by Mary Leo
“It’s a series of books for kids. My wife’s an artist, and between the two of us, we decided to put the rodeo clown stories I’ve been tellin’ our kids down on paper. And who knew? We sold ’em for a nice little sum of money. Enough so’s I don’t have to go on the road anymore.”
“And you’re happy with that?” Carson doubted this rodeo rat could settle for anything other than the excitement of the sport.
“Part of me won’t never be happy about not performin’ on the circuit anymore, but I was too broken up this time, and my kids got scared. I got four of ’em, ya know? Four young girls who need me to stick around for a spell. So, I’m gonna do just that. We opened up our stables again and we’re boardin’ a few horses to see how that goes. The girls seem to love me bein’ around all the time, and my Judy don’t seem to mind none, either. All told, it’s a pretty good life I got right now. I’m one lucky cowboy. How ’bout you?”
Barney had caught him by surprise. Carson knew he couldn’t lie to Barney, but he was dang well going to try. “Getting married next Friday, Christmas Day,” Carson told him without making eye contact. “But you already know this. You and your family already RSVP’d that you’re coming out.”
“Who ya marrying?”
Carson balked. “Now, don’t be acting like it’s a surprise. You know darn well I’m marrying Marilyn Rose, the darling of the rodeo circuit. Got the church all set up for the occasion.”
“I don’t know who’s getting married in that there set-up church, but I know darn tutin it ain’t gonna be you and Marilyn Rose.”
Carson folded his arms across his chest and finally looked at Barney. “What gives you that idea?”
“That little filly Zoe Smart, who you can’t seem to stray too far from, she’s what gave me the idea. Saw the way you looked at her when I handed you that there award. That’s not how a cowboy looks at somebody he don’t truly care for. From where I stand, she’s the right girl for you, not Marilyn Rose—who might just as well have got us both killed.”
Carson wasn’t sure he’d heard Barney right. “Huh? No. She had nothing to do with what happened in the arena. It was all me. Got my dumb foot caught up.”
“Maybe so, but the way I see it, that woman had everything to do with our accident. Rodeo people know better than to lay something on a cowboy before he goes into a chute. She should’ve waited till you was done and won the night. But she didn’t. I overheard the row you and she had that night and knew you was gonna be too unsettled to ride that son of a gun Red Comet. He don’t take kindly to an unsettled rider. ’Sides, he had his own issues that night. Had a bad tooth givin’ him some pain, and didn’t want to bother with no cowboys. Made him meaner than a skunk facing down a bear. By the way, where is that so-called fiancée of yours anyway? Seems like she shoulda been here.”
Carson had completely forgotten about the argument he’d had that night before he headed for the chutes. Not that Marilyn Rose really argued, but she’d laid a bomb on him nonetheless. She had told him she was having second thoughts about their wedding.
It was all coming back now. He’d seen her cozying up to another cowboy, standing a little too close, laughing a little too hard. Made him jealous, and brought back memories of Lana Thomson and her cheating ways. He remembered that he’d asked Marilyn Rose about it, and that was when she told him about her second thoughts.
Her words had cut right through him like a hot dagger and he’d lashed out trying to convince her that she couldn’t mean it. That she loved him, and he loved her, but she wouldn’t listen. She kept insisting they needed a break from each other and ought to put the wedding on hold.
His whole world fell apart...and it was right before his ride. She should have known better. Anybody else would have walked away and discussed it later.
But she hadn’t. She’d given him a punch to the gut and he was arrogant enough to ride Red Comet when he could have changed horses, but Barney was right.
Nobody could have changed this old dog’s mind.
That explained why he hadn’t been on his game. Why he didn’t listen to the wrangler. Why he’d gotten tangled up and he and Red Comet went down. He’d lost focus, allowed his mind to wander—deadly mistake for a bronc rider.
The revelation hit him hard, and he took a step back to lean on the stall gate.
