Page 13 of Aisle Be The Groom (Bristlecone Springs #1)
GRAY
“ L eaving already, boss?” Clayton, one of the ranch hands, asked as I opened the door to my truck. We still had another two hours of work before we finished mending the fences along this side of the property’s perimeter. The recent storm that had forced Ozzie and me to seek shelter in the barn had damaged many sections. Since we had to carry out the scheduled vaccinations, we’d had to hold off on the repairs. We had to fix the fencing before another storm hit, so I’d directed all available hands on deck to see to it.
Then why are you taking off already?
“Yup, I need to check in with Lawson about his ranch. Daisy Mae is in charge.”
Daisy Mae tilted her Stetson in my direction, her long braid swinging behind her. She was a no-nonsense person who knew how to get the job done, which was the reason I’d recently made her one of my supervisors. A few ranch hands had walked off the job instead of taking orders from a woman, but when they challenged my decision, I hadn’t backed down. They could either do what they were paid to or get the hell off my property.
“Okay, boss. I’ll look out for her.”
I hopped into my truck with a grin. It was obvious Clayton was sweet on Daisy Mae, but she would chew his ass to shreds before she allowed him to distract her from her duties, and that was exactly how she would see his “looking out for her.”
When I drove away, I sobered. I didn’t need to check with Lawson in person. He was just a phone call away, but the excuse got me back to the house to see Ozzie. After the wedding planner fiasco, we’d come to a truce in which I barely saw him. I left the house before he woke up and returned when he was already gone to bed.
After two days I’d had enough. I needed to know what he was up to.
How were the wedding plans going? Had he decided where on the ranch to get married? Had he contacted the different caterers I’d suggested?
Was he really going through with the wedding?
I brought the truck to a halt and scowled. That was exactly the reason I’d stayed away from him. The question burned on the tip of my tongue. How could it not? Ozzie and Carter were not a good fit, but how much of that was my intuition and how much was me wanting Ozzie to call the wedding off so we could end up in bed together?
With those traitorous thoughts, was it not best to leave Ozzie alone? If he married Carter, it had to be his decision. And if he woke up to all the warning signs that Carter didn’t deserve him, then calling off the wedding had to be his decision as well.
Too bad being an impartial observer in the matter was so fucking difficult.
I got out of the truck, grabbed my toiletries from the passenger’s seat, and headed toward the outdoor showers. I’d installed them a year ago after a cleaner quit on me when I tracked mud and dirt onto the floor they’d just cleaned. This way, I could get all the grime off me before entering the house.
The four showers were simple: rustic open stalls at the side of the house with wooden walls to provide a semblance of privacy. One was reserved for me, while anyone else could use the other three.
Under the icy water, I scrubbed off the dirt and sweat from the day’s work. When I toweled off, I felt almost human again after another grueling day working under the sun. I wrapped a large towel around my waist and let myself into the house through the back door.
I left my boots at the bottom of the steps and walked to the kitchen. A cold beer sounded pretty damn good to cool down my insides and soothe my parched throat. Judging by the clings and clangs of pots and pans, Gertie was already preparing this evening’s dinner.
“Hey, Gertie, something smells good. When are you going to leave that man of yours and marry me?” My smile faltered. Ozzie sat at the island, a binder on the table and several papers around him. “Oh, hello, Ozzie.”
He tore his gaze away from my naked chest. “Um, hi, Gray.”
“Is this why you’re in my kitchen half-naked?” Gertie said. “While that sinful body of yours is tempting, Gray, you only have eyes for this ranch. I would be a fool to think I could compete with that.”
“That’s not true, Gertie.” I walked up to her and kissed her cheek. “I could give up the ranch for you.”
She elbowed me in the gut, but her face turned red. “Oh, you smooth-talking devil. Git!”
Ozzie’s laughter rang out, a sound I loved. He always frowned too much as if he was worrying about something.
“Best not to look at him, Ozzie,” Gertie said. “Next thing you know, you’re falling for the father, even though you’re engaged to the son. Can you imagine the scandal? Why, we haven’t had a scandal this big since that Anders ran off with all of Lawson’s money and left him flat broke. Then he had the audacity to return to town.” Gertie shook her head. “I blame Grant, taking Anders in when he knows what he did.” She clicked her tongue. “Good men are really hard to find.”
Keeping a straight face when she had just described the scenario I was avoiding was the hardest thing I’d done in ages. For a moment, my face remained frozen in an awkward smile as I tried to maintain my composure. Ozzie, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open, looked as stunned as I felt.
