by Elle James
“I’ll cue the pianist to play the special song and give you time to come out to the barn. Do you need help with your train?”
“No,” Dallas said. “I can manage.” If she could remember how to breathe.
“Then I’ll be waiting by the barn door.” She gave her one last look and left the bedroom.
Once more, Dallas glanced in the mirror. She didn’t look like herself. Then again, she did. A much-improved version of Dallas Hayes. Would her appearance make Viper feel any differently? She knew he liked kissing her. But that circumstance didn’t mean he wanted to marry her for real.
Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned to find Lisa Benton standing near the door to the bedroom.
Where did she come from? A prickle of unease skittered across the back of Dallas’s neck. “Lisa, thank you so much for helping decorate the barn.”
“I like to decorate for weddings. I would have liked to decorate for mine.”
“I’m sorry,” Dallas prompted her. “Are you engaged?”
Lisa snorted. “No. That won’t happen.”
“Why not? There’s someone for everyone.”
“Not me,” she said, her brows drawn low. “I’m not loveable.”
“Oh, Lisa,” Dallas said, her gut clenching, gooseflesh rising on her arms. “Of course, you are.”
She shook her head, her body planted in front of the door. “No. He said I was too weird for anyone to love.”
“He?” Dallas asked, stepping a little closer, knowing by then that this was the person they’d been looking for. But why?
“Tyler.” She shook her head. “He would have loved me, if he hadn’t loved Daisy first. He was my friend first.”
“Lisa, surely you have other friends.”
“I don’t want other friends.” She raised her hand, clutching something in her fingers. “I wanted Tyler, but he wants Daisy.”
Dallas’s muscles bunched. “Are you the one who has been ruining the weddings?”
“He should have loved me. I care for him, unlike Daisy.” She sneered. “Everyone thinks Daisy is so nice, so perfect. But they’re wrong.” She raised her hand higher. “Not everything she does is good. The weddings she plans end up bad. People will figure it out and quit asking her to arrange them. Tyler will see that she’s not all that great. He’ll come back to me.”
“Lisa, you can’t blame the broken relationship all on Daisy.”
“I can!” she said, her eyes flashing. “You’ll see. Daisy is Tyler’s weakness. When she falls from grace, he’ll lose interest. And when he gets over her, he’ll see how much I love him.”
Whatever Lisa had in her hand, it wasn’t a gun. The object didn’t even appear to be a knife. Maybe a cellphone?
Dallas could take the woman. She had no doubt. All she needed was to get a little closer. She lunged for Lisa, reaching for the woman’s arm.
Instead of pulling away, Lisa leaned into Dallas and pressed something against her side.
A shock of electricity bolted through Dallas. She tried to move away from Lisa, but the woman held onto her, still pressing the device into Dallas’s side.
Dallas’s thoughts scrambled. She couldn’t figure out why. Her knees wobbled and then gave out and she crumpled to the floor, shaking.
What was happening? Why couldn’t she move?
Lisa stood above her, her lip curling into a snarl. Next, she dropped down beside Dallas, pulled her arms over her head and around a bedpost then zip-tied her wrists together.
Dallas could do nothing. Her body wouldn’t cooperate, and her mind could barely take in what happened. She couldn’t even form words to call out for help.
“Sorry.” Lisa walked toward the door. She paused at the threshold and faced Dallas. “Daisy has to pay, and you’re the price.” Then she shut the door behind her.
In the next few moments, Dallas smelled the acrid scent of gasoline, followed by the pungent aroma of smoke.
Chapter 15
“Everyone is in place,” Kujo assured Viper.
“Good.” Viper adjusted the bowtie at his neck, even as he felt the reassuring weight of the pistol beneath the tuxedo jacket. “If our attacker is here, he’ll be pressed to act within the next hour or so.”
“And we’ll be ready,” Swede said.
“Damn right, we will,” Kujo muttered beneath his breath.
The seats in the barn were filled with members of the Brotherhood Protectors and their women.
