Chapter One #2
Kelley beelined toward the entrance and called over her shoulder, “Frannie, you get up even earlier for your horse.”
“My mare requires affection and care at this time of the day,” Frannie shot back. “Not conversation or coordination.”
“So wake up, little sister,” LB snapped. “My wedding day is on the line here.”
“Hold up, you two,” Kelley cut in before her sister could ramp up their bickering. “I’ve got a solution.”
Laura-Beth closed her mouth and arched an eyebrow at Kelley.
Frannie spun around and watched her.
Kelley opened the front door and caught sight of a cowboy turning away as if to head back to the parking lot.
Not so fast. Kelley called out a hasty good morning, latched on to his arm and tugged him quickly inside.
The cowboy behind her, she faced her sisters and announced, “To be clear, I have a cowboy solution.”
Surprise flashed across Frannie’s face. Then her smile turned mischievous.
Laura-Beth gaped and swiftly recovered.
Confused, Kelley twisted around to greet Lenny Culver.
Only her gaze didn’t connect with Len’s kind brown eyes like it should.
After all, Kelley and Len literally saw eye to eye seeing as they both topped the height chart at five feet eight and a half inches.
Len celebrated the half inch. Kelley, not so much.
It only made her stand out that much more next to her two petite sisters.
But this was not one of her early-bird regulars. Her pulse kick-started.
The top of Kelley’s head barely reached this cowboy’s rather sturdy, all-too-fit-looking shoulder. Kelley lifted her gaze slowly past a chin and cheeks covered in a neat and close-trimmed beard and up to a familiar pair of bold blue eyes. Oh my.
Before Kelley could backpedal and talk her way out of her cowboy mix-up, Laura-Beth exclaimed, “Asher Blackwell, you’re certainly a sight for sore eyes.”
Asher Blackwell was certainly a sight. His sun-streaked blond hair and vivid gaze contrasted against a chocolate-brown suede jacket over a fitted black T-shirt tucked into a pair of charcoal-colored jeans.
Asher Blackwell was handsome in that effortless, not a care in the world sort of way.
The sort of way that made any cowgirl take notice.
As for Kelley, she could not look away.
“Now you have a proper dance partner, big sis.” Frannie gave Kelley a close-lipped grin as she sashayed past Kelley and gave Asher a quick welcome-home hug. Then Frannie said, “What an excellent morning this is turning out to be.”
Not so excellent was Kelley noticing the hint of reserve beneath Asher’s polished style. As if the former carefree cowboy now came with a silent warning that he had secrets and no intention of sharing.
Don’t worry, cowboy, I’m not asking.
These days Kelley was all about keeping things to herself, too.
Especially those things that could get broken like her dreams and her heart.
And when it came to Asher Blackwell, he was always something of a wildcard, and her first marriage taught Kelley the folly of rolling the dice.
As for her old crush on Asher, well, that was nothing more than a blip in the memory books.
Kelley swallowed, but her throat was suddenly too dry.
“What are we doing exactly?” Asher asked, his words casual and light, as if he always found himself partnering a cowgirl for a sunrise two-step in a small-town diner.
Kelley was trying to remind herself that reconnecting with a handsome cowboy was not on her priority list. A relationship wasn’t even on her nice-to-have or some-other-time list. Besides, there were more than enough hopeless romantics around Kelley to pick up her relationship slack.
“You two are going to dance together,” Laura-Beth instructed, using her firmest, no-nonsense middle school teacher voice.
Asher’s eyebrows twitched.
Kelley held her breath, waiting for his hasty apology and even quicker exit. Who could blame him? Kelley was tempted to hightail it out of there herself.
Instead, Asher’s all-too-direct gaze settled on Kelley and stuck.
Something flashed in his blue eyes. Interest, perhaps?
Only if Kelley was one of those overly optimistic, quick-to-fall hopeless romantic types with a well-established crush on a cowboy.
She was definitely not that. She was levelheaded and sensible and no longer allowed her emotions to lead.
Still, now seemed like an appropriate time to excuse herself and get back to her job of managing the morning shift at the diner. Kelley opened her mouth.
Laura-Beth eased right in and said smoothly, “Asher, please tell me you haven’t been in New York so long you forgot how to do a simple country swing dance.”
“I think I can manage.” Asher chuckled and had Kelley’s hand in his before she could retreat to the kitchen. A small tug and he guided her straight into his arms as if she was exactly why he had come home.
