Page 56 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

She’d told him about how her father used her to eavesdrop and report. She’d told him about how the migraines hadescalated and about the night she decided to take Sabrina up on her offer.

“I’ll make sure to get some fresh air if I feel the slightest one coming on. I don’t see it happening. The few times I’ve been into town with Marjory haven’t caused any, and I’m excited about tonight. It sounds fun.”

No matter how hard she tried to reassure him, he couldn’t help but feel like something bad was waiting in the wings.

“Stop worrying, Jace. Really.” She kissed his chin. “Did I ever tell you Dirty Dancing was my favorite movie? I used to sneak watch it when I was younger. My mom said it was inappropriate for me. Maybe we can try out some of those moves later after the dance. In the privacy of our room.” She wagged her brows.

“I’d like to claim that I’ve never seen it, but Willow’s watched it a ton, and Sabrina talked about it in college so…” He rolled his hips into hers then dipped her back. Her laughter floated across the room.

When she came back up, he pulled her close and began to slow dance, humming an old country tune. She wrapped her arms around his neck and fit herself perfectly against him.

This is what Sabrina had asked him to do. Take a chance. To let himself go, and with Meredith, he found that easy enough these days. Sure, he worried about the day her father would show up, but her interest in the ranch appeared genuine, and that had to count for something.

Right?

They danced for a while, enjoying the quiet and time alone. Occasionally he’d drop a kiss on her neck or shoulder and laugh at the goose bumps that followed.

“Hey,” Willow called out. “You two gonna do that all night, or can we finish setting up? Folks will be coming soon.”

“Go away, Willow. I’m dancing with my wife.” He liked how easily the word rolled from his tongue.

“To no music?”

“That’s how we roll,” Jace said, still guiding her around the room, though this time in an exaggerated waltz.

“Looks like those dance lessons mom made you do are paying off,” Willow said.

He twirled Meredith before bringing her to a stop in front of his sister. “You sure know how to kill a good time, Willow.”

“You’re married. I thought good times were supposed to be over for you.” She punched him in the shoulder then left.

Jace pointed off toward the driveway. “Looks like the party is about to start.”

Meredith followed the direction of his finger and saw several cars headed their way. She sprang into action. “I have to get the rest of the food.”

She dashed from the barn, her pretty, dark green skirt waving around her legs. He liked that she had chosen cowboy boots for her footwear. She wasn’t polished-looking like she had been when she arrived, and he thought she was beautiful then. Seeing her now, she stole his breath; his heart stuttered in his chest then swelled with pride. Sabrina was getting an awesome Christmas gift this year.

Life with a wife had been an easier adjustment than he thought. He attributed that to Meredith. It was because of who she was at her core. She may not have known who she was when she arrived, but maybe she knew now.

Unless she was going from one imposed identity to another. This was his greatest fear, a recurring doubt that sometimes woke him from an exhausted sleep. It kept him from taking the next step, not that he was sure what that should be. Regardless, Jace believed time would tease it all out.

He stepped out of the barn and walked toward the front of the house to direct traffic. Pops leaned against a post on the porch, a big shit-eating grin on his face. Mom, Meredith, andWillow scurried out of the house with arms full of fixings. The sun was setting over the mountains, the breeze dipping into temps that required a lined hoodie. The band, members of the volunteer fire department, struck up their first of several jaunty tunes, and dancing was quick to follow.

Meredith found herself twirled around the floor by several of the older local ranchers. Jace would manage to get in a few strolls around the hay-strewn floor before they’d get interrupted, but Meredith didn’t mind. Marjory and Pops were having fun, everyone was laughing, and it was nothing liked she’d endured with her father. It was so much better, friendlier. It suited her.

She was dancing with Pops, a slow small shuffle step sort of dance when Tuck cut in. Glancing around the room, she found Jace dancing with Tuck’s wife, Mandy, a nice woman Meredith wanted to get to know better. A few times she mentioned Meredith joining her book club, and that appealed to Meredith. Now that things were slowing down on the ranch, she felt comfortable taking time away. The feeling of being a guest, a newcomer, had faded, but showed up occasionally when she and Jace experienced something new together. Like tonight. Sure, she was comfortable, but acutely aware that she was a stranger to these people. They talked about someone’s new baby, and she had no idea who that person was, but she was slowly putting the pieces together and looking forward to next year when she could participate in the conversation.

Meredith smiled at Tuck and thanked him for the dance when it ended.

“Aw, hell Meredith. We're all real glad you're here and I'm looking forward to getting to knowing you better.” He tipped his hat and shuffled off to his wife. Wrapping herself in a hug, Meredith embraced the moment hoping to imprint it on her memory bank. It had been a gamble to trust Sabrina, but oh, so very worth it.

She scanned the room for Jace and saw him sitting on a bale of hay next to his parents, a plate balanced on his knee, his head tossed back in laughter, and Meredith knew. Her awareness of how she felt about him slammed into her like a horse kick to the chest, only it didn't hurt. It was amazing, rippling through her until it encompassed her much like being wrapped in a warm blanket. She felt lucky, happy, and… She searched for the best word to describe what she felt, but it was too new and foreign for her to quickly assign a label.

A tall man, name unknown, rushed by and jumped on a haystack next to her. He gave an ear-ringing whistle and, instantly, the band stopped playing, the dancers a second behind.

“I just got a call from the fire department. A bear mauled old man Beasley. His foreman found him. He’s not sure if he’ll make it. The ambulance is thirty minutes out.” He pointed to Jace and Tuck. “You riding with me?”

Jace nodded once, handed his plate to his mother, then hustled out of the barn, Tuck in the rear. Others followed behind. Willow came up next to Meredith and took her hand.

---