by Meg Ripley
I rolled my eyes. “Wyatt.”
“Oh right! Not since Wyatt. Oh wait…”
“You’re hilarious. But what can I do about it? He’s not invited to the wedding, is he?”
“No, sorry; before last night, I hadn’t seen him in years. Still hot as ever, though.”
“I know,” I moaned.
“Way hotter than that stripper. He should really think about stripping. He could make a lot of money.”
I put my hand to my forehead.
The entire bridal party sat around a long table inside the restaurant. Unfortunately, neither my hangover nor Brady’s could stop him from being an ass.
So far that morning, he’d blown his straw wrapper down my shirt, then tried to get it out for me. He’d flirted persistently, loud and obnoxious as always.
“Don’t you remember the time we hooked up?” Brady asked Belle. “Behind the bleachers?”
“We did not,” Belle insisted.
“Sure’nuff did. That one time after a guy dumped you on Halloween.”
“What are you goin’ on about, man?” Noah asked him.
“She got dumped on Halloween and came to the game dressed like a slutty cowgirl,” Brady went on.
“What! I did not,” Belle demanded.
“Yes, you did. It was the year we lost the championship and you said you were fixin’ to make me feel better.”
Noah gave Belle a sharp look. “We were already dating that year.”
“It wasn’t me. Promise,” Belle insisted.
“Oh wait,” Brady said. “No, I know who it was.” He quirked his eyebrow at me. “It was Glory Thomas.”
“No, it definitely wasn’t,” I said.
“Oh, yes it was,” Brady continued. “One time after that Wyatt kid and you got into a fight.”
“I’ve never kissed you.”
“Leave her alone, Brady,” Anna warned. “She only made out with one boy in high school.”
My face flushed as the guys all whooped it up.
“My bad,” Brady finally said. “Who was it then?”
I looked at Belle and shook my head, and she rolled her eyes in agreement. Brady had almost caused a fight between the bride and groom the day before their wedding, and then he’d tried to make it seem like I cheated on Wyatt. As if I would’ve ever hooked up with him. I tried to be nice, though; I still had to deal with Brady several more times before this event was over, and I didn’t want to make it worse on myself.
The conversation moved onto something else, and Brady slid his hand across the table to cover mine. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. I’ll keep our secret.”
I pulled my hand back. “There is no secret to keep. I didn’t kiss you.”
“I meant the other secret. The one where you wish we had.”
“Oh yes, Brady,” I seethed. “Didn’t every girl want to hook up with you in high school?”
He didn’t seem to get the sarcasm. “Well, I guess so, yeah. I never thought about it like that.”
How much longer will this breakfast go on? I thought about what Wyatt would do if he were there. He’d make jokes and they’d actually be funny. He’d be sweet and cute and probably feed me grapes by making a game of it. My heart ached to think of it, but I still wanted to think of him. Memories came back to me in flashes.
Being around Belle and my old friends in Big Bend brought so many memories back to the surface that I thought I’d lost long ago. I enjoyed their return, even if they pained me. Could I just go back to the park and find him? Between the dress fitting, the program stuffing, the decorating and then the wedding, when would I have time for that? After the wedding, I’d be gone. It all seemed much too short, and I felt panicky about the idea of not seeing him. Maybe I could stay an extra night in my hotel.
I desperately wished Belle and Wyatt had kept in touch and that he’d be at the wedding. I pictured walking in wearing my yellow dress and seeing him dressed up in a sharp suit. We would dance for hours together; slow, fast, and everything in between. It’d always been one of our favorite things to do.
But Wyatt wouldn’t be there. He’d be in Big Bend National Park, saving animals and lost tourists and telling campers to quiet down. Unfortunately, I’d most likely already seen the last of Wyatt Montgomery.
7
Wyatt
I woke much too early. I couldn’t possibly arrive at the ladies’ camp site before they got up; that would just be awkward. Watching the clock, I tried to decide. What’s a decent time? Eight? Nine? I settled on eight-thirty. The problem was, I had hours to kill before then.
I spent some time running in bear form to help burn off my frustration. By the time I’d eaten breakfast and washed up, it was finally eight o’clock. I couldn’t stand to wait another minute, so I jumped in my truck and drove to the Ranger station.
I wasn’t actually working that day, so I didn’t bother switching vehicles or even stopping at the station. As I drove down the dirt road toward the camping area, I had to force myself to mind the speed limit, but when I pulled up to the site, my heart sank.
I hopped out of my truck, but there was no point. Long gone without a trace. At least they’d cleaned up well. Probably thanks to Glory, the only Ranger of the group. I never would have guessed she’d end up doing the same thing I did. If she’d stayed in Big Bend, I reckoned we’d be working together, though she’d be in the fox station.
I shook my head and got back in my truck. No point in thinking about all that. She hadn’t stayed; she wasn’t even going to be in town for more than a few days. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt such pressure, but suddenly, seeing her was the most urgent matter in the world.
I returned to the Ranger station and checked the reservation book. My fingers were crossed, but luck was not on my side. The person who had reserved the site and paid—the person whose contact information we had on file—had been Sarah, not Glory.
