Her Cowboy Billionaire Best Man

by Liz Isaacson

  “Eleven it is,” Ophelia said. “And Celia, you’re not feeding me. I already have brisket smoking. I’ll bring lunch on Sunday. You have enough going on.”

  “It’s okay. I can—”

  “And Larissa is coming,” Ophelia said.

  Celia paused. “She is? Is she…?”

  “She and Mack went to counseling this week,” Ophelia said. “I just know they’re going to be able to work things out.”

  “I hope so,” Celia said. “I’ll add them to my prayers.” She’d been praying for her brother anyway, but Larissa deserved some of Celia’s time on her knees too.

  “How are you holding up?”

  Celia opened her mouth to say she was fine. Okay. Doing great. But they were all false, and she knew it. “The wedding prep is stressful,” she said instead. “But we’ll make it.” And then she’d be alone again.

  Reagan and Dale would move to Ohio. Ruth spent most of her time at work, or out with Grizz, or down in Cheyenne, visiting her boyfriend. Celia didn’t want her to do anything different, but the loneliness that plagued her now seemed twice as sharp as it had been before she’d started dating Zach.

  “I meant how are you holding up doing this all by yourself?”

  “I mean, what choice do I have?” Celia asked, too much bite in the question. “I’m sorry, Ophelia. I’m just…tired.”

  “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

  Celia had lived much of her life using the question what choice do I have? Brandon had died. She couldn’t bring him back.

  Zach had made his choice. She couldn’t make him call her.

  “I have to go,” she said, her voice tight and choked. “The timer on my cake is going off.” She hung up before Ophelia could argue or realize there was no timer sounding. Her tears started anew, but this time, they belonged to Zach and not Brandon.

  “It’s so beautiful outside,” Ruth said, practically breathless as she came in with Grizz on a leash. The dog’s tongue hung out of his mouth, but he came right over to Celia and looked up at her with that signature Labrador smile on his face.

  “Hey, boy,” she said, taking the excuse to bury her face in the scruff of his neck to hide her tears from her daughter. “Did you have a good walk with Auntie Ruthie?”

  The timer on the cakes in the oven did go off then, and she used that distraction to turn away from Ruth. She’d managed to compose herself by the time she had to turn around, and she wiped her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “All right. Only a few cakes left.”

  “Mom,” Ruth said.

  “Hmm?”

  “He hasn’t called, has he?”

  Celia’s emotions sprang right back into her throat, stinging her. She shook her head and started measuring out the cake batter she needed for the next tier of cakes, spreading the batter evenly into the two twelve-inch-round cake pans.

  As soon as she slid them into the oven and turned around, Ruth wrapped her arms around Celia. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  Celia clung to her, not wanting her daughter to know how weak she was, but needing someone to anchor herself to.

  “I’m sorry,” she said a few moments later. She tried to step back, but Ruth held her tight. “I’m okay, really.”

  Ruth released her, and Celia wiped at her face. “The wedding is in two days. We’ll get through this, and everything will be fine.”

  Her daughter looked dubious, but she didn’t say anything. She glanced around the kitchen, which admittedly looked like a war zone, if the weapons were flour, frosting, and frothy egg whites.

  “All right,” Ruth said. “Tell me what needs to be done.”

  That evening, all of the cakes had been baked, wrapped, and placed in the freezer. Celia would trim, frost, and decorate the cake tomorrow. It was the last thing that needed to be done for the wedding.

  She lay on the couch, her feet up in front of her on the ottoman, sandwiched between her daughters. Dale had crowded onto the couch too, his arm around Reagan, as they all watched a romantic comedy together.

  Happiness filtered through Celia. She did love her girls, and they had always been enough for her. Perhaps they would be again. Or maybe she could start dating someone else. Amanda had been out with several older men in the area.

  The idea felt absolutely wrong, though, and Celia knew why. She’d given her heart to that cowboy up in Dog Valley, and until she figured out how to get it back, she wouldn’t be setting up any more dates.

