When We Met (Hqn)

by Susan Mallery

  Taryn didn’t have to ask the name of the bride. There was only one couple who would get married in Denise’s yard like this.

  She walked outside. The guests were talking and obviously excited about what was happening. Servers circulated with glasses of champagne and trays of appetizers.

  “My lady.”

  She turned and saw Jack holding out a glass to her. She took it and smiled at him. “You’re here.”

  “We were summoned,” he said, motioning to where Sam and Kenny were talking to some people she didn’t know.

  “Larissa is going to be sorry to miss the wedding,” Taryn said. Larissa had gone back to L.A. to visit one of her sisters for the weekend.

  “I’ll save her a piece of cake. Where’s your date?”

  “I don’t know. He was whisked away. He might be part of the wedding party.” Angel had known Consuelo a long time. She would guess the other woman wanted him involved.

  “They pulled this together fast,” Jack said. Despite the afternoon sun, he looked comfortable in his suit and tie. Of course Jack was comfortable everywhere.

  “You have no idea.” Taryn told him about her recent lunch with friends and Consuelo’s meltdown. “Maybe this is how she could get it done.”

  Jack put his arm around her. “Marriage wasn’t so bad.”

  “All six weeks of it?” she asked lightly.

  He smiled at her.

  Mayor Marsha moved to the front of the tent and asked everyone to find a seat. Taryn and Jack sat together. She saved a seat for Angel in case he joined them later. Music started. Kent, Reese and Ford appeared up by the mayor.

  Felicia started up the aisle. The maid of honor, Taryn would guess. The wedding march began and the guests rose. She turned to see Consuelo in a full-on wedding gown, complete with veil, being escorted by Angel and Justice. She looked beautiful and fierce. Taryn had a feeling she was fighting serious nerves.

  When she reached the end of the aisle, Justice and Angel lifted her veil and kissed her cheek. Then they stepped to the left, to stand by Felicia.

  “Male and female attendants,” Jack whispered. “Very modern.”

  She smiled, then turned her attention to the ceremony.

  “We are delighted you could all attend this wonderful occasion,” Mayor Marsha began. “While I try to attend every wedding in town, I’m not always lucky enough to officiate at them. Thank you both for this joyous opportunity.”

  She glanced down at the book she held, then back at the guests. “Today we celebrate and witness the joining of Kent Hendrix and Consuelo Ly. Traditional vows will follow, but first our wonderful couple wants to say something to each other.”

  Consuelo handed her bouquet to Felicia, then faced Kent.

  “I love you,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “Very much. I promise to always show up and to tell you when I’m afraid.” She flashed a smile. “I can’t say I’ll always be normal.”

  Kent grinned. “I’ll be normal enough for both of us.” His mouth straightened. “I’ll always take care of you, Consuelo. Be there for you.” He glanced over his shoulder.

  Reese stepped a little closer. “Me, too,” he added. “We’re going to be a family.”

  Taryn felt her eyes start to burn. She wondered if Angel would look at her, if he would communicate that while they didn’t have that level of emotion between them, he cared. Only he didn’t.

  Instead Jack took her hand. “This is nice,” he murmured.

  “It is.”

  “There’s something to be said for eloping.”

  Which they had done, she remembered. “Less money on catering.”

  He grinned. “Good point. I’m glad your friend there was the one who had to deal with the snake. It probably would have killed me.”

  She chuckled. “I’m sure of it.”

  “You’ve got a good man there.”

  She looked back at Angel. “Yes, I do.”

  As if he’d heard them, he turned toward her and gave her a slow wink. She smiled back and knew that her world had gotten just a little brighter.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “YOU HAVE CHILDREN here to see you,” Larissa said with a grin. “Two girls. They know you by name.”

  Taryn held in a smile. “Is that accusation I hear in your tone?”

  “Children? It still surprises me to think about you hanging with them.”

  “You know I’m an assistant Grove Keeper.”

  “I’ve heard the words,” Larissa said with a grin, and walked back out into the hall.

