“God is good, Kelsey,” Adela said.
Kelsey nodded, remembering how much cleaning and painting it needed. But that was okay, because it gave her something to focus on other than the failure she’d felt like after what she’d just been through. But maybe reminding them of her broken heart would help them to stop pushing her. “Working on the bistro helped me through. It helped me find strength again. And a new purpose. You know, like working with the homeless shelter providing meals. I can’t express how fulfilled that makes me feel.” It was so true. “Knowing that my bistro has helped give a boost to Julie, Candy, and now Roxie, warms my heart just thinking about it.” All three of her employees had been hired while they had been at the shelter.
“Honey,” Aunt E said. “You’re doin’ good.”
Norma Sue picked up a pastry. “Yep, you sure are, sweet-pea. Cleaning and scrubbing are good ways to get over the past. Baking is too. These are fantastic.” She took a bite, her expression blissful.
“I always loved to bake. Mom taught me that.” She thought of the ranch and her heart ached a little. The bistro had also helped her family when she had to watch her father lose his ranch because of drought conditions and low cattle prices. Her dad wouldn’t accept any help from her, said it would cost too much to start over. It had broken her heart for him and her mom, and made her all the more thankful that she’d chosen a new path. For her, there was no looking back now. And they seemed to enjoy the travel that came with his new job—they were on a sales trip right now. It couldn’t be helped, and so they were missing Tiffany’s wedding because of it . . . It bothered her some, but Tiffany understood.
“Anyway.” She stood as a fresh wave of customers entered the bistro. “I better help. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She got busy helping fill orders, but found her thoughts wandering to the feel of Brent Corbin’s arms holding her as they’d danced.
She fought the memory off just like she’d been doing all night and morning.
If she didn’t want that life again, then she certainly didn’t want to date a cowboy and chance the past repeating itself.
She had once loved everything there was to love about being born a cowgirl. A person changed, though, and this was Kelsey now. After Lance had pulled out on her and then seeing her father struggle, she wanted no part of ranching anymore. The sound of wind and surf, these were the things that filled her with excitement now. No more hot dusty days fixing fences and wrestling with cattle or worrying about the lack of rain or the fluctuating cattle prices that held a rancher hostage when things were going bad. That was her past. And that was where it would remain. It didn’t matter that her skin tingled thinking about the touch of his hand and the warmth of his breath near her ear as they’d talked . . . His scent, musk and sandalwood, so masculine . . . Forget that! All of it.
Lance’s sweet-talking, lying ways had forever tainted her view of men in Stetsons—even one who smelled better than fresh cinnamon rolls baking. Even if getting Brent out of her head was proving to be harder than she’d expected.
She sighed and placed several of her freshly made croissants on a plate. She had enjoyed dancing with him, though. And when he’d asked for a second dance, she’d said no because she’d enjoyed the first one far too much.
Like Aunt E always said with one of her malapropisms, Kelsey hadn’t fallen off that cabbage truck yesterday—she knew when to walk away from temptation. She hadn’t fallen off the turnip wagon either.
And she recognized that any thought of involvement with Brent Corbin might threaten her orderly, manageable, happy new life.
And she was about to be forced to spend three hours on a brunch cruise with him while the posse pushed her hard. Her little talk moments ago had to have opened their eyes to the reasons why Brent was not the man for her. It had to have.
Hopefully they would ease up.
“You okay, boss?” Candy asked as she passed by with a plate of breakfast muffins.
“Sure, Candy, why?”
The waitress paused before moving on. “You’ve been distracted all morning, and your cheeks keep flushing. Got a man on your mind?”
“No! Why would you say such a thing?”
Candy laughed so hard her dangling hoop earrings danced. “Your aunt just told me you got rescued from the bay by some hunky cowboy last night.”
“Do not encourage them,” Kelsey said.
“So it is true! You’ll have to give me all the details.”
“Don’t you have an order to deliver?”