  Although, Reagan was getting married, and maybe there’d be another best man there for her….

  She dismissed the idea. Dale was almost thirty, not almost fifty, and he wouldn’t have anyone acting as best man that would be age-appropriate for Celia.

  She didn’t want anyone else anyway.

  She wanted her sexy, salty-haired, cowboy billionaire best man from Saltgrass Farms. A sigh came out of her mouth as the hero and heroine on-screen finally kissed, and Ruth slipped her fingers into Celia’s.

  Celia squeezed her daughter’s hand and sat up. Her back ached, and her head pounded, and it was definitely time for her old bones to get to bed. “Okay, girls,” she said. “I’m going to bed.”

  “It’s not even eight-thirty yet,” Reagan said.

  “And I baked today for eight hours,” Celia said with a smile. She leaned down and swept a kiss across her daughter’s forehead. “I’m tired.”

  “You can’t go to bed yet,” Reagan said, a panicked look crossing her face.

  “Why not? Dale can stay, Rae.” She looked at Ruth, who also wore a puzzled look in her eyes.

  Reagan opened her mouth to say something, but only stammering came out. “It’s just…maybe you could make us some of that butterscotch popcorn before you go to bed.”

  “Really, Rae?” Ruth asked. “You’re going to ask her to do more cooking for you?” She stood up and went behind the couch. “Come on, Mom. If you want to go to bed, go to bed. I’ll let Grizz out for you.”

  Celia’s already raw feelings felt pinched. “I can take him out.” She took the leash from Ruth and clipped it to Grizz’s collar. “Come on, bud.” She went out the front door, because none of her property was fenced anyway.

  Behind her, she heard Ruth and Reagan start to talk, but she didn’t stay to see what they were arguing about. It didn’t matter. Whatever it was would wash out, just like all of their disagreements had.

  If only Zach could get his family’s disagreements with hers to wash away. Just float down the river.

  “Go potty,” she told the dog, and Grizz started to sniff around, looking for the just-right spot.

  It was a beautiful night, following the beautiful day Ruth had spoken of earlier. June would arrive next week, and summer would fully arrive in Coral Canyon. Finally.

  Winter had been very long this year, though Celia had barely had any time to be disgruntled about it. Everything seemed to make her disgruntled now.

  Grizz finished, and just as he came back over to her, a pair of headlights cut through the gathering twilight on Celia’s street. She automatically shied away from the advancing truck, backing up toward the front steps as it came closer and closer.

  They’d go right past, as her brothers would’ve told her if they were coming over tonight.

  But the truck turned into her driveway. Grizz laid down at her feet, utterly unconcerned about this unexpected visitor.

  Besides, she knew that truck.

  Knew the man who unfolded himself from the driver’s seat and came around the front of the vehicle.

  Owen Zuckerman.

  Celia’s heartbeat rippled like a flag in a stiff wind, but before she could say anything, another truck turned the corner and came toward them. This truck pulled in right behind Owen, and Mack got out of the passenger side while Lennox emerged from the driver’s side.

  “What is going on?” she demanded, feeling braver now that her brothers were here.

  “Just a second, Celia,” Lennox said, turning to look over
his shoulder.

  Sure enough, a third truck—really, her driveway was full enough—turned and drove toward them.

  Her breath caught somewhere inside her body when she recognized this one. “Zach,” she whispered, her eyes glued to the windshield.

  “See?” Mack said somewhere outside her awareness. “She loves him. How can you keep them apart?”

  The third truck pulled in, but it wasn’t Zack driving. Instead, Celia found his son, Paul. Frantic to see Zach now, she took a step forward, freezing as the passenger door opened, and Zach got out.

  Their eyes met, and Celia could barely breathe. He wore his regular jeans, cowboy boots, a plain old blue T-shirt, and that hat she’d seen months ago at Amanda’s wedding.

  He was nothing special, but so sexy, and so absolutely special to her that she couldn’t move.

  “Celia,” he said, and his voice fixed everything. “Wondering if you had a few minutes to talk.”

