“YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME!”
Wes winced. “I feel like an idiot. This is stupid. Terrible idea. Why am I doing this?”
“Because you love that girl, and you want her in your life.”
“But it’s her sister’s wedding. I shouldn’t distract her from that. She’s the maid of honor. She—”
“It’s a symbol, remember? You are the one who came up with the idea.” Mom straightened his tie, and it was like a creepy version of prom. For a thirty-one-year-old man and his mother fixing his tie.
“I should drop you off at the airport. I should—”
“Oh, stop with your excuses. I have a rental car, and I know I’ve outstayed my welcome. Besides, you’ll want an empty house tonight.”
“Unless she says no,” Wes muttered, but Mom nudged him toward the door.
“How could she resist you? She probably won’t even recognize you.”
Wes ran a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. He’d done it yesterday, and it still felt so weird and uncomfortable and naked. Which was pretty in keeping with how he’d felt since he’d hatched this idiotic plan.
He stared at the door. Why was he doing this stupid, stupid thing? Well, the answer to that was pretty straightforward. Cara.
He wanted her back. He’d reached the point where he’d do anything, anything to get that. Show up uninvited at her sister’s wedding. Talk to her family. Ask her to be there for his surgery. He’d do anything. Anything.
Even if it all made him feel ill. “You sure you’re okay getting to the airport on your—”
“I love you, sweetie. Now go get ’em. And call me tomorrow.” She walked up behind him and gave him a push.
But Wes stood there and took a deep breath. If he was brave enough to face Cara at her sister’s wedding, he had to be brave enough to do this. He turned back to Mom. “Thank you would never be enough. I don’t mean for this visit. I mean forever.”
She held her hands to her heart, then cleared her throat and managed a wobbly smile. “You have no idea how much that means to me, baby.”
He walked stiffly over to her, feeling awkward, but he pushed through it. That was going to be the norm today. Force through awkward. He enveloped her in a hug. “I love you. I’ll miss you.”
She sniffled into his shoulder. “I’ll miss you, too.” She pulled away and patted his face. “Now go get your girl, and we’ll visit again soon. Whether you want to or not.”
He nodded and walked for the door. Phantom followed him out to the porch and whined when he gave the stay command. Wes bent down, trying to keep from getting too much dog hair on his suit.
“I’m okay, boy. Hopefully I’ll be a lot more okay when I get back.” He didn’t want to think about if she said no or told him to go to hell. So, he wouldn’t. Because he’d keep fighting, keep working to prove to her he wanted it all. That they deserved it all.
He got in his truck and drove into town, then through it toward the Pruitt farm. He ran a hand over his short hair a few times, frustrated that it wasn’t long enough to scratch his fingers through.
There were hay bales and signs with arrows to the Pruitt-Wainwright wedding, and Wes followed them, wishing he could turn around and bolt.
But Cara was at the end of this particular obstacle, and for some reason, the possibility of her made everything necessary. Even with the sickness churning in his gut, he couldn’t imagine running away.
He pulled his truck next to a line of cars and trucks on the side of a big red barn. It looked freshly painted; ribbons, lights and all kinds of decorations in white and green decorated the lawn and barn opening.
What do you think you’re doing, man?
No damn clue, but he got out of the truck and walked, if a little stiffly, toward the bright white dress in the throng of people. He scanned the crowd for Cara.
Mia and Dell were talking and laughing with people, and Wes hung in the background, keeping a lookout for Cara.
When the group around Mia and Dell moved to enter the barn, Wes stepped forward, wincing before he even spoke. “Um, Mia, Dell.”
They both looked at him, a little blankly at first. Then Mia’s head cocked. “Wes?”
“Yeah, hi. I’m sorry. I know Cara probably took me off the guest list.”
“Well, yeah.”
“I just—” he took a deep breath and straightened his suit coat “—I need to talk to her. I don’t want to interrupt anything, weddingwise. So, could I borrow her for about five or ten minutes now, or would it be better to wait until later?” He was going to fix this.
“Well, now is fine for me, but it’s up to her if she wants to talk to you,” Mia said, arms crossed.
“O-okay.”
“She’s inside by the photo booth.”
“Great.”
“She says no, you disappear. Got it?”
Wes kind of grimaced an attempt at a smile at Dell. “Sure. Yeah.” Maybe.
He wiped sweaty palms on his thighs and stepped into the barn. There were lights hanging from rafters, more white and green. Hay bales tied with ribbons. Music and laughter and people.
He was going to be sick, he was pretty sure. But he still scanned the barn for the photo booth and Cara. He stopped midstride for a second when he did see her. Her dress was the same color green as the decorations. Her shoulders were bare, her hair was all curly and down, and he forgot about feeling sick or nervous. Because he wanted to make things right. And he would. He’d do anything to make it right.
She was taking an older couple into the photo booth when he finally got to her. She was giving them instructions on how to use it, so he stood there like an idiot. Waiting.
When she was done, she turned to him all smiles. “Did you want to get in li—” She stopped when her eyes met his, her smile melting into openmouthed shock. “Oh, my God, your beard is gone.”
* * *
CARA REACHED OUT to touch his face and the long white scar along his jaw before she remembered. Oh, yeah, they were broken up. What the hell was he doing here looking all gorgeous with the short hair and the no beard and the suit, and, good God, who was he?
