by Emmy Eugene
He led Libby to her spot, almost right behind the pastor who’d come out to the ranch to perform the ceremony, and circled around to his side. Only a few feet from Russ now, Griffin calmed a bit more.
He’d done what he’d said he’d do, and all he needed to do now was observe the nuptials. He’d hand Russ the diamond when it was time, and then he could eat.
His eyes moved instantly to Toni, and a flush moved through his body when he found her looking at him too. He couldn’t believe his luck, and all the legends he’d heard about meeting the perfect woman at a wedding rushed into his mind.
Maybe, he thought to himself.
He’d never once confessed his feelings for Toni to anyone. Rex, of course, had suspected, but Griffin thought he’d done a good job keeping everything under wraps.
She hadn’t left the camp, as Rex had suspected. Griffin had communicated professionally with her. She’d hired him without an in-person interview because he’d worked for the past two summers at Camp Clear Creek. He’d read all the emails she’d sent, and he was packed and ready to leave in the morning.
Seeing her tonight was just an added benefit.
“Dearly beloved,” the preacher said, and Griffin tore his eyes from the gorgeous brunette in the back row as all the guests settled back into their seats.
The preacher talked about love throughout the ages, and Griffin found himself wanting that sort of romance in his life. Maybe he’d always been a bit of a romantic, and he was glad he wasn’t standing next to Rex. He could practically hear his brother’s scoffing in his head.
Russ and Janelle exchanged vows, Griffin handed off the diamond at the right time, and the preacher finally said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Russ grinned and dipped Janelle as the crowd cheered.
Griffin laughed and clapped along with everyone else, and Russ turned toward their guests and lifted Janelle’s hand into the air.
Her two daughters preceded them back down the aisle, and Griffin had twenty minutes before dinner would be served. During that time, he’d agreed to help Millie move the chairs out and bring tables in, putting the chairs around them for dinner.
All the groomsmen did, and Janelle took a microphone from Millie. “Thank you to everyone,” she said. “We love you all, and we’re glad you’re here to share our special day with us.” She beamed up at Russ, and Griffin could feel their love penetrate the entire congregation.
“It’s a buffet,” Russ said. “So let’s eat.”
Griffin stayed on the edge of the other guests, tracking Toni as she said hello to several people he didn’t know, and then made her way over to Janelle. She hugged her friend and then Russ, and then Toni looked around.
Griffin wanted to step right to her side and sit by her for the rest of the evening. His mouth was far too dry, and his palms much too sweaty, a sure indication that he really liked this woman.
He wove through the crowd, determined to be at least a little bit like Rex today, and take control of his own future.
“Hey,” he said, easing to Toni’s side. “Looking for a friend to sit by?” He cursed himself for the words the moment they left his mouth. A friend? He didn’t want that.
“Hey, Griffin.” Toni grinned at him and stepped into his embrace. “Wasn’t that a beautiful wedding?”
He held her tight, pure bliss moving through him. He released her sooner than he would’ve liked, but he reminded himself that she was his boss, and he couldn’t give away too much of how he felt right this instant.
“Sure was,” he said. “Are you staying to eat?”
“Definitely,” Toni said. “This is going to be our last good meal for a while.” She trilled out a laugh, and Griffin sure did like the feminine sound of it.
“Tell me you didn’t hire Isaac to cook again,” he said. “Because we almost starved last year.” He chuckled with her, and Toni shook her head.
“Nope, I got a new guy this year. Dalton Walters.”
“Is he good?” Griffin steered her toward the end of the buffet line, intending to spend the next several hours with her. Rex caught sight of him, but Griffin ignored the grin on his brother’s face.
“Better than Isaac,” Toni said, picking up a plate. “Is there dancing at this wedding?”
“Yes,” Griffin said. “Later, after dinner and cake.”
Toni put a round of filet mignon on her plate. “Save me a dance?”
“You betcha,” he said, hoping he sounded casual and friendly. He’d definitely need to look up the rules for dating at Camp Clear Creek, though something told him Toni would be off-limits once the job started.
Sneak Peek! Chapter Two of Cowboys Never Marry Their Boss
Toni Beardall loved weddings. She loved fancy dresses and good food and men in cowboy hats. She had a strict no-dating policy for herself, though, and she hadn’t been out with anyone seriously for years.
She had plenty of friends she spent time with, some of which were men, and she was happy enough with her life the way it was. She didn’t have any children, and she’d been married once before.
Once, in her opinion, was enough.
But she did like basking in the love of other people, especially people dear to her. And Janelle Stokes—Johnson now—was especially special to Toni.
She’d helped Toni during a crucial time of her life, and they’d become lifelong friends as Toni went through her divorce, aka the worst experience of her existence.
The presence of Griffin Johnson just behind her, putting shrimp and scallops on his plate, warmed her in a way she hadn’t experienced in a while.
He was dangerous to her health, she knew that. He made her want to abandon her male-free lifestyle and find out if maybe her first marriage had just been a horrible mistake.
In her job with teens, she told them not to dwell on the past. Not to wallow in the mistakes they’d made. But to move forward, with a new plan, and learn to let go of the past.
