The Luxury of Being Stubborn (The Stubborn Series Book 4)

by Jeanne Arnold

  “How is this going to happen?” I asked.

  “Hey, kids!” Meggie shouted when she saw us sitting in the truck. She was waving a red bandana in the air. “I need your help!”

  “Wow, Aunt Meggie. You look great,” I said as I climbed down and greeted her. She was wearing an ivory sundress and her standard, dated Dr. Scholl’s. Her hair was done up in a French braid and tucked under to look like she had long hair.

  “Thank you. Your mom made this dress. She did my makeup and hair. If Joel’s irate about his party, at least I can distract him with my sex appeal.” She laughed at herself, and then her eyes grew serious. “Your dad’s busy directing guests on where to park, Avery. I’ll bring Joel back at four o’clock. Can you be my point person? Lane was supposed to help me out, but he’s not here yet. He’s not answering my calls.”

  “Sure. Text me when you’re on the way.”

  “I’m beginning to have second thoughts. This is absolutely foolhardy,” she announced as she set a hand on her middle and sighed. “I’m out of my mind to think I can pull this off. I wish Jud was in town to celebrate with us. The federal agents were asking about him again. I told them today was off limits and they were certainly not welcome to return. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who responded to my invite on such short notice. And it’s a holiday on top.”

  I leaned in and whispered, “How surprised is Joel going to be tonight?”

  She tightened her eyes and touched my arm. “Why don’t you wait and see?”

  “Avy! Avy!” Brianna ran out the back door and held the banister while she tried to leap down the porch steps.

  “Oh god. No way,” I said when I got a look at her pink dress. “I’m going home right now.”

  “Nonsense. You girls look adorable. Your mom is a wonderful seamstress,” said Meggie as she giggled. “I better go. Keep your phone out, kiddo. I’ll text you as soon as I get him out of the office. Okiedokie?”

  “Good luck now. Only you can make him this uncomfortable and survive his wrath,” Gabe told her as he opened the door of Meggie’s truck and helped her in. Willie Nelson’s voice sang from her speakers. She smiled and waved the bandana she was going to use on Mr. Halden. The bandana reminded me of Molly and the good times we had.

  “Avy, you have my dress on!” yelled my sister. “Avy, we’re having a party! Cowboy Gabe, can you spin me? It’s the fort of July.”

  I cringed. My mother did it on purpose. “He’s taking me home to change.”

  “No, don’t go!” she wailed and hugged me around my waist. “Don’t go!”

  “Can this day be over now?” I asked Gabe as a parade of pickup trucks drove onto the lawn. My father waved an orange flag above his head. He was obviously enjoying his job as parking attendant.

  “Where’s Deliah?” Gabe asked my sister.

  She pointed at the house. Then she grabbed my hand. “See my tent?”

  Gabe retrieved his guitar case from the truck and sauntered toward the back porch with the case over his shoulder. He looked dashing in his vest and black jeans. “I’ll be inside.”

  Thirty minutes into my arrival I met CEOs of neighboring oil companies, the manager of strategic sourcing for HalRem, two geologists, a production engineer, a landman who was actually a landwoman, friends of Meggie’s from her Air Force days, and a handful of lawyers and accountants. I watched limos pull up and let out passengers who reminded me of chancellors and monarchs. Meggie’s farmhouse, even with its post-fire renovations and upgrades, looked more like a meeting ground for a global energy conference than a surprise fiftieth birthday party on the Fourth of July. I didn’t know how my aunt pulled it off.

  “Avery,” my mother’s voice called from the upstairs window. I shielded my eyes with my hand as I stepped out from under the tent. “Don’t let your sister near the cake.”

  “I’m hoping a naked lady pops out,” Caleb whispered at my shoulder and made me jump.

  I composed myself and turned around.

  He ran his eyes up and down me. “Tickle me pink,” he sung with a note of twang.

  I squinted. “You and Gabe wore the same vest.”

  His lips turned down, and he looked as if he were trying not to smile.

  “She hasn’t seen this yet, has she?” He ran his fingers down my bandage and past my elbow. He didn’t let go until I shook my arm. “You’re still covering the evidence.”

