Vibrant Heart: Book 1 in the Great Plains Romance Series

by Corrissa James

  She looked in the bathroom mirror and saw that the visor mirror had been kind. She would need a total redo—and in record time. She toweled her hair off, pulled it into a loose ponytail, then washed all the makeup and dirt from her face, hands, and knees. The only other dress she brought with her, a soft turquoise sun dress that fell just above her knees, was a little too informal for a wedding. Then again, they were getting married in a barn, so it would have to do.

  Car doors slammed outside. Were people leaving already? Surely they would stay for the reception. But what if Raymond didn’t? He wasn’t the schmoozing type, especially since he quit drinking. Melanie put on just a hint of mascara and a nice plum lipstick to highlight her best features. She pulled the ponytail holder from her hair and let her auburn tresses fall around her shoulders. The rain water had left her hair soft and radiant. She stepped back to survey the result. Not too bad—pretty without looking like she was trying too hard. She smiled. Raymond wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter Four

  Jake frowned at the bathroom door, considering whether he should throw it open and teach her a lesson about manners. Beauty was no excuse for being rude, and slamming doors went beyond rude, especially after he had helped her change her tire. Maybe he should have just left her stranded on the road, getting soaked by the rain. He turned his back to the door and counted to ten, clenching and unclenching his fists. It took him until nine to be able to push the anger back down. Picturing her clinging wet dress helped, although his anger was replaced with a new kind of intensity. Damn. He didn’t realize just how long he’d gone without the feel of a woman beneath him, and now just the thought of this one was turning him into a jumbled mess.

  Usually Jake’s charm and smile could land the woman of his choosing in his bed—and all too often a woman not of his choosing. When he was younger, he had followed in his father’s footsteps and bedded anyone who spread her legs for him. His mother had put a stop to that soon enough. She taught him to respect women, which he interpreted as being upfront and honest that he was only looking for a few minutes of fun, not a lifetime of commitment. After seeing how his father’s roaming affected his mother—and how genuinely happier she was when she finally left the womanizer—he also understood the need to have only one play toy at a time and to not draw from the same pool right away. In the bedroom, he treated his lovers well, cherishing their bodies with his hands and his tongue, making sure they walked away just as satiated as he did. Of course, that approach only brought more women to his bed, including some incredible beauties who were adamant about never leaving it. Learning which women to avoid had not been without its own drama. Yet none had ever affected him as quickly or intensely as the woman on the other side of the bathroom door.

  She was probably embarrassed by how the afternoon storm had ruined her outfit. He turned around and pressed his hands against each side of the door frame, leaning forward until his face was just inches from the closed door. If he said something to her now, told her how beautiful she looked despite the makeup running down her face, she’d hear him. But he bit his tongue and sat down on the top stair instead. Women didn’t always appreciate such compliments, especially when they were upset about something. He imagined her without all the heavy eyeliner and bright red lipstick. A more natural look would let her violet eyes shine through. He wondered what she would look like first thing in the morning, her face clean, her hair mussed just enough that he would feel compelled to push a stray lock from her eyes.

  “Aw, hell.” He whipped off his cowboy hat and gripped it tightly until the brim was crushed. Those were the kinds of visions that he could not dwell on or he’d never make it to the ceremony. Instead of trying to compliment her, he’d bust through the bathroom door and turn on all his charm. He knew there were several bedrooms to take advantage of up here, and with everyone else at the ceremony...

  She threw open the door, startling Jake. They stared at each other a moment, before she finally spoke. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  Jake stood, his eyes traveling the length of her body. “Maybe not a babysitter, but certainly a bodyguard.” He nodded in approval.

  She rolled her eyes and pushed past him. He fought the urge to reach out and touch her flowing auburn locks, especially as what he really wanted to do was grab her shoulders and pull her into an electrifying kiss. Scowling, he shoved his hat on his head and followed her down the stairs to the kitchen, where she was immediately cornered by the friendly blond. Jake groaned. His mother, God love her, was too much of a busybody by far.

