by Elle James
Ava held up her hands. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
“It’s just that I’ve had these feelings. Twice now, he’s been close enough for me to kiss him.” Leslie’s cheeks heated. “And I wanted him to.”
Ava leaped out of her chair and crossed the floor to stand in front of Leslie. She gripped her arms and stared into her face. “Leslie, you of all people know that life is short. You have to grab for the joy. You can’t let it get by. You want to go to your grave with no regrets.”
“When Randy knew he was dying and only had a couple of days to live, he made me promise not to grieve for too long.” Leslie stared into Ava’s eyes. “How long is too long?”
“Randy’s been dead for four years. Too long would have been about two years ago,” Ava said. She pulled Leslie into her arms and hugged her tight. “You really need to get on with your life. And you can’t let a little thing like Tag being your husband’s best friend slow you down. Randy would have approved of Tag being more than just a friend to you. He loved Tag almost as much as he loved you.”
Leslie gave Ava a weak smile. “This dating thing isn’t easy.”
Ava nodded. “You’re telling me?” She shook her head. “I got lucky. BODS found Sean for me right out of the chute. I can’t believe you have to sort through four men in order to come up with the right one. BODS should have narrowed it down a lot more than that.”
Leslie shook her head. “I’m okay with the four-person selection that BODS came up with. I kind of like having a menu to choose from.”
“I’m glad I only had the one to choose from,” Ava said, wrinkling her nose.
Leslie smiled at her assistant. “I love that you’re so happy with Sean. And I love that he’s so good with Mica.”
“Speaking of Sean and Mica…” Ava stared down at her watch. “Oh, wow. I only have a few minutes to get ready and get back home before Sean picks me up. And I have to get Mica to the babysitter.” Ava’s hands tightened on Leslie’s arms. “We’re all going to be together tonight at the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. Give yourself a chance with Tag. If nothing comes of it…no regrets.”
Leslie smiled at her friend and assistant. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ava released Leslie’s arms and spun. “I better get.”
As Ava ran out of the office, Leslie called after her, “Are you bringing your dress tonight?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ava said, turning and flashing her a smile.
“They have a place for us to leave our dresses in the church overnight. I’d rather leave them there tonight than accidentally forget to bring it tomorrow. It’s a long drive between Austin and Hellfire, if I have to go back to retrieve my dress.”
“Good point,” Ava said.
“Want me to call Fiona and remind her to bring her dress?” Leslie asked.
“That would be a good idea.” Ava looped her purse over her shoulder and walked backwards toward the exit. “I’ll see you tonight then. Don’t forget to call Fiona.”
“I won’t forget. See ya there,” Leslie called out.
Then Ava was out the door, leaving the office in silence.
Leslie had thirty minutes before she had to leave to reach her house, gather her things and get dressed. That gave her thirty minutes to figure out what to say in response to Joe Fox’s message.
She sat at her desk then clicked her mouse to awaken the BODS system. Moments later, she had the system up and was logged into her account. She read through the message Joe had sent the night before. Then she sat with her hands on the keys.
Dear Joe
No, no, no. Was it too soon to call him dear?
Leslie erased the greeting and started over.
Hi Joe,
I have to admit I smile when I see your name, Joe Fox. I knew that I recognized that name from somewhere. I just couldn’t put my finger on where. It took some friends of mine to figure out that it was the name of a character from the movie, You’ve Got Mail. I love that you chose the name of a character from that movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. And I love the original movie Shop Around the Corner, starring Jimmy Stewart. Some women would have been angry over the fake name being used as a cover for who you really are. I, however, understand the need for anonymity at times. Anonymity gives us a quiet place to get to know each other. You’ve Got Mail and Shop Around the Corner ended in a happily-ever-after for the characters. I have to believe that means you’re coming into the situation with hope for a happy ending. As you can tell, I prefer to be positive. I prefer to find the joy in everything. As a good friend of mine said just recently, “Life is short, you have to grab for the joy and leave behind no regrets.”
