“I didn’t realize that was an option,” Ethan said, tracing her jawline with the pad of his finger. “Because it is very tempting.”
“No. It’s not an option.” She turned her head and captured his finger with her lips, giving it a playful suck. He could tell by her smile that she was fully aware that her actions were contradicting her words. “But I’ll go with you and I know of a very exclusive party happening when we get back. And you’re invited. So the sooner we deliver that horse...”
She pursed her lips and cocked her right brow. She looked so damn sexy it was all he could do to keep from taking her again. But from somewhere in the back of his mind the voice of reason prevailed. He inhaled a deep breath, which was supposed to help him put himself back together, but it smelled of her, of them.
The only safe bet was to remove himself from temptation and start getting the trailer hitched to the back of his truck—a most unsexy option, but nonetheless, the only option. But not before he claimed one last, long, sensual kiss.
With their lips still touching and her hands fisted into the front of his shirt, she whispered. “I can’t recall ever looking so forward to a party in my entire life.”
* * *
Calendula was a fine, muscular red bay Thoroughbred with black points. Chelsea stroked the mare’s nose, admiring her beautiful chocolate eyes, graceful neck, and gorgeous long legs. She’d opted to stay outside with the horse as Ethan wrapped up business in the office. Being out here in the fresh air and open country, dressed casually, reminded her of how much she used to love to ride and how much she was longing to get into the saddle again.
When Ethan brought her home, Chelsea had texted Juliette and asked to borrow a cap and a casual T-shirt. Generous Juliette had given her the go-ahead to help herself to anything she needed. So Chelsea had donned the hat, threading her ponytail through the open space in the back and pulling it down onto her forehead, pairing it with sunglasses, dungarees and Tim McGraw concert T-shirt. She’d reproached herself after kissing Ethan so openly out in public the other day. While she’d gained a false sense of security in Celebration, even though it was highly unlikely that anyone would recognize her—especially dressed like this—she needed to be careful.
Still, she didn’t need to make herself crazy, which is why she’d decided to spend the day out with Ethan. Lucy recognizing her had been a fluke. How many other people from the Texas hill country would recognize her in this context? She’d probably have a better chance winning the lottery than being spotted in the crowd. She wanted this time with Ethan. She wanted to be a normal person who was out with the guy she liked, doing the normal things normal couples did. No pressures to look or act a certain way and certainly not being singled out as tramp, a slut, a whore—as the woman whose most intimate moments had been broadcast for the world to see. She shook the thought from her head, determined not to let it cloud her mood.
“Can we go riding tomorrow?” she asked Ethan after they were on the road again. “I should be at a pretty good spot to take a break by then—even after playing hooky today. It’s been so long and I really miss it. There aren’t many opportunities to ride in the city and it’s been ages—years, in fact—since I’ve had time to get out to the country.”
He slanted her a glance. “Sure. We can go anytime you want. Just name it. Did you have your own horse when you were growing up?”
“I did. His name was Bromley. I loved that horse like family.”
“What happened to Bromley?”
“He got old and I got busy. I haven’t been riding since he died.”
In the distance she spied a colorful collection of neon and steel. It looked like a festival of some sort.
“What’s going on up there?” she asked, happy for a valid reason to steer the subject away from Bromley and possible segues to Longbridge.
“That’s the Celebration Spring Fair. It just started a couple of days ago.”
“Let’s stop. Can we?”
“Yes. Let’s take a day off and go to the fair. Even if it’s just for a few hours.”
“I thought you had a tight schedule you needed to stick to?”
“I do, but that’s what assistant managers are for. Let me make a call and we can make a day of it.”
She felt as giddy as a child at the thought. “I’ve never been to a fair like this.”
He laughed. “This is the best days of my youth in one tacky, neon-lit diorama. I grew up going but it’s been a few years since I last went. When I was a kid I used to raise livestock to show through 4-H.”
“I wish I could’ve seen you as a little boy. I’ll bet you were adorable.”
He parked the truck and made his calls and the next thing she knew, they were in the thick of things.
The air buzzed with the faint sound of music from a country concert happening on the other side of the fairgrounds. Chelsea didn’t recognize the tune because it was muffled by the sounds of the generators that powered the rides and the screams and laughs of the revelers who seemed to be having the time of their lives. The sum total created such a festive atmosphere Chelsea couldn’t help but smile.
The air was heavy with the smell of livestock, diesel fuel and a mélange of food aromas wafting from the various vendors on the crowded midway.
Chelsea had never seen anything like the food offered for sale: spaghetti and meatballs on a stick, pizza cones, deep-fried Twinkies and candy bars, frozen, chocolate-covered Key lime pie. There was even a stall featuring chicken-fried bacon.
“Do you want to grab some lunch?” he asked.
“Here?” she said.
