Taming the Cowboy (Family Ties Book 3) Page 5

  “Brent is a perfect match for Carmen,” Faith put in. “I’ll be working with him at school this coming year.”

  “Dietrich Bogal is on the school board. He’s pretty happy with this Brent guy,” Zach said, looking up from the magazine he’d ducked into.

  “Dietrich would be happy with anyone who has half a brain and a pulse,” Kane snorted.

  “Including me?” Faith returned, her hand on her heart as if he’d wounded her.

  “Well, you know, I didn’t mean…” Kane sputtered.

  “Oh to have the ability to think before one speaks,” Elliot said with a wry grin.

  “I forgive you for now,” Faith said to Kane, flicking her dark hair back over her shoulder, adding a grin. “Though help with the dishes after supper wouldn’t hurt.”

  Zach and Elliot laughed at that, and Kinsley sat back, smiling at the give and take. It reminded her so much of her own family that it created an ache of homesickness. It had been too long since she’d sat at a table with her parents, brother, and sisters. Though they called each other regularly, it wasn’t the same as being with them.

  “And I think we’ve left Kinsley marooned long enough,” Faith said, turning back to her friend. “So. Carmen. What did you think of the food she served you?”

  Though it was fun watching the family interaction, Kinsley was glad to get back to the business at hand.

  “What she gave me was very tasty and unique.”

  Faith had said that she wanted heavy appetizers and barbecued ribs for her dinner, so when Kinsley arrived at Carmen’s trailer she had half expected mini sausages in dough and meatballs. Instead she’d been served cranberry chicken salad on apple slices, chocolate dipped oranges, and smoked salmon and cream cheese cucumber bites.

  Faith was beaming as she sat back. “She’s a fantastic cook. And it helps that she’s just starting out with her catering business. Tricia said she’s willing to help Carmen, which is great because her, I can boss around.”

  “Good luck with Tricia,” Kane said, wiping up the last of his egg with his toast. “I don’t think anyone has ever been able to boss her around.”

  “Tricia has changed a lot,” Elliot said, an edge to his voice.

  Kane shot him a frown and shrugged. “I was just making a joke.”

  “Tricia is turning her life around, and I think we should encourage her,” Elliot added, still sounding upset.

  “And I think we can stop there,” Zach said, his voice stern. “We have a guest, and we shouldn’t make her feel awkward by bringing up family struggles.”

  Kinda late for that, Kinsley thought.

  “I sense you’re not totally sold on Carmen though,” Faith said looking at Kinsley. “Don’t you think she can do a good job?”

  “I think she’s a great cook and baker—” She paused, wondering how to phrase the next sentence.

  “But…”

  “But I would be lying if I didn’t say I had concerns.” Kinsley took a steadying breath and sat back in her chair. “She doesn’t have a lot of experience, and her facilities aren’t extensive. If I’m doing this wedding, you know I need to be completely honest with you. And I have to say I have a few concerns about someone like Carmen taking this wedding on. Appetizers are actually more work than a straight-up dinner. They require a lot of ingredients and perfect timing to make sure the hot stays hot and the cold stays cold. Especially if you want to do this outside.”

  “But she’ll be doing everything here. In the house.” Kinsley heard a note of doubt enter Faith’s voice.

  “If your future sister-in-law, Tricia, is an experienced cook, that would help a lot.”

  Kane snorted, and Kinsley saw Faith shoot him a warning look.

  “Are you sure Tricia should help,” Zach asked, not helping Kinsley’s concerns one iota. “She’s got the kids and the horses—”

  “I think Tricia knows what she can and can’t do,” Elliot said. “And Carmen is enough of a perfectionist that she’ll do an amazing job.”

  Kinsley knew from Faith that Elliot and Tricia had always been extra close, so she shouldn’t be surprised at his defense of her. She had to confess to a niggle of jealousy at his defense of his old girlfriend though.

  However, this wedding was more than a favor for an old friend.

