Kurt choked again. He couldn’t have heard correctly. “Are you kidding me?”
“Fine, I’ll pay you fifty-thousand-dollars. But you have to take her away from Mark Reynolds so he won’t be able to get to her.”
He must have lost his mind. Obviously, she’d lost her mind offering to pay him that much. Immediately, he thought of all the things he could use with that money. The top of the list was a new truck. The piece of tin he drove was going to fall apart any day.
“Judge, that’s a lot of money…”
“I’m desperate, Kurt. Someone needs to rescue my daughter, and I want that person to be someone I know…someone I can trust.”
Inwardly, he groaned. He was really going to do this, wasn’t he? “Fine, I’ll do it.”
Judge Peterson cried harder. “Oh, Kurt. Thank…you!”
He almost couldn’t understand her. Why did he have a soft spot for women who cried? What was wrong with him? “Give me the address. I’ll leave as soon as I can find my deputy to cover for me. Oh, and you’d better tell me what she looks like. I don’t want to be snatching the wrong bride.”
“I’ll send you her picture.”
As the judge gave him the address, part of his mind argued with him. This wasn’t like him! He didn’t get involved in other people’s family problems. However, he enjoyed rescuing the damsel in distress, and he especially liked people looking upon him as if he was a hero. He doubted Riley was going to look at him that way, but at least he’d still be the judge’s hero.
But he couldn’t accept that much money. He wouldn’t feel right about taking advantage of the judge just because she was desperate.
They ended the call, and he quickly called the deputy—Mary and Ron’s oldest son, Doug. Thankfully, Doug wasn’t doing anything and could come right over.
As soon as Kurt ended that call, his phone beeped. Judge Peterson had sent him a picture of her daughter. He blinked, not believing what he was seeing. Stepping more into the light, he studied the picture, again. He lost his breath. She was absolutely beautiful! How could someone so lovely be so naïve as the judge had described her?
Riley didn’t look like she was very old. He knew she was in college, but she was probably still in her early twenties. Kurt could see a little of her mother in her face, but this girl was much more attractive than the judge.
Chuckling, he shook his head. He still didn’t know how he was going to get Riley away from her fiancé, but he knew one thing for sure. She was going to be spitting mad. So maybe…he’d take the money, because he’d be fighting her all the way.
TWO
Riley Peterson stared at herself in the oblong mirror hanging on the wall in her bedroom. Her roommate had helped Riley get ready for the big day, which was good, because she was a nervous wreck. Her mind wasn’t working, either, and so, she was grateful Melissa had the patience—and expertise—to fix Riley’s hair for her wedding.
Melissa had braided Riley’s long honey brown hair and swirled it in a coil at the back of her head. Only one curly lock was left hanging from her forehead, but it wasn’t in her eyes at all. The style was sensual. Hopefully, Mark would like it, too.
Her wedding gown was elegant, but very simple. The white lace inch shoulder strap looped all the way around her back, ending at her waist. The square bodice showed a small amount of cleavage. She wore a pearl necklace and earrings that had been her maternal grandmother’s before she’d died. Her bouquet was just one she found at a flower shop that was priced under twenty bucks.
She’d only known Mark Reynolds for about a month, but they clicked immediately. She enjoyed spending time with him—even though he had a big family and all of his male cousins liked to hang out with them. Had she jumped into the relationship too fast? Probably, but she was tired of trying to find the perfect man. She was lonely and wanted someone who could make her laugh—a man she could have fun with. So far, that man was Mark.
When he popped the question, she didn’t hesitate, but she answered with an enthusiastic yes! They had decided not to have a big wedding. With both of them going to school, they couldn’t afford much. His family chipped in for their honeymoon at Big Sky Resort, but they’d live a simple life, until they graduated college. She was after her doctorate so she could be a Pharmacist. Mark was going after his master’s degree in engineering.
