Page 20 of Sweet Surprise (Honeysuckle, Texas #2)

Chapter Excerpt

Checking his watch, Garret shoved the kitchen door open.

Lingering scents of roast beef and fresh biscuits told him he wasn’t too late for dinner.

The familiar sounds of his family drifted from the dining room—Mason’s excited chatter, Carson’s measured responses, his sister Jillian’s gentle laughter, and of course his mother directing the evening.

After a day of corralling seventh graders through the complexities of American history, followed by two hours of mending the fence line, all he wanted was food and his bed, in that order.

“There he is.” His mom grinned up at him. “A little longer and I was going to send Brady to go find you.”

The retired military dog, lounging at Mason’s feet, barely lifted his head at the mention of his name.

“Sorry.” Garret slid into his seat between Rachel and Preston. “I had a meeting after school with some parents that ran long and I’d told Clint that I would take care of the break in the fence by the east line that needed attention.”

Rachel passed him the mashed potatoes. “You look dead on your feet.”

“Says the woman who works day and night to save the world.” Serving spoon in hand, he loaded his plate.

“To another day of the Sweet siblings burning the candle at both ends.” Seated across from them, Jillian raised her water glass. “No pun intended.”

That made just about everyone at the table chuckle. Jillian’s candle shop, Heaven Scent, had become one of the most popular shops on Main Street.

Garret dug into his food, the home cooked meal a major step up from the sandwich he’d hastily swallowed hours ago between classes.

At the head of the table, despite the financial tightrope everyone walked, his mother beamed at her assembled family.

Preston and Carson’s recent marriages had done a lot to ease some of the pressure, but there was still a long way to go.

Since his sisters were having a hard time finding temporary spouses, and Kade was serving in the military overseas, the short straw, so to speak, fell to Garret.

He needed to find a reasonable woman willing to play house with him—in name only of course—sooner than later.

“Any sign of the horses?” Her plate empty, his mother dabbed at the corner of her mouth with the napkin. “Clint is wondering if maybe it’s not the cattle, but the horses knocking down the fences.”

“Could be.” Preston nodded. “It would certainly explain why it’s only become a problem recently.”

The idea of the problem being wild horses and not decrepit fence posts sat much better with Garret. Especially since the ranch was still bleeding red ink. Big time.

“Your father would have loved having wild horses on the ranch.” His mom chuckled to herself. “Well, until they tore down the first fence.”

Again, the family around the table laughed with their mother. Chatter continued through dessert. Mason had grown restless and excused himself from the table, Brady faithfully following him. Until Mason arrived, Brady was their mother’s keeper, but not anymore.

Pushing away from the table, Carson stood and came around to Garret’s seat. “I’m heading upstairs to make sure Mason’s getting started on his homework.” He glanced up, waiting for his mom to carry her dishes into the kitchen, then leaned over, speaking softly. “Family meeting in Dad’s study.”

Garret nodded. That could only mean one thing. A financial update, or heaven forbid, a new problem.

“Nonnie.” Jess came off the bottom step and swung around into the kitchen.

His mom had already popped her head out. “You rang?”

“You’re being paged. Mason’s didn’t have much homework. Now he wants Nonnie to read him a story, or ten, before bed.”

Smiling wider than the Cheshire Cat, their mom tossed the dishrag aside and hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

One by one, the siblings and their spouses each filed into the study. The habit of gathering here to discuss the ranch happenings had become second nature.

“So, what’s the story?” Jillian asked.

“Morning Glory,” Rachel sang.

“What’s the word,” Sarah Sue chimed in.

To Garret’s surprise, all three giggling, sang—loudly, “Hummingbird.”

The three brothers looked to each other and then to the women now laughing like a couple of school girls.

“What’s the deal?” Preston asked from his seat at the desk.

“Don’t you remember Bye Bye Birdie ?” Rachel looked at him as if he’d forgotten his own birthday.

All three men shook their heads.

“How could you?” Jillian shook her head. “We only watched the movie about a hundred times over the years. You used to love the scene with Ann Margaret dancing.”

Garret had to smile. His mother loved old movies and usually insisted her children suffer through them, but he had developed a bit of a crush on Ann Margaret from an early age. Still, whatever his sisters had just sung didn’t ring any bells.

“Never mind.” Sarah Sue sighed, her gaze directed at her husband. “Care to update?”

“The good news is the bank has stopped threatening to foreclose.” Preston scrolled through something on the computer screen. “The bad news is we’re still in the hole up to our necks and funds are stretched really thin.”

“Darn shame the hay baler disappeared before we could sell it.” Jess leaned against her husband.

Jillian nodded. “That would have helped raise some fast cash.”

“Any new clues about who took it?” Rachel interjected.