Sadie stood at the barn entrance, looking back over her shoulder.
Lori waited beside her, whispering into her ear.
Daisy joined the women and then motioned for the pianist to start the music.
Still, Viper saw no sign of Dallas. He hadn’t seen her since the rehearsal the night before. The more time that passed without him having her at his side, the more restless he became.
“Hey, don’t worry, she’ll be here.” Swede chuckled. “And just think, if this wedding was real, you’d probably be a lot more nervous than you are now.”
“I don’t see how. I’m tied in knots,” Viper said. “Where is Dallas? Why hasn’t she shown up yet?”
Hank joined the ladies at the barn entrance and spoke to them for a moment, then glanced toward Viper. With a nod, he disappeared.
“I have to check on her.” Adrenaline coursed through Viper’s veins.
“Just wait.” Kujo touched his arm. “Hank looked like he was doing just that.”
“I don’t care. Something doesn’t feel right.” Viper walked down the aisle, heading for the barn’s exit.
Kujo and Swede moved behind him. Soon, Boomer, Chuck, Bear and Duke were on their feet, as well.
As Viper reached the barn door, someone shouted, “Fire!”
His heart leaped into his throat, and Viper broke into a run toward the ranch house.
Hank was ahead of him, just reaching the porch as a wall of flame rose up on the house front, as if an accelerant had just been lit. Hank fell backward off the steps, landing on the ground.
Viper raced past him, leaped through the flames and slammed into the front door. The door knob didn’t budge—locked from the inside.
Then Viper jabbed an elbow into the nearest widow, shattering the glass. He kicked out the remaining jagged shards with his foot and dove into the living room.
Flames licked at the curtains and furniture, smoke rising to the ceiling.
Viper covered his mouth and nose with his elbow and ran through the room into the hallway.
A woman appeared in front of him, carrying a jug, slinging liquid onto the walls and floor. Gasoline. “You can’t save her.”
That woman was Lisa, the waitress from the diner. “Lisa,” Viper called out. “Don’t do this.”
“It’s too late.” She splashed gasoline on the walls, some of it getting on her dress. “You can’t stop it. This house is going to explode and you can’t stop it.” She dropped the jug, its contents spilling out onto the floor. From her pocket, she pulled out a box of matches.
“Don’t!” Viper yelled and lunged toward her. But he was too far away to stop her action.
She struck the match, a flame flared, and she dropped it. On its way down, it caught the edge of her dress on fire and then hit the gasoline on the floor and ignited the hallway in a wall of flame.
Lisa screamed as the fire consumed her dress and licked at her skin.
“I’ll get Lisa,” Hank yelled. “Find Dallas.”
Viper grabbed Lisa and shoved her back into Hank’s arms. Then he covered his mouth and nose with an arm and raced down the hallway, throwing open doors until he came to the last one, which wouldn’t open. A knife had been jammed into the lock and smoke was filling the hallway.
His lungs burning, Viper threw his shoulder against the door. The door frame cracked but didn’t give. He raised a foot and kicked as hard as he could, again and again until the door finally flung open.
Smoke billowed out, blinding him for a moment. Crouc
hing low, he ran inside and searched the room for the one person he realized he didn’t want to live without.
He found Dallas on the floor with her wrists wrapped around the leg of the bed, her body unmoving. She lay like an angel in her wedding dress, her veil fanning out beneath her head. Viper couldn’t take the time to feel for a pulse. He had to get her out or smoke inhalation would kill her anyway.
Without hesitation, he lifted the heavy four-poster bed off the floor and shoved it away from Dallas. Then, he scooped her into his arms and turned back to the door. The hallway was consumed in flames. He couldn’t take her out that way. Blood pounded hard through his body. He kicked shut the door and turned to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. If he didn’t get her out immediately, they wouldn’t have a chance.