“What are you—”
“Um, I asked Mia first. If it was all right.”
“If what was all right?” She finally remembered to snatch her hand back and then clasped her fingers behind her back so that she wouldn’t touch him.
“If I could talk to you for a few minutes.”
“I’m at my sister’s wedding.”
“I know. I need some... A minute. Five. Please. She said it was okay.”
He seemed so perplexed, so wonderfully, perfectly Wes. If Mia had said it was okay...
“Oh, come on,” she grumbled. She didn’t want to do it but didn’t see another way to get out of here effectively. She took his hand. Tried to ignore the way his fingers linked with hers, or how adorable it was that his palms were kind of sweaty.
If she was finding palm sweating adorable, she needed to get her sanity checked. She led him out a little side entrance of the barn. She was still amazed at everything Dad had done to make this a wedding venue. Once deemed unsuitable for the cows, it had been his office, hardly resembling useful space.
Now it was gorgeous. And Mia was gorgeous, and the wedding had been perfect and everyone was so happy.
And Wes was here, and she was holding his hand, leading him away from a crowd of people.
He can’t give you what you want—remember that.
Once they were safely tucked away behind a tree, she dropped his hand and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t at all pleased with herself when his gaze lingered there for a second or two.
Oh, so he was staring at her boobs?
“So? Five minutes. You better start now.”
“I love you.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “What?”
“I love you.” He said it slower this time, clearer, his eyes never leaving hers. All earnest, honest Wes.
“Why are you...?” She shook her head, not sure why her eyes were filling with tears. That wasn’t enough. An I love you wasn’t enough, so she should not want to throw herself at him and hold on for dear life. She should not want that at all.
“I scheduled my surgery for next month. Admittedly, my mom kind of made me because of what you said, and I was going to cancel, but I’m not going to now. I’m going to do it, and if you’ll forgive me for needing some time to get here, I would very much appreciate your help.”
“My help.” She had to lean against the tree to keep herself upright. What was happening?
He cleared his throat, his eyes still steady on hers. “And, um, I want to come to dinner with your family the next time you do that. And I wanted to say how proud I am of you for getting the full-time pie deal, and if that means you don’t have time to work for me, I understand. But your help is invaluable, and if you have time to do both, I would very much appreciate that. I like having you be a part of it.”
“What is all this?”
“You were right. I wanted to pretend. Or ignore. Or whatever. I didn’t want to deal with this stuff, and there’s still a part of me that doesn’t.” He stepped forward and gingerly took her hand in his. “Cara, having you in my life is one of the best things that ever happened to me, and I would do anything to keep you there.”
All she could do was stand there, her hand limply in his, staring at him, because this had to be a dream. It was all so perfect and lovely and wonderful. Possibly a million other good adjectives, too. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. “I, um, are you sure that... I don’t want you to say that just because it’s what I want? You should be okay with all those things before you promise them.”
“I am. I wasn’t at first, but thinking you’re not in my life anymore is worse than facing the things that are hard and awkward. And they are things I should face. You’ve made me face a lot of things, and it’s always made everything better. I went after you, called you out when you were scared, and it all got better. So much a life I never thought I’d have. So, why not? If it means loving you and having you, it’ll always be worth it.”
She went with what had been her first inclination when she’d seen him all clean shaven and suited. She flung her arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could. “You couldn’t have figured this out two weeks ago?”
He chuckled against her shoulder. “I’m slow on the uptake sometimes.”
“I’ll say.” But she didn’t let him go. He was here, wanting her back, wanting to give her whatever it took to make them okay. “You made me face some things, too. I think that’s why I was so angry. We’re good for each other, and I knew we were, but I couldn’t keep—”
“I know. I do. It might have taken me a few kicks in the butt from you and from my mom, which was weird, but I do know. That’s why I’m here. I want us to keep being good for each other.”
She blinked away a few tears. “And oh, you’re ruining my makeup, too. You need to work on your timing.”
“Let’s work on not breaking up again.”
She wasn’t sure there was any piece of her heart left to melt, but if there was, that completely did her in. “Yes. That sounds like the perfect plan.”
They should get back to the reception. Cake cutting would start soon, and she didn’t want to miss Mia and Dell’s first dance.
But this was so nice, too. Her own little moment. She held on for a little bit longer and then finally loosened her hold on him. “Will you grow the beard back?”
“Immediately. I hate this damn scar.”
She pulled back enough that she could rub her thumb across it. Then she kissed it, and he smiled.
“Okay, it’s growing on me.”
She grinned. “I want you beardy and flannelly again. It is fall, after all.”
“Consider your wish my command right now.”
“Ooh, such power you give me. I wish you would stay for the rest of the reception, help with cleanup, then take me home. Your place, I mean, because I miss your babies.”
“Dogs. They are dogs.”
“And I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
She didn’t want to cry anymore, so she took his hand and started pulling him back to the barn. “Oh! I also wish that you would dance with me at the reception.”
“If you don’t mind me possibly breaking your foot.”
“You’ll have to follow my lead.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, stopping her in her tracks. “I will.” He said it very, very solemnly.
She grabbed his face and looked him right in the eye. “I love you, you slow-on-the-uptake mess of a man.”
“And I love you, you beautiful, amazing, perf—”
She shut him up with a kiss, knowing there would be a lot of kiss shutting up in her future and looking forward to every second of it.
* * * * *