by Jeannie Watt
He laid the shirt on the bed when a knock sounded on the front door, the door no one ever used. When he opened it, Brenna Caldwell, who was overseeing the catering setup, stood on the step.
“There’s a loose horse,” she said. “It’s wearing a saddle and talking to the other horses over the fence.”
Travis’s gaze jerked toward the pasture and, sure enough, a saddled bay horse was visiting over the pasture fence with its sisters, with the Callahan brand on its front shoulder. Even at a distance, he recognized Cassie’s trophy saddle—the one she’d won in high school during her junior year.
“Thanks,” he said automatically. “I’ll take care of it.”
He picked his phone up off the counter and dialed the Callahan ranch. Frances answered. “Hi, uh...is Cassie there?”
“She went riding. We’re expecting her back at any moment. The phone calls have been driving her crazy this morning. Poor thing needed to blow off some steam.”
Phone calls?
“Is Katie there?”
“One moment.”
A few seconds later Katie came on the line. “Hey,” Travis said. “I think Cassie’s horse showed up here without her. I’m heading out to look for her.”
“What!”
“Do you know where she likes to ride?”
“I do. She crosses the bridge and heads up the old hiking trail that winds around Ambrose Bluff. That puts her on your side of the river.”
“I’ll head out and keep you posted. Does she have her phone with her?”
“She went on her ride to escape her phone.”
“Tell you what, why don’t you grab whatever she needs to get ready for the wedding and I’ll find her?”
“Sounds good. Do you think I can kind of downplay this with Grandma?”
Knowing Rosalie, no. “Do what you can. I’ll phone when I find her.”
And hopefully it wouldn’t be on the way to the hospital.
“I might just have to do her bodily harm,” Katie muttered. “If she’s all right, that is.”
“She’ll be all right,” Travis said before hanging up. She had to be all right, because he couldn’t handle it if she wasn’t.
* * *
THERE WAS NOTHING like a long, wet hike while delaying one’s grandmother’s wedding and probably terrifying the family to put one in a really bad mood. And to consider all the deep questions of life, like why had she worn socks that crept down into the toes of her boots when she walked? And how could she be fair to everyone in her life—her employer, her family, Travis?
No easy answers popped into her head, but she was one or two steps away from pulling off her boots and throwing away her socks.
Cassie tucked her chin, squinting against the light rain pelting her face. A faint sound caught her ear, and in the distance, she saw a fast-moving dot come over a hill, then disappear again.
A rescue? Cassie began to hurry her steps, but her slick-bottomed cowboy boots kept sliding on the mud and slippery grass. The roar of the ATV grew louder, and then it appeared over the brink of the hill in front of her, a rain-slickered Travis at the controls.
He jerked to a stop and jumped off the machine and a second later she was enveloped in a wet hug. And for one brief moment she allowed herself to hug him back, to cling to his hard frame and draw his warm scent into her lungs.
“Are you okay?” His gaze traveled over her muddy coat and pants as she pulled away, her hands sliding down the front of his wet coat.
She gave a jerky nod. “Have you seen Billy?” The horse hated crossing the bridge to her ranch, so there was a good chance he would detour to the McGuire place, where he would find his own equine kind.
“He’s fine. Your reins not so much.”
Of course the gelding had broken them on his dead run to the McGuire ranch. How could he have avoided stepping on them as they flapped loosely around him?
“What happened?” Travis asked, seeming perplexed by the fact she was keeping her distance. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt.” But she was alone with Travis, miles from the family and wedding preparations. “I was going to talk to you after the wedding. Alone.”
“Those are not good words.”
“There’s an emergency in my school district.”
“Those are worse words.” He cast his gaze skyward for a second. “You’re going back.”
“I have to. Rhonda is stepping into the superintendent position and I’m going back to my old job.”
His mouth tightened. “When?”
“Tomorrow. Early.”
“And then what?”
“I don’t know, Travis. That’s the thing. I. Don’t. Know.” She was wet and she was cold, and she really didn’t know.
“We can work through this.” He reached out for her again, but she took a slow step back.
“I hope we can, but things are too muddled right now—”
“For us to touch?” His hands dropped back to his sides and the look on his face made her swallow dryly. She was hurting him, which was the last thing she wanted to do, but a little pain now was better than dragging things out.
“If I touch you, it’ll be harder to leave.” She’d barely dragged herself out of his embrace a few seconds ago. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when I go back. I know I’m going to get sucked in. Immersed.”
“Are you ending things before they start?”
“I’m not calling it an end. I’m trying very hard not to mess things up.”
“Then why not say, ‘I’m leaving. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Wait for me.’”
She shook her head. “I’m not ready to ask anyone—” she swallowed “—to ask you to wait for me. Not when I don’t know...” Her throat started to close, and she dragged her gaze away from his. Everything was happening so fast.
Too fast.
“A new relationship needs time and care.” She clasped her numb hands together so tightly that she began to have feeling in them. “We don’t have the foundation—”
“How do you propose that we get a foundation if you walk away?” He took hold of her shoulders. “I’m in love with you.”