“Yes, I do. But don’t think I’m forgetting about this.” Candy gave her a grin, then went to deliver her order. Kelsey watched her go, reminded of the other little problem she had been facing. Candy really could use some extra hours. There was a lot going on in her life, and Kelsey really wanted to help her. The small catering jobs that the Sunflower Bistro had recently begun to do were picking up, but were sporadic at best. She knew if she started catering weddings, things might improve. Competition was fierce, but if she got in with a wedding venue, it could really prove helpful to Candy, and her other employees too. With everything that had gone on, Kelsey hadn’t wanted to participate in weddings. She just couldn’t face them. But maybe it was time for her to get over herself.
And that brought her right back to the idea that had been hanging around in the back of her mind ever since Brent had mentioned the pavilion at his ranch. Could that be a possible venue for her bistro to get involved in?
No. She squelched that thought again. Like she’d been doing every time it whispered to her.
She well knew it was not a good idea.
Especially with the attraction she was fighting toward Brent.
Work. She shoved hard at all the crazy, tangled-up thoughts whirling around in her head and went back outside to serve the pastries to the couple who were now sitting at the table beside the posse. She sucked in the tangy salt air and fought to let the serenity calm her suddenly riled-up spirit.
“Mmm-hmm.” Norma Sue paused to smell her cinnamon-apple muffin before taking a bite. “These are delicious, Kelsey.”
“They’re a new recipe . . .” Kelsey’s voice trailed off as she spotted a tall, lean man in cargo shorts and a bright orange T-shirt jogging down the beach. The breeze whipped his dark wavy hair across his forehead. He jogged with long strides, in a graceful, smooth gait. Her mouth went dry. Brent.
Now, that was a man.
As he drew near, he smiled and gave an open-hand wave before altering course, jogging from the wet sand toward the boardwalk.
A small sigh eased from Kelsey. If she hadn’t seen his boots and Stetson the night before, she never would have pegged him for a rancher today.
Why, oh why, did he have to be so . . . hunky?
“That is one good-looking man.”
She didn’t even register who said what everyone was thinking. For the past two years, since her fiasco of a wedding, Kelsey had met a lot of men—a lot of good-looking men. A lot of interesting men, but none of them had made her heart skip or her skin heat with a blush like Brent.
She wanted to say it was just a normal reaction to the man who’d saved her life. What woman wouldn’t feel some inkling of excitement toward the man who’d rescued her? Especially if he was tall, dark, and had a smile that struck like lightning.
“Mornin’ ladies,” he drawled. “I thought I’d take y’all up on your offer of breakfast before our little ocean getaway.” He scanned the posse and then his chocolate gaze met hers.
“Oh? Well, welcome,” she blurted, forcing her voice to be light and unruffled—an Oscar-worthy accomplishment.
“Hey, I’ve heard only good things. And I’ve been seeing those little yellow bags you put your pastries in with your Sunflower Bistro logo on them. They are everywhere this morning. That’s got to mean only good things.”
Her cheeks heated at his praise.
“Good-looking and smart too. Sit here.” Norma Sue patted the empty chair beside her. “Kelsey r
edid this place all by herself. You’ll have to go inside and see all her creative table designs.”
“Yes, but her food is the real treat,” Adela added.
Okay, so this was crazy. “Would you like coffee?” Kelsey asked, needing out of there.
“Sure, Kelsey. I take it black if you don’t mind. You’ve got a great place.” At the sound of his voice, Millie woke from where she’d curled up under the table. With a joyous yap, she jumped to greet Brent.
“Hey there, is this the little seaweed pile I pulled from the surf yesterday? Little girl, you clean up good.” He picked Millie up and snuggled.
“Coffee, black, coming right up,” Kelsey squeaked, spinning round and hurrying away. Breathe, she told herself. Just breathe. Men snuggle puppies every day. It doesn’t mean any of them are your type. Put one foot in front of the other and keep your mind on the end result . . . This is only temporary. By Sunday evening things would be back to normal. He would be back at his ranch. The posse would head home to Mule Hollow, and she would have her life back just as it was.
