by Kait Nolan
Boy had it. And it might have led to more if Sebastian hadn’t slowed them down. He pulled her out of her head, out of herself, and that was both exhilarating and dangerous. Better one of them had some good sense, she supposed. But it was hard not to feel a little regret. If last night had done anything, it was to shine a light on the total lack of closeness and intimacy in her life. She’d been reduced to little more than the robot Devon had accused her of being. She’d more than enjoyed the reminder that she was still a flesh and blood woman.
Blinking, Sebastian’s face came into focus. Realizing he was waiting for her at the center of the aisle to escort her for the recessional, she propelled herself into motion, taking the few steps to close the distance and slipping her hand through the crook in his arm. His biceps strained beneath the tux jacket, and it took all of her self restraint not to run her hands up and down the glory of his arms. Every step beside him was a pleasure, as she soaked in his nearness and heat.
All too soon, they reached the end of the aisle and got caught up in post-wedding chaos. They separated, each moving to perform their respective tasks. Laurel paused at the window, looking out the front of the church as Logan and Athena got into the car they’d take to the reception back at the inn.
Ari squeezed in beside her and heaved a gusty sigh. “Don’t you just love weddings?”
It was hard to be anything but amused at the girl’s open romanticism. “I like this one. I’m happy Logan’s happy.”
“And just think. We’re all here today because they hooked up at Kennedy and Xander’s wedding.”
Laurel choked on a laugh. “What? I thought they got together last spring.”
“Well they did. But they had a fling at Kennedy and Xander’s wedding first.” Ari shot her a significant look. “Weddings are good for that.”
Heat flamed in Laurel’s cheeks. She knew the girl was waiting for her to look at Sebastian, who was somewhere across the vestibule, but she didn’t give in to the urge. “You’re incorrigible.”
That irrepressible grin flashed. “So my mother often says. Doesn’t mean I’m not right.”
Someone called Ari’s name.
“Coming!”
As she disappeared, Laurel was left flummoxed and irritated. Because, of course, now she was thinking about a wedding fling.
Did she want Sebastian? Without question. She wouldn’t have kissed him, wouldn’t have taken it as far as she had if she didn’t. They had explosive chemistry, and he was far from indifferent to her. She had a feeling that if he hadn’t been interested, he wouldn’t have had a problem shutting her down. No, the want was not in question.
But would one night be enough for her?
She wanted it to be. Wanted to be a little wild and crazy for once, to have that experience to pull out and dream about when she went back to her normal life. But she knew she’d be lying to herself. One night with him would just make her want more, and she was supposed to leave in the morning.
Before she’d come, she’d been glad it would be a quick trip. Less time around her parents to stress. But now… The whole idea of leaving was depressing. The entire family was meant to reconvene at the farm for Christmas, when Athena and Logan got back from their honeymoon. But that would be just another opportunity for Dad to put his thumbscrews to use on her about the job.
She wished she just had more time at the farm. Interactions with her parents aside, she’d been more relaxed since she’d come to Eden’s Ridge than she had in months back in Nashville. Here in the cool mountain air, she thought maybe she could finally decompress a little. Was it so wrong to want to breathe for a bit? To have a taste of the life that suited her brother so well?
As she began to gather up flowers to take back to the reception, an idea began to percolate. Maybe, just maybe, Logan could give her exactly what she needed. She just had to corner him and his bride at the reception.
Chapter 4
“You doing okay? Crowd getting to you?”
At one time, the concern in Porter’s voice would’ve rankled. It was a mark of how far Sebastian had come that he didn’t pop off with some sarcastic remark about not needing a babysitter. Like the rest of their band of brothers, he’d been a surly bastard when he separated from the Army. Nice to know he’d added a little veneer of civility. “Nah. Just people watching and trying to figure out how long I have to wait before snagging another piece of cake.”
Which was true. If he was also cataloging his position relative to Laurel’s so he could relocate before she cornered him to dance, well, Porter didn’t need to know that.
She was pure temptation in the strapless, emerald green bridesmaid’s dress that clung to her curves in a way that made his palms itch. Her dark hair was swept up, baring her neck and the soft, creamy skin of delicate shoulders. It was hard not to think about tasting her there, wondering what sound she might make if he gently sank his teeth into that tender spot where her neck met her shoulder. She was picture perfect and perfectly edible, so elegantly packaged that all he wanted to do was drag her into a dark corner and start mussing her all up.
But he wasn’t about to do that, which was why he was engaging his Army Ranger skills to hide in plain sight. The inn wasn’t that big, and the guest list wasn’t so large that it was easy to blend into it, but Sebastian knew how to navigate covert operations. Skills he never thought he’d use to avoid a woman—especially not a beautiful woman he ached to have in his arms again.
Thinking of her, that sweet, natural, unedited beauty he found he preferred even to this portrait-worthy perfection, thinking of the weight of her in his lap, the scent of her skin, the hungry slide of her tongue actually made him weak in the knees.
But she was not for him.
