific kid, so it wasn’t a total loss.”
“Exactly,” Pierce confirmed.
And Riley should probably leave it at that, but what kind of brother would he be if he didn’t say what he was thinking?
“You haven’t known Grace very long. What happens if you and Grace start pulling in opposite directions? Another divorce? More emotional trauma for Jaci?”
“I get your concerns,” Pierce said. “But I have no doubts about Grace or my love for her. It’s about love, but it’s also about shared experiences and trust and knowing that the other person will always be there for you. Grace and I have that.”
“Then I guess you’re ready for the marriage game.”
“It’s not a game,” Pierce argued.
“Right. It’s your life. If you’re happy, then I couldn’t be happier for you.”
Riley meant that. It was just that settling down to one woman, one ranch, one set of options seemed a lot like sticking a horse in one pasture and never letting it taste the grass on the other side of the fence.
“To change the subject, do you guys remember our first day on the Double K Ranch?” Tucker asked.
“All too well,” Pierce said. “I was scared to open my mouth, afraid Esther and Charlie would kick us out if we did anything to annoy them.”
“Same here,” Riley said. “And if we got rejected by the Kavanaughs, that scary old hag of a social worker would take over and place us in three different foster homes.”
“I cried the day the social worker said that,” Tucker said, “but I hid so you two couldn’t see me. At twelve, I figured I was way too old to cry.”
The truth was they’d all had trouble dealing with the grief. One morning they’d had loving parents, a home, security. A few hours later a policeman showed up at the door and told them their parents had died in a car crash.
They’d spent the next ten months with Charlie and Esther before a great-uncle they’d never met showed up and took them to live in Kansas with him until they turned eighteen.
But Riley had never truly gotten over that feeling that he was one second away from a catastrophe. Maybe none of them had. Could be that was why Tucker risked his life almost daily riding two-thousand-pound bulls that would just as soon crack his skull with a hoof as not.
Maybe that was why Pierce had become a Navy SEAL and had been so good at it. And the reason Riley could never commit to anything. There was no certainty of anything in life.
Or maybe they were all just three brothers out there trying to find where they fit.
“I had a few minutes alone with Esther this morning,” Tucker said. “She still seems to think Charlie was murdered.”
“I know,” Pierce said. “I’ve looked in to it some, but there’s just no evidence to support that.”
“Yet hard to believe he committed suicide,” Riley said. “Were there health issues?”
“Not that Esther’s mentioned,” Pierce said. “But like I said, there are lots of money issues. The ranch is mortgaged to the hilt and Charlie was behind in his payments. His bank account is down to a few thousand dollars and he’d been steadily selling off his livestock since the drought two years ago.”
Riley leaned against a bale of hay. “Looks like your offer to buy in came just in time to save the ranch.”
“It’s working out that way,” Pierce agreed. “It’s great for Esther, too. She gets to stay in her home she shared with Charlie for so many years and still tend to her beloved chickens and her vegetable garden. Charlie’s ranch doesn’t fall into the hands of the bank. It’s a win-win all the way around.”
“Except that you’re buying a ranch that you admit has fallen into a state of serious disrepair.”
“I like a challenge. Besides, I had some money saved, thinking I might buy a ranch. Even after I pay off the debts, I’ll have enough left to hopefully make the Double K a profitable operation again.”
“You’ve got your work cut out for you,” Riley said.
“Yep, and I’m hoping my brother the rambler might settle down for a few months and help me out.”
“Why did I not see this coming?” Strangely, Riley wasn’t put off by the idea. He had to be somewhere; might as well be here helping out his brother and Esther—for a while.
“Just don’t get any ideas that I’m going to settle down in Winding Creek forever, big brother.”
“That possibility never entered my mind.”
So now the cute, little redheaded pastry chef with the sparkling eyes and the heart-melting smile wasn’t his only excuse for hanging around Winding Creek.
“You think we have time to saddle a few horses and race out to the swimming hole like old times?” Tucker asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Pierce said. “I’m banned from seeing my bride until the wedding and it’s not going to take me long to shower and struggle into the monkey suit.”
“Now you’re talking,” Riley said.
The three Lawrence brothers racing on horseback once again. This was as good as it got.
