Sweet Texas Charm

by Robyn Neeley

  Earlier this year, he’d convinced Luke to greenlight a doll that he believed would be the next big thing in toys: Happily Ever After dolls. Similar to the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of the ’80s, this doll had a little something extra for its owner.

  Each female doll was pre-matched with a male doll counterpart prior to both dolls leaving the factory. Its owner was given information on her—or his—doll’s soul mate once the toy was registered online. Kids could then participate in a series of interactive games to unlock clues to find the doll’s true love.

  On the surface, his idea had merit. The Happily Ever After dolls were a gateway to an interactive experience engaging kids and parents with the JDL Toys brand.

  Unfortunately, that engagement didn’t quite happen the way he’d hoped. Sure, it started out strong, and Drew was on top of the world because he could finally take credit for a record-selling toy. Mothers raced with their daughters to JDL Toys stores across continents, snatching up the female dolls.

  Boys, on the other hand, just weren’t interested in playing with male dolls. And without an owner to register it online, the male dolls couldn’t be located. Little girls all over the world were left heartbroken for their dolls and the complaints poured in. Shortly after its fall debut, sales of the toy plummeted.

  Kids. He sighed. What did they know about toys anyway?

  “Hey, mister.”

  Drew cracked one eye open and caught a little hand tugging on his sweater. Great. The little enemy wanted to engage in contact.

  A small girl who looked around seven or eight had her hand on his arm, eyes glued on him. Even though his job as a regional vice president for JDL Toys could give Santa a run for his money, he still hadn’t warmed up to little people and wasn’t quite sure he ever would. Certainly not after the latest stunt they’d pulled, rejecting his Happily Ever After dolls.

  “Do you want to know who your wife will be?”

  He smirked at her question. Last summer, he would have double downed on that answer. So much had changed since the love of his life dumped him on the beautiful Hawaiian shore.

  It seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d thought he’d be living the dream in his newly purchased home in Pacific Palisades with Lauren. College sweethearts, Drew had finally proposed nine years later.

  Nine years. Lauren didn’t deserve his inability to commit. He knew that now and wondered why she’d stayed with him as long as she did.

  As they approached their ten-year anniversary, she’d pretty much told him they were getting married. She’d even suggested they wed in the spot that they’d met all those years ago during spring beak in Hawaii.

  He liked that idea and finally took the plunge, starting with a romantic proposal. He smiled, remembering the look on her face when she’d stepped into the room. Even though she knew the question was finally coming, the place he’d chosen caught her by surprise.

  Shortly after their engagement, an upscale wedding planning firm that catered exclusively to A-list clients was hired to plan the Hawaiian wedding in three weeks. They’d rushed it, but Lauren had been so patient that when she strongly suggested they marry that summer, he couldn’t say no.

  And it wasn’t so bad. He’d taken a lot of time off from work to join Lauren in Hawaii before the wedding, and Luke came along, too. He and Lauren were well on their way to their happily ever after.

  That all changed when his wedding planner, Kate Ashby, decided to prove a point and smashed her lips into his on a Maui beach.

  Long story.

  And one he didn’t want to relive anytime soon. The devastated look on Lauren’s face when she’d caught him kissing Kate in the sand was not one he could ever forget. He had tried to explain that it was all a misunderstanding—that Kate had planted her lips on his to get to the bottom of which twin had kissed her silly on their initial plane ride to Hawaii. Kate suspected it had been Luke who pretended to be Drew during the flight, but since Luke wouldn’t admit it, she needed to find her proof a different way.

  When the dust settled, his brother had finally admitted what he’d done, Kate forgave him, and now they were happily engaged.

  But Lauren hadn’t been so understanding and refused to go through with their wedding. After a lot of apologizing, Drew finally convinced her that he hadn’t instigated the kiss. Still, Lauren had seen other signs that he wasn’t ready to walk down the aisle. She called him out on his cold feet, insisting that time apart was what they needed.

