The Twins' Rodeo Rider

by Tina Leonard

  “I haven’t given up on my own magic one day,” Daisy said softly, turning her gaze to Suz’s. “And I figure the only way the magic ever works for me is that I make up for all the harm I did to the heart and soul of Bridesmaids Creek. They said good gets good,” Daisy said, “and I’m not claiming I’m good—not yet—but I’m sure as heck going to give being good my very best shot.”

  Suz smiled. “We’ll work this out together.”

  “Excellent. Because I’m relying on you to change my father’s heart,” Daisy said, and Suz hoped that even Robert Donovan’s stone-cold heart might be changed—this time for good.

  * * *

  UPON FURTHER REFLECTION, Suz knew Daisy was right. “You could liken it to cutting off the head of the snake, I suppose,” she told Cisco as they drove to meet Robert at Bridesmaids Creek. She’d wanted the meeting on neutral ground, and this was as neutral as it could get.

  If anything was neutral in Bridesmaids Creek.

  “Hello, Robert,” she said to Mr. Donovan when they met at the usual finish line for Bridesmaids Creek swims. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I’m quite busy, so we need to make this meeting fast.” Robert glared at Cisco. “I suppose you need to let your woman speak for you.”

  “Yes, I do,” Cisco said cheerfully. “And she’ll do a damn fine job of it. I’m just going to sit over here and watch the fireworks.” He sat himself on a wooden bench, looking as if he couldn’t be more relaxed.

  “Mr. Donovan,” Suz said, “you’ve gone back on your word you gave to Jade Harper, and Bridesmaids Creek. You’re not supposed to be acquiring any part of BC anymore, especially not for your own gain. That was your promise, and in return, Jade would let you see your grandchildren.”

  Robert shrugged. “I have my own daughter to think of.”

  “And Ty Spurlock is your son. You’re hurting him and your grandchildren by doing this. And the only reason you’re doing it is plain old-fashioned greed.”

  “I can’t seem to help myself,” Robert said.

  Suz nodded. “I’m going to help you.”

  He beetled his brows. “How?”

  “Your daughter has suggested that my sister and I sue you to get our ranch back. But I don’t think I have to do that. I think you’ll agree to sell it back to Mackenzie and me for one dollar.”

  Robert sucked in his cheeks. “Young lady, I’d be out a hefty sum.”

  “You’ll want to do it for the good of Bridesmaids Creek.” Suz glanced around. “I’m meeting with the town council to pitch the idea of moving our haunted house and Santa’s village right here. That’s also Daisy’s idea.”

  Robert looked as if he couldn’t believe—and didn’t like—what he was hearing. “You can’t do that. I’m going to buy up all this land.”

  “Actually, you’re not. According to Cosette and Jane Chatham, this is land that’s considered Bridesmaids Creek’s. Which means you can’t purchase it. It’s to be used for the good of all in the town. And the town believes that our prime tourist attraction, the haunted house, would be best situated on one of our most revered and beautiful sites.” Suz looked around. “I don’t know why I never thought of it before. It’ll be perfect here.”

  Robert shook his head. “I’ll stop you.”

  “You won’t, because your daughter wants you to change. And you’ll do whatever Daisy wants,” Suz said. “Daisy’s not happy with your behavior, and I’m pretty sure her father wants her to be proud of him.”

  He stared at her silently.

  “Mr. Donovan, Daisy is trying very hard to turn over a new leaf. She wants a do-over in her life. In fact,” Suz continued, “Daisy loves Bridesmaids Creek. And she wants to enjoy a lot of the wonderful things we have here. Friendships, charm, local beauty.” She looked at Robert narrowly. “Why are you so bent on destroying the wonderful thing that is Bridesmaids Creek? Is your soul so hard that your grandchildren, your newfound son and your daughter don’t even matter to you?”

  Donovan glanced at Cisco, receiving a shrug and a grin in return. “Now, look here—”

  “Here’s the thing. Daisy’s offered to pay for our legal fees to fight you in court,” Suz said softly. “From her very own trust fund, Daisy wants to do good. So all I can say to you is you ought to be very proud of your daughter, Mr. Donovan. Because without any help from you at all, Daisy is making a real effort to become one of us.”

