The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy

by Robin Bielman

  “I’ll go see what we’ve got in the kitchen.” Ava slid out of bed. “And check if Andrew is still here.” He’d crashed on the couch last night, per his usual if they drank or he was too tired to drive to his place.

  Kennedy used the bathroom, washed her hands and face, brushed her teeth. Crawling back into bed, she lifted her phone off the nightstand. For the past week, her initial hope when looking at her cell was to see a text from Maverick. She didn’t care what it said, only that it meant he’d been thinking about her. She hadn’t texted him, though, not even a short response to his letter, so she couldn’t really blame him for being silent, too.

  And now he was an ocean away. In another time zone. Wrapped up in his promise to Nicole. She sighed.

  There really wasn’t a better man than Maverick Owens.

  “Look out!” Andrew said, jumping onto the bed.

  She put the phone back on the nightstand and braced for impact. “What are you wearing?”

  “The question is what am I not wearing?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I forgot I left these here a while ago for morning-afters.” The pajamas had Andrew’s face all over them, sticking his tongue out. They were silly and fun like her best friend. And she knew what he didn’t have on underneath, since he liked to go commando. TMI, she’d told him when he’d announced that years ago.

  “They’re…”

  “Awesome. I know.” He snuggled next to her, side by side. “So?” When she didn’t answer right away, he said, “You okay today?”

  “Not really.”

  “Good.”

  “Good?”

  “Sadness takes a while to go away. Sometimes a really long while. Remember how long it took me to come out of my funk after Brendan died?”

  Brendan had been one of his best friends growing up. “I haven’t thought about that in a long time, but yes, I remember.” She gave him a quick hug. “It never goes away completely, does it?”

  “No.”

  “I feel like there’s a hole in my chest.” She put her hand over her sternum.

  “It will close eventually.”

  “‘My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,’” Ava sang as she danced into the room clutching three tall glasses to her chest.

  “‘And they’re like, it’s better than yours,’” Andrew sang back.

  “Milkshakes?” Kennedy asked, not sure that was the best thing to fill her stomach after one too many shots last night.

  “That’s not the line!” Ava and Andrew said at the same time.

  “‘Damn right, it’s better than yours,’” she said, toneless.

  Her sister and best friend frowned. What? She was not in a singing mood. She did appreciate them trying to lift her spirits, though.

  “Ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup was about all we had,” Ava said, handing out the glasses. “And spinach. I dropped a couple leaves in so we can call it healthy.”

  “I’ll order Chinese,” Andrew said.

  “Bless you.” Ava smiled at him before climbing under the covers. Somehow the three of them managed to fit.

  They decided on a Julia Roberts marathon. Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, and I Love Trouble. Ava rubbed her back. Andrew recited popular lines he’d memorized from each film. They flopped onto their stomachs, feet in the air. For a little while, Kennedy forgot about the sorrow chewing up her insides as she managed to lose herself in the stories on the screen. Her face even broke into a smile a time or two. But it didn’t last long.

  And when Andrew said good night and headed home and Ava went to her room to study for her upcoming final, Kennedy cried herself to sleep.

  The next morning, she lay in bed to think. She owed both Dr. Weaver and Dr. Choi an answer. When she’d told Dr. Weaver about losing Hugo, he’d been kind enough to extend her decision date on the ER position. He understood that grief took over all rational thought, as well as a person’s time, and a move across the country required careful consideration.

  Staring at the ceiling, her mind drifted, as it often did, to Maverick. This time, though, to his letters. He’d used them as a coping mechanism. Maybe she could, too. She pushed herself to a sitting position. It didn’t feel right writing a letter to Hugo. But…

  She slipped out of bed and sat at her desk to pen a letter to the one person in her life who would understand.

  Dear Maverick,

  Hugo passed away four days ago. I’m devastated and sad and so angry. I’m not sure what I believe in, but when a smart, kind, funny boy dies, I wonder why I ever say a prayer or make a wish. How come good people leave us before we’re ready? I know you’ve asked the same question, and Mav, I didn’t know. I didn’t know until now how much it hurts. I’m so sorry about Nicole. I’m sorry you lost someone you loved.

  As I write this, you’re traveling in her honor, and I hope you’re finding peace. Happiness. She was lucky to have you love her. When I left to go to Boston, Hugo had looked good. He’d felt good. He was good when I got back, too. And then he wasn’t. His heart stopped on the operating table, and they couldn’t save him.

  You lived with Nicole’s illness for two years, knowing she wasn’t going to survive it. Hugo was gone unexpectedly in the blink of an eye. I’m not sure which is better. Suffering is horrible, but your loved ones got to say goodbye. Hugo’s mom, Maria, didn’t get to do that, and I couldn’t take away that heartbreak. I wish so much that you were here to hold me, to tell me it gets easier. I miss you. A lot. If it’s possible to fall in love with someone in one week, then I fell in love with you, Maverick Owens.

  I do hope we meet again.

  Love,

  Kennedy

  She folded the letter and put it in an envelope. Wrote his name on the outside and held it in her hands. She’d mail it to him at the inn. Maybe. She had time to think about it. He didn’t know it, but he’d been a source of comfort to her over the past few days. A happy memory in the middle of the crappiest week of her life.

