Chapter Twelve
I t was decided after that night that Tara would, indeed, move into the apartment that was part of the small barn with Lolly and they would train her for a job on the ranch. Sarah contacted the sheriff the next day and explained the situation. She filled him in on Tara’s history and the fact that Tara had never technically left the baby but had been on their ranch all along keeping an eye on her. Sarah had convinced him, as only she could, to trust them to be responsible for Lolly’s and Tara’s safety, and to guarantee that Tara would enroll in a parenting program at the local hospital. Tara agreed wholeheartedly. It didn’t hurt that she and the sheriff had known each other since high school or that he was sympathetic to the plight of aged-out foster kids. He wished all of them well.
“But what will I do?” Tara asked Sarah when all that was finally settled.
“Well, what are you good at?”
“Messing up,” she answered, her cheeks coloring. “Obviously.” She bounced Lolly on her shoulder and the baby snuggled against her neck.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Tara,” Sarah said. “We all have. You can’t change your past, but your future is another matter altogether. That’s all right there waiting for you to take it. Now, tell me what you enjoy. Maybe we can find a fit on the ranch. And if not exactly, maybe we’ll uncover something new that you will enjoy.”
“I’ll do any job you want. Clean toilets. Sweep floors. I’m good at those.”
“Okay. But let’s think bigger than that. Are you… good with animals? Do you have any special skills?”
Tara hesitated. “I like animals. I just don’t know any, except for the horses down at the barn. I kinda made friends with them so they wouldn’t give me away. But I learned to do spreadsheets in computer class at school before I… And I’m pretty good at reels. Social media.”
“Excellent!” Shay said. “A younger perspective is awesome for our social media.”
“And I draw some, so I could maybe do art for your guest ranch? If you need it that is…”
“You draw?” Cami asked, surprised.
She lifted her chin as if ready to be shot down. “Yeah. I can show you some if you want.”
Her art was surprising and spectacular. It left all of them speechless. She’d done detailed portraits in pencil and in charcoal, and drawings of Copper Mountain and Marietta alongside some graphic art. But she also pulled out a portrait of Lolly that she must have done before everything happened.
Sarah stared at all of them in awe. “Tara. These are wonderful. How long have you been drawing?”
“My whole life. It was the one thing I could call mine, before Lolly, that is. I wanted a picture of her to keep.”
Cami and Sarah exchanged impressed looks.
“You any good with logos?” Liam asked, washing his hands in the sink. “’Cause we could sure use a new one.”
“I’ve never done one before, but I could try.” Tara’s face brightened. “But I’ll do anything. I can feed the animals, too, or clean out stalls or—”
“There are always a million things to do on this new guest ranch we’re building, which, for better or worse, won’t really officially open until spring. We’re still building the cottages and glamping tents and putting the finishing touches on our rentals. The Montana winter has put a stop to a lot of that for now. But first things first.” Sarah stood and poured more coffee in everyone’s mug. “You’re going to settle in, get your strength back, and then we’ll figure things out. Right now, the rest of us have got a full day prepping for Will and Izzy’s wedding tomorrow. So, let’s make some breakfast.”
As Sarah returned to the kitchen, Tara turned to Cami and teared up. “I… um… haven’t said thank you, yet, especially to you. For watching over my baby. For not hating me. And for giving me this chance. No one’s ever been this kind to me before.”
Cami touched Tara’s arm. “We all just want to help you and Lolly. No one should have to face what you’re facing alone, without any family or help. I know you’ve had a hard time. Starting today is a whole new beginning for the two of you. And truthfully, I’ve gotten pretty attached to her so you’re doing me a big favor by staying.”
“It’s like a miracle,” Tara murmured against Lolly’s soft hair. “It’s the last thing I expected would happen.”
That word miracle had bounced around in Cami’s mind all too often in the last few days. Lolly’s sudden appearance had been like a little miracle in all their lives—stuck in the sameness of everyday, and she’d managed to nudge them all out of their little boxes and opened up new possibilities. Particularly for her and Gus. But whether that would end up being a blessing or a heartbreak remained to be seen.
She couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t change it. Maybe they were meant to be short timers. And that was the story of her life.
*
On Saturday afternoon, Gus, Ella and Luke arrived at the round barn on the Hard Eight for Will and Izzy’s marriage. Gus was grateful they’d allowed him to bring Ella, who was dressed in a fancy little dress that would have made her mama cry. She looked so much like Lissa today, with her chestnut-colored hair curled and falling softly on her shoulders. Luke had put on his best sport coat, tie, and slacks and he looked… put together. Gus had gotten rid of his good black suit after Lissa’s funeral but had a dark navy suit that he kept for emergencies, like this wedding.
The renovated round barn was already filling with guests by the time they arrived, and a waiter stuck a glass of champagne in his and Luke’s hands as they walked in the door.
Luke grinned and cheers-ed him with a clink of his glass. “Impressive,” Luke said.
“You should’ve seen it last summer. It was nothing like this.”
Gus had to admit they’d done an amazing job with the place. What had started as an abandoned relic of the last century had turned into a beautiful venue, complete with a rustic, craftsman staircase to the barn’s loft that Izzy would come down. The place was dressed for Christmas, boasting evergreen trees with silver wedding bells and roses dotted around the room and boughs of spruce and red roses tied down the banister. He even spotted some mistletoe hanging from the huge, wrought-iron chandelier at the center of the barn.
Liam and Will had both worked hard on this place and it was well worth the effort. There was a small bandstand where a local band was playing some gentle lead-in music, and white cloth-covered tables formed a semicircle around the flower-covered arch and the slip-covered chair seating at the front of the room.
