Page 44 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

There was some rustling, and then the beep of someone pressing a button. “We’re here, Colin,” Evie said. “What’s up?”

He told them both about Nancy’s ideas for the wedding. He finished the pitch with his picture of dancing under the stars, and then there was silence. Colin began to sweat, and his stomach fluttered up to his throat. He heard a soft weeping, and that sweat ran cold. “Guys?”

There was some hushing, soothing sounds, and then, “It’s good, Colin,” Nick said. “It’s perfect.”

“Why is Evie crying?”

“Evie’s crying?” Nancy snatched the phone from him and pushed the speaker button on his end. “Evie, sweetheart, why are you crying? After you and I talked earlier, I thought this was what you wanted—”

“Thank you,” Evie blubbered over the line. “Thank you, thank you! We love it.”

A wave of relief washed over him. “Good,” he breathed. “I’m glad.” He glanced at Nancy, who was flushed pink with pride. “We’re glad.” Nick and Evie promised to be over early to see what Nancy had put together and to help set up in any way they could—and then they hung up. “How did you put all of this together today?”

She smirked at him. “Do you think this is the first time a venue has fallen through at the last minute? I am one of the best event planners in this state, and it’s Planning 101 to have a Plan B. I usually have a Plan C through F too. Just in case.”

Nancy shrugged, as if what she had done was nothing special at all, but she couldn’t see it from his point of view. The time and effort that she put in boggled his mind. Evie was her best friend, yeah, but she was talking about doing this for every client.She’s incredible, he thought.

Colin’s arms ached to hold her, and he tried his best to hold himself back until it hit him that he truly didn’t want to. He pulled her in for a tight hug, relishing the way his arms fit around her, how her face tucked into his neck. She fit him in every possible way. “I should never doubt you,” he said. They both knew that he meant in every way.

Nancy looked up at him. Warm, brown eyes pulled at him, and he nearly kissed her. She tipped her head back, parted her lips, like she wanted him to do just that, but what if he was wrong? What if he was misreading everything here? “This can work,” she said. “I know it can work.” For a moment, Colin thought that she was talking about them, but then she was moving out of his arms and making piles out of her papers. “The next two days are going to be crazy busy trying pull it off.” She looked at him, a challenging smile curling her lip. “Ready to work like a dog?”

The answer was an emphaticyes. Colin felt a thrum of true excitement. He wanted to make his best friends’ dreams come true, but it was more than that. If he could keep building this thing here with Nancy—if he could be with Nancy—then he would be the most successful man on the planet, no matter what happened with his dude ranch. He’d already won.

It was on his tongue to confess it all to her.I love you.Be with me.But now wasn’t the time. Now, they had a wedding to save. When it was over, then he could pour his heart out. He only hoped that when he did, she’d feel the same way.

TWENTY-EIGHT

All Nancy could think about was Colin. The last two days had been absolutely exhausting, but the wedding was beautiful. Now, the reception was going full swing: couples were swaying together to an old country song on the temporary dance floor that she and Colin had built from pieces of the broken barn. Overhead, she’d hung paper lanterns on tree branches, and the twinkling lights looked like the stars had come down to join the party. It was more lovely than anyone could have imagined—Evie had cried tears of joy when she saw it.

“Nancy, will you plan my and Sam’s wedding?” Arielle asked as the couple came off the dance floor.

Nancy laughed at Sam’s wide-eyed expression. “That a proposal?” he asked her.

“Of course not,” Arielle said. “I’ll let you and Molly figure that one out.” She looked back at Nancy. “But when Idoget a proper proposal out of this one, you have to plan it for me. Yes?”

“Of course,” Nancy said. She’d add it to the list alongside Mr. Perriman’s retirement party.Busy, busy, she thought happily.Now if only I could get a word in edgewise with Colin.

She knew now, more than ever, that this was the place she wanted to be. Building this wedding out of nothing had only solidified her certainty that she belonged here, but she needed to know if Colin felt the same way. She could still feel their almost-kiss from two days ago like an invisible mark on her skin, and she wanted nothing more than to have a real kiss.

“It’s time for the bouquet toss!” Evie called, climbing atop a chair. “Gather around, single ladies! Let’s see who’s next down the aisle!” Nancy laughed at her friend: Evie was just this side of drunk, on both happiness and wine, and she swayed ever-so-slightly. Nancy shifted closer so that if she fell, there would be someone close enough to catch her.

Colin scooped up Bex, whose delayed bedtime had finally come. “That’s our cue, darlin’.”

“Aww,” Bex whined. “Can’t I stay?” Colin smiled but shook his head, and Nancy watched him cart her back toward the main house. Her eyes followed the shape of his back and shoulders, drifted down to his ass. She let out an unattractive shriek when something walloped her on the side of her head. She whipped around, expecting to see a person standing in front of her. Instead, she saw the wildflower bouquet sitting at her feet in a discombobulated lump. The ribbon had come undone from the force of its impact against her face.

Evie had her hands clapped over mouth. Her whole body shook with laughter. “Oops,” she said in a singsong, totally unapologetic kind of way.

“Did I—?” She gestured to the bouquet, and the women around her laughed and nodded.

“Get it before I do, girl,” Arielle called. Nancy bent and grabbed the flowers and held them up in the air, and the crowd applauded.

She helped Evie off her chair, and her best friend surprised her by pulling her in for a tight hug. “Be happy, Nance,” Evie murmured. “That’s what I wish for you—to be happy.”

“I don’t think a bouquet is like birthday candles,” she teased. “A bride can’t make a wish on it like that.”

Evie shushed. “It’s my day,” she said. “I get to do whatever the hell I want.”

Nancy spied Colin coming back from the house, and he smiled when he saw her. “Okay,” she conceded. Who was she to argue with a bride on her wedding day, after all?

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