Barney said, “You okay, Carson? You’re lookin’ mighty sickly.”
“I’d forgotten all about that argument until just now. I must have gone over that ride a million times trying to figure out what went wrong, but I never thought about what had happened right before it. The trauma from the accident must have affected my memory and all I could think of was what happened once the gate opened.” He went over to Barney and gave him a bear hug. “You, my friend, just saved my life once again.”
When they separated, Barney pulled a floral bouquet out of his shirt pocket, bowed and handed it to Carson.
Carson laughed as he accepted the rubber flowers.
“Then my work here is almost done,” Barney said.
“Almost?”
“First, you have to show me some of your Teton Valley—horseback. Then Colt can fly me and the wife home, but I’m not leavin’ till I see the place you been tellin’ me about for as long as I’ve known you.”
Carson hesitated, filled with doubt, but Big John whinnied and bounced his head over the gate as if he understood what was going on.
Carson pushed through the fear and said, “Then let’s saddle up, my friend, ’cause you got yourself a real treat in store.”
Then he opened the stall gate and eased Big John out to get him ready to ride.
* * *
SEEING CARSON ON horseback once again had been a thrill for Zoe and most everyone else at the riding school. He had looked almost regal as he and Barney surveyed the grounds of the school, then took off along the ridge for a view of the entire valley. It had been a day of memories for everyone involved, and when it was over, Zoe couldn’t help but reflect on how grateful she was to have been a part of it. Never would she have imagined that cocky “town hero” Carson Grant could be filled with so much humble gratitude, and to see it up close like that had touched her heart like nothing else. She didn’t know why Carson had been so insistent that she accompany him onto the stage, but she felt honored that he had.
When it was all over and she was back at her parents’ house, the first thing she did was put in a call to Marilyn Rose. But it was always the same: no answer.
This time, however, Zoe left a detailed message. “Hi, Marilyn Rose. This is Zoe Smart, your wedding planner, and I’m calling to ask you to please call me. There are only a few more days left until your wedding to Carson, and although he’s been doing a great job planning most things, he’s left the majority of the decisions up to me. It’s been liberating for me to plan your wedding without restrictions, but I’ve been second-guessing myself and am worried that you might hate some of the things I’ve planned. For instance, I took the liberty of ordering a photo booth so your guests can dress up in various hats, feathered boas, fancy earrings and facial glitter. Then they go have their pictures taken and paste them into a scrapbook for you and Carson, along with their own personal message. Also, I’ve hired a country band I think you might like, and I’ve...”
Beep!
The phone cut her message off and Zoe immediately redialed, but then hung up deciding Marilyn Rose had enough information. Either she would return her call, or she wouldn’t. Either way, Zoe had done her best to let the woman know the facts about her wedding. Zoe began to wonder if the bride would actually show up for it.
Every time she allowed that horrid thought to torment her mind, her tummy began to flip a couple thousand times. Somehow through it all, she always managed to push the butterflies aside and continue marching forward. It was the only method she had to deal with the anxiety.<
br />
On Saturday, however, she fostered an entirely different set of emotions. Frustration along with absolute panic seemed to be the sentiments of the day.
Spending a Saturday afternoon at a toy shop with less than a week before Christmas was like trying to stroll through Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
Not that Zoe had ever been to Times Square on New Year’s Eve, but she’d seen it on TV enough to know the similarities between one overcrowded place and Geppetto’s Toy Shop. Frustrated parents, crying children, stressed sales personnel, a harried wedding planner and one overwhelmed cowboy all descended on the only toy shop in town.
“It’s because of the twenty-four-hour sale,” Zoe told Carson as they made their way into the mix of bright lights and background Christmas music.
“And whose idea was this?” Carson said over the din of voices.
“I believe it was yours,” Zoe answered as she squeezed past a woman carrying a baby and a toddler who were both crying. The mom looked as if she wanted to cry as well, but was holding back for the sake of sanity. “And if we find something, they may not have enough for all your guests. There’s always that possibility.”