“There’s Amelia!” Ella said, pointing across the room at her friend from school. “Can I go say hi?”
“Sure. I’ll be right over here,” he said and watched her go skipping past the throng of grown-ups between them. He was grateful to see other kids here. This wasn’t going to be a formal affair at all. But family oriented. That was just the Hardesty way.
He took a gulp of champagne, scanning the room for Cami. She would be one of Izzy’s bridesmaids, he knew, so she’d probably be with the bride.
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. The caller ID said Clarissa. His agent.
“Were you ever going to call me back?” she asked before he could even say hello.
“Of course,” he said, still scanning the crowd. “But at the moment, I’m at a wedding.”
“Hah. At least someone’s getting married. There’s still hope in the universe.”
Clarissa Mardor was radically single, and all her talk of marriage was just that. Talk. She was as single as he was and not likely to change.
“The Denver clinic is just wanting confirmation that you’re coming in ten days. They sensed a little uncertainty in your last call with them. I hope they weren’t right. This is a good gig, Gus. I negotiated top dollar for you. And Denver is a good place with lots of opportunities. I know I could find you two or three more there within a few months.”
He switched his phone to his other ear as Luke shot him a questioning look. “I know. It’s just been… complicated.”
“Complicated how?” she asked.
“There was this… baby and—”
“ Whaat? ”
“No, no, it’s not like that. But there’s been a lot going on here that I can’t really go into.”
Clarissa exhaled, her way of saying, Try. I’m not in the mood for ‘no.’
He bumped into someone and apologized silently. “Alden made me an offer to stay. Take over his practice. He wants to retire.”
Silence on the other end for a long beat. Finally, she cleared her throat. “And you said…”
“I haven’t said anything yet. That wasn’t the plan, but my daughter… she likes it here. And Luke is feeling like—”
“I don’t like pressuring you here, Gus, but let’s face it. What’s the future look like in Marietta, Montana? It’s a small town without a big future for a guy like you. I think Denver would be—”
“I’m staying,” he said, though he’d already truly decided that days ago. And once he said it aloud, he wondered what had taken him so long. “Tell them no.”
“ What? Gus…”
“I’ve met someone here and I want to… make things work.”
“Another agent? Gus, if you’re not happy with me as your—”
“No, Clarissa. A woman. I… might be… I’m in love with her. She’s important to me. And I want to make things work with her. I can’t do that from Denver.”
“I see. You’re turning this down for a possible relationship that might or might not work?”
“That’s right. For her and for Ella, who loves it here and needs some roots. For the puppy I got Ella for Christmas, who’ll be happy as a clam to have beautiful places to run. For myself, too. Because as Luke has so astutely pointed out, I can’t go on like this forever. It’s time to stop.”
A waiter passed with a tray of appetizers and Gus snagged a stuffed mushroom, popping it in his mouth. He was suddenly hungry. Starving.
Clarissa sighed again. “Well, I’d like to say I’m disappointed, you being a great client and all, but honestly? Gus, I am happy for you. And surprised. I try not to get emotionally invested in my clients, because… you know. This happens eventually. But I’d all but given up on you putting things behind you and moving on. If you’re happy, then I am. Minus, of course, my future commissions.”
Relief tumbled through him that she wasn’t furious with him. “I think this place can really be home for us. I don’t need Denver or LA or any elite practices to build my resume. This is really it. It’s time.”
“Okay. I’ll tell the practice in Denver your final answer. Let me know how it goes there. If there’s anything I can do… I hope everything works out the way you want.”
“Thanks, Clarissa. I mean it.”
He hung up, scanning the room again for Cami. He’d thought about telling her tonight, but decided to wait until he firmed up his deal with Alden. He wanted all his ducks in a row before he said anything.
The guests began getting seated and he found Ella but not Luke, who seemed to have vanished into thin air. He and Ella sat on Will’s side of the aisle. Across the way, Izzy’s parents—apparently big deals in Texas politics—sat beside Izzy’s favorite grandmother and a bunch of Izzy’s friends from Dallas who’d flown out for the wedding. Will’s business partner in the limo company, Isaiah, a giant of a man dressed in a tux ran a hand over his bald head and grinned as he walked out to join the minister and Will walked out behind him to wait for Izzy.
Behind them, someone on the piano began playing a perfect John Legend song, and when the singer began the lyrics, Gus spun around to find Luke sitting behind the piano, singing.
“Daddy! It’s Uncle Luke singing,” Ella whispered.
What the—? Luke hadn’t said a thing about this. He sounded really good. Not that he didn’t know his brother could sing, but how had he ended up singing at Will and Izzy’s wedding? And he’d kept it a secret from both of them.
But Gus hardly had time to take that in before spotting Cami and the other bridesmaids coming down the stairs. Dressed in icy, silvery blue, and looking as pretty as he’d ever seen her, Cami came down first, followed by two others escorted by a couple of Will’s friends. He caught her eye as she descended, and a quick smile flicked at her mouth, but she was focused on her task.
Then, Izzy began descending the stairway. This time, not on her father’s arm, but alone, a shy smile on her lips, her long reddish hair tied up in a messy, but elegant bun and dotted with white rosebuds. She was a picture in that white gown, as simple as it was elegant.
Over the past six months, he’d gotten to know her and Will a bit through his visits to the ranch and he envied them the ease of not only their friendship, but obvious love for each other. Their love story had been unique, having spun off a complete wedding fail of Izzy’s back in Dallas to a man who clearly didn’t deserve her.
Now, she beamed at Will who stood waiting for her beneath the arch of flowers, and he only had eyes for her.