  She couldn’t look away from him, though there were three other cowboys gathered on her front sidewalk. “I—”

  “Say yes, Mom,” Reagan called from behind her, and Celia turned. She hadn’t even noticed her daughter opening the front door.

  She swung her attention back to Zach, and he’d advanced several steps closer to her. So close, she could smell his cologne and see the light from her porch lamp in the dark depths of his eyes.

  “I guess I have a minute to talk,” Celia said, and Zach’s lips curved into a slow, sexy smile.

  “Great.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Zach stared at Celia, his mouth suddenly stuffed with cotton. He’d thought bringing reinforcements would make things easier, but now, with everyone watching, he realized he’d made a huge mistake.

  “Say something,” Mack said out of the corner of his mouth.

  Zach cleared his throat and tugged at the collar on his shirt. “So it took me a few days to get everyone on the same page.” He looked at his brother.

  Owen still wasn’t quite on the same page as Zach, but he’d come. He’d talked to Mack and Lennox yesterday. Zach had hope the two families could work through their problems for the first time in his life.

  “My dad is still completely against us being together,” he said. “But I’m in love with you, and I want to be with you.”

  Celia lifted one hand up to her throat, and pressed her palm against her chest. She was so beautiful, and Zach couldn’t believe he’d even considered walking away from her simply because his dad said to.

  “I know I’m not perfect,” he said. “But Owen is willing to let go of the past.”

  “I’m willing to try,” Owen clarified.

  “And so are we,” Mack said. “Right, Lennox?”

  “I’ve wanted to find peace with the Zuckermans for years,” Lennox said. “I’m all for this.”

  “Owen?” Zach prompted.

  His brother low-key glared at him, but Zach held his ground. Owen finally looked at Celia, and he visibly softened. She really had that effect on people, because she was so good.

  Zach’s emotions spiraled up and then down. She had to take him back. He’d fixed things for them. No, they wouldn’t be perfect, but it was a start. Someone had to take the first step, and Zach was willing to do it. He’d been praying she would be too.

  “Celia,” Owen said. “I realize my hard feelings are not for you, or Zach for that matter. He seems to have already given up his heart.” He cleared his throat, obviously as uncomfortable as Zach. “And he’s my brother, and I want him to be happy.”

  Zach clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder, his gratitude multiplying. The Lord had really answered his prayers this week. Maybe not exactly how he wanted them answered, but he was here. Making things right.

  Zach looked at Celia again. “So?” he asked. “What do you think?”

  Thanks to it almost being June, there was still plenty of light left in the day to illuminate her face. Her eyes held an edge of fear. Maybe determination.

  “Come on, Celia,” Mack said, and Zach hadn’t known he’d have to be the prompter in this conversation.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “As sure as I’ve ever been,” Zach said. “About anything.”

  “You’ll have to move to Dog Valley,” Reagan said, joining her mother at the bottom of the porch steps.

  “I—that’s okay,” Celia said. “Zach has a beautiful farm there.”

  “I know, Mom.” Reagan smiled at her mother as Ruth came down the steps too. “You’ve told us all about it.”

  “You’re all she ever talks about,” Ruth added, and Zach smiled.

  “Oh, stop it,” Celia said. “He is not.”

  “Then get over there and kiss him,” Reagan said, giving Celia a little nudge.

  She walked toward him, and the look in her eye was definitely made of something positive. She reached up and took his face in both of her hands. Tipping up on her toes, she whispered, “I love you, but I’m not kissing you in front of everyone.”

  “Let’s go for a walk then,” he said.

  She settled onto her feet, turned and picked up the leash for Grizz, and said, “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  “Not so tired now, are you?” Reagan asked.

  “Ignore her,” Celia said, rolling her eyes. Instead of coming back to Zach’s side, she handed him Grizz’s leash and stepped over to Mack.

  They hugged, and Mack said clearly, “You’ve waited a long time for a man like him.”

