Should've Said No

by Tracy March

  “That’s our signal,” Travis said.

  “Good luck, man.” Carden shook Travis’s hand and pulled him in for a man-hug. “Ready for this?” he asked his dad, who blotted his forehead with a handkerchief. Still slender and sinewy, with a bit of a receding hairline, he sometimes was mistaken for Travis when people saw him only from behind.

  His dad smiled. “It’s high time we added another beautiful lady to the family.” He hugged Travis, patting him on the back. “Wishing the best for you, son.”

  They filed out along with the groomsmen and took their places at the altar. Carden stood between Travis and their dad, shoulders back, honored to be his brother’s best man. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle one by one, wearing mint-colored dresses and carrying bouquets of calla lilies.

  After the maid of honor took her place at the altar, the organist transitioned to “The Bridal Chorus.” Carden caught Travis’s gaze and nodded once. This was the moment Travis had been waiting for.

  Emily and her father stepped into the doorway at the back of the church, and even Carden welled with emotion. He could only imagine how his brother was feeling—seeing his beautiful bride. Knowing she was committed to a lifetime of love with him. Carden swallowed hard.

  His sister-in-law-to-be looked stunning in a strapless gown, simple and elegant, with a veil that trailed the length of her short train. She glided down the aisle, her focus entirely on Travis, her love for him apparent. At the altar, Em’s father lifted her veil and kissed her cheek. Carden’s breath hitched as she joined hands with Travis.

  “Dearly beloved,” the minister began.

  Carden’s heart surged and heat radiated through him in waves. He gazed at Emily and Travis standing there, eager to get married, ready to take their vows. Reaching into his pocket, Carden pulled out Emily’s wedding ring, and handed it over when it was time.

  Yes, weddings made him sweat, in general, but this one was affecting him like no other. For the first time in his life, he caught himself longing for something similar.

  The beautiful bride.

  The constant companionship.

  The lasting love.

  Could he possibly find that with Lindsey?

  “You may kiss the bride,” the minister said, tearing Carden away from his thoughts.

  Travis kissed Emily sweetly, and Carden missed Lindsey more.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the minister said. “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Travis Crenshaw.”

  Everyone applauded as the organist played “The Wedding March.” Travis and Em waited a polite moment, then headed up the aisle—their first walk together as husband and wife.

  Carden bowed his head, took a deep breath of thick air, and collected himself, feeling light-headed from the heat and emotion. His dad patted him on the back and whispered, “Your turn’s coming.” The guy had always had a sixth sense about what Carden was thinking.

  Carden nodded at his dad, escorted the maid of honor up the aisle, and excused himself as soon as politely possible. He ducked into the little anteroom where he’d been earlier with his mom and Gran, sat down, and took his phone out of his pocket. Tapping the screen, he pulled up the picture his mom had taken of him before the ceremony. Eager to connect with Lindsey, he attached it to a text message and typed.

  What’s missing?

  He pressed send and waited, feeling the pressure to get back to the wedding festivities, during which he wouldn’t be checking his phone. Special times like Travis and Em’s wedding deserved his full attention.

  His phone pinged, and so did his heart.

  Nothing. Lucky tux!

  Lindsey had added a smiley-face emoji with hearts for eyes. He smiled too, recalling a similar flirty remark he’d made about the Rockies T-shirt she hoped to get.

  You’re missing. Wish you were here.

  Carden pressed send, stood, and slipped the phone into his pocket. Time to get ready for his big toast to the bride and groom.

  Here’s to true love, he’d say at the end, lifting his glass high. He was beginning to believe it might be possible for him to find it, too.

  —

  Lindsey had never looked forward to a Monday as much as this one. Carden would be back, and he’d promised to stop by tonight and “pick up his paint supplies.” She sat at her desk at the museum, her excitement barely allowing her to concentrate. Only two more hours until five o’clock.

  “Hello, Lindsey,” a woman said from behind her.