  Taryn was still chuckling when Chloe and Layla, another Acorn, walked in. She stood and circled around her desk. “Hi, you two. What’s up?”

  Chloe set her backpack on a chair and pulled out a length of rope. “We’re having trouble with our knots. Angel’s busy and the campout is coming up soon. There’s going to be a test after we set up our tents. We know there’s a rabbit and a hole, but we can’t remember about the tree.”

  Layla rolled her eyes. “I asked my dad, but he doesn’t know.”

  She sounded desperately disappointed in the man.

  Taryn kept her smile in place even as her stomach flipped over. Knot proficiency was required of Acorns. Angel had taught them at the last meeting. And while Taryn had been able to go through the motions with everyone else, she hadn’t really been paying attention to the particulars. After all, Angel was the outdoor expert. She was simply faking it.

  In the past few weeks they’d gone hiking twice and had repeated the kayaking without incident, but with sex, which made it even more fun. But knots? She knew next to nothing about knots.

  But she couldn’t say that to the girls, she thought. Nor could she fake her way through knot teaching. Before she could figure out a way to confess all and then look up knots on the internet, Kenny walked down the hall.

  Taryn called to him. He stepped into her office, took one look at the girls and raised his eyebrows. “Something you want to admit to?” he asked.

  She ignored the humor in his eyes. “Kenny, these are two of my Acorns. Chloe and Layla. We were discussing the knots we have to learn and I was wondering if you knew anything about knots.”

  Kenny glanced from her to the girls and back. He leaned against the door frame as if he had all the time in the world...and he planned to use every second of it to torture her.

  “Camping?” he asked.

  Chloe nodded. “We’re having an all-grove campout. Layla and I are Acorns, like Taryn said. We’re the youngest. The other groves are Sprouts, Saplings, Sky-Reachers and Mighty Oaks. We’re going to be Sprouts next year.”

  Layla nodded.

  Kenny’s mouth twitched and Taryn knew it had nothing to do with Chloe’s innate cuteness. Instead he was storing information he would use against her when she was least expecting it.

  She thought about pointing out that she hadn’t been exactly hiding her position as assistant Grove Keeper from anyone. She just hadn’t been talking about it much. Jack knew, but now that she thought about it, there was a good possibility the other two didn’t.

  “Sprouts, huh?” Kenny asked. “Which means you belong to the...”

  “Future Warriors of the Máa-zib,” Chloe said helpfully. “FWM.”

  “Right. It sounds fun and I can see you’re fierce warriors. I’m impressed.”

  Taryn was about to glare at Kenny when she realized how much Chloe had been talking. Usually she was the shy one but not, apparently, around Kenny. Interesting. He was a big guy. Tall and broad, with massive hands. People were often nervous around him. But not these two.

  “Tell me about your knot experience,” Taryn said. “Can you help?”

  “Oh, I can,” he said, grinning at her. “I used to be an Eagle Scout.”

  “I know what that is,” Layla said. “My brother wants to be an Eagle Scout.” She wrinkled her nose. “But he said he wouldn’t help me with my knots.” Her lips turned up at the corners. “He’s mad because he snuck out to be with his friends
last weekend and I told.”

  Taryn nodded at Kenny. “Still want to mock the FWM?”

  “I wasn’t mocking,” he said as he walked to her desk and sat in one of the chairs. “But I’m impressed with your tracking skills,” he told Layla.

  “He goes out the window at the end of the hall,” Layla told him. “It’s right by my room and the floor creaks really loud right there.”

  “Sounds like he deserved to get caught. Did he get in trouble?”

  Layla nodded. “He’s grounded.”

  “And pouting,” Kenny said. “Otherwise, he would have helped you.”

  Both girls giggled.

  Kenny held out his hand for the rope. Chloe passed it over. They told him what they were trying to do, and faster than Taryn would have thought possible, he’d twisted the rope into place and handed it back to them.

  “Wow,” Chloe breathed. “Can you teach us that?”

  “I can.”