  “Don’t start, Caleb. This is your father’s special day.”

  “C’mon, legs. I make love, not war,” he said as he held up a bottle of beer. “I promise there will be no ass kicking among the clan today.”

  “Do you know all of these people? I think I met some of them at the HalRem ground breaking ceremony. Did you see all of the gifts?” I pointed to a table loaded with birthday presents. “Those pictures of your father as a kid are hilarious. He looks like you in his Air Force pictures.”

  “Did you see Meggie with him in those pics? She was a young one,” he said. “I know every stinkin’ face here. But nobody’s got legs and sass like you. Well, maybe this one has more sass.”

  My sister walked over and stared at Caleb. It always took her a moment to figure out who was who. Satisfied that he was who she thought he was, she grabbed my hand and took one of Caleb’s and tried to swing her body between us. “Cowboy Caleb, I want wetting cake.”

  I bent down to look her in the eyes. “It’s a birthday cake. I told you we have to wait for Joel to blow out his candles. Maybe he’ll let you help him.”

  Someone stepped up to my back as I straightened up. “I swear it’s like looking at you as a little girl. She even sounds like you.”

  I twisted my neck and smiled my surprise. “Joshie, you came home. Meggie didn’t think you could get away.”

  “Joel sent a car for me. I’m only here until tomorrow morning.”

  I threw my head back. “Wait, how would Joel know to send for you? He doesn’t know about his own party.”

  Caleb cleared his throat and slapped a hand on Josh’s chest. They exchanged a humorous look. Josh was wearing a vest. His hair was cut short and styled. I couldn’t get over how much more he looked like Joel since I saw him a month ago.

  I planted my fists on my hip and stared at the two of them.

  Caleb took hold of my arms and turned me around to face the house. “Go find your boy toy and ask him which end is up.”

  “Fine. I will. Banana, come with me.”

  My sister ran ahead and nearly knocked over a man carrying a tray of drinks across the driveway. I heard guitar music and crying when I entered the kitchen. Deliah was on the couch in the living room. All I could see was the back of her head. She had her hair braided in a fancy twist.

  “Where did Gabe go?” I asked as I checked my phone to see if Meggie tried to reach me.

  She peered over the back of the couch and made a face. “He’s picking his nose on the front porch.”

  “Avery, is that you?” my mother called down the stairs.

  Brianna climbed onto a kitchen chair and reached for the plate of extravagant cookies that was set in the center of the table. My mother walked in, pulled my sister off the table, and set a hair brush and the baby monitor in front of her. She was wearing a dress similar to mine and Brianna’s. It was a darker shade of pink.

  “I need to do your hair, Brianna.” My mother didn’t look at me or notice the bandages on my shoulder.

  “No!” cried my sister. “Do Avy’s.”

  “No, thanks,” I responded. “I’m looking for Gabe.” I headed to the front door and stuck my head out. He was sitting on the porch swing hugging his guitar like he was waiting to film a country music video.

  “Why are you hiding? Three hundred of your family’s closest friends are out back. I can’t believe Meggie did all this. Joel is going to be shocked.”

  Gabe’s lips parted. He examined me with an intense look.

  “Josh is out there. I thought Meggie said it was too far for him to come home. When a
re you planning to tell me what’s going on?”

  He shrugged.

  “Lane isn’t here,” I said. “Should we go find him? He’s going to miss the surprise.”

  Gabe seemed irritated that I was concerned about his brother. “Troy can fetch him on his way over. He and his sister are playing a set with me later.”

  My phone lit up in my hand, and I almost dropped it.

  “It’s Meggie! They’ll be here in a couple minutes,” I shouted into the house, then ran down the front porch steps and around back to find Caleb and Josh. My mother rushed out and followed me. She was carrying the baby monitor and a pair of strappy gold heels.

  “Avery Norah Ross—what on earth is that on your back? Stop and let me see.”

  I halted my gallop across the lawn toward the tent and turned around. “I fell off Lane’s motorcycle. I was going to tell you.”

  I heard her breath suck in so loud I cowered at what was coming. Gabe approached us and took my hand. My mother bit her lips in disgust as she watched us walk away. She didn’t stop me.

