“Dallas for both.”
“Could we meet next week?”
“Yes, please.”
They settled on a day, place and time. Devree put notes in her phone. “You’re on my calendar. I’ll see you next week.” She ended the call.
“I thought you were trying to get out of weddings.”
“I know, isn’t it crazy?” Genuine excitement lit her eyes. “The thought of another wedding used to make me cringe. But meeting the Hewitts at the river cleanup helped me remember my parents and Landry and Chase are still living happily-ever-after. And I just now had lunch with the first couple I ever planned a wedding for. They’re still blissfully happy and have two kids.”
“I’m glad you got a glimpse of the sixty percent.” He was happy she’d seen the value in weddings. But it was just another reason for her to return to the city.
“Me too. Anyway, it made me rethink some things. I may stick with weddings, but help my couples focus on the marriage more than the ceremony. Do you think Ron would counsel couples for me?”
“You can ask him. But surely there are preachers in Dallas.”
“Yes, but I don’t know any of them.” She ducked her head. “I sort of stopped going to church when I moved there.”
“It sounds like you need to find a church home. I mean—if you’re staying in Dallas.”
Her gaze caught his, sadness looming in their depths. “I’m not cert—”
“Brock, there you are.” Mom rushed to embrace him. Since they’d worked things out, she couldn’t seem to hug him enough. Trying to make up for a lot of years, he supposed.
“Are you joining us for lunch, Devree?” Ron’s gaze bounced back and forth between them.
“I appreciate the offer, but I already ate. I was going to talk to you about something, but it can wait. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Let’s go in the great room, lunch will keep.” Mom locked arms with Devree.
Brock stayed in the foyer.
“Join us, Brock.” Mom waved him on. “Unless, it’s something private.”
“No. I already told Brock about it.” Devree glanced back at him.
Mom and Ron took their seats on the couch with Devree and Brock facing them in matching wingbacks.
She quickly summed up her lunch with former clients and the impression the Hewitts had made on her at the cleanup. “It hit me that the thing most of the long-term couples I know have in common is that they’re Christians. Some of my couples who’ve ended up divorced were also, but the majority weren’t.”
“I don’t know how people do marriage without Jesus.” Ron shot Mom a loving glance. “Love is a powerful emotion. But you’re still dealing with humans, with different backgrounds, needs and annoying habits, then expecting them to live together peacefully.”
And secrets that pop up twelve years in. But apparently, Ron had recovered from Mom’s dose of reality.
“Exactly.” Devree explained her idea. “You could set up a fee and I’d include it in my services package, so you’d be paid for your time. All couples might not take me up on it, but I figure it’s worth a shot.”
“I’m honored for you to think of me. But can’t you find a preacher in Dallas?”
“Honestly and regretfully, I don’t know any.” She hung her head. “I am planning to change that. But in the meantime, I was thinking we could do phone consultations.”
Or maybe she could bring her couples here. Give him a chance to see her every once in a while. Stop it. He needed to put her firmly in his past. And when she was forced to return to Bandera, he needed to avoid her like oak wilt. In the same way the disease squeezed the life out of trees, she smothered his heart.
“Tell you what, I’ll do it. Until you find someone in Dallas. And if any of your couples need face-to-face in the meantime, I’ll commute.”
“Thank you. So much.”
“My pleasure.”
“I’m sure you’ll do a great job.” Mom squeezed Ron’s hand.
“I’ve held up your lunch long enough.” Devree stood. “I’ll call you to set up the specifics on counseling.”
“We hate to lose you around here.” Mom hugged Devree. “I heard you’re leaving soon.”
“I’m all packed. I plan to spend the rest of the day cuddling my niece and then I’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
Brock’s heart took a nosedive.
“We’ve enjoyed having you here.” Ron followed up with a bear hug.
“Y’all made me feel at home. Even when I didn’t.” She chuckled. “It’s like a great big family around here.”
“I know you’ll visit with the new baby and all.” Mom patted her arm.
“I will. And I’ll be back for Resa’s wedding next month. Along with a few other events to be held here.”
“You be careful, in case I don’t see you in the morning.”
“I will. See y’all later.” Her gaze landed on him, mouth moved, as if she wanted to say something. But she didn’t, just turned and then hurried to the foyer.
“Go after her.” Mom gave his shoulder a nudge.
“Why?”
“Because you’re crazy about her. And she’s crazy about you.”
“I think the only crazy one around here is you if you believe that.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “Ron, talk sense into him. Tell him what a gift love is and that he shouldn’t let it slip away.”
“Sorry, I gotta sit this one out.” Ron checked his watch. “New guests should arrive any minute and I’m on luggage duty. But she’s right, I will say that.” He strode toward the foyer.
“Why won’t you go after her?”
