Unlucky in Love

by Maggie McGinnis

  And to be with him? Forever?

  That was a dream she didn’t know whether she deserved.

  She sighed, realizing suddenly how dark it had become. She needed to get back to the house and help Katie get Mom settled for the night. But just as she started to get up, her phone vibrated, and she felt a jolt of possibility. Was it Gunnar? Had he changed his mind? Turned around halfway to Boston because he couldn’t bear to leave?

  She checked the display, then sighed. Katie.

  “Hey, sis.” She tried to make her voice sound normal as she answered.

  “Hey, yourself. You still at the beach?”

  “Just leaving. Do you need help?”

  “No.” Katie paused. “Maybe stay a little longer, would you?”

  “Why?”

  “Because. Somebody has a surprise for you.”

  Lexi frowned. “What kind of somebody?”

  “Just stay put for a bit. Trust me.” Katie hung up before Lexi could answer, and Lexi scanned the beach, suspicious. The only somebody she wanted any more surprises from was Gunnar, but he was gone. And if he had somehow miraculously changed his mind and turned around, he certainly wouldn’t have alerted Katie to that fact. He didn’t even know her.

  It had to be Tristan.

  Dammit.

  And of course Katie would sound happy about it, because if Lexi gave Tristan a second chance, and things worked out, then Lexi would stay put right here in York, and Katie would be free to continue living her life any way she pleased.

  Lexi turned toward the ocean, letting her eyes adjust to the moonlight. As she looked toward Nubble Light, watching its beacon sweep comfortingly around and around, a sound came from her right—a sound that didn’t fit the beach at all.

  Was it—no. It couldn’t be.

  She whirled to the right, and it was. There was a horse on the beach. Her first thought was that if the York Police happened along right now, whoever was riding it was going to be looking at a stiff ticket. Her second thought was that Tristan had gone completely over the edge if he had somehow procured a flipping horse to do his apologizing with.

  She picked her way down the rocks onto the sand, watching the horse and rider as it got closer. They moved as one, and she tipped her head, wondering when Tristan had learned to ride. Thirty seconds later, she felt her breaths coming short and fast as she made out the rider’s shape in the moonlight.

  He pulled up close, sliding off the horse, and she wasn’t sure how she remained standing. She also wasn’t sure how her cheeks didn’t actually break, her smile was so wide.

  “Hey, Lex.”

  She looked up, and it was like all of the sadness and fear and anger of the past month flew into the waves.

  “Gunnar,” she whispered. “You came back.”

  He nodded, touching his hand to his Stetson. “I couldn’t leave.”

  And then she couldn’t stop herself. She ran the few steps it took to reach him, and leaped. He caught her easily, laughing as he spun her around. After what seemed like an eternity and a moment, at the same time, he set her carefully down, brushing the hair out of her eyes as he held her close.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she breathed.

  “Turns out I kind of suck at leaving you, Lex.”

  She closed her eyes, letting his words float on the air. “I love that quality in you.” Then she pulled back, suddenly realizing he must have called Katie to see where to find her. “Wait. How did you know my sister’s number?”

  “Emergency contact on your employment forms. Kyla might have accidentally left them in view when she went to get a cup of coffee. It’s not my fault.”

  She laughed. “What a sneak. You peeked?”

  “Well, in my defense, she might have said, ‘Gunnar, Lexi’s application’s sitting on my desk in the office. I’ll be out of that office for the next five minutes. Just saying.’ ”

  Lexi laughed again, picturing Kyla with her eyebrows up, motioning to Gunnar with her chin.

  “Remind me to thank her for her utter indiscretion in employment matters.”

  “Absolutely.” Gunnar tipped his head toward the horse. “Want to go for a ride?”

  “You’re crazy.” Lexi smiled. “Where did you get a horse?”

  “Sorry. Can’t reveal my methods. A man’s gotta have some mystery.” He cupped his hands so she could step into them. “Come on, cowgirl. Let’s go, before I get a ticket.”

