Always A Bridesmaid: A Whiskey Ridge Romance

by Rachel Hanna

  “What makes you think I’m not happy?”

  Katie stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Because I have eyes, sis. You haven’t dated anyone seriously in years, and you never take any time off. I had to get married just to get you to take a vacation!”

  Samantha smiled. “This isn’t what I’d call a vacation.”

  “Well, I got you out of Atlanta and into a little peace and quiet. I’ve got to tell you, one of the best parts of this whole wedding and honeymoon thing is that I get to have you here. And I get to know that you’re at least somewhat relaxing here in Whiskey Ridge.”

  “I definitely wouldn’t tell Rick that having me here is the best part,” Samantha said with a laugh. She’d always been uncomfortable with deep, emotional conversations.

  A knock at the front door thankfully broke up their conversation. “Mind getting that?” Katie asked as she went back to work on the salad.

  “Sure,” Samantha said, dramatically stomping toward the front door. She pulled it open and was surprised to see Dr. Ellison standing there holding flowers. “Um, what’re you doing here?”

  “I was invited to dinner,” he said, that irritating smile of his playing across his face.

  “You brought me flowers?” she asked without thinking. Immediate regret over the assumption filled her body.

  Dr. Ellison chuckled. “It’s customary to bring flowers to the home owner who invited you to dinner. These are actually for Katie.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Right.” Considering she was a top attorney, she certainly didn’t have a great command of the English language right now. But there was something about this guy that just got under her skin in a way that people normally didn’t.

  Samantha was a tiger in the courtroom or the board room. Nobody wanted to go up against her, and everybody wanted her to represent them. She had no shortage of potential clients always waiting in line. But right now she felt like the odd man out, like she was some kind of alien living in a world she didn’t understand.

  “Doctor Ellison, please come in,” Katie said, walking around her sister and smiling.

  “These are for you,” he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm as he handed the flowers to Katie.

  “Thank you so much! Samantha, can you open the door wide enough for the good doctor here to come inside the house please?”

  Samantha forced a smile and stepped back, allowing the door to open all the way. Dr. Ellison walked past her into the house to greet Rick.

  “Honestly, did you have to be so rude?” Katie asked her sister in a hushed voice.

  “I wasn’t rude. I was just surprised to see him here.”

  “I invited him for dinner since he kindly offered to check out my yard to see what Sophie could be getting into.”

  “You could’ve warned me,” Samantha said as she shut the door.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I had to warn you when I invited a guest to my home.”

  Point taken, Samantha said in her own head as her sister walked away. She wasn’t about to let this guy think he had her rattled. She didn’t get rattled. She was the one who regularly rattled other people.

  “So, Doctor Ellison, I hope you like baked chicken?” Katie said as they all stood in the kitchen.

  “I love it,” he said. “And please, call me Tucker.”

  “That just feels weird,” Katie said with a laugh.

  “Sometimes it feels weird to hear people call me doctor,” he said as he poured himself a glass of sweet tea from the pitcher on the breakfast bar. “I grew up with my father being a doctor, so I always think they’re talking about him.”

  He smiled as he talked, and Samantha couldn’t help watching him from the sidelines. Why was he so courteous and nice to Katie and not her? Well, in all fairness, maybe she wasn’t the nicest to him either.

  Samantha had been accused of being abrasive before, but being a woman in a male dominated industry had been tough. Rising up in the ranks had been no small feat, and she’d developed a very tough exterior that often didn’t serve her well when it came to relationships.

  “What kind of doctor is your father?” Katie asked as she finished chopping the last toppings for the salad.

  “He was a nephrologist. Kidney doctor. But he passed away three years ago.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Samantha heard herself say without thinking. But she knew what it was like to lose a father.

  Tucker looked at her, surprised. “Thanks.”

  “Sammy, can you do me a favor and take Doc… Tucker, that is… out to the yard with Sophie? I’m afraid it’ll be too dark after dinner, and I just need to finish a few things here.”

  She knew that look on her sister’s face. This was some kind of set up. Something was brewing in that little head of hers.

  “I think Rick knows the yard better,” Samantha said through gritted teeth. Katie shot her husband-to-be a warning look.

  “Um, I’ve actually got to make an important phone call. For work.” He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Something was definitely up.

  Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere, Samantha sighed. “Fine.”

  She started walking out the front door with Tucker and Sophie following along behind. When they reached the porch, Sophie took off like a rocket, running all over the place.

  “Is that your truck?” Sitting in front of the cabin was a large shiny red pickup truck that looked like it required a ladder to enter.

  “It is,” Tucker said as they walked down the steps.

  “Wow. I wasn’t expecting… that.”

  “What exactly were you expecting?”

  She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe a grown up type of car. Something luxurious and sleek and befitting the career you have.”

  “I’m a small mountain town veterinarian. I think you assume too much about my stature in the world,” Tucker said with a chuckle.

  “Maybe. But I get the idea that you didn’t come from a place like Whiskey Ridge,” she said as they walked around the side of the house.

  “You’re right about that. I grew up near DC, actually.”

  “So how in the world did you end up in this place?”

