The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy

by Robin Bielman

  He listened closely as the front door opened, his sister spoke, and finally he heard the voice he’d ached to hear again.

  “Okay,” Kennedy said. “I’ll wait here on the porch.”

  He got to his feet and looked around for a plan, like he could pick one up off the kitchen counter. How was he supposed to do something romantic in a matter of minutes when he was jet-lagged, in shock that she lived in Windsong, and pissed at Nash for coming anywhere near her?

  Think, Maverick.

  Candles. There were a few in the cupboard. Useful over decorative, but they’d do. He gathered them all, placed them around the living room, and lit them.

  Fireplace. Whoever had left logs in the hearth, he owed big time. He stoked the wood until a great fire flamed.

  Flowers. He remembered her saying how much she loved them. He snuck out the back door to the jasmine shrubs and vines behind his cabin and cut a bunch. He didn’t have any vases, so he filled a few Mason jars with water and arranged the jasmine inside. He put them around the living room, too, bringing in their floral scent.

  The letters. Of course the letters. He rolled his suitcase into the kitchen, then opened it to retrieve the letters and postcards he’d written her. He found some string and tied it in a bow around the small stack. Placed them on the coffee table.

  Lastly, he jotted down the two dozen or so words filling his head right now, tore the page from the notepad on the kitchen counter, and folded it in half to tuck inside his hand.

  Time to seal the deal with his girl.

  He stopped breathing when he saw her leaning against the porch railing. She had on light blue jeans and a soft pink sweater. Her hair, longer now, fell to the middle of her back. Sensing he stood in the doorway, she turned.

  Their eyes didn’t just lock. They sparked.

  Well, hers did, and he found himself hauled right back into their bottomless shimmer.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi,” he said.

  They stared at each other, silent, getting used to seeing each other again, he guessed. God, being this close to her was better than he’d imagined. If she held a stethoscope to his chest, she’d get an earful, his heart pounding out of control. And then, like no time had passed at all, they broke into the same enthusiastic smile and he knew.

  Their connection hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

  “Welcome home.”

  “Thanks. I hear it’s your home now, too.” He stepped onto the porch. It took superhuman strength not to haul her against him. “You gave up your dream job?”

  “No,” she said with a small shake of her head. “I found it here instead.” He stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue. “I realized my dream was to connect with people and build long-lasting relationships where I could help keep them healthy and guide them through good days and bad days. Being here, I still get to help people of all ages with lots of different ailments, but I’m part of a community that extends beyond my medical practice.” Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the first person to tell you. I was going to call or text, but then I decided to just come over. I didn’t realize your family would still be here. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You didn’t.” He stepped closer. He’d imagined Kennedy in all sorts of places and positions, but none like this. None with her leaning back against his porch railing with permanence etched around her eyes. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and the cool evening air did nothing to diminish the heat flaming under his skin.

  “I couldn’t wait to see you,” she said.

  “Always needing a leg up on me,” he teased, falling back into the easy banter between them. Three months suddenly felt like three minutes. “I couldn’t wait to see you, either.”

  Her smug expression made him smile. “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” he asked, genuinely confused.

  “Show me your dimples. I’m not ready for them yet.”

  “What are you ready for?” He stood in front of her now, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her.

  “To talk.”

  “Okay, but first—” He handed her the note in his hand. “Read this.”

  …

  Kennedy didn’t want to look away from Maverick’s intense blue gaze. He was home! Standing a foot away from her! And seeing him in person rather than staring at the picture of him on her phone made this a million times better. She didn’t want to seem obsessed with him, though, so she accepted the piece of paper and read it.

  Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.

  Mother of pearl, he’d written down a Rumi poem. For her. She read the poem a second time, happy tears threatening to spill, before lifting her gaze back to his.

  “Come inside?” He reached toward her cheek, then dropped his arm, as if thinking better of it.

  She slipped the piece of paper into her front pocket, never breaking eye contact. She took his hand and brought it to her cheek, leaned in to his palm, relished the warmth and comfort. “I’d love that.”

  He led her into his house, shut the door behind them. Her breath caught at the sight before her.

  “It’s all I could do in less than ten minutes,” he said.

  “You didn’t… Just having you…” She’d lost the ability to speak a complete sentence. “It’s perfect.”

  She followed him to the couch, taking in the flowers and candles and stack of letters on the coffee table. The smell of jasmine filled her nose, along with the scent of wood from the fireplace. That he had done all this for her spoke volumes and calmed the nervous beat of her heart.

  “Those are all for you,” he said, pointing at the stack. “I needed the time away, Kennedy, but you were always with me. Here.” He put his hand over his heart. “I did mail one letter yesterday. I thought I ought to follow through with at least one, in hopes you felt the same way about me that I feel about you.”