Her inheritance would help them to find a place of their own, but she planned on saving the rest of the inheritance for after they were graduated. So when she told Mark she wanted a small wedding, that’s what she meant…and with the ceremony in a church. Surprisingly enough, he found one—and a minister to marry them right here in Bozeman.
Blowing out an impatient sigh, she checked her hair, make-up, and wedding gown one last time. Her insides were jumping like hot corn, and her stomach was twisting with anticipation. She’d never been so nervous in her life. She blamed her mother, of course.
From day one of meeting Mark, her mother had been on Riley’s case about going out with a Reynolds man. Then again, this wasn’t any different from when she was in high school and her mother nit-picked every boyfriend she had. Her mother had found fault with all of them, so she really shouldn’t have expected anything different when her mom found out about Mark Reynolds.
Riley closed her eyes and breathed slowly, trying to calm her heart rate down a notch. She didn’t need to worry about her mother right now—since Riley hadn’t invited her parents. She needed to worry about getting to the church on time.
She glanced at the clock. It was time to leave. She’d asked Melissa to go on ahead, and they’d meet up at the church. Riley needed time to herself before she became Mrs. Reynolds.
Mark had hinted about giving her a surprise today. He wouldn’t say if the surprise was going to be before the ceremony or after, but since she would marry him in less than thirty minutes, she supposed it was afterwards.
Releasing another deep breath, she sprayed more perfume on before turning to her bed to check the suitcase she’d been packing for their four-night stay at the resort. Once she had reassured herself she’d packed everything, she zipped up the suitcase and lifted it off the bed. Gently, she picked up her bouquet from her dresser.
She was ready!
Making sure all the lights were turned off, she made her way toward the front door. Before reaching the door, a shadow had crossed her porch, and seconds later, came the loud knock.
Once again, her heartbeat sped faster. Could this be the surprise Mark was telling her about? Hopefully, he didn’t decide to take her to the church. It was bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony.
Her palms became moist, but she didn’t dare wipe her hands on her white dress. She quickly opened the door…and paused. The man standing on the porch wasn’t Mark, or any of his friends or cousins, either. But whoever this man was, he sure looked darn good! She couldn’t see his eyes, because his cowboy hat hung low on his forehead, but his groomed goatee and those chiseled lips would make any woman weak in the knees. It helped that his lower half fit his Levis very snug, and his long-sleeve shirt and vest nearly stretched across his muscular chest.
She opened the screen door to get a better look at the gorgeous stranger. Gorgeous? She quickly reprimanded herself. She was about to get married. She couldn’t think about other men as gorgeous anymore.
His gaze seemed to touch everywhere on her, from the bottom of her wedding gown, and slowly on up until he peered into her face. Finally, she was able to see his eyes. Silently, she repeated the word she shouldn’t say anymore. Gorgeous!
“Can I help you?” she asked, since he didn’t seem to want to talk first…although his gaze was speaking volumes to her, making a different rhythm beat in her chest. She scolded herself again. Hopefully, Mark didn’t act this way when he saw a beautiful woman.
He tipped the hat back on his head. When his brilliant blue eyes met hers, she grew weak in the knees again. Good grief! She must be weak because of lack of food in her stomach, since she was
too nervous to eat today.
“Are you Riley Peterson?”
She smiled. “Yes, I’m Riley.” Her gaze couldn’t stay off his eyes, but when she was finally able to move it, the man’s mouth was what she stared at. Stop this, Riley!
“I’m assuming you’re on your way to the wedding.”
She wanted to throw out a duh to him since she was dressed like a bride, but decided against it. “Yes, I’m on my way right now.”
“Oh, good.” He reached down and grabbed her suitcase. “I’m here to take you.”
She sucked in a quick breath. Was this her surprise? Was he a limo driver? “Mark wants you to bring me to the church?”
His eyes widened, but then within seconds, he smiled. “That’s it.”
“Then I’m ready.”
She lifted the small train on the back of her dress and carefully stepped out onto the porch. He reached around her and helped her close the door. She whiffed his masculine aftershave…and butterflies danced in her chest. Not only was this man gorgeous, but he smelled so good!