Until we meet, may your days be filled with beauty and sunshine.
Leslie
* * *
She stared at the screen a moment longer, checking for typos and reading back through what she’d said. It might be corny; it might mean nothing to him. But it made her feel somehow closer to Joe Fox.
Her finger hovered over the send key for only a moment. Then she pressed it, and the message was off to Joe. She glanced at the clock, and her heart skipped several beats. She needed to get going if she was going to be on time. Tag would be at her house in thirty minutes to pick her up and she wanted to get her dress ready. It would take at least fifteen to twenty minutes to get to her house in the late afternoon Austin traffic. She grabbed her purse and ran out the office door, only stopping long enough to lock it.
Thirty minutes later, she’d called Fiona about the dress, driven across town and pulled into her driveway beside Tag’s truck. Traffic had been horrible.
Tag got out of his truck, opened her SUV door for her and smiled. “You look a little stressed.”
She gave him a twisted smile. “I think I hit every red light between here and the office—some of which I sat through twice.” She shook her head, gathered her purse and got out.
“It’s okay. We have time.” Tag cupped her elbow and guided her toward her front door.
“Want me to wait in the truck?”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary,” she said. “You can come in and relax. I even have a beer in the refrigerator, if you want one.”
He took her keys from her, unlocked her door and opened it. Then he handed her keys back to her. “Thanks, but I’ll pass on the beer for now. I want to make sure I have a clear head for the rehearsal. From what Coop said, the wedding planner is a tough taskmaster who wants the rehearsal to go smoothly and quickly. I don’t want to slow that woman down.”
Leslie laughed. “I’ll only be a moment. I have to gather my dress and change into something more comfortable than this suit.”
She walked through the house and into her bedroom, calling out over her shoulder, “How formal do we have to be for the rehearsal?”
“I have no idea,” Tag said. “All I know is that after the rehearsal, we’re going to the Ugly Stick Saloon for the rehearsal dinner and to celebrate the happy couple’s last night as single people.”
“Well, if we’re going to the Ugly Stick Saloon, I’m sure we’re not going to be that formal,” Leslie said.
“Right. I’m sure jeans and a T-shirt will be fine.”
Leslie chuckled. “Well, maybe not quite that casual, but definitely not this suit.” She left the door to her bedroom open so that she could hear Tag if he were to say something to her while she was getting her clothes ready. She riffled through her closet, looking for something appropriate to wear to a rehearsal and dinner. Finally, she selected a light blue sundress with white daisies printed on the fabric. The dress and a pair of white cowboy boots would be perfect for a night out at the Ugly Stick Saloon.
Leslie stripped out of her suit jacket and hung it in her closet. She glanced through the door to where Tag stood in the living room with his back to her. Quickly, she shimmied out of her skirt and hung it with the suit jacket. Standing in her panties and a soft pink shell, she loo
ked out at Tag and wondered what he’d think if he saw her standing there nearly naked. Heat coiled inside.
“Have you contacted Herman Lansing yet?” Tag asked.
As he started to turn, Leslie dove for the closet. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did around three o’clock this afternoon. I mentioned that I’d be available Sunday. He agreed that Sunday was good for him.”
“I contacted Chrissy Trent today. I asked if she was available for Sunday as well.”
Standing in her closet, Leslie stripped out of the pink shell and pulled the sundress over her head. Once she had the dress smoothed down over her hips, she stepped out of the closet and smiled toward Tag. “And was she available for Sunday?”
Tag nodded. “She is. Did Herman give you a meeting place?”
Leslie turned and bent to fish her white cowboy boots out of the back of the closet.
Behind her, she heard Tag chuckling.
She straightened with her boots in hand, a frown pulling her eyebrows downward. “What’s so funny?”
Tag waved a hand toward her. “You…uh…” He shook his head and walked into the bedroom. “Turn around.”