  Though she had never been the point person on a wedding plan, she knew how one small thing could cause huge problems. If Carmen didn’t come through, if Tricia wasn’t capable, if she didn’t deliver the food on time, if she didn’t make enough, it would be a reflection on Kinsley as the planner. And that would make it harder for Jill to consider taking her on.

  “I don’t want to state the obvious here, but it is my wedding.” Faith added a smile to her comment as if to soften what might be perceived as a judgment of Kinsley. “And I’d like to give Carmen the chance. I know she wants to sell her coffee shop and do more catering. This is an opportunity to show people what she can do.”

  Kinsley returned her friend’s smile, curbing her doubts. “Of course it’s your wedding. So if you want Carmen as your caterer with Tricia helping her, then that’s what we’ll go with.”

  She couldn’t help a quick glance at Elliot as if to gauge his reaction to her comment. He gave her a tight nod, and she wondered why she cared what he thought.

  “So the next things we need to deal with are the flowers, the minister, and the music.” Faith looked around the table. But Kane and his father were pushing their chairs back and getting to their feet.

  “Don’t you want to be involved in this?” Faith asked, a hurt note in her voice.

  Kane gave her an abashed look and a weak shrug. “You know I don’t know much about this kind of stuff,” he said. “I could give you advice but it wouldn’t be much help. And right now I need to get as much of that hay up before the rain they’re forecasting for this afternoon comes down. If you want to leave things until tonight I can go over some stuff with you.”

  Faith waved off his offer. “No. I understand. I’m marrying a rancher, and there are some things that can’t wait. Serves me right for wanting a July wedding.” She gave Kinsley an apologetic smile. “And I guess, deep down, that’s why I hired you.”

  “Well, if you guys don’t need me,” Elliot said, getting up as well. “I’m heading over to Trent’s place. He’s got some horses he needs bucked out.”

  “But I need you to help me with the buggy and the horses this afternoon,” Faith protested. “We have to get them ready to go. We only have a few weeks, and I want to make sure they don’t spook.”

  “I’m still not comfortable with you using Seamus,” Kane said turning to Elliot. “Maybe you should harness him up with Sancho and do some basic groundwork today.”

  Elliot sucked in, what sounded like, a frustrated sigh. “Okay. I can do that.”

  “When Mason comes back, he can help you.” Kane gave his brother a smile, but Kinsley could tell Elliot wasn’t happy about the situation.

  “That’s perfect,” Faith said. “Before you do that though, Elliot, can you help me and Kinsley figure out how to set out the chairs and the arch for the church service on the yard?”

  “I think we can figure it out on our own,” Kinsley said, not sure she wanted to work with Elliot in the mood he seemed to be in right now. “Especially if Elliot has to work with the horses.”

  “It won’t take that long.”

  Faith flashed her a quick smile, and Kinsley knew any more protests would draw attention.

  Quite frankly she would prefer not to have to work with Elliot this much. Yesterday as they walked around the yard consulting about what to put where, she had a hard time not being attracted to him. Elliot was a completely different kind of man than any she had ever met. He was an unabashed flirt, and there was a rawness to him and an earthiness that was both appealing, and yet, intimidating.

  It also didn’t help that she had almost spilled her most well-kept secret in front of him. She had come close to making a fool of herself, and t
here was no way she was letting that happen again.

  Chapter 4

  Elliot pounded a stake into the soft grass. As he straightened, he glanced over at Kinsley and Faith who were standing around, doing nothing more than talking.

  “Elliot, we need your expert opinion,” Faith called out. “Kinsley thinks we could put the arch here.”

  Elliot set his measuring tape and stakes aside and walked over to join them. He looked at the horizon and shook his head. “If the wedding service is at five o’clock, the sun will end up right in everyone’s eyes.”

  “But the arch will frame the mountains so perfectly,” Kinsley said, sounding put out.

  “Yes, it will, but the wedding guests won’t be able to see much of the bride and groom and neither will the photographer.”

