Accidental Bride and Groom

by Iris Abbott

  The woman did sound kind of lonely. Emma wondered if she had really forgotten what Lynn wanted for a wedding cake or if she just used that as an excuse to wrangle a couple of dinner guests. “I’ll discuss your invitation with Landon, but I’m sure he would be more than happy to have dinner with you Mrs. Walker. What time should we arrive?” After securing a time from the Widow Walker, Emma hung up the phone. She hadn’t been for a ride yet that day. This dinner invitation and Lynn’s phone call gave her the perfect excuse, not that she needed one, to seek out Landon’s company.

  After one of the stable hands prepared Bluebonnet, Emma and the horse trotted off to the east end of the ranch. She’d been told that’s where Landon and a few of the ranch hands were checking and repairing the fence line. It seemed to Emma that on a ranch the size of this one the fence work was never-ending. No wonder Landon put in so much time working outdoors with the men he hired to take care of the ranch.

  Landon winced as the barbed wire from the fence bit into his gloved hand. Sometimes he felt like he spent his entire life riding the fence line. With Lynn getting married and starting a family of her own he would be tempted to spend even more time working on the ranch. He really needed to think about putting his ex-fiancée behind him and settling down himself.

  He noticed a dust trail over the horizon. His eyes narrowed on the horse and rider as they drew nearer. It was Emma and Bluebonnet. He would know that body anywhere. Heck, he dreamed about those sexy curves late at night. So much so that he’d probably be able to pick it out of a lineup of several hundred.

  It should have scared him witless that the object of his desire would suddenly appear when he was thinking about the future and a need to settle down. Surprisingly though he felt content. Since he and Emma had actually taken the time to get to know each other over the past few days, he liked what he was seeing. She wasn’t the cold, hard, untouchable, ice queen he had always imagined. He had finally figured out that just like him, she felt the need to protect herself from hurt. And she did that by not letting people anywhere near her heart. Changing her outlook was quickly becoming his mission in life.

  Well, his sister’s wedding was one week away. He had that much time to convince the maid of honor not to completely disappear from his life. She had already done it once before. Not that he could completely blame her for that. His behavior that night had been cruel and atrocious. Now he realized he had been motivated by jealousy. He hadn’t liked seeing her in the embrace of another man, and he’d let his emotions run all over his common sense and better judgment.

  Emma slowed Bluebonnet as they approached the fence area where Landon was working. She watched him slowly walk over to where she was and lift up his arms to her. She flashed him a big smile and a thank you before allowing him to help her dismount from the horse. She stepped right into his arms. She just knew Landon was going to kiss her and closed her eyes in anticipation. She shivered when she felt the warmth of his lips brush across hers. She leaned in closer to deepen the kiss, but they both jumped guiltily apart when a couple of the ranch hands let out wolf whistles. Heat coated her cheeks. She was beginning to think that blushing was a permanent side effect when she was around Landon.

  “Guess what,” she almost jumped up and down in her excitement. “We got a phone call from Lynn. The connection wasn’t the greatest, but she and Bruce are both safe and doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She sent her love and said she would see us soon.”

  Landon let out a huge breath of relief. Not knowing if his baby sister was safe had been hard for him to handle. “I knew Bruce would take care of her, but it’s a huge load off my mind to actually hear from her. Did she say when they would be back?”

  “No, but it has to be soon. I told her we had to change caterers, the menu, and the flowers. She told me not to worry about any of it and to do what I thought was best. As long as the day itself went off without any drama, she said she would be happy.”

  Landon nodded his head in agreement. “I figured as much. Lynn is really not one to kick up a fuss. She may have had the perfect day pictured in her head, but just as long as she and Bruce tie the knot on time and the day runs smoothly she’s not going to be disappointed. She loves Bruce enough that the trappings really aren’t important. Sometimes I think she is only having a big to do here at the ranch to make me happy. You know, sort of as a bridge from her single life here on the ranch with me to her new married life with Bruce.”

