The Second Chance Bride (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots) Read online

  “Oh. I’m so sorry.” Savannah looked down at her plate. “I shouldn’t have pried.”

  Ben sat back in his chair. “You know, it hasn’t been something I’ve wanted to talk about, but I think I can tell you.” He paused. “Only there’s not that much to say, because she never told me what happened.”

  “That would be hard. I’m very sorry.” Savannah glanced up at Alex as she remembered their broken engagement, but he was busy flirting with Chantelle. Or was Chantelle flirting with Alex? Maybe it was all the same.

  She turned back to Ben. “That kind of loss goes very deep, but I’m glad you landed in Mission Canyon.”

  Ben returned her smile. “I’m glad I landed by you for dinner.”

  “So am I.” Savannah paused. “I’m sure Alex and his family will have plenty of work for you to do.”

  “It’s nice to look at something different for a change,” Ben said.

  Savannah shifted in her seat. “Well, I have to admit, this is some of the prettiest country around.” She gestured to their surroundings.

  Ben’s smile widened. “It sure is.”

  After dessert was served, the sun began to sink behind the western mountains, giving the evening a pearly pink glow. The caterers lit the candles throughout the deck, and the small flames offered their rich warm light.

  “Is it always like this in the evening?” Ben asked.

  Savannah took in her surroundings. “In the spring and summer, it’s like this most evenings, unless a thunderstorm rolls through.”

  Soon, the dishes were being cleared and the conversations grew quiet as many of the party moved to the smaller candlelit tables around the deck.

  Savannah stood from her chair as the first of the frogs began their evening serenade. She turned to Ben. “I love frogs. It’s funny how they sound the same no matter where they live.”

  “Yeah. I guess frogs can be a touch of home.” Ben moved next to Savannah. He held out his arm. “Care to walk with me to the pond?”

  Savannah smiled as she placed her arm through Ben’s. “I’d love to. I can show you the best places to catch polliwogs.”

  “Well, that’s something I may need to know, so lead on.”

  Ben squeezed Savannah’s hand, and the two of them walked to the pond where cattails swayed in the evening breeze and the willow joined them in their dance. As they distanced themselves from the deck, the voices from the various conversations dimmed.

  Moving away from Ben, Savannah pointed to the water, where the cattails were thick. “Polliwogs hide here.”

  Ben crouched forward. “The water is so clear.”

  “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Savannah squatted down beside Ben.

  “Yeah. It really is.”

  Savannah was so intent on trying to see the polliwogs in the deepening dusk that she didn’t hear Alex and Chantelle come to stand beside her. Chantelle was gazing up at Alex with a worshipful look as she linked her arm through his, but Alex wasn’t focused on Chantelle. Something was worrying him.

  “What are you looking for?” Alex asked.

  “Polliwogs,” Savannah said. “Want to help?”

  Alex knelt beside Savannah.

  The heat from Alex’s body washed over Savannah, along with the desire to pull him close. She wanted to place her head on his arm while laying her hand on his denim-clad leg. She longed for his touch. Dare she risk it? Should she reach out and brush his arm with her fingers?

  She’d waited too long. The moment passed as Shelby and Marissa joined them. Alex and Ben stood to greet the girls.

  Sighing, Savannah also stood, but the quiet reverie of the evening was over. Everywhere Alex went, he was trailed by the three girls, who were desperate for his attention. When would Shelby and Marissa give up the chase? It was obvious that Alex favored Chantelle.

  In a silly fit of giggling, the three girls started pushing each other to see who could force the other into the pond. It was all fun and games until Marissa’s white leather shoes hit the mud. Even though the girls were still laughing, the tone of their amusement changed and the physical pushing and shoving became bold.

  In a moment of quick marksmanship, Marissa scooped up some pond mud and threw it straight at Chantelle, hitting her in the face and the neckline of her aqua dress. Chantelle gasped and her mouth formed a perfect O as her eyes widened in surprise.

  Shelby laughed, and Chantelle’s face changed from surprise to anger as she gave her sister a hard push. Shelby lost her balance and fell backward into the water.