  She laughed as she swung up onto the horse, then felt a completely different emotion as he swung smoothly up behind her.

  “Ever ride double?” He spoke close to her ear, sending delicious shivers downward as he reached around her to grab the reins.

  “No.”

  “You’ll love it.” He tapped the horse with his heels as he gently clacked the reins, and before she could take a full breath, they were walking at a sedate pace toward the lighthouse.

  Lexi sighed and sat back, snuggling into Gunnar’s body. If this was all a dream, then she would be perfectly happy to never, ever wake up.

  Then he leaned down, his lips at her ear again. “Want to go faster?”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice to speak, and he nudged the horse into a trot, then a canter. As they rode the rocking rhythm, Lexi was suddenly, absolutely sure there was no possible way that there was any more romantic thing in the universe to do than this right here.

  “Faster?” he whispered, and she heard the word in a completely different context. But how could she not, nestled against his solid, strong body, sitting on a horse rocking them with a rhythm that lulled her and excited her at the same time.

  “Faster,” she said, and then they were galloping. And omigod, she’d never, ever felt anything like it. Like flying, she swore. With Gunnar’s arms firmly around her waist, his breath close to her ear, his legs clamped around hers, she felt like they could just run and run, right into the ocean and into another world where there were no sick mothers, no scared sisters, no two thousand miles between them.

  But then Gunnar gave the reins a soft tug, and the horse slowed to a canter, then down to a walk. Lexi fought her disappointment, but realized the poor horse couldn’t be expected to carry two adults like that for long.

  “We’re out of beach,” Gunnar said, and Lexi looked up, realizing that they were indeed at the end of the beach, close to the rocks that wound around to where the lighthouse stood.

  “Rats.” Lexi frowned, and Gunnar laughed.

  “Three months ago, could you have ever pictured yourself doing that?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “That’s why I’m a much better person now.”

  He laughed again. “You were just fine before. You just didn’t know it.”

  She sobered. “I didn’t know…a lot.”

  “Did you know that you can actually kiss while riding double?”

  “No.” She smiled.

  “Totally can.” His arms tightened around her as she turned her head toward him. And then, as the horse picked its way slowly down the beach, Gunnar’s lips covered hers, possessive and sure, and she melted into him, wanting to feel every inch of his body with every inch of hers. As the kiss heated, his hands slowly roamed upward…downward, and she arched, longing for him to touch her…everywhere.

  “Jesus, Lex.” He broke away, his breathing a little bit ragged, which made her smile.

  “I know.” She let her head fall against his chest as he pulled her closer.

  “I thought I’d lost you.” He kissed her neck. “And I’d barely found you.”

  She tipped her head, feeling her pulse ratchet up a hundred more notches, as his lips traveled her sensitive skin.

  A splash of spray from the waves caught her by surprise, and she was knocked back into reality for a brief, completely unwelcome moment. He was here now, and it was delicious and hot and oh, so good—but now it was going to be even harder when he left.

  “Lex?” His voice was soft in her ear. “Stop thinking. We’ll figure it out, oka
y?”

  She breathed in, breathed out, and then a feeling of utter, complete peace stole over her. We’ll figure it out.

  It was four simple words, but they said so much, and somehow, in that moment, she knew everything was going to work out. It had to. They’d make it.

  “Gunnar?”

  “Yeah?” He paused his kisses.

  “You know that summer bucket list you kept accusing me of having?”

  She felt him smile against her neck. “I was right, wasn’t I? You totally had a list.”

  “I did. Katie and I made it before I left.”

  “And?” He nuzzled her earlobe, making her shiver. “Did we manage to cross off any items together?”

  “We did. I drank Montana beer, climbed a rock wall, kayaked…kissed a stranger—”

  “Mm.” He lifted her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “Lucky me.”

  “There is one item on the list that I never quite got to, though.” She sighed quietly as his hands roamed upward.

