by Dylann Crush
Not wanting to argue, Delilah nodded. “This will be good though. You can head back to Dallas and keep things moving on our new cosmetics line while I serve out the rest of my sentence.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Stella’s frown switched into a hopeful smile. “We could still make a run for the big title. With your looks and my pageant know-how, we’re a good team.”
“We have made a good team, but weren’t you the one who said I should quit while I was ahead?” Winning a national-level title was her mother’s dream. Even though they’d worked their tails off, winning local and regional competitions across the south, the big title had remained elusive.
“I know we agreed Miss Lovin’ Texas would be your last pageant, but don’t you want to try one more time?” Stella bit her lip, her forehead creased.
“You’re going to give yourself wrinkles if you keep frowning,” Delilah pointed out, tossing her mother’s own wisdom right back in her lap.
Stella immediately relaxed her expression. “Are you sure your contract doesn’t say anything about what happens if they switch locations on you at the last minute?”
“Nope. I’m pretty much at their mercy until we get through the final ceremony when they name the winner.” Stella would know that if she actually read the contracts. But she tended to be more involved on the front-end side of things . . . picking out the dresses and offering unsolicited advice on makeup and hairstyle trends. Her mother might drive her crazy at times, but she never steered her wrong when it came to appearances. She also had an amazing knack for business, hence the new line of cosmetics that she and Delilah would be launching after her reign came to an end. Delilah’s mentor, Monique McDowell, the first African American woman to win multiple national titles, was also on board and Delilah couldn’t wait to get started.
Thankfully, Monique had stepped in early on in Delilah’s pageant career and provided the guidance she’d been missing from her mother. Stella might have big dreams, but she lacked personal experience. Delilah had heard the story of how her mother chose love over pageant wins and sacrificed everything to get married and become a mother. She never actually came out and said it, but somehow the sense that Delilah owed her mother a big win had been implied since the first time she stepped on a stage.
“I don’t care what they say. It’s ridiculous. They can’t make you go to Ido.” Stella’s mouth set in a grim line.
“Actually, they can, and it looks like they are.” Delilah held her phone out. “Mr. Plum’s new itinerary has me arriving on Friday in time for their kick-off celebration. That gives me three days to get there.”
“Oh, honey, how are you going to manage all by yourself?” Stella’s brow furrowed again.
Delilah pointed at her forehead. “Keep that up and you’ll be taping your forehead while you sleep.” Stella had often threatened to make Delilah sleep with clear tape holding her skin taut, saying it was a tried-and-true way to prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
“So, you’ll go to Swynton and I’ll go back to Dallas?” Stella asked, her face devoid of any expression.
“I guess so. You said you wanted to get started on that line of cosmetics. What else were you looking into?” Delilah couldn’t keep it all straight. Her mother had more projects in the works than the Texas Department of Transportation and that was saying a lot.
Stella brightened. “Monique and I are finalizing with that cosmetics company on your signature line. Plus, we’ve got those fashion faux pas fixers in the works. Don’t you worry, Texas won’t forget Delilah Stone, even if you’re no longer competing.”
Staying in the public eye was her mother’s dream, not Delilah’s. But when Mama was happy, everyone else was happy so Delilah was content to let her mother work on whatever projects she wanted to. As long as it kept her busy and gave her something else besides her daughter to focus her overwhelming attention on, it was a win-win.
“I’ll tell Mr. Plum to let Ido know they can expect me on Friday then.”
Stella nodded, her attention already shifting away from the contest. “Do you think you can drop me at the airport on the way? I’ll just take a flight back to Dallas. You’ll be fine, won’t you?”
“Absolutely.” Delilah left her mother at the tiny built-in dinette and resumed her nighttime routine. She loved her mother dearly but was eager for a break. They’d been traveling together for the past two months and anyone who’d ever spent any time around Stella Stone would have agreed that was about two months too long.
Suddenly having to spend the next thirty days in Ido, Texas, didn’t seem so bad. She’d have a bit of respite from the breakneck schedule she’d been keeping for the past several years. Without having to entertain her mother, she’d have plenty of time to think about what she wanted to do next, beyond the launch of all of the products Stella and Monique had in the works.
For the first time in a long time, Delilah felt the knot in her chest loosen just a smidge. Having to spend a month in Ido, Texas, might just be the best thing that had ever happened to her.
two
Jasper Taylor drew in a breath as he walked through what remained of his family’s pecan orchard. The twister that had blown through last month had skipped over their neighbor’s cattle ranch but had unleashed its wrath on Taylor Farms. Less than a quarter of the trees from their hundred-year-old orchard remained, not nearly enough to fulfill the orders they’d already committed to from this year’s harvest.
“We’re doomed.” Jasper’s dad, Frank, hung his head. “I shouldn’t have taken out a loan against the farm. We’re going to lose it all.”