  Alex and Ben rushed through the water and mud to reach Shelby, helping her regain her footing. Shelby stood beside them, blinking, gasping, and covered in pond mud.

  Savannah shook her head. If it wasn’t so pathetic, the whole thing would be hilarious. Turning away from the spectacle, she began walking toward the deck. No one near the house noticed the pond fiasco, except Kelly. She was sitting with her father, who had his back to the pond. When Savannah got closer, Kelly left her place and joined Savannah.

  Kelly placed her arm through Savannah’s. “How is Strider?”

  Savannah turned to face Kelly. Did this woman know everything about her? Was Kelly watching over her in the name of being her godmother, or was there another motive?

  “He’s much better, thanks,” Savannah said. “He’s not lame anymore, but I wanted to give him a week off to make sure he heals, just in case he’s got a slight bruise.”

  “Of course. Maybe when he’s healed, we can go for a ride.” Without waiting for an answer, Kelly leaned in close. “I hope you’re not going to form any kind of attachment to Ben Dalton.”

  Savannah patted Kelly’s hand before removing her arm from Kelly’s. “Truly, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.” She moved away from her godmother. As she did so, she turned once again to the pond. Ben was continuing to focus on Shelby, who limped. Alex was also attending Shelby, but he turned to meet Savannah’s gaze. When Ben tried to help Shelby move forward, Alex averted his attention back to the task of aiding her. He and Ben helped her hobble to the shore.

  As Savannah and Kelly reached the deck, Lily began making her way to the pond. “It looks a little more serious than I expected.”

  As Lily moved on, Kelly leaned toward Savannah and whispered, “It’s all so silly. Serves Shelby right if she’s got a sprained ankle.”

  Savannah hoped Shelby wasn’t hurt, but she agreed with the silliness of the girls’ behavior. Their antics were escalating.

  Once she reached the deck, Savannah listened to the water running in the kitchen sink. The table was cleared, except for the flowers, and the caterers were finishing up in the kitchen. Savannah’s shoulders ached as if carrying some unseen load, and she longed to go home and remove herself from the chaos that followed Alex. If she chose to leave the centerpiece she brought and pick up the vase on another day, she could go home now without being rude.

  Walking toward Keith, she thanked him for the lovely meal before slipping away unnoticed. Grabbing her purse in the kitchen, she gave one last look to the deck. Shelby was holding one leg up while supported by Ben and Alex, while Chantelle, looking dejected, followed behind. Shelby’s white shorts and pink t-shirt were both ruined, and she’d need a hot shower to clean up the muddy pond slime. Likewise, Chantelle would most likely lose her favorite aqua dress, and Marissa’s white shoes were wrecked.

  The two men eased Shelby on to a lounge chair. Everyone fussed over her, except Savannah’s dad and Marissa, who stood off to the side. Savannah couldn’t recall a time when Marissa looked so mad. Her lips were pressed into the same thin line she recognized from when her father was angry.

  Chantelle was overcome with remorse. She was at Shelby’s side, apologizing profusely and offering to get her sister a glass of ice water or tea.

  Savannah watched the scene for a moment before putting her purse down. Reaching into one of the kitchen drawers, she pulled out a towel, then a plastic bag, before going to
the freezer and filling it with cubes of ice. After she sealed the bag, she approached Shelby and wiped the mud from her ankle and foot. “I’m going to put this on your ankle.” She showed Shelby the bag of ice. “It needs to stay on for ten minutes. Then, you can take it off for ten and put it back on for another ten. It’s going to hurt, but it will eliminate the swelling and help you heal a lot faster.”

  Shelby began to protest.

  Savannah gently placed her hand on Shelby’s leg. “Trust me, Shelby. This will help you get back into the saddle a lot quicker.” Savannah smiled. Shelby wouldn’t want to miss the chance to ride with Alex, and she certainly wouldn’t want Chantelle to have him all to herself.

  “Savannah’s right,” Ben said as she sat next to Shelby on the edge of a chair. “Ice will help speed the healing.”

