The Texas SEAL's Surprise--A Clean Romance

by Cari Lynn Webb

  Gordon closed the hood on his blue truck that had seen the turn of its odometer years ago and still kept running. The gentleman climbed into the passenger seat and brushed his handkerchief across his forehead. “Air-conditioning sure feels nice. We need to pick up Keith and Martin. So we’ll have even more company.”

  Wes made a quick U-turn and drove toward Keith and Corine Bauer’s house. Keith was already on the sidewalk waiting. Wes barely had to slow down for the burly man to jump in.

  Martin Hall came outside carrying a tin of homemade sweet-and-spicy candied nuts from his wife, Frieda, and a box of cigars taken from his personal collection.

  “Thanks for the lift, Wes.” Keith opened the container of mixed nuts and scooped out a handful. “Maybe you could give us a few hints for trivia night. I’ve got twins coming and could use a win Saturday.”

  “I’ll raise my hand too.” Gordon took Frieda’s nut tin from Keith. “I’ve got my eye on a new truck. I could use a big win tonight or this weekend.”

  Everyone in town seemed to be in need of a big win and soon. Wes included. But his big win would come once he found his brother, not from cards or trivia night. “What about you, Martin?”

  “I wouldn’t turn down a list of the topics for trivia night.” Martin met Wes’s gaze in the rearview mirror and grinned. “Can’t deny I have my eye on the jackpot for the trivia league.”

  Wes had started the trivia night soon after he’d started working at the bar. Within months, the night had become competitive as the town had divided into teams and created weekly prizes and finally a cash grand prize. The grand prize grew every month and would be awarded on Halloween night when the winner was finally drawn. Then the league would reset, and monthly trivia nights would start all over again. Wes glanced in the rearview. “Are you finally taking Frieda on that Caribbean cruise?”

  Frieda had shown Wes the pamphlets for the cruise, declaring it was the perfect way to celebrate forty years of marriage to her one and only true love. There were so many things inside Frieda’s claim that he wanted to sidestep. True love. Marriage. Things that hadn’t ever been on his radar. Until one curly-haired blonde had crashed into his life. Wes concentrated on the road.

  “I’m thinking about something more lasting. Frieda cooks for the kids, grandkids and neighbors and would even for strangers if she could.” Martin chuckled and shook his head. “She never complains about the old oven or the tired stovetop or the cracked counters. She just keeps on singing and cooking.”

  He imagined Abby mostly likely hummed and danced in the kitchen while she cooked. She had a way of throwing herself into things that made her quite irresistible. And made him want to spend more time with her. He lowered the visor as if the setting sun, and not his own reckless thoughts, was blurring his view.

  “Can’t say I’ve ever heard a complaint about Frieda’s cooking.” Gordon shifted and took a handful of nuts from the container on the console. “This nut medley is one of her best.”

  Wes’s only complaint about Abby’s cooking was that he wanted more. He’d been inside Tess’s apartment to fix her ceiling fans last month. If the moving boxes were still crowding the already-cramped space, Abby would’ve had her challenges cooking yesterday. Yet, she hadn’t mentioned anything. And delivered one of the best meals Wes had ever eaten.

  “Frieda wouldn’t have to cook on a Caribbean cruise,” Keith offered.

  Wes wondered if Abby would want a fancy ten-day cruise. Or would she prefer something closer to home instead to celebrate an anniversary? He flexed his foot, wanting to slam on the breaks and slam some sense back into himself. Abby, anniversaries and long-term weren’t part of his future. He focused on Martin in the rearview mirror—the man who had the future Wes had never wanted or even considered having. Until recently. “Are you remodeling your kitchen for Frieda?”

  “She’ll get her cruise and a kitchen.” Martin nodded, his smile private and reserved as if he held back the best parts for Frieda. “I can’t deny she deserves more than that after forty years of being married to me.”

  From all accounts, Frieda and Martin had a love story for the books. A love-at-first-sight encounter that had grown into four decades of marriage. And Martin was as much head over heels for Frieda as she was for him. Wes had heard on more than one occasion from his single staff and bar patrons that they aspired to be like the Halls when they finally settled down and wedded.