  It was true he’d had had fears when it came to the wedding, but it had nothing to do with his love for Lauren. Deep down, he was afraid he wasn’t capable of giving her the marriage and family life she deserved. He just hadn’t expected she’d end things completely, and that move left him heartbroken.

  Shortly after their split, he made plans to head to Tokyo while she joined JDL Toys, as Luke’s VP of marketing. Because she’d have to relocate to New York City and work at headquarters, they both agreed to put their house on the market.

  Drew shifted in his chair, remembering the last time he’d seen Lauren. Before moving overseas, his brother had insisted he spend one week in the New York office to meet with key stakeholders. He knew better. His brother was very vocal that Drew had messed up and that he should tell Lauren how much he loved her before it was too late.

  Lauren, however, didn’t seem to be fazed that he’d be leaving soon. Her behavior toward him that week had been collegial at best.

  He recalled their last encounter like it was yesterday, and the overwhelming sadness he had felt leading up to it, realizing he wouldn’t see her beautiful face every day.

  When the time came to say goodbye, he’d purposely made her office his last stop on his goodbye tour. He’d planned on taking her into his arms and telling her he wasn’t giving up on them.

  That romantic gesture went out the window when she didn’t bother to get up from her chair to say goodbye. She wished him a safe flight with a quick wave and continued talking on the phone, barely looking up to say her goodbye. He didn’t get the opportunity to stare into her beautiful blue eyes and tell her how much he still loved her.

  It took him thirteen hours and a few tequilas and tonic at 30,000 feet to admit to himself what he knew deep down—he’d lost her.

  Drew glanced over at the little girl and noticed a coloring book on her lap, green and red crayons in hand. A Christmas elf appeared at the top of the page with a bunch of words laid out in a grid below. It looked like some sort of game. Next to her sat a petite woman about his age. Probably her mother. She cradled a sleeping baby wrapped all warm and tight in a soft blue blanket.

  “Okay, I’ll play,” he said, flashing a half-smile to the woman. It couldn’t be easy traveling such a long distance with an infant and small child. God, he hoped the baby didn’t start crying once they took off. He nodded to the girl’s coloring book. “Who will my wife be?”

  She clapped her hands and went to work. “What month is your birthday?”

  “February.” He and Luke would often celebrate by hitting the Las Vegas strip or tearing up the slopes in Aspen. Most likely not next year. Luke barely had a kind word these days, and unless they came up with a way to sell the dolls, things probably weren’t going to change any time soon.

  “What is the first letter of your first name?”

  “D.”

  She moved her tiny finger along the grid. Stopping at a name, she giggled. “Candy Cane Sparkly Toes.”

  He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. Mrs. Candy Cannon. Hmm … He wasn’t planning on marrying a stripper or a porn star anytime soon. “Maybe we should try again?”

  “No, that’s who it is.” She nodded adamantly and closed her coloring book. He watched as she jumped off her chair and ran over to the window to look at the enormous airbus they’d soon board. Apparently her work here was done; that, or she’d lost interest.

  A sarcastic laugh left his lips. Here he’d invested many thousands of dollars on a concept he thought would be the “must have�
�� toy this holiday season, and this kid got enjoyment out of a simple Christmas coloring book. His head shook in disgust. Where had he gone wrong? At least Olivia believed in his idea.

  Speaking of—Drew glanced around, wondering which shop she had dashed into. It was just like her to run about the terminal until the last possible minute. They were usually the final passengers to board.

  He had no idea how Lauren, Luke, his dad—really, everyone that knew them—would react to the news that he and Olivia were dating. His father’s former assistant was also Luke’s ex-girlfriend who had tried to come between his brother and Kate in Hawaii and wiggle her own trip down the aisle to a waiting Luke. It didn’t work and should have gotten her fired. His dad, having a soft spot for Olivia, instead had convinced Luke to transfer her to Tokyo and give her a second chance.

  It hadn’t happened overnight, but as Drew adjusted to his life as a single man, he and Olivia started spending time together. She had told him how sorry she was for what she’d done to his brother in Hawaii, and he truly believed her.

