Page 10 of Aisle Be The Groom (Bristlecone Springs #1)

OZZIE

“ W hat the hell is this?”

I startled as I came face-to-face with Matty at the top of the stairs. My heart pounded, and my legs shook. It wasn’t just from walking back from the barn. I’d been so afraid someone would see me I’d basically run back to the house while holding my tears in.

How many times had I been with a guy who didn’t want to be seen with me the next morning? Good, chubby Ozzie with the spankable ass, always great for a fuck, but not worth the time out of the bedroom. I’d thought I’d stopped letting men treat me this way since I got into a relationship with Carter. I hadn’t given him an opportunity to hit it and quit it. No, sir. I’d made him work to get me into bed.

But I’d let his father go down on me in one day.

Who had Gray thought he was fooling about us returning to the house separately? His reasoning didn’t make any damn sense. We’d both been caught in the rain and spent the night in the barn. That was believable. The way Matty looked at me with his brow furrowed and eyes narrowed was telling.

I couldn’t blame him. No matter what I said, me sneaking into the house was suspicious. I clutched the blanket tightly around myself.

He can’t possibly know I’d been romping in the hay with his father. Just act normal.

“Just heading back to the guest bedroom,” I mumbled, averting my eyes. Heat spread across my cheeks in damning evidence of what I’d done wrong.

Matty blocked my path. “Is that so?” he drawled, folding his arms over his broad chest. “What are you doing walking around”—he eyed the clothes folded in my arms—“in nothing but a blanket? Just what are you up to?”

“I went for a walk, since I ate late, got caught in the rain, and saw the barn, so I slept there.” I held out my wet clothes. “See? They’re all soaked.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t seem to believe me. Why was he so jaded at such a young age? He hadn’t even pretended to give me the benefit of the doubt at our first meeting. “I checked in on Dad last night and didn’t find him in his room. Did you happen to run across him?”

Thump! Thump! Thump! Could he hear my tumultuous heartbeat? My mouth went dry, and I swallowed. Gray and I hadn’t prepared for this question. “N-no…I didn’t see him.”

Was that the right answer? What if he ran into Gray later and asked him the same question? Oh god, we should have thought some more about keeping our stories straight.

“You’re lying.”

His accusation hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Still, I shook my head. “Why would I lie about something like that? What exactly do you think I was doing?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out eventually. Nothing stays a secret forever, Ozzie.” He tipped his Stetson in a sarcastic gesture and brushed past me.

“Why do you hate me?” I burst out. “Before last night, we’ve never met.”

“I just can’t figure you out. You and Carter don’t go together well, and until I find out what the hell my brother’s got up his sleeve, I don’t trust you either.”

“Just what do you think I’m after?”

He slowly let his gaze travel over my blanket-wrapped body. “Whatever it is, let’s hope you didn’t get it last night.”

No, but I got it this morning.

Thank god he turned and descended the stairs. My face was burning. And I thought Carter knew how to anger me. He had nothing on his brother. How were they so different from their father? One was too casual and carefree and the other too rigid.

I’d better stay away from Matty.

I entered my bedroom, closed the door, and leaned heavily against it. When Carter had told me he had a brother, I’d been so excited to meet Matty. I was an only child who didn’t have many friends growing up. How na?ve I’d been to think we’d become best friends.

“You need to stop daydreaming, Ozzie,” I whispered. All these fantasies I had rarely worked out the way I wanted. Only a few more weeks until the wedding, and I needed that to go perfectly.

I inhaled deeply and let out my breath slowly. What had happened with Gray was in the past. Okay, half an hour in the past, but still history. Concentrating on the wedding was best. I shook off the lingering sting from Matty’s words and went to the bathroom. I took a shower and almost made it through without thinking of Gray. Until my soapy hands touched my cock. Other men I’d been with were usually amused by how little I was. A stubby little cock that made them feel more like a man. But not Gray. He’d sucked me off and made me feel ten inches long.

“I was putting some distance between us so this wouldn’t happen.”