  “Thanks for the rescue,” I whispered.

  Gabe’s eyes were shadowed by his cowboy hat. I tugged on his hand so he would follow me to the front of the crowd. He grabbed my wrist with his free hand and stopped me.

  “I have to see Joel’s face up close. I can’t miss this.”

  He lifted his hat and leaned in to brush his cherry stained lips against mine.

  “Will you please tell your sister there’s nothing going on between me and Travis? She’s acting like I killed her pet hamster.”

  “She’s having a hormone spell. She’ll get over it.”

  “It’s more than that. I think she needs someone to tell her she belongs. If I were her I’d be wondering where I fit in.”

  Gabe wasn’t listening. He looked down at his vest and patted his chest. He glanced up at me watching his hands, and for a moment he looked panicked.

  “Okay, y’all! They’re pullin’ in,” yelled Caleb as he waved his arms to round up the last of the guests.

  “We should’ve charged admission,” Josh said when he came to stand beside us. “Ma’s gonna slug him good.”

  I glanced sideways and crumpled my forehead in question. “Why? What’s he going to do?”

  Meggie’s truck parked in the only empty spot on the property. My heart started to race. Gabe had his arms around my shoulders and his chin on my head. “Here goes nothing,” he murmured.

  I had to cover my mouth as my aunt led Mr. Halden to the tent and then stopped. She was smiling as if she couldn’t wait to pull off his blindfold. Caleb stepped up to Meggie and kissed her cheek. Her grin widened, and she squeezed his hand. A hardly audible sigh swept through the crowd. Mr. Halden lifted his head and appeared to sniff at the air. Gabe chuckled. His chest shook in my back.

  Meggie whispered something into Mr. Halden’s ear as Caleb grabbed a microphone and pumped his arms up and down to get the guests ready to shout. He held up three fingers. Then he held up two.

  “Where’s the piñata?” his father asked as he blindly waved his hands in front of his chest.

  Caleb held up his arms, and Meggie lifted the cowboy hat and the blindfold off Mr. Halden’s head and grabbed onto his arm as if she were going to fall over with excitement.

  A roar of shouts and cheers exploded from the tent. Meggie took the microphone from Caleb and cleared her throat. Mr. Halden didn’t offer much of a reaction.

  “Happy Birthday, Joel. Are you surprised? You look terrified.”

  The guests laughed, held their drinks in the air, and shouted birthday greetings. Mr. Halden scanned the crowd but gave no impression that he was stunned or delighted.

  Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Deliah. She was wearing a replica of my dress with her mother’s jewels around her neck. She caught me staring and stuck out her tongue. My mother and Brianna were standing beside her, all in pink. I looked the other way and examined Josh and Caleb in their matching vests. Then I drew my gaze back to the guest of honor. He was wearing a vest of a darker shade.

  “Cheers to the lieutenant,” someone yelled.

  “Fabulous at fifty!” another person applauded.

  Caleb handed Meggie a cocktail glass. She scrunched up her nose and passed it to Mr. Halden. “You need to share that,” Caleb said. “Both of y’all look as though you could use some cowboy juice.”

  A roar of laughter rolled through again.

  “Okay, Joel. This is completely uncharacteristic of you to be speechless when offered a microphone and a willing audience.”

  She held the microphone to his face, but he didn’t break his stock still posture or attempt to speak.

  Emmie cried in the baby monitor and then quieted as my mother stared at the gadget with a worried look on her face. My father was rubbing his beard as if he was humored by Mr. Halden’s lack of response. “Speech!” he yelled.

  Everyone chanted as Mr. Halden reluctantly took the microphone and kicked his boot heel into the grass. The speakers thumped, and the crowd quieted.

  “Howdy, y’all,” he drawled and cracked a big smile.

  Meggie closed her eyes. She looked relieved.

  “Margareta has outdone herself. This is quite a remarkable gathering. Thank you for joining us. Y’all must know I’m most certainly pleased to see y’all here.”

  He lifted his drink with the other hand then downed it. Guests clapped and whistled. He was as handsome and charismatic as he was controlling.

  I twisted my head to look at Gabe. “Lane’s missing this.”

