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guys,” Lauren answered.

“But cakes are a lot of work. I don’t want you to have to work on

your vacation…” She bit her lip and then wrinkled her nose. “I’m

going to shut up and just say yes! Thank you!”

Relieved, Lauren grinned when Lacy jumped up and came

around the desk to hug her. “You’re welcome. This is what I love;

just point me in the right direction so I know what your vision is. Me

and my two sous chefs”—she pointed at Franki and Jeanette—“are

going to make you a wedding day masterpiece.”

“I’d settle for something tasty and halfway pretty at this point,”

Lacy joked.

Jeanette took a seat in on the chaise lounge and patted the seat

next to her. “Why don’t you tell us what else has gone wrong, and we

can all work on solutions? Four heads are better than one.”

“I don’t want to burden you guys.” Lacy plopped down heavily

on the fragile piece of furniture. Lauren bit her tongue to keep from

saying something about the hard use of an antique. This wasn’t her

home anymore; it was Lacy’s. She had to remember that.

“It’s not a burden. Besides, with the rain, no one can do anything

else,” Franki observed, shrugging and taking one of the wing back

chairs.

Before Lauren knew it, she was sitting in the other wingback

helping organize an event unlike any other she’d planned. Happiness

filled her as she enjoyed the girl talk and the chance to put her

passion to good use. Maybe coming back to Crawley Creek wasn’t

such a bad thing after all.

~ ~ ~ ~

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Claiming His Cowgirl

Vin knew he couldn’t keep avoiding Lauren. It wasn’t fair to the

rest of the family. Hawke had asked him more than once in the last

two days if he was okay, and why he was acting so strange, but he

couldn’t bring himself to explain. If any one of his brothers found out

the hurtful things he’d said to her that day, they’d likely kill him.

The house smelled of roasted meat and some sort of sweets when

he came in, and his stomach growled. He had a huge sweet tooth, and

baked goods were his biggest weakness. Hurrying through the house

in his socked feet, he was surprised to find Lauren in the kitchen

instead of Marilyn.

“What are you doing in here?” He winced; it came out sounding

way harsher than he’d planned.

She lifted her head and glared at him. “Cooking, obviously.”

“I meant, where’s Marilyn?”

“She wasn’t feeling well, so I volunteered to cook tonight.”

He watched her for a few moments, bustling about the kitchen as

though she’d been cooking there for decades. The smells rolling

through the air were enough to bring a grown man to his knees, and

finally, he had to ask, “What’s for dinner?”

“That depends”—she didn’t even look up—“on whether or not

you can cut the attitude. I didn’t slave over a hot stove just to be

bitched at because I’m not Marilyn.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.” Feeling awkward

and sufficiently chastised, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “So,

uh, do you need a hand?”

“Nope, but you could set the table. We’ll be ready to eat in about

ten,” she said, turning back to the oven. Lauren bent to pull a pan out,

and he was treated to a view of her lush backside. Instantly, his cock

thickened behind his zipper, and he took a few steps closer to her so

that he could hide his erection behind the kitchen island.

“Is that a cake?”

“It’s a wedding cake,” she corrected.

He couldn’t hide his surprise. “You’re making the wedding

cake?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

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“Lauren, can we start over, please? I know you’re still angry

with me because of how I ended things, but…”

“But what? But you want me to just forgive and forget?” Her

eyebrow lifted almost to her hairline. “I have news for you Vinnie, I

forgave you a long time ago and forgot you just as quickly.”

Hurt flashed through his system, and he struggled to find the

words to respond. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just knew I wasn’t

good enough for you.”

“You were right,” she said calmly.

“So can we start over? Call a truce?”

“Sure, we’ll just pretend it never happened. I mean, it’s not like

we’re going to see each other every day. I’m going back to Little

Rock on Monday, and I won’t be back until there’s another wedding

or funeral to attend, I’m sure.”

“You don’t have to stay away,” he offered. “Or at least, I hope

you’re not staying away because of me.”

“No, it has nothing to do with you. I have a life back home. A

career, a thriving business…I can’t just drop everything for routine

visits.”

He nodded. “I get that.”

When she continued to cook, leaving the silence hanging in the

air, he grew frustrated. How could she act so cold toward him?

Where was the passionate, feisty girl she’d been? Now she was a

different sort of feisty. More angry and bitter. Did he do that to her?

“If you find some time, I’d love to sit down and have a beer with

you. Catch up?” She froze and stood stock still for a moment before

she answered.

“I don’t drink, and I have a lot to do if I’m going to have the

cake ready for Saturday, but maybe we can catch up on Sunday after

the wedding.”

It was an olive branch. A sign of a truce he desperately wanted.

“Deal.” He smiled at her. Her lips curled up on one side, but she

fought the smile, and went back to what she was doing.

“Better get the table done. It’s almost ready.”

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Vin felt distinctly lighter than he had just moments before, and

he hurried to prepare the table. The last time he’d eaten something

Lauren cooked was in high school. She was talented then, so he could

only imagine how skilled she was now. Excitement filled his chest

because he’d broken through her wall. Somehow, some way, he’d

convince her to give him a second chance. If not, he wasn’t sure he’d

ever find love again.

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62

August 7 – Wedding Countdown T-minus 1 day

“We can’t have the wedding outside. Even if the rain does stop,

the field is completely waterlogged,” Drannon announced at

breakfast Friday morning.

Lacy looked sick to her stomach. “I don’t know what we’re

going to do. Everyone is going to show up and get washed away.”