  Taryn sat back in her chair and watched as Kenny slowly went through the steps of the knot. The girls watched and nodded, and then each of them repeated his actions. She noticed that both of them crowded closer and closer until they were leaning against him. Chloe seemed especially smitten, watching his face when he talked and smiling up at him as if he were some kind of superhero.

  When they’d mastered the knot, they thanked him and left. Taryn waited until they were gone to thank him.

  He shrugged. “No big deal. Happy to help.”

  “You were good with them,” she said. “They liked you.”

  Kenny’s blue eyes gave nothing away.

  “You’re great around kids,” she continued, watching him carefully as she spoke.

  “Forget it,” he said flatly.

  “Kenny, you need to get over it.”

  “I have.”

  “No, you haven’t. You’re ignoring what happened. You don’t talk about it.”

  “There’s nothing to say.”

  He got up and left. Taryn sighed, not sure how hard to push him. Everyone had things from their past—she knew that better than most. But she hated to see Kenny avoiding getting involved because of what had happened before. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. But it also wasn’t her problem to solve.

  * * *

  DESPITE THE QUICKIE wedding Dellina had pulled together with what Taryn would guess was maybe fifteen minutes’ notice, she still managed to get the clothing exchange organized in a matter of days.

  The soon-to-be finished retail space at Paper Moon had been cleared of all construction equipment. The new carpeting was in place, as were most of the fixtures on the wall. Temporary racks held hanging clothes, while large tables were covered with sweaters, bags and shoes. There was even a display of costume jewelry. The dressing rooms were clearly marked and several mirrors had been set up around the room. Music played through hidden speakers.

  All the clothes had, per the invitation, been delivered in advance. There were notes attached to most of them. Things like “I wore this once. Not sure why I bought it.” Or “It shrank in my closet, which is weird because I never wore it.”

  Against the far wall was a mobile bar and buffet. Mostly finger foods easily eaten while shopping, along with a constant supply of girlie cocktails.

  Taryn had been hoping to get ten or fifteen women to come to the exchange, but there were at least twice that many. Several were unfamiliar, but Isabel quickly made introductions. It didn’t take long for the noise level to start climbing.

  Madeline was in charge of the exchange. She suggested pieces to different people and offered to find matching shoes or bags.

  “She knows about the outfits for Bailey, right?” Taryn asked in a low voice.

  Isabel nodded. “I got her a suit but also bought her a dress.”

  Taryn stared at her. “Why?”

  “I thought it would look good on her. It’s navy, with a jacket. She can dress it up or down. Take off the jacket and it’s a nice dress for dinner out. A suit is more limited. This is Fool’s Gold. Where is she going to wear a suit every day? But a dress can be worn a lot of different places.”

  Taryn nodded. “You’re right. I’m just so nervous.”

  She’d left the shopping to Isabel. The other woman already had her credit card number on file. What were a couple more purchases?

  “Holy shit, Taryn, what size are you?”

  Pia Moreno stepped out of one of the dressing rooms wearing one of Taryn’s castoffs. The purple dress looked great until Pia turned and Taryn could see the zipper was about three inches from closing.

  “You just had a baby,” Montana said sympathetically.

  “Yeah, but my waist will never be this small.” Pia glared at Taryn. “Seriously, you’re what? A four?”

  Taryn nodded. “Mostly.”

  “They’ll fit me,” Noelle said, studying the dress Pia had on. “But your clothes are way too sophisticated. I am, however, having a serious love affair with some of your shoes.”

  Annabelle Stryker, a petite redhead, walked up. “Everyone here is too tall. The only one I could exchange with is Consuelo, and we don’t share the same fashion sense.”

  Taryn thought about Consuelo’s love of cargo pants and tank tops, then looked at Annabelle’s floral-print dress. “I can see how that wouldn’t work.” Not that Consuelo was at the exchange. She was still off honeymooning with Kent.

  Taryn saw Bailey stepping out of one of the dressing rooms. The other woman had on a navy dress that came to just above her knees. It fit well, skimming over her curves. The scoop neck flattered without being too low. When she slid into the cropped jacket, Taryn understood what Isabel meant about the outfit being versatile.

