by Cora Seton
For one thing, the Anglican church was the grandest one in town. Its large structure boasted a vaulted ceiling and fine stain-glassed windows—a far cry from the simplicity of the church his parents attended.
A fitting venue for a fairy tale wedding for his bride.
“How does it make sense?” Mia stared at him.
“A wedding should take place at the bride’s church, don’t you think? Besides, it obviously means a lot to your mother, and we want her to be happy, too. We want our families to get along together.”
“What about my happiness?”
“Why wouldn’t you be happy?” He could imagine the two of them standing in front of the minister. Him in his suit. Mia in white gown with a flowing train. Picture perfect. Every girl’s dream, right? “I made my guest list, by the way.”
Mia had been about to answer, but the sheaf of papers he handed her seemed to make her forget what she wanted to say. She riffled through the pages.
“This must be everyone in town.”
“Just the important people.”
“We can’t fit all of these people in your parents’ house.”
“Then we’ll find a bigger venue—maybe Bella and Evan’s place.”
“The Mortimers? What about your mother? She’s already making plans.” Mia flipped through the list again and Luke felt a pang. She was right—his mother wasn’t going to be particularly pleased, but she’d understand when she learned the number of guests they planned to invite. “Luke, this is crazy. These people don’t mean anything to us.”
“They’re our neighbors, aren’t they?” He meant for this to be a grand event—one that would silence wagging tongues forever. He wanted no one to have a doubt that he was proud of his wife and coming family.
“If you count the entire county as our neighbors, sure.” She set the list on the table. “What is this all about?”
A muscle in his jaw pulsed. “It’s about me showing the world I care about you. It’s about putting to rest any misunderstandings about who your husband is.”
She didn’t look satisfied. “No one else but us cares.”
“I care. Let’s put an end to all the rumors once and for all. Let’s have a big church wedding and a big reception.”
“It bothers you, doesn’t it?”
“What?”
“That people are talking about us?”
He pulled her into the circle of his arms again, ignoring the protest of muscles that ached from his day’s work. Those aches and pains were his constant companions now that he was running the bulk of the ranch himself. “Look, princess. Pretty soon there’ll be nothing to talk about except us Mathesons. You, me and our baby.” And he kissed away the rest of her words.
‡
Chapter Seven
“You’re so tiny,” Rose sighed. “Like a fairy princess, even at four months pregnant.”
“You’re pretty tiny yourself,” Mia said, but she surveyed her reflection in the floor-length mirror at Ellie’s Bridals with satisfaction. Rose was right; she did look like a princess in this gown with its antique off-white corset top and elaborately bustled skirt. Add in a tiara and she could be the royalty Luke seemed to want her to be. The thought of what his expression would be when he saw her in it for the first time made her smile.
Her smile slipped a little bit as she thought about the ring, the truck and the way Luke seemed determined to buy her happiness. Ellis had thrown around his money like that. Fred Warner had played up his cash, too—telling her no one would take her word over a wealthy businessman’s. Was she wrong about Luke’s character? She hoped not.
Thinking about Warner made her think of Inez’s request. She still hadn’t decided what to do. What if she did as Inez asked—wrote a letter to the council—and things blew up from there? What if it got into the paper? She wasn’t sure she could handle that.
She lifted her skirts and hopped down from the pedestal in the center of the room. “Your turn. That dress is… nice.”
Ellie Donaldson, the proprietress of Ellie’s Bridals, clucked her tongue when Rose stepped up. “I thought that would look lovely, but it’s not quite right, is it, dear?” The older woman bustled off to pull more dresses. Mia scanned the nearest racks herself.
“I swear I saw one earlier that would look terrific on you. Here it is.” She held it up for Rose to see. “You’ll knock Cab off his feet in this one. Try it on.”
“Oh, I like that one,” Morgan said from one of the plush chairs that ringed the fitting area.
Five minutes later, Rose stood on the pedestal in the new gown and Ellie circled around her, one hand up to her mouth. “It’s perfect, and you know what? I would have never thought to have you try it on. Mia, you’re a genius!”
