The Horse Trainer, The Buyer & The Bride (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots)

by Erica Penrod

  “Alex,” Boone said in a calm voice. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with us.”

  “Of course she does,” Alexandra said. “She’s my ticket out of here. Don’t think I’ve missed the way you look at her.” She reached up and petted Viv’s hair. “As long as I have her, I have you.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Boone said. “Just leave her.”

  There was the unmistakable click as Eli chambered a new round into the pistol.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Alexandra said. “You might shoot me, but not before I kill your daughter.”

  “Alex, please,” Boone pleaded.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?” Alexandra asked. “You and the FBI?”

  “I haven’t given them anything,” he said.

  “Like I’d believe you,” she said.

  “Well, believe this,” a voice came from behind.

  Boone saw Alexandra stiffen as Amanda pointed a barrel into her back.

  “Now drop the gun and no one needs to get hurt. The police are on their way.”

  “Gladly.” Alexandra spun around just as Lucas appeared around the corner. He shoved his mother to the ground as the trigger went off.

  The shot rang through Boone’s ears as he watched Lucas grab his chest. He lifted his hand, revealing a blooming red stain on his shirt.

  “Lucas!” Viv ran to him. Boone tackled Alexandra, knocking the gun from her hand before she had the chance to fire again.

  Alexandra struggled like an animal caught in a trap as he held her to the ground, but his weight kept her pinned. Boone turned his head in time to see Lucas crumple to the ground as Amanda crawled over to her son.

  “The ambulance is on its way,” Eli said as he shoved the phone into his pocket. He ripped off his shirt and passed a makeshift bandage to his wife. “Use this to apply pressure, until I get the first aid kit.”

  Eli ran while Amanda pressed both hands on her son’s chest as tears ran down her face. Viv stroked Lucas’s hair, telling him he was going to be all right.

  Boone sighed when he saw the anguish on Viv’s face. How could he have brought this much pain to the people he loved the most? Alexandra jerked beneath him and he tightened his grip.

  Sirens blared, and seconds later, Hal and his deputy came running, guns ready.

  “I’ve got her,” Hal said to Boone as he pulled out his handcuffs. Boone shifted to the side as Hal slid them on Alexandra’s wrists. He read her her rights and pulled her to her feet.

  “You’ll pay for this,” Alexandra seethed through her teeth at Boone.

  “That’s enough,” Hal said as he pushed her forward and escorted her out the door.

  The deputy cuffed Daniel as he began to stir.

  “Need any help?” Boone asked as he compared the deputy’s size to Daniel’s, but kept the corner of his eye on Viv.

  “I’ve got him,” he said with a knee in the big man’s back. “Between Hal and me, we’ll manage.”

  Boone ran and dropped down to the ground. He tried to take Viv into his arms, but she pulled away. Tears ran down her face, and she wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt.

  “This is all your fault,” she whispered. “Stay away from me.”

  Boone sat back on his heels as her words assaulted him.

  She looked at him with pain-filled eyes. “I never want to see you again.”

  Chapter 17

  Viv watched as they wheeled Lucas into to surgery. When he disappeared through the double doors, she looked down at her blood-covered hands, and her body began to shake. The pungent smell of ammonia burned through her nostrils while the beeping alarms kept her head pounding to a steady rhythm. The code blues paged across the intercom had her heart racing, so she closed her eyes, ready to succumb to the madness.

  Amanda wrapped her arm around Viv’s waist, hoisting her up. “He’s going to make it,” she said.

  Viv nodded.

  “He is,” Amanda said. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”

  In the restroom, Viv let the water run over hands as she stared at the stranger in the mirror. Seconds later, Amanda pulled Viv’s hands from the water, covered them in soap, and scrubbed away the grime. Tears fell down her cheeks as Amanda gently rinsed her hands and pulled a towel from the dispenser.

  “Thanks,” Viv said as Amanda dried her hands.