  Taryn crossed to the accessory table and grabbed a couple of scarves, then picked up a necklace and earrings.

  “Try these on,” she said, offering the costume jewelry to Bailey. “Nothing says a woman is accomplished more than chunky jewelry.”

  Isabel grinned. “I hadn’t heard that.”

  “It’s a little-known truth in boardrooms across America.”

  Bailey laughed. “I’ll try them, but I have to warn you, I’ve never owned a scarf—except to wear in the snow.”

  “Then this is a first,” Taryn said as she put the scarf over Bailey’s shoulders.

  Five minutes later they’d all agreed the dress was a hit, that the navy, cream and gold scarf worked, but with the dress alone. With the jacket, it was too busy. And that, yes, chunky jewelry made a woman look as though she was in charge.

  “You did good,” Taryn whispered to Isabel when Bailey had returned to the dressing room. “That dress fits her perfectly.”

  “I do have an eye,” Isabel said with a grin.

  Nevada Janack, the triplet who’d greeted her and Angel at the wedding, came over with a deep purple Jimmy Choo tote in her hands. The leather was soft, with rows of buckles on the front.

  “I don’t understand this,” Nevada said, lightly stroking the bag. “I don’t even carry a purse. But I have to have this. I have to.”

  “Bag love is pure,” Taryn told her. “Especially the first time. I hope the two of you will be very happy together.”

  Nevada nodded. “I’m putting in more than five dollars. It’s so beautiful—how could I buy it for so little? It would be wrong.”

  As the money was going to a women’s shelter, Taryn was happy to encourage people to put in as much as they could afford.

  She looked around at the event, pleased to see so many women trying on clothes and shoes. The bowl they were using to collect money for the exchange had already been emptied once that night, and it was going to have to be emptied again.

  Taryn thought about how Mayor Marsha had forced her to solve the Bailey problem on her own and had a feeling that once again the wily politician had been right.

  * * *

  THE SITE OF the FWM all-grove campout was about fifteen miles outside town. It was a public camping area that the groves had taken over for the week
end. Not only were there lots of trees, permanent restrooms and big fire pits for group bonfires, but the campsites themselves were separated into two levels. The lower level, by the stream, and the upper level, closer to the parking lot. The latter provided parents who wanted to stay close but not get in the way of the experience a place to hover out of sight. If one of the girls needed a parental hug in the middle of the night, Mom and Dad were there to provide it.

  Angel had parked in the designated “Grove Keeper” section of the parking lot. His SUV was filled with all kinds of gear—most of which was new. He was the kind of guy who loaded up a backpack and took to the mountains. But this was different. He wanted his girls to enjoy everything about the experience. Which meant roughing it had to be done in a gentle way.

  He loaded up with as much as he could carry and headed down the steep trail to the lower campsite. A couple of other Grove Keepers were already there.

  Large trees provided shade and cover. The east side of the site was up against the mountains. The stream cut through on the west side, then flowed along the edge of the grounds. With the warmer days, the snowpack was melting and the water moved at a fair clip. But it was shallow—eight inches or so. From what he could tell, the area wasn’t prone to flooding.

  He found the Acorn section and put down his pack and a couple of boxes. There were two picnic tables and a marked, paved path led to the restrooms. The area for the tents was big enough for them to be pitched in a circle, with the entrances facing each other.

  Angel had brought along a mallet to help secure the stakes, and a rake to clear the site before they pitched the tents. Although there were eight Acorns, they would be sleeping two to a tent. Including his tent and one for Taryn, that was a total of six. The space was plenty big.

  For a second, he thought about sharing a tent with Taryn. They could zip their sleeping bags together—something he would enjoy. He gave himself a minute to think of her naked, her long legs tangling with his, then shook off the image. He had a feeling somewhere in the Grove Keeper Handbook was a rule forbidding unmarried Grove Keepers to have members of the opposite sex in their tents.