Sweet Troublemaker

by Jean Oram

  She lifted her eyes to Nick’s steady gaze again. “When I said that I like how you make me feel, I meant that when I’m with you I feel like I know who I am. Like I know what I’m supposed to be doing.” She paused and drew another breath so she didn’t start babbling nonsensically. “I like myself when I’m with you. And I think a part of that is because you truly love me and accept me, and that gives me the freedom to let go and be me.” She added quickly, “Even though you don’t know everything about me.”

  She paused again to mull that over. “But maybe that doesn’t even matter.” Polly gave a shaky laugh, overcome by the emotion and adrenaline of saying everything that was in her heart and mind in front of an audience. “Because it’s love. I worried that I was going to lose my freedom and control.” Another shaky laugh. “But I already have. I lost my heart to you and I’d really like to remain near it.” She sniffed, her eyes damp. Was he ever going to say something in return?

  She took a step forward. “I don’t know how this is going to work, as I always have a plan and I always look ahead. But I have no plan now and it feels so scary.” She clasped her hands together in front of her heart and allowed her eyes to flutter shut as she breathed like her yoga teacher had instructed, to overcome anxiety. She mentally released all the fears that no longer served her, then met Nick’s gaze once more. “But maybe for the first time in my life I’m doing the right thing, because even though I don’t have a thirty-year plan to follow, I know what I want. I want to be with you.”

  Nick opened his mouth, but still didn’t say anything.

  “Nick, please be my boyfriend. Please let me spend more time with you. Please accept my love.”

  “Polly Cupcake.” Nick simply shook his head at the beautiful, curvy woman in the tight dress standing in the aisle confessing her love for him. She was letting go in a big way and his heart swelled, knowing that she was doing it for him. He didn’t deserve a woman this amazing, but he sure as sunshine wasn’t going to let her walk away.

  Unable to speak over the large lump that had formed in his throat and then hardened like a piece of overdone steak, he let his feet do the talking, closing the distance between them. He could hear the ocean waves behind him, and people inhaling with anticipation as he strode toward the woman he’d never stopped loving. He’d loved her before he even truly understood what love was.

  She was trembling, frozen to the spot, her hands still clasped in front of her. And leaning forward as though holding herself back from lunging into his arms.

  He closed the final few feet between them, swallowing hard as he pulled her into a hug so tight he was afraid he was going to hurt her. He wanted to loosen up, but was too afraid that if he released her even a fraction of an inch she’d somehow slip away.

  He whispered into her hair, “You’ve always had my heart.”

  Behind him, his cousin Megan called out rather impatiently from her seat, “What did he say?”

  “I said,” he announced loudly, lifting his head, “she’s always had my heart. And I definitely accept her love.” He moved his hands to cradle her face as he kissed her warm, sweet mouth. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and he tenderly wiped them away as he broke the kiss.

  This was the moment, the point when everything in his life changed. The moment he had been waiting for without even realizing it. This was the moment that Polly finally surrendered herself to their love, which, in his opinion, had always been meant to be.

  “I’m okay with Canada, you know,” he said.

  “There aren’t enough horses in Ontario.”

  “How many do you think I need?”

  “Lots.”

  “Maybe we could stay here and plan weddings for the resort?”

  Her eyes were smiling at him as she shook her head.

  Roy called out, “Can you guys move this along? I’m trying to get married here, and you’ve just stolen the entire show.”

  Polly giggled while Nick chuckled, loving the way her body felt against his as their spirits lifted, joy rocking through them both.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving at his uncle before he laid another leisurely kiss on Polly, the only woman he’d ever truly loved.

  “You have to move to Texas,” Nick’s cousin Alexa McTavish was saying, trying to convince Polly that they shouldn’t vanish into “the wilds of Canada.” The ceremony and outdoor meal were over, and the guests had gathered inside the resort for cake cutting and dancing. The outdoor meal of ribs and steaks had gone flawlessly. And as he’d predicted, they’d had a lineup of volunteers eager to test out the rented commercial grill making the cooking almost effortless.