As he walked with her down the sidewalk toward the apartment’s parking, she scanned the area, but didn’t see a limo. She stopped and frowned. He wasn’t taking her in a limo?
“Did you forget something?” the man asked.
“No, I…” She swallowed hard. “I was just looking for the vehicle you’d be taking me in.”
“Right here.” He motioned his hand toward a light blue Chevy truck.
A truck! She shook her head. She was wearing a wedding dress, for goodness sake. And it was white. Why would Mark want her hauled to the church in this vehicle? This had to be a joke.
“You don’t have to worry about soiling your dress,” he said. “I brought a blanket for you to sit on.”
Oh, this was definitely a joke. Why would Mark do this?
The man took her elbow and escorted her to the truck. Over the seat a blanket was draped. At least it was clean. He opened the door, and helped her climb inside. He even held the gown’s train away from the side of the truck so it wouldn’t get dirty. Taking another blanket, he wrapped it around the seatbelt as he strapped it across her chest. When his arm bumped against her bosom, she held her breath. Thankfully, he didn’t make a big deal out of it, so neither should she.
He closed the door and then placed her suitcase in the open bed of the truck before he climbed in. As he started the vehicle, it sputtered and shook until the engine finally roared to life, making a very loud sound. He definitely needs a muffler.
Biting her bottom lip, she tried to keep the laugh that was lodged in her throat from spilling forth. Was this guy serious? He was really going to take her to her own wedding in this piece of junk? Her car would have been better. Why would Mark want her riding in this?
He pulled onto the road, and his radio started growing louder. Obviously, that was in need of some major repair, too. When she heard the whine of the country singer, she rolled her eyes. Why did almost everyone in Bozeman have to be country-western fans? For once, she’d like to find someone who enjoyed good ole classic rock-n-roll.
“What is your name?” she asked, raising her voice a pitch higher than the radio.
He reached over and turned the knob until it quieted. “Kurt Hamill.”
She nodded. “Do you know Mark from school?”
“Uh…sure.”
“Really? I’m surprised we haven’t met. I thought I knew all of Mark’s friends.”
“Apparently not.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure if he was being rude or not, but his cute smile told her he wasn’t. Nervously, she adjusted the bouquet of flowers on her lap. “Well, not that I’m ungrateful for your assistance in taking me to the church, but…” She glanced around the inside of the truck. It didn’t look any better than the outside—minus a few rust spots, anyway. “But I’m just surprised that Mark would have you bring me in…uh, well, in this type of vehicle.”
“You don’t like ole’ Betsy Lou, huh?”
She laughed, and then quickly stopped it. “You named your truck Betsy Lou? Seriously?”
The left side of his mouth lifted higher when he grinned. “You don’t like that name?”
“Well, it’s not that I don’t like it, but… I just didn’t realize you’d name your vehicle at all.”
“Oh, yeah. Men do it all the time.”
Mark never did. But then he wasn’t a cowboy as this man appeared to be. And speaking of his attire… She slid her gaze over him again, slower this time. His Levis were scuffed slightly around the knees. His black boots were a little dirty, too. Would a cowboy wear this to a wedding? She didn’t dare ask for fear he’d think her rude.
She switched her attention out the windshield onto the road ahead. Where was he going? She’d only been to the church once since Mark found it, but she didn’t think this was the way. This was the direction to merge onto the freeway. “Do you know where the church is?”
He glanced at her and nodded before returning his gaze to the road. “Yes.”
“Oh, well…the reason I ask is because I don’t think this is the way.”
“I’m taking a short-cut.”
“All right.” She tightened her fingers around the stems of the bouquet. Her mind tried to map out the way to the church, but a sixth sense inside of her told her that there was no short-cut by getting on the freeway.
“Mr. Hamill,” she said with a light laugh.
“Call me Kurt.”