  “Oh sweetie, you look so much better. I thought we were gonna have to hose you off at first.” His mother laughed, winking at the woman as Jake entered the kitchen. “Now you take this tray.” She handed a tray filled with fresh strawberries, bananas, and oranges as well as various cookies to Melanie. “They just love my chocolate fountain! Can’t get enough of it. And Jakey, make yourself useful and bring some more sodas.” She glanced at Melanie. “I’m so glad you decided to come today. Jake’s just as bad—I can never get him to come visit anymore. He’s always too busy working.”

  Violet eyes glanced back at him, a hint of bewilderment evident. And something else. Did he see amusement spark in those violet enticing eyes? He bristled.

  She didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who used her looks to her advantage. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was pretty sure that she didn’t know the power she could wield over men. So why would she be amused by his mother’s chattering? Jake hefted up several cases of soda, more determined than ever to find out just who this woman was.

  Chapter Five

  Melanie let the blond woman rattle on as they walked outside and around the house. She was too busy trying to focus on her goal at hand to contribute much to the conversation. Having the cowboy walking several paces behind them was more distracting than the woman’s chatter. Melanie turned her head back and forth, trying to release some of the uncomfortable tension. She wished Jake would go back to the kitchen or perhaps run an errand. He didn’t need to be nearby when she ran into Raymond.

  They rounded a corner and saw the barn, her father’s pride. He had designed and built it himself. It didn’t actually hold any farm animals or machinery; rather, it was her father’s refuge. The main floor had moving walls that could partition off as little or as much space as needed for whatever project he was tinkering on. The upstairs loft was where her father liked to do “book work,” as he called it, which was anything that didn’t involve grease. The loft’s wall of windows looked out over his eighty acres of farmland. When Melanie still lived at home, she would often find him in the loft, working late into the night. Sometimes she thought he even slept there, especially after he moved in an old couch he found at a garage sale. That was when Melanie realized that her parents’ marriage wasn’t as idyllic as it appeared.

  The sofa was also where she and Raymond had first been together after he started staying in the barn. Melanie blushed at the memory. It was not her proudest moment. Raymond had shown interest in her but never acted on it—not until he fell off the wagon and Melanie found him fumbling with the lock on the barn door. They hadn’t even done much that night, just kissing that led to some sloppy fondling. But the next morning, Raymond ushered her out into the early morning light as quickly as he could and tried to avoid her for weeks, despite her protests that everything was fine. Just when she thought she was past the humiliation of his rejection, he started meeting with her in secret once again, and everything seemed to be working out as she’d hoped. Then she got the publishing job. Now her cheeks burned as she remembered his empty promises to eventually join her in the city. Luckily the blond woman was too busy chatting away, talking about recipes and secret ingredients, to notice Melanie’s flushed face. Melanie refused to look back at Jake, convinced that he could somehow see into her innermost thoughts.

  In the barn, Melanie scanned the people standing in small groups, engrossed in their own conversations. No Raymond. Shuffling after t
he blond woman, she placed the tray of food on a long serving table set up along one wall, then moved to stand under the open stairway to the loft before she got sucked into another one-sided conversation with the chatty woman. From here she could look for Raymond while pretending to watch the clusters of people—and without being cornered by any of the guests, mostly members of Bender’s small community. They meant well, but she could only tolerate their questions for so long, and their conversations invariably hinged on one idea: When was she going to move back and get married? They couldn’t fathom the idea that someone might not want to live the quiet, rural life. They didn’t understand that she liked the vibrancy of the city just as much as she liked the relaxed rhythm of the country.