Gus swallowed thickly. Weddings. Man. They always got to him.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Ella whispered.
But now Gus was looking at Cami. “Yeah. She sure is, love.”
At the makeshift altar, Izzy and Will joined hands and whispered something to each other that no one else could hear.
An old friend of Will’s was serving as the minister. “Welcome, friends, to this joyous occasion, and thank you all for coming to share this day with Will and Isabella and their families… If anyone had told me a year and a half ago, I’d be standing up here to preside over the marriage of one of my best friends, this friend in particular, I would have told you absolutely not. Not Will. But that’s only because Will hadn’t met Isabella—Izzy, for short—yet. And that meeting changed everything.”
Gus stared at Cami as the ceremony went on, thinking how life could turn on a dime and change plans. Meeting her, finding Lolly together, feeling at home in this small town had not been part of his plan. But like Will and Izzy, whose meeting had been random and unplanned almost a year and a half ago, at a low point in their lives, had put a strange spin on both their paths—happily so—and here they were, saying their I dos. When he’d married Lissa, he’d never once imagined he’d be a single dad, raising their child alone or that he’d ever be unlocking his heart once again, enough to find a woman like Cami.
He found himself wishing Izzy and Will a long, happy life together without the drama or pain of unexpected U-turns.
“That day in Dallas,” Will was saying, holding her hands, “the day you kidnapped me and my limo for a drive to the West Coast”—Izzy laughed—“I never saw it coming. My life changed for the better in every single way. Izzy, you are my heart, my life, and my everything. And I promise to love you, protect you, support you, and drive you wherever you want to go… in my limo. As long as I’m by your side.”
Then it was her turn. “Will, I believe if you asked my parents, it was you who kidnapped me that day in Dallas. But the truth is, we rescued each other that day. We took each other on an adventure that changed us. Revealed and healed us. You showed me what home could really mean and what it means to be truly loved. I’m so lucky to have you in my life, as my husband and, yes, open that limo door and I’ll go anywhere with you. But,” she said, taking in the family surrounding them, “we should probably stay right here for a while.”
That drew a laugh from the guests, most of whom clearly wanted that, too.
They exchanged rings and kissed deeply to seal the deal. It was a kiss that brought the audience to their feet and as they walked down the aisle of chairs, everyone applauded and, Gus imagined, were as inspired as he was by this new beginning.
Weddings. They always got to him.
*
There were photos to be taken and after that, Cami helped Izzy out of her wedding gown and into the reception gown she’d decided to wear, which facilitated the line dancing that would be happening.
“Well, you did it. How does it feel to be a married lady?” she asked her new sister-in-law.
Izzy sighed happily. “I know I’m supposed to say it feels different… amazing, and I guess it does. But honestly, since we met—Will and I—in that very unlikely way, I’ve felt exactly the same as I do right now. That bond we share has never faltered. So, this”—she indicated the beautiful gown on the chair—“was more of a celebration of what we already had that we wanted to share with all of you. Does that sound weird?”
“Not at all. You two are solid. We can all see it. And the rest of us can only hope for that kind of love and commitment finding us someday.”
Izzy met her gaze and took Cami’s hands in hers. “I know it’s kind of early days, but what about Gus? Don’t tell me you don’t see how he looks at you.”
She clucked her tongue. “Today is not the day to be discussing my love life or lack thereof. It’s all about you and Will. Now, let me zip you up. You need to get back out there to your admiring public.”
“My parents are out there. Promise you’ll run interference with my mother if she starts getting political.”
“I’m your man,” Cami said. “She’ll be fine. I think she’s come around about Will.”
Izzy’s family—mostly her mother—was none too happy about her running off with a limo driver after her failed wedding, but Cami knew Izzy was glad they’d come to Montana to meet him and his family, which, in the end, had eased most of their fears. Though ranching in a place as remote as Montana was far outside their Dallas society circles, they might just have accepted that Izzy was never again going to be that girl who followed their rules.
Back at the reception, the band had started up again and Cami searched the crowd for Gus. She found him across the barn, talking to a local rancher named George Smartt, who looked to be deep in conversation, probably about his cows. Gus snuck an apologetic look in her direction, unable to get free. She started to make her way across the room to rescue him when she was waylaid by a half-dozen friends and school colleagues who wanted to talk about the pageant and other questionable things she’d rather not talk about right now. But before she could say no, one of her male teacher friends tugged her out onto the dance floor and insisted on a dance.
Greg Wilson was a handsome, single, thirty-something third-grade teacher who was loved by all of his students and the faculty as well. His family and hers had known one another for years. Many of her friends had tried to fix them up, but Cami had always argued that she had firm rules against dating colleagues. And despite being in proximity to him for the whole past school year, he had never once made her feel the way Gus did—like she’d just stepped out of an airplane into thin air.
Greg caught her looking at Gus. “So, that’s him, huh?” he said.
She jerked her look back to Greg. “Excuse me?”
He tipped his chin toward Gus who was still watching them. “I hear he’s a good guy.”
She felt herself blush. “What are you talking about, Greg?”
“Alden’s replacement vet. Hey, it’s a small town, Cami. No real secrets around here, really.”
“We’re just… friends, Greg.” And he’s leaving town soon.
“Oh. Well, I guess that means I haven’t totally lost out yet, then.” He laughed awkwardly and Cami stopped dancing.
“Greg, we’re colleagues and—”
“I’m just kidding. Sort of. If we were gonna happen, we would have by now. Right?”
She sighed. “It’s me. It’s not you, Greg. Please, don’t take it personally. You’re a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to date you.”