  “Why do you say it like Whiskey Ridge is a step down?”

  “Well, I mean… come on, Tucker. It’s not exactly New York City or anything,” she said with a sarcastic laugh. He stopped and looked at her like she had two heads.

  “You do understand that not everyone wants to live in the big city? That some people seek out wonderful places like Whiskey Ridge because of the peacefulness and tranquility of a place like this?”

  Samantha looked around. “I guess…”

  He put his hand on her shoulder, which took her by surprise. “Close your eyes.”

  “Um, that would be a big fat no.” This was how horror movies started.

  “Just do it. Please. Humor me.”

  She sighed loudly, but closed her eyes. After a few moments, she couldn’t help herself. “What am I doing exactly?”

  “Shhh… Just be. Just listen.”

  She was quiet, but felt very silly. And then something strange started to happen. Her breathing slowed. Her mind, which raced constantly from morning until night, started to slow down too. She could hear water and birds. There were no car horns. There was a certain woodsy smell. She could hear Sophie’s feet pounding the leaves as she trotted across the shady yard.

  “Well?” he asked as she opened her eyes and got her bearings again.

  “It’s just too quiet,” she said, which was actually a lie because she’d enjoyed that moment of peace. But she wasn’t about to admit to it.

  “I give up,” he said, shaking his head. “Okay, let’s get back to why we came outside. Where does Sophie normally… do her business?”

  Samantha stared at him, incredulous. “Really? Do you think I have nothing better to do than follow the dog outside to watch her poop? I don’t think either of us would enjoy that.”

  “Alright. Well, let’s j
ust watch her for a bit. Can we sit?” He pointed to the wooden swing near the river’s edge.

  “Okay…”

  “I’m hoping she’ll forget we’re here and show us what she’s getting into. Jeez, are you always this suspicious?”

  Samantha followed him and sat down with ample space between them. “I’m a highly paid attorney, so yes, being suspicious has given me a very nice bank account.”

  Tucker laughed under his breath.

  “What?”

  “You’re very impressed with material wealth.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your car. The way you dress. Talking about your success…”

  “And a woman shouldn’t be proud of the business she’s built from nothing?”

  “Of course you should be proud, but you… Never mind.”

  “No, please, go ahead. I can’t wait to hear this,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “You seem to use your intelligence and success to put up a shield.”

  Samantha stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Oh my gosh! Really? You have to be the most infuriating person I’ve ever met, Tucker. You’re so critical and judgmental. You don’t even know a thing about me!”

  “Sit down please. I’m trying to watch Sophie, and now she’s looking at you.”

  Samantha continued standing for a moment, but then sat down figuring Sophie would eat whatever was making her sick and this whole conversation could be over with.

  “There’s something about you I just don’t understand,” Tucker finally said.

  “Oh goody. I hope you’ll share your thoughts with me,” Samantha said wryly.

  “If you’re such a successful attorney, then how is it that I’m able to rile you up so easily?”

  Inside, she was seething. Partly because he was so irritating and partly because he was so right. Why did he get under her skin so badly?

  “You’re not riling me up. You’re irritating me.”

  “I hope you’re not like this in court. I mean, I would think it could be detrimental to your clients’ cases if you freak out like this on a regular occasion.”

  “My clients are very happy, Doctor Ellison.”

  “I said to call me Tucker.”

  “I’d like to call you something else…”

  “Oh look, Sophie’s into something over there in that area. Come on,” he said, totally ignoring her comment and getting up. Against her better judgment, she followed him, mostly out of sheer curiosity as to what was making Sophie sick.

  They walked to a raised vegetable patch that Katie was so proud of. It was her first garden, and she loved cooking things that came from there.

  “Mystery solved,” Tucker said, shaking his head and grabbing Sophie by the collar. He removed some green vines from her mouth and shooed her away. “This is what’s been making Sophie sick.” He held it up as if Samantha knew what it was.

  “What is it?”

  Tucker laughed. “You are way too much of a city girl. It’s a tomato plant.”

  “Well, there aren’t any tomatoes on it, so how was I supposed to know?”

  “Any luck?” Katie asked as she walked out the back door onto the deck above them.

  “This is the culprit,” Tucker said, holding up the greenery. “She’s been eating tomato plants. That will give a dog diarrhea and cause vomiting. You need to remove these or maybe put them in pots where she can’t get to them.”

  “Oh wow! I had no idea that a dog would eat that!” Katie said.

  “Well, Sophie’s a special dog,” Tucker replied with a laugh.

  “Ya’ll come on inside. Dinner’s ready,” Katie said as she called Sophie in and walked back to the kitchen.

  “After you,” Tucker said, pointing to the deck stairs.

  “Guests should be first,” Samantha said, standing her ground. Tucker just laughed again and walked up the stairs.

  Tucker couldn’t help but watch her. She was an intriguing, if not snooty, woman. She was nothing like her sister. Katie was carefree, friendly and definitely a small town sort of woman. Samantha was a tough nut to crack. And thankfully, he wasn’t interested in getting to know her any better than he already did.

  He’d been down this road, and it was not someplace he wanted to go back to anytime soon.

