Max gave a deep bark of delight. Annie looked up and saw Sally standing in the driveway, rubbing her eyes and looking bewildered. “What are you doing outside?”
“Max saw Peaches,” Annie explained. “He can’t stay away from her.”
Dylan patted Max. He could understand that kind of adoration. He was having a hard time staying away from Annie.
Sally snorted. “Max has a thing for any cats who wander his way.”
Max looked up at Dylan. It sounded as though he had a reputation around town. His big, brown, doggy eyes wouldn’t get him out of the mess he was in this time.
Sally yawned, then looked at Annie’s clothes. “Where are you going? It’s too early to be out of bed.”
Annie started walking up her driveway. “It’s all Dylan fault. He’s going for a run and he wants company. We thought we’d head across to the Bozeman Creek Trail.”
Sally opened the front door and stared at her. “You’re going running?”
“No. I ride my bike. Dylan thinks he can beat my trusty two-wheeler.”
Sally looked at Dylan as if he was crazy. “Most people sleep-in at the weekend.”
“I’m not most people.” He walked past Sally and went straight into the kitchen. “Did you bring some food for Max?”
Sally followed him, skidding to a halt on the wooden floor. Her bright green socks matched the pajamas and sweatshirt she was wearing. She must have borrowed them from Annie. “I’ll take Max home for breakfast soon. I didn’t plan on staying the night.”
Annie closed the front door and Dylan let go of Max. “What did Todd say about looking after, Max?” he asked.
“I’m meeting him today.” Sally filled a bowl with water and left it on the ground. “I’m taking Max to Todd’s ranch this afternoon. What’s your friend like?”
Dylan tried not to smile at the worried expression on Sally’s face. “He’s…complicated. You won’t need to worry about Max not being looked after. Todd grew up surrounded by animals. He’s already met Max and they like each other.”
Annie picked up her backpack. “I need to go and brush my teeth before we leave. Can you put my bike in the back of your truck while I’m in the bathroom?”
Dylan glanced at Sally. She was busy making herself a cup of coffee. It was just as well neither of them could read his mind. “Sure. Is your bike in the garage?”
Annie nodded. “I won’t be long.”
Dylan waited until Annie left before walking down the hallway and opening the garage door.
“Annie’s bike is over there…” Sally had followed him into the garage. “I can help you lift it into your truck, if you like?”
Dylan looked at Annie’s peppermint green bike, then glanced over his shoulder at the door they’d just walked through. “You’ve got to help me, Sally. I’ve got something planned, but I need to hide Annie’s bike so she thinks I’ve put it in my truck.”
Sally looked at him for all of two seconds before moving quickly toward the bike. “This had better be good,” she muttered. “I’ll put it down the side of the garage. Open the gate.”
Dylan ran outside and opened a narrow wooden gate.
Sally wheeled the bike through the gap and turned back to Dylan. “Go to your truck and wait for Annie. I’ll make sure Max hasn’t escaped.”
“Thanks, Sally.”
“Don’t thank me too soon. I don’t know what you’re up to, but it had better be good.”
“It is. I hope.” Dylan walked quickly toward his truck. He opened the driver’s door, sat in his seat, and tried to look as though it was a normal Sunday morning.
He’d almost convinced himself that what he was about to do would work. Then he saw Annie and he wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
Today could be the best day of his life, or the biggest disaster yet.
***
Dylan kept a careful eye on Annie while he drove out of town. She was telling him about last night’s appointment with a new group of bridesmaids. He didn’t know how she managed to juggle The Bridesmaids Club, her new business, her work at Angel Wings Café and her part-time job at Osborne and Sons. Her life was crazy and he was about to make it even crazier.
He turned into the parking area of the Bozeman Creek Trail and turned the ignition off.
“We’re thinking of finding someone else to help us with The Bridesmaids Club,” Annie said. “We can’t keep up with the number of letters and dresses arriving each week. I feel guilty when I can’t give everyone a hand.”
“Molly, Tess, and Sally would understand,” Dylan said. “You can’t do everything.”
“Maybe not, but I still feel bad.” She looked at the stone and grass area in front of them. “There aren’t many people out here this morning.”
And for that, Dylan was profoundly grateful. He glanced at his watch, looked at where the sun was and frowned.
Annie opened her door. Dylan did the same, moving quickly around the truck to hold her door open. She smiled at him and a blast of heat zipped through his body.
“Is everything all right?” Annie hadn’t moved from beside his truck.
Dylan closed her door and stared into her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
The tender smile on Annie’s face unraveled the knots in his stomach. He’d fought in some of the most dangerous places on earth, been captured by the Taliban and rebuilt his life, day by day. But nothing had prepared him for the difference Annie made in his life. She was the other half of his whole, the reason he felt so good about being alive.
Her hands slipped over his shoulders. She moved closer, kissing the edge of his jaw with kisses that were as gentle as the first rays of sunshine hitting their skin. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Dylan had planned what would happen this morning with military precision. He’d calculated how long it would take to drive to the trail, knew exactly how long it would take to run to the place he needed to be in thirty-four minutes. He’d packed a picnic breakfast, hidden a gift for Annie in his truck and remembered to shave.
