Honor was making herself scarce. Had been for the last week. She still hadn’t hooked up a phone in her apartment or gotten a cell. A deliberate maneuver to keep him at bay, or was he giving himself too much credit? Maybe she hadn’t thought twice about him since the day they’d kissed each other senseless. He ground his teeth.
“Hey, I thought we were leaving.”
He jerked his gaze away from the empty kitchen doorway and followed Joey past the row of booths. “We are. I’m not accomplishing a thing hanging around here.” With a discordant jangle of bells, he shut the café door behind them.
Chapter Six
A dead armadillo lay on her door mat.
Honor jerked her foot back and grabbed the doorframe to keep from stepping on the pathetic, flattened animal. Road kill. Legs trembling and eyes averted, she edged around it and hurried down the stairs.
Marge looked up from the pancake batter she was stirring when Honor entered the kitchen.
“You don’t look so good. You’re not coming down with something on Jenna’s wedding day, are you?”
Pulling the broom and dustpan out of the supply closet, she paused a moment to take a couple of steadying breaths. “No, I’m fine.”
“Then what’s wrong?” A hint of concern softened the gravelly voice. “You look like death warmed over, and word would have gotten around if you were out partying last night.”
Honor tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a hand that wasn’t quite steady, tried to remember the last time she’d partied, and failed. “Nuns have more exciting social lives than I do.” Her stomach pitched and rolled, and she took another breath. “I found a dead armadillo on my doorstep. It shook me a little.”
Marge dropped the wooden spoon into the batter and turned to face her. “What?”
“Looks like it was hit by a truck.”
Her brows lowered. “Who would leave a disgusting thing like that at your door, and why for God’s sake?”
“I have no idea. Does Jenna have an ex who’d like to see her wedding caterer come unglued and screw up the reception?”
“Doubtful. A dead animal reeks of personal animosity.”
“I thought so, too. But I can’t imagine I’ve been here long enough for anyone local to dislike me to such an extent. Over what, a mixed up breakfast order?” Her voice cracked, and she pressed her lips together.
“Don’t let that kind of pettiness get to you.” Marge clenched her fists at her sides. “Want me to get rid of the carcass?”
The offer thawed some of the chill numbing her heart. “Thanks, but I can handle it. I’m not such a wimp I can’t clean up a dead armadillo. Finding it was a shock, is all.” She raised the broom and dustpan. “This should do the trick, and I’d better get after it before the thing stinks up the place.”
It only took a moment to scoop up the flattened remains and drop them in the dumpster behind the restaurant, but the disturbing image lingered as the sun rose above the horizon in a burst of gold. Warblers swayed on the telephone wires overhead, their song drifting on the morning breeze along with the smell of bacon. She lifted her chin. She wouldn’t let someone’s spite and vindictiveness ruin such a beautiful day. Not when she’d worked so hard preparing for it.
After scrubbing her hands, Honor loaded the van she’d borrowed from Davis with trays of hors d’oeuvres, focusing on the job ahead. She worked steadily and finished the task while the breakfast rush was still in full swing, then ran back upstairs to change into the only dressy garment she’d brought west, a bright floral sundress that swirled around her knees. After running a brush through her hair and fastening it with a gold clip, she grabbed her keys and hurried outside.
Driving with care in the unfamiliar vehicle, she turned right onto Piney Wood Lane, cruised past Davis’s veterinary clinic, and slowly increased her speed as she left Redemption behind. The last thing she wanted was her appetizers ending up in a heap on the van floor. After negotiating the dirt road to the ranch with a white-knuckled grip on the wheel, she parked as close to the house as she could get and let out a long breath.
“You look all done in.”
Honor jumped and whacked her elbow on the door handle. Rubbing it, she scowled at Chase. “Scare the life out of me, why don’t you. That hellish road you call a driveway gave me heart palpitations. I don’t see how the wedding cake will arrive in one piece.”
He frowned. “I’d better call Nora and warn her to take it slow and easy…after I help you unload.” He smiled, his green eyes crinkling at the corners.