“She accused me of working with Tuckerman, causing all the mishaps around here, so he and I could get the land from Chase and Landry.”
“That’s all?” Mom splayed her hands, palms upward. “It wasn’t a crazy assumption since you used to be partners with Tuckerman.”
“Maybe not. But she loves the city. I love the country. She can’t wait to get back to her business in Dallas and I can’t stand in the way of her dreams.”
“Are you certain about that? I think this place grew on her. She almost sounded like she didn’t want to leave.”
He couldn’t listen anymore. “I’ve got flooring to lay.”
He stalked out, but his mom’s words echoed through his head. And in his heart. Did Devree really want to leave? Could he stand by and watch her go?
* * *
“Don’t you dare cry, Landry Ann Malone Donovan.” Devree hugged her sister and niece cradled in her arms. “You’ll get me started.”
“I can’t help it.” Landry’s voice broke. “It’s been wonderful having you here. And we didn’t really get to enjoy it with me being stuck in a prone position almost the entire time.”
“You know I’ll be back to visit.”
“No, you won’t,” Landry pouted. “You’ll get busy and have an event every weekend, and we won’t see you for months at a time.”
“Even if that happens, I have to come back next month for Resa’s wedding, in July for the Brighton Electronics retreat, and I’ll probably get to plan more events here in the future. It’ll be the first venue I mention to couples.”
“Just don’t get too busy for us.”
“I won’t.” She pulled away, kissed Eden’s forehead. “You be a good little girl, Sprint.”
Landry laughed as Chase carried Devree’s suitcases to the foyer. She opened the door for him. With a final wave to her sister, she hurried out to her car, opened the trunk.
“Thanks for coming, Devree.” Chase gave her a warm hug. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you around here.”
“Glad I could help. Take care of them.”
“You know I will.” He waved, headed back to the house as she got in her car.
/>
She drove into the thicket that separated their home from the dude ranch, then neared the barn. Movement in the goat pen caught her eye. A tiny goat. It seemed Polly had her baby. She parked, got out.
“What a cutie. Polly, you did such a good job.”
“Wanna hold her?”
She jumped, clamped a hand to her heart as Brock stepped out from behind the play station. Was it beating out of her chest because he’d scared her? Or because...he was Brock?
“Sorry. I was making sure she gets along with everybody. I just put them back in the pen. Polly was sick of her stall. Do you want to hold little Molly?”
“Can I?”
“Sure.”
“How do I hold her?”
“Just like a dog or cat pretty much.” He picked up the kid, handed her to Devree.
As his hands briefly touched hers, tingling swept over her skin. “She’s so cute.” She snuggled the little body close, trying to ignore the effect Brock had on her.
“You off to Dallas?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as her vision clouded. She blinked several times, swallowed hard. “You know when Chase asked me to come, I dreaded staying here. Even though I love my sister. But now, I don’t really want to leave.”
“Why? I thought you loved Dallas.”
“I thought I did. But when I went there last week, it was so noisy I couldn’t sleep. And lonely. I guess this place grew on me. I hate leaving Landry, Eden, even little Molly here.” But most of all, she hated leaving him.
“Then don’t go.”
Her breath stalled. Was he just being nice? Or did he care whether she left or not?
“I mean—you shouldn’t leave a place if you don’t want to.”
“But I can’t stay here if you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Devree. Far from it.”
“I’m so sorry for misjudging you. You didn’t deserve it. You’re nothing like Tuckerman. Nothing like Randall.” She ducked her head. “I’m hoping you’ll give me another chance.”
Laying her heart bare here. Please don’t crush it. “See, I’m thinking about staying in Bandera. Since I decided to continue weddings, if I stay here, Ron could easily counsel my couples. And I can base my business anywhere as long as I’m willing to commute.”
“I really like that idea.”
“You do?”
“I want you to stay, Devree. Not for Landry or Eden. But for me.”
Her gaze met his. “You mean to help with the cottages?”
“No. I want you to stay because somewhere between your screaming hysterics over a mouse and you flipping our canoe, I fell in love with you.”
Her insides went to mush. “Really?”
“I tried not to. I thought you were city through and through, that you’d leave me behind. But you’re not. Not at all. You’re loving, caring and tenderhearted.”
“I love you too.”
“You love me?”
“You had me back when I realized how fully invested you were in protecting Chase and Landry’s ranch. No matter the cost to you.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay?” He pulled her close, with little Molly nestled between them.
“For as long as you want me to.”
“How about forever?” His lips met hers.
It was everything she’d ever dreamed of in a kiss.
“Baaaaa.” Polly nuzzled Devree’s knee.
She giggled, rested her face against Brock’s chest, as he kissed the top of her head.