  Emma frowned. “You think? Oh before I forget, Mrs. Walker called about the wedding cake. It seems she can’t read her own writing and she doesn’t remember exactly what Lynn wanted. So she’s invited us over for dinner to discuss cakes.”

  Landon actually groaned. “All day I’ve been looking forward to having you to myself during and after dinner. There is no way I am sharing you, even with someone as sweet as the Widow Walker.”

  Emma was pleased that Landon wanted to be alone with her, but she was indignant on his neighbor’s behalf. She playfully swatted his chest. “Come on Landon be a little more neighborly. I think she’s lonely.”

  “I don’t see how. She has Jackson and his myriad assortment of dates to keep her company. Can’t you just go see her about the cake and come back to the ranch for dinner?”

  “What’s gotten into you, Landon James? I’ll do no such thing. I already told her we would be there for dinner. Canceling now would be rude. Besides she told me she really wanted the company. Her son is out of town.”

  The transformation that came over Landon was instantaneous. “Oh well, that changes everything. Why didn’t you say that, to begin with? What time did you tell her we’d be there?”

  Emma’s head was almost spinning from his abrupt change of mind. “Wait a minute,” her forehead puckered in concentration. “Just a minute ago you were dead set against going to the Walker’s ranch. What gives?”

  Landon gave her an almost sheepish look. “I didn’t fancy competing with Jackson all evening for your attention. He has gotten quite a reputation. He’s known around here as the Texas, playboy veterinarian. He saves animals for God’s sake, who can compete with that?”

  Emma felt her heart melt at the insecurity displayed by such a strong and accomplished man. Landon’s middle name could be self-confidence. He exuded the stuff from every pore. She stood up on tiptoes and lightly brushed her lips across his. “Landon you have a reputation as quite the ladies’ man yourself. Animals are nice. I love them just as much as the next person, but you put your whole life on hold to raise your teenaged sister. You’re pretty special yourself.”

  Emma had acted on impulse. Now that her words had actually caught up to her brain she was mortified. She still wasn’t sure if Landon was developing feelings for her or killing time with an available woman. She didn’t want to tip her hand too early especially if his feelings weren’t genuine.

  “Well, I should get back to the house in case anyone else calls about the wedding. There seems to be a pattern developing here, and it’s not exactly a good one.” She started walking away. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” she tossed over her shoulder. Then she mounted Bluebonnet and was galloping back toward the stables before Landon could form a reply, which was all right with her.

  ****

  After her big admission to Landon, Emma had been dreading dinner with Mrs. Walker. It turned out she had nothing to worry about. If he thought her behavior and words were odd, he didn’t mention it. Mrs. Walker was such a lively and friendly host that Emma was able to focus on her instead of her steadily growing feelings for Landon. Dinner passed smoothly. It was filled with wonderful home-cooked food and enlightening conversation. Emma was particularly fond of the little tidbits of information Mrs. Walker doled out about Landon’s childhood. After catching up on what all the locals were up to, the trio sat down in Mrs. Walker’s living room. They planned to look at photos of some of her previous cake designs.

  “I do remember,” the widow confided, “that Lynn chose the tradition
al butter pound cake with buttercream icing. I distinctly remember her saying no fondant icing on the cake. So I pulled out photos of cakes that are decorated without fondant.”

  Emma’s eyes were drawn immediately to a square three-tier cake. The icing was squeezed on with a pastry bag and decorator tip to resemble the weave of a basket. It was different from the usual round wedding cake, but Emma thought it was perfect. “I like this one,” she pointed it out to Landon and Mrs. Walker. “Do you remember if Lynn was going to use a cake topper?”

  The retired pastry chief thought for a second. “I remember asking her about a bride and groom for the top of the cake, and she told me she hadn’t been able to find one she liked.”

  Emma felt her excitement grow, which was wrong because it wasn’t her wedding or her cake, but she was excited nonetheless. “The bridal bouquet and table centerpieces all contain sunflowers and lavender and yellow roses. Would it be possible to use a real sunflower as the cake topper and frosting roses for the bottom two layers?”

