The Hometown Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “Yes, I do,” he said simply.

  She released his arm. “You kissed her, didn’t you?” Her cheeks splashed with red, nostrils flaring.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’d do that to me.”

  He had to fight the urge to laugh. “This isn’t about you. The two of us aren’t a couple.”

  She sighed heavily like she was trying to get control of her emotions. “But we should be.” Her eyes grew pleading. “Don’t you see? We’re perfect for each other. I know you better than anyone.” She scowled. “Better than some barrel racer you only just met.”

  There was no winning with Trisha. “The service has probably already started. We should get inside.”

  She grunted. “What about the girl? Aren’t you waiting for her?”

  “No, she’s not coming.” Despondency settled over him. Would he ever see Starr again? Surely, she’d respond back. They had a connection—something rare that didn’t come along every day. Surely, she’d felt it too.

  A triumphant smile curled Trisha’s lips. “Oh, I see. The quarterback drops the ball in the first quarter.”

  Irritation crawled up his neck. “Was that really necessary?”

  She laughed lightly. “Oh, I’m just teasing. You’re a champion. If the barrel racer doesn’t have enough sense to realize it, then shame on her.”

  “Starr’s a good person,” he countered. No way he was going to stand here and let Trisha throw Starr under the bus.

  “I’m sure she’s great.” She touched his arm. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  He stayed rooted to the ground. “There’s nothing between us, Trisha.”

  “Got it! We’re just friends.”

  “Exactly.”

  She put a hand on her hip. “From the looks of things, it seems that a friend is what you need most right now.”

  He couldn’t argue with that.

  She grinned. “Alrighty then. Let’s go inside.”

  He blew out a deflated breath. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

  11

  It was several hours later before Emerson could respond to Riker’s text. Everything’s okay. Again, I’m so sorry about today. I had a family emergency.

  This time, he responded back instantly. Is there anything I can do to help?

  No, it’s all good. How was church?

  Okay. But I missed you.

  A relieved grin stretched over her face as she sat down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. She’d been worried all day about how he would react to her standing him up, but he seemed to be okay. I missed you too.

  What’re you doing this evening?

  A thrill shot through her. What do you have in mind?

  How about a walk through the botanical gardens in Ft. Worth?

  Sounds great.

  You should bring the monkey.

  She laughed out loud. Do you really want a monkey between us the whole evening?

  Ha ha. Good point. Better leave him at home. Shoot me your address and I’ll pick you up.

  Panic raced through her as she scrambled for a response. Thanks, but I’m already out and about. I’ll just meet you at the entrance.

  She held her breath, waiting for him to respond. The white lies were stacking up. She’d tell him the truth soon … maybe even tonight.

  Okay, thirty minutes?

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. How about forty?

  See you then.

  K.

  She got up to find something comfortable to put on. Her phone rang. It was her friend Dede calling. Dede had called twice already today, but she’d let it go to voicemail. She figured she’d better answer this time. “Hello?”

  Dede trilled out a string of rich laughter. “Girl, why didn’t you tell me?”

  Emerson stood in front of her closet, sifting through her hanging clothes. “Tell you what?”

  “About your engagement to Finley. I had to read about it in the society section of The Dallas Advocate.”

  Her heart lurched. “What?” she sputtered. “I’m not engaged!” Hot needles prickled over her. Was this her mama’s doing? “Tell me what the article said.”

  “I don’t have it in front of me, but it said something to the effect of ‘wedding bells ringing in the near future as you and Finley tie the knot, joining together two prominent Texan families.’ There was a picture of the two of you dressed up at an event.”

  She swore under her breath. “Finley and I have attended numerous social events together; the picture could’ve been taken any of those times.”

  “Yeah, probably.”

  If Riker somehow saw this, it could be bad. Her mind raced. Was it better to tell him right away who she was? Would he believe that there was nothing between her and Finley? A shudder ran through her. He might think she was playing him—having fun with him on the side, while she was engaged to another man.

  “Why’re you getting so upset? I thought you and Finley were a thing.”

  “No! We’re just friends.” She barked out a brittle laugh. “Why can’t everyone understand that?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve.”

  She raked her hair out of her face, sighing. “It’s not your fault. My parents are determined to marry me off to Finley, all for the sake of some stupid business merger.”

  Dede’s voice went up an octave. “What? That’s insane.”

  “Tell me about it,” she muttered. Dede was also from a wealthy family. She knew how sticky things could get with parents’ expectations.

  “If my dad tried to pull something like that I’d strangle him.” Dede paused. “I’m sorry, Emerson. That stinks.”

  “Yes, it does.” Anger spiked through her. This had to be her mama’s doing. Or maybe it was Fiona Landers. The two of them were in cahoots. Heck, it could’ve even been Finley. He was determined to manipulate her into marrying him. She scowled thinking about how he’d brought up the rodeo and then said her secret was safe with him. The weasel was giving her a veiled threat.