“It’s not that bad. We could have the wedding inside. How many

people did you invite?” Marilyn asked.

“Three hundred!”

The older woman’s face went white. “Oh my. Well, that won’t

work then.”

“I say you hop a plane to Vegas, and we tell everyone you

eloped,” Hawke joked as he bit down on a piece of bacon. “Saves

money and no one drowns.”

“But we’ve already booked the pastor, and the flowers will be

arriving this afternoon. Vin did you go get the rings yet? Oh, and the

tuxes! Drannon you have to pick those up today.” Lacy instructed,

tugging nervously at the end of her braid.

“I’ll take care of it, baby,” Drannon assured her. He pulled her

hand away from her hair and kissed her knuckles.

“And I already have the rings,” Vin added. “I put them

somewhere safe.”

“Do you remember where that is?” Hawke joked.

“We really should figure out a backup location,” Lauren

suggested. When Lacy gave her a stricken look, she held up her

hands, “It’s just in case we need it. I’ve been event planning for

Lori King

years, and it’s always best to have a Plan B. You don’t want to have

to wear waders under your wedding gown.”

“No, I don’t.” Lacy agreed. “I can’t believe it hasn’t quit raining.

This is North Dakota, not the damn Amazon.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one wishing

the rain would stop.” Vin said, “Ricky got the F250 stuck in the

valley late last night, and then tried to take the dozer out to pull it out.

Now we get to go pull both of them out of the mud.”

“I can’t take much more,” Lacy wailed, tears filling her eyes.

“Maybe we should just cancel this whole damn thing. Call it all off.”

She jumped to her feet and ran out of the room, leaving everyone

gaping after her.

“Wow. Dramatic much?” Hawke said with a snort. Marilyn

smacked his arm, and gave him a glare. “What? You have to admit

that was over the top.”

Drannon stood with a heavy sigh. “I’m going to go talk her off

the cliff. I do think we need to make some phone calls about another

location. Maybe the VFW? Marilyn would you—”

“Of course. I’ll see what I can do. Go take care of your girl.”

The moment Drannon disappeared, everyone seemed to relax

ten-fold. Jeanette was the first to speak. “Anyone think this wedding

is really going to happen tomorrow?”

“Oh it’ll happen. Drannon will see to that,” Roman said with a

laugh. “The question is: Will it happen the way Lacy planned it?”

“Did you get the arbor done yet, Hawke?” Marilyn asked.

“Because if the rain clears up we’ll need it.”

Hawke’s eyes dropped away, and he flushed pink. “Not exactly.”

Everyone turned their attention his way, making him shift

uncomfortably. Vin glared at his younger brother. It seemed like

Hawke had stepped into the playboy role the moment Romeo met

Franki. Suddenly he couldn’t be relied on for anything.

“Hawke, this is important—” Franki started to say, before he cut

her off.

“I know it’s important to her, but really? An arbor? For a

wedding?” He shrugged, and shoved bite of biscuit into his mouth.

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“It’s about setting the mood. For Lacy, the arbor covered in

sunflowers represents the happiness that finding Drannon has brought

into her life. It’s the perfect backdrop—just like the ranch is the

perfect location—to see her dreams culminate in a beautiful union,”

Jeanette said.

Hawke looked at her like she’d lost her mind and then laughed.

“Whatever. Look, I’ll see what I can throw together today, but with it

already so wet out there, I’ll probably just be wasting my time.”

Vin heard himself growl low in his throat. “You’re not wasting

your time if you’re doing something nice for someone. Show a little

respect for your future sister-in-law.”

Thoroughly chastised, Hawke dropped his fork and pushed back

from the table. “Fine. I’ll go start on the damn thing now if it will get

you all off my back.”

He stormed from the room leaving Vin and Roman with the five

ladies. It was Lauren who broke the tense silence.

“I don’t think that boy is ever going to grow up.” She shook her

head and looked Vin’s way. “I don’t remember there being any space

large enough in Montford to actually hold a wedding that size.”

He shook his head, “There isn’t. Even if she can get the VFW,

their meeting hall won’t handle more than a hundred and fifty

guests.”

“What about tents?” Franki offered. “Maybe we could have a

company bring tents out and set them up?”

Again, Vin nixed the idea. “It’s just too damn wet. The first four

to eight inches of ground is a soggy, muddy mess. No tent pole is

going to hold up in it.”

“So what are the options?” Franki asked. “I mean, it’s her

wedding day. And I know she wanted to be married on Abe and

Sera’s wedding anniversary…”

“Either she’s going to have to elope, or postpone,” Marilyn said

firmly. “I want to see them married on Crawley Creek just as bad as

she does, but I can admit when Mother Nature has me whipped.”

“What if we surprised them with a flight to Vegas? Marilyn, you,

me, and the guys can start making phone calls to guests telling them

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Lori King

there’s a change of plans. Franki, you can hop on the internet and

track down the best deal on a flight and hotel,” Lauren said, rising to

the challenge and taking over as was in her nature.

“That’s not a bad idea. They could still host a big reception back

here on the ranch when everything dries out so that Lacy gets to use

her arbor and everyone can celebrate with them.” Roman grinned her

way. “How’d you get so smart, sis?”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Jeanette would you go track down

Hawke and tell him not to rush making that arbor?”

Jeanette hesitated and then nodded. “Whatever I can do to help.”

“Thanks!” Jumping to her feet, Lauren scooped up a load of

plates. “Come on troops, we’d better get cracking if we want to have

everything sorted out by this evening. Hopefully, Lacy will

appreciate the gesture instead of being disappointed that her original