  “I texted him again,” he said and tightened his hands on my waist.

  Mr. Halden handed Caleb his empty glass and lifted his cowboy hat to reveal his hazel eyes. He turned to Meggie and took her shaky hand as if he were about to break some disturbing news.

  “Margareta, my love—you’re an incredible party planner. Certainly you poured your heart into organizing this celebration. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

  “You betcha,” she said. I thought she blushed, but nothing ever embarrassed her.

  He winked and touched her shoulder. “I want to spend my next fifty by your side.”

  She was blushing. “I’d like that too.”

  He set his hand on hers and held her warmly. Then he lifted it to his lips and kissed it. The party guests clapped. He stepped back and raised the microphone to his face. “That can be arranged,” he told her as I felt the crowd tighten around me.

  “How about we have cake and enjoy some live music? The bar is open. Everyone—please help yourselves,” Meggie announced.

  “Cake, Mommy!” Brianna shouted.

  “Come up here, young lady,” Mr. Halden said. He waved my sister over, and she practically summersaulted toward him. “Tell your Aunt Meggie about the cake.”

  “She’ll tear into it if he lets her anywhere near it,” I whispered over my shoulder.

  My sister spoke into the microphone. “It has a bwide and boom on it!”

  Mr. Halden took her hand so she wouldn’t run off. He gave the microphone to her to hold.

  “Tell your auntie what’s going to happen.”

  “We’re eating it!” She laughed at her own voice as it boomed across the yard. “That’s me!”

  Everyone chuckled. I couldn’t help myself from snorting. She had my father’s personality.

  “What’s going on here, Joel?” Meggie plucked the microphone from Brianna’s hand and pointed it accusingly at his mouth. “What are you up to?”

  “Ladies?” he said loudly as he signaled for me and my mother to join him.

  Deliah approached my sister and stealthily snatched her hand. My mother grabbed my arm and coaxed me toward them.

  For a moment, Meggie just stared while biting her lips together in disbelief.

  “Why are you…why do we all have the same dress?” I spluttered my words at the exact instant I figured out what was going on. My mother let go as I spun around to find Gabe on my heels, grinn
ing so wide his dimples showed. He stepped back and raised his eyebrows. “Gabriel…ugh…did you hide my black dress on purpose?”

  “Valerie said you wouldn’t figure it out,” he replied.

  “What are you up to?” Meggie asked Mr. Halden into the microphone behind me. I turned to watch.

  “Now, Margareta, don’t act like you didn’t know.” He raised his arm and pointed to the faces. “These folks traveled from all over the country to witness this blessed event.”

  Meggie’s jaw dropped. She cast her suspicious gaze over the gathering of friends and family. A group of women about her age started waving when she spotted them. She was getting wind of his trickery just as I was.

  “This was a birthday party…for you,” Meggie said. “Joel Halden…how did you…did you invite more people?”

  “You all knew?” I blurted. “Am I a bridesmaid?”

  A sneaky grin spread across Gabe’s face.

  “I didn’t know!” Meggie cried and laughed in exasperation while she slapped her fiancé’s arm and grabbed my hand for moral support. “Joel, how dare you turn this around on me? I can’t keep up with you. Uff-da.”

  “It’s about time, don’t you think?” Mr. Halden said in the charming tone Gabe used when he wanted something from me. He held her hands, and she turned red as a valentine heart.

  The guests clapped.

  Josh jogged toward us with Emmie in his arms. Her cheeks were splotchy, and she was whimpering into his neck. My sister reached for her leg and shook it. “Your mommy’s getting hicked.”

  My mother took the baby from Josh and walked her over to one of Meggie’s friends.

  Gabe waved a hand in front of my eyes when he noticed I was staring into space.

  His father tapped the microphone. “If y’all will give us a few, we’ll get this show on the road again.”

  “Girls,” my mother summoned. “Come with me.” She headed toward the driveway.

  Gabe tugged at my neck and rubbed his lips against my temple. “By the way, I love when you call me Gabriel.” I lifted my chin, and he found my lips and gave me a peck.

  “Kissy face,” said Brianna as she hit Gabe in the leg.