  “Look on the bright side. Finley Landers is quite the catch.”

  “If you feel that way, then maybe you should marry him.”

  Dede laughed in surprise. “I would if he weren’t so smitten with you. The poor guy’s been in love with you since puberty.”

  “No, not me—the idea of me.”

  “Yeah, maybe. But either way, you should be pretty happy about the situation.”

  She groaned. “You sound like my mama.”

  “Well, she does have a point. It’s not every day a girl gets someone like Finley Landers thrown in her lap. He’s gorgeous, smart, a billionaire.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, you should date him.”

  “Maybe I will,” Dede quipped.

  “You have my blessing.”

  Dede laughed. “All right then. This is changing the subject, but how would you like to do some shopping with me tomorrow afternoon? I need a new dress for the Texas Titan Charity Auction next week.”

  She jerked slightly at the mention of Titan. “What’s the auction for?”

  “Military vets, I believe. Something about rehab and counseling.” Her voice went juicy. “The best part is that a few of the Titan’s players are being auctioned off for dates.”

  Saliva got clogged in Emerson’s throat as she coughed. Was Riker one of those players? The likelihood was high, considering he was the starting quarterback. “Which players?” she squeaked.

  “I can’t remember right off hand.” Dede let out a low chuckle. “But does it really matter? They’re pro players. You should go with me. We could pool our money and win a date.”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  “So, you wanna do it?”

  “I’ll think about it. Hey, Dede, I need to let you go. I’m late for an appointment.” Well, not late yet, but she would be if she didn’t get off the phone and get ready. At any rate, she was tired of this conversation.

 
Dede sighed dramatically. “Okay, I guess I’ll let you go. Let me know about the auction, k?”

  “Will do.”

  “Ciao,” Dede chirped, clicking off.

  Emerson ran a hand over her forehead. First the engagement thing, then the auction. It was all coming too fast. Right now, however, she couldn’t deal with either thing. She had to get ready to meet Riker. No way could she be late after standing him up this morning.

  As Riker leaned against his bike, waiting for Starr to arrive, the pendulum swung between feeling anticipation of seeing her again and fear that she might not come. When she pulled into the parking lot, a feeling of euphoria washed over him. She was here!

  He did a double-take when she got out of the car. She was breathtaking, even more so than he remembered. Her hair was curlier than it had been before. He liked it both ways, he decided. His eyes flickered over her pastel blue shirt and white shorts. Then he took in her long, toned legs, sandals, and fire-engine-red toe-nails. A smile curved her lips as she came towards him.

  “Hey,” she said as they embraced. He caught the scent of her strawberry shampoo, felt the soft tickle of her hair as it brushed against his face.

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me too. I’m sorry about this morning.”

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “No worries.” He meant it. All was well now that she was here with him.

  As they walked toward the garden entrance, he took hold of her hand, a zing racing through him when their skin touched. It was thrilling to be with Starr, and yet it felt natural too. He’d wondered if things might be awkward, but it wasn’t in the least. “What happened this morning?”

  “I was headed out the door to meet you. Then I realized that my parents had planned for me to have brunch with them.”

  “You should’ve told me. I would’ve gone with you instead.”

  He caught the slight tightening of her jaw, or had he imagined it? She looked sideways at him. “Thank you, but it was good that you went to church with your family. How did it go?”

  “Pretty good, actually.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “No more arguments, I hope.”

  “Nope. It was all hunky-dory.”

  She laughed. “That good, huh?”

  They went in through the entrance and got in line to pay. Emerson looked around. “I haven’t been here in years.”

  “Me either,” Riker admitted.

  “I’m glad you suggested it.” She looked at him, and he was struck by how green her eyes were—polished jade. He traced the delicate line of her cheek, noting how her creamy complexion complemented her copper hair. She was part fairy, part siren, part strawberry shortcake, and more woman than any man dared hope for.

  He realized she was watching him with a quirky grin. “What?” he asked, then realized with a start that the lady in the booth was waiting for him to pay. He reached in his jeans for his wallet and handed her his credit card. He’d been so taken with Starr that he’d lost his train of thought.

  They stepped through the double doors into the garden. “Where do you want to go first?”

  Emerson opened the map and looked at it. A mischievous grin crossed her lips as she folded it back up and tore it in half. “What do you say we just go where the path takes us?”

  A laugh rumbled in his throat. “I’m all for that.”

  She went to a nearby trash bin and deposited the map into it, wiping her hands on her shorts. “All right, let’s go.”

  Twenty minutes later, as they stood in front of a pond in the Japanese Garden section, Riker turned to her. “Tell me about your family,” he said casually.

  Her jaw tightened. “What do you want to know?”

  He felt himself tense, bracing for what was to come. “Everything.” He offered an easy smile in the hope of putting her at ease. Something was off about her family. What was she not telling him? Riker didn’t buy Starr’s excuse for not wanting him to pick her up at her house. Did Starr live alone?

