An August Bride

by Debra Clopton

  But here she was, one hand warm in his, the other resting on his powerful shoulder, her nose very nearly brushing his chin as they stepped together to the beat of the country music.

  “You’re good. We’re going to give Steven and Tiffany a little competition.” His breath against her ear sent delicious shivers racing over her skin.

  She wanted to ignore the sensation, but . . . there were moments in life. Being rescued by Brent and this intimate dance were among those moments. She knew the rescue saved her life, she wasn’t sure what the dance signified. She only knew it meant something.

  Something special and dangerous at the same time.

  Alarms rang and clanged as he set the rhythm and she went along with it. Turmoil rolled through her like waves.

  “You’ve done this before.” He looked down at her.

  He was holding her at a respectable distance. Could he feel her heart beating with the band?

  “Misspent youth. I was always at one dance or the other,” she admitted.

  “I did a little of that myself.”

  Her nerves were really trying to beat her up inside. “So, Brent Corbin, how do you know Steven?”

  He spun her in a slow twirl and her insides dipped. He pulled her back to him, and she bumped into him as they resumed two-stepping together. She laughed to cover her confusion.

  “We were both on the college rodeo team out in Lubbock,” Brent answered her question. “After graduation, Steven set his sights on making it to the National Finals Rodeo.”

  “So you didn’t want to go for the NFR?” Lance had lived and breathed the rodeo; the NFR was always foremost in his thoughts. And in the end, that’s what had left her standing there alone at that altar. He said getting married would tie him down and prevent him from hitting all the rodeos needed to gain the qualifying points for the finals.

  “Not me. I came home and took over running the Sandbar Ranch. Not all cowboys fall in love with the rodeo.”

  Brent stared into her eyes, and she lost a beat and stepped on his foot. “Sorry.” She couldn’t think when he was looking at her like that.

  “No problem.” His eyes twinkled.

  “So, you love your ranch?” She tried not to think about how his hand slid from her waist to the center of her back, making it seem all the more like he was embracing her.

  “Yeah, and my dad had a heart attack during my third year of college. He needed me. And even if he hadn’t needed me, I was anxious to put my education back into the ranch. See if I could build on what my dad had started.”

  “Oh,” she said, thinking of her dad and the ranch she’d left behind—the ranch she hadn’t put anything back into. She’d left him just like Lance had left her. She pushed that thought out of her head. She’d had her own life to worry about. “So where is the . . . Sandbar Ranch?”

  “Aransas Pass. About twenty miles away.”

  “That close?” She’d forgotten that he’d said it was close when they’d talked on the beach. He’d even said his ranch had a beach. With all the excitement of the moment, it was a wonder she had remembered him saying anything.

  “Very close. You’ll have to come out and ride with me.”

  She stepped on his foot again. “Sorry.”

  His eyes crinkled at the edges. “It’s all right. I don’t mind. So, what about coming out and riding? If you don’t ride, I’m a pretty good teacher.”

  “No, I mean, yes—I ride. I used to ride. I don’t anymore.” Get a grip, Kelsey.

  He paused their steps and studied her with sincerity in his eyes. “What happened? Why don’t you ride anymore?”

  Her stomach seemed to do a neat three-sixty. “My—” She caught herself before she spilled anything more personal about herself. She didn’t want to get friendlier with Brent. “Do you do this to all the women you meet?” The question escaped before she could stop it.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Charm your way past their defenses.”

  He tugged her a little closer. “Is that what I’m doing? I thought I was just being interested. I want to know what makes you tick, Kelsey Wilcox.”

  She swallowed and tried to form a coherent thought. But he’d stumped her.

  He chose that moment to spin them three times in a circle that had her clutching him and feeling exhilarated at the same time.

  Her heart was trading places with her good sense.

  The dance ended, and Kelsey had never been happier about something in all of her life. “Thanks, I . . . I need to go see my—” Her mind went blank. “My aunt.”

  Tugging her hand from his, Kelsey hurried off the dance floor.