The hot water sluiced over my body, doing nothing to cool the sudden surge of desire whipping through me. Gray’s touch, his kiss, the feel of him on top of me, between my legs, taking my cock between his lips were way too vivid. I closed my eyes, dragging in sharp breaths to regain my self-control.

I had to stay focused. The wedding was around the corner. Carter was going to be my husband soon. I’d invested two years into that relationship, and I couldn’t let a small indiscretion jeopardize our happiness. Especially not a one-time thing with a man who hadn’t cared to be seen with me the next morning.

The thought sobered me up. I stepped out of the shower and hastily toweled off. Back in the bedroom, I put on another pair of lace underwear and a T-shirt and climbed back into bed. I took out my laptop but didn’t power it on. Sleeping in the barn on the hay bed hadn’t been comfortable, and I still felt exhausted.

Not sure what woke me up, I blinked and groaned at the light flooding into the bedroom. A glance at my phone showed it was some minutes after ten. I was tempted to roll over and continue sleeping, but I forced myself to sit up. I unlocked my phone and placed a video call to Carter. He answered on the third ring.

“Ozzie, baby, you’re still in bed?” he asked, sounding chirpy. His eyes shone, and his smile was bright. He seemed happy. Happier than he was with me.

“Hey.” I forced a smile. Just wedding jitters. All my doubts would go away once the wedding was over. “Have you booked a new flight yet?”

“We’re looking at some later. How’s the ranch?”

“It’s okay.”

He chuckled. “Not a fan either, are you? I hate that Dad insists on us getting married there, but since he controls the purse strings, we’ll have to go along with it for now. After we’re married, we don’t have to ask the old man for anything.”

Old man? Did he even know his father? Last night, I’d seen him naked briefly just before the flashlight died, and the only thing hinting at his age was the line of gray hair running down the center of his chest. Otherwise, that man was in excellent shape.

And he gave one hell of a blow job.

“I don’t see why we need your father’s help to get married at all,” I said. “We have enough money to pay for the wedding. We don’t need anything fancy. Just a small ceremony with our closest friends.”

“Why settle for small when we can have the big do?”

Because after this morning, I feel uncomfortable taking money from your father.

“It’s not terribly fair to your father.”

“Stop worrying about it, Ozzie. Dad doesn’t mind. He still feels guilty about all the time he missed when he returned to Bristlecone Springs and left us with Mom. I swear, you’re the only one who makes it seem bad to have a wealthy father-in-law. He can afford it.”

“All right. He may be able to afford it, but I can’t get anything done if you’re not around.”

He groaned. “Ozzie, just do whatever you want. On the day, I’ll show up as your Prince Charming and make you the happiest man alive.”

“I’d rather you show some interest in the wedding, Car.”

“Take a look at the ring on your left hand, sweetheart, before making such a dumb statement in the future. If I didn’t have any interest, I wouldn’t have bought you that rock.”

“It’s not dumb. It’s our wedding, and you’re off gallivanting in the Caribbean without me. I have an appointment to see the wedding planner today at two. You were supposed to take me.”

He furrowed his brows and tightened his jaw. “If you’re just calling me to bitch and complain, I’ll go.”

“Carter—”

He’d hung up. Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Something about this situation was wrong. Was it Carter hanging up on me? How rude and disrespectful. Did I really complain that much to annoy him? Why couldn’t he put some effort into planning our wedding? If he showed just the slightest interest, maybe some of my prewedding jitters would vanish.

I grabbed my laptop, opened it, and found the Wedding Whisperer blog. Fingers flying over the keyboard, I typed all the things I couldn’t mention to Carter in my e-mail.

Dear Wedding Whisperer,

I am a long-time fan of your work, and I’m finally getting my own HEA. My boyfriend of two years and I are getting married. I’ve followed your advice to a T in planning everything, but now that I’m ready to take care of the plans, my boyfriend doesn’t seem to want to be involved in this part of the process. Our wedding is just weeks away, and he’s off in the Caribbean while I am left to plan the whole celebration. He seems unconcerned with the details or even with being present for them. It’s as though he views our wedding as an afterthought, a social event rather than a symbol of our union. He just wants to show up on the day.