Kissing had been banned. He knew that once his lips touched Annie’s, all of his plans wouldn’t mean a thing. She had a way of diverting his attention, taking him in an unexpected direction that led to more unexpected directions.
Annie’s mouth nibbled the edge of his lips and he decided that maybe his plans could change. He pulled her against him, felt the warmth of her body as she relaxed in his arms. She deepened the kiss, nudged him backward until he was caught between his truck and a demanding woman.
When Annie’s hands slipped inside his t-shirt, he nearly forgot the reason they were there. He lifted his head and pulled her against her chest, trapping her hands between them.
“I’ve got a surprise for you.” Dylan hardly recognized his own voice as Annie snuggled against him.
“You could be my surprise?”
He shook his head. “Not this time.”
Annie sighed. “I’m not running beside you. I’ll never make it to the end of the trail.”
“I don’t want you to run beside me. Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
Dylan smiled at the worried frown on Annie’s face. “It will ruin the surprise if you don’t.” He glanced at his watch. He was going to be late.
Annie closed her eyes and Dylan raced to the back of his truck. He opened the tailgate and pulled a large parcel out of the back. “Have you still got your eyes closed?”
“They’re still closed.”
Dylan leaned Annie’s surprise against the truck and stood back. “You can open your eyes now.”
Annie blinked a few times. She looked at the lumpy shape hidden under the blue tarpaulin, then back at Dylan.
“It’s for you.”
She took a step forward, then stopped. “It’s big. Big usually means expensive. I don’t want you buying me things.”
Dylan had already thought about that. He knew Annie’s pride ran deep. She’d had a hard enough time letting him buy her a movie ticket. “Think
of it as a loan, then.”
Annie looked confused. He passed her one corner of the tarpaulin and smiled. “It won’t bite.”
She carefully pulled the cover off and looked at what was underneath. The smile on her face made Dylan’s toes curl. She liked his gift, liked it a whole lot.
“She’s beautiful.”
Dylan raised his eyebrows. “This is a top of the line mountain bike. It’s got suspension lockout, carbon armor, and a fully integrated head tube.”
“And she’s beautiful.” Annie ran her hand along the frame and smiled. “You even added a purple basket to the front.”
Dylan had spent a long time choosing the right mountain bike for Annie. Then he’d done something that was almost unforgivable. He’d asked the bike company to repaint the three thousand dollar work of art, peppermint green. Then they’d added a red bell and a basket. A purple basket.
“Why did you buy me a new bike?”
“I want you to come on more trails with me. I know you like your other bike, but it’s only good for around town.” Each time Annie came out with him, he was worried she’d end up sprawled across the trail, covered in cuts and bruises. At least this way she’d be safe, even if the bike was painted green.
“You don’t mind running beside a ‘girly’ mountain bike?”
“I don’t mind running beside you.” Dylan swallowed the lump in his throat. “We’d better get going if we’re going to miss the crowds.”
Annie laughed. “The parking area is empty.”
“It could fill up fast.”
Annie kissed his cheek. “Thank you for the loan of a beautiful bike.”
“You’re welcome.” He threw the tarpaulin in the back of the truck and took out his toolkit. After a few adjustments, Annie’s bike fitted her perfectly.
She pedaled across the gravel parking area, circled around and came back while he finished stretching. “Wow. I feel like I’m riding on a cloud.”
He passed her a helmet, gloves, and elbow pads.
“Did you forget the metal armor?”
“No, just the backpack.” He reached into the back of the truck and pulled out the small pack.
Annie took it out of his hands. “I can carry that. Did you bring our water bottles?”
Dylan looked down at his watch. “They’re in the pack. Let’s go.”
Annie didn’t waste any time showing him what she’d learned about off-road biking. She nearly gave him a heart attack when she disappeared over the edge of a bank, only to reappear a few minutes later further down the trail. She’d turned into a daredevil and he’d given her the perfect bike to hurt herself.
By the time he caught up with her she was grinning like she’d just won an Olympic gold medal. “I like this bike.”
Dylan frowned as he ran past her. “Stick to the trail or you’ll kill yourself.”
Annie rode beside him. “You’ve turned into a grump. I thought you would have had a good night’s sleep.” She gave him a saucy smile as she pedaled past him.
“Stop when you get to the meadow.”
Annie raised her hand to tell him she’d heard him. Whether she actually stopped was another thing entirely.
He watched the rear tire of Annie’s bike skid over some loose gravel. Dylan held his breath while she corrected the movement and kept powering ahead. He didn’t know what was worse; being too scared to touch another person, or being scared that the person he loved would kill herself before he got a chance to tell her how much she meant to him.
Annie had stopped at the top of the next hill. She was looking across the valley, admiring the same view that had captivated her the very first time he’d brought her here. He glanced at his watch and looked at the blue sky. He had ten minutes to reach her. If he didn’t dig deep and run faster, he’d never make it in time.
By some miracle, Annie was still waiting for him when he arrived at the top of the hill. He bent forward, sucking oxygen into his burning lungs.