  “What’s your secret to a long marriage?” Keith asked.

  Holding hands under the stars. Wes clamped his jaw.

  “I’d like to say letting her win every argument. Letting her have her way,” Martin said and chuckled. “But I think it really comes down to acceptance and friendship. We really like each other as we are.”

  Gordon nodded, slow and thoughtful. “And try to turn every moment with her into a date. Spending time together is so precious. Cherish it, even if it’s just grocery shopping.”

  Or staring up at the stars. Or sharing a good meal. Wes parked behind Evan Bishop’s dually silver truck in the Sloans’ circular driveway, cut the engine and jumped out. As if he could outrun his connection to Abby. Or his wanting more time with her. Any time, really.

  Keith shut the truck door and frowned. “With the babies coming, there doesn’t seem to be time for more than house projects and bickering over the nursery decor.”

  Martin set his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You’ll figure it out.”

  The men walked up the pathway to the two-story farmhouse and let themselves in. With five grandsons growing up in the house, Sam had declared the doorbell a nuisance and had removed it.

  Carter Sloan and Evan Bishop intercepted Wes in the kitchen, blocking him from joining the others.

  “You missed our last family poker night.” Carter knocked his fist lightly against Wes’s shoulder. “Then I hear you’re rescuing women on horseback. Taking over chauffeur services. And polishing up your electrician skills.”

  “Wes has been too busy playing the knight in shining armor,” Evan teased. “He’s had no time for us.”

  Clearly Ilene had filled her oldest son in on Abby’s arrival. The knight-in-shining-armor bit belonged to Evan. Wes could tell from his friend’s self-satisfied grin. And Sam hadn’t wasted any time giving full accounts to his grandson, Carter either. Wes determined his two friends knew more than enough.

  “I’m here now.” Wes patted his chest. “No armor tonight. Just money and luck. Unless you’d rather stand around and discuss my good deeds in more detail.”

  Carter rubbed his hands together then pointed to the massive outdoor patio on the other side of the open family room. “Grab a chair, boys. It’s game on.”

  “If you start to miss Abby too much, let us know.” Evan jabbed his elbow into Wes’s side. “We’re happy to let you talk about her while we take your money.”

  Wes returned Evan’s jab with one of his own. “The only thing on my mind tonight is winning.”

  And not thinking about Abby. At least, not any more than he already had been.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “IS MR. WES your boyfriend?” Riley Bishop, Ilene’s six-year-old granddaughter, bumped into Abby’s side on the sidewalk. The little girl stuffed her Three Springs postcard, one of the scavenger-hunt items, into the cloth bag Abby had designed for the kids.

  Abby had offered to escort Riley on the scavenger hunt while Ilene helped Trey’s wife get set up at the hot-chocolate booth in the town square. Abby and Riley followed their scavenger-hunt team from the town hall toward the Rivers Family Hardware store.

  Abby glanced at the sky and the clouds gathering over their heads. And hoped again that Wes’s horses were wrong about the rain coming tonight.

  She set her hand on Riley’s thin shoulder, steadying her. The vibrant little red-haired girl was a bundle of energy, nonstop conversation and complete cuteness. Abby smiled. “Wes is ju
st a friend.”

  “Harvey has just a friend too. Her name is Misty.” Riley bent down and tugged on the pink handle of her rainbow-colored polka-dot rain boots. “But Grandma Ilene says Misty and Harvey have to keep their distance.”

  “Why is that?” Abby had kept her distance from Wes the past two days. Determined to prove to herself she had no time for hand-holding, stargazing or romance. And what she shared with Wes was only friendship. That was all it could ever be. There was no room in her life for more.

  “Harvey and Misty aren’t married, so they can’t be together.” Riley switched her scavenger-hunt bag to her other shoulder and peered at Abby. “I haven’t been to a wedding. Have you?”

  “I have.” Abby quickly adjusted to Riley’s quick topic change. Abby and her ex had been invited to dozens of weddings. Clint had never wanted to attend, always citing a work conflict. Now Abby wondered if it had been more straightforward for her ex: Clint hadn’t wanted to attend because he didn’t believe in marriage. Something she should’ve recognized sooner. She had no idea where Wes stood on marriage, but as his friend, it certainly didn’t matter. “I have to admit, eating the wedding cake is the best part.”

