by Dylann Crush
“When do you have to head back?” Lacey rested her head on Luke’s shoulder.
“Next Friday.”
“But that’s barely a week. Why so soon?” He’d probably spend more time on airplanes than he would on the ground.
“That’s emergency leave. I ought to get a few more weeks sometime this summer. We can have a longer visit then.” He pushed up, pulling her to her feet next to him. “An uneventful visit, okay?”
“Okay. We should probably get you home so Dad can see you. How did you even get here?”
“Rented a car. Need a ride?”
“No. I’m going to stay here and see what I can do to help.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?”
“Easier said than done.” She pulled her brother in for a hug before letting him go. Then she climbed the steps, ready to do what she could to clean up the mess she’d made.
“Haven’t you already done enough?” Jojo was the first one to notice her. “Go on home, Lacey. We don’t need your help.”
“But . . .” She glanced around, looking for a friendly face. Or at least a face that didn’t look so angry. Helmut, Jojo, even Suzy, glared at her.
“Come on, Lacey, let’s get you home.” Zina put her hands on Lacey’s shoulders, turning her toward the door.
“I want to help—”
“Trust me, now’s not the time,” Zina said.
Lacey let her friend lead her down the steps and across the lawn, where people folded up chairs, packed up the food that had been salvaged from the kitchen, and removed all evidence that this was supposed to have been the happiest day of her life.
With her heart shattering into a million pieces, Lacey turned her back on what she thought would be her future. There was no one to blame but herself. She’d let everyone down: her friends, her family, her town. But most of all, Bodie. He’d never be able to forgive her.
forty-eight
Someone knocked at the door. Bodie rolled over in bed, pulling a pillow over his head. There was no one he wanted to see, no one he wanted to hear from. Not now.
The knock came again, louder this time. He checked his phone for a message from the vet. She’d promised she’d call if anything happened with Shotgun. When he’d left at four this morning, the pup had been nursing her litter of eight. Seven girls and a boy. Poor little bastard didn’t know what he was in for. Girls sucked.
“Bodie, open up. I’m not going away,” Luke threatened.
The last person he expected at his door this morning was Luke Cherish. Okay, the second-to-last person. The very last person he expected to see was Lacey. Not after the way she’d dismissed him last night. He snagged the other pillow and pressed that one down on his head, too. The knocking stopped. Finally.
A minute later the sliding glass door to the patio opened. Luke let himself into the bedroom, standing like a hulk at the end of the bed. “Get up, we need to talk.”
“What the hell, Luke? How did you get in here?”
“You should be more careful,” Luke said with a smile. He held up a brown paper bag and a cup. “Brought you coffee and a breakfast taco from Ortega’s.”
Bodie wasn’t up for chatting, but he’d missed out on dinner last night. His stomach growled. “Fine. You talk, I’ll listen. But only until I finish my taco.”
“Good thing I brought you two.” Luke moved to the kitchen.
Bodie pulled a shirt on and followed. He took a seat on the opposite side of the table and reached for the bag.
Luke leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Lacey told me everything.”
Everything? Bodie wondered if she told him about the night they spent in the hotel. Probably not or Luke would still be trying to kick his ass. He bit into the warm tortilla.
“I guess I owe you an apology.” Luke looked away. Saying sorry had never come easy for him. “I know you were trying to do the right thing. I’m sorry I doubted your intentions.”
His mouth full of the perfect blend of eggs and chorizo, Bodie just nodded.
“And for what it’s worth, I’ve given it some thought and I think you and Lacey would be”—he scrubbed a hand over his chin—“Hell, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think you might be good together.”
Bodie’s stomach churned. He dropped the little bit of his taco he hadn’t finished yet. “We were good together. I didn’t mean to let it get out of control. Went into it just trying to help. Well, that and your sister blackmailed me.”
“She did?” Luke grinned.
Nodding, Bodie reached for the last bite of taco.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Leaning forward, Luke dropped his voice a notch. “She feels bad about last night.”
“I’m sure she’ll get over it. She’s probably already over at the house, trying to figure out how to get everything fixed up again.” That’s what Lacey did.
“Nah. She’s home. Won’t come out of her room. I guess some folks told her off last night. They didn’t appreciate being lied to.”
“But she did it for them,” Bodie said. “Everything she did, she did for the town. She put this wedding business above everything . . . her job, her own happiness.”
“I guess it didn’t work out. She’s always been like that, you know that about her. She thinks if she can maintain control of things she won’t get hurt.”
Luke was right. All along Bodie thought Lacey was holding back because she didn’t care. But she was scared. How had he not realized that before?
“I’ve got to go.” Bodie scooted back from the table.
“But you haven’t finished your taco.”
“I don’t have time for tacos. There’s something I need to do.”
“Something involving my sister?” Luke asked.