  “My pleasure,” Amanda said. She tossed the towel into the trash and grabbed a new one. “Here,” she said as she reached up and dabbed at her face. “I can’t see your beautiful face through all those tears.”

  The rough paper towel scraped across her skin, but to Viv, the scratchy surface was as soft as cashmere. This woman was there to take care of her when she didn’t know how to take care of herself. Viv managed a smile and gave Amanda a hug. “Thank you,” she said.

  After they washed up, they took a seat in the waiting room. Her father flipped through a magazine while Boone stood in the corner talking to Deputy Hal and another man Viv didn’t recognize.

  She melted into the chair; her body was relieved not to bear the weight alone. Trying to ignore any thoughts, she picked up a decorating magazine.

  “This wasn’t his fault,” Amanda said as she nodded towards her brother.

  Viv glanced over and met Boone’s eyes. They reminded her of when he rescued her from the road. Fear and trepidation mixed with compassion … and maybe something else … but you didn’t lie to people you loved. She quickly averted her eyes back to the magazine.

  “Lucas told me everything,” Viv said. “I know Boone’s got to pay for whatever it is he did.”

  Amanda touched Viv’s knee. “What are you talking about?”

  “Lucas said he’s going to go to jail even though he cooperated.”

  Amanda exhaled. “Vivien, Lucas couldn’t have known the whole story.”

  Viv swallowed the lump in her throat. “He couldn’t?”

  She shook her head. “A couple years ago, the FBI approached Boone and recruited him to go undercover. They knew Alexandra Stratton and her husband were involved in some sort of drug trafficking, and they knew the Strattons spent a lot of money on cutting horses. Boone was the perfect way to get close to Alexandra.”

  “You mean none of the rumors are true?” Viv asked.

  “No,” Amanda said as she pulled a bottle of Tylenol from her purse. “Boone got close to Alex, but somehow she got word he was involved with the FBI, and that’s when Boone confided in me. He was in serious danger, and that’s when the rumors began to fly. So, I got in touch with your dad.”

  “And you decided to get married the next day?”

  Amanda laughed. She popped two pills in her mouth and washed them down with some Diet Coke. “It wasn’t quite that fast, but we both knew there was still something between us, and we didn’t want to waste any time.”

  “I can tell he loves you,” Viv said.

  “And I can tell he loves you,” Amanda said, and tipped her chin towards Boone.

  “I don’t know what to say to him,” Viv said. “I should’ve known there was more to the story.”

  “He didn’t tell anyone other than your father and me what was going on. But when you were kidnapped, the FBI brought Hal in on the case. He didn’t tell you for your own protection.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Viv said. “But where was the FBI when I was in Wyoming?”

  “They were there as backup when Boone picked you up. They kept their cover, not wanting to jeopardize Boone’s safety any more than they already had, and they still needed more intel.”

  “But they could’ve got her on kidnapping charges,” Viv said.

  “Yes,” Amanda said. “They could have. But there were dozens of people involved with their drug operation, and the FBI needed to shut them all down.”

  “Did they get them?” Viv asked. “Because Alexandra came after Boone.”

  “I’m not sure,” Amanda said. “I hope so.”

  “Me too,” Viv said, not wantin
g to think about any other possibility.

  Amanda shook her head. “I don’t know how Lucas found out. We were so careful.”

  Viv glanced over at Boone again. “I should’ve trusted him.”

  “He was just trying to keep you safe.”

  “I understand that. But I feel like no one believes that I can protect myself.” She looked over at her father and then at Boone.

  “I think your father’s been afraid to love you. He lost me and then your mother, and I think it broke him.”

  Viv wiped at the tears pooling in her eyes.

  “He might’ve been afraid, but he loved you anyway. He just has a hard time showing it.”

  “I guess,” Viv said.

  Her father peeked over the magazine and smiled at them both.

  “I guess his frozen heart is thawing out a little more every day,” Viv said, and laughed. “It just took love’s true kiss.”