Chapter Four
Riley stood with Pierce and Tucker a couple of yards to the left of the flowered arbor, where the minister was patiently waiting.
Guests had been arriving for the past half hour or more, filling up the rows of folding chairs.
Riley recognized very few of them. “Yo
u must be giving away a new tractor to draw this many people.”
“And to think this started out as a small family wedding,” Pierce said.”
“You’ve only been back here on a permanent basis since Christmas. Do you even know half these people?” Tucker asked.
“Not many, but Esther knows them all. Once she got involved in the plans, the size of the wedding at least quadrupled. We didn’t have the heart to reel her in. The busier she is, the better she does with handling the grief over Charlie’s death.”
“This must have cost a fortune,” Riley said. “Did you win the lottery and forget to tell me?”
“Nope. But this is Texas. You have a shindig, everyone chips in to help. The only food we had to furnish were the briskets that I smoked myself. And the booze, of course, though not even all of that. Some old friend of Charlie’s I’ve never even seen before dropped off a few cases of beer today.”
“They’ve been bringing in food for a good hour,” Tucker said. “I guess we’ll find out who the best cooks in the area are.”
“None better than Esther,” Pierce assured them, “though I doubt you’ll find a bad dish in the bunch.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to try them all,” Tucker said. “You lucked out with the weather, but what were you going to do if it rained? If I remember correctly, this area turns into a giant mud puddle with every shower.”
“We had the option of moving the affair to the new community center next to the high school. The folding chairs and tables belong to the center anyway. The portable dance floor, too, though I had to rent it. Cost me a whopping twenty-five dollars.”
“And all the lights you’ve got strung through branches and around poles?”
“Those I bought and Esther’s part-time wrangler, Buck, and some of his buddies set them up.”
“I didn’t buy a wedding present,” Tucker said. “Figured if there was something you needed, you already had it. Why don’t I throw in some money to cover the cost of the reception tent?”
“Appreciated, but not necessary. One of Charlie’s good friends, Harvey Mullins, has a son in San Antonio who rents party supplies.”
Harvey had insisted on providing the tent with no charge for it, or for putting it up and taking it down. He said Charlie had helped him rebuild his barn last year when lightning had hit and he was glad to do something to repay the favor.
“Sounds like this is a community affair, so who do I see about filing a formal complaint?” Riley quipped.
“File thirteen is behind the woodshed. What are you complaining about?”
“This straitjacket I’m buttoned into. Shirt’s so stiff I can barely move.”
“I couldn’t get Grace to budge on that, but she did agree to our wearing our cowboy boots as long as we had then cleaned and shined.”
“What a woman,” Riley said. “All heart.”
“The real question is, does she have a friend for Riley?” Tucker said.
Thankfully they didn’t get to finish the conversation. The music started and they were motioned into place by the minister.
Riley watched as someone he didn’t recognize escorted Esther to her seat. He wasn’t sure if Esther was acting as mother of the bride or mother of the groom, but she was smiling and dabbing at her eyes at the same time.
He knew what having the Kavanaughs take them in for ten months after their parents died meant to him and his brothers. He guessed he never fully realized what it had meant to Esther and, no doubt, to Charlie. From now on, he’d see that he kept in closer touch.
He flashed Esther a smile and looked over to see if Pierce was starting to panic yet. Nope. The man had ice water in his veins. Must be all that SEAL training.
When Riley looked up again, Dani was walking down the makeshift aisle between the rows of folding chairs. The wow factor sent his head spinning. She’d been cute and witty in the bakery. She was absolutely stunning in a brilliant green dress that set off her gorgeous eyes.
Damn, he even liked the way she walked. She didn’t glide or prance like some haughty mare. She just walked, like a gal who knew who she was and what she was about.
Would be right interesting to check her out a little further, find out if she was as authentic as she seemed. If he hung around awhile, they could have some good times before he hit the road again.
Horseback riding up to the gorge at Lonesome Branch. Do some fishing for bream or catfish. Maybe even take a dip in the swimming hole if the weather cooperated.
Desire revved inside him at the thought of her in—or out of—a bikini.
When she reached the arbor, her gaze met his. She smiled and suddenly all he could think about was getting the wedding over with and getting his arms around her on the dance floor.