  And the small ballroom was just as magical as Polly had promised it would be. They’d brought the jars arranged with a casual mix of wildflowers and some from the florists indoors after the meal, setting them on the tables along the edge of the dance floor, and instantly changing the feel of the room. The five hundred balloons they’d filled with helium danced along the ceiling, trailing their ribbon streamers. His fingers were going to ache for days from tying most of those balloon knots.

  Nick twined his fingers with Polly’s and smiled, forgetting about their hard work. She was his, and he would go anywhere to be with her. Canada. Iceland. Argentina. It didn’t matter to him as long at Polly was there.

  “Come on, the Texas Hills are beautiful,” Alexa insisted. She obviously needed a ranch hand worse than she’d let on over the phone if she was pushing this hard.

  “What about lakes? Are there any lakes?” Polly asked. They’d taken one of the small tables near the back of the room where they’d be out of the way of the dancers—not that he planned on letting Polly do much sitting once the music began.

  “Hill Country has lakes,” Alexa said, her voice lifting.

  “Yeah… Texas is pretty hot, though…” Polly said. If Nick didn’t know any better his girlfriend was pulling Alexa’s leg.

  “Canada would definitely be cooler,” Nick agreed.

  “Too cold!” Alexa announced, lines forming between her brows. “Texas is better. Beautiful. Friendly.”

  “Canadians own friendly,” Nick pointed out.

  Alexa gave him a look that suggested he was not helping. He hid a smile behind his hand.

  “I’m not really sure I would make a good rancher,” Polly said slowly.

  “Maybe you could help with the riding program Levi started a few years ago,” Nick suggested. “It’s kind of like a therapy for kids with disabilities. It’s pretty cool.”

  “Oh?” Polly asked, perking up.

  “Didn’t you just get fired from that ranch?” Alexa demanded.

  “Weren’t you harboring fugitives on yours?” Nick fired back.

  Polly’s eyes grew round as saucers.

  Alexa gave a massive, impatient sigh as though dealing with a belligerent child, and shoved her brown hair off her shoulders. “No. I was hiding people so the fugitives wouldn’t find them.” She turned to Polly. “My sister Cassandra and her little guy, Dusty, have taken over the family ranch—Blueberry Creek Ranch—back in Montana. I thought I would, but then I married Cash.” She turned a loving gaze toward her husband, who was debating with someone on the other side of the table. “It felt like we needed our own ranch so we found something in Texas near Roy.” She smiled and lifted her hands as though that answered the million questions that must be going through Polly’s mind.

  “And because life on a ranch is hot and hard, she decided to add to the challenge by starting a bed-and-breakfast for people in the witness protection program,” Nick said, to get a rise out of Alexa.

  “Oh shush, you,” she replied affectionately. She lowered her voice so only Polly could hear. “Last year I took in a few people when things got a little bit tricky here in Indigo Bay. It was only for a few days. I assure you that we’re just a regular ranch. Although we might not be if I hire this lunatic,” she said, giving Nick’s shoulder a shove.

  He grinned and leaned closer to Polly, who had
snuggled her chair closer to his.

  “Well, wherever Polly decides to go, I go, too,” he said, placing a kiss against her temple. She smelled like the floral centerpieces they’d spent hours putting together, and Caroline’s cinnamon bun samplers that had been laid out as part of the evening snack. The wedding had been fun and low-key, and absolutely perfect for Roy and his bride—just like Polly had promised it would be.

  “Should we flip a coin on where to live?” she asked.

  “Heads you come to my ranch, tails you come to my ranch,” Alexa said, slapping her hand down over the coin Nick had pulled from his pocket. “Debate over. You guys are done yanking my chain. I’ll expect you on the ranch by Wednesday.” She stood, giving them a stern look.

  “Wednesday?” Nick asked. He knew Alexa would be back there Monday morning, ready to take up the reins again.