That damned smile. She wondered uneasily how long she’d be able to hold out against it. And his smile wasn’t the only enticement. She nearly dropped a bowl of potato salad when he hefted the vat of baked beans, his biceps straining beneath the sleeves of a white T-shirt.
“How in the world did you get this into the van?” he asked, huffing up the porch steps.
Edging around him, she held open the front door. The low heels of her sandals clicked across the hardwood floor as she hurried toward the kitchen. “Marge helped me.”
“The woman has more muscle than I do.” With a grunt, he heaved the vat onto the stove top.
She doubted that. Tearing her gaze away from his flexing shoulders, she set the potato salad on the counter. “If you don’t mind bringing in the ice chests, I can get the cold food packed into them.”
“You got it.”
Following his loose limbed stride out of the house, she crossed to the van. “Not that I don’t appreciate the help, but shouldn’t you be getting ready for the wedding?”
“I have a couple of hours before we need to leave. It’ll take ten minutes to dress, and that’s only because Jenna has us decked out in tuxes. Pop is in the shower, and Gramps would end up with a hernia if I let him help.” He tilted back his hat and grinned. “So, you’re stuck with me.”
Her body heated, and it had little to do with the mid-morning sun. Grabbing a tray full of mini quiches, she bolted for the house. They finished unloading just as a young woman with dark brown hair twisted into an intricate knot arrived with the wedding cake. Decorated with tiny pink rosebuds, the four tiered creation had survived the drive to the ranch intact.
“Honey, this is Nora Tyler, cake baker extraordinaire and one of my sister’s bridesmaids. Nora, Honor Jackson.”
Honor smiled. “Pleased to meet you. The cake is absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thankfully!” She frowned and pointed one manicured, pink nail. “Chase Paladin, I thought that road of yours was going to destroy all my hard work. Jenna would have killed me if her cake collapsed.”
His drawl held an edge. “I’ll add filling pot holes to my list of chores.”
Between the three of them, they carried the cake to the backyard and set it on a table in the shade. Nora ran off to dress, and the florist arrived. Not long after, the bride-to-be glided through the patio door in a beautiful white lace gown with a short train. She was followed by an older, blue eyed version of Chase. Jenna’s color was high and her breathing fast as she watched the short, stout man deftly arrange bouquets of spring wild flowers at each table. Honor eyed her with trepidation, hoping she wouldn’t pass out from sheer nerves.
“Is that your dad with Jenna?” she asked.
Chase nodded. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”
“Maybe later. The way he’s tugging at his collar, he looks ready to snap.”
“Jenna doesn’t look so good, either. Shouldn’t the passel of bridesmaids upstairs be riding herd on her?”
“You would think so.” She turned, and her bare arm brushed his. The jolt felt like touching a live wire. She sucked in a breath and watched his eyes dilate.
“Together we’re sparks on dry tinder.” His voice whispered across her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
“That combination is destructive.”
“Doesn’t have to be. Sometimes it’s just—hot.”
Hot didn’t begin to describe the slow burn eating at her will
power. She closed her eyes and thought about swimming in a glacier studded sea…rolling in snow wearing a bathing suit…the flattened armadillo on her doorstep.
The last one did the trick. Her eyes popped open. “If you don’t get changed now, you’ll be late to the wedding.”
He huffed out a long breath. “I suppose I’ve avoided the monkey suit as long as possible. Sure you don’t need anything else?”
“The girls helping me serve will be along shortly. We’ll have the food set up by the time the ceremony is over.”
“Didn’t doubt it for a moment.”
She laid a hand on his arm, then quickly withdrew it. “Thanks for all your help, Chase. I appreciate it.”
“Darlin’, it was my pleasure.”
****
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...”
Chase tuned out the drone of the minister’s voice, his attention back at the ranch, more specifically, picturing Honey in the flirty little dress she’d been wearing. It hugged her curves and teased him with a hint of what he was missing. My God, she looked amazing. Keeping his hands to himself, even in the midst of all the commotion, had been an effort.