  She recognized the voice before she even turned around.

  Stella Crenshaw.

  Lindsey’s heart stammered. Stella had to be here about Lindsey’s proposal. And from what Lindsey knew about Stella’s travel schedule, she’d come the moment she’d returned to Thistle Bend.

  “Hi there.” Lindsey forced a light tone, smiled, and stood to greet her. “How was the wedding?”

  “Lovely, romantic, and scorching hot,” Stella said. “I enjoyed every second of it, but I’m happy to be back. Do you have a moment to chat?”

  “Of course,” Lindsey said. “Want to sit at the table?”

  Stella pulled a chair from the table and dragged it over to Lindsey’s desk. “I think this corner will be a little more private.”

  Lindsey’s nerves knotted. Either Stella wasn’t pleased with Lindsey’s proposal, or she’d found out about Lindsey and Carden and wanted to weigh in on that. Or both. Neither subject was something Lindsey wanted to address, especially with Stella.

  “What can I do for you?” Lindsey asked as they each took their seats.

  Stella pulled her tablet out of her purse and tapped the screen. “It’s about the proposal you submitted on Friday. I have it here.” She put on a pair of stylish reading glasses. “I’ve consulted with the other board members and we think it’s nearly perfect. You seem to have keen insight into our vision. We like the balance of factual and fun, and think you’ve picked an eclectic mix of items to represent each exhibit theme.” She nodded. “A very thorough job indeed.”

  “Thank you.” Lindsey didn’t allow herself to be lulled by Stella’s praise. The woman’s all-business tone left no doubt that something else was coming. Nearly perfect was not up to Stella’s standards. Lindsey’s either, for that matter, but she’d had to make adjustments for extenuating circumstances in this case. “I can’t wait to see it all come together. As soon as I get approval from the board, I’ll start taking bids on the exhibit construction.”

  “There’s one little item holding us up.” Stella swiped her finger over the screen of her tablet and expanded a section of the proposal. She lowered her reading glasses and leveled her serious gaze on Lindsey, turning the screen her way.

  Lindsey leaned forward, knowing exactly what to expect, but not feeling any calmer because of it. Despite Holly’s wise advice, Lindsey had been intentionally vague with the language that was supposed to detail the disputed land deal portion of the Thistle Bend history exhibit. She read the highlighted text, although she could recite it from memory and she was well aware of how lame it sounded.

  Specifics to be determined pending further research.

  In other words, I have no idea. It had been hard enough submitting such a statement through email, knowing she’d compromised her professionalism for her aunt and uncle. But it was ten times worse now that Stella was facing Lindsey with it.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lindsey rasped. Her throat had gone dry, her hands all clammy.

  Stella closed the cover of her tablet and put it back in her purse. “We’re thrilled to have someone with your talent here, Lindsey. Clearly you’re very capable with the creative and administrative aspects of this job, and you’re eager to please everyone. But there’ll be times when you must face contentious issues head-on.” She rested her hand on top of Lindsey’s and squeezed it. “This is one of those instances.”

  “I was hesitant to submit an incomplete proposal.” Lindsey chose her words carefully. “Yet there seems to be some concern that there’s more information to be
found regarding the land deal.”

  Stella released Lindsey’s hand and shook her head. “I assume that concern was voiced by the Karlssons.”

  “Yes,” Lindsey said quietly.

  “It’s a shame you’re stuck in the middle of this.” Stella sighed. “I wish there were something to find so we could put this thing to rest for good. But there’s nothing there. It’s been nearly a hundred and thirty years. Don’t you think it would’ve shown up by now?”

  Lindsey gave her a rueful smile.

  “Let me put it simply,” Stella said. “Even if my family weren’t involved, we’re dealing with hearsay and facts. There has never been any evidence that the Crenshaws stole the deal from the Karlssons. They outbid them. The families were friends, but it was business. You could certainly argue whether outbidding your friends was a neighborly thing to do, but there was no thievery.