“Of course. Who doesn’t love fair food?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never had fair food, but I think I’ve gained five pounds simply smelling it. I don’t suppose they’d have a salad stand, would they?” She was joking about the salad, of course, but not about never having tried fair food. And part of her—the part that was tired of trying to conform to the standards her family and the media had set for her, the part of her that had been trying to please everyone but herself—wanted to take a bite of every single unhealthy, nutrient-void junk food delicacy. Maybe even two bites. Especially the more traditional carnival fare that Ethan was pointing out now—the funnel cakes and French fries and corn dogs and gossamer-pink cotton candy. Especially the cotton candy.
“You’ve never had fair food?”
She shook her head. “I told you, I’ve never been to one of these things.”
“That explains why you don’t know that vegetables—unless they’re fried or buttered corn on the cob—are against the law at a county fair. I think it’s a capital offense.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I can’t believe you’ve never been to the fair.”
She shrugged and shook her head again. “In the UK we have livestock shows, but I’ve never had the opportunity to attend.”
“Never had the opportunity, huh?” His mouth quirked up on one side. “In other words, this really isn’t your gig?”
“Hey, I was the one who suggested we stop. Don’t try to make me out to be some sort of snob.”
“You? A snob? Heavens, no. And since you’re in such an adventurous mood, I’ll get a wide sampling.” He gestured toward the food stalls. “That way you can have the authentic Texas county fair experience.”
True to his word, he purchased a lot of food. It bordered on being obscene. But it was glorious. They found a picnic table in the shade and took their time eating. There was so much food and it was all so delicious that she thought he was going to have to carry her out of there, but after they’d finished, Ethan grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Let’s go walk it off,” he said. “I’ve introduced you to my favorite foods, now I want you to meet my favorite rides.” He laced his fingers through hers as they walked the midway.
&nb
sp; He held her hand so unselfconsciously that she couldn’t give in to her own uncertainty—the thought of being openly affectionate in public...again...with this man...in this new...this...romance? Affair? Whatever it was that they were doing... It made her insides zing in a little cha-cha. She closed her fingers around his rather than pulling away. Since she was throwing caution to the wind, she decided she wouldn’t even stop him if he tried to kiss her. In fact, she kind of wanted him to kiss her, right here, right now. Because the only thing that seemed more delicious than all the food at the fair was Ethan’s lips.
Really, what was the worst thing that could happen if they kissed right here out in the open? They might draw attention to themselves and someone might recognize her. In that cap and behind those glasses?
Fat chance.
People might look at them in a get-a-room way, but out here no one cared if they kissed. Out here they were nobodies. She was a nobody. Anonymous. Un-newsworthy. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free.
In that instant she realized she had a choice: she could either hide away and let Hadden win or she could take back her life. Have fun for the first time in a long time with a man who made her think and feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She chose to ignore the little voice that nudged her—if she wanted this to work with Ethan, she knew she had to tell him the truth.
But not right now.
Right now the sun was shining and the gentle breeze was blowing and the warmth of Ethan’s hand in hers made the late-spring morning almost perfect. She hadn’t been this happy in ages. There was a chance that he might pull away, might be angry with her for not telling him the truth before now—or he might not want to associate with a woman with a past. He might not want any part of...this...of them...after she told him the real reason she’d come to Celebration.
So, right now all she wanted was this day. She knew she was being selfish, but she was going to enjoy herself being a woman who was falling for a man.
Tonight.
She would tell him tonight. In the meantime she held Ethan’s hand as they walked down the midway. She hugged him when he won her a bear by throwing a ball and knocking over a triangle of bottles. They rode the rides, shared some cotton candy and she didn’t balk when he stopped at a booth that was selling kisses for two dollars each to raise money for disabled veterans. Ethan slapped down a ten-dollar bill.
Only, Ethan didn’t collect five kisses from the cute redhead who was working the booth. He turned and gathered Chelsea in his arms, tipped her backward and planted a toe-curling kiss on her mouth right there in front of God and everyone who cared to watch.
When they finally came up for air, he said, “That should count as five kisses, shouldn’t it? I wouldn’t want to waste your time with piddlin’ pecks on the lips.”
Then, without another word, he swept her off to the Ferris wheel. He put his arm around her, and they sat in silence, the big bear he’d won for her at their feet as the ride carried them up, up, up above Buxton County. He pointed out Celebration to the north and Burleson, where they’d just delivered the horse, behind them.
People would eventually get bored with the video. Their interest would shift when something fresh and more exciting came along. Even though it made Chelsea feel like a freak in a circus sideshow, she clung to the reality that Hadden and Ethan were apples and oranges.
Ethan, who had seemed so gruff and private, a solitary island of a man. Yet he actually wanted to spend time with her.
He was taking time out of his busy day to be with her.
Where Hadden, who loved to be in the public eye, had only been around when there was something in it for him—a chance to further his connections or feed his political ambitions. He’d never come around to take her to the fair or kissed her high atop the Ferris wheel.
When Ethan captured her mouth with his, thoughts of Hadden scattered. After several heated minutes when they finally came up for air, she realized their car was stopped at the very top.