“It’s for Christmas,” Jason said. “Everybody can’t have the same gift. Where’s the fun in that?”
“How about if we get the guys one thing and the girls something else? We don’t have enough time to pick out individual gifts,” Zoe suggested, hoping to avoid being imprisoned inside the shop for the rest of the day.
“Or how about two or three different things for the guys?” Nathan said. “And two or three things for the girls? That way, there’s a bunch of different presents.”
Jason crossed his arms and stuck out his chest. “Okay, I can settle for that.”
“Thank you,” Carson said with a twinkle in his eye. “Let’s try it and see if we can make it work.”
Zoe was skeptical that any of this would be done in time. After all, she still had to tie a ribbon on each and every gift. It was a good thing she’d already had the ribbons made up several weeks ago with the couple’s names and the wedding date. Of course, she thought she’d be tying them around a simple mesh bag of Jordan almonds as she and the bride had discussed instead of an assortment of toys.
Geesh!
For the next few hours, they scoured the shop looking for just the right gifts, and somewhere along the way, both Carson and Zoe were distracted with various dolls and remote control cars and games they’d played when they were kids.
“I didn’t play with many toys when I was a kid,” Carson said. “Although, I had a set of cars that I loved.”
“I had one of those toy ponies with the long synthetic lavender hair. It was my favorite toy. Loved to brush its hair,” Zoe said, wondering if her mom had kept it in a box somewhere in the attic. Suddenly she was feeling nostalgic for her pony—very likely due to being inside a toy store. Somewhere she hadn’t gone into in years, and despite all the chaos going on around her, she had to admit, she was enjoying herself.
She decided to go with several different “rebooted” versions of little ponies for the women attending the wedding, and Carson and the boys picked out several different cars that transformed into all sorts of interesting figures.
Then Zoe picked up gift bags and colored tissue paper, and when they finally walked out of the store three hours later, both Jason and Nathan seemed happy with the entire adventure. Until Zoe informed them they’d have to help put all the gifts together. Suddenly they both needed to get home, and their parents promptly picked them up in front of the store.
As soon as they were alone, Carson’s demeanor changed. Instead of the happy guy who had been shopping at a toy store, a much more somber man now stood out under the darkening sky.
He abruptly turned to Zoe and said, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry, but it isn’t going to work.”
It had been a long day and she knew he was probably at his wit’s end. It was her job to ease the burden. She really wished his fiancée would show up now. Her absence was becoming a challenge not only for Zoe, but obviously for Carson, as well.
“I know it’s been difficult for you, but the finish line is looming. You can’t give up now. There are only a few more things we need to decide on and the entire wedding is planned from beginning to end.”
“That’s just it. There isn’t going to be a wedding, at least not between Marilyn Rose and me.”
Zoe’s knees went weak, her pulse quickened, and her mouth went dry. She’d been in this position many times before with either the bride or the groom who suddenly had cold feet right before the wedding. She suspected Carson’s cold feet might be stemming from a totally different kind of trepidation. One that involved another woman: her.
Instinct told her to say anything she could to melt those popsicle toes. Only thing was, the way her emotions had danced around him lately, she couldn’t trust her heart to say the correct words.
“What you’re feeling is completely normal. Getting married is a big move, a life-changing event. It’s natural to feel nervous about it.”
She headed for her car. They’d met at the toy shop, which now seemed like a blessing. At least she wouldn’t have to drive him home.
Problem was...he kept following her.
“That’s not it. You don’t understand. I’m not getting married. I’m not nervous about it, because it’s not going to happen, especially given how I feel about you, darlin’.”
Zoe took a few steps back, shaking her head. “Oh, no, no, no. You can’t mean that, and you certainly can’t be calling me ‘darlin’.’ I am your wedding planner. Darlin’ isn’t part of my job description.”
