by Jane Porter
“Then you come sit with her and look at the magazines. You study flowers, and discuss cake, and debate beef or chicken for the dinner entrée. I can’t do it. I told you when I arrived that I never want to plan another big wedding—”
“And you’re not having to plan it. My mom is happy to organize everything.”
“That’s not the point.”
“What is the point? Because I’m confused.”
“We were going to do a quiet, practical ceremony—”
“Which we did.”
“And there was not going to be any fuss.”
“And there was no fuss.”
“But now, suddenly, we’re keeping our marriage secret and agreeing to a wedding that makes us the focus of everyone’s attention and, Joe, it’s overwhelming. I’m not good with attention. I don’t want to have to playact our way through the entire reception, but we will.”
“We’ll just stay on the dance floor the whole time so no one can talk to us.”
She made a face. “And I’m a terrible dancer.”
“I’ll help you.”
Sophie closed her eyes. “This will not end well,” she said darkly.
“Let’s be optimistic.”
“Okay, fine. I’m positive it’s going to blow up in our face.”
He laughed softly and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “At least you make me laugh.”
His kiss was so good, so persuasive that Sophie promptly forgot what they were talking about, and stood up on tiptoe to feel even more of him.
They were still kissing when Granddad walked in and they quickly broke apart.
Melvin Wyatt looked from one to the other and then shook his head. “No need to look so guilty. I’m not the kiss police.”
Sophie and Joe looked at him, and then each other, before bursting into laughter.
“I like him,” Sophie said, when Mr. Wyatt had exited the kitchen.
“I do, too.”
*
Mrs. Wyatt loved her iPad because she could talk to it, and Siri would help her find the things she wanted without having to type everything into the search engine. She also seemed to be very proficient at looking things up because every day, Joe’s mom had new saved searches for Sophie to look at. On Sunday, the list was endless—
Rustic country wedding invites.
Country wedding decor.
Chic barn weddings.
Hay bale couches.
Barn wedding ceremony ideas.
Cowboy wedding cake.
Cowboy wedding ideas.
Cowboy wedding centerpieces.
Sophie chewed the inside of her cheek, trying not to panic as Mrs. Wyatt clicked from search to search, pointing out all the exciting possibilities. The photos were beautiful, but there was a level of planning, and execution, which made Sophie’s head spin.
“What do you think?” Mrs. Wyatt asked, looking up from a screen filled with picnic tables covered in white linens, featuring lanterns and bright summer flowers plopped in pale green canning jars. “This would be a really pretty reception idea for a May wedding. Emerson Barn already has tables and chairs. Not sure about the size, though. I think they have rounds in several sizes, and then we’d just have to rent the linens and get the flowers—”
“Flowers are really expensive. It doesn’t matter what kind they are.”
“We’re not poor. We can afford flowers, and good food, and a live band. Besides, I want my boys to have proper weddings. I’ve dreamed about them growing up, falling in love, starting families of their own. I made a promise to JC that I’d see his boys raised right, and having a real wedding is part of that promise.”
When Sophie didn’t immediately reply, Mrs. Wyatt added, “Are you good with a barn wedding? The Emerson Barn isn’t available on any Saturdays in May, but we could do a Sunday? The last three Sundays are all free right now, although May tenth is Mother’s Day and I don’t think we should try to schedule a wedding for Memorial Day weekend. So that would leave the seventeenth. I do think that’s the best day, don’t you?”
“I agree,” Sophie murmured weakly.
“I’m happy to make calls tomorrow to reserve everything. I just want to be sure this is what you and Joe want. So the third weekend of May?”
“Maybe I should go get Joe. We want to make sure he approves of the date, too,” Sophie said, trying to hide her dismay, before excusing herself to search for Joe.
She found him in the barn fixing a bit on one of the bridles. He lifted his head, a hint of a gleam in his light eyes. “How are the wedding plans going?”