Each time I try to talk to him about it, he brushes me off or changes the subject. This is not how I pictured our life together, and it’s certainly not how I pictured our wedding. I want him to be as excited as I am.

Is it okay for my fiancé to not be interested in planning our wedding, or is this a sign we’re making a big mistake? I’ve dreamed of our life together since we got into a relationship, and now that I’m so close to that dream, I’m afraid prewedding jitters may ruin everything.

Nervously,

Big0.

As soon as I hit Send, relief washed over me. Sharing my anxiety lifted some of its weight off my shoulders. I spent half an hour scribbling into my little book about my plans for the day. During one of Gray’s infrequent calls, when he’d suggested we got married at the ranch, he’d mentioned a wedding planner in town. I’d made an appointment to meet with her at two.

My phone vibrated, and I checked the screen. Carter had sent me a voice message.

“Sorry I hung up on you, but I wish you weren’t so negative, Ozzie. Have a little faith in your man, will you? I just spoke to my dad, and he’ll take you to town to meet the wedding planner. He’ll fill in for me and get stuff done. Just tell him what you need. Love ya. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, baby, and I mean that.”

The tightness in my stomach eased. If only I could take back the e-mail I’d sent. Carter wasn’t that bad. The wedding was just stressful. Once the whole ceremony was over, all the tension from the plans would be gone. We would live a happy life, and I didn’t have to worry about frequently seeing his father.

Feeling much better, I climbed to my feet, pulled on a pair of pants, my sneakers, and left my room. Outside was a hive of activity: trucks driving by, men talking, and horses neighing.

As I walked through the main hall, the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the kitchen. I followed the scent but stopped at the entrance. A woman with a halo of golden curls was busily arranging pastries on a platter. She looked up, and her face lit up with a welcoming smile.

“Good morning, love,” she said, her thick Southern accent wrapping around me like a warm blanket. “You must be Ozzie. Gray told me all about you. Congrats on the upcoming wedding. I’m Gertie, the cook.”

Gray hadn’t mentioned he had a cook. I walked into the kitchen, returning her smile. “Hi, Gertie. The smell of that coffee brought me here.”

“And here I thought it was my charming personality you heard about.” She grabbed the coffee pot and poured a steaming cup. “Get yourself a seat. Gray told me to take good care of ya while you’re here. Do you have any favorite foods?”

She put the cup of coffee and a sticky bun, still dripping with caramel, in front of me. “Thank you.” My mouth watered. I took a sip of the coffee and groaned. The rich flavor was exactly what I needed.

“I should have asked you if you wanted some pastry,” she said.

“Honestly? I’ll eat most of everything, and this sticky bun looks delicious.” I patted my stomach. “You can probably tell.”

She chuckled. “So you like to eat. Life’s short. Take your pleasures where you get ’em, love. Now tell me what you think of my sticky bun. That caramel is homemade.”

“I was trying to save face by pretending I don’t want to inhale the entire thing in one bite.”

“Now that would make my day. Nothing’s better than seeing someone enjoying my food.”

I took a bite out of the sticky bun and couldn’t help my moan. It was still warm, and the cinnamon was rich on my tongue. The sugar and caramel stuck to my fingers and the corner of my mouth, but I didn’t care. It was the best sticky bun I’d had in ages, maybe ever.

“Sweet mercy, Gertie. You have to teach me how to make these.”

“All right, then. It’ll be my wedding gift to ya.”

“Just what I need. I do a little of baking myself.”

“Yes? Tell me more.”

Gertie and I chatted as the bustling sounds of the ranch echoed in from the open window. The conversation flowed as freely as the coffee, and her easygoing personality was just what I needed after my unpleasant run-in with Matty. The urge to ask Gertie about him was strong, but I refrained.