The spring breeze was a little cool up there. It brought with it the faint sounds of the fair below. The people and the other rides on the midway looked magical and tiny from this vantage point. She felt a million miles away from everyone who could hurt her, everyone she could disappoint.
“You’re quiet,” Ethan said. “Everything okay?”
“I was just thinking I’m glad I’m not afraid of heights. It’s nice up here.”
“Yeah, I can’t think of anyplace I’d rather be right now. I’m starting to remember what it’s like to live again, to have feelings for someone again. Until now, it’s like I’ve existed in a fog.”
He kissed her again.
When the Ferris wheel jerked into motion, he leaned in so that his forehead was resting on hers. All she knew was she wished they could stay like this forever. Because up here in the clouds, only the best things seemed possible. This thing between them seemed real. It seemed like it could actually work.
Chapter Eleven
Chelsea and Ethan stayed at the fair until early evening. After a quick check-in at Juliette’s house to take care of Franklin, they’d grabbed a nice dinner at a steak house in downtown Celebration and spent the night at Juliette’s because Chelsea felt guilty about leaving Franklin alone all day. He was sure to miss his mom since she wouldn’t be home for another two days. But not that guilty. It had been a wonderful day. One of those gift days that was so unexpected and so perfect, it couldn’t have gone better if she’d planned every detail. That was the thing, days like this weren’t planned. They were lovely presents in beautiful wrapping—like a day at the fair and spending the night in Ethan’s arms.
The next morning, Chelsea dressed in blue jeans and a simple blue cotton blouse. She and Ethan had plans to go riding this afternoon, but first she needed to get some work done over at the barn. Lucy was meeting her there at nine o’clock and they needed to get a lot accomplished today to make sure everything was ready for the party. Chelsea planned to go in early to get a jump on things since Lucy had held down the fort yesterday while she was at the fair with Ethan, insisting that Chelsea take the day off.
After she applied a quick coat of mascara and dabbed on some lip gloss, Chelsea dried her hair in the hall bathroom. She couldn’t stop thinking about how natural it was becoming to wake up next to Ethan every morning. Okay, so it had only happened twice, but that was the point. It felt as if they’d been together a lot longer. They were so comfortable together—not in a boring, too familiar way. It just felt right—seeing his face first thing when she opened her eyes; him in the kitchen making coffee for them; her getting ready for the day; them sitting down to breakfast together.
She turned off the blowdryer and set it down, staring at herself as realization engulfed her. This thing that was happening between them really could work.
More than that, she wanted it to work. She’d never met anyone who made her feel so safe, so whole, so adored. Yesterday he’d told her he had feelings for her, that everything had changed the moment he’d caught her coming in through that bathroom window.
She turned and looked at the window over the tub. It looked like any other unobtrusive bathroom window, yet the butterflies swarmed as she remembered that night. Who knew that an act of desperation—one that had nearly brought the police—would change her life?
Acknowledging the possibility for them made it suddenly hard to breathe. She braced her palms on the counter and inhaled sharply, half checking to see if the madness of this feeling would pass, but it clung to her like a second skin. This was night and day from how it had been with Hadden. She’d broken up with Hadden because she couldn’t see a future with him. She could never love him like this. This is how it was supposed to be.
Here she was falling in love with Ethan Campbell. It was the last thing she’d wanted, the last thing she�
�d intended to do, when she left London to come to Celebration, but here she was with her heart in her hands, fully prepared to offer it to him.
What was more was she was pretty sure not only would he take it, but that he would handle it with the same mix of kid gloves and fierce protectiveness that he handled everything else that meant so much to him.
She went back into the bedroom, brushed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She sat on the edge of the bed and tugged on her red Doc Marten’s boots. They weren’t exactly work boots—and they certainly weren’t cowboy boots—but they were the best bet for the job. She remembered what he’d told her about his ex-wife, Molly, about how the breakup of his marriage had taught him that you could love someone but never really know that person. The bad experience had made him cautious and in the course of being careful he’d stopped living. He’d told her yesterday it was as if he had been existing in a fog, and then he’d opened up and confessed that since he’d met her, he was starting to remember what it was like to feel again, to live again.
She took her time lacing up the boots because she knew when she went into the kitchen, she had to tell Ethan the rest of her story. No more stalling. No more excuses.
If they could just get past this, the truth would set them free. But being honest was key.
She had to check herself for a moment to examine why she wasn’t giving Ethan enough credit to see this as not a big deal. It was her own trust issues rearing their ugly heads. Even if she hadn’t loved Hadden enough to see a future with him, she’d trusted him and he’d betrayed her. Now she was going to have to reopen that wound, and all the humiliation that went along with it, and confess that not only had she been pretending to be someone else from the moment she’d come in through that window, but that the reason she was running was because she’d embarrassed herself and her family.
But if Ethan was falling for her, if he was willing to trust her with his heart—to trust again for the first time since his marriage—she owed him the truth.
The Cowboy's Runaway Bride Page 14