“Your mom is really invested in it, Joe. A little too invested.”
“She’s been in a very good mood lately.”
Sophie leaned on a stall and watched Joe work. “Her ideas aren’t cheap. She’s turning it into a fancy wedding.”
He glanced at her from beneath the brim of his hat. “I thought it was a barn wedding. She mentioned the Emerson Barn to me.”
“Barn weddings aren’t inexpensive, and certainly not the way she’s thinking of it. Her searches are for ‘rustic chic’ and ‘elegant barn weddings.’ She’s talking a live band, and dozens of fresh flower centerpieces and two kinds of cake.” Sophie tried hard to keep her voice calm and neutral. “Joe, we don’t need a big three- or four-layer cake.”
“Tell her that.”
“I’m trying, but she’s just so… enthused.”
He tugged on the bridle’s leather straps, and satisfied, hung it up. “I’m glad the two of you are spending time together. This is what we wanted, wasn’t it?”
“Two dozen floral arrangements will cost at least a thousand dollars.”
He looked at her, hands on his hips. “I can afford that.”
“And even a simple BBQ dinner will still be about forty or fifty dollars a person.”
“I can afford that, too.”
Sophie sagged against the stall, realization dawning. “You’re excited about the wedding.”
He grimaced. “I wouldn’t use the word excited, but I don’t mind renewing our vows and then having a big party for our friends and family. It gives me a chance to introduce you to everyone, and you’re gorgeous. Why shouldn’t I want to show you off?”
“Everyone’s going to ask how we met.”
“We tell them the truth. We met on the internet.”
“Folks here are pretty conservative. Won’t that shock some people?”
“Maybe.” Joe grinned. “But sometimes it’s good to give people something to talk about.”
“I’ve done that, just last December. It wasn’t fun, trust me.” She hesitated. “Looks like the third Sunday in May is going to be the big day. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, fine. Wish we could do the first Sunday, but I understand why that’s a little impractical.”
“Oh, and one more thing. Who is JC?”
Joe looked at her, expression guarded. “My dad. Why?”
Sophie felt a pang in her chest. “Your mom said she’d made a promise to your dad to raise you right, and seeing her boys married properly is part of that.” She swallowed. “So I think that means we’re really doing this.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and dropped a kiss on her nose. “I could have told you that the day Mom brought the wedding up. If there’s something you should know about my mom, it’s that she almost always gets her way.”
“She’s that stubborn?”
“She’s that smart.”
Chapter Eight
By Wednesday, thirty-three wedding invitations had been mailed out.
Joe’s mom had found an online company that could print the invitations and mail them directly, all within forty-eight hours. The invites were cute and very country, the printed paper resembling a bit of lace over weathered wood, with the words We’re Getting Hitched at the top, beneath the knot of twine.
And now that the invitations were out, there was no turning back.
Sophie still felt queasy when she t
hought about a reception, with a country band, a catered dinner, and a tiered wedding cake. It just felt ridiculously extravagant, adding to Sophie’s sense of guilt. There was no need for a second Montana wedding. The courthouse wedding was perfectly legal and they already had the finalized document back from the clerk, but Mrs. Wyatt was so excited about their relationship for once, and even Granddad had pulled out his suits and best boots on Thursday, asking Joe if one of his suits would do, or if he needed something more formal.
Joe had decided that the groomsmen would wear brown leather vests over white button-down shirts, cowboy hats, and dark Wrangler denims. Sophie understood why Joe wanted all three of his brothers in the wedding, if they could make it back, but she had no one to form a bridal party as she was fine with that. Instead, she asked Melvin Wyatt if he’d walk her down the aisle, and he gruffly agreed, giving her a hug, and the hug meant the world to her. It had been a long time since she’d felt wanted anywhere, and the ranch was starting to feel like a second home. If only there wasn’t so much emphasis on the wedding. Mrs. Wyatt had arranged for Sophie and Joe to do a cake tasting next Monday since Sophie wouldn’t be working, and for Joe’s sake, she accepted the news with a smile, but she didn’t care about cake, and didn’t want to discuss the merits of raspberry or lemon filling for a white cake. She also didn’t care if the table rounds should be rounds of six or eight. And, no, she and Joe had no preference for the song for their first dance.