“Nope.” Preston swung his head left then right. “But the cameras haven’t picked up any new strange activity, so there is that.”

“I’ll take any good news.” Rachel leaned back in her seat, her one leg dangling over the arm of the chair, swinging like a pendulum.

“Then you won’t want to hear this.” Preston pulled a few pieces of paper from the printer. “This is our current financial picture. At the bottom you’ll see what we still owe, what we’re scheduled to pay at the end of the month, and how much we’re short.”

Garret let out a slow whistle. The numbers added up to more than he’d expected. The problem—and answer—were clear. They needed more money—a lot of it—and he needed to find someone soon to pass for his wife or things were going to go south fast. Very fast.

“You’ve completely lost your mind.”

“I have not.” Jackie Drake grabbed another shirt from the drawer and shoved it into the suitcase. “Once Brad understands that I’m willing to give up everything for him, that he doesn’t have to ask me to leave behind my friends and home, he’ll be over the moon.”

“Hmm.” Katie, her dearest friend since their sophomore year of college, pretty much thought Jackie should be committed. Of course, she’d never liked Brad. “Maybe you should just go for a short visit? See what it’s like. If it doesn’t work out, you can come home.”

“Too late.” She rolled another blouse. “Yesterday was my last day at work.”

“What?” Katie’s eyes almost fell out of her head. “You quit a job you love?”

“Gave my notice two weeks ago.” Her favorite slippers went into the bag next.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

Pausing, Jackie leveled her gaze with her bestie. “No, because you would have tried to talk me out of it.”

“Damn right I would have.” Katie glanced around the one bedroom apartment. “And this place?”

“I won’t need it.”

“You gave this up too?”

Jackie nodded. “Had to pay off the lease, but it’s worth it.”

Holding up both her hands, palms out, Katie shook her head and huffed like a bull about to charge. “And how much did that cost you?”

“Only three months rent.” She tried to make it sound like she hadn’t had to clean out all her bank accounts to pay for the move.

“ Only .” Her bestie dropped her forehead into her hand and rubbed it very slowly before looking up again. “Jack, you know I want you to be happy.”

“I will be. Brad’s perfect.”

“For what? The man is a poster boy for the modern playboy. He cheated on you more times than I can count.”

“They were just distractions.”

“Distractions? Are you listening to yourself? He cheated on you. Breaking dates without calling is his MO. Not to mention he’s made it perfectly clear he doesn’t want children.”

Holding a lightweight sweater, she froze mid motion. “That’s only because he hasn’t been around them enough. I’m sure once we’re married, he’ll change his mind.”

“For the smartest woman I know,” Katie fisted her hands on her hips, “you sure become a blithering idiot when it comes to Brad.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Seriously. I want you to be happy, but with a nice guy who appreciates and cherishes you and wants to settle down and have a family. It’s not like you’re pushing forty or something. What’s the hurry?”

“I’m not twenty any more either. If I want to have the big family I’ve always dreamed of, Brad is my best option.”

Katie sighed. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”

Shaking her head, she closed her suitcase.

“Nope. And this is about it. What I don’t wear anymore has either been dropped off at the consignment store or donated.

I’ve already sold most of the kitchen things, and I have a few people coming by later today for some more of the furniture and odds and ends.

What isn’t gone by the time I leave tomorrow is going to be picked up by a local shelter. ”

“Lord love a duck.” Katie rolled her eyes. “Jackie, please. Use your common sense. What are you going to do when you reach West Texas? Buy everything new with money you don’t have?”

“I won’t need anything. Brad’s apartment was way nicer than this place, I’m sure wherever he’s living in Millers Creek will be just as nice.”

“Millers Creek. Sounds like a brewery. I don’t like this—any of it.”

“I know.” Setting the bag down by the side of the bed, she smiled at her friend. “I appreciate how much you worry about me, but I’m okay. This will be good.”

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you there are plenty of fish in the sea? Why do you insist on hanging onto this slick eel of a guy?”

“He is not slick.”

Katie merely raised a brow at her and sighed.

“He’s charming, good looking, well educated, well employed, and we know we’ll be perfectly happy together.”

“We? Brad actually said this to you?” Katie crossed her arms.

“Well,” she glanced down at the bag she’d just packed, “not in those words.”

“Uh huh.” Letting her arms fall to her side, Katie inched closer to her friend. “Please, tell me you at least have a back up plan if Brad doesn’t work out.”

She shook her head and grinned with a little more self assurance than she felt. “Won’t need one.”

What she needed now was to fly to Midland tomorrow, then drive to Millers Creek, and then, she’d be reunited with Brad. So what if he had no idea she was coming? Doesn’t everybody love surprises?