  She’d suspected it and now it was confirmed . . . Brent was dangerous. Her cheeks burned, and she was sure her skin was flushed a humiliating fuchsia.

  She needed to stay away from him.

  If her aunt and her comrades glimpsed even a hint of her attraction, she would be toast.

  Perfect, buttery, topped with strawberry jam toast.

  Brent watched Kelsey flee. What had he said?

  That amazing dance had given him time to learn new things about her, and he was intrigued all the more.

  What had a cowboy done to her to make her run like that?

  The party was a success as far as Brent could tell. All around him people were laughing, talking, and dancing. He watched his friend Tru Monahan, who was one of the other groomsmen, doing the Jitterbug with one of the four bridesmaids. The crowd had formed a circle around them as they spun and wove to the fast music. Tru was from Wishing Springs, a little Texas town on the other side of San Antonio, and he was also leading the world in the Quarter Horse Championship. He knew how to kick up his boots.

  “Boy, Tru’s having a good time,” Steven observed, coming to stand beside Brent.

  Brent struggled to focus on his friend. Thoughts of Kelsey made it difficult. “With all the pressure he’s under with the championships coming up, I’m sure he’s glad to have a weekend to let off a little steam.” Tru’s success had come with extra stress—he had major sponsors he answered to and who demanded he maintain his status every year.

  “Tru seems to handle it well,” Steven said. “But he’s seemed a little tense to me. Did you notice?”

  “I noticed. That’s why this is good for him.” Brent didn’t envy any of his rodeo buddies their success. But sensing the pressure Tru was under was one more reminder to Brent that he was comfortable with the life he’d chosen on his ranch. Steven laid a hand on Brent’s shoulder. “I’m just glad you both could be here to share in my celebration.”

  “It was a whole lot easier for me than for Tru, but I wouldn’t have missed it, buddy.” Brent had chosen a different path than Steven and Tru—a quieter, more laid-back path. He’d never regretted it. He answered only to himself. Both Steven and Tru had sponsor obligations and unbelievable competition schedules. “You know I’m no party animal, but I have to say I’m having a great time.”

  Steven laughed and nodded toward Kelsey. She was visiting with Esther Mae, Norma Sue, and Adela. “If that’s so, then why are you standing here alone? You should get over there. Ask her to dance again.”

  “And you should go find your fiancée and show Tru how it’s really done.”

  “Soon as she gets back from taking a breather, we will. Speaking of, there she is. Catch you later.”

  Brent smiled, glad for Steven and Tiffany. He glanced back at Kelsey and found her looking at him. He nodded and touched the brim of his hat. She looked away instantly. But his gaze caught Esther Mae’s. She winked at him with a broad smile. He’d found some allies, that was for certain.

  Esther Mae waved him over. When he took her up on her invite, he noted Kelsey’s tight expression.

  “Sit down right here and visit with us,” Esther Mae urged, patting the seat beside her. “So, tell us what kind of ranch you have. Kelsey tells us it’s a family ranch and you’ve been running it since right out of college.”

  ”Yes, ma’am.” Now h
e understood why Kelsey had looked uptight—they’d been grilling her about him. “My family’s been ranching over forty years. We run cattle, breed quarter horses, and offer boarding and a place for people to come out and ride. We also have a pavilion for events that can be rented—weddings, reunions, all sorts of events.”

  “Oh, that sounds lovely,” Adela said. “You’ll have to tell us more. Do you cater the events?”

  He glanced at Kelsey and noticed she’d now given him her full attention.

  “Funny you should ask. We’ve been thinking about it as something to offer, though that’s undecided. Until then, we just provide the location and the folks can bring in caterers on their own, if they like.”

  “Isn’t that interesting, Kelsey?” Norma Sue looked from him to Kelsey.

  “Our Kelsey is a ranch girl,” Esther Mae added.

  “Was, actually. I’ve chosen another path with my life.” Kelsey gave her aunt a pointed look.