Bodie stepped into his boots then turned to face his best friend. “Something involving my future wife.”
forty-nine
Lacey frowned as she licked the back of an envelope and pressed it closed. That ought to do it. She’d spent the last two days writing a personal apology note to each and every person who’d had anything to do with the renovation of the Phillips House. From the guy who trapped the armadillos to Bodie’s friend who’d built the gorgeous arbor that had been smashed to pieces . . . she’d written I’m sorry so many times she’d practically had to hold her right hand still with her left to keep it from continuing to move.
They didn’t want her help fixing things up and she didn’t have another shift at the Burger Bonanza until next week. This was supposed to be her fake honeymoon where she and Bodie were going to hide out somewhere and let people think they were off celebrating their union as newlyweds. She didn’t know where they were supposed to go—that was the one part of the weekend Bodie had kept as a surprise. He’d just told her to bring some casual clothes and toss in a swimsuit. For all she knew they’d be barricaded into his place for four days living on frozen pizza and beer.
Thinking about Bodie made her heart tighten. Especially when she recalled the look on his face the last time she’d seen him. Rejection. Confusion. Pain. She thought she’d been protecting herself by denying her feelings, but knowing she’d pushed him away hurt even worse than it would have if he’d left her.
So she’d ruined everything, not just Ido’s chance to rebuild itself into a thriving destination-wedding community, but also any possibility of a relationship with the man she loved. The town would probably ask for her resignation. If what Bodie said was true and her dad was likely to get released from house arrest then she wouldn’t have to stick around. She could go anywhere, make a fresh start, and keep a low profile for a change.
With a heavy heart at the thought of having to leave everything—and everyone—behind, she cracked open her bedroom door. She’d barely left her room in the past forty-eight hours.
“Dad, you got
any stamps?” She padded down the hall toward the family room, the huge stack of envelopes in her hands.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Dad met her in the hall. He’d shaved and had on a clean pair of khakis and a fresh shirt. Maybe he was starting to feel better now that she’d relieved him of the honor of being the most depressed person in the house. “Someone came by to see you.”
“What?” Lacey blew a clump of hair away from her face. She hadn’t bothered to take her updo down from the other night so her hair probably resembled a rat’s nest. Or an armadillo burrow. Thinking about the lies she told about the rogue armadillo made her tear up again.
“Come here, sweetheart.” Dad wrapped an arm around her and led her into the kitchen, where the table had been transformed. Tapered candles flickered and a black tablecloth stretched to the ground.
“What’s this?” she asked, looking around.
Pointing to the table, her dad shrugged. A single plate sat in the center.
“Is that flan?” She set the envelopes down on the counter and moved closer. It was flan. She turned to look at her dad, but he was gone. “What’s going on?”
Bodie entered the kitchen, looking absolutely edible in a pair of dark pants and a white button-down shirt. She took in a ragged breath, already wiping away the tears that threatened to spill over her lashes.
He took the plate from the table and held it out to her. A ring sat in the center of the flan, an emerald-cut yellow diamond, not nearly as big as the one he’d given her before.
“Lacey Cherish”—he got down on one knee—“I know we’ve had our ups and downs over the past few months, and I know the timing on this probably sucks . . .”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“But I need to let you know something. Our engagement started out fake but the feelings I have for you are very real.”
Lacey shook out her hands, trying to quell the pinpricks of anxiety marching up and down her limbs.
“I’m going to ask you a question now and I want you to be totally honest with me, okay?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“Will you do me the honor of—”
Lacey couldn’t wait any longer. She ran to him, crashing into him, smothering his face with kisses, running her hands over his arms, his shoulders, his hair.
“Lacey. You didn’t let me ask the question.”
“It’s yes. It’s always been yes with you. Yes now, yes before, yes forever.”
Bodie laughed. “I just wondered if you’d rather join me for flan or chocolate cake for dessert.”
“I don’t like flan.” She kissed the edge of his mouth then trailed kisses to his ear.
“That’s why I brought you the cake.” He fell back to his butt, settling her on his lap. “But I also wanted to get your engagement story right.”
“I’m so sorry.” She ran her palms over his cheeks, wanting to make sure he was really here, in the flesh, not some figment of her imagination. “I just wanted everything to be perfect. But I screwed it up. And then you were there, and Luke, too.”
Bodie ran a hand over her hair, trying to smooth it down. “I know. I’m sorry, too. I should have been up front with you about what was going on with my family.”
“You were just trying to protect them.” Like he’d tried to protect her. Like he protected everyone and everything. “I should have believed you when you said you weren’t going to rig the election. You’re not that kind of man.”
“We both messed up.” He touched his forehead to hers. “So you ready for the real question?”
She nodded.
“Will you marry me?”
In a split second those four words changed everything. “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you my whole life.”