  “I respect your position,” Stella continued, “but museums are about facts. As soon as you update your proposal to reflect that, the board will sign off on it and we’ll continue moving forward.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lindsey said, wondering how long she could keep up the charade—with her job, with Aunt Tansy and Uncle Oscar. With everyone. But this wasn’t the moment to come clean, and when she did, she wouldn’t start with Stella.

  She would start tonight—with Carden.

  Chapter 22

  Lindsey’s heart pitched when she heard the knock on the door of her cabin. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d looked forward to and dreaded an evening equally as much. Ever since Stella had left the museum today, Lindsey had practiced ways to tell Carden that she was related to the Karlssons. She regretted that she hadn’t told everyone before she’d submitted her detailed exhibit proposal to the board. Before she’d compromised her professional integrity. She should’ve thought things through and come clean about it as soon as she arrived in Thistle Bend. But she hadn’t, and here she was, worried about what additional damage would come from keeping or revealing her secret.

  She took one last glance in the mirror, pleased that her casual dress struck the right balance between looking nice, and not seeming as if she’d tried too hard. Her heart pitter-pattered as she went into the living area and opened the door.

  Pitter-patter gave way to full-on pounding the second she caught sight of Carden in his jeans and a light green Western shirt. Scruff shadowed his face, and his blue eyes seemed even brighter than she remembered.

  Good God.

  She wouldn’t have guessed it possible, but he’d gotten hotter while he’d been away. He had a bakery box in his hand, and a lazy grin on his face.

  “You win,” he said, and stepped inside.

  “I do?”

  “Lemon Cream looks really nice on the cabin.”

  “It’s cute, isn’t it? I was going to send you a picture, but I wanted you to get the full experience when you saw it the first time.”

  “It fits you.” He put his arms around her and pulled her close, still clutching the bakery box.

  “How so?” Being next to him sent a rush of tingles through her body.

  He kissed her lightly. “It’s bright. It’s happy. It makes people want to stop and look.”

  “I like that.” Lindsey smiled, hoping his opinion wouldn’t change when she told him she was Oscar and Tansy’s niece. She was still the same person she’d always been with him, right?

  Carden released her, headed into the kitchen, and grabbed two forks out of the silverware drawer. “I brought you something.” He made his way over to the couch with the bakery box and forks in hand. “You’re lucky it’s lasted this long,” he said teasingly. “So come on over here and get some.”

  How could she resist an invitation like that? She hurried over to the couch and they sank down together in the middle of it.

  “Is this my surprise?” she asked. Unfortunately, she had one for him, too.

  He shook his head. “This is just because.” He opened the bakery box. “Wedding cake courtesy of Travis and Em. And I don’t mean just any wedding cake.”

  The decadent scent had Lindsey swooning. “Mmm…Smells like pound cake.”

  Carden took a forkful and held it to her mouth. Clearly he had a thing for feeding her, and she had no problem with that. It was super-sexy, especially when it led to delicious kisses like it had with the ice cream.

  “Almond pound cake,” he said as she took the bite he offered. “With—”

  She covered her mouth with her fingers. “Vanilla.”

  “Madagascar vanilla bean icing.”

  Lindsey closed her eyes for a second and savored the sweet almond flavor, the moist texture, the perfect touch of vanilla—heaven in a slice of cake. She flattened her palm against her chest. “I might die from deliciousness.”

  “Told you you’re lucky it lasted.”

  She skipped the fork, broke off a piece of a slice with her fingers, and brought it to his mouth. He took the bite, and caught her fingers between his lips as she slowly pulled them out. Her body pulsed in places that had been longing for his return.

  “You make it even tastier,” he said and gave her a sultry look. He fed her another bite of cake, tracing the pad of his thumb over her lips as the cake practically melted in her mouth.

