The Marine's E-Mail Order Bride (Heroes of Chance Creek Book 3) (14 page)

“You know what makes men most happy?” Belinda turned to her. “When their work calls to them. When they make enough to provide for their families. Preferably both.” She shook her head. “Darren’s too worried about money to enjoy his work. Every day I’ve got some new bill to show him.” She flushed, as if she’d revealed too much. “This job will help.”

“I promise I won’t take chances that are too big,” Storm assured her. “Just little ones that might work out really well for both of us.” She made herself a new resolution. She would set up the store to be fantastically successful and turn it over to Belinda when it was time for her to go. Knowing she’d helped someone would make the pain of leaving worthwhile.

Belinda grinned at her suddenly. “Everyone’s going to come spend their money here anyway just as soon as you open up. You’re new. People get bored of the same-old, same-old. You’ll do fine.”

“This can’t be
a coincidence,” Zane said when he found Mason fixing a flat tire on his truck Friday morning.

“I don’t think Darren let the air out of my tire. I hit something when I was driving yesterday—an old tire iron or something. I hoped I got away with it, but I guess I didn’t.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him to have put the tire iron in your way.”

Mason stood up, peeling off a work glove. “You think he really has it out for us now?”

“Wouldn’t you if you were him?”

“Maybe we should think of a way to head trouble off at the pass.”

“Maybe we should find a way to drum him out of town.”

Mason grunted. “That’s not going to happen. I don’t want you escalating this either.”

“Yes, sir.” Zane’s tone was scathing.

Mason just chuckled. “It’s about time you understood the hierarchy around here, Private.”

“Private, is it?” Zane growled in mock anger. “You just won yourself a round on the obstacle course. You won’t be so cocky after I leave you in the dust.”

Mason tore off the other glove and followed him toward the woods that housed the course. “You won’t be so insubordinate after I leave
you
in the dust.”

Austin, standing on the back porch talking to Regan and Ella, spotted them. “Hey!” he hollered. “You racing?”

“You bet!” Mason shouted back.

“I’m in! I’ll take on the winner.”

“For heaven’s sake,” Zane heard Ella exclaim to Regan. “Where do they get the energy?”

One problem with
her working at the store and Zane working on the ranch was that it left them little time to spend together, Storm thought as she was getting dressed that Friday morning. Of course, that was the upside to it as well. Her nighttime interludes with Zane were something special, and they always chatted before they fell asleep, but spending so much time apart meant she had fewer chances to slip up and forget she was supposed to be Kenna.

It was getting harder and harder to keep the pretense up. All of them called her Storm and their talk was about the ranch, the wedding, or Mandy’s Emporium. When someone brought up mountain climbing she had to scramble to get back in character again.

Storm glanced at the clock. She was running late if she wanted to reach Mandy’s by nine, when she’d told Belinda she’d be there.

“There you are,” Regan said, when Storm entered the kitchen for a quick bite a few minutes later. She slid her sleek phone into her purse where it sat on the counter and slung it over her shoulder. “Come on, Storm. We’re heading out.”

“Great, let me grab a banana. I need a ride to the store.”

“Not today. We’re going to Billings. Ella, too.”

Ella appeared, her purse in her hand. “Everyone ready?”

“Almost. We want to get there right when the stores open,” Regan explained to Storm. “We’re meeting the guys at the Dancing Boot tonight at nine o’clock. They had to head out to Bozeman to pick up some equipment they can’t get in town. They’ll eat on the road and meet us at the bar. Mason says we’d better get dolled up, and I’m taking that to mean it’s time to buy a new dress. We’ll make a day of it.”

Storm shook her head. “Sorry, but I can’t. I’m supposed to work at the store today.”

“You’re your own boss and you’re not open yet. You can take the day off. By the way, Mia called again yesterday. She said she’d left you a message on your phone but you hadn’t called her back.” Ella said.