  He could have fought for you.

  He could have said, “Let’s see each other when I get back.”

  People who really cared about each other didn’t give up so easily, did they? They figured out a way to keep in touch. To discuss possibilities. Not leave things to hope or fate.

  Did she want a long-distance relationship with him? She gazed out her bedroom window, eyes unfocused. It didn’t matter what she wanted; she’d fallen for a man currently unavailable, and she’d best remember that.

  She had plenty of time for a romantic relationship later. Right now she had a career to launch.

  The problem was, which one?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Three months after they said goodbye

  Maverick stood outside his house knowing what waited for him inside. His family was about as stealthy as an elephant in a swimming pool. He’d caught movement through the window on the walk up, not to mention noticed the cute face belonging to his niece pressed against the glass.

  “He’s here!” he heard Jenna call out before disappearing from view.

  The smile taking hold of his face felt good. He’d missed his family.

  His mom flung open the front door. “Hi, honey! Welcome home!”

  He rolled his luggage inside and stepped into her open arms. “Hi, Mom.” If hugging were an Olympic sport, his mom deserved a gold medal.

  On the release, he found the rest of his family standing side by side ready to greet him. Jenna launched herself at him first, Rumi right on her heels. He lifted Jenna off the floor and squeezed her while the playful pup with huge paws jumped on his legs, reaching close to his waist. “Hey, pipsqueak.”

  “I’m so gratified you’re home,” she said.

  “Me too.” He grinned over her head at his brother and sister-in-law. Gratified? That was a new one.

  “On her vocabulary list this week,” Cole sai
d, proud as ever.

  “Get over here,” his dad said next. John Owens had a few more gray hairs on his head but, other than that, looked fitter than ever. Hunter had mentioned their dad and uncle were in some kind of fitness competition, and it appeared to be paying off.

  “Looking good, Dad.”

  “You too, son.” They embraced, and then came Cole and Bethany.

  Nova had tears in her eyes when she wrapped her arms around him next. “Don’t ever leave for that long again,” she whispered.

  “I won’t,” he whispered back. “I missed you too much.” That got a smile out of her as she wiped the back of her hand across her cheek.

  Last came Hunter, who took him in a brotherly bear hug. “Welcome home, bro. I missed your ugly face.”

  Maverick chuckled. “Missed yours, too.”

  “You hungry?” his mom asked. “We’ve got all your favorites ready, and you can tell us the highlights. You must be tired.”

  They moved into the kitchen where balloons and a handmade sign courtesy of Jenna greeted him. On the counter were several dishes of food—lasagna, roasted chicken, barbecued ribs, bacon-wrapped asparagus, chocolate chip cookies—plus plates, napkins, and utensils.

  Hunter handed him a beer.

  Jenna gave Rumi a dog bone to chew on. He quickly looked away, not quite ready to love on the dog Kennedy had named because then his thoughts would go straight to her. Three months had gone by and he still couldn’t get her out of his head.

  Not that he wanted to.

  He filled his plate and took a seat at the table. Late-afternoon beams of sunshine spilled inside the room and cast a glow on everyone as they squeezed in around him, Jenna sharing a chair with Nova.

  “First things first,” his dad said, raising his drink. “A toast to OFO.”

  Maverick drank to that. Owens Family Organics had been born after Marco agreed to invest in the nonharmful pesticide company. Plans were almost complete for a nearby factory, Uncle Tim taking the lead on manufacturing. Mav may have used his chemistry background to create the product, but after a couple of virtual family meetings online, everyone knew he liked being outside with the trees best.

  “What’s OFO?” Jenna asked.

  Cole gave a brief explanation, but Jenna was too busy sneaking pieces of food to Rumi to pay full attention.

  “So you finished everything on Nicole’s list.” His mom tilted her head to the side in thoughtful consideration. “How do you feel?”

  “Good.” He meant it. He’d done what he set out to do and in the process released himself from his promise and the uncomfortable feeling of dragging his feet. “Really good. And relieved,” he added. “I think I did it justice and that if she’s looking down, she’s happy.”

  “No doubt,” Bethany said. She and Nicole had formed a fast and easy friendship, so her confirmation meant a lot to Maverick. “Does this mean you ate Creier pane?”

  “I did. And just like Nicole said, ‘fry anything and it tastes good.’” The Romanian dish consisted of boiled calf brains coated in flour, eggs, and bread crumbs, and then fried to a golden brown.

  “Do I want to know what that is?” Cole asked.

  “No,” he and Bethany both said.

  “Favorite place?” his dad asked.

  “Patagonia,” he said without hesitation. “The Andes Mountains were breathtaking, and the penguins that Nicole had wanted to see were fun to watch.” He caught his mom’s warmhearted expression. “What?” he asked her.

  “This is the first time you’ve talked so freely about Nicole.”

  “It finally feels okay.” He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he’d been set free from the sorrow weighing him down, but he was pretty sure it started before he’d left for his trip and around the time Kennedy, in all her fun, fascinating, feminine glory, showed up on his ranch.

  Kennedy.