  Butterflies filled her stomach. “And what way is that?”

  He brushed the hair off her shoulder and cupped the side of her neck. “You’re going to make me say it before we’ve had a chance to catch up?”

  “I’ve waited three months to hear your voice again. I think you can say it now and later.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

  “I love you.” No hesitation. No doubt. Pure, genuine honesty.

  Her heart exploded in her chest. She hadn’t come to Windsong for him, but she had hoped in her heart of hearts that it would include them picking up where they’d left off, and hearing those three little words confirmed what she knew deep down: they were meant to be. “I love you, too.”

  His dimpled smile knocked the wind out of her. She grinned back.

  “Say it again,” he said.

  “I love you.”

  “Please tell me I can kiss you now,” he said.

  “You could have kissed me two minutes ago, cowboy.”

  His lips were on hers a split second later, lighting up her insides like her feet weren’t touching the ground. He pulled away far too soon.

  “Best homecoming ever.” He took her hands in his, rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles. Months away from the ranch had softened his skin.

  “It is. I wasn’t sure…”

  “Never, ever doubt how much you mean to me, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Tell me what I missed. How is the job going?”

  “It’s great. I love every day I’m in the office, and sometimes I even make house calls, which is so old-school, it’s beyond fun.” She glanced away for a moment. “You know, there is another reason I decided to come here.”

  He lifted his brows. “Me, right?”

  “No, actually. Hugo. He…he passed away the day after I got the offer in Boston.”

/>   Maverick paled, his shoulders dropping. “Kennedy. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” He wrapped her in a hug and held tight until she drew back a full minute later.

  She’d rehearsed what she wanted to say to Maverick when he returned, but seeing the sympathy written all over his face, the shared pain of loss, made it difficult to remember the speech she’d planned.

  “Thank you.” She glanced at the wood crackling in the fireplace, then focused back on him. “It changed everything for me. I realized how much I wanted to be close to the people I love, not live across the country from them. When Doc first called me about his practice, I told him I’d think about it, never believing I’d actually say yes. I thought Boston was my dream.

  “But then I lost Hugo, and for a few days I could barely function. Then your mom called me. Bethany had told her the reason I’d left the ranch so suddenly, and she wanted to see if I was okay. My own mother hadn’t even done that, and it struck me that a family like yours was a dream of mine, too. The people of Windsong. The sense of community that I’ve relied on a hospital for. I could have an amazing job and be with friends and only a six-hour drive from Ava and Andrew instead of a six-hour plane ride.”

  He stared at her with such clear adoration, she could barely keep herself from straddling his lap and fulfilling her naughtiest dreams of him. We have time for that.

  “If I’d known…” he started.

  “I know.”

  He seemed to wrestle with what to say next, finally settling on, “I’m unbelievably proud of you.”

  “Thanks. I’m ridiculously proud of you, too. I hear your pesticide is a big success.”

  “I feel at a distinct disadvantage here, Dr. Martin.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “I think I’ve got a case of Travelitis. Too much travel and not enough home. You know more about me than I know about you.” He faked a cough. “I think I need a doctor to keep a close eye on me this weekend and talk my ear off, among other things. You up for the job?”

  “Are you asking me to play doctor, Maverick Owens?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Hmm…” She tapped the side of her jaw, pretending to have to think about it. “I guess I could do that. I do like to talk.”

  “I like to listen.”

  “What exactly are the other things you need?”

  “They don’t involve talking at all.” His eyes glittered with lust and his kissable lips hitched up at the corners. “And I should warn you, this is just the beginning, because I can’t ever go without you again.”

  “I’m all for beginnings.” She climbed into his lap, needing to be closer, to feel his body against hers. “I missed you so much.”

  “I missed you, too. Missed everything about you.” He twirled her hair around his finger.

  “Did you have a good trip? Accomplish everything you wanted to? I did get info from your family, but not everything. I didn’t want to pry too much.”

  “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Tonight I have other plans.”

  “As your doctor, shouldn’t I be in charge?”

  “I think you’ll like what I have in mind.”

  “Really? And what is that?” She played with the hair curling around his ears.

  “Loving every single inch of you.” He kissed the side of her neck. “Showing you how much you mean to me.”

  “Well, I have some news for you.” She dragged a fingernail along his chiseled jawline. “Absence definitely made my heart grow fonder.”

  “Mine too.”

  “We have so much to catch up on,” she said softly, loving the renewed intimacy building between them.

  “We have the rest of our lives, Shortcake. You’re my today and all my tomorrows. My home base and my travel partner. I want to show you the world, if you’ll let me. I should have said more to you before I left.”

  She pressed her finger to his mouth. “Let’s not look back. Only forward.”