  Esther Mae looked at him and back at the ladies, and there was a little frown between her eyes. “Y’all remember when she was a girl? You couldn’t get her off of a horse to save your life!”

  “She did love it,” Adela prompted. “Still, people change, Esther Mae. Our Kelsey does seem to flourish here on the beach—look at that tan. Besides, her bistro is wonderful. You’ll have to stop in and try it, Brent. It’s just down the beach. Everything she creates is delicious.”

  Kelsey’s eyes warmed at the praise. “Thank you, Adela.”

  It was easy to tell she loved what she was doing. “I’d love to check it out. I come to Corpus a lot, you know. I love to fish.”

  “You fish?” she asked, looking as if he’d just told her he was from outer space.

  “Sure. I like to drop a hook in the surf.”

  She seemed skeptical. “What do you like to fish for?”

  “Tarpon is my favorite.”

  “What is a tarpon fish?” Norma Sue asked. “I like the sand here, but I know beef, not fish.”

  “It’s a sport fish. They’re hard to hook and a fight to reel in. And they are as silver in the light as Kelsey was gold in that dress.” He looked at Kelsey, “I do love a challenge.”

  She ignored his implication. “I’m sure with the demands your ranch makes on you, you don’t have much time for anything else.”

  He thought of his dad’s health problems and sobered.

  “I make time, Kelsey. I work hard, but a well-rounded life is important.”

  She looked as if she really couldn’t figure him out. “When I was growing up, my dad worked sunrise to sunset on our ranch.”

  “Mine too. Till he had that heart attack. Guess it helped us have some perspective on what’s important in life. Your dad still work those hours?”

  “He lost his ranch several years ago. All that hard work was for nothing.”

  Her words sounded bitter.

  Esther Mae patted her hand. “But he loved it while he was doing it.”

  Kelsey stood. “Yes, he did.” Her expression shadowed. The conversation seemed to have hit a sore spot. “I’m going to go see if I can help Tiffany with anything.” She nodded at him and then glided off.

  “She’s beautiful,” Norma Sue said from across the table.

  “Yes, ma’am. She is that.”

  He tore his gaze from Kelsey’s retreating form to find the three women grinning at him. “So, how long are you ladies in town?” he asked, deciding to change the subject.

  “Till Sunday evening,” Esther Mae said. “We wanted some time to visit with Kelsey.”

  Norma Sue began drumming the beat of the Randy Rogers band on the table. “We love Mule Hollow, but this fantastic place is a real treat. Tell me more about your ranch. What breed of cattle do you run?”

  He spent the next little while telling them about his ranch in Aransas Pass and found himself having fun visiting with them. His own aunts would have loved these three, and he felt almost as if he’d known them for years. They told him funny stories about their tiny town, and he found himself determined to visit the outer edge of the Hill Country. Clint Matlock’s large spread there was known all over Texas. It rivaled Tru Monahan’s in Wishing Springs, on the outskirts of Austin. He supplied quarter horse colts to both ranches, which were within four hours of his ranch.

  ”You need to get back out there and dance,” Adela said after a few minutes. “You’re a young man. You should be having a good time.”

  “I am having a good time, ladies,” he said, telling the truth. Then he caught sight of Kelsey. “But I think I will go see if Kelsey will dance with me again.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful,” Esther Mae gushed.

  He said good-bye, then wove through the crowd. He tapped Kelsey on the shoulder.

  “I’ve come to test my luck and ask you to dance with me again.”

  She spun around and her eyes clouded. “Look, Brent, thank you again for saving me today. I owe you, okay? But this”—she waved a hand between them—“isn’t going to work. Besides, I could have saved myself.”

  “If you say so,” he said, startled by her outburst.

  She lifted her chin. “I . . . I could have. I don’t need some cowboy rushing to my rescue or teaching me to ride or dance, or anything. I’m not interested in this”—she looked genuinely perplexed—“becoming anything more than what it is.”

  Without waiting for his reply, she scooted through the crowd and disappeared through a service door.