Leslie turned her back to him. “What?”
Tag tugged the hem of her dress, his knuckles brushing over her backside, sending a rush of excitement through her.
“You had your dress tucked into the back of your panties.” He turned her around, a strained smile on his face. “And by the way, I like the pink lace.”
Leslie’s cheeks flooded with heat. If it were any other man, she would have slapped his face for such familiarity. But this was Tag. As always, he was looking out for her. “Thanks.”
He grinned. “Can’t have my plus-one date walking around mooning everyone tonight.”
“That would be a fate worse than death,” Leslie said with a crooked grin.
“Didn’t bother me in the least,” Tag said. “But I know you. You would have been highly embarrassed.”
She nodded. “Thank you for saving me from stealing the show at the rehearsal. After all, this is Emma’s night. Not my night to shine.”
“Ha, ha. I love your pun. And that you have a sense of humor.”
“And I love that you’re always looking out for me.” Leslie smiled up at Tag. “Now that you’ve covered my butt, we should probably get going.” She slipped her feet into the boots, grabbed her bridesmaid dress, shoes and her purse and headed for the front door. How ironic that she’d been hiding in her closet to keep Tag from seeing her in her underpants, only to have her dress catch in the elastic of her panties. So, he saw her underwear anyway.
Tag held the door for her. As she passed through, a little smile slipped across his face.
Leslie frowned, wondering what he was thinking. Had he been embarrassed for her, or had he liked what he’d seen?
His arm brushed hers as she walked through the door. A shock of electricity raced up her arm and through her body, culminating low in her belly. If she lived up to her promise to Ava to keep her options open, the evening could turn out to be very interesting. The best part was that she’d be surrounded by people she knew, and no strangers.
Leslie shot a sideways glance at Tag. He wore crisply ironed blue jeans, dark brown cowboy boots, a long-sleeved, button-down white shirt and a bolo tie. Around his waist was a thick, leather belt with a shiny silver buckle. The man was handsome. There was no doubt in Leslie’s mind that he could have any woman he wanted with a crook of his finger.
“You really are ready for a night at the Ugly Stick, aren’t you?” she asked.
“All I need is my cowboy hat, and I’m good to go,” he said. “Cowboy hat is in the back seat of my truck.”
Leslie shivered in anticipation of an exciting evening. Not so much the wedding rehearsal, but after they reached the Ugly Stick Saloon.
Tag had promised to remind her how to do the two-step. Dancing with Tag meant he would be holding her in his arms. How much more open could she be to the possibilities?
Chapter 8
“Okay, everyone,” Marjorie Sergeant ordered, “line up like I showed you.” She clapped her hands and pointed to Sean. “Sean, you and Ava are third in line of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Please, let’s get it together.”
Tag gripped Leslie’s elbow and eased her back a step, making room for Sean and Ava to slip between them.
“I think Ms. Marjorie has missed her calling.” Sean said. “Wedding planning is just too tame for her.”
“She’s putting my basic training drill sergeant to shame,” Tag said.
“Shh,” Ava whispered. “If you don’t hush, she’ll give us the stink eye again.”
Leslie smothered a giggle and cleared her throat. “She’s just doing her job.”
Tag snorted. “And that job happens to be herding cats.” He liked that Leslie was having a hard time holding back her laughter. It made him feel lighthearted and happy.
Gage shot a glance over his shoulder. “You guys settle down back there. There’s a beer with my name on it, waiting for me at the Ugly Stick Saloon.”
“Good point,” Tag said. He tipped his head toward the wedding planner. “Pay attention to Marjorie, Sean.”
“At this rate, we’ll be lucky to make it all the way through the ceremony tomorrow,” Coop said.
“It’ll be okay,” Emma said. “All these guys have to do is walk down the aisle. You and I are the ones with the important lines.”
“Thank goodness, all we have to do is repeat what the preacher tells us to,” Coop said.
