Page 15 of Wrangling a Wild Texan

While Sunny’s heart swelled in her chest, all the sisters took turns giving her a hug before Noelle and Belle hooked her arms and led her toward the crowd of people waiting to wish her a happy birthday. Once she made it through them, Jesse stood atthe door, waiting to welcome her inside with a big smile and a wink.

“Happy Early Birthday, sis!”

As soon as she stepped inside, Sunny let out a gasp. The entire lower floor had been decorated in her favorite color: yellow. There were clusters of yellow balloons, festoons of ribbon and streamers, and vases of daffodils and daisies and sunflowers. The buffet set up in the large dining room included all of Sunny’s favorite foods: sausage and jalapeno pizza, spicy chicken wings, and Tito’s chorizo tacos. The dessert table was filled with three-tiered dessert trays of Strawberry Sweet Cake muffins, lemon bars, and fudgy brownies with pecan ganache frosting. In the very center of the table was a large sheet cake decorated like a sunflower.

Sunny was overwhelmed

Almost too overwhelmed.

She didn’t deserve all this. She didn’t deserve even half of this. Not when she had lied to everyone about how well her paintings were selling. She felt even worse when Jesse spoke.

“This isn’t just a birthday celebration, you know. This is also to celebrate your success in the art world and all your hard work.”

“And the surprises aren’t over yet.” Corbin drew her close and kissed the side of her head. “Jesse and I still have two surprises we think you’re going to love.”

Jesse rubbed his hands together. “But right now, let’s eat. I’m starving!”

With the hard knot of guilt sitting in her stomach, Sunny wasn’t hungry. But she filled a plate anyway and pretended to eat as she walked around and chatted with the townsfolk and thanked them for coming. As soon as no one was looking, she dumped the full plate of food into the trash.

Unfortunately, someone was watching.

“Seems like a waste of good food.”

She whirled around to see Mrs. Stokes standing there in a vintage designer suit and ratty mink stole. Mrs. Stokes was the wealthiest woman in Wilder and the town matriarch. While Sunny admired her, Mrs. Stokes also intimidated her. No doubt because she was a strong, successful woman while Sunny was weak and an utter failure.

“Oh, hey, Ms. Stokes,” she said. “I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”

Mrs. Stokes studied her. “Or maybe it’s hard to eat when you’re the guest of honor. I had the same problem when my fourth husband threw me a surprise party.” No one in town seemed to know how many times Mrs. Stokes had been married and she didn’t seem to know either. “No wait, Buford was my third husband.” She shook her head. “Anyway, Buford went all out. He invited the entire town and had it catered with more food than we had at our wedding. But I was too overwhelmed by all the love to eat a thing. Maybe that’s why poor Buford ate enough for both of us. He died from a heart attack that very night. After that, I made my husbands and boyfriends swear to never throw me a surprise party again.”

She reached in the pocket of her stole and pulled out a package of gum. Mrs. Stokes had been a chain smoker until she had made a deal with Corbin to quit. She had gone from chewing nicotine gum to chewing Wrigley’s spearmint that Corbin bought for her by the case on Amazon. No one knew exactly what their deal was and Sunny had bugged Corbin relentlessly to no avail.

Once Mrs. Stokes unwrapped a stick and popped it into her mouth, she offered some to Sunny. When she declined, Mrs. Stokes stuck the package back in the mink’s inside pocket. “I don’t much care for gum either, but you do what you have to do to get what you want.”

Again, Sunny wondered what it was Mrs. Stokes wanted so badly she was willing to give up her beloved cigarettes. She might have asked if the old woman’s gaze hadn’t zeroed in on something—or someone—behind Sunny.

“I wonder what has that good-looking cowboy staring so intently in our direction. Let’s hope he has a thing for older women.”

Sunny turned and was instantly caught in a pair of champagne-colored eyes. Except they weren’t sparkling with effervescence. They were bubbling with anger. She knew exactly why he was so mad . . . and at whom. She wanted to turn back around and pretend like she hadn’t seen him, but Mrs. Stokes made it impossible.

“Well, don’t just stand there gawkin’, Reid Mitchell. Get over here and say hello.”

Reid moved up next to Sunny, making her wish she’d worn heels instead of flats. At five eight, she wasn’t short by any means, and yet, Reid seemed to tower over her. “Good evenin’, Ms. Stokes. How are you enjoying the party?”

“Better than it looks like you are. What has you looking fit to be tied? Did your favorite dog run off?”

“I don’t own a dog, ma’am.”

“Well, maybe that’s your problem.” Mrs. Stokes turned to the two women standing by the refreshment table chatting. Sheryl Ann ran Nothin’ But Muffins with Noelle, and Melba worked at the sheriff’s office and fostered abused and orphaned animals. “Melba! We got someone here in need of a pet.”

Sunny choked back a laugh as Reid stared in horror at Mrs. Stokes. “No, Ms. Stokes, I don’t need?—”

Mrs. Stokes cut him off. “Well, if you don’t, that cute little niece of yours does. Maybe if she had a pet, she wouldn’t be stealing trucks and running people off the road.”

Reid shot a mean glare at Sunny as Melba came hustling up looking like she’d just won the lottery. “Someone needs a pet?”

Mrs. Stokes pointed at Reid. “Reid here.”

“I don’t need?—”

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