Ella was right, she hadn’t called Mia back. If she wasn’t going to go into the store, she’d need to call Belinda, too. She knew the other woman would be disappointed if she didn’t show up today. “I was really busy yesterday and I still have so much to do. I shouldn’t take any time off…”

“Come on, Storm. We’ve barely gotten to know you yet. Here’s our chance.” Regan smiled sweetly. “Play hooky from work just this once. We’ll help you make up for it tomorrow.”

Storm only hesitated a minute. She couldn’t resist the invitation without risking them finding out she’d hired Belinda. She wasn’t ready for that yet. Besides, she couldn’t remember when she’d last spent time shopping and having fun with girlfriends. She’d call Belinda and put her off. She’d get in touch with Mia tomorrow. “Okay.”

Belinda was disappointed, but Storm promised to be back to work the next day. That difficult call over, she changed into her best outfit and prepared to enjoy herself. The drive to Billings turned out to be a lot of fun, with Regan and Ella chattering at her. They told her all about their time at the ranch to date, and Storm couldn’t believe some of the things that had happened to them.

She wished she would get the chance to know them better. It pained her to know she’d have to leave all of this in late November, but she was determined to enjoy every minute she had here, especially the ones with Zane.

When they got to the first store, Regan immediately took charge. “You’ve got a pair of boots,” she said. “You’ll need a hat to go with them, at the very least.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I’m not a country girl—I don’t want to pretend I am.”

Regan rolled her eyes. “I spent the last decade in New York City. Ella spent it in Los Angeles. Look at us now. What makes you any different?”

“I’m just not sure it’s me.”

Ella chuckled. “It better be you. You’re a Hall, now—or you will be soon enough. You’d better start looking like one.”

“This is where I got mine,” Ella said. “Look—this one would be perfect on you.”

“It would make me look ridiculous.”

But she let them bully her into trying one on, secretly liking the attention. She liked the hat too once she had it on. It made her look sassy and sexy and a little bit bad. She just couldn’t imagine where she would wear it.

“I need a dress,” Regan said. “Something that covers this belly of mine, but still makes me look hot.” She sighed. “I’m glad I’m pregnant, but I just don’t look the same in a miniskirt, you know?”

“Mason adores you whatever you wear and you know it,” Ella said. “I’ll be in the same boat in a few months. Don’t worry, we’ll find you something. I want something new too now that we’re here.”

Each place they went to, they brought armfuls of clothing into the fitting rooms and traded them back and forth. It reminded Storm of being with her sisters, if her sisters were closer in age. Soon her stiffness and uncertainty had dissolved and she was joking and laughing along with the other two.

“That looks amazing,” Ella said when she pulled on a light blue, barely there dress. With a gathered neckline and a baby-doll skirt she looked both young and sensuous.

“What do you guys think about this one?” Regan came out of her fitting room in a short denim skirt with a white ruffled sleeveless shirt that covered the small mound of her belly.

“I love it!” Storm looked her over again. “Sexy, but not in a sleazy way, you know?”

Ella disappeared inside a room and a moment later came out in a curve-hugging minidress with black and white color blocks that emphasized every one of her attributes.

“You’re going to stop traffic in that dress,” Regan said. “You need a cherry-red pair of stiletto heels.”

“Hmm. Maybe.”

Storm suddenly felt underdressed. She looked down at her outfit. Regan caught her. “Uh-uh, don’t even think about changing. Trust me—pairing a simple little dress with some cowboy boots will make any country boy swoon.”

“If you say so.”

By the time they were shopped-out, hunger had kicked in. Regan whipped out her cell phone. “I have an app that finds vegetarian restaurants.” They chose a little bistro and were charmed by the cozy ambience. Sharing a platter of hummus and naan to start, they dined on salads and Tex-Mex vegan tacos.

“I’ve had so much fun today,” Storm declared as they climbed back into the truck at the end of their meal.

“I’m glad,” Regan said earnestly as she got in the driver’s seat. “I was afraid you didn’t like us.”