He’d avoided female entanglements since he’d come to the Ridge—even the short-term, itch-scratching variety. There’d been interest from more than a few women. It was a small town, and he qualified as fresh meat, as it were. He hadn’t reciprocated because his head hadn’t been screwed on straight, and until that was sorted, he had no business pursuing anything with anybody. Especially not the much younger sister of his friend and boss. She deserved better than a broken-down soldier still working on getting his life together. And anyway, she’d be gone the day after tomorrow.
It was a fine line he was walking, saving himself from temptation without being an obvious asshole who left her thinking he regretted last night’s kiss. That mind-blowing, hot-as-hell kiss that had been on repeat in his brain since they’d stopped.
“—expect we’ll be doing this again sometime next year.”
Sebastian tuned back into the conversation, wondering what he’d missed. Rather than admit he hadn’t been paying attention, he made a grunt of agreement.
“How long do you think Harrison will wait before getting Ivy down the aisle?” Porter asked.
Next to Porter, Harrison Wilkes was the member of their group who’d been out the longest. Last winter he’d rescued a woman whose car had spun out and crashed through a guardrail. He’d rappelled halfway down the mountain and ended up finding the love of his life.
Sebastian sipped at his beer. “Ty’s got money down that he’ll propose on New Year’s. I think he’ll do it on the anniversary of the day they met.”
Porter crossed his arms. “My money’s with you. Harrison’s sentimental like that.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that. He might have to wrestle to prove his manhood. What about you?” Sebastian glanced across the room to the woman who’d always held Porter’s heart.
Porter’s face softened as he followed Sebastian’s gaze to Maggie. “I’d marry her right now if that’s what she wanted. But we’ll get there. Sooner rather than later, if I get my way.”
“I wish you luck, brother.”
“When are you gonna get back out there?”
Sebastian arched a brow. “You going all matchmaker on me? I thought that was Ari’s department.”
“It’s a natural enough question. You’v
e settled into life here. Seems like a woman’s the next logical step.”
“There are some available should I want one.”
“Which you haven’t or I’d have heard about it.”
“Only because Ty and Harrison gossip like little girls. I don’t kiss and tell.”
“So you’ve been kissing?” Porter’s face lit with interest.
“Shouldn’t we be braiding each other’s hair or painting nails while you ask that? There’s nothing to tell.” God knew, recounting any of last night, even if he were so inclined, would have him popping a woody right here in the middle of all the guests. That was the last thing he needed.
Before Porter could continue his nosy-ass line of questioning, Logan strode up. “Sebastian. Just the man I was looking for.”
Sebastian offered his hand. “Congratulations man. I hope you and Athena will be very happy.”
Logan’s smile practically lit up the room. “Already are. We’re looking forward to getting away for a bit. Ten whole days, where I’m not having to wake up to feed livestock and the only thing I have to focus on is my wife, sounds like pretty much the best thing ever. A chance to really relax before we come home and have to scramble to get the place all duded up for Christmas. We’re less than thrilled about that part, but that’s what happens when you have an almost Christmas wedding.”
“Can’t blame you there. Where are y’all going?”
“Ponderosa Resort and Ranch. Some big luxury ranch resort out in Oregon. Athena’s friend, Sean Bracelyn—the chef who flew in to do all the food for the rehearsal dinner and the reception—it’s his family’s place. We’ll be headed out first thing in the morning to catch our flight.”
“Were there some last-minute instructions you wanted to give me?”
“Oh, no. I just had one more favor to ask.”
Feeling more than a little guilty for the naked thoughts he’d been having about Laurel, Sebastian just nodded. “Sure. Lay it on me.”
“I’d like you to keep an eye on my sister.”
He almost choked on his beer. “Pardon?”
“Laurel’s had a rough semester, so she’s going to stick around the farm to pup-sit Bo and Peep. Which really just means spoil them rotten and chillax a bit, while we’re gone.” Logan glanced across the room to where Laurel was in deep discussion with Maggie about something. “I’m worried about her. She says everything’s fine, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.”
Sebastian already had a good sense of what, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. He didn’t know how close Laurel and Logan actually were. If she wanted him to know her business, she’d tell him herself.
“Anyway, I won’t get the chance to find out until we get back, so if you could just touch base with her, in case she needs anything, I’d appreciate it.”
He does not mean second, third, or home bases, dumbass.
Ten more days with Laurel, with nobody around to act as a buffer? His already suffering libido roared. Struggling to mask his reaction, he tipped back his IPA to wet a suddenly dry throat. “Sure, I can check in on her.”
“Good.” Logan’s face eased to a relieved smile. “You might get some free labor out of it. She used to be seriously into horses when she was younger. I bet she’d love the chance to go for a ride.”
She could save the horse and just ride me.
Aware of Porter’s sharp gaze on his face, Sebastian could only nod. He lost the next few lines of conversation as he struggled to banish that image from his brain.
As Logan strode away, Porter’s mouth quirked in amusement. “Oh brother, you are in serious trouble.”
Don’t I know it.
“Did you hear about Hugh Saunders?”
Laurel struggled to get her not-totally-caffeinated brain to fire. After the late night with the reception and the early morning seeing off the newlyweds, she was too damned tired to figure out why was her mother was bringing up the son of some of their country club friends. “I haven’t seen Hugh since we graduated high school. Isn’t he in med school now?”