  He watched her go. He’d just come off the end of two back-to-back bad relationships that had him skittish. And obviously Kelsey Wilcox was running scared too. He could feel it. And after what she’d been through, he could understand it . . . to a point.

  But she had turned his world upside down when he’d spotted her in the water this afternoon. After he’d rescued her, held her in his arms, and looked deep into those eyes . . . and felt the connection that he’d felt . . .

  A man didn’t walk away from something like that, no matter what.

  A cowboy didn’t either . . . at least not a real cowboy, and maybe that was what Kelsey needed to learn.

  The morning after the party Kelsey walked to the bistro at sunrise as usual to begin preparing her pastries, soups, and specialties for the day. Julie, who helped in the kitchen prepping and baking, showed up soon after, along with Candy, Kelsey’s waitress. Together, they had everything ready by seven when the Sunflower Bistro officially opened.

  Aunt E, Norma Sue, and Adela showed up at eight, all smiles and excitement over the party and what would come—a brunch cruise at ten for immediate family and the wedding party and then the wedding that evening on the beach beneath the stars. Millie, the now-dry tiny ball of fluff, bounced on the thin leash Aunt E had snapped to her collar. Of course they were as animated as Millie when it came to the party the night before. Much to Kelsey’s dismay, they had absolutely fallen in love with Brent Corbin.

  They settled around a table on the outside patio, and immediately Kelsey had to start dodging inquiries about Brent. Since he’d fished her out of the bay last night, her life had . . . well, it had turned upside down—the man had been constantly on her mind. Millie sat on her foot and looked up at her with tiny black you-and-me-both-sister eyes.

  No, this morning Kelsey had a whole set of emotions and thoughts duking it out inside. Talking to the posse about Brent was not on her to-do list.

  “Kelsey, I do love your bistro,” Adela said, looking through the bistro’s open patio doors. Kelsey could have kissed the wisp of a woman for steering the conversation away from what she thought of Brent.

  “Sunflower Bistro is a perfect name for it,” Aunt E added, taking the bait. “It makes me want to smile every time I come here and see this sunny, happy place you’ve created.”

  “You did good,” Norma Sue agreed.

  “I tried.” Kelsey smiled. It was true. She’d painted the walls a rich ocean blue, then added touches of sparkling jewel tones with vibrant ocean photos and an array of a
mazing sunset and sunrise photos in hues of mandarin orange, lemon, and sunflower yellow.

  Looking at it through the open doors, her insides felt light and her heart smiled. She’d put so much of herself in her business. She’d taken the photographs, and the tables were great little works of art she’d found at a thrift sale. They had driftwood pedestals and ceramic tops that she’d tiled herself using a vast array of swirling colors. She loved this place. She was proud that she’d created it with her own two hands.

  “It gives me peace each time I walk inside,” she admitted.

  “As I’m sure it does everyone else who comes here. How did you come to find this spot?” Adela asked.

  Candy and Roxie, the part-time waitress, had the customers handled and Julie had the kitchen under control, so Kelsey took a moment. She sat down, hoping she could get the posse to understand what this place and the life she’d built meant to her. Hoping she could remind them of what had brought her here and that she wasn’t interested in complicating her life with another man right now. She was doing great without a man in her life.

  “Y’all know how I came to be here,” she said, shooting them a frown. “Yes, I’m better off without Lance, but I was so upset when my wedding fell apart. I think God led me to find this spot on the shore,” she answered. And she really did. “Remember, I just got in my car and drove. I was so angry and hurt and walking on the beach is soothing to me. I think it’s the vastness of it. So I ended up in Corpus for the night.”

  Sympathy filled their expressions.

  She gave them a tiny shrug. “Looking at the vastness of the ocean helps put life into perspective. And believe me, I needed perspective. I was a blubbering, brokenhearted wreck.” It was true. Embarrassing—but true. “I was trying to figure out my life that next morning—there was a lot of walking and tears. I came across this closed-up building. And this place captured my imagination when I looked through these doors. It gave me something to hope for.”