  He glared at her a moment longer, then headed off to the stretch Hummer that was waiting for him. The Hummer pulled away silently after Robert got in, and Suz felt strengthened when Cisco put his arms around her.

  “That was awesome. Did I ever tell you that I fell for you in the very beginning, the first time I ever met you—and you totally sealed the deal when you put your little hands on your hips and told me I wasn’t going to be Frog anymore? That you were renaming me Cisco?” He smiled down at her. “I thought any little lady with that much sass had my name on her.”

  “You mean has my name on you.”

  “Exactly what I meant.” He kissed her, and Suz leaned into his body, loving how he was always there for her. “Let’s go home and relieve Betty from babysitting duty. I have a yen to see my little ladies and hold them tight,” Cisco said.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  They started to walk toward their truck—then Cisco suddenly turned. “Hang on a second.”

  “What is it?”

  Cisco listened a second more. “Come on out, Sam.”

  Sam filtered into the clearing, and Cisco laughed. “You were there the whole time, weren’t you?”

  “Just in case you needed me.” Sam kissed Suz on the cheek, high-fived Cisco. “I don’t think I’m going to need to camp here anymore. Listening to Suz gave me faith that life in BC is about to change for the better very soon.”

  “We’re all about letting bygones be bygones in BC,” Cisco said. “Come on. We’ll give you a ride back to the bunkhouse. You’re going to love sleeping in a real bed.”

  Suz smiled happily. Sam wasn’t the only man who was going to love sleeping in a real bed. It was time to move the babies to a nearby crib, and hold her husband in her arms—forever.

  * * *

  “NOW WE FIGURE out how to save Daisy,” Suz said after they’d checked in on the babies. Fed them, loved on them—and then asked doting Aunt Mackenzie and Uncle Justin to watch them for a while.

  Cisco hesitated. “Daisy?”

  “She’s the base we’re building our case on. And to save her, we have to give her what she wants and needs the most. Otherwise, her father may be able to turn her back.”

  He escorted his wife to their truck. “So where are we going?”

  “We’re going to hunt up Daisy’s gang. They’re the ones who can help.”

  “I don’t know.” He was doubtful as he helped her in. They left the ranch, and drove into town as they both pondered the situation. “Have Daisy’s gang ever been helpful?”

  “We’ve got to try. They’re the only ones who are in love with Daisy. One of them has to be her handsome prince.”

  “What do we do about Squint?”

  “Squint left Montana, took himself to parts unknown. We may never see him in BC again. We don’t have time to wait on him to save Daisy.”

  Cisco wasn’t certain about leaving his buddy out of this, but Suz had been right about everything else so far. He pulled the truck up in front of the gang’s lair, now holed up in Cosette’s old office. The Madame Matchmaker’s Premiere Matchmaking Services sign still scrolled across the window, but now a white sign was taped on the door.

  The Gang’s All Here Premiere Dating Services read the sign.

  This change in Bridesmaids Creek felt very wrong.

  “It’s just temporary,” Dig said, noticing him and Suz staring at the taped placard
. “We’ve ordered a new sign for the front window, and a hanging shingle that’s nice and fancy.”

  Cisco glanced at Suz, who shrugged. They followed Dig inside. Cosette’s delicate furniture was covered with sheets. One wall now had black moiré wallpaper going up on it—elegant, in a “Donovan’s influence can be felt here, gray and dark” kind of way. Leather seats had been brought in, low-slung and masculine, and Cisco thought he smelled cigar smoke.

  “Is that a cigar bar?” he demanded.

  “Among other things,” Red said. “We’re just getting started with it, but yeah, the humidor should come in next week.”

  “Holy Christmas. How’d you get this setup past the committee?” Cisco couldn’t believe how changed the space was. There were even wrought-iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a couple of fancy sconces around a huge mirror where the leather-wrapped cigar bar would go.

  “We didn’t,” Clint said. “We’re putting it in, then selling them on the idea.”