“To date me? Yeah. That’s the problem. I’m kinda looking for more than that. But I get it. Don’t worry. I don’t want this to make things weird between us.”
She was kind of looking for more than that, too. Just not with Greg. “It won’t. But I do see that Izzy has some cute friends here for the wedding. I’m just saying…”
“Okay, okay. Thanks for the dance. But if I don’t miss my guess, that guy over there?” he said, gesturing at Gus with a nod. “He’s not thinking just friends when he’s looking at you.”
Indeed, Gus was circling the crowd closer to her. And when the dance finally ended with Greg, she found Gus waiting at the edge of the dance floor for her.
“I was beginning to think I was never going to see you tonight,” he said with a grin as she walked up beside him.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “With all the wedding stuff and photos—”
“You look beautiful.”
She blinked up at him. “Thank you.” She ran a finger along the lapel of his very nice suit. “So do you.” And he did. Oh, he did.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You okay after the other day?”
“Can we not talk about the other day? I’m fine. I’m just embarrassed it happened and that you had to witness it.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Because vets are notoriously squeamish about medical emergencies like that.”
“It was hardly an emergency. I just… needed a moment. Apparently. And food.”
He bowed graciously. “Then, consider the whole incident forgotten.”
“Thank you, kind sir. Now. Are you going to ask me to dance or am I going to have to drag you out onto that dance floor myself?”
“The first option, obviously. Wanna dance?”
She offered him her hand. “Yes, please.” She felt suddenly nervous beside him as he pulled her out onto the floor.
He excited her. There was a huge part of her that wanted to just throw herself at him, and throw caution to the wind, but another part that knew she was just asking to get burned by the flame igniting between them.
Luke had rejoined the band on the stage and was singing a cover of a George Strait Christmas song.
“But did you know that Luke would be singing with this band?” he asked as they moved to the floor.
“He didn’t tell you he was singing?”
“He did not.”
Curious. “According to Izzy, the band we had already hired for the wedding happened to be at the Wolf’s Den a few weeks ago where they were having an open mic night and a couple of those guys in the band were there looking for a new lead singer. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“Why wouldn’t he tell me? He’s been kind of secretive lately.” Gus pulled her into his arms.
She resisted the urge to lay her head on his shoulder. And damn, he smelled too delicious for his own good, as well.
“You’d have to ask him that,” she said. “Maybe he just wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, he did that. He’s… Luke’s talented. But I’ve always thought so. I’ve told him so.”
“You’re his big brother. He’ll always look up to you. And want to impress you.”
He stared up at Luke with a smile of admission. “I guess that’s true for the other way around, too.”
Gus wasn’t exactly wrong about his dancing skills, but as they warmed up, so did he. There were happily no squished toes and when he pulled her closer, they fell into a nice rhythm together.
“I thought you said you didn’t dance,” she said.
“I said I couldn’t dance. There’s a difference.”
“There’s really nothing to it and there are no judges out there scoring us. Although, I think we’d be a solid eight at least.”
“I think you’re being generous.” His hand curled around her hip and tugged her closer.
“And I think you overestimate everybody else’s dancing skills.”
“I think we’d need more practice,” he said.
Why was he even bringing up the idea of the future? Considering they didn’t have one.
She didn’t want to think about that now, so she changed the subject. “How’d you like the wedding? I think the barn turned out great, don’t you?”
“The wedding was beautiful and, yes, Will and Liam did a fantastic job with this place. I mean, not five months ago when I first saw it, this barn was a wreck. Now look at it. And your decorations were amazing. I predict it’s gonna be a big draw for weddings.”
She was feeling particularly sentimental about weddings today and feeling very much like a bridesmaid. “I guess we’ll see.” Lost in her own thoughts, she went quiet for a few long moments before she said, “Ella looks like she’s having fun.” The two girls were flitting around the room as only six-year-old girls could, giggling and sharing secrets.
“She is. She was thrilled to get invited. And she’s found a friend.”
“That’s Amelia Roundtree. She’s in her class at school.”
“ Is she?” He frowned. “I should know that.”
“You wouldn’t be the first dad not to know your daughter’s friends at school.”
“Yeah, but I’m not just her dad. I’m both.”
“Maybe the puppy will help fill that gap. Have you given her to Ella yet?”
He shook his head. “Doc Alden’s keeping her at his place until tomorrow night. Christmas Eve.” He pulled her closer. “She’ll be glad to know you helped pick her out.”
“So, you’ll wait until Christmas morning then to give her the puppy?”
“I hope it works out that way. One way or the other, that dog will be ours for Christmas.”
“Lucky girl… uh, dog,” she said. “I-I mean, so lucky to have found a good home. You know, so many shelter dogs never… they spend years sometimes and no one wants them. It’s so tragic, really. But now, she’ll have her own little girl and… and you . I mean, what dog gets a veterinarian”— like you —“for a parent”—she flicked a look up at him—“for heaven’s sake.”
He grinned and his gaze drifted upward as they danced under the chandelier. “Oh, look at that. Mistletoe.”
She followed his gaze upward. “Huh. How did that get there?”
“I don’t know.” Then he wasn’t looking at the mistletoe, but at her lips instead. “But I’d like to thank whoever put it there.” He kissed her, softly.
Not a deep kiss, or one that would embarrass her in front of all of Marietta, but a kiss that promised more. Later. A kiss that sent a warning through her like an electric charge.
It’s too late.
You should have listened.
I already love him.
He broke the kiss smiling down at her. “Hey. There’s something—”
Someone was tapping her on the shoulder. “Cami—”
Blushing, a little disoriented from that kiss, she whirled around to find Shay standing behind her looking anxious. “What?”