  “You’re driving. I flew. I have a feeling you two are going to want to stop and take in the sights a time or two on your way. But if you don’t make it until Friday, that’s fine, too. I’ll see you when I see you—as long as it’s before next Saturday.” She smiled sweetly and strode away from their table, Cash joining her.

  “Wait,” Polly said, holding up her hand. Alexa turned. “What am I supposed to do on a ranch? I don’t know anything about them, and I do not want to spend my days lifting bales and checking cows to see if they’re pregnant.”

  Nick couldn’t help but chuckle. He couldn’t see Polly doing any of those things, either. She’d be capable, he was sure, but it just didn’t quite seem like it was in her ballpark.

  She crossed her arms. “I am not following Nick to a ranch so I can sit around and do the boring, girlfriend-with-no-purpose thing. Been there, done that,” she said firmly.

  Alexa took a step closer, reassessing her in a way that told Nick his girlfriend had just earned his cousin’s respect. Cash stood behind her with a bemused expression.

  “I’m not going to waitress in town just so I have something to do,” Polly added. She was talking ultimatums and deal breakers. She’d quit her job for Chuck, followed him and fitted herself into his lifestyle, and it had not worked out well for her. There was no way Nick would ask her to do that for him.

  “What are you good at?” Alexa asked.

  “Sorry, Alexa,” Nick interrupted. “We’re going to Canada. We’re following Polly. She’s going to find her new career, and I’m going to fit my life in around hers. Not the other way around.”

  Alexa looked crestfallen.

  “I’m open to Texas,” Polly said tentatively. “I just don’t know what I would do on a ranch. We’re testing things out between the two of us, and I don’t want to go along with something, on trial, and then find myself stuck with that reality.”

  “Of course not,” Alexa said. “It’s important to know what you want. I worked as an executive assistant in Charleston for a while and it was fun, but in the end I wanted those open skies.” Her face lit up with happiness as though she was imagining the rolling pastures. “Running a ranch is challenging, for sure, but I love it. And I love that we can take in injured and abandoned horses and rehabilitate them, as well as breed horses. I have the freedom to do what I want.”

  “You’re doing that in Texas, now, too?” Nick asked.

  “Yep. We moved that operation from Blueberry Creek Ranch down to Texas, since it’s more my thing than Cassandra’s.”

  Nick looked to Polly. There had to be a connection here. She loved horses, and she had the right spirit to help.

  Alexa had taken a chair again with a sigh. “I’m trying to get a charity going, but it’s complicated. There’s all this paperwork, and then fund-raising and more paperwork, and events and getting the word out.” She sighed again. “Taking care of these horses isn’t cheap, and there’s always a new one in need of care.”

  “You want to start a charity?” Polly asked. Her eyes cut to Nick’s as a slow smile began to spread on her face.

  Nick straightened his spine. Stepford Barbie? No way. “I’m not sure I’d like…” He couldn’t find words to express himself in a way that wouldn’t come out insulting.

  “Relax,” Polly said quietly, placing a hand over his. “This won’t be high society.”

  She smiled with genuine warmth and Nick’s fears began to dissolve. In that part of Texas she’d have no choice but to stay real.

  “Maybe we could roll over to Texas before we head to Canada,” he suggested. “Check it out. See what’s shaking?”

  Polly turned to Alexa. “I’ve done a lot of charity work in my time. Do you think it would be a full-time job?”

  Alexa blew out a breath that puffed up her bangs. “Are you kidding me? In Montana I only had a handful of rescued horses, but now I have thirteen. Just rehabilitating them is a full-time job, but I can’t say no to an animal in need. Cash is about ready to shake his business plan at me.”

  Her husband looked over at the sound of his name, his wide mouth curving into a smile.

  “I just want to work with the horses, not worry about the bills,” Alexa went on. “There are grants out there, but I haven’t had time to sort out how to access them.”

  “I know how,” Polly said.

  “So what are you saying?” Alexa asked.

  “I’m saying that Texas is sounding pretty intriguing. See you Wednesday?”

