Falling for the Rebound Bride

by Karen Templeton

  “And you actually accepted?”

  “I guess I did.”

  Dee huffed. “How many times over the past two weeks have I asked you to come eat with us and you’d come up with one sorry excuse after another about why you couldn’t? I’m thinking maybe I should be offended. Especially since I know you had dinner with Zach and them.” Except the light dancing in her eyes said she wasn’t, really.

  Although the flush sweeping over Colin’s beard-hazed cheeks said...something. What, Emily wasn’t sure. But then the exchanged glance between the newlyweds made her cheeks warm, too. Which was nuts.

  “So Colin said he’d take babydog until we found a home for him,” she said, probably too quickly. “And I told him you have Thor’s carrier somewhere?”

  That got another exchanged glance—these two were about as subtle as an explosion, yeesh—before Josh nodded, then turned to his brother. “I do. We can get it right now if you want.”

  “Uh...sure. Well...” Colin plucked the puppy, who was attacking his shoelace again, off the floor, as Josh gathered up bowls and dog food and such. “Thanks again. I’ll...see you around, I guess.”

  Then they were gone. And, yep, Deanna turned narrowed eyes on Emily. “And would you like to fill me in before my imagination goes down untold murky paths?”

  Emily snorted. “You don’t honestly think his being here has anything to do with me?”

  “Doesn’t it? Only I’m sure I don’t have to remind you—”

  “That five minutes ago I was engaged to someone else. No, you don’t. Although who was the one making all those untoward suggestions about taking advantage of still being, um, prepared?”

  “And what part of ‘I’m kidding’ did you not get?”

  Shaking her head, Emily snatched the brownie plate off the counter, swiping the crumbs into the trash before cramming it into the dishwasher. “Then before you and your imagination ride off into the sunset...” Buttons pushed, she shut the door, then turned, arms folded over her stomach, which was churning even more than the dishwasher. “It was like Colin said—Austin invited him to dinner, the man said yes. I was surprised, too, but I wouldn’t read anything more into it if I were you.”

  “Because clearly you have no idea how huge this is.”

  “Dee. I doubt anything more’s going on here than Colin’s being lonely. Whether he’ll admit it or not.”

  “Which would be my point?”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake...” Emily blew out a breath. “Give me some credit, okay? I’m not about to...” Her eyes burning, she shoved her hair behind her ear. “I came out here to get my head on straight. That hasn’t changed. Do I find Colin attractive? Sure—”

  “At least you admit it.”

  “I’m burned, not dead. Look, I agree with you, that it was a big deal, his agreeing to have dinner with the kids and me. For reasons I’m not sure even he understands, let alone any of the rest of us. But if you think this has more to do with me than it did...that’s nuts.”

  Her mouth pulled into the thinnest line possible without disappearing entirely, Deanna stared at Emily for a long moment before releasing a rough sigh. “It’s just—”

  “I know. And while I appreciate your concern...” Emily’s eyes burned again. “I’d appreciate it more if you’d trust me enough to let me figure a few things out on my own. Damn it, Dee—the main reason I came out here was so I wouldn’t have to listen to my mother’s incessant harangue, to get away from her constant attempts to manipulate my life into some ideal that only existed in her imagination. Not that she didn’t mean well, in her own obsessive-compulsive way, but even though I’d thought I’d broken away from her gravitational pull enough to live my own life, by moving out, by becoming a teacher...”

  Emily gave her head another shake. “Clearly I hadn’t nearly as much as I’d thought. I’m not an idiot, Dee. I know hooking up with Colin—or, frankly, anyone right now—would be insane and pointless. But how on earth am I ever going to learn how to navigate my own life without actually doing it? Without making my own decisions?” She pulled a face. “My own mistakes, if it comes to that. Which I’m sure it will. What with being human and all. But at least they’ll be my mistakes. My choices. Not somebody else’s. For once.”

  Her cousin crossed her arms. “So what you’re saying is, you want the freedom to screw up?”