  “Don’t tell your father that,” Amanda said. “He’s got a reputation to uphold, and if he knew we compared him to Prince Charming, he might just have a heart attack.”

  “Agreed,” Viv said as she watched Boone.

  “Now get over there and make things right with my poor brother,” Amanda said. “I can’t stand to see him think he’s lost you for one more minute.”

  Viv noticed the pathetic slump to his shoulders, the defeated tilt to his jaw. “I got this,” she said as she stood up, ready to get her own happy ending.

  * * *

  Boone blinked his eyes when he saw Viv headed his way. “Excuse me,” he said to Agent Carter, and patted him on the shoulder. “But I’ve got an emergency.”

  “Can we talk?” she asked. Her hazel eyes were dancing.

  “Of course.”

  She grabbed him by the arm and led him through the doors and out into the night. The floodlights in the hospital parking lot lit the sky around them as they found a bench and sat down.

  Her hair tossed in the breeze, and he sat on his hands, afraid to touch her. The unpredictable air between them made it hard for him to breathe. He didn’t want to mess this up, just in case he was about to receive a miracle when he explained what happened.

  “Amanda told me everything,” Viv said, but the celebration was gone from her eyes. She bit her lip, and the crease in her brow made Boone believe he’d misunderstood her intentions.

  Deflated, he sunk into the bench. “Oh, okay. That’s good.”

  She knew the truth and he’d still lost her. What would he do without her? Every dream he had was with her, and now he’d have to find a way to go on without her.

  “Can you ever forgive me?” she asked.

  He sat up. “What?” Maybe the gunshots had left him with permanent hearing loss.

  “Is there any way you can forgive me?”

  He studied her face. “What are you talking about? I’m the one who needs forgiveness.”

  “No.” She touched his cheek. “I should’ve trusted you. I know you’re a good man, and I didn’t listen to my heart.”

  He leaned into her palm. “There’s nothing to forgive. Can you ever forgive me?”

  “I already have. I know you were just trying to protect me.”

  Boone’s breathing labored as he watched her eyes lure him in. A slow smile crept across her face as she grabbed his collar and pulled him to her. She gave him a playful wink. “You might want to close your eyes for this,” she said … and he did.

  Epilogue

  The summer air was warm and sweet as the sun began its descent in the western sky. Viv took a deep breath and one more glance at her reflection in the mirror. There weren’t butterflies on the white lace material, but they flitted around in her stomach like they’d flown straight through the fabric.

  Amanda fussed with the veil one more time. “There. It’s perfect.”

  “Yes,” Viv said as she turned to Amanda. “Thanks to you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

  Boone and Viv wanted to be married where they first fell in love, even though there was nothing romantic about her father’s front yard. She hoped there was a way to make it memorable, but she never imagined anything as wonderful as what waited for her outside.

  Like a fairy godmother, Amanda transformed her father’s yard into a cowgirl’s dream come true. A custom arch made of logs was the backdrop, with wild flowers of purple and pink cascading over the top and flowing down the sides in a floral waterfall. Hitching posts sat on either side with saddles draped across them. Hay bales dressed in plum-colored daisies and lace were stacked around the yard. Two sections of chairs, with an aisle down the center, faced the arch. Ribbons were strung between the chairs, where flower-laced horseshoe wreaths hung. In the corner beneath the aspen trees, their wedding cake, gorgeously dressed in cream cheese frosting, was on display. It was Joye’s special gift to Viv and Boone.

  “You would’ve been just fine. You’re a very capable woman.”

  “That might be true, but I know my hair wouldn’t have looked this good.”

  Amanda laughed. She was stunning in her pale pink summer dress, accessorized with a corsage of purple and pink daisies. “That’s what mothers are for.”

  Viv embraced Amanda. “And I’m so glad I have you for my mother.”

  Amanda’s eyes filled. “Don’t make me cry. I’ll ruin my makeup, and you haven’t even said I do yet.”