  Shelby looked up at Ben before nodding to Savannah, who placed the bag of ice on her swelling ankle. Shelby sucked in her breath while Savannah patted her leg. Working with Shelby, Savannah could feel the warmth of Alex’s gaze while everyone else was looking at Shelby.

  Once Shelby was settled with the ice, Savannah gave Alex a quick and warm smile before rising from the lounge chair and quietly leaving the party. Walking into the front drive, she breathed deep the heavy scent of warm pine that came down from the mountains during the evenings. She helped as best she could, and now it was time to take care of herself and try to get as far away from Alex as possible.

  For years, she believed the connection between them was dead. Without his presence, it was easy to shelve her feelings and the belief that something special existed between the two of them. But tonight, Savannah found herself being pulled by his warm and comfortable familiarity. She couldn’t help but remember the warm touch of his fingers through her hair as he bent down to kiss her and the way his mouth lingered on hers. Whatever they shared all those years ago still flickered with life within the empty confines of her heart. Yes, Alex was very good at bringing things back to life, and he did it without any effort at all. One look, one smile, and all of it came rushing back to her, even if he didn’t mean it.

  Savannah fought the warm intimacy. Her love for him might be old, but there were new circumstances to consider. Chantelle was fooling herself if she believed her and Alex’s budding relationship was harmless. Her behavior spoke to a sense of ownership and Alex wasn’t doing anything to dispel the idea. They were drawn to each other, and it was only a matter of time before Chantelle was wearing another man’s ring.

  Chapter 14

  “Oh, those stupid Thomas twins!” Marissa hissed as she threw her purse onto Savannah’s bed. Her hair was a mess and her red face screamed anger. “Can you believe it? I mean, can you just believe the way they behaved? I had Dad half-way convinced I could have a party here with Alex and introduce him to some of my friends, but you know what the first words out of his mouth were when we got into the car?”

  Savannah shook her head.

  Marissa began mimicking her father’s voice and mannerisms. “‘There’s no way I’m going to let such a hooligan into my house. End of story.’” She continued, “I tried to point out that Alex didn’t really have anything to do with the way Shelby and Chantelle were behaving. He can’t help it if they’re idiots! But he lumped the whole thing together and found a way to blame Alex.”

  “I’m truly sorry, Marissa. I know you had your heart set on this party.”

  “Not to mention they’ve ruined my best pair of white leather shoes.”

  Savannah looked up at her sister. There wasn’t any point in reminding Marissa that she didn’t need to follow the twins or Alex to the pond, or that she threw the first ball of mud.

  Marissa sat down on Savannah’s bed. “It must be nice to be so dis-interested all the time. I mean, none of this stuff bothers you.”

  Savannah blinked. “I wouldn’t say--.”

  “Alex even remarked on how distant you are.”

  Savannah cleared her throat. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. It was on our ride the other day, after you left with Strider to meet his sister. He said you seemed so…what was the word he used? Spiritless or something. I can’t exactly remember.”

  Savannah retreated. Now she understood Alex’s attention. He wanted to bring her back to life like he did his pecan trees. Leaving the Thomases early was the right decision. Hovering would’ve looked desperate for more of his attention.

  Marissa turned toward Savannah. “What am I going to do?” She wailed.

  Savannah considered her options around Marissa. This probably wasn’t the time to give Marissa her opinion about the budding relationship between Chantelle and Alex. Savannah shrugged. “Look, Marissa. You were perfectly happy before Alex showed up. You’ve got your friends, and your…shopping trips. You enjoy those. Dad gives you anything you want.”

  “Except a party with Alex.” Marissa pouted.

  “But there are plenty of other young men. Remember what we talked about earlier in the week? Maybe you just need to go out and start meeting some young men. If Dad is willing to let you have the party, go ahead and plan it. Invite some of your Facebook friends who live nearby. Maybe you can get together with some of your high school friends.”

  “I don’t even know why I have to ask Dad. I’m twenty-two! It’s not like I want to host some drunken brawl on my front lawn.”