  “What a wonderful idea, my dear. I just love sunflowers,” Nancy Walker beamed at her guests. “This cake serves seventy-five to a hundred guests. That’s the perfect size for Lynn’s reception.”

  “Would you like for me to call the florist and arrange delivery of a couple of sunflowers and roses? That way you will have exact color matches for the cake,” Emma offered.

  “That would be lovely Emma.” The Widow Walker gave her a pat on the back. “It was so nice to meet you. You’ll have to come over for dinner again one night when my son Jackson is here. I would love for the two of you to meet each other.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  Landon, who hadn’t had much to say for most of the evening, finally came alive. He stood up. “Mrs. Walker, it was nice seeing you again and thank you for the dinner invitation tonight.” He offered his elderly neighbor a friendly peck on the cheek. “Also thank you for the future invitation, but I don’t think Emma is going to have time. She’s going to get busier the closer we get to the wedding.”

  Mrs. Walker stood up and gave her longtime neighbor and his houseguest a speculative glance. Then she broke out into a big smile. “Well I should have known that such a treasure like you would already be taken,” she said to Emma. Then she gave Landon a peck on the cheek. “No hard feelings young man, just take care of this little darling, and if Jackson’s eyes stray her way during the wedding, I’ll be sure to let him know she’s taken.”

  “Oh, but I’m not really…,” Emma started to say involved, but Landon cut her off before she could get the word out of her mouth.

  “You do that Mrs. Walker and on behalf of Lynn thanks for all the time and care that I know you are going to put into her cake. I’m sure it will be a culinary masterpiece that everyone will still be talking about years from now. I am sure she is going to love it. We all can’t wait to see the finished product.”

  The widow seemed to glow under Landon’s compliments. “Well, I don’t know about all that young man.” She took Emma’s hands in her own. “I do know that I’ll be more than happy to make a wedding cake for you when you’re ready to have a wedding of your own. Just say the word, and I’ll start baking.”

  Emma was too flustered to come up with a decent reply and evidently so was Landon. They finished their goodbyes. Then Emma was practically hauled out the front door of the Walker home, and stuffed into the passenger seat of Landon’s luxury SUV.

  Her back went up at the manhandling. “What is your problem?” she demanded as soon as she had buckled her seatbelt.

  “I don’t have a problem, at least not yet. Just make sure you stay away from Jackson Walker. Evidently, his mother likes you, and she’s been keen to see her son married off for years. Now that she is a widow she really wants grandkids to lavish all her love and attention on.”

  Emma couldn’t believe that Landon was trying to control who she could and couldn’t socialize with, and even more unbelievable was the fact that his actions seemed to be motivated by jealousy. She calmly waited until he parked the car inside the spacious three-car garage. Then she got out and stiffly walked into the house.

  Landon called out after her. “Emma, wait I don’t want to fight and ruin the short amount of time we have left together.” He realized it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left his mouth. Neither one of them really needed a reminder that their days together were numbered.

  Rather than calm Emma, his latest remark just served as a reminder that no matter how close she thought they were becoming, in just a matter of days she would be returning to Georgia alone. She’d go back to her life as a lonely third-grade teacher. Her days would be filled with eight and nine-year-olds, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Landon would stay in Texas and continue his reign as the Texas playboy rancher drifting from one woman to another. He would no doubt eventually forget all about her, but she had a feeling she would never forget him.

  EIGHT

  Emma groaned at whatever had interrupted the best dream a girl could have. Then she blinked and pulled the pillow over her head when the sun’s brilliance stabbed into her sleep sensitive eyes. She managed a faint squeal when the pillow was pulled out of her grasp. She was ready to fight for her life until she looked into the smiling green eyes of the man of her dreams. “Landon,” she protested with a sigh. “I was in the middle of a really great dream, and you ruined it,” she accused.

  “Oh baby,” he smiled down at her. “Why dream when you can have the real thing.”

