Notes in Love

by Hetherington, Megan

  Josie and Blue pushed the wedding back, what with the trial schedule unknown and the extra work Blue had to pick up while my hand mended. But it’s here now, one month after the original date.

  Lacey and Amber are maids of honor, and I haven’t seen what they are wearing yet. Apparently, it’s a secret and we don’t get to see any of them until the chapel. I don’t know why these women think us men care. Lacey could dress in a trash bag and she’d still be beautiful to me. But it’s killing me that I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning. One day apart is a day too many.

  Oh, and that’s another thing, I still call her Lacey. She decided she didn’t want to go back to being called Hanna. Not outside the court room anyhow. And when it’s all over, she’s gonna change her name officially. Maybe I can persuade her to change her surname too. I think Lacey Corrigan sounds kinda nice. But I don’t want to scare her away just yet. She still reminds me of a bird, ready to fly at the sign of any thing that resembles a cage.

  “Colt.” Blue is kinda snappy this morning and I jerk my chin at him.

  “Where the fuck is it?”

  “Hold on, bro, keep your hair on and stop speaking in code.” I sit back on a bale of straw.

  He jabs open his arms. “You know what I mean. The ring. Where the fuck is it?”

  I roll my eyes at him, knowing it is in a pocket in my blazer, specifically tailored to keep a ring safe. “Don’t know, bro. You had it last.”

  His eyes darken and his fist clenches by his side. If he punches me, then there’ll be hell to pay.

  “Here.” I grab a strand of straw from the bale and wrap it around my finger. “This will do.”

  “Quit fucking with me, man.”

  I can’t hold it in any longer and a laugh blurts from my chest. “Oh, simmer down, you can’t get wound up already. Nothing’s happened yet. The ring is safe in here.” I calmly pat my pocket but he won’t let up until he’s seen it and I pull it out to prove it’s there. “Mitchell’s on his way with some liquor. Loosen you up a little.” I raise a finger before he protests. “You know it makes sense.”

  Blue sits on the bale next to me, and then promptly stands, swiping his hat over his dusty backside and scouting around the barn. His mind is likely ticking over with all the preparations that have taken place in here.

  I shake my head at him, with full admission that I know I would be exactly like he is right now. Nervous as fuck.

  Mitchell tears up the driveway, a large plume of dirt kicking up behind his SUV. I know what’s going through Blue’s mind without him uttering a word. The dust on the car. It hasn’t rained for weeks now and as ranchers that only ever usually means one thing: what will the cows feed on? But today it brings other concerns—dirty dresses and dusty cars.

  Mitchell leaps out and tosses a brown paper bag at me. “Gunner Ridge’s finest.”

  Blue cuts me a look. “Moonshine. Really?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Been good enough for you up to now.”

  I unscrew the lid and take a good swig. “Hot damn!” I shudder. “That’s some special hooch, right there.”

  “Come on, then.” Blue grabs the paper bag and lifts the bottle to his lips. “Here’s to nothing.” He winces and shudders at the vile, but addictive, taste.

  Mitchell looks at his watch. “Suppose we should get going.”

  “You ready, brother?” I slap Blue on his back.

  “Suppose so.” He stuffs some gum into his mouth. “I just need to do a last-minute check here.” He jogs off toward the makeshift stage in the barn. Blue is getting married at the chapel in town, but then everyone is coming back here for a party. It’s where Josie and Blue re-staged their prom, and there’s nowhere local that can beat this as a venue.

  I read a text that comes in from Lacey and open up the photo that comes with it. I can’t make out what the photo is properly and text her back with a question mark. But she doesn’t reply, leaving me all intrigued and wondering what the hell is going on.

  “Come on, guys.” Blue shouts at us all as he passes on the way to Mitch’s car. Mitchell’s rodeo sponsors have lent him a fancy SUV with blacked-out windows to take us to the chapel. Josie has gone in the Mustang with Amber and Lacey and Mom. Pick-ups at a wedding are a little more country bumpkin than Josie wants to get. Her years away from this god-graced county did that to her. And I suppose over time she’ll mellow.

  There’s a buzz around the chapel, and I take a deep breath as I skip up the wooden steps. I haven’t been here since Daddy’s funeral service and can’t say it’s a place I would come to any more regular than I need to.