  Many of the faces were new to her—probably friends of the bride, although they could just as likely be friends of her dad. Melanie’s dad was active in Alcoholics Anonymous and was always bringing home “strays,” as her mother referred to them. In fact, he had been Raymond’s sponsor, which made Raymond family in her dad’s eyes. When Raymond needed to sever all ties to his drinking buddies, he’d moved out to the farm and started working for her dad. Melanie had been in her final semester of college, although she still lived with her parents and helped out on the farm. She’d been immediately enamored by the tall, dark Raymond, who was undoubtedly wild at heart. The secretive nature of their relationship had made it all the more exciting. But clearly she’d found it more exciting than he had.

  She licked her lips and smoothed her dress over her hips. He’d regret that decision now. If she could only find him.

  “You don’t really strike me as the wallflower type, darlin’.”

  Melanie groaned. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Jake leaning against the wall, watching her. He nodded, tipping an imaginary hat to her, and she wondered where he’d left his cowboy hat. “Don’t you have something better to do?” She didn’t hide her irritation. “Serve the guests or something? Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

  He chuckled, and she turned back to the crowd, furious that the delicious sound caused a warm shiver down her spine. Yes, Jake was a handsome man, but the only reason she was having such a strong reaction to him was because she hadn’t been on a date in nearly two years. If her reaction was that strong toward Jake, how would she react when she saw Raymond? She became absolutely giddy at the thought.

  “You know, if you keep pretending to be so focused on everyone else, you might hurt my feelings.” He moved to stand next to her, their shoulders brushing. Melanie ignored him and tried to dismiss the energy that surged up her arm when they touched. He leaned over slightly and whispered against her neck, his warm breath causing the tiny hairs on her nape to stand on end. “Or is this your way of playing hard to get?”

  “I’m looking for someone, if you must know. Someone who will be very, very happy to see me.”

  “Not as happy as me.” He ran his fingers lightly up her arm, barely touching it.

  Melanie was furious at the goose bumps emerging in the wake of his touch. He chuckled in her ear, which infuriated her even more. At least that’s what she told herself—that the heat in the pit of her stomach was anger.

  The blond woman passed by them, handing Jake a stack of empty trays before moving on to the door, probably to get more food. “Ah, duty calls.” Jake winked at Melanie before following the woman. Melanie was surprised that the woman seemed to have only one helper. Usually caterers brought a small army to parties. She turned back to watch the party-goers, glad that Jake was no longer there to distract her.

  The small clusters of people parted as a tall, silver-haired man moved through them, heading for the table of food. Melanie stepped out from her hiding spot under the stairs as the man turned toward her and smiled, showing a row of perfect teeth. “Mel! You made it!”

  “Hi, Daddy.” She stepped up to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him on the cheek. “Of course I made it for your wedding, although I’m afraid a flat tire made me miss the ceremony.”

  He laughed, a deep, hearty laugh. “You ain’t missed nothing yet. The preacher’s having a heck of a time with one of his prized cows and won’t leave her side until the calf is delivered.”

  Melanie shook her head. How had she lasted more than two decades here without going crazy?

  “So have you met Evelyn yet?” He leaned closer so only she could hear him. “She’s a little spitfire. But what a woman!”

  Melanie leaned back and crossed her arms. “So is Mom,” she said with a frown.

  “Aw, honey, now I know your mama is a good woman, but she’s happier down south.”

  Melanie nodded, knowing he was right. Her parents didn’t resent each other after the divorce and had often said they just wanted the other to be happy. Her mother’s life in Florida resembled nothing like life on the farm, but she didn’t regret her country living. She often said it helped her grow into the person she was meant to be. So Melanie really couldn’t play the guilt card on her father now.

  “So where is she—Evelyn?”

  “She’s around her somewhere. Can you believe she insisted on making all the food herself?”

  Melanie coughed several times, trying to clear the air trapped in her throat when she’d suddenly inhaled. The caterer was her father’s bride?

  “Oh, but here’s someone you’ll probably want to catch up with.”

  Melanie was still sputtering when she turned to see Raymond standing in front of her.