“Sorry. I need you. It’s Izzy’s mom.”
“Oh, no.”
“She’s gotten into some kind of debate with the mayor about the pros and cons of climate vs. cattle ranching—mostly the cons—and Izzy begged me to ask if you’d run interference. And rescue him. ”
“Oh dear.” This was the downside of her de facto job as mediator in all things family. “Okay. I’ll try.”
Gus was trying not to look disappointed.
“I’m really sorry,” Shay told Gus. “This’ll just take a minute.”
“I hope.” Cami sent him an apologetic look, then squeezed his hand.
“I’ll be right here,” he said, as she walked away from that mistletoe kiss and what remained of her resistance.
It took a few minutes to gracefully intervene, diffuse the situation, and pry Eliza Stanton away from politics and their favorite mayor who was quite grateful for the relief.
Cami threaded her arm into Eliza Stanton’s as they walked away and snagged a glass of wine off the tray of a passing waiter, handing it to her. “This cabernet…” she gushed. “It’s from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and we ordered it special for the wedding. It’s really one of our favorites. Have you tried Oregon wine out there in Texas?”
Eliza took it gracefully. “I suppose, you were right to drag me away from your mayor and our little conversation. I tend to get passionate about the things I believe in.” At Cami’s attempted denial, she stopped her. “No, no. You’re right. It’s Isabella’s day and I was… getting carried away. Thank you.”
Cami just stared at her, uncertain what to say.
“She’s very lucky to have y’all as family. She’s far away from home and she seems to have found a new one.” Eliza took a sip of the wine, considering Cami anew. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when she told us she wanted to marry the limo driver, who did, in fact, kidnap her”—she said this with a smile—“but it turns out, we like him. Very much.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. Will’s a great guy. And he’s my brother, which makes me less than objective, but you can see how much he loves her. And how much she loves him.”
“Yes,” she said. “I see that now. I’ve never seen her happier—which, I’m afraid, says more than I care to admit about our relationship. She was the square peg in a round hole that is our family. But she seems to fit right into yours.”
“You know, we’re so happy that Izzy is—”
“Isabella,” she corrected.
“Right, that Isabella is part of our family now. And so are you. I hope you feel free to come visit often.”
“Thank you,” Eliza said and sounded sincere.
“We hope to have the whole guest ranch business up and running late this spring.”
“It’s quite impressive. All the building and the—what are they called? Glamping platforms?”
“Which will be glamping tents. Yes. We’ll finish those off when the snow clears. Maybe you’d like to stay in one someday?”
She laughed. “Me? In a tent? Oh, my dear, I don’t think—”
“Mother! There you are,” Izzy said, appearing at Eliza’s side. “Did Cami show you to your place at the table? We put you at table twelve next to the most interesting man… and no, it’s not Dad.”
Eliza turned to Cami. “So nice chatting with you, dear. And for your kind offer.”
Cami swallowed and nodded, understanding now Izzy’s complicated relationship with her mother. She wasn’t easy. But she was, Cami believed, receptive.
Izzy swept her away then and leaned back over her shoulder mouthing the words, thank you! to Cami.
She snagged another wineglass off a waiter’s tray, this time for herself and half-chugged it as she wandered toward the kitchen. She needed a minute to gather her thoughts. It seemed there was so much coming at her. That kiss. All her feelings. Maybe she was glad he did, just because the likelihood that she’d be kissed that way again for a long, long time was unlikely. On the other hand, would she, in the end, no doubt look pathetic to have fallen for a man who was just temporary? Not that she cared all that much what everyone else thought. It was what she felt that mattered.
She drained the last of the wine and it seemed to go straight to her head. No food again. She needed an appetizer and went in search of a waiter with a likely tray. But the dinner was soon to be served and all the appetizers were gone. To her right, she spotted Tara standing beside Sarah. She’d borrowed a dress from Shay, and she was holding Lolly, who was being a perfect angel.
A pang of regret zinged through her afresh. Regret that she’d allowed herself to imagine she might get to raise that little girl, even knowing that was never meant to be. Regret that maybe she’d never have a baby of her own, the way her life was going. Regret that she seemed to keep making the same mistakes over and over with men. Men who left.
She dumped her empty wineglass on a bus tray, then ran directly into the chest of Doc Alden, nearly knocking him over. Before he fell though, she caught him by the arm and righted him.
“I’m so sorry, Doctor Alden. I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s all right. I’m not as steady on my feet since my surgery. Believe me, it takes longer when you get older despite having the best physical therapist in the county.” He patted the hand of the woman beside him, a tall, middle-aged woman who looked a few years younger than Alden. She had a beaming smile and clear affection for the veterinarian. “This is my friend and physical therapist, Miranda.”
“So nice to meet you, Miranda.” Cami shook her hand. “And we’ve all been the beneficiaries of the vet you hired to fill in for you, Doctor Alden. Gus Claymore? He’s been… terrific.”
“They don’t come much better in my opinion. But sadly, since I decided to retire and offered him my practice…”
He kept talking but a sudden buzz in her ears shut down her hearing. Offered him my— “Wait. You what ?”
“I decided to retire,” he repeated. “My days of pulling calves and wrangling sheep are over, I’m afraid. And Miranda and I are going to marry, travel the world. So, I offered my practice to Gus, but he turned me down. I guess he’s got his sights set on some practice in Denver.”
Shock rippled through her. “When was this? That you offered him the practice?”
“As a matter of fact, at the Deaver place, that night he pulled that calf. You were there that night.”