And the truth was out. Now what was she going to do with it? His heart beat against his ribs as he stared down at her.
“Oh, Travis.” Her chest tightened as she fisted her hands by her sides.
“Too much?” he asked roughly. “Too honest?”
“Too soon.” And she could only imagine what would happen if she told him she loved him, too. Loving didn’t mean that there was an easy way to be together. “I need time.”
An odd look crossed his face. “I’ll give you time.”
“I don’t see myself moving home anytime soon.” When it looked like they had months to be together, to explore and plan, it was different. Those months would have given them the foundation they’d spoken of, but now...now they’d have a good thousand miles separating them.
Travis wasn’t having it. “Unlike you, the things in my life aren’t carved in stone. I can do something different.”
“Tell that to your grandfather.” Because she was pretty certain his life had been set in stone when his father’s condition debilitated to the point that he had to come home.
“I might.”
“Don’t.” The word rang through the meadow. “I need time to figure out what I’m going to do. What’s best for me. And fair to you.”
“I see.” He stuck the toe of his boot into the mud, then glanced in the direction he’d come from. “Right now we’ve wasted a lot of time. Your grandmother is getting married. We will talk later.”
Talk later?
What was there to say?
Travis jerked his head toward the rear of the machine. “You better get on. Katie is bringing your dress and stuff. They should be at the ranch
by the time we get there.”
He gave her an impatient look when she still didn’t move, and she climbed onto the ATV behind him. He was furious with her.
He loved her.
And she was afraid to tell him she loved him because complications and fear of loss scared the crap out of her.
She lightly grabbed the edges of his jacket, taking care not to hug into him, but when they hit the first bump she gave up and wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his back, breathing in the scent of damp canvas and Travis.
She closed her eyes and held on.
* * *
“I’M SO SORRY.” Katie wasn’t one to repeat herself, but she’d apologized three times as Cassie peeled out of her muddy clothing, then headed straight for the shower, and now she was apologizing again as Cassie finished drying her hair.
“It’s not your fault.” Cassie stepped into her pale pink dress and turned around for Katie to zip it. “Billy hates surprise stumps in the grass that look like bears.”
“And what about Travis?” Katie asked as she ran the slide up Cassie’s back.
“I don’t want to talk about Travis.” Who’d unceremoniously dropped her at the door, then drove away. They weren’t done, but he had to get dressed, too.
Katie met her gaze in the mirror and for once took Cassie at her word. “I understand.” She made a sympathetic face, then headed out of the bedroom to where Frances and Rosalie were taking care of last-minute details.
Cassie closed her eyes.
“We’re leaving in five,” Gloria called into the bedroom. “Make sure you have your shoes.”
“Thanks,” Cassie called back. Thankfully the rain had stopped, and the bridal party would wear their regular shoes to travel the fifty yards to the barn across the wet driveway, then change into easily stained wedding shoes. Shortly thereafter the ceremony would commence, and almost as quickly as it was over, Cassie would drive to Bozeman to catch the million-dollar, last-minute flight she’d managed to book.
The school district would pay her back, but given the reason that the superintendent was on paid leave, it seemed that it might be a while before she got her money reimbursed.
Cassie rubbed her sore jaw muscles, then turned back to the mirror. She hadn’t clenched her teeth in days, despite the number of unknowns she was facing with Travis. Her jaw muscles had enjoyed a long vacation until Rhonda started calling. And calling. Now look at her. Tense and pale.
Cassie grabbed Katie’s blush and dabbed a little more on her cheeks, looking up at the knock on the open door. Her grandmother poked her head in.
“You look beautiful,” Cassie said, crossing the room to hug her. “I love you in champagne.” The simple lace shift and jacket were perfect.
Rosalie hugged her back, ignoring the fact that her corsage was getting squished. When she leaned back, she kept hold of Cassie’s shoulders. “Will and I understand why you have to go. Please do not let any worries about that cloud your mind.”
“Maybe you and Will can come visit me?” Her voice wobbled a little. Now that she’d been around family for more than a couple of days, she felt like she needed family.
“Yes. I’ll speak to him about it soon.”
“Thank you for understanding. I think you guys are going to be so happy.”
Rosalie smiled back at her. “Me, too, or I wouldn’t be taking this step.”
“Are you ready?” Katie called.
Cassie stepped out into the living room, then made a big show of being stunned at how beautiful her nieces were in their dark rose silk dresses. Bailey didn’t have a “veal” as she’d wanted, and she’d been disappointed that her great-grandmother didn’t have one either, but she seemed thrilled with the silk-flower wreath Gloria had made.
“Wibbons,” she said, turning around to show off the long satin streamers, then quickly looking over her shoulder to catch sight of them.
For once her sister didn’t correct her speech, but instead pushed her own ribbons back over her shoulder, then slipped her hand into her great-grandmother’s.