  She embraced Lennox too, who said something Zach couldn’t hear. He wasn’t sure he was anything special, but he wanted to be. For Celia, he’d try.

  A hint of nerves skipped across her face as she went to Owen. Zach thought she’d shake his hand, but she moved right in and hugged him too.

  “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Owen,” she said.

  His big, gruff older brother hugged her back and said, “Me too, Celia.”

  Happiness like Zach had never known moved through him, and he turned to Paul. “You can wait a little bit?”

  “We’re just putting on another movie,” Reagan said. “You’re welcome to come in.”

  “Take your time, Dad.” Paul stepped past him and grinned at Celia. “Good to see you again, Celia.”

  Celia smiled at him and threaded her fingers through Zach’s. He held very still as the other men got back in their trucks and backed out of her driveway.

  And then he was finally alone with her. Their eyes met, and Zach exhaled a nervous chuckle. “I meant every word I said.”

  “I know,” Celia said. “You aren’t one to say something and not mean it.”

  “They didn’t get to decide,” he said. “I chose. I chose you.”

  She beamed up at him. “And I choose you.”

  Finally, Zach gathered her into his arms and leaned down and touched his lips to hers in a sweet kiss with the woman he loved.

  “Tell me how that little meeting happened,” she said as they strolled down the sidewalk to the corner. Grizz didn’t seem keen on going much faster, and Zach didn’t blame him. He hadn’t exactly been sleeping super well this week.

  “I went to see my dad again,” Zach said. “He is set in his ways. Stubborn. He would not give an inch. But my mother said she loved me, and when Paul got to the end of the road, I told him to go straight.”

  “To my brothers’ place.”

  “They weren’t home, but I talked to your sister-in-law, and she called Lennox on the radio.”

  “Mm,” Celia said. “And?”

  “And they were surprised, but at least they’re completely open to the idea of moving on.” He squeezed her hand. “I mean, I knew they would be. You’ve said that. But I basically asked them what I should do. Mack could see I was miserable, and he said I needed to appeal to Owen, not my father.”

  Zach could still feel that slip of misery move through him as he sat at the dining room table in Lennox’s house.

  “So I went back acros
s the street, and I talked to my brother. He loves his wife.”

  Celia paused as Grizz found something to sniff. “Why does that matter?”

  “I appealed to that side of him,” Zach said. “And he does want me to be happy, and he said he couldn’t imagine his life without Aleah.”

  Zach lifted Celia’s hand to his lips. “I hope I’m not too late to RSVP to the wedding.”

  “Do you even have anything to wear? It’s in one day.”

  “I can make it happen,” he said. “I’d been planning to come.”

  “Good,” she said, her voice wobbling a little bit. “Because I really don’t want to do this by myself anymore.”

  Compassion hit Zach right in his heart. “I know, Celia. And now you don’t have to.” Regret came next. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone these past couple of weeks. What do you need help with to be ready for Sunday?”

  “I’m making the cake tomorrow,” she said. “I could use someone to sit by me as I put it all together.”

  “Company,” he said. “I can do that.” He lifted his hurt hand. “I don’t do a whole lot around the farm at the moment.”

  “Is Paul helping?”

  “Doing most of it,” he said. “And working online. He’s a great kid.” Pride filled Zach. “And he’s changed his major to computer science.”

  “I can’t wait to meet your daughters,” Celia said.

  “Me either,” Zach said. “I should plan something for us.” He thought about Abby in D.C. She’d come, and maybe she’d bring Michael.

  Zach started telling Celia about the man his second daughter was seeing, and the conversation was so easy and so amazing after a couple of weeks with only himself for company.

  By the time he and Paul pulled into Saltgrass Farm, it was much too late and Zach’s throat was beyond dry from all the talking he’d been doing.

  But every word and every sentence had been worth it.

  “I’m going to look at airplane tickets,” Paul said as his phone went off. “Lindsey just said she could come for the Fourth.”

  “Really?” Zach had let his son run with the planning of a family reunion so everyone could meet Celia.