  “Speaking of,” Viv said as she looked at the clock, “I think it’s time.”

  “Yes, it is,” Amanda said. “I’ll see you out there.”

  As she opened the door, Viv’s father stepped in. He kissed Amanda on the cheek as she passed, but he stopped when his eyes fell on his daughter.

  “Geez, old man,” Viv said. “You’re getting soft in your old age.” She straightened his tie, still amazed at the man standing before her. With the long-held secrets exposed, her father was able to love her in a way she’d never known before. He listened to her when she voiced her concerns and asked for her opinion when it came to the horses.

  “It’s that woman I married.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes. “She’s ruined me.”

  Viv wrapped her arms around her father. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

  He pulled away and lifted her chin. “No. Amanda’s wonderful, but you …” He choked on the words. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  Her smile radiated through her body, like happiness could shoot out of her fingertips.

  “Let’s do this,” her dad said as he took her arm.

  She picked up the bouquet with her free hand and walked out of the house she loved—the one she and Boone had remodeled together—for the last time as Vivien McIntyre.

  * * *

  Boone stood beneath the tree as he waited for his life to begin. When he saw Viv in her white dress for the first time, with her hair tumbling across her shoulders, holding on to her father and a bouquet of wildflowers, his heart nearly stopped. She smiled and kicked up her dress to reveal purple cowboy boots, and the pounding in his chest started all over again.

  He glanced at his best man, and Lucas smiled back. Viv was the bridge between them, and he got to know his nephew in a way he never had before—as a friend.

  Eli placed her hand in his, and Boone felt their worlds truly become one. She stole his breath away with her bright eyes and the freckles dusted across her nose. Her cheeks were flushed, matching the color on her lips he longed to taste.

  The vows were spoken, and the irrevocable promises were made. She was his and he was hers, now and always. He couldn’t wait to seal their words with a kiss.

  Her lips tasted sweeter than the first time she kissed him in the rain, and he pulled her close, wanting more, until he heard all the cheering and whistling. He opened his eyes and grinned at her blushed cheeks. Taking her hand in his, he led her down the aisle, where Ace waited, saddled. He lifted her up and fixed her dress, then climbed up behind her and whispered in her ear.
She tossed the bouquet as her face turned brighter than Joye’s shade of red lipstick.

  The horse walked on, down the driveway and up the road, like so many times before, but this time when they turned off the main road, they strayed from the trail.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, as she leaned back against his chest.

  “I’ve got a wedding present for you. I want to give it to you before we go on our honeymoon.”

  “Okay,” she said as she looked around.

  “Almost there,” he said.

  The horse veered to the right, and on a sagebrush-covered knoll was a piece of paper tied to a stake in the ground. Boone pulled up on the horse and hopped down. He took his bride by the waist and helped her to the ground.

  He pointed to the piece of paper. Viv walked over and untied the ribbon.

  She watched him as she unrolled the scroll. Then she read the words:

  Forever starts here …

  Viv scrunched her forehead and looked at him with incredulous eyes.

  Boone laughed at her confusion. “I bought this from your father … and at a really good price, I might add.”

  She shook her head. “This?”

  “The land. This is where we build our home and raise all our babies …”

  Viv grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Did you read the P.S.?” Boone asked.

  “What P.S.?” Viv asked as she studied the paper again.

  P.S. The best part of your wedding gift waits for you in the stall next to Ace …

  Her eyes widened. “You got me a horse?”

  “Of course I did. I know my girl.”

  Viv squealed and jumped into his arms. “Can we see him?” she asked after she kissed his lips.

  “He’s a she, and yes, but how about after the honeymoon?”

  She looked at him like he had a cactus for a brain.

  “Of course not,” Boone said as he lifted her up onto the saddle. “That was a dumb question.”

  Viv leaned over and kissed him until his knees went weak. “Be patient,” she whispered. “And I’ll show you just how grateful I am for my present.”