  There’s already a good throng inside the chapel, chattering away.

  But I don’t see who’s in the crowd as it’s my girl that instantly draws my eye.

  A vision in pink satin.

  And every muscle in my body strains against the need to rush over and scoop her up in my arms. I stand behind Blue. It’s his day. And we walk calmly to the alter where Josie, Amber, and Lacey wait. All preened and holding bouquets.

  The service goes on for a while; the preacher reminds all the good folk of Gunner Ridge that the Lord is always there for us. I take that as a dig that we don’t come here often enough. And he’s right. But I also acknowledge that there has been some divine intervention in my life of late, worthy of a prayer or two.

  I can’t look at anything other than Lacey. And Blue nudges me when it’s time to pass over the ring.

  Eventually, we all leave behind the newlyweds and I can finally clutch Lacey’s hand in mine. She takes Blue’s place in Mitch’s car and Mom sits in the back and we speed off back to the ranch to make sure all the arrangements are in place.

  “Well?”

  I shrug, not sure what Lacey’s asking as she twists her hand in mine.

  “What do you think of the tattoo?”

  I pull her wrist toward my face. It’s an open book with pages that fly from inside. All colored up. And the title page is Notes in Love. The claw mark has been obliterated with a piece of us. An understanding that only the two of us have. And Mom, of course. But even she doesn’t know exactly what we do about that book.

  “I love it.” I place a soft kiss over it. “Was that what you sent a photo of earlier?”

  “No. That’s another surprise. You’ll see that when we get to the wedding reception.”

  When we arrive at the barn, everything is set up. The bar staff bounce on their toes behind the makeshift bar. The band tunes their equipment, and the buffet is spread out. Alma’s Kitchen has made most of it.

  “There.” Lacey points, the biggest smile I’ve ever seen her brandish on her face. It’s what she sent a photo of earlier today. A four-tier cake which sits pride of place at the head of the table. It’s draped in sugar-crafted flowers, and it has a ceramic bride and groom on top of it. It looks as if it has come straight out of some fancy hotel or something.

  “Holy shit. That’s awesome. You made that?”

  She nods, her face beams with pride. “Mary helped me with it.”

  I turn to her and take hold of both of her hands. “You are one beautiful woman. You know that, right?” The love this woman has for my mom makes my heart burst.

  She bites her lip and lowers her eyelids. I take my finger and put it under her chin, gently nudging at it so it lifts and she meets my gaze. “I mean that. You are beautiful and so worthy of the love everyone gives to you.”

  I know she doesn’t believe me. But I won’t quit telling her that, because it is true, and she deserves to know it. Accept it. And love herself too. I know her past haunts her, but it doesn’t have to shape her future. And that’s where I come in—to help her bury every shitty thing that’s happened in her past and help her enjoy the present for what it is.

  After what seems like too long, Blue and Josie arrive in Amber’s Mustang. Frothy pink ribbons are tied to the hood and windows, and strips of it trail from the trunk, like a princess carriage. Blue looks a complete dick sat at the window.
But a married dick with a stunning bride.

  I grab a beer for him from the bar, open it and thrust it in his hand as he walks through the barn doors with his new wife, against a background of cheers.

  He takes a large swig and then pushes it back to me, swooping Josie up into his arms and carrying her onto the dance floor.

  “It’s where it all began.” I lean in and whisper to Lacey.

  She angles her head up at me. “Yeah, Amber told me how you arranged it all. A dance with the winner of the mechanical bull competition at a fundraiser for the day center.” She looks at me with an expression I can’t fathom. “She’s good at matchmaking, that sister of yours.”

  I roll my lips. “I don’t know what you mean.” I beam. I always knew what my sister was doing, trying to get Lacey and I together, but I figure I would have got to this point sooner or later on my own.

  “Well, maybe she needs a taste of her own medicine.” Lacey nods across to Amber standing next to Abe, the veterinarian.

  “That would be an interesting match,” I say. “I reckon she would eat him alive.”

  “Well, you know what they say about the quiet guys.”

  I frown at her.

  “Come on, let’s dance.” She grabs me by the hand and leads me onto the dance floor.