Cami went cold all over. He hadn’t said a word. He’d had the chance—the opportunity—to stay here, and he’d turned Alden down? Why would he lie to her about that? Maybe it was more omission than lie. But what did it mean? Was he just—ever since that night—just toying with her? What… using her? Wanting to kiss her under the mistletoe and talking about practicing their dance moves? As if they might have a future together? Because clearly whatever was happening between them—maybe nothing, now that she looked at it clearly—hadn’t enticed him to stay here in Marietta. Or even tell her the truth—that he was choosing not to stay.
“It’s too bad,” Alden was saying, “because I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have than him.”
She knew the feeling.
“Ooh! Looks like dinner’s about to be served,” Miranda said leaning into Doc Alden. “We’d better head on over there, darling.”
Alden patted her hand and the two of them said their goodbyes as they ambled over to the tables.
Cami’s brain suddenly hurt. She felt all the things, all at once. Mad, sad, foolish, guilty and worst of all, like she didn’t matter. Those things tumbled through her like sharp rocks as she looked across the room and found Gus chatting amiably with one of her mother’s old friends.
But what right did she even have to be mad at him for choosing Denver over her? He’d warned her. He had his career and she had hers. They were merely a brief intersection between two people who didn’t—and never would—belong together. And the sooner she got that through her thick skull the better. But she wasn’t mad about his decision to go. It was the lie that infuriated her. And for what? Just to break her heart? Make her think there was hope that he’d stay?
She swiped another glass of wine off a passing waiter and gulped it down, dropping the empty on another bus tray as emotion clogged her throat. The catering servers began coming out the kitchen door with plates of food for the guests mostly seated now at the tables. She nearly bumped into Liam as she considered which way to turn.
“Hey, hey,” he said, looking at her with concern. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, but her eyes were filling with tears.
“Right. Come ’ere.” He tugged her out through the kitchen door and the two of them stepped out into the cold December air just outside the kitchen.
“Why are you crying?” Liam brushed her cheek with the back of a knuckle. “This is supposed to be a happy day.”
“I always cry at weddings,” she lied.
“Don’t kid a kidder. Is this about Gus? Did he hurt you?” Liam didn’t often get his ruff up about things, but when it came to his sisters, that was a different story.
“No.” She turned away from him, unable to look him in the eye. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. C’mon, what did he do?”
“I have no right to be mad. He warned me from the start that he was leaving. But I stupidly fell for him anyway.”
Liam put his arm around her. “What happened? I mean just now?”
She turned back to him feeling that wine take hold. “I let my guard down. I did it to myself. I have no right to expect anything from him. I just hoped he’d change his mind. And it turns out, he could have. He had a choice. He didn’t choose us. Or what might have been us. And it’s just over. That’s all.”
“Did he say that?”
She shook her head. “Doc Alden said it. He offered him the practice and Gus turned it down.”
Liam pulled her into a hug. “Ah, Cams… Wait right here. I’ll go beat him up for you.”
She knew he was kidding on the square. She laughed in spite of herself. “Nah. He’s your friend. Besides, it wouldn’t change anything.”
“You should go talk to him. Maybe you don’t have the whole story.”
“I think I do. Just, sadly, not from him.”
*
On the other side of the barn, Gus was being buttonholed by a woman whose cow-kicked dog he’d operated on not two weeks ago as he wrangled Ella to the table where their seating cards were. Cami was seated at the wedding party’s table, but he was still looking for her in the room full of people.
“Tipper’s leg is healing so well after the surgery,” Mrs. Knowles was saying. “Why, we were afraid he would never walk on it again. Dog has no common sense but to keep trying to make friends with the mama cows who don’t want anything to do with him once they calve.”
“That’s good news,” he said. “Once he starts to bear some weight on that leg again, he’ll probably come around fully. Just encourage him.”
“Thank you, Dr. Claymore! Oh, have you met my husband, Don?” she asked as an older gentleman with a generous belly and a white beard walked up beside her.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Knowles.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “And yes, Don plays Santa every year at the Graff Hotel. He’s a favorite with all the children.”
Gus tilted a look at him. “Ah. You must know Nick then. Works at the bus station and does Santa at the Graff, too.”
The pair exchanged confused looks. “Nick? No. I’m the only Santa at the Graff. Have been for the last few years. I have a contract. As for the bus station,” Don said, “there’s no Nick there that I know. And I’ve known those folks down there for years. It’s Jube Cameron and a skeleton staff down there. And if I don’t miss the mark, that place isn’t long for Marietta.”
Gus frowned. No Nick at the Graff or the bus station? He had to have that wrong. “But, my daughter, she talked to Nick at the Graff in the Santa line. And I spoke to him at the bus station.”
“Since we just met,” Don said, “I wouldn’t call you wrong. But you might be mistaken, is all. I’m it at the Graff, for the last few years at least. Anyway, tell your little one I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon if she wants to put in any last-minute wishes on her Christmas list. Ho-ho-ho! ” His belly gave a reciprocating little jiggle.
Gus laughed thinly. “I sure will.”
He was still trying to puzzle out the Nick dilemma as he and Luke and Ella were seated at the same table beside a handful of others he sort of knew. The Canadays, Jaycee and Reed, were sitting across from them and a private investigator who worked for them, the imposing Trey Reyes and his pretty wife, Holly. Olivia Canaday and her husband, Jake, also clients of his, were at the next table over chatting with Jaycee between the chairs.
As the dinner service got started, Luke was the star of the table and got lots of props from the Reyeses and the Canadays over his singing. Gus sat back and enjoyed watching his younger brother shine. Even though he’d pushed him to find work outside of the arts for stability sake, Luke had pushed back and worked his tail off to land where he had. Gus had to hand it to him for that. He was good. Really good. And Gus was proud of him.