“That’s a high compliment coming from another genius,” Rose said, twisting this way and that to see the gown from all angles. Like Mia’s, the gown had a corset top, but instead of the yards of bustled fabric of Mia’s skirt, hers clung close to her legs in asymmetrical folds, emphasizing Rose’s hourglass figure.
“I love it,” Morgan agreed.
“And here are the perfect shoes.” Mia fetched a pair so Rose could try them on.
“How’d you know my size?” Rose laughed.
“Just a guess. Here, try this.” She handed Rose a veil, too.
“You’re stealing my thunder today,” Ellie cried. Mia knew what she meant; Ellie had a reputation as having exquisite taste when it came to bridal gowns and accessories. She made sure her customers left with the perfect dresses and normally she could pick out just the thing on her first try.
“I’d never do that,” Mia assured her. “I just love helping people dress up and throw parties.”
“Then you should be a wedding planner,” Ellie said, taking a seat next to Morgan. “Lord knows this town needs one. People are always asking me to help them find a venue for their reception and a caterer for their food, but dresses are what I do best. What do I know about event planning?”
“A lot, I’m sure. And Mia’s already got two jobs,” Morgan pointed out. “I’m not sure she can handle wedding planning on top of working the till at the hardware store and Fila’s Familia.”
“I’m quitting the hardware store any day now,” Mia said slowly, as the idea took hold of her. Wedding planning sounded like a terrific career. It had never crossed her mind before that she could do something like that, but why not? You didn’t have to have a college degree to plan a wedding. “I’m sure I could figure out how to balance it with working at the restaurant. That’s a great idea, Ellie!”
Ellie blinked. “Oh, I was only joking, honey. Starting a business is hard work.”
“And it takes a lot of money,” Morgan added.
Mia looked from one to the other, and frowned as she realized neither one of them thought she should seriously consider the idea. “You don’t think I can do it?”
“It’s just you’re so young,” Ellie said.
“And you’re about to be a mother.” Morgan bent forward to touch her arm softly.
Mia couldn’t believe it. “You’re not that much older than me and you’re about to have a baby yourself. You’re starting a business. Why can’t I?”
“I think you’d be great at it,” Rose spoke up, “but they’re right. What about the money for startup costs?”
“I’ve got plenty of money,” Mia said. The others looked surprised. She rushed on before they could ask where she’d gotten it. “What I need is references. Rose, would you let me plan your wedding for free? If you like how it turns out maybe you’d tell people about my new service?”
“Of course,” Rose said staunchly. “I’d love to have you plan my wedding. Plus you’re planning your own wedding, don’t forget. You can make a portfolio of photos from both of the weddings to show people.”
“That’s a great idea.” Mia flung herself into Rose’s arms as Rose stepped off the pedestal, their wedding gowns billowing around them. But she noticed Ellie and Morgan exchange a
worried glance over their heads and had to swallow down a surge of irritation. They really didn’t think she could do this, did they?
She’d just have to show them they were wrong.
“Your father will get over it. He always does sooner or later,” Lisa said to Luke.
“Generally later,” Luke’s sister-in-law Hannah chimed in.
“A lot later,” Claire said. She and Hannah had come to help Lisa clean up the aftermath of the wedding. Claire lived on the Cruz ranch with her husband, Jamie Lassiter, and visited the women of Double-Bar-K frequently. Now they were taking a coffee break around the kitchen table. Luke joined them, dropping down into a chair with a sigh. He was always tired these days, especially when he thought about his father’s reaction to his news about Mia’s baby.
“He didn’t say a word. Just looked like he was about to have a coronary.”
“Oh, dear. I hope he doesn’t end up in the hospital again,” Lisa said.
“He will if he says a word to Mia.”
“Luke,” Lisa chided. “That’s no way to speak about your father—and he won’t say anything. Remember? If he does, he has to take me to Paris.”
“In other words, you’ll egg him on.”
