Page 8 of Tangled Up With You

Holly nodded in agreement. “She’s right. Find him and tell him you changed your mind.”

Rae pulled in a sharp gasp and slapped a palm down on the table, her eyes going wide with excitement. “You know what you should do? You should invite him to the wedding next week.”

I choked on the sip of beer I’d just taken. “I’m not asking some guy I don’t know to be my date to your wedding.”

She lifted her hands in curiosity. “Why not? I mean, it’s basically just one big-ass party. Think about it. An open bar, great music, dancing, and if he turns out to be a dud, you’ll be surrounded by your friends to keep you company.”

She had a point. There was also the silver lining that I wouldn’t be alone the first time I was forced to see Connor again.

Chapter Five

Connor

The moment I guided my truck through the gate and beneath the sign that read Safe Haven Ranch, it felt like a valve in my chest had opened, releasing all this pressure I didn’t realize had been building up. That was the effect this place had on me. The town, the ranch, all of it.

Being back here was a balm to my soul. I had a week here to celebrate my best friend’s wedding and to soak up all the peace and comfort this place had to offer before heading back out on the road. I could have used a longer break. My body was feeling the effects of my age and my profession, but I didn’t know what the hell to do with myself if I wasn’t riding. I usually liked to stick around and help Zach run the ranch, but he’d be taking off with Rae for their honeymoon right after the big day.

I hit the button on the door panel to lower the windows and inhaled deeply, pulling all the familiar scents into my lungs. The earthy smells of hay, grass, and wildflowers baking in the warmth of the sun. The smell of the animals out in the pasture.All of it was more comforting than a security blanket or a home-cooked meal from your momma.

I turned the radio’s volume down so I could hear the crunch of my tires on the gravel. I came to the split in the road that would either take me toward the main ranch house where Zach and Rae lived and the big barn beyond, or to Second Hope Lodge. I made the left toward the lodge where Zach said he’d be waiting.

The lodge came into view a few minutes later. Where a chain hotel would have looked totally out of place, the four-story cabin style structure had been built to belong, just like all the other houses and cabins and out buildings that had been built over the generations. Made of wood and stone with huge panes of glass, it blended seamlessly with the tree-covered foothills it butted against and the mountains beyond that jutted up toward the sky. Whoever had designed the place had done a brilliant job.

As I got closer, my heart began to beat faster, knocking against my ribs. I’d thought about a million times over the past few days what I would say to Ivy when I finally saw her again, but as my truck closed the distance between us, the speech I had prepared, the one I’d spent hours memorizing and perfecting, had grown fuzzy as the reality of seeing her went from being a distant thought to a very real thing.

I pulled into the guest lot and threw my truck into park. Most of my visits here were spur of the moment between events, and, more times than not, I’d have to bunk in one of the empty cabins designated for the cowboys who worked for Zach because the lodge was usually fully booked. However, this time around, Zach and Rae had made sure to block off rooms for out-of-town guests coming in for the wedding.

My boots hit the dusty ground, and I stretched my arms upward to work my muscles loose from hours on the road beforemoving to the bed of the truck and hauling my duffle bag from the back.

With the straps looped over my shoulder, I started toward the massive cabin and took in everything around me. There were people lounging comfortably on the cushy outdoor couches and Adirondack chairs that circled the large stone firepit off to my left. It wouldn’t be lit until after the sun went down, but they seemed to be content simply to relax.

There was a group gathered near the edge of the deck, circled around Raylan Bradbury, the lodge’s guide for things like fishing, hiking, and trail rides. They all watched with rapt fascination as he spoke animatedly. I’d gone on a couple hikes led by this man who had become a friend over the years, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised he had their attention. He was damn good at his job and made every trek he was in charge of enjoyable.

My booted foot hit the bottom step leading up to the wraparound porch just as the front doors of the lodge flew open and two kids burst out on peals of laughter and excitement.

“Whoa,” I said on a low chuckle, lifting my arms and taking a quick side-step to avoid collision.

“Whoops!” the little boy, who looked about seven, exclaimed when he almost plowed into me. “Sorry, mister!” he exclaimed over his shoulder without breaking stride as he and the little girl with him continued running down the front steps.

A harried woman followed closely after them. “Henry! Cassie! Slow down! You’re going to break your necks or someone else’s!”

“Sorry, Mom,” the two kids shouted back at the same time.

There was no missing the twitch in the woman’s eyelid as she looked up at me apologetically. “Sorry about them.”

“No sweat,” I offered genuinely.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the man I only just noticed trailing behind her, nearly running into the doorframe as he kept his head twisted back to look at something behind him. “Damn it, Carl. Will you please help me out? Those demon-spawns are just as much yours as they are mine.”

I had to curl my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing.

“Yeah, sorry. I just...” The man looked slightly shellshocked as he shook his head and followed after his wife. “Did you see that guy? I could have sworn that was—” Their voices trailed off before I could hear who he thought he saw then cut off completely when I stepped into the lodge, the door closing behind me. I moved deeper into the great room right off the entrance. The beauty of this place never failed to take my breath away. I’d barely had enough time to take it all in when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

My mouth stretched into a smile as I turned and spotted Zach heading in my direction. The man looked the happiest I’d ever seen him in all the years of knowing him. Zach was a great guy, one of the best I’d ever known, but he could be a grumpy bastard at times. He’d always been a bit too serious, but the beaming smile he was wearing transformed him completely. If I hadn’t known Rae was perfect for him before, seeing him then would have confirmed it.

“Welcome back,” he greeted as he got closer, pulling me in for a quick, back-slapping hug I gladly returned before dropping my arms and taking a step back.

“Happy to be back.” More than he could probably imagine. “Though, I nearly got mowed over by a couple rowdy kids whose mom looked like she could really use a stiff drink.”