His grandpa jabbed him in the ribs, and he stood as Jenna swayed down the aisle of the church on her new husband’s arm, her eyes bright with joy. The ceremony was over, his sister hitched. He was happy for her, but he couldn’t imagine walking in her shoes. The binding institution of marriage was a noose, squeezing the life out of a man.
An image of Honor decked out in wedding finery flashed through his mind. She’d make one hell of a beautiful bride. God, I’m losing it. Too much sun setting up all those tables for the reception had addled his brain. That, or the long dry stretch since his last date.
“I need to get laid,” he muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, Gramps.” He handed Elwood his cane as they moved out into the aisle behind the newly wedded couple. “Let’s head back to the ranch. I’m in charge of the barbecue, and Jenna will skin me if the meat isn’t cooked to perfection.”
They waited outside the whitewashed pine building while his father spoke to the minister. Chase’s gaze strayed past cousins he hadn’t seen in months and came to rest on his Aunt Fiona. She stood beside the owner of the Lonesome Steer, laughing at something Gus had said. Her cheeks were pink, hazel eyes sparkling.
Not far away, near the steps, the flock of bridesmaids in their pink, poofy gowns fluttered around Jenna. He avoided the dark glances Missy shot in his direction and tugged on his bow tie. Something must have happened between his ex-girlfriend and her new steady. Standing on the far side of the yard with his twin brother, Bart, Brady Wilson wore a hangdog expression that would have looked a whole lot better on Bo.
“What in hell is taking Pop so long,” he muttered. The last thing he needed was a pissed off Missy cornering him, even if he wasn’t the one making her angry.
Elwood leaned against the bole of a big oak and closed his eyes. “What’s your rush? That barbecue isn’t going anywhere.”
“Finally,” he said as his father exited the church, stopped for a moment to speak to his daughter, and then headed their way.
“We can go,” he said abruptly. “The wedding party is taking pictures here, but the photographer doesn’t need family until the reception.”
“Thank the Lord for small favors.” Pulling the keys from his pocket, he gave them a little toss. The three men had nearly reached the pickup parked on the street by the grammar school when Joey Cahill raced up behind them, his spit-polished dress shoes slapping the sidewalk.
“Can I get a ride? Missy’s going in the limo, and Ma’s yakking with her friends. She said it’s okay.”
“Sure, hop in.” Once they were seated, Chase turned off Oak Street onto Main and headed toward the ranch. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he eyed Joey’s glum expression. “Those dress clothes bothering you?”
The boy wrinkled his nose and tugged at his limp green tie. “They make me itch.” He hesitated for a moment. “Missy and Brady broke up. This might be a good time for you—”
“Your sister and I aren’t getting back together, Joey.”
“Why not?”
Elwood patted his shoulder. “Missy’s better off without a no good, low down scoundrel like Chase.”
His gaze met his grandfather’s in the rearview mirror, and he grinned.
Joey slouched in the seat and didn’t so much as crack a smile. “She doesn’t think so, and she’s making my life miserable. When Missy’s unhappy, everyone knows about it.”
“What happened between her and Brady?” Chase asked.
“She wouldn’t tell me. I still think—”
His father turned in the front seat to face the boy. “You don’t need to worry about your sister. She’ll find a man who’ll treat her right soon enough.”
Glancing in the mirror again, Chase winked. “And until she does, just make yourself scarce.”
Only a few cars were parked in the field he’d mowed specifically for that purpose. Pulling up next to the barn, he turned off the engine. “Looks like we beat the crowd.”
“Good, there won’t be a line at the keg.” Stepping spryly for a man with a bum leg, Elwood headed toward the back yard. Chase followed, anticipation surging. But the breath left his lungs in a whoosh when Honor was nowhere in sight.
“Well, damn,” he muttered. The mouthwatering aroma of barbecue beef that had been slow cooking all morning wafted from the oversized grill. Casting a fruitless glance toward the patio doors leading into the kitchen, he went off to check the tri-tip.