  “Yes! Exactly! Because how else am I going to learn? To grow?” Her mouth twisted again. “To grow up.”

  After a moment, Dee crossed the space between them to tug Emily into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, then pulled away. “You’re right.”

  A raw breath left Emily’s lungs. “So no more fretting?”

  Dee pushed a laugh through her nose. “Can’t guarantee that, but...” One side of her mouth pushed up. “I’ll keep my yap shut, how’s that?”

  “Thank you,” Emily said, pulling her cousin into another hug. As victories went, it was a pretty small one. But she’d take it.

  Even if she sounded a helluva lot braver than she felt.

  Chapter Six

  Cradling the little dog to his chest with one hand, Colin followed his brother into the “new” barn. And in an instant the familiar tang of hay and horse, the occasional soft whinny piercing a chorus of equine huffing, provoked feelings and emotions that were becoming increasingly difficult to parse the longer he was home.

  Didn’t help, either, that the damn dog smelled like Emily, which in turn brought to mind the look on her face when he’d taken the pup. Like a little kid trying so hard to be brave.

  Except for the little kid part of that.

  “I shoved the kennel in here somewhere,” Josh said, his boots clomping against the concrete floor as he passed the stalls on the way to the tack room. There were actually three barns on the property—the original twenties-era structure, closer to the house and rarely used to house livestock these days; and another one like this, all metal and cement and modern amenities.

  Colin counted a dozen or so horses in here, most of which ignored them as they passed, although a couple poked their heads over the stall doors, ears flicking in mild curiosity at the wriggling creature in Colin’s hand. A particularly stunning roan mare gave a vigorous nod, inviting them closer. Colin obliged, feeling something ease inside him when she stretched her neck to first investigate the pup, then cuff Colin’s shoulder. The puppy yipped, thrilled; the mare whinnied in response, then nodded again. Chuckling, Colin stroked her satiny neck for a moment before catching up to Josh, letting the puppy down. The dog promptly scampered off, nose to ground, trying to follow eighteen trails at once.

  “Looks like you’ve got a full house,” Colin said from the doorway to the tack room. It was pristine, save for one corner clearly used for storing all the junk not currently in use but too good to pitch. Including a collapsible wire kennel clearly intended for a much larger dog. Not something that weighed ten pounds. On a full stomach.

  Josh tossed a grin over his shoulder as he jerked the kennel free of the detritus pile it’d been wedged in. “Gettin’ there. Although about half of ’em are boarders. A couple rescues, too...”

  He banged off the light and hauled the contraption from the tack room, clattering it onto the dusty floor in front of Colin before smacking his palms across his butt. The pup cautiously approached the kennel, stretching out as far as his little body would allow to sniff at it, only to jump back when the sole of Josh’s boot scraped the floor. Laughing, Josh squatted to call the little guy over, reaching inside the cone to scratch one ear until he collapsed beside Josh’s boot, tummy bared, to grin upside down up at Colin.

  “And a couple of the horses are Mallory’s, for her and Zach’s therapy facility. They hope to be good to go by June, did I tell you?”

  “Zach did, when I was over there the other night.” An evening filled with
warmth and laughter...and silliness, he thought on a smile. Because three boys under the age of twelve, that’s why. And dogs. And a redheaded spitfire who wasn’t about to let a wheelchair clip her wings. Nor the events from her past that had put her in it. “It’s good to see him so happy, after...everything.”

  His brother nodded, but not before Colin caught the squint. Not judgmental, maybe, but definitely questioning. Never mind that the minute he’d heard about the accident more than three years before that had taken his older brother’s first wife, Colin had called Zach, saying he’d be on the first plane home if that’s what Zach wanted. Except Zach had said no, there was nothing Colin could do anyway. A pretty typical Talbot response, actually, which Josh would realize if he thought about it for two seconds.