  “It’s not half-bad,” Suz said quickly.

  “The town pillars are going to throw a fit,” Cisco said.

  “Be positive, Cisco,” Suz said, and he instantly got the script.

  “I have to say I admire your business, er, sense,” he said.

  “Wish you’d thought of it, huh?” Carson asked.

  “Clearly my mind doesn’t work this way.” Suz smiled at him, and Cisco decided to keep the greater mission in mind. “So, have you fellows got a second?”

  “Sure. Have a seat,” Gabriel said, and he and Suz took a seat—even though in his heart, Cisco thought it felt wrong. This was Cosette’s place—it wasn’t fair or right that she was no longer in here, holding court in her pink-frosted fairy-tale world.

  “So we were wondering,” Cisco said, “if you guys have realized that Daisy is the key to your happiness.”

  They stared at him, dumbfounded.

  “Well, yeah,” Carson said, “but it was hard as hell getting Squint out of the picture, dude. She’s not ours now—but she’s not his, either.”

  “What we mean,” Suz said, and Cisco grinned as he recognized the soft touch was about to be applied, “is that we think there’s been an error, a Bridesmaids Creek error. Squint was never the one who was meant for Daisy.”

  Suz had their rapt attention. Cisco leaned back in the leather seat, accepted a cigar from Dig. It was going to be something to celebrate just to watch his love work her magic.

  “We figure it has to be one of you,” Suz continued. “Maybe. I mean, it makes sense, right?”

  “What about him?” Red asked, jerking his head toward Cisco.

  “Oh, that was the Bridesmaids Creek error,” Suz said.

  “Our legends have never been wrong,” Clint said. “There has never been a misfire in Bridesmaids Creek, except for your sister Mackenzie’s first marriage.”

  “There’s that,” Suz said. “We Hawthorne women might be a little hard for magic to work on.”

  Cisco didn’t agree with that. As far as he was concerned, Suz was the most magical woman he’d ever met—but he kept his mouth busy with the cigar, happily silent and relaxing, listening to the best yarn he’d ever heard told in Bridesmaids Creek unfold.

  “The thing is,” Suz said, “we realized the magic had been misplaced.”

  Cisco’s gaze—along with the five Daisy devotees—was riveted on Suz. This was a new tack, and he was anxious to hear more.

  “See that Saint Michael medal Cisco always wears?”

  They nodded, and Cisco automatically felt for the chain keeping the medal secure around his neck. If he had magic, it was this. It had kept him safe in Afghanistan—it was probably protecting him now.

  “John Squint Mathison gave Cisco that medal, after they graduated BUD/S, and before they went to Afghanistan,” Suz said. “There was a Saint Michael charm buried in Ty Spurlock’s house, that was left to him by his mother. Sam has one, and Squint has one. But the medal that Cisco wears was switched with Squint’s one day when they were at training, and they never switched back. Squint had got his when he was a kid, trawling along behind the traveling rodeo. It was given to him by a peddler who said it would always protect him.”

  The men waited, dumbfounded and spellbound.

  “The Bridesmaids Creek magic was misplaced because Cisco is wearing Squint’s medallion,” Suz finished. “The magic got confused. Daisy was never in love with Cisco. And she admitted that to me. Even she was confused. She said she’d only wanted Cisco because I’d wanted him,” Suz said, and Cisco said, “Let’s be careful of my ego here.”

  Suz grinned at him, and Cisco puffed contentedly on his cigar, not bothered in the least, rather enjoying his starring role in the story.

  “That’s what happened. When Daisy realized she’d never been in love with Cisco—after her trip to Montana—she figured she needed a different prince.”

  Five Daisy fans sat up, looking very hopeful.

  “But the problem is,” Suz continued, “she’s gone again.”

  “Gone where?” Gabriel asked.

  “Back to Montana.”

  Carson gasped. “Not back to that Branch character! He got her so turned around we hardly recognized her!”

  “She was totally changed,” Clint agreed. “We have to stop her. When did she leave?”

  “About two hours ago,” Suz said innocently.