  “Hey, Mel.” His voice was as soft and calming as ever. He leaned in to hug her, and Melanie relaxed into the familiar smell of his aftershave. He had cut his nearly shoulder-length hair to a very short, neat haircut—the kind her father would find acceptable.

  “Well, hi there.” She tried to remember the lines she had rehearsed in the mirror for the last few weeks.

  “Your dad tells me you’re doing well in Chicago.”

  “I am. I really am.” She flashed her most beautiful smile. He’d offered her the perfect opening, but she decided to milk it a bit before going in for the kill. “Look at you, looking all respectable and everything. Has the long lost boy finally grown up?”

  Raymond nodded, looking almost like a little boy trying not to show how excited he was.

  “Well, go ahead and tell her why,” her father said.

  Melanie glanced at her father, who was beaming with pride, then back to Raymond, who smiled bashfully.

  He tugged on the elbow of someone talking in a neighboring group. “This is Anna.” Raymond put his arm around a short, very pregnant red-headed woman. “The woman who changed my life.”

  Melanie reached out to steady herself as the room spun around her.

  Chapter Six

  Jake walked into the barn just as the woman with the violet eyes turned to greet Raymond Turner. Jake’s jaw clenched, and he made a beeline for the small group. He’d had run-ins with Raymond before, although thus far both men had kept those encounters to themselves—Raymond out of self-preservation and Jake because his line of work required discretion. Warning signals were flashing in his mind to stay away from the small group of people surrounding the woman, but he pushed those warnings aside just in time to see the faint rosy flush in her cheeks turn to a sickly pale white. Something wasn’t right, and he pushed through the guests to get to her side, grabbing her elbow just as he felt her arm go limp.

  He stepped close, letting her lean into his warm body to steady herself.

  “Here you are, darlin’.”

  He meant the term of endearment to be overheard by others, especially Raymond, whose stiffened reaction was almost amusing. Jake reaffirmed his message by brushing his lips against the woman’s cheek. He felt her muscles tense in preparation for flight, but his solid grip on her arm held her steady. He glanced down at her and smiled softly, then winked. “Did you find your friends?” He glanced at the others around them, but made no move to let Melanie go. “She was so worried she’d miss everybody because of that flat tire.”

&nbs
p; “Well, lucky us that she got here in time,” Raymond said, flashing first Jake, then Melanie an uncomfortable smile. “Sweetie, I don’t think you’ve met Jake or Mel. This is my wife, Anna.”

  “Melanie, please,” she corrected him, her voice tight. Melanie started to hold out a hand to the woman then faltered when Anna placed a hand on her swollen belly.

  “Ugh, he’s a kicker.” Anna shifted on her feet, one hand rubbing her belly while the other was propped against the back of her hip.

  “Looks like he’ll be making an appearance any day now.” Jake wanted to throttle Raymond, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Melanie despite his wife’s obvious discomfort. Instead, he pulled Melanie closer, grateful that she didn’t push back against him and create a scene.

  “We’ve got a few more weeks yet.” Anna smiled, then glanced at the silver-haired man. “Just enough time for the wedding, Stan.”

  Stan threw his arm around Raymond’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t have been right without you two here. Jake, Raymond here is the one who helped me build the barn.”

  Jake nodded at the older man. “Oh, sure.” He slid his arm around Melanie’s waist. She didn’t protest. For a moment, everything felt right.

  His mother ended the brief interlude when she burst into their little circle, leading Reverend Jackson by the wrist. “He’s here. Let’s get this show on the road.” Evelyn pushed through the group, grabbing Stan by the hand as she continued to the altar set up along the barn’s far wall. Both the preacher and Stan let themselves be pulled along, which caused knowing laughter to ripple through the crowd.

  As everyone turned to move closer to the couple, Melanie freed herself from Jake’s grip. “Thank you,” she mumbled, not looking him in the eye.

  “Mmm hmm. I suppose I should be thanking Raymond?”

  She jerked her head up to glare at him, fury erupting on her face.