  But still, she was beautiful. And obviously smart. Strong willed. And surprisingly, she had girl-next-door good looks combined with chic, city style.

  “And just why are you staring at me?” Samantha suddenly asked as Tucker sat across from her at the kitchen table.

  “I thought I saw a mosquito on your forehead,” he said quickly. What a dumb excuse.

  “So, Tucker, how are you liking it here in Whiskey Ridge,” Rick asked, obviously trying to break the tension.

  “I love it. The people here are very nice. Most of them, anyway.”

  “Was that directed at me?” Samantha asked, her voice stern like the attorney she was.

  “Actually, no. Not everything is about you,” Tucker said. Silence hung in the air for a moment. “I was actually talking about Nola Hughes.”

  “Oh goodness! Nola is known for being a pain in the backside, for sure!” Katie said with a loud laugh.

  “And she has all those cats,” Rick said. Tucker shot a glance at Samantha, who looked completely confused.

  “Nola Hughes is the town hoarder. She hoards material possessions and animals too. Seems to take care of them pretty well, but she has sheep, dogs, cats, even a dozen or so hamsters,” Katie said to her sister.

  “Bet that place smells nice.”

  “Nobody knows since she never lets anyone on her property. Only animal control has been there in the last few years, but she always comes out of it with her hoard of animals intact,” Tucker said.

  “So what brought you to this lovely little hamlet of a town?” Samantha asked, a bit of sarcasm dripping in her voice.

  Tucker considered not even answering, but he didn’t want to be rude to Katie and Rick. “Well, my family and I used to go camping in Whiskey Ridge when I was a kid. So when the opportunity came up to purchase old Doc Whittiford’s veterinary business, I jumped at the chance.”

  Samantha eyed him carefully, which kind of made him uncomfortable. He bet she was a force to be reckoned with in a court room. She was definitely sizing him up, and he was afraid she’d see through his flimsy story. But if she did, she didn’t say anything. She was like a shark swimming around its prey and then deciding to swim off. It wasn’t like she couldn’t tear him apart, bit by bit, right there at the table. It was that she chose not to.

  And he was more attracted to that than he cared to admit.

  Chapter 4

  “Thanks for coming!” Katie yelled out the door as Tucker’s large truck tossed up the red Georgia clay on Katie’s dirt driveway. A plume of orange colored dust hung in the air for a few moments before Katie shut the door. “Such a nice guy, isn’t he?”

  Samantha rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re trying to do, and it isn’t going to work.”

  Katie walked past her into the kitchen, picking up a dish towel along the way. “And what am I trying to do?”

  “You’re trying to force me to like this guy so I’ll move to Whiskey Ridge and live happily ever after.”

  Katie wiped down the countertops, brushing stray crumbs into the kitchen sink. “I’m shocked that you’d think I would stoop so low as to trick you into falling in love with an eligible, handsome doctor! Shocked, I tell you!” She held her hand to her chest in mock surprise.

  “Why do you always do this?”

  “Do what?”

  “Try to control my life?”

  “Oh come on, sis. You know that isn’t true. I just want you to be happy.”

  “And I can’t be happy in Atlanta where I live and run a very successful business?”

  Katie sighed and shook her head. “See? That’s what I mean.”

  “What?”

  “It’s all about money and business. When are you
going to open your heart to someone again?”

  Samantha stared at her hands for a moment. “The last time I did that, it didn’t work out so well.”

  Katie dropped a coffee mug, sending it shattering all over the kitchen floor. “Dang it!”

  “I’ll get it,” Rick said, trotting into the kitchen. “You two go relax outside on the swing. I’ll finish cleaning up in here.”

  Katie smiled and rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Thanks, sweetie. See, Sammy? You need one of these,” she said, pointing to Rick.

  Samantha poured another glass of sweet tea and joined her sister on the deck. Night had fallen and the sounds of the river from the blackness below was a bit spooky, but serene.

  “Are you okay?” Samantha finally asked after a longer than normal silence. Katie was a talker, but she seemed nervous about something.

  “I have to tell you something.”

  “That’s never good,” Samantha said as she set her tea on the glass top table next to her. She turned slightly in the swing to get a better look at her sister.

  “I’ve put this off as long as I can, but since my shower is tomorrow…”

  “What is it, Katie?”

  “It’s about Clark.”

  Samantha’s breath caught in her throat. Clark? What in the world was she bringing his name up for?

  “What about him?”

  “He’ll be at the wedding.”

  Samantha felt anger rise up inside of her. Clark was not someone she wanted to see again. Their failed engagement three years ago was one of the hardest times of her life. For a moment, she could see that white picket fence life in front of her, and it was snatched away when Clark suddenly said she wasn’t the one for him.

  Ever since, she’d buried herself in her business, which had been lucrative but soul-sucking at times. Still, there was a raw place in her heart from what Clark had said to her all those years ago.

  “Why would you invite my ex fiancé to your wedding? That’s just crazy!”

  Katie sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “I didn’t intend for this to happen. Let me explain.”

  “Yes, please do.” Samantha sat back and crossed her arms like a three year old, but she didn’t care if it was childish. She didn’t understand how her sister could do something like this to her.