She looked like a Renaissance Madonna painting come to life—only wearing an emerald-green-colored sweater dress and cropped denim jacket embroidered with flowers.
“Except I craft the story instead of chase it.”
It was Ayana’s turn at darts.Piper and Riley chanted her name, and Ayana blinked back unexpected tears.Was this what normal life felt like—not always watching the doors?Out with friends.If she could be honest with Telford, and he didn’t run in disgust, maybe they could rip up the contract.She couldn’t quite make herself believe that.
I could keep living the lie.
But that felt dirty, so she sighted the target, experimentally cocked her wrist and shut down her worries.Tonight was to celebrate a woman she barely knew but wanted to.She’d taken charge of her life when she’d been sixteen.She’d run.She’d been terrified but determined that there must be something better out there.And she’d found it.And now she had this—a cute town, welcoming people, the possibility of a family, friends, and a potential business.She could belong here.Volunteer at Harry’s House teaching a needlework class like Petal and Arlo had suggested.Maybe work at the yarn shop or teach adult classes there.Sell her designs locally.Have a husband to love.
If she could make Telford fall in love with her… the thought stole her breath.It was so novel.Impossible.But was it?They had been random and yet they fit.And the things he’d said to her last night and this afternoon… she’d never experienced such tenderness.Surely that meant something.Even she, cynic that she was because she knew men lied and manipulated, felt the difference.At least she thought she did.
Hope I do.
Miracles happened.Finding Telford felt like a miracle—so many random pieces fitting together.Same with Maddy and Cash.Maybe Telford would fall in love with her.Want her to stay longer than it took to build a legacy for Cam and the year.
And maybe I can.
She let the dart fly.
“Bullseye!”Maddy, Piper, and Riley shouted out.
*
“Not into themusic?”Cash asked, still nursing his first beer at FlintWorks.
It was a local Americana group.They were good, but Telford couldn’t stop thinking about Ayana’s tears when they’d started making love in the bath.He was worried he’d scared her, but she’d clung to him, crying silently and holding herself so tightly and curled up like a wounded wild animal hiding.He’d stopped, trying to encourage her to talk while he held her even though she repeated that making love with him wasbeautiful.
He’d wanted to ditch the party, but she’d insisted on attending.Tonight was his brother’s bachelor party and Maddy’s bridal party.Telford solved problems, not created them, but waiting to rejoin Ayana and the other women had him wanting to crawl out of his skin.Whatever bothered her or frightened her, he wanted to slay it.
“It’s a good band.Tight.”He forced him mind back to FlintWorks.“Can’t remember the last time I was at bar listening to music.I don’t get out much.”
“I’m out all the time during the tour—mostly working,” Cash said.“Though it looks like partying, but I’m there to link up with or support sponsors.Bronte’s going to put a dent in that as is tagging along with my wife.”
He didn’t seem unhappy about it.
For the first time Telford wondered if Cash was marrying Maddy as much as for a mother for their sister as a partner for him.Not that he had any room to judge.He wasn’t ashamed of the deal he’d struck with Ayana, but it no longer felt valid.The marriage no longer resembled the business deal he’d imagined.
Cash looked at his watch.“We can join them soon.”
He was impatient.Keyed up.Looked like a love match to him—not that Telford was anything remotely close to relationship knowledgeable.
“Can’t believe how lucky I am,” Cash mused, eyes on the band.“Maddy works marketing for the tour, so she was often at the events, though she gave me no quarter until Bronte, and she was forced to accompany me to Marietta.Best thing that ever happened to me.”Cash look him directly in the eye, and Telford felt an unexpected spurt of envy.
“We still haven’t figured the logistics for next year when the tour starts in March.Marietta will be our home base.Maddy can do some work remotely, but Thursdays through Sunday I’ll be out of town for four to five weeks at a time.Maddy will be with me working so we haven’t decided if we want to hire a nanny to travel with us or have Bronte and a nanny stay with family at the ranch.
“Miranda recently sold her boutique at the Graff Hotel, and she’s running sort of a home preschool childcare on the ranch now with her twins, Piper and Boone’s kids, and now Rohan and Lane’s baby.She’ll need to hire an assistant or two as everyone living on the ranch works long though sometimes irregular hours.A nanny could help out during the school hours, and then they’d have the three days off a week when we were home.”
He’d clearly put some time into thinking about logistics.If he and Ayana moved to Marietta or Marietta adjacent, he too could help care for their sister.
Telford opened his mouth—to make the offer?He’d need to have a lot of puzzle pieces snapped together by March to do that, but problem-solving was his brand.Baby care, not so much.But the minute that little body had settled in his arms and she’d reached out to touch his jaw, he’d been… he still didn’t know how to describe it.Overcome.
Determined to be a brother she could depend on.
“DNA test came back,” he said.
“You’re telling me now.”Cash rounded on him, and Telford, who had three inches at least on his brother, felt an irrelevant spurt of male satisfaction at his height—stupid, he knew, because he understood physics.Cash was tall for a bull rider.Any taller and he wouldn’t be nearly tasting his third finals champion title.
Both Rohan and Boone looked up from their conversations with other men in the groom’s night out party.
