Page 49 of Harrison Hyde and the Runaway Bride

“I do.”

She raised her eyebrows high. “That’s four times.”

They’d stopped walking. They’d crossed more than half the distance to the main house. It was something to see, the Texas Brand, wide green meadows and pastures interspersed with brown patches and scrubby brush lots, stretching all the way tothe sky in every direction. Cattle grazing as far as the eye could see.

And yet, she was way prettier. She fit this place as if it had been created around her, as her backdrop.

He took a deep breath, and said, “Just so we’re on the same page, can you be more specific about what you mean by ‘not yet’?”

“Well, aren’tyoueager?” She smiled at him like sunbeams, her cheeks blushing pink. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It was,” he said. “Is.”

She sighed, and reaching over, clasped his hand in hers. “I don’t know, exactly. Maybe… maybe when you decide to stay.”

CHAPTER TEN

Breakfast at the Texas Brand with the whole family there was an experience like none before. Harrison’s family had been just him, Lily, Mom, and Dad. And then it had been just him, Lily, and Dad. But lately, more like just Lily and Dad. He’d already broken his promise to his mom. And neither of them had called him out on it.

Oatmeal had always been the weekday go-to breakfast in his family. On weekends, kid’s choice. Lily picked on Saturdays and Harrison on Sundays. Lily always picked pancakes. Harrison could never decide on a favorite. Every time he chose a breakfast, he was disappointed, thinking he should’ve chosen a different one.

Buyer’s remorse.

There was no chance of that there. They served breakfast outside, at some of the tables they’d probably had on hand for the wedding reception. With the whole family present, there were too many to fit, even in the large dining room.

As they drew near the crowd, an older version of Willow rose from her spot and waved, “I’m Taylor,” she said. “He’s Wes,” with a nod to the man beside her. “Willow’s parents. Figured you could use a refresher.” Her long dark braid had silver strands.

“Penny and Ben,” said the blond woman beside them. Her husband was like a fair-haired version of Garrett. “Drew and Orrin’s folks.”

“Adam and Kristen,” said the couple across from them, laughing at each other for speaking at the same time. Wow, the love between them was obvious in that shared laugh. “Childless cat people,” Kristen added.

“Elliot, and my beloved Esmeralda,” said a lanky man near a food-laden table, with a loaded plate in his hand. He was a paler version of Trevor. Same wiry build, same curly hair, only Elliot’s was reddish brown. Beside him, Esmeralda had flowing black curls touched with frost, here and there. Garrett and Chelsea stood beside them— his hosts. From the orange juice turret, Baxter’s parents reminded him their names were Jasmine and Luke. They both looked too young to have a biochemist for a son.

Maria and her cousins had a table to themselves. He bet it had once been the kids’ table. Now it was the cool table, and Maria pulled him there.

“Thanks, for the refresher,” Harrison said. “It helped.”

Food was passed, and he marveled and piled way too much onto his plate. At one point he exclaimed, “There are home fries again!”

Maria laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth, maybe to keep the food in there.

So, they ate. There wasn’t much talk for a while. Eventually, Garrett said, “They’re forecasting rain end of the month.”

“Hallelujah!” Elliot slapped his thigh. “It’s about time.”

“We’ve been trucking in water for the horses,” Wes put in. “Speakin’ of which…”

“Yeah, I was getting to that.” Garrett set his napkin on his plate. “If everyone’s done?—”

There was a murmur of agreement, and people started passing their plates toward him. He got up. “Wait right here.”Bubba and Chelsea both got up to help him, and then there was no more left to carry.

They were back in a flash, with freshly filled, jumbo-sized coffee carafes, one for each table. There were murmurs of appreciation as cups were filled.

“They were for the weddin’,” Maria’s mother said.

Everybody went silent, and every gaze shot to Maria. She was stiff, her head down. How he knew exactly what she was feeling, he couldn’t have said, but he did. She was ashamed she’d put them all to so much trouble and cost them so much money for nothing.

He touched her shoulder on autopilot then tried to pretend he was brushing a crumb off it or something, which probably looked just as… intimate.

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