Jasper chewed on the inside of his cheek and tried to come up with a reassuring word. Truth was, they were doomed. Unless he could find a way to conjure pecans out of thin air, they weren’t going to be able to dig themselves out this time.
“Your poor mama. She’s going to skin me alive when she finds out what I’ve done.” Dad ran a calloused hand behind his neck. “If only Colin were around. It’s about time you two made up, don’t you think?”
According to his parents, the absence of his older brother was the reason everything had gone to shit. Jasper had been tempted to tell them the truth on more than one occasion, but it would break their hearts. So instead he let them go on believing what they would while he tried to hold things together on his own.
“I might have an idea.” Jasper hadn’t wanted to bring it up. He’d been shot down too many times in the past for trying to buck tradition and expand beyond the family trade. But look where doing things the same had got them—wiped out by a fickle late summer storm. If he didn’t figure out a way to literally save the family farm, there wouldn’t be any traditions left to buck because they’d be forced to sell their land and figure out a new way of life.
“Don’t start spoutin’ off about that woman’s crazy wedding ideas again,” Dad warned.
“Do you want to have to tell mom you’re moving the family into town?”
“She’d leave me.” Dad sighed.
“She’d never leave you. But she might not talk to you for the rest of your lives.” Jasper had seen his mama hold a grudge and it wasn’t pretty. She still had trouble looking him in the eye since she blamed him for Colin’s departure.
“Tell me what you have in mind. I suppose it’s worth a listen.”
“Mayor Cherish said she’s looking for complementary businesses to help expand Ido’s hold on the wedding market. I told you years ago that people pay big bucks to rent out barns for wedding receptions. And we’ve got the oldest barn in the state of Texas, that ought to be good for—”
“You can’t tell me some hoity-toity bride all dressed in white is going to want to say her vows while standing in a pile of horse shit.” Dad shook his head.
“You’re missing the point.” His dad had almost run their business into the ground thanks to his narrow-minded ways. If he di
dn’t come around to trying something new, they’d all suffer.
“What’s the point then? Enlighten me.” They’d stopped at the edge of the ring where Jasper’s younger sister, Abby, put her favorite mare through her paces. Dad hooked the heel of his boot on the lowest board of the fence.
“We move the horses to the smaller barn and renovate the big one. You’re right, no bride is going to want to use it like it is now. But with the insurance money we have coming in, we could use that to—”
“Have you lost your mind? That insurance money’s got to buy trees to replace the ones we lost. What good is a pecan farm without pecan trees?”
Jasper tried to keep his cool. “You know it’s going to take at least five years, probably seven or eight to get those trees back to producing something we can sell. But if we revamp the barn, we could be making money hand over fist by next spring.”
Dad shook his head. “That’s crazy talk. Your mama would never go for such a crackpot idea.”
Jasper’s chest tightened. Now was his shot. “She thinks it might work.”
“What?” Dad’s eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open.
“I talked to Mayor Cherish about it last week, just to gauge her reaction. She thinks it’s a great idea. Then I mentioned it to Mom.”
“You went behind my back.” Dad’s voice dropped into a growl. “You talked to your mama, you went to visit the mayor, all without saying a word to me?”
Jasper let out a long sigh. “Because I knew you wouldn’t even consider it. But we’ve got to do something to make some money over the next few years. Even if we replant half the trees we lost, can’t you try something else to supplement in the meantime?”
Dad rested his hands on the top rail of the fence and let his head drop between his shoulders. “Over a hundred years. This farm’s been operating under the Taylor name for four generations. I can’t lose it.”
“Then let me help you save it.” Jasper clapped a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “I only want what’s best for all of us.”
“If that’s true, you’d best be going to find your brother and convince him to come back.”
“Dad . . .” Jasper closed his eyes for a long beat, trying to battle away the tension in his jaw at the mention of his brother. He wished he had it in him to come clean, but it would make things so much worse. It was easier to let them believe what they wanted to.
“Whatever happened between the two of you, you’re family.” Dad squinted. “You can’t avoid him forever.”
Jasper nodded. “I know.”
“I’m going to have to talk to your mama about this.” Dad adjusted his hat and squared his shoulders.
“I understand.” The phone in his back pocket started to vibrate. He reached for it and saw Mayor Cherish’s number light up his screen. “Hey, it’s the mayor. I ought to take this.”
His dad didn’t respond so he took several long strides toward the shade of one of the oldest pecan trees they had on the property and answered the call. “Hello?”
“Jasper, it’s Lacey Cherish. Something’s come up. Are you still interested in trying to make a go of it with your idea on using your barn for weddings?”
“I’m not quite sure yet.” Jasper’s chest tightened. “I mentioned it to Dad, and he needs some time to get used to the idea.”
“Well, I’m in a bind. I just got word that the state tourism board gave us a spot to compete for the most romantic small town in Texas.”
“That’s great. But what does that have to do with turning the barn into a wedding venue?”