  Faith’s phone rang and with an apologetic look at Kinsley and Elliot, she held it up. “Sorry. It’s my grandfather. I’ve got to take this.”

  She scurried away, leaving Elliot with Kinsley, who had her arms folded over her chest. Definitely on the defensive.

  “According to the tables the sun won’t go down until ten,” Kinsley protested.

  “Doesn’t matter. That time of day the sun will still shine directly in our guests’ faces. But I can see you still don’t believe me.”

  Her only answer was a shrug.

  “Okay. At five this afternoon you and I are coming out here, and we’ll sit down right there.” He pointed to where Kinsley had pegged a ribbon in the grass for the chairs. “And you can get blinded by the sun.”

  Kinsley held his gaze then eased out a tight smile. “You sound angry.”

  Elliot blinked, realizing that she was right. “I’m sorry. I guess I am. I have a hard time with people asking me my opinion and then arguing with it.” And an even harder time hanging around the ranch while his dad and brother worked, delegating him to this job. The last time he was here it had been a short visit after his win at the rodeo. Even though his family had congratulated him on his high score he still felt as if he had fallen short of their expectations.

  “I apologize. It’s just I so badly wanted the arch to be where we planned.” She turned to look again. “Can’t you picture it? The mountains, the arch, your brother and Faith standing in front of that amazing setting.”

  “It is amazing. You’re right.” He gave her a careful smile. “Look, I know we didn’t get off on the right foot, figuratively and literally speaking, but from the way things are shaping up, we’ll be working together a lot. We may as well make the best of the situation. It would make things easier for both of us.”

  She was quiet a moment then gave him a half smile. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “We can make this work on a temporary basis. Once the wedding is over, you can go back to the city and your wedding planning career and find fame and fortune, and I can go back to the rodeo and find, well, something.”

  Kinsley chuckled, and Elliot was glad he had extended the olive branch. “Is that what you’re looking for? Something?” she asked. “Sounds rather vague for a dream you’ve been chasing for years.”

  “I see Faith has been talking about me.”

  To his surprise she blushed. “Just chitchat.”

  “Actually, what I’m chasing is a buckle, a saddle, and my name being announced in the Michener Center as the new Canadian Saddle Bronc Champ.”

  “So what do you have to do to get that?”

  “Win. Win. And win again. Every ride, every go-round, every rodeo.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure.” Now her smile was polite, and he could tell she wasn’t that interested. “I hope you get there.”

  “Me too.”

  “And then what?” she asked. “What do you do after you’ve hit your goal, achieved your dream? Would you come back to the ranch? Come here?”

  At one time that was the plan. Settle down at Tall Timber. Find someone.

  “I don’t think there’s a place for me here,” he said, then realized that he sounded like he was feeling sorry for himself. “And that’s because of my own choices.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Faith asked, breaking into the conversation.

  “Elliot and I are deciding where to put the arch and he thinks if we place it where you and I want it the sun will be in the wedding guests’ eyes during the ceremony.”

  “But I really like it there.”

  “I do too,” Kinsley said. “But Elliot has a point. No one will see you and Kane at all.”

  “What if we have the wedding ceremony earlier in the day?”

  “You’ve already printed the invitations with the time on them,” Kinsley reminded her.

  Faith pursed her lips, and Elliot could tell she was already figuring out how to change things. “We’ve only invited a hundred and fifty people. We could call them and tell them we’ve changed the time.”

  Elliot wanted to smack his forehead. This was classic Faith. Changing plans midstream. She had grown up a lot in the past couple of years, life had hit her hard enough, but he could see there were still parts of her that hadn’t changed at all. She was still the eternal optimist that figured things would work out just because she thought they should.

  “That’s way too much effort, and you don’t have time for doing all that,” Kinsley said, thankfully being the voice of reason. Elliot was already picturing himself hunched over the phone making countless mind-numbing calls. “Nor do you want the stress of keeping track of who you’ve been able to get ahold of. You’re still waiting for RSVP’s for about half of the people. You don’t want to confuse them now.”