Lisa smiled and patted his hand. “I wouldn’t do that, now would I?”
“I don’t know. You seem to want that trip awful bad.”
She chuckled. “I do want that trip, but your father sure doesn’t. Besides, Holt likes Mia. He’ll growl a bit about her situation, then calm right down when the time comes. Mark my word.”
Luke didn’t believe her. “More like he’ll drive her away before the wedding. You know Dad.” He checked his watch. “She ought to be home by now. I’m going to find her before he does.” He needed to warn her that Holt was on the warpath. The thought of his father giving Mia hell made his chest tighten.
“Wait—did you show Luke the topiary?” Hannah asked Claire.
“The one Rob made?” Luke spoke up, glad for the change in topic. “I saw it yesterday. Didn’t turn out quite like he wanted it to, did it?”
“If you saw it yesterday then you didn’t really see it. Someone decided to improve upon his effort.” Claire dug in her pocket and pulled out a smartphone. She pulled up a photo on her screen.
Luke stared at it. “Holy—” He glanced at his mother. “Holy smokes. He must be hopping mad. Is that a dog…?”
“Lifting its topiary leg and taking a topiary piss on the next bush? Yes, that’s exactly what it is,” Claire said. “Rob read Cab the riot act this morning.”
“Cab did that?” He remembered Cab making fun of Rob, although he couldn’t picture the sheriff standing outside in the freezing cold last night snipping away at a box hedge. Nor did the sheriff have an artistic bone in his body as far as he knew.
“He says he didn’t,” Hannah put in, “but Rob doesn’t believe him.”
“What did Autumn and Ethan say?”
“Oh, Ethan thinks it’s a hoot, as long as it’s fixed before their next batch of guests come. Autumn’s too wrapped up in Arianna to care one way or the other,” Claire said.
Luke shook his head and left. For a few months there’d been a hiatus on practical joking around these parts, but it looked like they were back with a vengeance. At least he wasn’t mixed up in any of it. He wouldn’t allow himself to get pulled into it, either—he’d keep his attention squarely where it belonged, on Mia and her baby.
Besides, he didn’t have time for practical joke feuds. He didn’t have time for anything anymore—not with the bulk of the Double-Bar-K’s chores falling squarely on his shoulders.
His very sore shoulders.
He opened the cabin door five minutes later to find Mia humming as she prepared a simple dinner. He watched her for a moment, warmed by the knowledge that she was cooking for him. He loved having Mia close by and he would do anything—work any amount of hours—if it meant he could be the man to provide a home for her. In a way he felt like he was handing her a canvass to paint the picture of her life on. That’s what he wanted to be—the bedrock that she stood on, the palisade that protected her. Luke struggled to arrange his thoughts into coherent words. He knew he wasn’t the most eloquent of men, so he could only hope she understood his desire. It went so deep he could hardly comprehend it himself.
He entered the main room and sniffed appreciatively. Mia’s cooking had improved during the time she’d hung around with Fila and Camila, and the meals she made relied far less on packaged food than they used to. Holt must not have found her yet—her mood would be darker if he had. He wondered where his father had spent the day. He hadn’t seen him since he stumbled out of the office, struck dumb by the news that Mia’s baby was Ellis’s, but he knew he’d see Holt soon enough. If his father didn’t want this wedding to take place, he’d do everything in his power to prevent it, no matter what bet he’d made with Lisa.
The thought of what Holt might get up to had bothered him all day. For all Luke’s bluster about Holt not kicking him off the ranch, he knew his father was perfectly capable of cutting off his nose to spite his face. What if Holt did give him the boot? How would he make a living and support Mia and the baby? Ranching was all he knew.
“My dad’s on the warpath,” he said without preamble when he entered the kitchen.
Mia stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek and for a moment he lost track of his worry, distracted by the deliciousness of her so close to him. “Dinner’s in half an hour,” she said. “I’ve got some news, too.”
“Did you hear what I said?” He let go of her reluctantly and leaned back against the counter.