  He clasped her wrist, kissed each knuckle on her hand. “I can do that.”

  “I did appreciate the note you left on my doorstep. I’ve read it a million times. And when I moved here, I tucked it under my pillow. When we said goodbye that morning at my apartment, I never imagined things turning out this way. I never thought I’d be here when you weren’t. I’ve heard stories about you from your family and friends, seen baby pictures, listened to Hunter revere you while trying to trash talk you at the same time. I’ve learned all about the secret good deeds you do.”

  “First order of business, invite Ava here to tell me stories about you.”

  She laughed. “She’s visiting for Thanksgiving.”

  “Great.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. No doubt he and Ava would get along famously.

  “I’ve learned a lot about myself these past couple of months, too. Like how much I enjoy building relationships with my patients. How important it is to me to belong somewhere that isn’t my workplace. I love the country as much as the city. And I also enjoy a slower pace, which doesn’t mean boring, that’s for sure. I’d tell you about it, but then I’d be committing HIPAA violations.”

  “The town is lucky to have you.”

  “I think I’m the lucky one.”

  “If we’re going to go there, I’m the lucky one. At some point I should probably reach out to Reed and thank him for getting married on my ranch. If you hadn’t crashed his wedding…”

  “Your life would be so boring,” she teased, a split second before he scooped her up into his arms. “Maverick! What are you doing?”

  “We’ve done enough telling for tonight.” He carried her down the hallway toward his bedroom. “It’s time for the showing part of this reunion.”

  She wiggled against him. “Finally.”

  “Forever,” he whispered.

  “Yes,” she whispered back. “Forever.”

  Dear Kennedy,

  I’m flying home tomorrow. It’s been a fantastic trip and I don’t think I would have accomplished all that I have if I didn’t have you sitting in the back of my mind, pushing me to not miss a thing. To honor every detail Nicole left me. No matter how tired I was, or how lost I got (I should have brought a compass), you guided me, and for that I’m forever grateful. It seems you don’t have to be with me to challenge me. And it’s clear I’m up for anything and everything with your voice in my head.

  The angel-slash-devil on my shoulder is you, and I mean that in the best possible way. When I wasn’t being led around by Nicole and you, I did a lot of thinking. Earbuds in and music playing, I had time for introspection and future-self scenarios. Guess what I came up with? I am mad/nuts/crazy/wild about YOU. And when I see you again, I’m going to tell you.

  YOU are the love of my life, Kennedy, and I want to ride the rest of our days together.

  Get ready, because here I come.

  Love,

  Maverick

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  Acknowledgments

  There are some very serious subject matters in this book: ALS, long QT syndrome, death, miscarriage, family strain, and I did my best to portray these issues accurately and with sensitivity. For anyone who has experienced or is experiencing any of these difficulties, my heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with you now and always.

  …

  Big hugs and thanks to my editor, Stacy Abrams. I say it every time, but you always know exactly how to make my stories better and I’m forever grateful. xo

  Thank you to the entire team at Entangled Publishing for everything you do, and a special shout-out to Elizabeth Turner Stokes for my amazing cover, Claire Andress for loving Maverick and Kennedy as much as you did, Nancy Cantor for your awesome copyedits, and Curtis Svehlak for your always quick and considerate production assistance.

  Samanthe Beck, you’re the
best and I would be lost without you. Seriously. Thank you for everything!!

  To Charlene Sands, Roxanne Snopek, Paula Altenburg, and Maggie Kelley, thank you for being such wonderful, supportive friends while I write my books. I am so lucky to have you in my life.

  Thank you Rachel Hamilton for helping me with social media, but more importantly for being a friend and reader since the very beginning. I treasure our friendship so much!

  To Robin Palm and Karen Begun, best friends since we were teenagers, you are my sisters, and your friendship, love, and support has literally gotten me through many days. Thank you. Love you!

  Mom, you are the best, and I’m the luckiest girl on the planet to be your daughter. Thank you for teaching me strength, kindness, generosity, and for always being there for me. Love you so much.

  To my cousin Shelly, thank you for our long talks and much-needed conversations. I have always looked up to you, and being close friends and family is a true gift.

  To Claudia, Lorie, and Mayra, I love talking books and everything else with you girls! Your friendship brightens my weekdays, and I’m so grateful I get to work with you.

  Lastly, to my funny, loving, kind, and generous hubby, through good times and bad, we’re a team, and I love you so much. Thank you for always supporting my dreams and cheering me on. Let’s crash a wedding together! ;)

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her awesome family and her very cute dog, Harry. She writes both sweet and sexy contemporary romances with one goal in mind: to leave you with a smile on your face. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, and frequent coffee shops. She loves to stay in touch.

  Visit her at robinbielman.com

  or on Instagram: @robin_bielman

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