“I thought you wouldn’t like me,” Storm confessed. “And the two of you were like superwomen, getting the chores done before breakfast and all that.”

“Well, we wanted to impress you.” Ella squeezed in beside her on the front bench seat and Regan started the truck’s engine. “Couldn’t look like a pair of slackers when the new wife arrives, you know?”

Regan snorted as she backed out of the parking space. “You make it sound like we’re sharing one man between us. This isn’t Utah.”

“We do kind of live on a compound, though. And let’s face it—Storm’s husband and mine look exactly the same. That’s kind of weird, right?”

“They don’t look exactly the same.” But Storm was giggling, because it
was
weird now that Ella mentioned it.

“What if it was dark?” Regan asked driving toward the highway back to Chance Creek. “Would you be able to tell if they switched places?”

“God, I hope so.” Ella stared at Storm in horror. “Austin would never do that.”

“Zane wouldn’t either.” But a thought occurred to Storm. “Do you think they ever did when they were teenagers?”

“Should we ask them?”

All three of them dissolved in laughter.

“Austin would be completely shocked. He’s so upright.”

“A very good quality in a man,” Storm observed.

“I can’t take you two anywhere,” Regan said, rolling her eyes.

“You can take us to the Dancing Boot,” Ella declared. “It’s time to get this party started.”

“It’s a little early. Besides, we need to change.”

“I know!” Ella thumped her hand on the dashboard. “The Turners. We’ll stop at their ranch, get changed and drag Maya and Stella out with us. It’ll be fun. A little mini girls’ night out before the guys get there.”

“Now that’s what I call a plan,” Regan said. “Storm, hold onto your brand new hat, baby. It’s going to get a little crazy tonight.”

‡

“I
’m always up
for a night on the town, but is there a reason you chose tonight?” Austin asked Zane as they hurried through their evening chores. They’d been gone all day and when they got home there was no sign of the women. They’d decided they’d better get ready to head to the Dancing Boot sooner rather than later.

“I want Storm to like this place as much as I do.”

“You got any worries on that score?”

“Not exactly.” He searched for the right thing to say. “It’s complicated. It’s not that I don’t want her to climb mountains anymore…”

“It’s just that you don’t want her to climb mountains anymore,” Austin finished for him. “Listen, you can’t start a relationship wanting to change the other person.”

“I don’t want to change her. It’ll just be hard to let her go. I mean… what she does is dangerous.”

“We better get a move on,” Mason hollered, stepping through the barn door.

“What’s the rush?”

Mason held out his cell phone. “The girls beat us to the bar. Looks like they’re having a little too much fun.”

Zane took the phone and grinned at the photo which showed Storm and Ella dancing with Maya and Stella Turner and Camilla Torres, a friend who rented a house on the Turners’ ranch. “You’re right; we’d better get over there before someone else horns in on our women.”

“No one better touch my woman,” Austin said. “Let’s go.”

“That was pathetic,”
Storm exclaimed, sitting down on the barstool with a thump.

“That was awesome,” Ella said, sitting down next to her.

“I can’t believe how many people are here tonight.” Storm also couldn’t believe she’d just tried line-dancing. In public. She’d tripped herself up on her own feet so many times she’d lost count.

“I know, right?” Regan rejoined them after stepping outside to make a call.

There wasn’t a band tonight, but the sound system was blasting favorite dance tunes and the floor saw a continual flow of couples and groups having fun. Two booths in the corner were filled with an uproarious crowd of cowboys who seemed to be celebrating something, although Storm couldn’t tell what it was. She recognized Darren among them, and avoided making eye contact. She didn’t recognize any of the others. A number of single men were drinking at the bar and the door opened to admit another trio of women who looked ready to enjoy themselves.

“I need a drink,” Maya Turner cried and the rest of them joined in with a chorus of “Me, too’s!” They kept the bartender busy for the next few minutes, Ella and Regan with non-alcoholic choices and the rest of them with beer and mixed drinks. Storm jumped when she felt a man’s hand rest proprietarily on her hip.