  “You’re sure about this magic stuff not working? Misfiring?” Dig asked, clearly not wanting to suffer another disappointment.

  “Cosette and Jane Chatham are the ones who helped me figure it out.” Suz sent them her best what-are-you-waiting-for innocent look. “They’re never wrong, you know.”

  “Well, they were wrong about Mackenzie once—” Clint began, but Suz said, “If you hurry, you can still catch her at the state line. Just be warned, Daisy has her heart set on her own day of Bridesmaids Creek magic—now that she knows that the three races were totally ineligible. Because of the magic misfire,” Suz said.

  “Yeah,” Gabriel said thoughtfully. “Can I see that medal for a second, Cisco?”

  Dutifully he held it up. The men gazed at it with some reverence.

  “You really think it saved your life?” Red asked.

  “I know it did.” Cisco nodded, certain on that point.

  “Even though it’s Squint’s?”

  “I don’t really question the supernatural and the angels and saints in my life,” Cisco said. “But I’m pretty sure they don’t make mistakes, either.”

  “That’s good enough for me. I’m ready for a road trip,” Gabriel said.

  “I’m ready to bring our girl home,” Red agreed.

  “Can you lock up, close the door behind you when you’ve finished your cigar?” Carson asked.

  “Sure.” Cisco smiled. “Happy hunting, fellows.”

  The men tore out of there like they couldn’t let one more mile get between them and Daisy.

  “My love,” he said, pulling Suz into his lap, “I believe you’ve been taking lessons from Cosette.”

  Suz snuggled into his neck. “I’m glad you think so. For a minute there, I wondered if I was overdoing it.”

  He laughed, delighted with his bride. “You didn’t overdo it in the least. If anything, you may have changed the destiny of Bridesmaids Creek. Once they bring Daisy back, we’ll put her in charge of the haunted house plans.”

  “Robert won’t dare disappoint Daisy.” Suz kissed him. “It’s a pretty good plan you thought up. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were born and raised in BC, my prince.”

  “I came late to the party, but I’m learning fast.” He buried his face against Suz’s neck, inhaling her fragrance and warm body scent that was hers alone. “You’re the most amazing woman I ever met, and I can’t imagine my li
fe without you. We just have one small problem left.”

  Suz gazed down into his eyes. “Whatever it is, we can solve it together. That’s one thing I learned about us—we’re a great team.”

  “Yes, we are. But I believe we promised our town a real wedding. A Bridesmaids Creek wedding.”

  She smiled. “You’re right. We did.”

  “How does Christmas Eve sound to you?”

  “Lovely. And then our first Christmas morning with the babies. Nothing would make me happier, Cisco.”

  Cisco grinned, tossed his cigar into the proper cigar disposal the gang had thoughtfully supplied for their future customers. Picked up his bride, carried her out the door and locked it behind them. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to get this place back into Cosette’s charming possession. We can’t have a dating service replacing our resident matchmaker.”

  Suz laughed as he carried her to the truck. “Everything always works out in Bridesmaids Creek eventually. Haven’t you noticed?”

  “Indeed I have.” And he was thankful for that, because in a town where even the smallest story was a really tall tale, magic was very, very important.

  He was living proof that even a frog could get the small-town princess, and the happiest, most magical fairy tale ending of all.

  Epilogue

  Christmas Eve day

  “Don’t think I don’t know exactly what you’re doing,” Robert Donovan said to Suz as he waited with her under a beautiful rose bower. He looked very dapper in a black bow tie and fancy tux—he’d insisted that if he was going to stand in her father’s place at a wedding, he was going to look the part—and held her hand over his arm most delicately, as if fearing he might hurt her. “You bought your house back from me for a dollar and are building your own place on the land I gave up pursuing.” His brows rose as she smiled at him. “Then you sent six bachelors who are all in love with my daughter to romance her in Montana!”

  Suz couldn’t hold back her delighted giggle. “To be fair, I only sent the five musketeers after her. Squint may have already been there. Daisy was determined to go back on her own. But she flew in for the wedding and for Christmas—that should make you very happy.”