  Savannah laughed before growing serious. “But you’re still living under his roof, and remember, I told you. Ever since Mom died…”

  Marissa let out a long sigh. She picked up her purse and fidgeted with the strap. “I know. If Mom were alive, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Will you help me?”

  “What do you need me to do?”

  “I don’t know. Can you help me go through my list of friends and choose who would be a good mix?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m still going to see if I can invite Alex. Maybe Dad will ease up in a few days.”

  Savannah gave her sister a doubtful look.

  “Well, he might!” Marissa insisted.

  Savannah ignored Marissa’s outburst. “Grab your phone, and let’s take a look at your Facebook list.”

  Marissa pulled the phone out of her purse. Savannah gazed over the long list of friends and helped Marissa choose fifty people she wanted to invite for the party. Neither Shelby or Chantelle were on the list. Savannah said nothing. She didn’t blame her sister for wanting to distance herself from the Thomas girls.

  After Marissa left, Savannah rose from her bed and made her way to the window seat. Settling into the cushions, she pulled a pillow into her lap as the stars began to wink into place. Their light was dim at first, but then brightened with the darkening sky. Shifting her gaze, Savannah turned toward the maple. Its bright green leaves fluttered in the breeze, catching the little light hallowed by the deepening stars and offering her some solace. Her mother would tell her that truth was always best.

  In spite of the hurt caused by Marissa’s words, Savannah was glad to know how Alex perceived her. The punch of it would lessen with time, and it was better to know now than invest any more thought into tonight’s exchanges. She loved Alex, but maybe his appearance in her life wasn’t about reigniting their love. Perhaps she was being given an opportunity to truly heal so she could move forward, and next Friday’s afternoon with friends in the park was a great place to start.

  Chapter 15

  Alex and Ben rode silently in the back seat of Amy and Steve’s truck. They left soon after Shelby finished icing her ankle and the swelling stopped. With her dad and Ben’s help, she put a little weight on her foot to make sure nothing was broken. Shelby was shaken, and she walked with a slight limp, but she would be fine in a couple of days.

  “Well, that was certainly an adventure in bad behavior,” Amy said.

  Steve grinned at his wife before returning his attention to the road.

  “I can say one good thing happened tonight,”
Ben chimed. “I didn’t think of Madeline the whole time I was there.”

  Alex glanced at Ben with a spark of irritation. Was that due to the behavior of the Thomas sisters and Marissa or did Savannah’s company brighten his mood?

  “Who could think of anything but the evening’s entertainment?” Amy continued. “Still, I have to admire Savannah Foss. That girl seems to rise above it all and manages to figure out a way to help.”

  “She’s had a lot of practice,” Alex replied.

  “She’s such a sweet young woman, and dealing with that bunch while staying separated from all the shenanigans must take a great deal of strength. I don’t know how she does it,” Amy said.

  Alex gritted his teeth. He wished Amy would quit singing Savannah’s praises in front of Ben.

  “She does seem particularly thoughtful,” Steve agreed. “I know you’ve talked about having her come to the house, Amy. Maybe we can do that as soon as we get the kitchen up and running. It could be our first company meal.”

  “I have no idea when the kitchen will be fit for guests, but I think that’s a great idea,” Amy stated. “Maybe if we separate her from the other girls, we can get to know her better.”

  “I wouldn’t mind that,” Ben said. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know Shelby a little better, too. Did it seem to you that she lives in her sister’s shadow? She might be a completely different person when Chantelle isn’t around. There seems to be a lot of competition between the two of them.”

  “You could be right,” Amy replied.

  “I wouldn’t mind spending more time in the company of Shelby and Savannah,” Ben said.

  “Poor Lily,” Steve said. “As we were getting ready to leave, she pulled me aside and said we weren’t exactly catching them at their best.”

  “I would guess not,” Amy said as they pulled into the drive. “Still, we have to be careful about dinner at our place. It might be awkward to exclude Chantelle and Marissa. If we invite two, then we probably will have to invite all four. But if we just invite Savannah, I think we could make that work. No one really pays any attention to her anyway.”