With Dallas in his arms, Viper ran toward the window and made a flying leap. Right before he reached the glass, he twisted around and hit it with his back. Tinkling of broken glass echoed in his ears as he fell through. Viper hit the ground hard, using his own body to cushion Dallas’s landing.
Broken glass tore at his legs and cut into his backside, but he didn’t care. He had Dallas out of the burning house and into the open air.
He rolled to his side and lifted her in his arms and carried her off the porch and away from the inferno that had been the ranch house. Away from the flames, he laid her on the ground.
“Dallas, sweetheart,” he said, his voice rough and gravelly. He coughed, the smoke he’d inhaled making talking hard. “Dallas, talk to me.” He felt for a pulse, his hand shaking. At first, he didn’t feel the reassuring thump. When he did, he pulled her against him and held her close. “You’re not moving. Why aren’t you moving? Oh, baby, you’ll be all right. You have to be all right. I love you so much.”
When he held her again at arm’s length, she’d opened her eyes and her mouth was working but the words were too quiet to hear.
Viper leaned closer. “What did you say?”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
That’s when Viper realized he’d said it first. And he meant his statement. “I never believed I could ever fall in love again,” he said, pushing the veil back from her face. “But then you came into my life, all feisty and ready to take on the world.” He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I think I fell in love the moment I saw you.”
“I’m glad you do…but how can you love…” she coughed and continued, “someone like me?”
He smiled down at her and cradled her in his arms. “How could I not?” Then he kissed her lightly and raised his head, missing her body pressed close. “Why aren’t you moving? Did Lisa hurt you in some other way?”
“That bitch hit me with a stun gun.” Dallas lifted a trembling arm and cupped his cheek. “I’m just now getting back the feeling.” She craned her neck and looked around. “Did you catch her? Did you get Lisa?”
“Hank was getting her out of the house.”
“That’s good because she did it all. She’s the one who ruined the weddings and…” Dallas sighed. “And my beautiful dress.”
Viper leaned closer. “Your what?”
“My beautiful dress. You didn’t even get to see me in it.”
A glance down at the sooty, pink dress had Viper laughing out loud. “You’re worried about a dress? Darlin’, you’re beautiful, even covered in soot.” He kissed her again, still chuckling. “The dress is the least of your worries. I’m just glad I got you out before you died of smoke inhalation.”
Dallas pushed to a sitting position.
Beyond her, the wedding guests had formed a bucket brigade to help quell the fire tearing through the ranch house.
“We need to help,” she said, trying to get to her feet.
“I think you’ve done enough.” He pressed a hand to her shoulder. “Besides, I hear fire truck sirens.”
The wail of sirens pierced the air, and soon fire engines, pumper trucks and ambulances rolled into the barn yard.
Before long, the fire was extinguished, but the house was a loss.
Lisa was loaded into an ambulance and whisked away under Sheriff Barron’s supervision.
When the smoke cleared, the wedding party stood around in their soot-covered clothes, relieved no one else had been harmed.
* * *
Dallas felt stronger by the minute as the effects of the stun gun finally wore off.
Viper hooked his arm around her waist and led her over to join the others.
Hank clapped Viper on the back and hugged Dallas. “You two did it. Your work uncovered the culprit behind the wedding disasters.”
“Yeah, but she got me before I could get her.” Dallas couldn’t hide her disappointment in herself for failing at her first assignment. “I’m sorry I let you down. If I’d taken her out first, Allie wouldn’t have lost the Pattersons’ family home.”
Allie shook her head. “We’re just lucky Viper got to you before…well…before. Houses can be rebuilt.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You were brave enough to be bait for this project,” Hank said. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“Wait a minute.” Sadie touched her husband’s chest and glanced between Viper and Dallas. “So, this whole event was just a hoax to reveal Lisa as the wedding destroyer?”
Hank drew her into his arms. “That’s right. And you did a fine job getting our bride ready. Only a very few knew the event was all part of the plan. Thank you very much.”