  Alexa stood, shook hands with Polly, and with a broad smile, snagged her husband, pulling him toward the table where the cake was soon to be cut. She called over her shoulder to Nick, “You better have put some honky tonk on that dance playlist of yours.”

  “I did,” he assured her.

  Levi caught his eye from across the room, giving him a questioning look, and Nick knew what he was asking. Had he seen Cole yet?

  He shook his head. The brother was still AWOL.

  Levi’s expression revealed hurt and disappointment, causing Nick to wonder what had gone down between the brothers that would keep Cole away for so long.

  He saw Levi share a look with his father, whose expression echoed his. They gave each other a silent nod that told Nick there was a plan in the works, and he’d only become privy to it if they needed him to help execute it.

  Roy, as though sensing Nick’s gaze upon him, turned from the beautiful wedding cake. His expression relaxed and he smiled, his eyes filling with gratitude and pride as he slowly tipped his hat at Nick in a silent thank-you.

  Nick tipped his own hat and returned the smile.

  Forgiven.

  “So? Texas?” Polly asked, breaking into Nick’s thoughts as she cuddled closer.

  His heart filled with happiness as he watched her for a moment. “You’re not freaking out?”

  “Maybe just a little. But not really.” She turned to him with a smile that rivaled Alexa’s. “Actually, I’m kind of excited about letting go.”

  She slipped her fingers against his palm, and he closed his hand over hers. In this one regard, he was fairly certain neither of them would ever want to let go.

  Epilogue

  “I’m in Texas.” Polly laughed into her phone over Daphne’s exuberance. Hailey must have told her sister that Polly hadn’t needed a ride home from the airport Sunday night. “Nick and I are going to explore some new jobs on a ranch here. Together.”

  She glanced over at her boyfriend as Daphne let out a squeal of joy, one so loud Polly had to pull the phone away from her ear.

  “It’s destiny!” Daphne exclaimed.

  “Maybe,” Polly said. Whatever it was, she still couldn’t quite believe it. She was in the front seat of her boyfriend’s truck, his dog sitting between them, their bags in the back as they drove from South Carolina to Texas, looking toward starting a life together. It certainly wasn’t what she’d expected to be doing when she’d gotten on that plane last week, but it felt right.

  She ended the call with a promise to keep Daphne up to date.

  “As you may have heard, Daphne’s a bit excited for us,” she said to Nick.

&nbs
p; He smiled and kept his attention on the road.

  If they stopped again before reaching Alexa’s ranch, Blueberry Creek II, she was going to swap places with Ralph, so she could sit in the middle, snuggled up against her man. She wanted to see what he saw when he looked out the windshield at the hills stretching out in the heat of the June sun here in Hill Country, Texas.

  She loved it already. There was space and freedom that reminded her of the foothills in the Canadian province of Alberta. The terrain changed as they drove, and every new view and vista was different, but just as breathtaking.

  While they had decided to play their next few weeks and final destination by ear, it felt as though Alexa’s ranch was going to be the place they would settle and begin a life together. At Blueberry Creek II, Nick could do what he did best, and Polly could as well. And best of all, they could do it together.

  For once she wasn’t worried about thirty years into the future. As long as they had enough for today, that would do. She didn’t need to be crazy wealthy. She just needed to be happy, have a roof over her head and a meal on the table. It was all her mother had ever asked for, and Polly’s childhood hadn’t been that bad despite her longing.

  A longing that seemed to have waned as the love she felt for Nick grew.

  “Almost there,” he said.

  He glanced her way and her heart caught. She didn’t know what the future would bring, but knew that if she was with Nick, everything would be fine, and she could always be her true self.

  “In case I haven’t told you yet today,” Polly said, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Miss Adventure.”

  Polly laughed. “I’m not sure I’ve earned that.”

  “Are you kidding me? I didn’t even have to triple-dog dare you to get you to turn your simple vacation into following me to Texas, and thinking about starting a charity for horses.”