  He wasn’t sure where their relationship was headed. His feelings for her didn’t even come close to what he’d felt for Lauren—still felt, if he were completely honest.

  He didn’t plan on broadcasting it on a billboard high above Times Square that they were dating. If anyone asked, he’d tell them the truth: they were taking things slow.

  He finally caught a glimpse of the familiar fitted black dress, phone wedged between her ear and shoulder. Her tanned face mirrored his own and was courtesy of a long Thanksgiving weekend they’d recently enjoyed together vacationing in Thailand.

  She took the empty seat the young marriage prophet had vacated, still talking a mile a minute. No doubt it was her parents or sister on the other end. She was looking forward to this trip home; he only wished he could say the same.

  His gaze slid down her black hose, resting on her conservative black flats that she’d told him were her “flying shoes.” He smiled, sincerely doubting Olivia owned anything with red and white stripes or shoes that sparkled.

  • • •

  “Milesssssss,” Lauren Kincaid wailed from the safety of her tiny dressing room. “I look ridiculous.” She glanced one last time in the mirror and frowned. Her red and white striped tights were starting to make her dizzy, not to mention cutting off the circulation in her legs.

  The last time she’d been in a dressing room with Miles Payne she’d been trying on the gorgeous and outrageously expensive wedding dress that her wedding planner, and Miles’s boss, Kate Ashby, had selected. Lauren sighed at the memory of the beautiful gown Kate had magically pulled from the racks.

  Lauren emerged from the dressing room anxious to see the dress in the three-way mirror. She smiled at her reflection. The one-shoulder gown was simple yet elegant.

  She motioned for Kate. “Can you help me? Mom was having trouble with this zipper.”

  “Of course,” Kate said, and zipped up the back.

  Lauren turned to admire the short white train that wouldn’t cause her to trip when she walked down the sandy aisle. Everything about the dress—from the soft white color to the sheer organza petals—was perfect.

  “Lauren, you look stunning,” Miles said, coming up alongside her.

  “It’s absolutely what I envisioned.”She couldn't stop smiling at her reflection as she continued to admire the dress. It was exactly what she’d dreamed of wearing when she finally became Mrs. Drew Cannon.

  So much for that. She’d never had the opportunity to wear it. Shrugging, she reached down for the green felt hat and bobby pinned it to her long, wavy blond hair. Time to get this over with.

  “Come on, Lauren,” Miles called out, snapping his fingers. “I’ve got to be uptown in half an hour to meet Kate. You know how she gets whenever I’m late.”

  “Call her and tell her it’s an emergency,” she shot back. The only good thing to come out of her destination wedding that had crashed and burned all over Hawaii stood outside the door. She may have lost the love of her life, but she gained a gay wedding planner BFF with an eye for interior design and hands that could mix one hell of a cocktail. Really, wasn’t that all a single woman in her early thirties needed?

  At least that’s what she told herself to adjust to her new life without Drew. She’d had a lot of time over the last year to think about what had gone wrong. Witnessing him kiss another woman had been both confusing and heartbreaking. Drew had explained why Kate had done what she did, but it was too late. Lauren had finally realized that even after so many years together, Drew wasn’t ready to settle down. Worse—he might never be.

  It broke her heart to call off their wedding, but she believed every word when she told Drew that they needed some time apart to figure out who they were as individuals and what they wanted out of a marriage. Maybe then, they might have a chance at getting back together.

  Her heart tightened at the memory of the last time she saw him. It wasn’t the goodbye she’d wanted.

  She’d been in tears for most of the day over his imminent departure and did her best to avoid him because if she heard his voice or gazed into his beautiful blue eyes she might not have the strength to let him leave. Just a few minutes prior to his stopping by her office she’d tried to pull it together, but the tears kept streaming down. He was leaving and although she knew distance was what they needed, her heart was breaking.

  When she heard his voice down the hall, she grabbed her phone receiver, pretending she was on an important call. She told him to have a safe flight while trying to hide her tear-stained face.