She counseled them to do that, but actually doing it herself? Toni was terrible at following her own advice, that was for sure.
“Other than the food,” Griffin said. “Is everything ready at camp? Do you need any help with anything?” He spoke in a smooth, delicious voice that reminded Toni of the dark chocolate she loved. She ate a piece every day, usually just before bed, to remind herself that life was good and worth living.
“I think we’re set,” she said. “I hired a new activities director this year. I think you’ll like her.”
“Yeah?” Griffin asked. “Is she going to do actual activities? Last year, Amber had mostly—”
“Crafts,” they said together. “I know,” Toni answered. “And yes, she’s going to do actual activities. Annie’s a former director for a Boys and Girls Club out of New Jersey.”
“New Jersey,” Griffin said. “Wow. What’s she doin’ down here? She knows she’ll need to wear boots, right?” He chuckled and adjusted his plate in his hand to add two rolls on top of everything else he’d piled on.
“Annie’s great,” she said, not wanting to give away the woman’s secrets. “She moved here a year or so ago, and she’s been working as the activities director for a charter school.”
“So she’ll have things for both boys and girls.”
“Definitely,” Toni said. “I know that was a problem last year.”
“Yeah, my fifteen-year-old boys really didn’t want to make furry flip flops.”
Toni laughed, put a pat of butter on her plate, and turned toward the sea of tables. Janelle hadn’t assigned seats, and Toni had been lost for a minute, wondering where to sit, before Griffin had joined her.
Now, though, she let him lead the way through the maze and to a table where a man and a couple were already sitting. “Hey,” Griffin said. “This is Toni Beardall, my boss. Toni, these two are my brothers. Travis and Seth. And Seth’s wife, Jenna.”
“Nice to meet you,” Toni said as she set her plate down on the table. She sat next, smiling at his family.
; “Your boss?” Travis asked.
“At Camp Clear Creek,” Griffin said. “She’s the camp director.” He smiled at her, but Toni didn’t really like being introduced as his boss. She definitely was his boss, though, and how else was he supposed to introduce her?
“How do you know Janelle?” Seth asked, and Toni’s heart skipped a beat.
“She handled my divorce,” Toni said smoothly, watching Griffin. He didn’t flinch at all. “Years ago. We’ve stayed friends.”
“Oh, that’s great,” Jenna said. “Are you remarried?”
“No, ma’am,” Toni said, keeping her smile hitched n place.
“Are you a temporary employee at the camp?” Seth asked. “Like Griffin?”
“I actually work there year-round,” she said. “We do fall camps, as well as winter expeditions.” She took a sip of the pink lemonade on the table, which was tart and sweet at the same time. It also added a lovely color to the tablescape, and Toni set her glass down. “I’m a counselor for teens in the slower times. I have an office in Horseshoe Bay.”
“Oh, I see,” Seth said. The conversation was easy, and Toni participated as they talked about the area where she lived, the Texas Highland Lakes, and the horses around the ranch.
Soon enough, dinner ended, and a woman spoke into the microphone again. “It’s time to get your dancing shoes on,” she said, a bright smile on her face. “We’re going to have the father-daughter dance, and the mother-son dance first.”
She turned, clearly looking for someone. “Janelle? Russ? Get your parents and get out here.”
They both stood from the table behind Toni, and they got the right parent and took them to the patio, where the soft lights cast everything in a romantic glow.
Unconsciously, she swayed with them to the music, and then she stood when the woman in charge said, “All right, everyone. Find yourself a partner, and join the happy couple.”
“That’s my cue,” Travis said. “Come on, guys. Millie doesn’t want the dancing to be a flop.”
Jenna and Seth went with him, but Toni picked up her plate. “And that’s my cue to leave,” she said, flashing Griffin a smile. “I’m tired, and I have a long drive to get home.”
“We have to be there bright and early in the morning,” he agreed. He took her plate from her. “I’ll walk you out.”
Toni wanted to tell him he didn’t need to do that, but he’d put their plates somewhere and guided her toward the walking path that led around the house before she could find the words.
Small, knee-high torches had been staked in the ground along the path, and Toni loved everything about this ranch. “This is your ranch, right?” she asked as they left the celebration behind.
“Russ is technically the one who runs the ranch,” Griffin said. “But yes, all five of us boys own part of it.”
“Twenty percent?” she asked.
“Yep.”
A sea of cars and trucks spread before them, and Toni sighed. “I was late and I had to park way down the lane.” She looked at Griffin. “It’s fine. I can manage.”
“What kind of cowboy gentleman would I be if I left you to walk in the dark all the way down the lane?” He shook his head. “I’d never be able to face my momma again, that’s for sure.”
“All right.” Toni wove through the cars in the driveway Griffin right behind her. Once they got out on the road, though, he stepped to her side.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” she said. “The whole sky is just wide open.” She looked up at the stars, drinking them all in. They held special significance for her, but she wasn’t going to tell Griffin that story quite yet.
Just the fact that she thought there would come a time where she would share something so personal about herself with him surprised her. She cut him a look out of the corner of her eye, and found him gazing at the stars too.
“I love Texas,” he said with a sigh. “Do you think you can see a sky like this anywhere else?”