“Piece of cake,” Gage said.
“Cue the music,” the wedding planner called out.
The pianist played a few bars of Friends in Low Places.
The men all laughed.
The wedding planner glared. “I promised to get you out of here in thirty minutes. I need everyone’s cooperation to make that happen.”
Moose popped a salute. “Yes, ma’am.” He turned to the others. “You heard the lady. Straighten up.”
“Thank you.” Marjorie nodded. “Now, let’s get this show on the road.”
The pianist played the correct music.
Moose and Jane started down the aisle, taking slow steps as instructed by the wedding planner. Gage and Fiona followed. After them, came Sean and Ava.
“It’s our turn,” Tag said. He meant those words in more ways than one.
Leslie tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.
He covered it with one of his own and held on tightly.
Coop had taken his position at the front of the chapel. As the bridesmaids and the groomsmen filled in on either side, the music slowed to a stop. Everyone faced the back of the chapel as the wedding march began.
Emma appeared at the end of the aisle with her hand tucked in her oldest brother Ace’s arm. She had a smile on her face that could have eclipsed the sun. Tag’s heart squeezed hard in his chest. How he wished he could see Leslie standing at the end of the aisle smiling just as brightly, walking toward him. He glanced across the aisle at Leslie.
Her gaze captured his for a long, intense moment.
“Can we speed this up?” Emma said. “I hear the beer calling me from the Ugly Stick Saloon.”
Coop grinned. “That’s my girl.”
The piano player sped up the wedding march until Emma was skipping down the aisle with her brother. They arrived laughing.
The wedding planner pointed to the exact spot where Emma and Coop should stand.
The preacher gave a brief version of what their vows would be like. “Coop, do you?”
Coop nodded.
The preacher turned to Emma. “Emma, do you?”
Emma nodded.
The preacher smiled. “I now pronounce you.”
Coop grinned. “This is the part where I get to kiss the bride.” He gathered her into his arms and laid a kiss on her that was loud and long.
“Hey, save some for tomorrow,” Sean said.
Emma came up laughing. “Oh, if only it were th
is short tomorrow.”
“We can make that happen.” The preacher winked. “This is it for me. The rest is up to you.”
Coop looked up at his friends. “Who’s ready for a beer?”
“Hold on a minute,” the wedding planner said. “We still need to practice getting out of the church.”
“How hard can that be?” Coop asked.
“Easy. As long as you listen to what I say.” Marjorie pointed at the bride and groom. “You two, go.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Are we done after this?”
The wedding planner nodded. “You’re free to go. Just be here at least an hour early for the wedding tomorrow.”
“We’ll be here,” Coop said. He faced his friends. “Last one to the Ugly Stick buys the first round.”
Emma grabbed Coop’s hand. “Let’s go.”
The bride and groom raced down the aisle and out of the church.
The wedding planner tipped her head. “Moose and Jane, you’re up next.”
Moose and Jane came together at the middle, grasped hands and ran down the aisle, laughing.
As soon as the couple passed the wedding planner, she nodded to the next couple. “Sean and Ava, you’re next.”
When Sean and Ava came together, he scooped her off the ground and carried her through the church.
Tag could hear her laughter all the way out of the building.
“Tag and Leslie,” Marjorie called out.
A wicked grin slid across Tag’s face. He stalked toward Leslie.
Leslie approached him cautiously. “What are you up to?”
“This.” He bent and flung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and ran down the aisle and out into the open.
“Taggert…Bronson…put me down,” she cried.
Tag didn’t put her down until he reached his truck outside the church. He let her slide down his body until her feet touched the ground. “How was that for making a fast getaway?”
Leslie laughed breathlessly, pressed a hand to her belly and sucked in a deep breath. “Please, tell me you’re not going to do that tomorrow.”
“What? You don’t like being carried out like a caveman’s woman?” He grinned and held up his hand. “I swear on a stack of bibles I won’t do that tomorrow.”