  “Maybe Harvey and Misty should have a wedding.” Riley flipped one of her thick braids over her shoulder. “Then we can have cake too. My grandma’s cakes are my favorite.”

  Could Wes be Abby’s favorite? Abby picked up their pace as if she could outrun her thoughts. Keeping Wes out of sight had not kept him out of her mind. If anything, she’d thought about him even more.

  She focused on Riley and the little girl’s friends. “Do Harvey and Misty like each other? If they’re going to get married, they should like each other.”

  “I think so.” Riley slowed and lifted her round hazel eyes to Abby. “How did you know you like Mr. Wes?”

  The little girl’s stretching of the word like stretched the bonds of Abby’s denial. Sure, she liked Wes. As a friend. But like Wes? No. Her denial snapped and deflated inside her like a popped balloon. She liked Wes. Really liked him. She accepted the truth. Resolved it changed nothing. Reminded herself that she was still in control.

  Abby looked at Riley. Freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. She was everything sweet and innocent, and she was waiting so patiently for an answer. Abby confessed the most simple reason. “Wes held my hand. That’s how I knew I liked him.”

  Riley’s nose wrinkled and her sunshine-filled giggle spilled into the air. “Harvey and Misty can’t hold hands. They’re both Flemish giant rabbits.”

  Rabbits. Abby laughed. Now it all made sense. Even liking Wes made sense. He was a good friend, and she couldn’t confuse her feelings of like with something more. Something stronger. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to a wedding for rabbits before.”

  “But you think we should have one, right?” Riley skipped beside Abby. “Then, they won’t be lonely in their own cages anymore. Same as Mr. Wes.”

  Abby stubbed her toe on a broken gap in the sidewalk. “What do you mean?”

  “Grandma Ilene says Mr. Wes isn’t lonely anymore ’cause he has you.” Riley slipped her hand inside Abby’s, swung their arms between them and continued to skip down the sidewalk. “You don’t want him to be lonely, do you?”

  Abby didn’t want anyone to be lonely. That included Wes and herself. Riley’s expectant gaze was nonnegotiable. Abby glanced at the clouds, then looked at Riley. “No, I don’t want that. That’s why it’s good that Wes and I are friends.”

  Riley jumped over a crack in the sidewalk. “How come you keep watching the sky?”

  “I’m worried there might be rain later.” And ruin the first family movie night in the town square. After the businesses had been so supportive and everyone so grateful Abby had agreed to put it on without Corine. To get washed out hardly seemed fair.

  “It’s gonna rain for sure. You know why?” Riley tugged on Abby’s arm.

  “The horses told you too?” Abby squeezed Riley’s hand, finding the little girl irresistible.

  “No.” Riley’s mouth thinned. Her voice hushed and pensive. “Macybelle laid down.”

  That hardly sounded good. Abby pulled up. Worry thickened her words. “Is Macybelle okay?”

  “Macybelle is a cow.” Riley tapped her neon-yellow fingernail against her chest and grinned. Pride lifted her voice. “She’s my cow. Macybelle lays down in the same spot before the rain comes. You know why?”

  Of course Macybelle was a cow. Abby shook her head.

  “So her spot in the pasture is dry after the rain comes.” Riley grinned. “She’s really smart.”

  Abby couldn’t argue. She wasn’t familiar with cows or their rain-predicting behavior. One more quick peek at the clouds rolling in—the very dark-looking clouds. “That is quite smart.”

  “Macybelle is one of the smartest cows I know.” Riley jumped over another crack in the sidewalk. “It’s not the reason I got to keep her, though.”

  “Where was she supposed to go?” Abby asked.

  “To the slaughter.” Riley’s voice was matter-of-fact and calm. “All Daddy’s cows go there. He’s got the best beef around. When he gets branding rights, everyone else will know it too.”