Toni heard the appreciation in his voice, and she liked this softer side of the cowboy she’d known for a couple of years.
“Maybe,” she said.
His hand brushed hers, and her pulse rioted. But he didn’t try to hold her hand. Of course he wouldn’t, and the fact that Toni even thought he might was ridiculous.
She pulled her keys out of her dress pocket and clicked the unlock button. The headlights on her SUV flashed, and she needlessly said, “I’m right there.”
Griffin guided her the last several steps, his hand big and warm on the small of her back. Toni carried at least twenty extra pounds—probably thirty, if she was going to be completely honest—and she normally flinched away from a male touch.
But with Griffin, she wanted to lean in. He reached for the door handle and opened her door for her. “It was so good to see you tonight, Toni,” he said, and she was probably imagining the husky quality in his voice.
“Thanks for walking me all the way out here,” she said. “I’m not normally late.”
“I know.” He gazed down at her, and the light from her car spilled onto his face. He was made of pure handsomeness, and as the moment lengthened between them, Toni grew a bit more antsy.
“Anyway,” she said. “See you tomorrow.” Without thinking, she tipped up on her toes and kissed his cheek. Fire burned through her as her mind screamed at her that kissing wasn’t a very boss-like thing to do.
Her heart nudged her to kiss him again.
She stalled as Griffin’s hand slid along her waist, holding her right in front of him. His other hand moved to her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Good-night, Toni.” He bent down and touched his lips to hers, and Toni sighed right into him.
He’d taken an awkward moment and made it sweet. She wanted him to kiss her for a lot longer, but he pulled back almost as quickly as he’d leaned down. He fell back a step, and the shadows gathered on his face.
“See you tomorrow,” he said, and Toni ducked into her SUV, her face burning. Every cell in her body burned, actually, and it wasn’t until she was on the highway heading north that she realized what had happened.
“You kissed him,” she said to the dark stretch of road in front of her. “What in the world…?”
She’d kissed him, and she’d wanted to kiss him, and she had no idea what any of that meant. Not for what would happen when she saw him tomorrow. And not for what it meant for her life overall.
She hadn’t kissed anyone in a very long time, and the warmth and care in his touch lasted with her all the way back to Horseshoe Bay. As she went inside her house and shed her dress and shoes, she wondered if she should open the door to her heart.
If she did, would Griffin walk through it? Or had he just been caught up in the wedding magic? The beauty of the stars?
She didn’t know, but what she did know was that she couldn’t wait to find out.
Toni arrived at the administration cabin at Camp Clear Creek by six-thirty a.m. The camp counselors were supposed to be there by eight, and all other personnel, like the cooks, janitors, maintenance crew, her activities director and her aides, by nine.
They’d have a staff meeting that took them to lunchtime, when Toni would sign for the fifty pizzas she’d ordered. Her stress level was high, but it was accompanied by a general sense of excitement for another summer filled with campers.
She loved her job at Clear Creek, and she couldn’t wait for the first group of kids to arrive on Monday. Just two days, and over them, her counselors would make sure their group of cabins were clean and ready for habitation. They’d go through the files for the first group of kids, a two-week camp that focused on animal care.
Every camp was a little bit different, and Camp Clear Creek offered everything from boys-only weeks to high adventure camps for those who wanted all of the hiking, canoeing, and fishing they could get. They had girls-only camps, and arborist camps. They had week-long camps, two-week camps, and three-week camps, and they’d run through the end of August.
The three months in the summer were the busiest and most fulfilling time for Toni, as after that, she ran weekend camps through November, and then focused on her counseling for a couple of months, only doing an eight-day camp over the Christmas holidays.
Toni set out packets with her counselor’s names on them, pausing for a moment when she put Griffin’s on the table.
Now, in the light of day, she couldn’t believe she’d kissed him, and she hoped today wouldn’t be awkward.
She set out the muffins she’d bought that morning, along with a tray of the best sausage kolaches the Hill Country had to offer. Paired with juice and milk, the breakfast meeting for the counselors was set and ready.
Only a few minutes later, the first couple of people began to walk through the doors. Toni knew them all, as she’d personally hired them. They had a high return rate for counselors, and about sixty percent of the people coming that summer had been a camp counselor at Clear Creek for at least one year.
She knew the moment Griffin walked in, and it wasn’t only because of his sexy cowboy hat or the way his spicy cologne called to her female side.
He devoured her with a single look, ducked his head, and stepped over to a group of men who’d all worked at Clear Creek last year.
She chatted and moved around the room, getting to everyone, always keeping her eye on Griffin. When she finally approached their group, it was almost time to start.
“Hello, fellas,” she said. “Glad to have you back with us this year.”
“Couldn’t be more excited.”
“Glad to be here.”
“This is my favorite summer job.”
Toni looked at Griffin, who hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Her heat pounded as she nodded. “Go help yourself to muffins and kolaches,” she told the others. “We’ll get started in a minute.”
Griffin retreated outside to the porch of the admin cabin, and Toni followed him. Was he going to quit? Rebuke her for kissing him? Tell her he didn’t like her “like that” but he appreciated the gesture?