“He was.” Rosalind drew out the final syllable like a delicious piece of taffy, not that she’d ever admit to how much she adored gossip.
Knowing her part in all this, Laurel took the bait. “Was?”
Her father shook his head in disgust. “Ungrateful boy up and quit in the middle of his third year. He dropped out of Harvard. And not even because he was doing poorly. He just had some fool identity crisis and has gone to ‘find himself’ or some such.”
Laurel could well imagine the kind of pressure Hugh had been under at an Ivy League med school. Dropping out couldn’t have been an easy decision. “Maybe he realized he didn’t want to be a doctor.”
“He should’ve figured that out before his parents shelled out three hundred thousand dollars for that education. I don’t blame Edward for disowning him.”
“They disowned him?” Laurel demanded.
“Of course.” Her father set his coffee mug down with the declarative thwack of a gavel—the Honorable Lawrence Maxwell, at the breakfast table, at least. “We were generous not to do that with Logan.”
A chill skated down her spine and coalesced like a ball of lead in her stomach. She remembered the fallout from World War III, otherwise known as Logan’s announcement he was quitting grad school to become a farmer. Their parents had been furious. But she’d never had a clue that they’d considered cutting him off from the family. This little story was a timely reminder of the possible outcome if she didn’t live up to expectations. Laurel clutched her coffee mug a little tighter, as if the lingering warmth would somehow soak into her palms and soothe the fresh worry that spread like creeping frost through her body. She needed to get the hell away from this conversation before she slid into another panic attack or broke down and said something they’d all regret.
“Shouldn’t y’all be getting on the road? It’s a long drive back to Memphis.” Smooth segue, Laurel.
If her parents noted the abrupt change in subject, neither gave any indication.
Lawrence drained the last of his coffee and shoved back from the table. “You’re right. I’ll go get the suitcases.”
As her father disappeared upstairs, Laurel stayed where she was.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Rosalind asked.
I’ve just realized I’m caught between a rock and a flaming hot grill. I’m just peachy. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about Hugh. That’s terrible about his family.”
“It’s a sad situation for sure.” She stroked a hand over Laurel’s hair. “Not everyone can have a child as bright and dedicated as you. We’re grateful and proud of you every day. I hope you know that.”
Laurel managed a smile and hoped like hell it didn’t look like a bad case of rictus. “I know, Mom.”
It took another twenty minutes to make sure the car was loaded and to do a last sweep of the house for forgotten toiletries, but at last, she hugged her parents, choking back the anxiety that wanted to crawl up her throat and through her chest like mutant vines in a horror movie. “Drive safe. Let me know when you get home.”
Roslind squeezed her shoulders. “That’s our line.”
“Turnabout is fair play. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for Christmas.”
“Enjoy your vacation,” Lawrence told her. “Next semester will be busy busy, with the last of your classes and studying for the New York bar.”
Laurel made a noncommittal noise.
As her parents climbed into the car, she called for Bo and Peep, her brother’s faithful border collies. The pair raced over, plunking down on either side of where she sat on the porch steps. She wrapped her arms around them to keep them in place as her parents drove away. Long after their car had disappeared, she stayed where she was, feeling some of the tension drain away as the dogs leaned in, nuzzling her face, her hair.
Still more than a little shaky, she released the dogs and wandered down to the stables. She didn’t want to think
too hard about the fact that being upset had her instinctively arrowing toward Sebastian. She just…wanted to see him. He was a distraction, one she wanted to get to know better in pretty much every way possible.
It was a brisk, beautiful morning, with cloudless blue skies. Bo and Peep danced around her, bumping each other’s shoulders as they streaked ahead and raced back. In the distance, a lone figure pivoted in the paddock, as a bay horse with two white socks circled on a lunge line. She recognized Sebastian long before she got close enough to make out his features. He wore a cowboy hat and well-worn jeans. Despite the cold, he hadn’t bothered with a coat.
Leaning against the top rail, she took in the flex of muscles in his back—and backside—as he continued to turn. The man really was a gorgeous specimen. Seeing him like this, in his element, was ticking off all kinds of boxes for her. Foolishly, she thought of Jim Craig, the hero of The Man From Snowy River, which had been her favorite movie growing up. He’d been her first celebrity crush. And yeah, okay, that had been as much about the horses as the man. She’d been a typical horse-crazy tween and teen. But she’d never drooled over any of her instructors the way she was drooling over Sebastian right now. That was absolutely preferable to think about instead of the trouble with her dad.
“Parents get off okay?”
Stepping on the bottom rail, Laurel pushed herself up so she could see better. “Finally.”
In a low, crooning voice, he slowed the bay to a walk and glanced her way. “Dad giving you grief again?”
Of course, he’d pick up on the tension in just her voice. This man seemed to be able to read her like a book. Laurel offered up a helpless shrug. What could she say?
“I’ve got a cure for that. Give me just a minute to finish up with Sassy.”
She perked up. With any luck, his cure would involve his lips on her lips. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss. And maybe she’d have tried doing something about that last night, but with Ari’s less-than-subtle suggestion hanging over her head, she’d been afraid Sebastian would think she was desperate or…something.