She only had to keep her head on straight between now and then.
Brent’s spirits soared as high as the seagulls overhead in the cloudless sky. The midmorning August sun blazed hot, but the breeze as the cruiser cut slowly through the bay minimized the heat. The yacht, a beautiful split-level outfit built to entertain large groups, had awnings to offer shade for those who wanted it and easily held the entire wedding party of ten plus friends and family. But it was also intimate enough that he could keep Kelsey within view at all times.
Brent mingled with Steven and Tru and a few other college buddies on the lower level of the yacht.
“Seven hours. Are you ready?” he asked Steven. Like Brent, Steven hadn’t been paying much attention to the water. While Brent’s gaze kept straying to Kelsey as she talked with Tiffany and the bridesmaids on the upper level, Steven had hardly taken his eyes off of his soon-to-be bride.
“I’m ready. More than I can express.”
The love and emotion rang clearly in his friend’s voice, and Brent felt a pang of envy. What would it feel like to love like Steven and Tiffany?
The instant the thought was out there, his gaze locked back on Kelsey. He’d enjoyed breakfast at her bistro. Bubbly and engaging, she hurried about making sure the eight tables outside and the ones inside were well taken care of. He tried hard to imagine her in ranch wear, even though it would be a shame to cover up those tanned legs with jeans and boots. Or that thick golden mane of hair with a hat. She looked perfect in her sundress and flip flops.
“Where did you disappear to last night and this morning?” Steven asked.
“Sorry, I had some ranch business to take care of last night. This morning I went for a run—and ended up at Kelsey’s bistro having breakfast with Esther Mae, Norma Sue, and Adela.”
Steven laughed. “You better watch out for those three. It’s safe to say they have you in their sights. You good with that?”
“I think I can handle three little old ladies. Besides, Kelsey’s great.”
“As badly as she’s been hurt, I’m startled she’s even giving you the time of day, buddy. It took awhile for her to warm up to the idea of Tiffany falling for a cowboy.”
“So, I’m curious about this original cowboy—what did he do? I know he broke her heart, but how?”
“He dumped her at the altar for dreams of the NFR and ran off with a barrel racer while he was at it. It did a number on her. Then toss in the fact that her dad lost his ranch to foreclosure a few months later, and you, my ranch-owning friend, are about to fight an uphill battle where that little gal is concerned.”
“So, you’re telling me she associates every bad moment in her life over the past few years with ranch life and cowboys.”
“That’d be a fair assumption.”
He let that info sink in. He’d had his fair share of bad luck with women; that didn’t mean he’d sworn them off completely, just temporarily. He hadn’t lumped all women into the same category.
He hadn’t been left at the altar, though. What would something like that do to a person? He could only imagine how that had to have ripped away every bit of trust from Kelsey.
He knew how to rebuild trust in a broken, mistreated horse. Could he do the same with a woman? They were completely different. Still, patience, kindness, and building up a personal relationship had to be the winning elements.
Steven nodded toward the upper deck where Tiffany stood. “I can tell you finding the love of your life is well worth any trial and tribulation you have to endure.”
Brent watched Kelsey tuck her blond hair behind her ear and laugh at something Tiffany was saying. His gut tightened. He couldn’t have looked away from her if he’d wanted to. He’d never felt like his heart was driving him toward a woman before, but that was exactly how he felt about Kelsey.
She was laughing again, having a good time with Tiffany. He smiled. She might have had her heart broken, but she’d pulled herself together. She’d gone on with her life. Almost . . .
He realized that maybe he could help Kelsey move forward and realize all cowboys weren’t the enemy.
Or at least that he wasn’t.
Kelsey sipped her iced tea and studied the horizon in the distance. The ocean softly lapped at the boat.
“You fit in here.”
Brent’s words softly spoken in her ear made her jump as a tingle raced across her skin where his breath had touched, instantly reminding her of the night before.