“I think mama goat wants her kid back.” He gently took Molly from her, set her down in the pen. “So what’s your answer?”
“For some reason, my head is all fuzzy. What was the question?”
“Will you stay with me forever?” He cradled her face in his calloused hands.
“Definitely.” She closed the gap between them.
Epilogue
Six months later...
Brock had been so mysterious. Refusing to let Devree decorate the chapel for their wedding. Instead, Landry had acted as her planner, giving her all the choices she usually gave her brides. She could only imagine what it must look like.
“You can open your eyes now, sweetheart.” Daddy patted her hand.
She opened her eyes, expecting to be at the chapel doors. Instead, they stood in front of a curtained wall by the river behind Landry and Resa. “What’s going on?”
“You’ll soon see. Brock wanted to surprise you.”
The music began. Landry slipped through the curtain, carrying Eden. Seconds passed before Resa disappeared through the drapery. The music swelled and transitioned into the traditional “Wedding March.” The curtains were swept aside to reveal a long white walkway with a gazebo at the end. And Brock grinning at her. Dressed in jeans and a blazer with a white rose on his lapel. No girly-colored vest required.
“We don’t have a gazebo,” she mumbled.
“He built it for you. Ready to do this?”
Her heart fluttered. “I was ready six months ago.”
They walked slowly down the aisle, like she’d shown all her brides. Tulle and twinkle lights draped in the trees over their heads, with satin bows on the back of each white chair. Beautiful. But none of it mattered in comparison to her groom and the future stretching before them.
She’d come here to help her sister and plan a wedding. She hadn’t counted on falling in love. But now, she was definitely counting on the cowboy. Forever.
* * * * *
If you loved Brock and Devree’s story,
be sure to pick up the rest of the titles in the
TEXAS COWBOYS series:
REUNITING WITH THE COWBOY
WINNING OVER THE COWBOY
A TEXAS HOLIDAY REUNION
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE BACHELOR’S PERFECT MATCH by Kathryn Springer.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Dear Reader,
I once considered myself a city girl. When my parents moved me from a suburb of Atlanta to rural Arkansas, I thought my life was over. Until I met a transplanted Texan who made me realize country life wasn’t so bad. Thirty-eight years later, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
I put a lot of me in Devree. She doesn’t like to get dirty, has no appreciation for most farm animals and isn’t the outdoorsy type. But the quiet, simple life slowly grows on her.
Polar opposites from two different worlds always fascinate me. Enter Brock with his broken heart thanks to a city girl—he’s determined to avoid falling for Devree from the beginning.
But slowly, they see past their initial assumptions about each other and begin to realize they have more in common than they ever would have thought. Until finally their defenses slip away, as God mends their hearts.
This book wraps up my Texas Cowboys series. That always makes me sad as I’ll miss living and breathing their stories. I hope you love each couple as much as I do.
Blessings,
Shannon Taylor Vannatter
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.
Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
>
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice
OR
EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.
Click here to join for FREE
Or visit us online to register at
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
Harlequin My Rewards is a free program (no fees) without any commitments or obligations.
The Bachelor's Perfect Match
by Kathryn Springer
Chapter One
At nine o’clock on Monday morning, Maddie Montgomery brewed a cup of Earl Gray tea and opened the Castle Falls Library, ready for another quiet, ordinary day.
And then someone dropped a pirate off at her door.
A slightly disheveled pirate in flannel and faded denim, wearing a rakish patch over one eye and brandishing an aluminum crutch instead of a cutlass.
Although Aiden Kane, the youngest of the three Kane brothers, somehow managed to make the slightly disheveled part look good.
Through the narrow, two-inch gap that separated the poetry section from the biographies, Maddie watched Aiden limp past the circulation desk, each strike of his crutch against the hardwood floor fracturing the peaceful silence in the room. He lurched to a stop a few feet from where she stood and lifted his head to look around.
Fortunately, the bookcases that shielded Maddie from view also muffled the gasp that slipped from her lips.
Mottled bruises ranging in color from pale ochre to deep mauve bloomed on his jaw, reminding Maddie of the abstract painting above the fireplace in the conference room. A sling cradled the cast on Aiden’s left arm, and the bulky outline of a bandage distorted one leg of his jeans, making his knee appear double its normal size.
Maddie knew he’d been injured in an accident, but she hadn’t actually seen the extent of those injuries until now.
In a community the size of Castle Falls, which didn’t bother with a Neighborhood Watch program because everyone kept a close watch on their neighbors anyway, Aiden had been the main topic of conversation over the past week. According to the rumors, his pickup truck had left the road, sailed over the ditch and rolled several times before landing upside down—a hair’s breadth away from a towering white pine that had planted its roots in the soil of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula long before the town founders.
Counting on the Cowboy Page 19