  Faith looked over to Elliot as if appealing to him would help.

  “Kinsley is right. Leave everything the way it is,” Elliot said. “We’ll figure something else out with the arch. Something you’ll be happy with. You have to trust that Kinsley knows what she’s doing.”

  Faith looked back and forth at the two of them. Then, as if realizing she was outnumbered, she blew out a sigh. “I understand. It’s just that I had this vision.”

  “Don’t we all,” Kinsley said with a wry note, and once again Elliot wondered about her “almost wedding” and what happened to her. Part of him wanted to find out, but he doubted he would get much out of her. He sensed she kept things close to herself, which piqued his curiosity.

  And why do you care? She’s just here for the wedding, and you’re just here for the penance.

  Elliot pulled himself back to the job at hand, pushing any curiosity about Kinsley and her past into the back of his mind. Right now he had to get through the next month and then he was off, free as a bird. On the road, living out his own dreams.

  Just the way he had always planned.

  “That’s the buggy?” Kinsley stared open-mouthed with dismay at the large, wooden, wheeled contraption that Elliot and the driver were unloading from a flatbed trailer pulled by a pickup truck.

  It was Thursday, the clock was ticking, and now this.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Faith released a happy sigh, her hands pressed over her heart.

  “It’s…rustic,” was all Kinsley could manage.

  She should have asked Faith for pictures of said “buggy.” She had imagined large metal wheels and a delicate gleaming black body with upholstered seats. Like the buggies she’d seen in Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and both versions of Pride and Prejudice.

  She was a closet Jane Austen fan. Read all the books. Saw all the movies.

  But this buggy was less Jane Austen and more Little House on the Prairie. A very rough and rugged Little House on the Prairie. The wood was vintage, for lack of a better word. The wheels had at one time been white but were now peeling, leaving most of the wood exposed. The sides of the box were uneven and one board in the back was missing.

  She had no idea how Faith would climb up into the seat.

  And that seat. Really? An old car seat with ripped upholstery in a faded shade of aqua?

  “You don’t like it?” Faith asked.

>   Guess she hadn’t hid her dismay well enough.

  “It has a certain appeal.” To someone, no doubt.

  But Faith was looking at it as if she were Cinderella and the fellow with the pickup and trailer had just delivered her a transformed pumpkin. “It needs work,” she admitted. “But I think it will be great once that’s done.”

  And Kinsley’s heart dropped just a little further. Now, on top of the plans and the organization, she had to make sure this wagon was up to snuff?

  Faith turned to Elliot. “So, do you think you can get this looking all spiffy by the wedding?”

  Elliot looked about as excited as Kinsley. “When am I supposed to do this, between working with the horses, helping Kinsley, and my own rodeo schedule?”

  “You have time during the week,” Faith said with a note of confidence that Kinsley could tell Elliot didn’t feel. “And I’ll get Kane to help you when he’s done with the hay.”

  Kinsley somehow doubted that Kane would have much time to do any restoration work. Not the way he was talking. But she could see from the dreamy look on Faith’s face that she would have to find a way to work with her vision. Then Faith turned to Kinsley. “So what do we need to do next?”

  Kinsley pulled out her phone. She had given up on the clipboard a while back. With Faith things seemed to be in perpetual flux, so she’d put everything in a document on her phone. She tapped the screen now, then frowned as her agenda came up.

  “We need to talk about flowers. Where you’re getting them and who is in charge of arranging them here at the ranch. And what exactly you want. And then we need to discuss music and—”

  “I had a great idea for the flowers,” Faith said, interrupting her, looking all excited. “The local greenhouse is having a big sale on all the plants they couldn’t sell last month. I thought we could load up a bunch of those and bring them here. Because we’re doing this outside, we can just use the pots the flowers come in.”

  And once again Kinsley had to switch her thinking. She had been imagining the usual formal floral arrangements and bouquets from a florist shop, not leftovers and rejects from a local greenhouse.