“Are you sure you should be pushing yourself so hard?”
He looked at Annie and scowled.
“Okay, I get the message,” she said. “But I still think you should be careful. It’s not as if we need to be anywhere in a hurry. We’ve got all day.”
Dylan took a few more deep breaths to steady his racing heart. Annie passed him a water bottle and he took a sip. “Thanks.”
“How far are we going?”
“Not much further.”
Annie smiled. “I don’t believe it. Dylan Bayliss isn’t going to try and conquer the world today. That must be the first time you’ve listened to me.”
Dylan took another sip of water and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “I listen.”
“Only when it suits you.”
He walked across to Annie and kissed her smiling lips. “I need to get something out of the backpack.”
She passed him the pack and watched him unzip a side pocket. “This is such a beautiful place. I’m amazed there aren’t more people out here today.”
Dylan held a white envelope in his hands. He was glad there weren’t more people here. He was feeling nervous enough about what he was about to do without an audience watching him.
He checked his watch, then passed Annie the envelope.
“What’s this?” She turned the envelope over and stared at the sealed flap.
“Open it.”
Anne looked confused, but she opened the envelope. She pulled out the tickets and read each one. She was horrified. “I don’t understand? Why am I holding two tickets for flights to Ireland?”
“We’re going there. I booked open-ended tickets so we’ve got extra flexibility with the dates.”
Annie clamped her lips together, staring at him as if he’d gone mad. Maybe he had, but it was the best kind of madness he’d ever been in. “You said you wanted to go to Galway,” he explained. “To visit the store that sold Claddagh rings.”
Annie looked at her right hand and scowled at the gold band circling her finger.
“You don’t look happy?”
“I can pay for my own ticket.”
“I know you can,” he said softly. “But I thought it would be a good place to visit on a honeymoon.”
Annie looked down at the tickets, then back up at him. “I don’t understand?”
Dylan had practiced what he wanted to say so many times over the last few days. He should have been able to repeat the words without a hitch, but his brain refused to budge past the look of sheer terror on Annie’s face. He’d made a mistake, a big mistake.
It was too late to back out now. He’d come to tell her how he felt about her. If she didn’t feel the same way, then he couldn’t do anything about it.
He took a deep breath and tried to steady his heartbeat. “I love you, Annie. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Annie’s face lost all of its color. This was worse than he thought, worse than anything he’d ever done. She didn’t love him, didn’t want to hear the words he’d never said to anyone else.
“I can’t…” Annie closed her eyes.
Dylan took a step backward. “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t feel the same way…” he looked around the trail, not sure what he should do. He should probably go back to the truck, take Annie home.
Tears filled his eyes. He was so sure she felt the same way about him. So sure that what they had was more amazing than either of them had ever found. “I’ll meet you back at the truck.”
Annie reached out and touched his arm. “Wait…”
Dylan wiped his eyes and waited for her to tell him what he didn’t want to hear.
“I thought I loved a man once. He told me he loved me. I don’t know if I can be a wife again.”
“I’m not your ex-husband. I’m me. I’m not perfect. I’ve got flaws and baggage. I obsess about small things, I hate cabbage and I snore. But with every drop of blood inside of me, I love you. I want to make you happy, to be someone you can be proud of.”
&n
bsp; Annie pulled a pile of tissues out of her pocket. “Do you want some?”
Dylan nodded and she passed him a handful of tissues out of another pocket.
She blew her nose and left her bike leaning against a wire fence. “My nose runs when I’m biking in the morning.” She looked up at him. Her eyes were incredibly blue, shining with unshed tears. “They come in handy when someone tells you they love you, too.”
She stuffed the tissues in a pocket and sighed. “I thought you wanted to be my boyfriend?”
“I did…I do. But I want more. Not physical more…” He quickly glanced at Annie. “Not that I’m complaining. I can’t believe how much…” He closed his mouth. Talking about making love to Annie wasn’t helping. He couldn’t look at her without wanting to pull her into his arms and show her how much he loved her. So he looked at the meadow in front of them. Mystic Lake shimmered in the distance and wildflowers grew everywhere.
With her new bike, Annie would be able to ride along the ridge, follow the edge of the lake until she finally hit the water. He would have enjoyed finding more trails with Annie, discovering parts of Montana that he’d only read about. But that wouldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when he’d told her he loved her and she didn’t feel the same way.
He heard Annie move, felt her arm brush against his body as she stood beside him. He looked down at her. She was staring across the same meadow, looking at the same view.
“Tess and Logan are getting married in October…”
Dylan frowned.
“My family won’t want to be involved, but your mom and sisters might enjoy the planning. How does next April sound? Ireland should be beautiful in the Spring.”
He stared at Annie. “You want to marry me?”
She raised her hand to his face and wiped away his tears. “I’ve got baggage, too. I’ve got a stubborn streak that gets me into trouble and I’m super-sensitive about money. But I love you.”
“You do?”
Annie nodded and he reached down and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders and hugged him tight. She loved him. After everything that had happened she was willing to spend her life with him, share her heart with him.
Loving You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 2) Page 26