Page 9 of Fall Wedding With the Mountain Man (Ozark Mountain Men Falling For Love #2)

Elizabeth

Shelby was absolutely glowing when I finally caught up with her. They were getting ready to go to the after-party at the Fall Festival, but she spared a few minutes to chat with me.

This might be our only chance to talk before she left on her honeymoon.

The second she saw me, she ran up and hugged me fiercely, taking care not to crush Leona.

“It’s so good to see you!!!”

Then she squeezed my hands and hit me with a barrage of questions.

“Is that an Elie Saab dress? I can’t believe you did that!

And why are you wearing hiking boots with it?

Not that I mind, but you don’t look like the Lizzie Merley that I know.

And is that a kitten? What in the world have you been getting into, girl?

Sara told me you showed up with Hudson, making lovey-dovey eyes with him. ”

I turned bright pink hearing that last part.

“Yes, it’s an Elie Saab. I already had it from another event.

I didn’t buy it just for the wedding. You could have told me what casual meant around here.

I never would have shown up in this dress.

I feel like a fool in it. The hiking boots belong to Hudson’s sister.

The heels I had on weren’t going to get me far out here in a field.

Why didn’t you tell me you were getting married in a field ?

And… why did you get married in a field? ”

Shelby threw back her head and laughed. She looked so wild and free. Her wedding dress was a simple white flowy thing, and she had a wreath of flowers around her hair. I’d never seen her look so relaxed before in my life.

“Don’t try to brush over the important part. What’s up with you and Hudson ? How did you meet him?”

Thinking back to the moment I saw him in the auto parts store, it felt like fate.

Clearing my throat, I said, “He saved me. My rental car died, and I couldn’t get a new battery for it. But he was a sneaky trickster. He never told me who he was. I thought he was just a random mountain man!”

Shelby laughed. “A hot , random mountain man, you mean.”

Raising my eyebrows, I scolded her, “You’re a married woman now. You can’t talk that way about your husband’s brother.”

Shelby hugged me again. Then whispered, “Don’t worry. You can have him. I’m all eyes on Thatcher.”

Flushing red, I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want him.”

She gave me a knowing smile, and all the time that we’d spent apart evaporated just like that. “You can’t get away with lying to me, Liz. I can see it on your face. You’ll have that man’s pants down around his ankles before the end of the night.”

My words came out in a flustered stammer. “That’s not true. Does that mean he’s single? I’m not asking because I want to know. Forget I said anything.”

Shelby laughed again. “It’s so good to see you, Lizzie. I’ve missed you so much. You’re the only thing I regret leaving behind in New York. If I could just import you here, life would be perfect.”

I countered with, “If I could drag you back to New York in my luggage, I would.”

Then she eyed me thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve always thought you and Hudson would make a good couple. He’s a really good guy. And his assets go way beyond the good looks. He deserves a woman like you in his life.”

“So he’s single?” The question popped out again before I could hold it in.

Shelby nodded. “Yep. And just between you and me, it’s been way too long since he’s had a date. I see the way he’s looking at you. It’s like he wants to eat you for dinner.”

“What?” I glanced in the direction she was staring.

Oh.

The man was looking right at us. And I couldn’t deny that he had a steamy, sexy look in his eyes.

I tore my gaze away from him. “Shelby, you can’t seriously want me to have a one-night stand with your new husband’s brother, right?”

She lifted her eyebrows. “It’s all part of my plan.”

“What plan?”

“To import you to the Ozarks. Give me one week and I’ll convert you.”

I laughed and shook my head. “You know I have to be back at work on Monday. The billable hours wait for no one.”

Shelby gave me the pleading look I’d never been able to deny. “Please stay a week. At least until I’m back from my honeymoon. I need to see you. And tonight can’t be all the time we get together.”

She knew I was always a sucker for her.

But I wasn’t a college kid anymore. I had responsibilities now.

“I don’t think that’s going to work out, Shell.”

The look on her face told me how shattered she felt. “I get it. I know how the firm is. It was probably hard to get this much time away. I’ve just missed you so much, and I was looking forward to spending time with you.”

My heart cracked in two.

Shelby had no idea how much I’d missed her.

“I wish I hadn’t been booted from my flight.”

“I know. But it wasn’t your fault. At least you got to see some of the country while you drove down.”

That was one way of looking at it. I’d spent the whole drive feeling like I was living my life the wrong way and second-guessing everything I’d done since I graduated high school.

Knowing this was the last private moment I’d have with her, I broached the difficult subject that had been lingering behind every phone call we’d had in the last year.

“Shell, I’m sorry for what I said about Thatcher not being good enough.

I’m happy for you. I really am. I think I’ve just been focused on what I’m losing, and not what you’re gaining. Can you forgive me for being an ass?”

My best friend in the whole wide world started crying.

“I get it, Liz. It’s okay. From an outside perspective, it probably looked like I was going nuts. But I fell in love with this place. And then, when I met Thatcher, I suddenly realized what was actually important in life.”

We hugged, and in that moment I knew that everything was fine between us. It would always be fine.

“So you forgive me?”

“Of course I do! I just wish you could have spent some time with Thatcher to get to know him before the wedding. He’s…” Her face took on a magical glow, “the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”

I wanted that.

My love life had been a series of one-night stands or two-week relationships. I just didn’t have the time to commit to another person. The saying ‘married to their work’ was true in my case.

Squeezing her hand, I told her, “He sounds special. And maybe I can schedule another trip next year.”

The light faded in Shelby’s eyes, but she chirpily said, “Yeah. That sounds great.”

We both knew I’d had to fight tooth and nail to get these few days off for her wedding. There’d be no future trip. Not if I wanted the next promotion in the lead-up to partner.

I changed the subject. “Hudson and I are dropping the kitten and his dog off at your place during the reception.”

She eyed my too-fancy-for-this-town dress. “Do you want to borrow something to wear? You can grab anything you want from my closet.”

Smoothing out the wrinkles in my designer gown, I asked, “What would you recommend?”

Leona meowed in protest, and I shifted her in my arms.

Shelby said, “Jeans. And maybe a jacket. It will get colder as the night goes on. Before you go will you tell me what’s up with the kitten? I’m dying to know.”

My heart twisted around in five different directions.

“We’re just borrowing her.”

“We?”

That made me flush. How could I explain the craziness of getting here? Hudson arriving as my knight in shining armor to do battle with the asshole at the auto parts store. Saving me, showering me with kittens and delivering me to the wedding just in time. It was a crazy story.

“Hudson and I aren’t a thing, so don’t even think it.”

She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “If I can’t lure you to leave the firm, maybe he can.”

Now I was turning bright red. I was certain of it. I stammered, “Really, he just ran into me and helped me out of a bind. And he played a silly trick, pretending to just be a random guy. I didn’t even know he was Thatcher’s brother until we showed up here.”

Shelby grinned and said, “You should sleep with him before you leave. He’d be a perfect stress reliever.”

“But I leave tomorrow.”

“That’s plenty of time. If nothing else, have a quickie at my place before you head to the festival.”

I started laughing. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing that, Shelby.”

“If he fucks anything like his brother, you’ll be missing out if you don’t jump on that cock.

I can see you sitting in your office, with ten case files spread out around you, working until midnight thinking, ‘I should have fucked Hudson when I had the chance.’ You deserve this, girl. Give yourself a treat.”

That vision was a little too clear for me. I could see it, too.

Shelby started laughing. “You’re practically drooling!”

I grinned and rolled my eyes. “And you’re trying to use his sex appeal to make me move here.”

“Guilty as charged.”