Looking like a man comfortable at sea, he sat on the edge of the boat. The wind whipped his dark hair across his forehead and the sunlight warmed his skin. He fit here too, and the thought needled at her.
She’d managed to avoid him most of the morning. “I love it. But what’s surprising me is you seem to love it too.”
He looked baffled. “Why is that so surprising to you?”
She laughed, embarrassed. “I mean . . . you don’t even look like you own a ranch, sitting there in your shorts and deck shoes.”
His brows knitted. “You know, you really need to lay off judging people by their occupations.”
“I just mean a cowboy is rarely out of his jeans—”
“Not true,” he challenged. “Though I’ll say that if I lived deeper in the heart of Texas, I might be less likely to be sporting cargoes and deck shoes.”
“Okay.” She laughed. “I don’t mean to herd you into a group. But—”
“This jerk really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
She blinked and stepped back from him. “How?”
“It’s not hard to figure out. But the posse filled me in on some of the details of your bad experience. And I can’t say that I blame you. I just hope you give me a chance since we were brought together in the most unorthodox way. That should count for something, don’t you think? I mean, I’m just wanting you to look at me and not my occupation.” He gave a crooked grin, then hitched a brow in a question.
Her stomach dipped and she leaned toward him, so drawn to him . . . She wished— She yanked herself upright. “It’s more than that. Being a cowboy and a rancher is a lifestyle.”
Before he could answer, Steven called for everyone to gather on the top deck. He lifted his glass and hugged Tiffany close. “I just wanted to lift up a toast and a prayer, out here on this beautiful body of endless blue, for my soon-to-be wife, Tiffany.”
Brent stood up behind her as she turned to give her attention to the wedding couple. She had to admit that it had taken awhile for her to warm to Steven. She’d feared for the longest time that her cousin would suffer the same fate that she had.
Was she wrong to put Brent into the same category with Lance? When it came to her future, she was taking no chances, she reminded herself. She’d meant what she’d said. Being a cowboy was also a lifestyle.
She thought of her dad. Of the ranch.
“They are a great match, don’t you think?” Brent said, taking a drink from his bottl
e of water.
“Yes, they are.” It was so true. Kelsey was riveted to Tiffany, her expression glowing with love. What would it be like to be loved like that? To be so cherished? So adored? Kelsey’s heart ached thinking about it.
Steven’s a cowboy!
She gave herself a mental shake. Focus, Kelsey.
“So, besides serving mouthwatering bagels and croissants and wearing gold dresses into the ocean that make a poor cowboy think he’s seeing mermaids, what else do you like to do?”
That pulled a laugh from her. “You really thought I was a mermaid?”
“Hey, the sun was reflecting off of the dress and that long part at the bottom flopped around.”
His smile was sheepish and adorable. Drat!
She laughed again, unable to help it. She was suddenly feeling a little reckless; after all, she was on a yacht, the sun was gleaming off the cerulean water, the breeze was skimming her skin like a kiss . . .
“So, would you have dived in after an ordinary woman, or is it just mermaids that you dive in to rescue?”
“I’d have come in for you, no matter what.”
The way he said it sent a dangerous thrill racing through her. “You didn’t know me,” she challenged.
“I’d like to get to know you, Kelsey. Diving in after you, mermaid or not, turned out to be a startling blessing.”
Her skin heated with a blush. She didn’t know if anyone had ever said she was a blessing. What a word choice.
“That’s a very nice thing to say—”
“It’s the truth.” He crossed his arms and studied her for a beat. “So, tell me how you’re really doing.”
She stared at him, her thoughts turning. She knew instinctively what he was asking. “Why are you asking me this? Why do you want to know?”
“Because I can’t imagine a man walking out on you. I hate that you went through that.”
Was he for real? “When my fiancé left me at the altar, it was embarrassing. And it hurt. I cried like a baby. And now, thinking back, it makes me so mad that I was such a fool. And just to let you know, I haven’t admitted that to anyone.”
An August Bride Page 4