She wished she could fly away before one of them said or did something they couldn’t take back. She made a beeline for her car and intended to drive straight to her parents’ house so he wouldn’t follow her. She’d be safe there. She could hide there.
“You’re so much more, Zoe. We need to talk. I’m in love with you. There. I said it.”
“That’s not possible. You’re in love with Marilyn Rose. You’re getting married to Marilyn Rose in...six days. Loving me is completely unacceptable.”
“Unacceptable?”
“Yes, completely. You can’t love me. You just bought nine hundred and forty-eight dollars’ worth of wedding favors. You’ve spent thousands on cakes, food, flowers, restaurants, a band and a—”
“Wait. There’s a band? I thought we decided on a DJ.”
“We did, but when you told me to plan what I’d like, I changed to a country band out of Jackson. You’ll love ’em and so will your bride, Marilyn Rose.”
“There’s not going to be any bride, at least not for me. Although, I’m hoping to get Kayla and Jimmy to walk down that aisle on Christmas Day, but that’s still up in the air.”
“Kayla and Jimmy? They already tried that once, and we all know how that turned out, thanks to you and your getaway car.”
“If I’d known she was pregnant, I wouldn’t have been so agreeable, but that’s beside the point. We have a connection, you and I. I can feel it every time we’re together. I know you can feel it, too. You can’t pretend it’s not there.”
His voice echoed behind her and she hoped no one they passed caught his ramblings.
She picked up her pace to her car. It was parked on a side street, away from all the shoppers on Main Street, which was good. If he insisted on talking nonsense, at least no one would hear him, but then again, she didn’t like being alone with Carson, particularly now that he’d proclaimed his misguided love for her. She didn’t know what was going on with him, but whatever it was she refused to be the “other woman.” That title went to Lana Thomson, not her.
Zoe reached her car, beeped it open, then she popped the trunk and shoved her many bags inside. Carson did the same with the bags he’d been
carrying, right before she slammed the trunk shut and proceeded to almost sprint to the driver’s side of the vehicle. Carson followed close behind.
When she stood in front of her door and reached down to open it, Carson said, “Zoe, I—”
His voice faded and his gaze pinned her motionless for a moment. Before she could move or think or could slip into the safety of her sedan, he reached an arm around her waist, pulled her in tight and pressed his lips to hers.
At once desire engulfed her entire body. When his lips parted and their tongues touched, she fell into him desperately wanting the kiss to go on forever. She lost herself in his embrace, letting the passion of the kiss wash over her as he tightened his arms around her. He fitted himself against her, and when she felt his arousal on her thigh, she pressed in even tighter, letting the heat of the moment engulf her.
Headlights lit up the darkness and at once Zoe knew that by morning the entire town would be gossiping. Her jinx status would grow tenfold, and Carson’s reputation as the town hero would be tarnished forever.
She couldn’t let that happen.
As difficult as it was, Zoe pulled herself away from his embrace just before the headlights caught them. By the time the pickup had passed by them, she’d slipped into her car. She quickly turned over the ignition and carefully drove away from the curb, leaving the man she now knew she cared about with all her heart standing in the middle of the street.
Alone.
Chapter Ten
“I hate to say this, but you look a little rough around the edges this afternoon, sweetie,” Greta said as she poked her head into Zoe’s office at the back of All About A Bride. It had been four days since Carson and Zoe kissed and ever since then, Zoe could think of nothing else. “Something you want to talk about?”
She hadn’t said a word to anyone about the kiss, not even Piper, who had called her about final arrangements for the wedding. She knew she could trust Piper to keep it to herself, but she also knew Piper would tell her to admit that she was in love with Carson Grant. It still didn’t make any sense. So how would she explain it to her best friend? Carson had phoned her several times, but she refused to answer. She knew once she spoke to him, the Grant wedding would never happen and her dreams of running her own business would be forever shattered. Not only would the groom not show up for his wedding, but he would have run away with the wedding planner.