The day stretched out before me, empty and lonely. My parents invited me and Sawyer and his family for supper, but that was still hours away. I decided to hang around the station to kill some time, chatting with fellow Rangers, trying to take my mind off Glory while trying to figure out how to see her.
I still had a few hours left, so I went home and tried to relax and watch TV, but I couldn’t be still. I found myself doing things like scrubbing the toilet and vacuuming the carpet, and my place had never looked so clean and tidy—which was good, on the slight chance Glory might end up at my house.
When the time finally came to head over to my parents’ house, I drove slow when I neared. I wanted a nice, long view of what used to be the Thomas’s ranch. Another family bought it from them, but it would always be Glory’s home to me.
I reached the end of their land and saw my parents’ barn; the one that replaced the barn Glory’s dad had burned down and refused to pay for. How could two grown men—two old friends—be so stubborn and stupid?
I pulled up to the house and let out a long sigh. We hadn’t talked about the feud in ages, but it felt like the topic would need to be brought up that night.
Greeting me with a tight hug, my dad slapped my shoulder. “Good to see you, son.” I sat with him in the living room while my mom finished getting supper ready, and minutes later, Sawyer and Maddy arrived with my nephew, Caiden, tottering unsteadily beside his mother.
“Look at you, walkin’ like a little cowboy!” I got up to wrap Caiden in a squeeze.
“Yeah, he’s getting into everything now,” Maddy said, chuckling.
“Come to Grandma,” my mother said, taking Caiden from me.
As supper began and our conversation varied from shifter life to parenting, I couldn’t get the feud off my mind. Was I even remembering it all correctly?
“Hey, Dad,” I said when there was a slight lull. “Did Sawyer tell you I saw Glory Thomas yesterday?”
His face fell into a scowl. “Are the Thomases in town?”
“No, just Glory,” I explained. “She�
��s in town for a wedding. Mom, remember Maribelle?”
“Oh sure. Cute little thing. She and Glory were always such good friends.”
I nodded. “Glory’s in the wedding.” I turned back to my dad. “I passed their place and was thinking about that old barn that burned. What exactly happened in that feud, anyway?”
“I don’t think I ever knew for sure, either,” Sawyer jumped in.
“Well,” my dad said, “You know enough. That idiot burned the barn down and wouldn’t pay for the damages.”
My mother raised an eyebrow at him. “If you’re gonna tell the story, you’d better tell the whole story, John.”
He shot daggers at my mother and said nothing, so she spoke up.
“Do you remember how clumsy Mr. Thomas was? Always walking into things or knocking things over?”
“Yeah,” Sawyer said.
“He was still a good rancher, though,” I pointed out.
“Sure’nuff,” my mother said. “But the point is, he was a dang klutz and accidentally knocked over a burn barrel. It happened to be still burning, and that’s how the barn caught on fire and killed poor Lucy.” My mother stopped to put her hand to her mouth for a moment. She loved Lucy like a pet and was devasted when that old goat died in the fire.
“That’s one of the reasons why I was madder than a wet hen,” my father interjected. “The whole thing was upsetting to your mother. And then the jerk refused to pay for it, saying the barn was ready to fall down anyway.”
“It was, Dad,” I told him. “We talked about having a bonfire and burning the thing down to the ground ourselves.”
He stuck out his lips in a sour face. “That’s not the point. He should have been a good neighbor and friend and at least offered to pay for it. But we didn’t just lose a barn; we lost livestock in that fire. So, I took a sheep from them to pay for the goat. Fair is fair.”
“I thought they gave us that sheep as repayment,” I said. Anger stirred in my chest hearing the truth about the fight that tore Glory away from me.
“That’s how your father saw it,” my mother explained. “Only problem was, Carl didn’t agree. I do think pressing charges was a little much, though.”
“I remember something about that,” Sawyer said. “A cop showed up to talk to Dad.”
My dad huffed. “It was never serious and they dropped the charges, but it’s the principle of the thing.”
“And it still bothers you?” I asked him.
“The whole thing was so stupid,” he said.
“Your father misses Carl, but he won’t admit it.” With a deep sigh, my mother turned to coo at Caiden.
My father shot her a look, but didn’t deny it.
“Then I have one question,” I said. “Am I still forbidden to talk to Glory?”
My mother laughed and my father rolled his eyes.
“No, you’re not forbidden,” my father said.
“Oh, I’d love to see her again,” my mother added. “If she’s in town and has the chance, tell her to stop on by, will ya?”
“I don’t know if I’ll get to see her again,” I said. “I’m hoping to.” Dying to was more like it. What could I do now, if I’d missed my chance at the camp site?
“Didn’t you see her this morning?” Sawyer asked.
“I was too late. Missed them.”
“Bummer,” Sawyer replied.
“Who is she staying with?” my mother asked. “I can get any phone number you need.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I was too flustered to get her number. I have no way to get in contact with her.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” my mother said.
“I know.” How could I be such an idiot?
“Well, I know one thing to be true,” Maddy chimed in. “Love finds a way.” She hooked her fingers through Sawyer’s and grinned at him.
