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Chapter One
Sierra
I stare out at the open valley below.
Everything is perfect.
Perfect mountain backdrop, perfect sunny day, perfect pink and gold ribbons on the chairs where my perfect family sits. Hell, I’m even wearing a perfect designer wedding dress. Oh, and the boots. The boots I had custom made at the best western shop in Texas. These boots were made for walking, but all I can do is sit.
“Everyone is waiting on you, sweetie. We’ve gotta go.” My mom has been waiting for this wedding since I was born. She and Dad didn’t have a fancy event. They got married at a courthouse during a cold snap.
They had ice that burst the pipes that year. My mom says the house flooded, and because they were low on money, they spent their wedding night at my grandma’s. Apparently, that’s not a good way to start off a marriage.
“I know. I’m coming.” I suck in a few deep breaths and try again to swallow the lump in my throat as I avoid eye contact with my mother. On paper, Johnathan is the perfect man. He’s tall, dark, handsome, accomplished, and he owns the largest sheep ranch in northern Texas. Any woman would be lucky to stand where I’m standing. Yet here I am, questioning everything as I stare down at the envelope that was slid under my hotel room door late last night.
“What is that?” My mom hasn’t left the doorway. “Please tell me those are happy tears.” She steps into the room as though she’s going to comfort me, but I know she wants a peek at what I’m staring at.
I tuck the paper away and stand from the window seat. “I’m fine, Mom. I’ll be down in a few minutes. Wedding day jitters is all.”
“Well, I can’t leave you alone for that. You’re—”
“I’m fine… really.” I perk my voice as best I can without trying to sound fake. “I just need a few minutes to myself. Tell Johnathan I’ll be right down. I don’t want him to see me like this, okay?”
She stares back at me with the same clear blue stare I’ve been warmed by my entire life. “Whatever you need, sweetie. I have my phone on me if you change your mind.”
I wrap myself in her arms, holding back tears. “Thanks, Mom.”
She nods and leaves the room, though I sense her hesitation. What is it about moms? It’s like they have a sixth sense or something. I swear, if I were to ever go missing, she’d follow her instincts and find me ten times faster than the cops.
When she’s left the room, I plunk back into the window seat and run my fingers over the handwritten ink on the envelope, tracing Jonathan’s name. The handwriting is wide and flowering, like some fancy calligraphy. This wasn’t meant for me to find. It’s addressed to him. We traded rooms late last night so I could be closer to my mom’s suite. I’m not sure why the resort gave Johnathan connecting rooms with my mom, but that’s not important now. He was happy to trade with me.
That said, whoever left this note didn’t know about the switch.I mean, who’s to say this letter is even real?Johnathan has made loads of enemies. Last year alone, he had nine death threats, all of them over land purchases.
One guy even showed up with a gun. He tore around the house on a rampage, shooting aimlessly. He didn’t hit much but a few beams and a bird house, but we hired more security after that incident. Still though, Johnathan had death threats and gun wielding maniacs showing up looking for a shootout.
I blow out a heavy breath and stare down at the crowd. They’re using our programs as fans and twisting around in their seats. I should go downstairs. I will myself to move, but my leg won’t stop bouncing, and my stomach turns with anxiety.
Sure, a lot of weird things happen on that ranch, but what if the note is real?If I marry Jonathan today and find out he’s really done all these things, I’d be making the biggest mistake of my life. I mean, he does spend a lot of nights gone. Granted, I know that part of that is the nature of his business, but still, he’s a rancher. You’d think most of his days would be spent on the ranch.
I let out a heavy breath and hold another one in. Maybe I’m not okay with him being gone all the time, anyway. I want a man who wants to be home with me. I want to watch the sun go down together. I want to dance on the back porch to the sound of crickets and bullfrogs. I want to watch our kids play and hold each other close.
What if we never do those things?What if Johnathan is exactly the man this note says he is? What if he’s been hiding from me? What if I’m a stupid idiot who didn’t see any of it?
I stare up at the pine vaulted ceiling and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying not to spin out any further.
You have two hundred people sitting in chairs waiting for you, Sierra. You’re wearing a six-thousand-dollar wedding gown. Your mom is expecting you to have the perfect princess wedding she never had. You can’t flake. You can’t flake. You can’t flake.
My throat closes, the room begins to spin, and my insides shake as though there’s an actual earthquake rumbling inside of me.
Water. I need water.
I dip into the small hotel fridge and study the contents. Wine, champagne, an IPA I’ve never heard of, and a few fancy bars of chocolate. I didn’t think I needed chocolate until now. I pull out the bottle of red and the dark nougat. The wine goes down first with hints of cherries and mocha. Maybe I don’t need the chocolate after all.
Sliding back into the window seat, I tip back the bottle of wine, hoping the courage I need to walk is at the bottom. In search of said valor, I tip the bottle too far and drip dark red liquid down my chin and onto the once perfect gown.
Ugh!Who does this?
I jump up and grab a towel from the bathroom, wetting the fabric before dotting it on the breast of the dress. To no one’s surprise, it only smears the purple color deeper.