  There wasn’t a day that passed that she didn’t regret not leaping out of her office chair, throwing her arms around him, and begging him not to leave while admitting how much she still loved him.

  But she didn’t do any of those things. Instead she just let him walk away because at the time, she’d convinced herself that space was what they both needed.

  So much had happened since she’d called off the wedding. When Luke had offered her a position as VP of marketing for JDL Toys based out of their flagship store in Manhattan, she’d jumped at the opportunity. She respected Luke and believed in the JDL Toys brand. Plus, she still considered Luke and his dad family. Breaking up with Drew didn’t change that.

  It wasn’t always easy working in headquarters, when the spitting image of Drew was her boss, but she’d been determined to start a new life and focus on her career.

  She wasn’t the only one who relocated to New York City. When Kate moved to Manhattan to be with Luke, Miles decided to join her so he could continue to work as her junior wedding planner. They set up a Tie Your Knot regional office in Manhattan and now had a long list of clients in major cities up and down the East Coast.

  Lauren immediately asked Miles to move in with her and was grateful he’d said yes. Her roommate—and his awesome martini recipes—had been a lifesaver as she adjusted to the job and a new life in New York.

  She flung open the stall door and Miles broke out into laughter. “Darling, you look good enough to lick.”

  She sighed and looked down at her candy cane tights. “I don’t know why Luke insisted that I have this experience. I’ve already been through one holiday season with the company.”

  Miles raised an eyebrow and reached up and adjusted her hat. “Might I remind you of last year’s”—he put up his fingers in air quotes—“‘incident’?”

  “So, I made a couple of kids cry. I don’t see what the big deal was. The company had a banner year and my marketing campaign rocked.”

  “Um … you told a whole line of children waiting to see Santa that he was an imposter.”

  “Well, they’re going to learn the truth someday.” Lauren faced the mirror and fiddled with her green top. “I did their parents a favor.”

  “If that’s your story.” He laughed and grabbed his briefcase from the red velvet ottoman. “I’ve really got to get going. Try not to ruin anyone’s Christmas.”

  She rolled her
eyes and looked around for the shoes that went with her costume. The last thing she wanted to do was wear the ruby red high heels she’d had on earlier. Not with this outfit. “See you for drinks tonight? I want to check out the new lounge on Forty-Eighth and Third.”

  “You bet. I’m headed to the Four Seasons to meet with the chef and Kate, and then Vanessa and Jack want us to swing by the church. Apparently they have some new development to share.” Miles shrugged, no doubt use to the ball of drama that always seemed to form around Kate’s eccentric mother. It was usually small and easily extinguished.

  Lauren continued to play with her elf hat, wedging one last bobby pin in. “Everything okay with the happy couple?” Kate’s mom, Vanessa Ashby, and Luke and Drew’s dad, Jack Cannon, had been dating for over a year and were finally tying the knot.

  Miles checked his watch and buttoned up his long black wool coat. “Who knows? I have a feeling it has to do with the fact they were MIA last weekend.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Their secret getaway. It’s all people are talking about at the office.” She laughed because the gossip mill had been running at full speed lately now that Luke’s fiancée was also going to be his step-sibling. For such a large city, it was a small world when it came to the Cannon men and Ashby women.

  “What are they saying?” Miles asked.

  “That Jack has never missed Friday afternoon’s storytime, even after he retired. It’s definitely unlike him to disappear without a word.”

  “I’m not worried. I bet they were hibernating in Jack’s penthouse all this time.” He wiggled his hips. “Bow chicka wow wow.”

  Lauren laughed. Miles was probably right. The two were notorious for acting like teenagers in love. “Well, I’m happy they’re finally getting married.”

  “Vanessa really wanted a holiday wedding. I’m just glad she’s doing fine and there are no health issues for either of them.”

  “Me, too.” Lauren knew he was talking about the lump Vanessa had found in her breast, which prompted them to postpone their first wedding, which was supposed to happen last year at this time. Luckily the test had come back benign. But Vanessa had her heart set on a holiday wedding and was willing to wait another year for it.