  “One that I can help you with?”

  Lexi pictured the list, scribbled in purple ink, still sitting in the same notebook on her apartment counter. She pictured the last item on the list, dashed at the bottom in Katie’s playful script.

  And she smiled as she turned to kiss him.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Was it fall in love with a cowboy? Because I’d really love to help you check off that particular item.”

  Lexi giggled, then nodded slowly. “Um, yes. That’s exactly what it was.”

  “And did you?” He paused his hands, his eyes suddenly serious.

  She slid her hands into his, drawing them upward toward her heart. “I did. Didn’t mean to, but…I totally did.”

  He smiled, kissing her softly. Then he slid his hands downward to brace her waist.

  “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” He ducked his lips to her neck while one hand slid achingly upward and the other drifted slowly between her legs. “But I’m pretty sure you’re lying.”

  She gasped as his fingers touched her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The list, Lex.” She felt him smile against her neck as he pulled her closer. “I’m pretty sure there’s one last item on there that only a cowboy can help with.”

  Epilogue

  Jess held her hands over Lexi’s eyes as Danielle made final adjustments down near her feet, and then backed up.

  “Can I look?” Lexi asked, touching her fingers to lace and satin and what felt like a million tiny pearls.

  “Okay.” Jess slid her hands away, and Lexi heard herself gasp as she caught her first look in the three-paneled mirror of the bridal shop.

  “Oh.” The word was hardly a breath as she swung slowly from side to side, watching how the fabrics played against each other, how the pearly buttons glittered in the light. “Danielle, it’s so…perfect.”

  Then she turned around to the antique couch, where Hayley, Jess, Kyla, and Jenny were sipping champagne, and she laughed.

  “You guys look like you’re seeing a ghost or something.”

  “No.” Kyla got up and circled Lexi slowly. “I think we’re seeing a princess.”

  Hayley stood up as well, going to the door and opening it slightly. “Marco, come on in here. You have to take some practice pictures of Lexi in this dress!”

  Marco, the wedding photographer Lexi and Gunnar had chosen, slipped through the door, smiling appreciatively as he caught sight of Lexi in her dress. He started snapping pics as the girls surrounded her, helped her put on her veil, touched up her lipstick, and held her champagne glass so she could sip it.

  She’d been an official Whisper Creek resident for nine months now, and her June wedding was two weeks away. She was torn between being completely elated…and completely undone, because here they were, once again within the fourteen-day window, and though it was irrational, she couldn’t help but have the Curse at the top of her mind.

  This was her final fitting, and the girls had all come with her to try on their bridesmaid gowns for the last time, too. She’d sent Katie’s home to Maine, and Katie’d texted a pic last night—her on Long Sands, in the gown, the lighthouse behind her. Lexi couldn’t wait to see her when she arrived next week.

  “My mother’s going to flip when she sees me in this gown,” she said. Mom had woken up ornery and confused this morning, so she’d stayed back in her cabin, where Ma had promised to keep an eye on her.

  “Want to go show her?” Hayley winked.

  “Oh, I can’t. I don’t want anything to happen to this gorgeous piece of art I’m wearing. I don’t dare step out of this shop.”

  “Come on.” She motioned toward the doorway, and Lexi felt her eyes narrow as she caught Hayley winking at the other women. “Peppy’s not using his limo today. He said he’d give us a test drive out to the ranch.”

  Lexi laughed. “Seriously? We can’t all go out there like this!”

  “But Ma couldn’t come. She wants to see.” Kyla took her arm. “Come on. We’ll just go out for a few minutes, give her a sneak peek, and come back to town. You don’t mind, do you, Danielle?”

  Danielle smiled. “Not a bit. I’ll be here. Come back whenever.”

  “What about Gunnar? He can’t see me in my dress!”

  “Gunnar’s out working fences with Cole,” Jess said. “He won’t see you.”

  And before she could come up with any more arguments, the girls had steered her out the door and into Peppy’s limo, which was parked out front.