“Uh, that’s a long time ago, Gertie. Lawson’s moved on with Opie, and he’s very happy.” I opened the refrigerator and took out a beer. Gertie handed me a bottle opener. “Thanks.”
“It might have been a long time ago, but every time I see Anders, he upsets my spirit.”
“Wait…are you referring to the Lawson and Opie we ran into at the restaurant, Gray?”
“Yup.”
“Damn, that’s cold.”
“That boy knew damn well he was only marrying Lawson for his money. He milked him for every single penny he had.”
“I can’t imagine marrying someone for money.” Ozzie flipped a page in his book. He picked up a glue stick and pasted one of the papers on the page. “You should only marry for love. When you’ve found the perfect man who sweeps you off your feet with his charm, passion, and sincerity. The man who values your happiness more than his own and is willing to grow old with you, facing whatever trials that may come. That’s what true love is.”
I took a long gulp of my beer to calm my racing heartbeat. Didn’t Ozzie hear himself? Or maybe I didn’t know his relationship with my son as well as I thought I did?
“That’s a romantic notion you’ve got there, Ozzie,” Gertie said. “Did Carter sweep you off your feet, then?”
I had my beer. No reason for me to linger in the kitchen, but wild horses couldn’t tear me away from the conversation.
“Carter and I fell in love differently,” he said, doodling on a piece of paper. “We didn’t have that meetcute where you ran into each other for the first time and you just know . We met on a dating site and went out a few times, fell in love, moved in together, then decided to get married. It’s…quieter, nice, dependable, and familiar. You know how some people spend a few years before they get to that place where their love is steady? We’re lucky to have that already without all the crazy fireworks.”
“No fireworks?” Gertie asked.
“I don’t think I’m explaining this well.”
Oh, he was explaining it well enough. From Gertie’s raised eyebrows, she’d come to the same conclusion. But why didn’t Ozzie hear his own words? This marriage was a disaster in the making.
Ozzie jumped to his feet and gathered his binder and papers. “There’s still so much work to do. I really should find a quiet place to finish these wedding plans. By the way, Gray, you don’t have to take me into town tomorrow to check out the florist. Hudson volunteered to bring me and drive me back.”
Hudson? When had he and Ozzie become friends? I took another long swig of my beer. Hudson wasn’t in the least friendly to anyone on the ranch. Not that he was mean, but he kept to himself. The one time I’d seen him engaged with anyone was when I’d caught him and Matty kissing in the stable three and a half years ago. Why was he getting close to Ozzie?
“Gray, I’ve got to say it,” Gertie said, “but something’s off about the way he speaks of Carter. Don’t you find it odd he’s planning a wedding, but the groom is nowhere to be found? I’m afraid this wedding is going to be a disaster.”
It wasn’t just me being attracted to Ozzie, then. First Matty and now Gertie were questioning the wedding. But how could I bring up the subject to Ozzie? It wasn’t my place. After sucking him off, I was the last person to point out that his marriage would be doomed. He might think I had an ulterior motive.
Well, you do, don’t you?
Perhaps, but that wasn’t the main reason. I didn’t want Carter to mess up Ozzie’s life because he wanted his inheritance. Maybe if I offered him the money unconditionally, he would call off the wedding himself.
But Ozzie would be heartbroken.
“Gray, it looks like you already figured that out. What are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do, Gertie? He wants to marry Carter. This is his decision, not mine.”
“I’m not saying you should break them up or anything, but Ozzie is a sweetheart. Will you be able to sleep at night, knowing you did nothing to stop him from making a big mistake?”
“Except you’re forgetting one thing. I’m trying to patch up my relationship with my son. If I interfere with his wedding, that’ll do just the opposite.”
“So you’ll say nothing and sacrifice Ozzie’s happiness just to be close to Carter, even if he’s in the wrong?”
Why did she make it sound as if wanting to build a better relationship with my son was wrong?
“Ozzie’s only been here for a few days, but he’s a sweet kid,” she said. “He doesn’t deserve this sham of a marriage.”
“Gertie, you don’t know their marriage will be a sham, and you can’t say anything to him.”
“I ain’t going to interfere, but I won’t lie to that sweet boy if he asks me something.”
“I’m not asking you to lie. Just to allow him to make his own decisions. They’re both adults, and you heard Ozzie. They’ve been living together. Whatever happens between them needs to be their decision.”
For that reason, I would help Ozzie to plan his wedding. He was a smart young man. He would figure out soon enough that he and Carter were all wrong for each other. That he deserved better. That better might be…me?