  He’d written her numerous letters and postcards.

  And never mailed them.

  Instead, he planned to give them to her in person. The time apart had done nothing to quell the love he felt for her. He’d told himself that, when he touched back down in California, if he couldn’t picture life without her, then he’d do whatever it took to make her his, as long as that was still what she wanted. If they had to navigate cross-country trips to see each other, then so be it.

  Because he was ready.

  He hoped she was, too. He hoped he hadn’t blown it with his silence, and he prayed some other ER doctor hadn’t made a move on her.

  “That’s great!” Nova said, looking at him funny.

  Talk turned to plans for Thanksgiving next week and hiring seasonal help for the month of December. Besides the bustling Christmas tree business they did, there were three weddings booked.

  “Anything exciting happen here while I was gone?” he asked, taking his last bite of food.

  Nova practically bounced Jenna off her lap as she said, “That depends.”

  “On what?” He looked around the table to find everyone’s eyes on him like they knew a secret he didn’t, which, given his absence, made sense.

  “On your feelings about a certain doctor,” Nova said.

  “What are you talking about?” Had Kennedy visited Windsong?

  “Uncle Mav, don’t be dense,” Jenna said. Then glancing up at her parents with wide, apologetic eyes added, “I’m going to take Rumi outside to go potty. Bye!”

  Silence fell over the table.

  “Is Kennedy…here?” he asked evenly.

  “She’s been here for two months,” Nova said with an edge of excitement. “She’s taking over Doc’s practice.” His sister could not have smiled any bigger if she tried.

  Maverick’s jaw dropped before he pressed his lips together, unsure what to say, if he could even speak right now. Shock registered, followed by annoyance. Someone should have told him sooner. Preferably Kennedy herself. But then she wasn’t here for him; she was here for a job.

  His mom reached across the table to cover his hand with hers. “We thought it best to wait to tell you.”

  “Did she ask you not to?”

  “No.” His mom shook her head. “She wouldn’t do that, honey.”

  He looked around the table again. A mix of hopefulness and worry shaped everyone’s expressions. Except Nova’s. She had a look of pure joy on her face, and so Maverick focused on her.

  “What happened to Boston?”

  “She turned it down.”

  “Why? She said that was her dream job.”

  “I think she should tell you why.”

  He didn’t like the uncomfortable feeling Nova’s answer planted in his stomach. “She’s good, though, right?”

  Nova nodded. “Yes.”

  “Did you tell her I was coming home today?”

  “She knows.” Nova glanced at their mom and then Bethany. “But…”

  “But…?” Jesus, since when did he have to pull teeth to get info out of his talkative sister?

  “She said you haven’t been in touch. At all. And…”

  He was about to lose his mind. “Please just say it.”

  “I think she secretly loves you, and is waiting for you, but Nash Radcliffe is interested in her and so if you don’t have a plan to whisk her off her feet, then you’re in big trouble because Nash has it all going on.”

  Maverick gritted his teeth. Nash Radcliffe lived in Rustic Creek, the next town over. He’d liked the guy until right this second. “What’s Rad doing in Windsong?” The pro football player should be with his team.

  “I just told you.”

  “How did he meet Kennedy?”

  “Rumor has it they had a meet-cute at the office.”

  “‘Meet-cute’? What the hell is that?”

  “Mav.” His mom leveled him with a look that said, chill out. “There
’s nothing going on between them.”

  “Yet,” Nova so kindly added.

  He pushed back his chair with a little more force than necessary and stood. As tired as he was, he couldn’t wait to see Kennedy. “Where is she?”

  “Slow down, cowboy,” Nova said. “You can’t go see her guns blazing and piss her off. You need a plan.”

  “I have a plan.”

  Hunter laughed. “Dude, we’re talking about Kennedy. You need a solid approach, not a two-second alpha-ass strategy that she will not appreciate.”

  He sat back down. His family was right. He’d done nothing to let Kennedy know a day hadn’t passed that he hadn’t thought about her. And given her stubborn, perceptive nature, he definitely needed a foolproof game plan if he wanted to win her heart. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “Uncle Mav.” Jenna came skipping back into the kitchen without Rumi. “There’s someone here to see you.”

  “Where’s Rumi?” Cole asked.

  “Kennedy’s playing with her.” Jenna slapped her hand over her mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to say her name.”

  His heart practically rocketed out of his chest at the same time his family dispersed from the table faster than he’d ever seen them move.

  “We’ll see you tomorrow!” Mom and Dad said.

  “Don’t screw this up,” Hunter said.

  “Good luck!” Bethany grabbed Jenna’s hand.

  “You got this,” Cole said.

  He blinked, and everyone but Nova had disappeared. “You still need a plan,” she said.

  “She’s here,” he breathed, not making any sudden moves. His sister was right, of course. He needed at least a minute to figure out what to say. How to say it.

  “Yes.” Nova stared at him. “And I’m pretty sure she’s as nervous as you are.”

  “She doesn’t get nervous.”

  “Not with her job, but you’re a different story.” Nova stood and pushed in her chair. “I’ll tell her you’ll be just a minute.”

  “Tell her ten. I’m making a plan.”