  “My daddy’s name is Ethan and my mama is Caroline.”

  “Ethan and Caroline Andrews,” he mused. “Sounds like a respectable couple.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, one out of two isn’t bad.”

  He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m just teasing. They’re both very respectable. I just don’t get along with my mama.”

  “Oh.” He kept quiet, allowing her space to explain.

  She wrinkled her nose. “She tries to control every facet of my life. What I wear, my profession, the people I see.” She let out a hard laugh. “Heck, she’d probably try to control my breathing if I let her.”

  This came as a surprise. He’d assumed Starr was around his same age, give or take a couple of years. She was plenty old enough to make her own decisions. It was kind of worrisome, actually, that her mother wielded so much control over her … or tried to anyway. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-five. How about you?”

  “Twenty-six.”

  “Did you go to college?” He almost hated to ask that because he didn’t want to make her feel bad if she didn’t.

  “Yes, at TCU.”

  “A great school. I have some buddies who went there.”

  She tipped her head. “How about you?”

  “Texas A&M.”

  A smile spread over her lips. “I guess we’re Texans to the core, huh?”

  “You know it. Do you know the old saying? ‘Never ask a man if he’s from Texas …’”

  “I don’t believe I’ve heard that.”

  “Never ask a man if he’s from Texas. If he is, he’ll tell you. If not, you’ll just embarrass him.”

  She laughed. “That’s good. My daddy would love that.”

  “Tell me about him.”

  She pursed her lips. “Well, he’s the quintessential Texan—would live in a cowboy hat and boots if he could.”

  “Sounds like my dad.”

  “Yes, I can see that.”

  The sun was setting, pushing orange and pink swirls across the hazy sky and bathing everything in a mellow gold. Here, in this perfectly manicured area with the Asian architecture and geometric shapes, it felt like they’d entered the page of a storybook. They walked over the curved bridge and stopped in the middle, looking down at the green circles of lily pads. Riker draped an arm around Starr’s shoulders, enjoying the tranquility of the landscape. “You mentioned that your family owns a ranch.”

  “Yes, my daddy raises cattle.”

  He was tempted to ask how large the ranch was, but didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. He suspected it must be a big operation, considering her expensive car. “That’s interesting. We have more in common than I realized.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My dad sells farm equipment and machinery.” He grinned. “See how well we fit together?” For a split second, he thought he might be going too fast, but she smiled.

  “Yes, we do.”

  He wanted to kiss her again right now but didn’t want to make a spectacle of the two of them in public. “Where do you live?”

  She hesitated. “With my parents. I had my own apartment for a while, but then my daddy was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few months ago.” A half-smile flitted over her lips. “For the first time in his life, Daddy felt fragile and wanted me to be there for him.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Much better. In fact, so well that I’m going to start looking for my own place again.”

  “I know a great place—a swanky condo near the Texas Titan Complex. You’d have a great neighbor.”

  She leaned into him, resting her head on the curve of his shoulder. “Hmm … I’ll have to keep that in mind.” She reached for his hand and linked her fingers through his.

  A jolt of awareness buzzed through him. He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He gazed into her eyes, marveling at how she was consuming his thoughts. “Tell me where you work.”

  He saw th
e hesitation in her eyes. It was both confusing and concerning. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

  She jerked. “What do you mean?”

  “I dunno.” He surveyed her. “It’s just this gut feeling.” He’d learned to rely on those feelings—lived by them on the field, knowing when to pass the ball and when to keep it close and make a run for it.

  She gave him a playful smile. “Why don’t we just enjoy being together? We don’t have to divulge every single dark and sinister secret on our second date.”

  A laugh rose in his throat. “No, we’ll save that for the twentieth date.”

  “Oh, so you’re that sure there will be a twentieth date.”

  He caressed her hair, wrapping his finger around one of her curls. “Absolutely.”

  A large smile broke over her lips, sending rays of warmth shooting through him.

  He was learning quickly that Starr had a gift for distracting him from things she didn’t want to discuss. Now he was on to her game, however. He picked back up on their conversation. “You’ve gotta at least give me something. Where do you work? That’s a simple enough question.”

  She lifted her chin like she might refuse to answer, then her shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, I suppose it is,” she said lightly. “I work at Snow Veterinary Clinic.”

  A feeling of triumph wafted through him. He’d get to know her little by little.

  “Enough about me,” she said impatiently. “I want to know how things went with your family this morning, and don’t just tell me hunky-dory. Give me details.”

  “You’re a bossy little thing.”

  Her eyes sparked. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  He chuckled. “I believe it. Hold your horses, little lady,” he drawled. “I still have a couple more questions.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Fine.” She went cross-eyed for a second, sticking out her tongue.

  He shuddered. “Didn’t your mama ever tell you that your eyes could stick like that?”

  “Whatever.” Her eyes went back to normal. “Okay, what’s your other question?”

  “Questions. Plural.”