When I was finished eating, I washed up the utensils. Gertie explained she wasn’t a personal cook for Gray and his son but worked on the ranch five days a week to prepare meals for the workers. Given the town was so far away, food and shelter were perks of working at Bristle M Ranch.

With every new detail she told me, the ranch felt more like a self-contained community rather than just Gray’s home. My respect and admiration for the man grew. He cared for his people, ensuring they were well taken care of.

Gertie shooed me out of the kitchen, but I was hesitant to go out and bump into the ranch hands, so I helped her with preparing lunch. Those who worked around the ranch would eat together in the barn, and one of the ranch hands would deliver meals to those who worked in the pastures.

When lunch was finally ready, I was simultaneously excited to join the ranch hands and nervous about seeing Gray again. He was supposed to take me into the town to meet with the wedding planner, so I expected him to return to eat with the others.

Gertie had prepared beef stew and homemade rolls dusted with rosemary. I helped bring everything to the barn, where the ranch hands were already chatting and laughing. Gertie introduced me to them as Gray’s son-in-law. A flash of panic shot through me, but they greeted me politely, then ignored me while talking over each other.

Rows of long tables were spread out in the spacious barn. Among the men were also a few women. Their faces were weathered but warm, their bodies strong and roped with muscles. They weren’t treated any differently from their counterparts, and the whole camaraderie of the place was infectious. They laughed loudly, teased Gertie, and shared stories of their day with an ease that made me feel like one of them.

One lone figure sat in the corner, a hulking shadow that kept his head bent, shoveling food into his mouth at record speed, ignoring the animated chatter around him. His quietness stood out in the otherwise jovial atmosphere.

As I watched him, he looked up as if sensing my gaze. On the left side of his face, a rough scar stretched from his hairline to his chin. I smiled tentatively at him, but he didn’t return it. Instead, he gave me a guarded nod and returned to his silent eating.

A prickling sensation crawled down the back of my neck, and I turned, searching the faces. Matty. He sat across from me, frowning as he glanced from me to the man I’d been watching.

What the hell was going through his mind?

I shrugged and returned to helping Gertie serve the ranch hands seconds. Where was Gray? Why wasn’t he back yet? I glanced at my phone. If we didn’t head out soon, we would be late to meet the wedding planner. Although I wasn’t convinced I needed a planner, I at least wanted to give her due consideration.

Footsteps approached, and the man with the scar dropped his plate off. “Do you want some more?” I asked. Up close, he seemed younger than I’d thought. In his late twenties.

“I’m good.”

But he lingered as though he wanted to say something.

“Gertie.” Matty walked up to us, and I stiffened. I wasn’t the only one. The brooding man clenched his hands into fists. Interesting. Matty didn’t acknowledge him, though he’d been watching our nonverbal interaction earlier. “Dad won’t make it back until tonight.”

“What?” I put down the ladle I’d been holding. “He’s supposed to take me into town.”

“He has more important things to do than run around for a wedding that has a missing fiancé.”

I gasped. Gertie whacked him with a spoon. “Matthias Jacob Magnuson, what a horrible thing to say! Your daddy taught you better than that boy. Apologize.”

Matty grunted what sounded like an apology without the words and walked away.

“I swear that boy gets worse by the day.” Gertie patted my shoulder. “Don’t pay him any mind, Ozzie. He must have been kicked in the head one time too many. Or he’s spent too much time around those horses of his.”

I gave her a wobbly smile. Why had I come? Nothing was working out. Even Gray was avoiding me now. I might as well pack my things and leave. No one would miss me. Carter probably wouldn’t even know I’d left until he arrived for the wedding to find himself without a groom.

“Hey, I’m going into town,” the man next to me said. “You can ride with me.” His voice was gruff, but his eyes held a kindness that was far more than I’d received from my fiancé’s brother.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

He nodded. “I’ve got some stuff to pack in the truck, but I should be ready to leave in fifteen.”

“That’s taken care of, then, love,” Gertie said.

Well, Gertie was the sweetest ever. If she approved, I would be fine. “Thank you so much. By the way, my name’s Ozzie.”

“Hudson.”