“Is everyone ready?” Rosalie asked. She was honestly close to glowing. Why not? Her family was with her and she was marrying a man she loved.
Cassie’s jaw muscles tightened again as she started fighting tears for no given reason.
* * *
TRAVIS ALMOST PUT his hand on his grandfather’s shoulder to keep him from vibrating in place as he stood next to the fancy flower-covered arch where he would exchange vows with Rosalie. Dan, who was leaning on his crutches next to Travis, caught his son’s gaze and rolled his eyes. Travis smiled, but it didn’t feel real.
Since Will was a no-nonsense kind of man, Travis expected him to be pretty much oblivious to all the work that had gone into transforming a barn into a wedding venue, so he was surprised when Will leaned close and said, “This place looks really nice. I appreciate you helping Rosalie.”
Travis cleared his throat and said, “You’re welcome.”
Will gave a nod and then turned toward the paper partitions where the bridal party was waiting. The music started and then Rosalie’s granddaughters came out together, and darned if Bailey wasn’t holding tightly on to a kitten. Frances came out from behind the screen and gently took the little animal, then Kendra and Bailey started down the aisle.
After the little girls came Katie and Cassie, tight-jawed and pale, looking nothing like her usual confident self. Tense or not, she was so beautiful that it made his chest tighten. The woman was going to be the death of him.
When Rosalie appeared, Will stood taller. Travis had a feeling that he could have lit the floral archway on fire and Will still wouldn’t have torn his gaze away from Rosalie.
“You’re a lucky man,” Travis murmured.
Will gave Travis a small nod of acknowledgment, then stepped forward to take Rosalie’s arm. And even though he told himself not to, Travis glanced at Cassie, who had one hand on each of her nieces’ shoulders as they stood in front of her, as if needing to ground herself. She swallowed as the justice of the peace began to speak, but she didn’t come close to looking his way.
And it wasn’t because she didn’t have feelings for him. Quite possibly it was the opposite.
That was the frustrating part.
* * *
IF SHE LOOKED at Travis, and then he looked through her, she would be lost. So Cassie focused on the ceremony, listening to the words the justice of the peace read and their explanation of how love transcended all obstacles and showed up in the most unusual places in the most unusual ways. For a civil ceremony, it was surprisingly beautiful and choked her up in ways she hadn’t expected.
Will was a different type of man than her easygoing grandpa Carl, but Rosalie was a different woman after losing her husband of so many years.
This worked.
It was...perfect.
Katie had dabbed under her eyes, which gave Cassie the courage to give a small sniff. Then Bailey leaned her head back to look up at Cassie and whisper, “Why is Gloria crying?”
“She’s happy,” Cassie murmured back. When Bailey looked as if she was going to demand an immediate explanation, Cassie had put her fingers to her lips. Bailey took the hint and shuffled her feet as she waited for the short ceremony to end.
Just before it ended, Cassie heard the low buzz of a cell phone set on vibrate from behind the paper screen where the bridal party had gathered. If that was Rhonda again...
Travis must have heard it, too, because he raised his gaze and Cassie met it. His expression didn’t change, but Cassie felt the impact of his disapproval.
The justice of the peace pronounced Rosalie and Will man and wife, and the small group of guests jumped to their feet, giving whoops and cheers. Then began the procession and Katie was paired with Travis, Cassie with Travis’s father.
She smiled and lai
d her hand upon his as he maneuvered down the aisle with his forearm crutches.
“I hope the rest of your stay is enjoyable,” she said as they reached the end of the aisle.
“I wish you could stay longer.”
“Duty calls. But I’m done missing holidays, Dan. If you’re here for Christmas, I’ll see you.” She didn’t know Travis’s father well, but she liked him.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said.
For some reason his simple words brought a lump to her throat. “Do.”
Then Cassie hugged her grandmother. Rosalie held on tight as Cassie murmured congratulations. “Keep me posted. Texts at every stop.”
“I will.” She eased back, still holding her grandmother’s elbows. Will nodded and she let go of her grandmother to give him a hug. “You’re a lucky man,” she said fiercely.
“I keep hearing that,” he said in a chuckle. But when Cassie stepped back his expression sobered. “You...you take care now.”
Cassie nodded instead of speaking and then made her way through the small throng of people to find her parents. She’d see them within a week, so that goodbye was easier. After kissing her nieces and her brother, she changed her shoes, then headed for the door, her satin sandals dangling from one hand.
She stopped on the threshold of the door, and took a moment to search the small crowd. She didn’t see Travis and even though she knew it would be hard to speak to him, her heart sank.
There would be no goodbye. No thank-you for the rescue.
Just a whole lot of stuff left unsaid.
She put her head down and stepped out into the darkness. The pole lamp near the house lit the way across the drive. Behind her a whoop of laughter made her shoulders tighten. She hated leaving.
The damp gravel was slippery and she focused on her steps, not wanting to hit the ground twice in one day, then nearly jumped out of her skin when she raised her gaze and saw Travis leaning against her car, his arms folded over his chest.