“I need someone to represent Ido as our hospitality host . . . be the point of contact for the judge while she’s here in town. Is that something you’d be able to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to do around here. We still haven’t cleaned everything up from the storm, and—”
“I’m in a real jam. We weren’t supposed to be competing in this contest but Swynton got disqualified and we got their spot. I don’t have time to come up with another plan. If we can claim the title of the most romantic small town in Texas we could increase the wedding business we’ve already got. It would give you a chance to really make a go of it with the barn idea.”
Jasper sensed a golden opportunity within his grasp. Mayor Cherish was right. If Ido claimed the title, there would be a huge influx of tourists. Not only brides, but they could do anniversary parties, maybe even corporate outings with trail rides. If he could turn things around and save their land, how could he refuse?
“What would you need me to do?”
“They’re sending Miss Lovin’ Texas over to judge. From what I understand, she’ll live here in town for a month, and then they’ll hold a big shindig in Houston in November where they’ll announce the winner. We’re the last stop. She’s already been to Hartwood and East. What do you say? Will you be Ido’s hospitality host?”
“You want me to entertain a beauty queen for a month?” His gut rolled. “There’s got to be someone else better qualified for the job.”
“I wish,” Lacey muttered.
“What’s that?”
“I wish we had time to find someone, but there’s no one else. Believe me, I’ve tried to come up with ideas on who might be best to fill this role. You’ve got incentive. If Ido wins, you win. Plus, you can’t argue that right now you’ve got the time.”
No, he couldn’t argue with that. Harvesttime was coming up and with seventy-five percent fewer trees to pick, not even the busiest time of year would keep him all that occupied.
“What would I have to do?”
“Easy peasy. Just shuttle her around and introduce her to the folks in town. Make sure she sees the best of Ido and gets to all the events on time. Should be a piece of cake.”
A piece of cake. In his experience, most things folks thought would be a piece of cake ended up being more like a cake fight. He clenched his jaw, trying to think of another solution. But he’d spent the past month running through every scenario he could come up with to save the orchard. Turning the barn into some sort of event venue and taking advantage of the town’s strategy to become the most romantic small town in Texas might be the best option. Maybe even the only option. But what did he know about romance?
“I don’t know. I’d be happy to pitch in, but I don’t think I’m the right man for the job.”
Lacey sighed. “Some help is better than none. Can you swing by my office this afternoon? We need to get started right away.”
“Sure thing. I thought you said you were pretty busy this week with that big wedding coming up. Maybe we should wait until next week?” That would give his dad a chance to further warm up to the idea.
“We don’t have time to spare. She’ll be here Friday.”
“Friday? As in the day after tomorrow?” His stomach flipped.
“Yes, Friday. We’ve got to put together some sort of kickoff event in less than forty-eight hours.”
“Wow.” Dammit. How was he going to convince his dad to get on board that fast? Dad was deliberate in his decisions. He took time to weigh the options and examine his moves from every angle before he committed to taking any kind of action. He’d never get behind an idea this wild in such a short time frame.
“Can I count on you?”
Jasper took in a deep breath. Helping the town would be the best way to help his family, even if they didn’t see it that way yet.
“Let me get cleaned up, and I’ll be over in a bit.”
“Thanks, Jasper. I’ll see you soon.”
He ended the call and rejoined his dad by the fence.
“What did the mayor want?” Dad asked.
Jasper hooked his fingers over the top rail. “She asked if I wanted a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Seems Ido is in the running for most romantic small town in Tex
as and she needs a hospitality host.”
Dad let out a deep laugh. “No offense, son, but I hope you turned her down. You don’t really know much about either, do you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“When’s the last time you went on a date? Shouldn’t someone who’s in charge of romance and hospitality know something about one or the other?”
“I did turn her down but told her I’d be willing to help. If Ido wins that title, it would mean a bunch of publicity for something like a wedding barn.”
“Tell you what.” Dad turned and faced him. The humor had faded from his eyes. “You and Lacey get that title for Ido and I’ll let you try that wedding idea with the barn.”
Jasper grinned. “You sure you want to make that deal?”
His dad thrust out his hand. “I’m sure, but how about you? If you fail, we’re going to have to make some difficult decisions around here.” He glanced to where Abby slowed the mare to a walk. “Some of those horses we’ve got are worth quite a bit. I’m not afraid to make some hard decisions to do whatever it takes to save this place.”
Jasper wrapped his hand around his dad’s. “If all goes well, you won’t have to.”
about the author
Dylann Crush is the author of All American Cowboy and Cowboy Christmas Jubilee. A romantic at heart, she loves her heroines spunky and her heroes super sexy. When she's not dreaming up steamy story lines, she can be found sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in Minnesota. Although she grew up in Texas, she currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with her unflappable husband, three energetic kids, a clumsy Great Dane, a rescue mutt, and a very chill cat. She loves to connect with readers, other authors, and fans of tequila. You can find her at dylanncrush.com.
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