  Colin was glad, though, that he’d be here for the wedding. He was glad he was here period, he realized as Josh stood and grabbed the crate again, making the puppy clumsily scramble to his feet. And if Emily Weber’s presence had something to do with that... Shoot, if he could figure that one out, tackling world peace would be a piece of cake.

  He took the crate from his brother to haul it out of the barn, even though they stopped along the way to chat with this or that mare, admire a colt, the pride radiating from his brother warmer than the sun in July. He knew Josh was thrilled to own, along with his wife, the ranch that had been the cornerstone of this part of New Mexico for more than a hundred years. But ranches of this size tended to be more of a financial drain than moneymakers these days, especially since Deanna’s father had downsized the cattle end of things years ago.

  “Which is why we’re more grateful than we can say for Mallory’s coming on board with her therapy facility,” Josh said in answer to Colin’s out-loud musings. Now outside, Josh slugged his hands in his back pockets. A weightless evening breeze nudged at them, the air chilled and somehow fruity, like a crisp white wine. The pup toddled ahead, only to plop his butt in the dirt and lift his snout, sniffing. “Between that and renting out the cabins down by the river during the hunting season, and the occasional rodeo winnings...” Josh shrugged. “We make do. And now that Dee’s got her art gallery in town...” He grinned. “It’s all about possibilities. Options.”

  “Or an awful lot of plates up in the air.”

  His brother chuckled. “Not gonna lie, we’re talking risk with a capital R. But at least it’s our risk to take, to try...” He huffed a sigh. “I know you never felt the connection to the place I did. It was the same with Dee, at least up until a few months ago. But for us, this is home. Simple as that.”

  As if anything was ever simple. Especially when it came to home and connections and who a person was. Where they were supposed to be.

  “And if—”

  “We’re giving it two years,” his brother said, lifting his gaze to a never-ending sky so choked with stars they bled into each other. Then his eyes lowered to Colin’s again, shining with a determination that made him realize the goofy kid he remembered had long since left the building. Mostly, anyway. “Between us, we’ve got enough squirreled away to tide us over for that long while we figure out how to make this all work. Worst-case scenario? We’ll sell it, find a smaller place, start over. The world won’t end if it comes to that, believe me. But you better believe we’re gonna do everything in our power to make sure it doesn’t.”

  Now it was Colin’s turn to look away, wondering, as he often did, what had tied most of his family to this place. Why his parents, his three brothers, had taken such firm root in this little corner of New Mexico, even if it’d taken Levi longer than the others, when Colin had wanted nothing more than to break free from it.

  What was pulling him back now—

  “You okay?” Josh asked, his brother’s voice piercing Colin’s thoughts.

  “Just thinking about how all the stuff that seemed so black-and-white when you were a kid gets a lot more muddied as you get older.”

  “And I don’t even want to know what you’re talking about, do I?”

  Colin pushed a laugh through his nose. “Probably not.” Then he squinted back at the barn. “You doing all the work yourself?”

  “Right now, it’s still pretty manageable. It’s nothing like when we were working cows, thank goodness. That was rough.”

  “I remember.” He snorted. “There was a reason I left.”

  Actually, there’d been several. But 4:00 a.m. wake-up calls for most of the summer had definitely ranked right up there.

  Josh chuckled. “Although I’ve got a couple high school kids who come after school and on weekends to help out. And Mallory’s boy,” he said with a grin. “Can’t keep the kid away. Already got him training for barrels. Like his mama used to.”

  “He’s, what? Eleven?”

  “Nearly twelve. Perfect age. Mallory’s probably gonna need someone to help out with the facility, though, eventually. Especially somebody who’s good with kids.”

  “The way everything else seems to be falling into place,” Colin said quietly, “I’m sure that will, too.”

  His brother grinned over at him. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  The dog trundled over, asking to be picked up. Colin obliged. Only now, of course, Emily’s perfume mingled with the night’s, poking at all those feelings again. At the yearning he’d refused to acknowledge for so long. Then he blew out a half laugh. “This family’s positively exploding.”