“Okay. Well, Kurt, I don’t want to sound like I’m nit-picking,” heaven forbid I’d be like Mom, “but I don’t think this is the way to the church. You’re going too far west.”
“You don’t think I know where I’m going?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what you think, however, something inside my gut is telling me we’re going the wrong way. Maybe I’ll call Mark—” Just as she said it, she remembered her cell was in the suitcase. “Never mind. I can’t call Mark. You call him and ask him if this is the right way.”
His mouth thinned into a straight line as he shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, sweetie. For one, I don’t know Mark’s phone number.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. Once again, the urge to say duh crossed her mind. If they were friends, he would definitely have Mark’s number.
“And secondly,” he continued, “I’m not taking you to the church.”
Shaking her head, she blinked. She couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. As she opened her mouth to ask him to repeat it, they passed a sign on the freeway. They were traveling away from Bozeman.
She swung her head to look out of the back window. The town was getting farther away by the second. Panic grew inside of her like a fungus—fast and disgusting, churning inside of her stomach until she felt like vomiting.
Was this a kidnapping? She peered closer at Kurt. He didn’t look like the type of guy who was a kidnapper. Then again, she hadn’t known any at all, just seen them on tv. And he looked nothing like those criminals on America’s Most Wanted.
Willing herself to calm down, she tried to regulate her breathing. If she stayed composed, maybe he wouldn’t freak out and make things worse.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Mr…um, I mean, Kurt? Why aren’t you taking me to the church?”
“Because I’m being paid to take you somewhere else.”
Curiosity filled her. Maybe this wasn’t a kidnapping after all. Maybe this was Mark’s surprise. Yet, why didn’t he want her at the church…unless he found somewhere for them to marry. “And where might that be?”
“A place in Big Sky.”
Her heart tripped a few times. Had Mark’s family paid to have their wedding at the resort? Even as amazing as that sounded, she still wanted a church wedding. Unless, there was a beautiful chapel near the resort.
“Kurt? By chance, is this the big surprise Mark was hinting to me about?”
Kurt glanced at her again. His smile widened. “You’ll just have to wait and
see, won’t you?”
By his expression, she could tell this was Mark’s surprise. Excitement filled her, leaving the panic on the wayside. Mark was such an amazing man. He was all the time surprising her with things, even if it was changing their dinner plans at the last minute to take her somewhere romantic. Once, he got her out of one of her classes to have a picnic in the park.
“I don’t mind Mark surprising me, I just hope he let all the guests know of the change in plans.”
“I’m sure he did.” He gave her a wink.
She passed another road sign. Big Sky was an hour drive? Releasing a heavy sigh, she turned her focus to the gorgeous man driving. Montana’s scenery was heavenly, but the man behind the wheel was definitely another one of God’s beautiful creations. One way or another, she was going to have a pleasant drive.
THREE
Kurt really shouldn’t be enjoying himself so much. As soon as they reached his cabin, just on the edge of Lone Mountain, she would definitely know this wasn’t Mark’s surprise. But for now, her cheerfulness made the ride more peaceful. She had a cute sense of humor, too, and he found himself grinning a lot.
Just like many women, she took over the conversation, telling him about her relationship with Mark. Kurt really didn’t want to hear it, but at least it kept him alert during the drive back to Big Sky.
As he listened to her, he couldn’t help the frustration building up inside of him, especially when she mentioned how Mark wouldn’t let her hang out with her friends because he wanted all of her attention. Mark had wanted to know what she had done—and who she’d talked to—every second of her day. Riley laughed it off by saying Mark was just so in love with her. Kurt knew differently. Mark Reynolds was a control-freak…and he was trying to control everything Riley did. That was mental abuse in Kurt’s book! If he were her father, he’d certainly be worried, just as Judge Peterson was so sick over this sudden wedding. But he couldn’t tell Riley what he thought of her fiancé. They didn’t know each other, and really, it was none of his business.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Altar (Your Every Day Hero Book 2) Page 2