  “I’ll have to remember to thank Travis and Emily,” she said quietly, totally under his spell. “Best wedding cake ever.”

  Carden kissed her, slow and sweet and seductive, a tinge of vanilla on his tongue. It was as good as she remembered, and better because she’d missed him so much.

  He skimmed his fingers across her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. “About your surprise.”

  Lindsey sank her teeth into her bottom lip and gazed at him expectantly.

  “Want to go with me to a Rockies game in Denver this weekend? They’re playing the Nationals.”

  Lindsey’s heart soared. “For real?”

  “You can check the schedule yourself,” he teased.

  She shook her head, smiling. “I mean for real we get to go to a Rockies–Nationals game?”

  “Yes. And eat hot dogs.”

  “And peanuts.”

  Carden pinched a lock of her hair between his fingers and tugged on the end. “And spend the night,” he said in that husky voice that vibrated through her and left her longing for more.

  She cupped his scruffy face in her hands and kissed him, hoping to convey without words how much this meant to her. He knew she missed D.C. Missed seeing the Nats play. So he’d planned a special date. She couldn’t wait to go. To be alone with him all night without the worry of prying eyes.

  There was no way she was going to ruin this moment by telling him she was related to the Karlssons. Not tonight.

  Lindsey pulled away gently and sighed. She’d never get enough of Carden.

  “Should I take that as a yes?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Always yes.

  —

  The week had dragged by for Carden with the Crenshaw Family Trust work, the magazine interview and photo shoot, and catching up at the ranch after having been gone a week. Thankfully, he’d gotten the paint job on the cabin completed for Dean, but he didn’t get to see Lindsey as much as he’d wanted to. All day, every day, just wasn’t possible. But now they had gotten away from it all. He was happy to be in Denver with her, far from the pressures of Thistle Bend. It was a beautiful night for baseball, with a big starry sky and a beautiful girl. What more could a guy ask for?

  “That one was nearly a hundred miles an hour,” Carden said to Lindsey about the pitch as it smacked into the catcher’s mitt.

  “Strike,” the umpire called.

  The speed of the pitch flashed on the giant scoreboard at Coors Field. “Whoa, ninety-eight,” Carden said. “And paint.”

  Lindsey stared wide-eyed, shamelessly sporting her bright red Nationals T-shirt in Rockies territory. He wore his purple Rockies polo, hoping for the win. Only one of them would walk away
from this game happy.

  “I’ve never seen baseball up close like this before,” she said.

  Carden had gotten them tickets on the third row, just to the right of home plate.

  “It’s incredible,” Lindsey said. “We might as well be on the field. If I yell at the umpire, he’ll actually hear me.”

  “Easy there, sunshine.” Carden put his arm around her and relaxed.

  “Are we going to bet on this game?” Lindsey’s tone was flirty, and he liked the way she was thinking. The game was still scoreless in the top of the third, so it could easily go either way.

  He grinned, liking his odds. “What did you have in mind?”

  She licked a dollop of mustard off the end of her hot dog, took a bite, and chewed slowly. His pulse picked up pace. She definitely had his attention. From the looks of things, he was going to win either way.

  She cut a challenging look at him. “I could really use a massage.”

  The thought of having his hands all over her had him ready to skip the rest of the game and hurry to the suite he’d booked at the Brown Palace Hotel.

  “Hmm…” he said. “So could I.”

  Imagining her hands all over him had him even more worked up. He leaned forward in his seat, trying to hide the evidence.

  “The winner gets one, then.” She held out her hand and he shook it then pulled her in for a kiss.

  “Game on.”

  Carden’s stomach sank when the Nats scored in the bottom of the fifth with a bases-empty bomb into the left-field stands that missed the foul pole by inches. There were a few cheers and some applause from the small contingent of Nationals fans seated throughout the park, but Lindsey kept her composure—smart thinking in a sea of disappointed Rockies fans. She caught his gaze and lifted her chin, smiling.