  “Isn’t it?” his brother said, sounding totally good with that. “Seriously doubt it’s anywhere near done yet, either.”

  Colin frowned at his brother. “Is Deanna...?”

  “What? Oh. No. Not that I know of, anyway. Sure, we’d like more kids down the line, but right now we’ve got our hands full with the two we’ve got. And the ranch and her gallery and everything. When the time’s right. Speaking of whom, I should probably get back—”

  “Right. Of course. Except...” The dog clutched in one hand, the kennel in the other, Colin said, “I already made sure Emily knows she can come see this guy—” he hefted the pup, who gave his chin a little lick “—anytime she likes. But it might not be a bad idea, her coming over tonight to help him get settled in.”

  Briefly raised brows gave way to a lopsided smile as his brother started back to the house, tossing a “Sure thing” over his shoulder as he strode off, his unasked question shimmering in the air between them.

  Why?

  Not that Colin could’ve answered, anyway, so thank goodness Josh hadn’t asked. Except...a taste of her company had left him wanting more, was all. And considering her own situation, he sincerely doubted there was any danger of her reading anything more into the invitation than there was. Emily Weber was safe, in other words.

  Whether he was, was something else entirely.

  * * *

  Emily was about to knock on the door when she realized Colin had left it ajar. Although because he was expecting her or he simply wasn’t good at closing doors behind him, she had no idea. God knew Michael never had been, so maybe it was a guy thing. Who knew? So she knocked, anyway, telling herself the shiver that snaked up her spine at his deep “Come on in!” was due to the nippy night. Not her brain’s having taken a hike to parts unknown.

  Although since she was here—instead of, you know, acting like the big girl she was supposed to be and seeing the pup tomorrow or the next day—she supposed the brain-hiking thing was moot.

  Still. She had to admit it was nice, being around a man who clearly had no agenda. Despite how he looked at her, as though he could see through to parts of her soul she hadn’t discovered yet herself. Which by rights should be scary—

  The puppy bounded up to her, a blur of bliss. And cone-free. Laughing, Emily picked him up, then looked across the room into that direct, greeny-gold gaze and lost her breath for a second.

  —but oddly wasn’t. Instead, she felt...safe. W
hy, she had no idea, since she barely knew the man. But damned if he didn’t absolutely radiate integrity. Goodness. And something else she couldn’t quite put a finger on, but that made her think, Oh, okay. You’ll do.

  For now, anyway. For this moment, when her brain was still muddled and her heart was shredded and she knew it would be a long, long time before trust and she resolved their differences. Right now, she needed safe and good and integrity.

  And a puppy to cuddle, she thought, sinking cross-legged on the worn braided rug covering most of the living room floor to let the thing give her jaw a thorough washing. Dodging the little tongue, she looked around, taking in what looked like a leftover set from a Western movie, circa 1975—scuffed leather and dinged wood, faded geometric-design pillows, the small kitchen a study in murky greens and browns. She’d never been inside when she’d visited as a kid—no reason for her to have been, really—and now she found herself seeing it through Colin’s eyes.

  Apparently noticing her scrutiny, he chuckled. “It looks better in the daylight.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “You didn’t have to. Want something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

  “No more coffee. I’ll never sleep.” She lowered her gaze to the dog. “You took off the cone?”

  “The wound’s as good as healed. I checked with Zach. He said it was okay. So, tea?”

  “Sure. Although somehow you don’t strike me as a tea person.”

  “Not usually, no. But I found some tea bags when I was cleaning out the cupboards. My mother’s maybe? Have no idea how good they are, but—”

  “Why’d you ask me to come over? Really?”

  Halfway to the open kitchen, Colin turned, a frown etched between his brows. But instead of answering, he yanked an ancient kettle off the equally ancient gas stove, then said over the sound of water thrumming into it, “You want honesty?”

  “If you wouldn’t mind.”