“I’m going to start a business.” Mia whirled around and picked up a wooden spoon, then stirred the pot on the stove.
“Dad’s—what? What kind of business?”
“I’m going to be a wedding planner! I’ll do everything from helping brides pick out their stationary and word their invitations, to handling receptions, the setup of party rentals, to finding the best location for destination weddings.…”
“Wait, hold on.” He couldn’t keep up. “What are you talking about?”
“Me. Becoming a wedding planner. Working for myself. At first I’ll still work at the restaurant while I’m building my business, but maybe someday I’ll move into it full-time. Of course I’ll refer all my brides to Fila’s for catering. I’m going to practice on Rose. Isn’t it a great idea?”
Mia wanted to start a business? Now? Where would she get that kind of cash? It wasn’t like either of them had much to spare; between the ring and the truck he’d just spent a small fortune. “Are you kidding?”
“No.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m not kidding. I thought you’d be happy for me.”
The tension that had tightened his muscles for hours threatened to do him in. Wasn’t it bad enough that the ranch chores were out of hand, Amanda Stone probably needed a new roof, and he’d just taken on enough debt to keep him walking a tightrope for years? Now she wanted to add more chaos to the mix? “You can’t do that,” he managed to say finally.
“I can’t?” Mia looked furious, her hands planted on her hips. “Guess what, Luke Matheson—you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do with my money.”
“Our money, you mean.”
Something flickered in her eyes. “It’s not our money yet. And even when it is you don’t get to take control of it.”
“When it’s our money, we’ll both need to agree on what we spend it on. And I don’t agree you can blow it on a wedding planning business.”
“Well, I don’t agree you can spend our money on that outrageous ring! Or that stupid truck!”
Her words hit him like a slap to the face. He’d bought the ring and the truck for her. “I need that stupid truck for my work here on the ranch. And that outrageous ring is going to stop people from talking about you!”
“You mean you hope it makes people stop talking about you! I’m starting that business. And I notice that Jake and Ned a
nd Rob do just fine with their old trucks.”
He’d done just fine with his old truck, too. Luke leaned toward her, the ache in the back of his neck blooming into a full-blown migraine. Couldn’t she see he was trying to make her happy? Couldn’t she see he wanted the best for them—the best for the baby? “We’ve got two weeks to pull our wedding together. And a couple of months to get ready for that child. Do you know anything about being a mother? Because you sure as hell don’t know anything about starting a business!”
She gaped at him. “That’s not fair!”
“Nothing about this is fair. It’s not my fault you slept with Ellis, but everyone’s acting like I drove you to it. Next thing they’ll say I can’t support you, let alone keep you out of another man’s bed.”
Mia dropped her spoon and her eyes filled with tears. Remorse flooded Luke. He was taking out his anger on the last person who deserved it. “Mia—”
She didn’t stop to listen to him. She didn’t stop at all. She grabbed her purse, her jacket, her keys and stuffed her feet into her boots. A minute later she slammed the front door behind her.
“Fuck.” Luke slammed his fist down on the counter. He didn’t need his father to drive Mia away.
He’d done a fine job of that himself.
“It’s over. I won’t go back. Luke’s just as bad as Ellis,” Mia told Autumn, who sat curled up on her sofa looking like the Madonna cradling her newborn baby. Mia sat nearby. “I’m sorry. You’re the last person I should vent to. You need peace and quiet to enjoy Arianna.”
“That’s all right. You can tell me about it. I might not be much help, though.” Autumn traced a finger over Arianna’s softly rounded cheeks and Mia melted a little. In a few more months she’d have a baby to hold, too. Autumn looked up, caught Mia watching and smiled. “I know Luke loves you, Mia. That’s obvious.”
“He loves my looks, you mean. That’s all he’s ever noticed about me. He thinks I’m too stupid to start a business.” As hard as she tried to hold it back, a tear slid down her cheek. She’d thought Luke saw past all that to what was inside her, but of course he hadn’t. No man did.