Two hours later he’d posed for family photos, manned the carving board alongside his good buddy and fellow ranch owner, Gabe Tyler, and eaten at least a dozen appetizers served by three cute little high school girls. He’d worked his way through a plate full of salads, beans, and succulent beef, and still hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of Honor.
“You keep straining to see through those patio doors, you’re going to have one hell of a kink in your neck. What’s the attraction?” Gabe asked in a deep drawl.
“You met Honor, yet? She’s helping Andee out at the café in town.”
A slow smile stretched across the rancher’s face, and a dimple dented one cheek. “Are you ever going to quit chasing skirts?”
“Not until I’m Granddad’s age. Probably not even then,” he added, watching his grandfather chat up three starched and pressed church matrons who tittered at something he said.
“Well, go find this new one. I can carve meat without your assistance. Most of the guests are finished eating, anyway.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. I’m thankful to have an excuse not to socialize.”
“Christ, Gabe, it wouldn’t kill you to be friendly and relax for a change. You’ve been working yourself to death since your brother left town.”
His only response was a grunt.
Chase shrugged one shoulder. “Thanks for helping out today.”
“You bet.”
Sidestepping Gabe’s sister, Nora, and two other bridesmaids, he crossed the patio and entered the kitchen. Honor was at the sink, wrapped in a huge navy blue apron, elbow deep in dishwater. Just the sight of her made his heart beat faster.
“You outdid yourself. The food was unbelievable.”
She spun, sending droplets of water flying as she pressed one hand to her chest. “You startled me.”
“Didn’t mean to. The band is warming up. I came to rescue you from kitchen drudgery.”
She studied him for a minute, the bright blue of her eyes darkening before she turned back to the sink. “Thanks, but the kitchen is a long way from clean, and then I have to pack everything into the van.”
“Get those girls you hired to finish the job. They’re out enjoying themselves while you’re in here working.”
Her lips curved. “What do you expect from teenagers?”
“Not much, apparently.” He’d tossed his
tuxedo jacket and tie long before, so he unbuttoned the cuffs of his white dress shirt and rolled up the sleeves.
Setting a big pottery bowl on the drying rack, she frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Helping. I’m a whiz at dishes. We’ll be finished here in no time.”
Honey let out a long sigh, but a smile lurked in her eyes. “I’m not going to get rid of you, am I?”
“Not a chance.”
“In that case, put on an apron. You don’t want to ruin those fancy clothes.”
An hour later, Chase hefted a stack of warming pans and headed through the quiet house. Music, laughter, and the buzz of conversation drifted through the open windows, but he had no desire to join the guests in the garden, not until Honey agreed to go with him. Washing dishes with her had been—fun. Surprisingly so, since he hadn’t touched her, not once.
The moment he’d laid eyes on Honor, standing in the middle of the highway with her hands on her hips, he’d wanted to get her into bed. Those incredible legs taunted him, but it was her attitude that intrigued him most. Her resistance to his advances only fueled his determination to have her. Tonight, talking in the kitchen, sharing childhood anecdotes, discovering she loved strolling through old cemeteries and had a passion for tombstone epitaphs and learning spiders didn’t bother her in the least when he cringed at the sight of one, gave him a better picture of who she was. Honey was a lot more than pretty packaging, and it added a new dimension to his feelings for her. He liked this woman, liked her dry sense of humor, her vulnerability, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear…
Chase let out a long sigh and juggled the pans. As he reached the entry, a thump sounded in the living room. Pausing, he glanced through the doorway and looked around. The room was empty. With a shrug, he pulled open the front door and stepped out onto the porch.
A furious whisper came from the corner in front of the living room window. Light leaked through the curtains, illuminating a swath of pink that could only be a bridesmaid dress. A dark shadow loomed beside it.
He stopped short as he recognized the silhouette. “Ah, hell.”
Honky Tonk Hearts Volume 2 Page 7