  All the way out to the ranch, Hayley kept them in stitches with stories about her hideous week, and Lexi was laughing so hard by the time they turned into the gate that she almost didn’t notice the crepe paper wedding bells tied to the posts.

  Almost.

  “What—what’s going on? You guys?”

  The girls all looked at one another, then erupted in smiles as they pulled flowers out of a cooler on the floor and handed a bouquet to Lexi.

  “Happy wedding day!” Kyla said, kissing her on the cheek.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We’re breaking the Curse,” Jess smiled. “No more two-week-cold-feet-itis. Your groom is currently waiting at the altar. Impatiently, according to Cole’s latest text.”

  “Oh. My. Go—” Lexi’s free hand flew to her throat. “This isn’t poss—who—how—oh, my God.”

  “Breathe, honey.” Hayley patted her back. “You’ve lived here for almost a year with this crazy family you signed up to take on as your own. Does it really surprise you that given the desire, we pulled off the wedding coup of the century?”

  “I don’t understand. What about my sister?”

  “She’s here.”

  “No.” Lexi fumbled for her phone. “She sent me this pic last night!”

  “Nope.” Hayley shook her head. “She was eating pizza with us when she sent that. She’d taken it last week.”

  “Omigod.” Lexi looked out the windows, seeing a huge white tent, what looked like acres of tulips, and at least a hundred cars. “Whose idea was this?”

  “Gunnar’s.” All four of them answered in unison.

  “It—was?” She felt a smile absolutely take over her face. “Really? He’s responsible for this?”

  “Yup.” Hayley adjusted Lexi’s veil as the limo rolled to a stop. “Now, just watch yourself up there at that altar.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the eye daggers of every single woman in a thirty-mile radius will be trained on your back, m’dear. You have captured the catch of the century here, in case you didn’t already know that.”

  Lexi smiled, thinking back to a year ago, before she’d met all of these people she already considered family. She’d never dared to believe this could be her life, and here she was, about to step out of a limo and into marriage with the most amazing man on the planet.

  “I love you guys,” she said, trying to hug them all at once.

  “Now, now.” J
ess reached up with a tissue. “No crying. You’ll ruin the makeup you thought we were just practicing with.”

  Lexi giggled. “Okay. No crying.”

  Just then there was a knock on the limo, and then the door was wrenched open and Katie landed on the seat in a pile of hot pink satin.

  “Surprise!” she said, and her bright blue eyes sparkled. “Did we pull it off, girls?”

  “We so did,” Jenny said, then reached for the door. “All right, ladies. I believe the crowd awaits us.”

  Peppy held open the door as each of the bridesmaids exited the limo, and as they did, Lexi took deep, calming breaths.

  When it was her turn, Peppy reached his gloved hand in for hers, and she stepped out onto the gravel driveway, smiling widely as she caught sight of Cole and Decker in tuxes and black Stetsons.

  “Oh, my gosh.” She felt tears spring up when she realized the lengths everyone had gone to in order to make this surprise wedding happen. “You guys look—wow. Do not let Ma put pics of you in tuxes on the website. We’ll break the Internet.”

  “May we escort the bride?” Cole hooked his left arm so she could hold his elbow, and Decker did the same on her other side. “You have a very anxious groom.”

  Lexi laughed as they headed for the grassy area just beyond the main lodge, joining the bridesmaids. They stayed just around the corner, out of sight of the crowd gathered in white folding chairs.

  She looked around, her eyes wide, wondering how in the world all of this setup had happened in such a short time. It looked like the entire town had pitched in. Jess and Kyla flitted around her, fussing with her dress and veil until the music started, and she took a deep breath.

  “You ready?” Cole winked at her.

  “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my entire life.”

  “You’re sure? Because I’ve heard there’s a two-week rule on this whole wedding thing. You can still totally back out. I can drive a limo, if that dress won’t fit in a normal car.”