  Emma pinched herself. Was she still dreaming or was he really in her room and had he really just said that? She flinched in pain and rubbed the spot she had just pinched. Nope, not dreaming, she was definitely wide-awake. Her mind began searching frantically for clues. How had Landon known she was dreaming about him? Was it just a lucky guess, a figure of speech, or something much worse? Had she actually moaned his name in her sleep? Oh dear God, she hoped not. Talk about embarrassing. Having the man of your innermost fantasies catch you moaning his name in your sleep was so not cool. She was going to have to brazen her way out of this mess.

  “It’s too early in the morning for this. What do you want Landon?” Emma realized that her statement could be taken more ways than one. At the wicked grin he gave her, she knew he was purposefully taking it the wrong way. “Let me rephrase that,” she quickly added. “What are you doing in my bedroom this time of the day? I figured you would be hard at work on the ranch by now.”

  Landon gave her another one of his killer grins. “I think I like the first interpretation, baby. To answer your question about work, I decided to take the day off and spend it with you. The ranch hands can take care of what needs to be done on the ranch. It’s why they were hired. Today anyway I’m all yours. Take a shower and meet me downstairs. I thought we would start with a leisurely horseback ride before it gets too hot.” He needed all the help he could get. He was not above taking advantage of her love for Bluebonnet and horseback riding.

  Emma threw back the covers and ran toward the bathroom. She turned back to Landon when she reached the door. “Give me twenty minutes to shower and dress. I’ll meet you downstairs when I’m ready.” She closed the door and only then realized she must have given Landon quite an eyeful when she ran across the room in nothing more than a short T-shirt and silk panties. She could hear his laughter as he walked out the door.

  Landon laughed because it beat crying, but he had to get out of that room fast. Given half a chance he’d be in that shower with Emma. The attraction between them was intense enough. He didn’t need the added lure of her lush breasts crushed beneath a skin-tight T-shirt, and tiny silk panties that left a man wanting to know what was underneath. He made a hasty retreat down the stairs and out of the way of temptation.

  He walked past his closed office and was struck by an idea. He wanted the remaining time with Emma to be special for both of them. If he were honest, he wanted it to be a time she would never forget, so she’d never forget him. He walked into his office an
d logged onto his desktop computer. After a few quick minutes on the internet, he booked a room at one of the most exclusive resorts near the River Walk in San Antonio. He had a plan, he would wine and dine her, and then he would seduce her. He almost had to sit on his hands to keep from rubbing them together in glee. He hadn’t looked forward to anything as much as he was looking forward to being alone with Emma in an intimate setting. He was going to have her to himself for a whole day and night, and he was going to make the most of the opportunity.

  Emma rushed through her shower. She was in a hurry to start her day with Landon. There was nothing she wanted more than to have him to herself for a whole day. She didn’t even take time to style her hair. She just drew it into a long ponytail and fastened it at the nape of her neck. She was better off with her long hair tied back anyway when she was horseback riding. Otherwise, she would have a hard time keeping it out of her eyes. She dressed in clothes comfortable enough for riding and hurried down the stairs. She didn’t want to give Landon time to change his mind or worse yet let something on the ranch claim his attention.

  She spied him coming out of his office just as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She let out a wistful sigh. “I knew you couldn’t make it all day without working. I believe Lynn was right when she pegged you as a workaholic.”

  Landon couldn’t take offense at the comment. Any other time it would be true, but he craved this time with Emma. Not even work was going to interfere with his plans today. “I wasn’t working. Actually, I was putting together a surprise for you. Are you ready for that ride now?”

  The pair joined their arms together and walked to the stables. Emma noted that he must have called ahead because Obsidian and Bluebonnet were already saddled and waiting for their riders. The stable hand came forward to help Emma into the saddle but was stopped by a hard look from Landon. “I’ll help her,” the possessive tone of his voice was unmistakable, and the stable hand immediately returned to grooming the other horses. Landon used his hands to make a sling for Emma’s foot and lifted her toward the saddle.