If we were fated, maybe. Maybe somehow the fate that brought us together in the first place would bring us together again. But fate had better move quick. In a matter of days, Glory would be on a plane back to Washington.
8
Glory
I’d managed to make it through the rehearsal without Brady getting on my nerves—too much. I tried to ignore him, staying as far away from him as possible. Of course, when the moment came to practice our walk down the aisle, he clung on longer than he had to and tried to pull me into a hug at the end.
I hadn’t dealt with him yet on the day of the wedding, but once the ceremony ended, I’d have to walk with him. Then have photos taken with him. Then be announced with him.
Thankfully, the joy of watching my best friend get married distracted me during the actual ceremony, though I couldn’t help picturing Wyatt and me in their place. It seemed so right. I dabbed at my eyes as the new Mr. and Mrs. were announced, and before I knew it, Brady was eagerly grabbing my arm.
“This is almost my favorite part,” he whispered.
I wanted to glare, but smiled for the camera. “What part?”
“Where I get to touch you. The best part is later, though.”
I hated to even ask. “What’s later?”
“Our shining moment. I’ll hold you close and everyone will see how cute we are together.”
Ugh. The bridal party dance at the reception. Dread hardened in my stomach. Luckily, we’d only be joining in on the last half of the dance.
We had photos next, and again, Brady was obnoxious to everyone. How was Noah even still friends with him? Was he just around for the guys’ comic relief? I lost count of how many photos had to be retaken because Brady had made a duck face or photo bombed the bride and groom.
When the moment came for us to be announced into the reception, Brady took my hand. “Just think, one day this could be us.”
I pressed my lips into a hard line and stared straight ahead. Almost over. Then I never have to talk to him again.
Our names were called and we paraded into the room to loud cheers, then took our places as the rest of the bridal party entered. We all watched Belle and Noah sway to their first dance and halfway through, the deejay signaled the bridal party to join the newlyweds on the dance floor.
I tried not to look at Brady.
“Finally, the best part,” he said, smiling at me.
“Nah,” I said. “The cake is the best part.” I chuckled.
He put his arm around my waist, but his hand drifted lower, and he was much closer than he had to be. I took a little step back for space and to move his hand.
He tightened his hold and pulled me closer. “I didn’t see your parents. Where are they sitting?”
“Oh, they couldn’t make it.” I wasn’t sure why he cared or even noticed.
“No? Your dad didn’t miss his old clan?”
“He does,” I admitted, “but he’s not in the best health.”
“Oh? Is it bad?”
“Bad enough that he can’t travel.”
“Really.” I could swear there was a hint of happiness in his voice.
I took another step back from Brady.
“Does he plan on ever coming back to take his place as Alpha?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you getting at, Brady?”
His line of questioning worried me. I hadn’t known what to expect from my former clan mates. When we moved to Seattle, we didn’t just leave our friends behind; we left our fellow fox shifters. But there was a little more to it than that. My dad was the Alpha of the clan, and what he’d done was considered abandonment. So far, I hadn’t seen many of my former clan mates besides Brady, but those I had seen briefly at the wedding had smiled and seemed to welcome me.
“I was just wondering what lies ahead for our clan,” Brady said. “Or your old clan, I guess. Unless you’re going to rejoin us?”
“No, I’m settled in Seattle.”
“And your dad? Will he come back?”
“Probably not. Why do you care, anyway?”
He smirked. “Not everyone is happy with our acting Alpha.
Just curious if a change was coming. You’d make a fabulous Alpha, you know.”
“Me? Alpha?”
“You’re next in line after your dad, then it’s your uncle. You could overthrow the acting Alpha easily. I could help you. We could lead together, as a couple.”
“Brady, I’m not interested in you like that.”
“You can learn to be.” He grabbed my hand and spun me on the dancefloor. “Or maybe you’d rather pass the title onto me. That way, you don’t have to take on that responsibility. It’s a lot, I hear.”
“I’m sure it is.”
The song wasn’t finished, but I was. Ignoring his protests, I took my seat, downing my drink as the song ended and the rest of the bridal party left the floor.
After toasts, the meal and all the usual wedding goings on, there was time to mingle with the guests. For me, that meant talking to a lot of people I hadn’t seen in years. I was surprised at how many people remembered me, but then again, Big Bend was a tight-knit community. We might have lived spaced out on big ranches, but we were all rather close. I guess being so cut off from the next closest town had that effect.
At one point, as I left the restroom, someone came rushing up to me. I saw my cousin Terri and threw out my arms to hug her as she reached me. “I didn’t even know you were here!”
“I didn’t know you were in town!” she squealed.
“Are your parents here, too?”
“No, just me. It’s so good to see you.” She swatted my shoulder. “But how dare you not stay with family when you’re in town. Or even call us?”
My aunt, uncle and cousin still lived in Big Bend. They’d been on our side in the feud, of course, but us moving so far away caused our families to lose touch. Most of the time, Christmas cards were our only point of contact each year.
“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t want to impose or anything.”
“Don’t be silly.” She looked around conspiratorially. “I do need to talk to you, though, since you’re here. It’s about the clan. Come on.”