Ella talked nonstop at dinner about the wedding—the dresses, the flowers and finally, about the bride and groom.
“It is ironic, isn’t it, though?” she asked him around a mouthful of chicken.
He looked at her sideways. “Ironic?” This kid and her vocabulary…
“Well, Izzy almost had that awful wedding to that other guy in Texas before finding true love with Will, right? Just like Buttercup almost did with Prince Humperdink, but then she escaped with Westly, her true love.”
This kid. “Yeah. I guess you’re right about that. It’s also a little ironic that you know what ironic means. And that you know both of those stories. Who told you about Izzy’s other almost-marriage?” Liam had shared it with him long ago, but as far as he knew, it wasn’t common knowledge.
“Amelia did. And her mother told her.” She shrugged. “I guess everyone knows.”
Small towns. The beauty and the peril of them.
He turned to look at Cami who was seated at the wedding party’s table across the room, with her back to him. She had not, in fact, returned after rescuing the mayor and hadn’t so much as met his eye since then. He didn’t want to read too much into it, this being her brother’s wedding and all, but the bad feeling that had been crawling up his neck since she left him, grew worse. Everything had seemed fine while they danced. So maybe he was imagining things. But he began knee-jerk reviewing their conversations in his mind, to explain it. But he couldn’t put his finger on anything. Maybe she was still having mixed emotions about Lolly’s mom returning.
Or mixed feelings about him.
“Are you enjoying your time in our little town, Doctor Claymore?” Jaycee asked.
“Very much,” he said. “I’ve never really lived in a place like this. I’ve spent most of my life in big cities. I think Ella likes it here, too. Don’t you darlin’?”
She nodded a little shyly.
“Ella, did you know we have horses at our place for riding and a big riding ring?” Reed said. “Anytime you want to go horseback riding, feel free to come over. Our daughter, Olivia, right behind you, gives lessons to a lot of little girls your age.”
Ella sent Gus a look that he could only be described as hopeful and despairing at once. It was the same look she had every time the subject of leaving Marietta came up.
Luke’s look was more like well, what are you gonna do about that?
“That’s real kind of you, Mrs. Canaday,” Gus said.
“Please. It’s just Jaycee.”
“Thanks. I think Ella would love that. Wouldn’t you darlin’?”
She nodded again, but only half-heartedly.
As they were finishing their dinners, Sarah got to her feet and clapped a spoon on the side of her wineglass for attention.
“Thank you all for coming out on this wintery night, braving the roads and the snow to help us celebrate this evening with Will and Izzy—Isabella. It means so much to all of us that you’re here. When you throw a wedding—which we do a lot here on the Hard Eight—you just hope everything will work out. But when it’s your own son getting married and welcoming such a wonderful new daughter into our family, well, we know some of you have traveled a long way to be here and you’re here because you love Will and Izzy as much as we do. Thank you. And here’s a toast to the bride and groom. May this day be only the first of many, many happy days to come in your marriage and may you take all the love in this room with you on that journey together. And I just want to be the first to officially say, Isabella, welcome to our family!”
The guests all cheered and applauded as Will and Izzy kissed at the bride’s table. Izzy’s parents stood for a toast which was long-winded and not as backhanded as it might have been. Will’s best man and partner in the limo company, Isaiah, a still-formidable, former linebacker in the NFL, gave a brief but heartfelt toast threatening to move the limo company to Montana if Will and Izzy didn’t come back to Dallas for a visit soon.
But Cami got to her feet next and raised a glass.
“There’s something to be said for new beginnings,” she said, and he noticed there was only a slight slur to her words. “To letting go of the past and looking at the future with fresh eyes. That’s what these two have done—my dear brother and my newest sister. Because you both knew that hanging onto what once was would never make you happy. And now look at you. I love you both so much,” she said. “I love your joy together. And the way you support each other’s strengths. And I love your honesty with each other—even if it did take a little while from your pretending to love each other to that love becoming the real thing.”
The family laughed at that.
“But maybe it was all more complicated than that. Who knows? Love, and even the idea of love, is mysterious. Like Santa Claus and Christmas and even happily ever afters. You can believe in them or not. But it takes real faith to make any of them work. Either way, it all comes down to honesty with each other. Because without it, what have we got? Dis honesty. That’s what.” Her gaze flicked to Gus, but she looked quickly away. “Anyway, I digress.” She raised her glass and everyone in the room followed suit. “Here’s to the two of you. May your love last forever and may you be happy together for the rest of your lives. Here’s to Will and Izzy!”
The couple kissed a long and happy kiss to the crowd’s delight.
*
Until that moment, Gus had wondered if he was imagining that something had shifted between him and Cami. That it wasn’t just the wedding or distraction or something else that had her avoiding him now. Now, it seemed clear that it was none of those things, but more like a… direct message to him through her speech to the happy couple. And when she left the table directly after her speech and disappeared into the kitchen, he got up and followed her. Because this wasn’t going to be how it would go down.
The fault was clearly his for not sharing his feelings about… well, everything.
He was bad at it. Plain and simple. Lissa used to say so. She’d say, “I’m not a mind reader, Gus. You can’t expect me to know what you’re feeling at any given moment.”
But what she’d failed to understand was that his feelings about hard things were always buried so deep, even he couldn’t recognize them when they surfaced, so it was just easier to pretend they didn’t matter. Had he done the same to Cami? But why was she suddenly upset with him when a half hour ago, they’d been dancing? Kissing.