The rest of the wedding procession barely registered with him until it was time for him to hand Pierce the ring. He watched as Pierce slid it onto Grace’s finger. He saw the way they looked at each other and he had to admit it did look like love.
But then this was the easy part of a marriage—when everything about the relationship was new and exciting. Before the ties didn’t bind. Before hard times and resentments started pulling a couple apart.
Riley didn’t see himself ever vowing to love anyone or anything for forever. Yet, when the happy couple were pronounced man and wife and Pierce kissed his bride, Riley hoped with all his heart that marriage worked this time for Pierce and Grace. And mostly for his five-year-old niece, Jaci.
Riley had dreaded coming to this wedding, but now that it was nearly over, he had to admit he’d never seen his brother happier. Even more of a shocker, Riley was looking forward to the rest of the evening. He was downright excited about getting to know Dani better.
For all the roving around from ranch to ranch and from state to state that he did, could it be that he was the one in a rut?
No. He was a born wanderer and he liked it that way.
But if he was ready to settle down, he’d be looking for a woman who had it all together. He’d be looking for a woman like Dani.
“THAT’S GOOD. LET’S get one more shot before we lose that sunset. Just the women this time. Esther, Grace, Dani and our little flower girl.”
Not the words Dani had hoped to hear. The air was cooling off as the sun made its final descent, but the Texas humidity had not let up. She could feel herself starting to wilt like a rosebush in a heat wave.
The wedding had been beautiful and touching and perfect in every way, but the photographer was getting a bit carried away with his after-ceremony wedding-party shots. Dani was not the only one growing restless. Jaci kept sneaking away from the group only to be tugged back by one of the adults.
“If we move a few yards to the left, we can—”
“Whoa there,” Pierce interrupted. “Feels like Miller time to me. I’m sure that’s enough pictures of this group.”
“Are you sure?” Tucker queried. “I thought we were going for Prince William and Kate’s record.”
“Okay, okay,” the photographer said, relenting. “Just trying to give you your money’s worth.”
Jaci tugged on Pierce’s hand. “Can I go play now, Daddy?”
“I think we’re all ready to go and play,” Grace said. “But before you all scatter, I want to say thank you one more time for being part of our wedding. You’ve made the happiest day of my life even more special by sharing it with us.”
Pierce put an arm around her. “That goes for me, too. And, bros, I’ll be sure and be there when you tie the knot.”
“Find me a winner like Grace and I’m in,” Tucker said.
* * *
DANI REACHED FOR a glass of bubbly from the tray of full flutes someone had been nice enough to bring them. Scanning the area, she quickly spotted Constance with her good friend Sally and a couple of other school frie
nds. They were ceremoniously sliding across the portable dance floor in their socks while the band set up their instruments.
Happy. Surrounded by friends. Watched over by Sally’s mother, Crystal. Safe.
But for how long? Dani shuddered. She’d done a good job of keeping James Haggard out of her mind during the ceremony, but now he was back and tormenting her thoughts.
She’d found several labs in San Antonio that promised quick results with paternity testing.
She ordered a DNA collection kit online from Corinthian Court Labs and paid extra for overnight delivery. With luck, she’d have it in her hands by Monday morning.
The next time Haggard dropped by, she’d insist he cooperate. She seriously doubted she’d have to wait until Friday to see him again.
Having a plan helped but didn’t alleviate her apprehension.
“Are you okay, dear? You look like you’ve checked out of this hoopla.”
Esther’s words of concern jolted Dani back to the present. “I’m fine, but I’d best get back to the reception area and help control Constance.”
“I’ll walk with you. Jaci, why don’t you come with us and we’ll check out the party?”
Jaci clapped her hands and skipped over to join them.
As the photographer folded his tripod, several guests rushed up to congratulate the groom and hug the beaming bride. Riley and Tucker were quickly accosted, as well, by two very attractive young women. Dani had seen both of them in the bakery a few times, but didn’t actually know them. In their early twenties, she’d guess. Both thin as a blade of grass.
Not that Dani cared. She’d never expected any more from Riley than a dance and she wasn’t putting much faith in that. He certainly didn’t owe her anything.
Dani picked up her pace, determined not to be annoyed by the sound of Riley’s laughter, probably at something one of the flaunting flirts had whispered in his ear.