“Good, let’s go.” Bodie slipped the ring on her finger and made a move to stand.
“What, now?” She ran a hand over her hair. “I can’t marry you now, I’m a mess.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips as he lifted her to her feet. “Don’t worry, I lined up a little help.”
fifty
Bodie stood next to the repaired wooden arbor, waiting for his first glimpse of Lacey. There was no maid of honor, no best man. Shotgun was still at the vet taking care of her new brood so they didn’t have a ring bearer, either. His gaze rested on each one of the folks who’d gathered under the gorgeous Texas sky to bear witness to him and Lacey pledging their love to each other.
Jojo gave him a thumbs-up then started the music he’d downloaded. Strains of “Here Comes the Bride” floated through the portable speakers. He tried to force a swallow past the lump in his throat. Her dad appeared first, his arm crooked at the elbow where Lacey had tucked her hand.
Bodie closed his eyes for a heartbeat. When he opened them again, she was there . . . a vision in white in the dress he’d driven into Houston to have dry-cleaned overnight. Escorted by her dad on one side and her brother on the other, she floated toward him.
Her lips curved into a tentative smile. The closer she came, the bigger her smile got until it stretched clear across her face. His cheeks hurt from beaming back at her but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her any more than he could stop the world from turning or stop his heart from beating.
She paused in front of him and he waited while first her brother, then her dad, kissed her on the cheek and shook his hand. He was gaining so much more than a bride today, he was gaining a family. He’d always felt more a part of the Cherish family than his own but binding his heart to Lacey’s for a lifetime would make it official.
Her dad took the small bouquet of wildflowers she’d been holding and handed them to Zina who sat in the front row. Lacey put both of her hands in Bodie’s.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of Bodie and Lacey.” Thank goodness the minister had been free. Bodie tried to listen but he could barely hear the man through the sound of blood whooshing through his ears.
“Do you, Bodie Phillips, take Lacey Cherish to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both live?”
His heart pounded as he waited for the minister to finish speaking. “I do.”
“Do you, Lacey Cherish, take Bodie Phillips to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both live?”
Lacey’s eyes shone. She nodded, smiling as she said the words, “I do.”
Bodie let out a sigh as the minister led them through the exchange of rings. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lacey, the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen. His bride. His wife.
As the two of them joined hands and turned to be introduced for the first time as husband and wife, he swept his gaze over those gathered. If Lacey thought she’d burned her bridges, she was wrong. The town had finally done what she’d been trying to get them to do all along. They’d come together to build something beautiful, something that would give them all hope for years to come.
The flash of a camera caught his attention and he blinked. There in the back, Jay crouched down in the center of the aisle and snapped picture after picture.
Whatever happened with Ido was out of his hands. He had what he needed—the woman next to him. No matter what came next, they’d face it together. As a couple, as a community, as a town.
epilogue
Lacey skipped up the steps to the sheriff’s office. She’d been in the middle of a city council meeting when she’d gotten the call from Jojo, who’d talked to her sister in Houston, who’d been shopping at the local market and picked up a copy of Texas Times. Lacey had hopped in her truck and driven the ninety miles round-trip to Beaumont to grab her own copy, not
willing to believe what she’d heard until she saw it with her own eyes.
“Is Bodie in?” She barely paused in the reception area before brushing past the sheriff’s secretary’s desk.
The woman pointed to Bodie’s open door as Lacey whisked by.
“Hey, Sweets.” He rounded the desk, greeting her with a kiss.
They’d been married only a month and she still couldn’t believe this gorgeous, caring, wonderful man was hers. As his lips touched hers, heat blazed through her veins and she almost forgot the reason she had to barge into his office unannounced.
“Look! It’s in here, all of it.” She thrust the magazine at him.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know what you said to them, but they sure came through. We’ve got a picture on the cover and they did a whole story inside.”
He spread the issue out on his desk, flipping through the four-page spread Samantha and Jay had put together. The article didn’t just cover the wedding venue, it went into detail about the people who came together to find a way to save their beloved town. There were pictures of the house, the grounds, and even one of Shotgun with her litter of puppies.
“Have you shown Shotgun yet?” he asked.
Lacey laughed. “No. But I will when I get home. Poor girl needs a break from those demanding puppies. They haven’t let her have a moment’s peace.”
Bodie touched his nose to hers. “More like you need some cuddle time with the pups.”
“Yeah, maybe I’ll give her a break and let them crawl all over me for a while.” She might joke, but she loved being around Shotgun and her puppies. “Have you decided which one we’re going to keep?”
“If it were up to you, I think we’d end up with all of them.”
Lacey grinned as she shrugged her shoulders. “When we get that place in the country you keep talking about, we’ll have room.”
“Well, we’re for sure keeping the boy. I can’t be the only male around.”