  I’m not much of a dancer, not without plenty of beer, anyhow. But we have a rhythm between us and I’m surprisingly relaxed, lasting a few songs before we break for a beer.

  “Where’s Blue and Josie gone?”

  “Not sure where Blue is, but there’s Josie over there.” She’s talking to Amber and Abe.

  I stride across and ask Josie, “Everything okay? Where’s Blue?”

  “He took your Mom back to the house. She was getting a little tired.”

  “Oh, really, I could have done that,” Lacey says.

  “Yeah, he was kinda insistent though. I don’t know.” Josie shrugs.

  We enjoy a few beers with our friends and family. It’s good to catch up with everyone and share some down time. It’s been a stressful year, one way or another, but it’s all been worth it. And there are days like today that remind me of that.

  I pull Lacey into my side and wonder if it’s rude to escape to our bedroom right now. I’ve never seen her in a dress before and my mind runs wild with visions of fucking her bent over my bed, while I grip onto handfuls of satin.

  Lacey catches my eye with a questioning look, before jabbing me in the ribs when she realizes what I’m thinking. I can’t hide the way I feel about her. And she knows it.

  I angle in and whisper to her, “What are you wearing under that dress?” I bite down on my lip in case she says anything that will make me crazy.

  Instead of answering, she glances beyond me, the expression on her face stiffens. I turn to see what has caused her to ignore me. It’s Ledowski, one of Gunner Ridge’s police officers.

  I reach out and catch his arm as he passes. “What’s up?”

  “Carson Perrins. Is he here?”

  “Yeah, but what is it?” I’m worried there’s some shit going down and I need to stop that right now. This is Blue and Josie’s special day. Nothing can mess with that.

  “It’s…” he pulls his hat off his head and wrings it between his hands. “It’s Lemon.”

  “Lemon?”

  “Yeah, she’s been…” He looks between me and Lacey.

  “Come on man, spit it out.”

  “Attacked. She’s been attacked outside the Green Parrot.”

  I look across at Blue, whose eyes meet mine. He jerks his chin at me as if to ask what’s going down. I purse my lips and turn back to Ledowski.

  “Wait outside. I’ll get Carson to come find you.”

  Blue watches me all the way to Carson, who immediately jumps up and rushes out of the barn.

  Blue stalks across. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing for you to worry about. Anyway, look, I think someone wants you.”

  Josie stands in the middle of the dance floor, kicks her shoes off and curls her finger at Blue. The bands plays Yours by Russell Dickerson.

  Blue’s anxious face melts into a rare smile and he prowls across to his wife.

  “Ooh, I like this one.” Lacey leans her head on my shoulder.

  “I know you do, beautiful. Come on.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, all good. Just something going on with Blue’s ex-wife, Lemon. Nothing Carson can’t handle.”

  For a second, I catch the fear in Lacey’s eyes. It’s going to take a lot of time for that instinct of hers to completely disappear and I’m more than willing to put whatever is needed and for however long is necessary into helping her overcome that fear. I don’t underestimate how difficult this trial will be for her, but together we will come through it. Because everything else in our life is worth it.

  “Honestly beautiful, there’s nothing to worry about.”

  I pull Lacey onto the dance floor and hold her as close as I can.

  We sway as one in time to the beat. My cheek resting on the top of her sweet smelling hair and her hands gripped around my waist.

  I’m gonna make sure nothing will happen to my Lacey.

  Ever.

  Pre-order the next in the Studs in Stetsons series, Broken in Love, here.

  Other Books

  For updates on the next instalment of Studs in Stetsons, subscribe to Megan’s newsletter.

  Other Books by Megan Hetherington:

  Studs in Stetsons:

  Forged in Love Novella (Blue)

  Notes in Love (Colt)

  Broken in Love (Lemon) (July 2020)

  Lesson in Love (Amber) (October 2020)

  Holidays in Love (Abe) (December 2020)

  Wilder Brothers Romance:

  Pump It Up

  Tee It Up

  Ramp It Up

  Paint It Up

  Standalones:

  Into The Light

  Bad Ink

  Novellas:

  Love on an Island

  Lost on an Island (Summer 2020)

  Angel Duet:

  Falling for his Angel

  Loving his Angel