Animals were so much easier than humans. They didn’t ever ask hard things. Or expect anything from him. And in return, he fixed them, cared for them, and did his best to make them feel safe. Probably why he’d become a vet—because it was infinitely safer for him, too.
He pushed through the kitchen doors and saw her leaving out the back door. Weaving past the caterers, he followed her and found her leaning against the wall, standing in the snow.
“Hey,” he said as she turned to see him there.
“Hey. Oh. I’m, uh, sorry, I was just getting some air. I was going to come and find you.”
“Were you?”
She blinked. “Of course. I just—” she said, brushing a hand across her cheek. “Wedding toasts are so emotional!”
“Was it my imagination or was some of that directed at me?” he asked. “Honestly.”
She cleared her throat suspiciously. “I don’t think this is really the time to—”
“It is. It is the time. Because I can see you’re upset with me, and I want to know why.”
“Okay. Honestly?” She lifted her chin. “Why did you kiss me tonight? And the other day?”
Confused, he shook his head. “Why did I… kiss you?” He kissed her because… because—
“What is it you want from me, Gus?”
“Want from you? Nothing,” he answered defensively, unsure what the right answer was here. “I thought we were—”
“What? We were what exactly? Friends? Friends with benefits? A nice distraction until something better came along?”
He swallowed hard. “No. Where is this coming from, Cami?”
She shook off his hand. “I know I have no right to have any expectations of you, of your life or where you choose to be in your career. Except for one thing. As friends. Honesty. And so, I’ll be honest with you. I blame me for allowing myself to fall for you. Which I did.” Her eyes welled up again. “My fault. Because I knew, or I thought I knew your intentions. But you were just… what ? Toying with my feelings?”
“Wait a minute—” he began.
“Because the whole time, Gus… the whole time—”
“Wait a minute.” His cell rang in his pocket, and he ignored it. “You need to tell me what you’re talking about. And why suddenly you’re—”
“You should get that,” she said about his cell. “It’s probably important. It might be Denver.”
Denver? Was this about Denver? The phone rang again, insistent. Frustrated, he didn’t want to answer the damned phone. But he always answered. Always. He pulled it from his pocket. Damn if it wasn’t Denver. The clinic calling him to try to persuade him to come. He lifted his gaze to Cami. “It is Denver.”
She sent him a steely smile. “Better take it. I’ll leave the two of you alone.”
He grabbed her hand, ignoring the call. “I’m not going.”
She jerked a surprised look at him. “What?”
“To Denver. I already told them I’m not coming. I’m staying in Marietta. I’m taking over Alden’s practice.”
Her lips parted and a shiver raced down her. “But he said—”
Gus pulled her closer to him. “He said what?”
“Alden said you turned him down, that night at the Deaver ranch.”
“I never actually turned him down. I’ve been trying to figure out how to stay and work out the financing to buy his practice. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure. But I already told my agent that I’m done. I turned them down in Denver.” The phone stopped ringing. “I’m not toying with you. I’ve never been toying with you. I’m… crazy about you, Cami.”
“You… you are?”
He reached up to brush the dampness on her cheek. “Honestly? I never thought I’d find love again in my lifetime. I wasn’t even looking for it. And then, there you were. Busy with your life, like I was with mine. And you were making room in it for everyone and everything and pulling us all into your family. If it wasn’t for Lolly, us finding her together, maybe we never would have really gotten to know each other. She was like a little Christmas miracle, inserting herself into our lives and changing everything.
“And if I’d missed all that, meeting you… watching you with Lolly and with Ella, it would have been my loss,” he went on. “Because for a long time I shut people out, because like you said, I was scared. Scared of starting over, of putting my heart out there again. And I’m not the best at it. Obviously, I should have told you what I was thinking, feeling, before you decided I had screwed it all up.”
Cami exhaled a shaky breath and he stared at her long dark lashes against her cold cheek.
“You asked me why I kissed you. I kissed you because you make me feel like myself again, because you make me happy, and I want you to know that. That I’m falling in love with you.”
She lifted her gaze slowly back to him. “You are?”
“Yeah. Yes.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her again, gently this time, to prove to her everything he was saying.
And her lips softened under his and she curled her hands around his arms to pull him closer. She tasted of wine and cold and a little bit of forgiveness. And when she broke the kiss, she looked up at him, those tears still in her eyes, but this time, without anger.
“Oh, Gus. I really thought… I thought we were—”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
“What if… what if you can’t figure out the financing for the practice?”
“I will. I’ll figure it out. Because it’s already decided. I’ll find a way.”
She shivered hard and her almost-sob was steamy in the cold outdoor air. “As long as we’re being honest, I have to admit I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”
That admission almost broke him, and he dipped his head to steal another kiss from her. Only this time, she wrapped her arms around his neck and didn’t hold back. He didn’t want to let her go. Now or ever.
But she did peel herself away from him, touching his forehead with hers, a little breathless now. “But, Gus?”
“Yeah?”
“I think my feet are frozen.”
Standing in a snowbank in her open-toed sandals was a clear recipe for disaster. “Oh. Here,” he said, reaching down and scooping her into his arms. “Let me take care of that.”
She gave a gasp of surprise but wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight. She ran her hand over the taut muscles of his shoulders. “Last time you did this, I missed the whole thing.”
He dropped his mouth onto hers again, feeling her smile against him. “We can’t have that. But don’t worry. This won’t be the last time.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “Is that a promise?”
He pulled open the kitchen door to the barn where the music and cheer inside poured out and he stepped inside with her, into their future, and finally their lives together. “That, love,” he said, “is a guarantee.”