Sadie pouted. “But we picked the perfect dress. It’s a shame she didn’t get to wear it down the aisle, even if the wedding was fake.”
“The day’s not over.” Viper turned to Dallas. “We’ve only known each other a few days, but I feel as though I really know you.” He dropped to one knee and took her dirty hand in his. “I want you to be a part of the rest of my life. Would you consider taking a huge leap of faith and marrying this old Delta Force soldier?”
“Like this?” Dallas glanced down at her sooty peachy-pink dress and torn veil.
Viper laughed out loud. “Like that. Even with a smudge of soot on your nose. I don’t think I’ve seen you look more beautiful.”
She touched her finger to her nose as her heart fluttered and her knees trembled. “You mean it?”
“The part about you being beautiful?” His brow furrowed. “Or the part where I asked you to marry me and you didn’t say yes?”
Daisy stepped closer. “The barn is intact, the flowers are beautiful and the Justice of the Peace hung around hoping to have some of Melissa Fuller’s heavenly barbecue, despite the fire. If you think Vince is the one…”
Dallas nodded, her heart filling with joy so complete she thought it might explode. “I do.”
“Then go for it,” Daisy said. “You only live once. Or in your case, twice. You got a second chance. Don’t waste it.”
Dallas drew in a deep breath and stared down at Viper still on his knee, looking up at her. “Yes!”
He straightened, wrapped his arms around her and swung her in a circle. When he set her down, he turned to the gathered crowd. “Did you hear that? A wedding is taking place after all.”
A cheer rose from the crowd.
The guests left the firefighters to their job of tamping down the last burning embers and headed back into the barn.
The pianist, a bit sootier, cranked up the tunes and played the wedding march a little livelier than usual.
Instead of Hank marching her down the aisle, Dallas held onto Viper’s arm and walked between the rows of chairs at his side.
The Justice of the Peace smiled and then performed the ceremony until the part where Viper and Dallas were to exchange rings.
Dallas laughed, and Viper joined in. They’d thought of everything during their preparations…but the rings.
“No rings?” Percy asked. “Hold on.” He ran to the back of the barn where hay bales were stacked to the ceiling. He sliced off a piece of hay string from one of the bales, cut it in two and tied knots in each. He returned to
Dallas and Viper and handed each a twine ring. “What the rings are made of don’t make a hill of beans. It’s what they stand for that determines the strength of a marriage.”
With their twine rings, Dallas pledged her love to Viper and he pledged his to her. The JP pronounced them man and wife, and Viper pulled her into his arms and kissed away her breath.
When he set her back on her feet, he turned her to the audience and raised their joined hands above their heads.
The Brotherhood Protectors, their women and the residents of Brighter Days Ranch cheered as the newlywed couple led the way to the barbecue banquet arranged beneath the trees.
“I can’t believe the ceremony really happened.” Dallas smiled up at her new husband.
“Me, either,” Viper said.
“Any regrets?” She held her breath, almost afraid to hear his answer.
“Only that I took so long to get around to asking you to marry me. I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride than you, standing there in that pink dress.”
She glanced down at what had once been the perfect dress. “And yet, you still married me. Soot stains, one leg and all.”
“Darlin’, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I got you, didn’t I?” He pulled her close and kissed her until her toes curled. “I couldn’t have picked a better partner. You brought me back to life.”
A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed it back. She cupped his face between her palms and stared into his eyes. “You saved my life in more ways than one.”
Again, he kissed her. When he finally let her up for air, he leaned close and whispered, “Any idea where we’re spending our wedding night?”
She laughed. “We didn’t get that far in the planning. How about the Brighter Days Ranch?”
He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Do you think anyone will notice if we leave now?”
She kissed him. “Do you care?”
“Not a damn bit.”
“Our chariot awaits.” She placed her hand in his, and they left the reception dinner. The retired Delta Force soldier and the Army Ranger made a dash for the waiting limousine, both eager to start the wedding night and their lives together in the Crazy Mountains of Montana.