The fact that she felt forced into this farce of a second wedding made her short-tempered and increasingly frustrated with Joe. Joe was thirty-three. Why couldn’t he say no to his mom? A simple no would have stopped things. Five little words—Hey, Mom, we’re already married—would have nipped this charade in the bud. Instead, Sophie was putting an incredible amount of energy into pretending to be happy, which had the effect of making her unhappy.
Friday morning, she drove into Marietta to work, her stomach in knots. She parked on the street a block from the pink house with the white picket fence, always careful not to take one of the spaces in front of the salon as the senior customers might need a close spot.
The wind whipped her long hair and tugged at her coat as she walked to the salon, but the fresh air felt good. Bracing. Sophie was glad to be away from the ranch working today. She needed the distraction. She didn’t want to think about the wedding, or hear about the RSVPs starting to come in. She just wanted some time with Joe, and maybe it was selfish, but she wanted to feel like a couple, and have fun, and not worry so much about everyone else.
She knew Joe wanted her, but she worried his feelings were different than hers. She was becoming deeply attached to Joe, but what did he feel for her? He desired her, but was that all it was? Physical desire didn’t last forever. Would what he felt be enough for the long term?
Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, and Sophie hadn’t planned on developing real feelings. Yes, she’d liked his photo and his profile, finding his blunt Wife Wanted ad appealing after the heartbreak with Leo, but she hadn’t thought she’d fall in love with Joe… at least, not so fast.
She’d thought it might take years for them to come together, years for them to form a bond, and yet here she was, three weeks into her stay in Montana and he was all she thought of, and all she wanted. And that was what was getting her down… she wanted more time with Joe, not less, and when she was with him, she wanted more of them, and less of his family.
Just admitting that made her feel guilty because she’d known when she arrived in Montana that Joe lived on the ranch with his mother and grandfather. She knew the ranch was isolated. She knew Joe would spend long days outside on the property. But she’d thought they’d have the evenings to themselves. She’d thought they’d have more… what? Romance?
Joe, however, seemed oblivious to her tension, happy to bury himself every evening in market prices and calculations while Sophie inwardly stewed, wanting more, and not knowing how to be content without more.
Fortunately, it was a busy morning at the salon and Sophie kept her smile firmly in place as she welcomed customers and answered the phone and booked appointments. She was beginning to recognize the weekly customers, the older women who came in for a shampoo and style, as well as the young women who liked a regular blowout.
Sophie thought she’d done a good job of hiding her pensive mood until Amanda joined her at the little table in the kitchen everyone used during break.
“You seem to smile a little less every day,” Amanda said, removing the lid from her salad. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Sophie answered, forcing a smile and sitting taller. “Why?”
“Hmmm, I don’t know exactly what it is. But you seem a little less glowy today. Is the wedding prep getting to you?”
“Maybe, just a bit, although I feel bad even saying that as Mrs. Wyatt is doing most of the work.”
“Weddings can become all consuming.”
“Exactly.” Sophie frowned as she thought about her life since moving into the Wyatt’s ranch house. “It seems like all we talk about right now is the wedding.”
“Tyler and I fought the most just before our wedding. It’ll get easier, I promise.”
“I hope so.” Sophie nudged her turkey sandwich, no longer hungry. She did feel sad. Sad and teary. “I might be a little homesick, too,” she admitted. “The thing is, I don’t want to be home, but I’m struggling a little here. Everything is so new and different and I don’t want to fight with Joe, but he doesn’t really understand how isolated I feel at the ranch. Our relationship is new, and the wedding is getting bigger and bigger, and there’s no time for us just to be together. We both work, and then when we’re free, we’re always with his family. I like his family too, but I need more time with Joe. I need…” Her voice faded, and Sophie reached up to knock away a tear before it fell. “This is silly. There’s no reason for me to cry. There’s nothing wrong.”