Kelley sidestepped that foolish thought. Then Asher’s other hand settled on her lower back, gentle yet steady. The warmth of his touch was unmistakable. Awareness jolted inside her, tempting her to update the status of her crush to current and active.
One verse later and no bruised toes, Asher drew Kelley even closer and said quietly, “It’s finally coming back to me now.”
Things were coming back to Kelley, too. Things like how long it had been since she danced. Or even wanted to. And just how much she enjoyed dancing, especially with a capable partner. “I’m sorry about this, but welcome home.”
“Not exactly how I pictured my first morning in town,” Asher mused, his expression slightly bewildered. “Not that I’m complaining.”
Neither was she. He turned them several times quickly, swirling her perilously close to breathless.
Breathless in a cowboy’s arms. How long had it been?
And why was it so compelling with Asher?
Wanting to regain her footing and avoid any unintentional missteps of the heart kind, Kelley blurted, “I’m sorry about Walter. ”
Asher’s gaze dimmed instantly at the mention of his dead father. It was almost as if he’d become suddenly guarded. No more devil-may-care attitude. His steps slowed. That earlier reserve dropped firmly back into place.
Kelley winced.
“No. No. No.” Laura-Beth appeared beside them and shook her head. Her words were hasty and earnest. “This is a wedding dance. You can console each other later. Hug it out and all that afterward.”
“Did you lose someone, too?” Concern crossed Asher’s face. Then he pulled Kelley back into his arms as if to comfort her and asked, “Are you okay?”
Very okay. But she was in the arms of Asher Blackwell—the charismatic cowboy turned New York businessman.
And that should not be okay. Asher was everything her ex-husband was: career driven, ambitious and focused.
Yet, with Asher focused completely on her, Kelley struggled to find his flaws. Finally, Kelley nodded.
“It’s the opposite, actually,” Frannie chimed in from behind the counter where she refilled sugar shakers for the tables. “Kelley’s ex-husband lost the best cowgirl he will ever find when he walked out on my sister.”
“Kelley is way too good for him anyway,” Laura-Beth added.
And that was why Kelley came home. Her family had her back. No matter what. Kelley knew who she could count on. Always. Still, she held Asher’s gaze.
Asher considered her.
“Trust us. Kelley is way better off without him,” Laura-Beth continued, certainty in her words.
There was a time Kelley had not been quite so certain.
But that was in the months following her separation from her husband and the fallout of owning a restaurant together.
Back when she had lost both her professional and personal futures in one fell swoop.
Her words were soft yet resolute. “I’m fine.
” And you should know, I’m even better on my own, cowboy.
Asher nodded, yet concern lingered in his gaze.
Nice that, but entirely unnecessary. Kelley squeezed Asher’s fingers and said, “Really. I’m good. The divorce was finalized earlier this year and that is all officially behind me as they say.”
Asher searched her face for another beat then said, “I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”
It was not the sincerity in his words that got to Kelley.
But rather the almost imperceptible change in his hold around her waist. It was suddenly somehow tender yet protective as if he held something precious.
She wanted to sigh all the way down to her sore toes.
Or she would have if she wanted to feel special to a cowboy.
But after her split from her husband, she decided romance was a luxury she could no longer afford.
“Asher, you should take Kelley to dinner,” Frannie called out. “Then maybe you can find out if my big sis is as good a catch as we claim.”
Kelley shook her head.
“But don’t take her to dinner here at the diner,” Laura-Beth added. “It’s too hard to keep her focused on you when she is here.”
Funny. Kelley was having no problems focusing on Asher. “Don’t pay my sisters any mind.”
One corner of his mouth lifted.
And all Kelley suddenly wanted was his full smile. Aimed at her. Talk about a misstep.
“Pay me every mind.” Laura-Beth stomped her boot. “This is a wedding party celebration, not a condolence gathering. We are supposed to be blissful and excited and so very delighted.”
“Cheerful and oh so very hopeful,” Frannie chimed in.
“Absolutely. That, too.” Laura-Beth motioned toward Kelley, and Asher then ordered, “Now, get happy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Asher twirled Kelley away then spun her back into his embrace, turned them in a tight circle and twirled her out again. That move he repeated flawlessly until Kelley’s laughter floated around the dining area like so much homespun sugar.