  Riley’s father, Evan Bishop, ran a place called Crescent Canyon Ranch. Abby knew from Ilene that her son was dedicated to two things: his daughter and the ranch. Beyond that, Abby knew very little about what branding rights meant or even how cattle ranches worked. If she meant for Three Springs to be her home, she needed to change that. “Why did you keep Macybelle?”

  “Because her momma rejected her.” Riley rubbed her cheek. “We had to bottle-feed her and care for her all the time after that until she got strong and could eat on her own.”

  Abby’s chest squeezed. She wasn’t certain where Riley’s mom was or what had happened. Ilene never mentioned Riley’s mom, and Abby hadn’t wanted to pry. But Riley’s watery eyes and the sadness in their depths made Abby sense the little girl felt like her poor, abandoned cow. All Abby wanted to do was wrap the adorable child in her embrace and promise her the world. Promise no one would hurt her again. But Wes’s caution about promises swirled through Abby. She tightened her hold on Riley’s hand and vowed to look out for the little girl as much as she could.

  “And I kept Annabelle too.” Riley rubbed her cheek with her free hand, and that sadness drifted from her gaze. “Her momma did the same thing, and Daddy doesn’t know why. Now Macybelle and Annabelle are friends and keep each other company in the pasture.”

  Having friends was extremely important to Riley. Abby liked having friends too. Now she just had to keep Wes as a friend only, and everything would be fine. “Was Annabelle lying down too when you left this evening?”

  “Right next to Macybelle,” Riley announced.

  Abby frowned. That wasn’t welcome news. She was starting to believe horse whisperers and cow rescuers were more accurate forecasters of the weather than the news. “Well, we should hurry and finish this scavenger hunt to get your prize. Hopefully, the clouds decide to keep their rain a little while longer.”

  With the scavenger hunt concluded and prizes given to every child, the first raindrop plopped on Abby’s bare arm like a silent shout. The second raindrop landed on her shoulder like a soft reminder. And the third unplugged the clouds. The downpour drenched Abby in seconds. Those folks who’d listened to their horses and cows fared better under their already-opened umbrellas, zipped-up raincoats and tall rain boots.

  Abby wiggled her bare toes in the puddle building around her feet. She really had to invest in those cowboy boots. Or something other than summer sandals.

  Ilene and Frieda, each bundled inside a long raincoat and huddled under their own wide, colorful umbrellas, made their way toward Abby.

  Frieda pushed her dry bangs off her forehead and frowned. “It doesn’t look like this is going to let up anytime so
on.”

  Ilene shook her head and adjusted her grip on her umbrella handle. “We need the rain. Just not right now.”

  Riley jumped from one puddle to the next and pushed her rain hat lower on her head. “Does that mean it’s over already? Before we even got to watch the movie?”

  The disappointment on Riley’s damp face made Abby’s shoulders collapse. The same gloomy look tracked across the faces of the other kids. This was one of those moments like the stargazing nights Abby had shared with her dad. These were memory-building moments for these kids. And Abby wasn’t going to see the first one on her watch washed out. Her gaze locked on the Feisty Owl’s illuminated sign on the side of the bar down the street. “No, it’s not over. We just need a venue change.”

  The kids cheered. The parents knocked rain from their umbrellas and grinned.

  Abby curled her fingers into her palms, straightened her shoulders and marched toward the Feisty Owl. She had two blocks to figure out how to convince Wes to agree to her new idea. She had the town behind her, literally.

  She wished on a star she couldn’t see.

  Prepared herself for a little fast talking.

  And a whole lot of luck.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ABBY STEPPED INSIDE the Feisty Owl and shook the rainwater off her bare arms. Wes met her right away and blocked her entry into the bar. He looked dry, warm and unwelcoming. Well, she was soaking wet, slightly chilled and determined. He wanted a standoff? She stepped forward into his space to give him one. What he didn’t know was she fully intended to win.

  Wes reached out and wrapped one of her curls around his finger. One corner of his mouth tipped up. “The longer you stand here, the curlier your hair gets.”

  “It’s raining outside. You can gloat later.” Abby tugged her wet hair free from his grip and stomped on the delight firing across her nerves at seeing him again. Surely, she possessed more control. She reined in her reaction and refocused. “Right now, we need an immediate venue change.”