“Moving is hard. Starting a new life in a completely different place is hard. My sister, Charity, has found it tough in Seattle, and misses Marietta a lot.” Amanda wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t suppose you want to hear about Charity.”
“I have no problem with your sister.”
“You’d like her if you met her. Charity is really sweet, and fun.”
“You’re close.”
“Very close. BFFs.”
Sophie picked at her sandwich. She and Sarah had once been really close, too. Her chest burned, and her stomach cramped. She put her sandwich down, as a lump filled her throat. She missed Sarah. She missed her family. But at the same time, she didn’t want any of them here. They wouldn’t be okay with her marrying Joe, someone who had been a stranger just a month ago. They’d be upset she was ‘rushing’ into something with him, would try to convince her to return to California.
Her feelings for Joe had become complicated, too. She had feelings for him—very strong feelings—thus the tears and the anger and the increasing frustration. She didn’t want a paper relationship. She wanted the real thing. She wanted Joe to have real feelings for her.
“By the way,” Amanda added more brightly, “I just got the invite to your wedding. Tyler and I are definitely coming.”
“Oh, good,” Sophie said, smiling brightly to hide the sheen in her eyes. “I’ll know someone.”
“Are you really not inviting anyone from your family?”
Sophie shook her head. “It’s just so far. Two flights, and then the drive from Bozeman, which means everyone would need a rental car plus hotel.” She glanced up and saw the arch of Amanda’s eyebrows. “Okay, it’s not just the time or expense. I’m uncomfortable inviting my family. They’ll all have something to say about Joe’s and my relationship and I don’t really feel like hearing it.”
“Haven’t they met him?”
Sophie shook her head. “They don’t even know him.”
“What?”
“They know I’ve come to Montana for a fresh start. They think it’s a jo
b opportunity.” Sophie grimaced as she tore the crust off a slice of bread. “So there is that to explain.”
Amanda blinked. “Wait, what? Why? What’s going on?”
Sophie pushed her lunch away and propped her elbows on the table. For a moment she just felt fear, and anxiety, and then she looked at Amanda and her concerned expression and had to fight fresh tears. “Can I trust you?”
“Of course.”
“You won’t say anything to anyone?”
“No.”
Sophie hesitated then blurted, “I met Joe online.”
“Right. And…”
“He’d placed an ad for a wife.” Sophie gauged Amanda’s reaction and when none was coming, added, “I answered his ad for a wife. And here I am.”
“You’re kidding.”
Sophie pursed her lips and shook her head. “Nope.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, no one does, and I guess that’s a good thing?” She smiled weakly and toyed with the plastic around her sandwich. “I’d just come out of a bad breakup and I thought Joe’s ad sounded perfect. He sounded perfect. And, actually, he is. I’m falling for him, and yet that’s not part of our deal. We’re not supposed to fall in love; we’re supposed to be practical.”
“I can’t see Joe marrying someone he wasn’t attracted to.” Amanda’s lips curved. “Trust me, he’s not that practical.”
“Then why did he place the ad?”
“Knowing Joe, he wanted a relationship but he lives thirty minutes outside of town and women don’t just wander on to the Wyatts’ property. It’s not easy to meet someone when you live on a ranch as remote as the Wyatt’s.”
Sophie thought about this for a moment. “He apparently had a lot of women answer his ad.”
“I’m sure he did. The man’s hunky, and he’s financially solvent, smart, successful, and incredibly loyal to his family. He’s marriage material. And now he’s yours.”
*
He’s yours.
Amanda’s words stayed with Sophie as she drove back to the Wyatts’ at the end of the day.