The Cowboy Lassoes a Bride by Kate Pearce (free ebook reader txt) 📕

frowned at her. “January says she’ll get Sonali and Lizzie to report back. They both live right across the road from the café, which makes me wonder why January’s telling us about this. Aren’t the bride and groom supposed to be stress-free for the big day?”

“January probably knew I would worry if I tried to get hold of Yvonne, and she didn’t answer me.” Sam sighed. “She is one of my attendants. I do hope she’s okay.” She stood and quickly fastened everything HW had undone. “We should get back.”

“Yeah. HW rose and made some adjustments to the fit of his jeans. “By the time we get back to the guest center, the whole thing will probably have blown over.”

Sam hesitated, her gaze fixed on his face. Should she tell him about the dress after all? It seemed really unimportant now.

Before she could speak, he turned away and headed for the ladder. “I’ll go first.”

“Good thinking,” Sam rallied, and called after him. “Then if I trip I’ll have something soft to fall down on.”

His chuckle came back to her. “Nothing soft about me right now, darlin’.”

“Well then I’ll be really careful, because I wouldn’t want anything important to snap off,” Sam said.

His choke of appreciative laughter made her smile as she followed him down the ladder.

When they reached the door of the guest welcome center, HW drew to a stop and faced Sam. It was a cold night, but it wasn’t snowing or too windy, so she didn’t feel the need to run inside.

HW cleared his throat. “Seeing as this is probably the last moment we’ll have alone together in the next twenty-four hours, I want to say something.”

Sam nodded encouragingly. “Go ahead.”

He poked her gently in the chest with his index finger. “Turn up. Or else.”

“Wow, that wasn’t very romantic,” Sam complained.

His golden eyes glinted. “I love you. If you don’t turn up, you’ll break my heart.”

“Got it.” Sam held his gaze. “And right back at you.”

“Then we’re good.” HW stepped back. “Now let’s go in and find out what’s going on with Yvonne? Rio will kill me if something’s happened to his fiancée.”

* * *

Cam walked up the path ahead of Sam and unlocked the door to their cabin. Sam’s parents had already been installed next door, and her grandparents were on the other side. It was kind of nice having them all at the ranch she had started to call home. She’d had a lovely evening introducing her family to HW’s and seeing how well they’d all gotten along. It had definitely reinforced her sense that she was doing the right thing.

All the lights in the other cabins were out and it was almost midnight. Sam had stayed behind to go over some last-minute catering issues with Avery, and to take a quick look at the seating plan for the wedding luncheon. Sometimes, she still couldn’t quite believe that tomorrow she would be the one getting married. It had all happened so fast.

“January says she’ll come down and knock on the door around eight.” Cam took off her boots and left them by the front door. “I’ll set my alarm as well just so we’re covered.”

“Cool.” Sam removed her fleece and sat on the couch. “Not that I’m going to sleep at all tonight anyway.”

“You really should try.” Cam joined her on the couch.

Sam checked her messages and frowned. “My brother just texted me.”

“Which one?”

“Carter, the only one who still talks to me? He’s supposed to be out on an oil rig somewhere, and now he wants directions to the wedding.” Sam exhaled. “Talk about short notice. I didn’t even bother to send him an invite because I knew he wasn’t due back for months. Avery isn’t going to be very happy if he turns up and ruins her seating chart.”

“It’s great that he wants to come, isn’t it?” Cam asked. “Why don’t you give him the information, and if he arrives at some point it’ll be a lovely surprise for your parents, and a bonus for you.”

“As I said, maybe not so much for Avery,” Sam commented. “But I’m fairly sure she’ll just smile, wave her wand, and somehow make everything right again.”

Cam nodded. “She is amazingly good at organizing stuff.”

Sam found a copy of the invite and pasted it into her message along with driving directions, and received a thumbs-up in reply. She waited another minute, but that was all she got.

“Typical.” Sam set the alarm on her phone. “Now I have no idea whether he’s going to make it or not.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Cam yawned. “Did anyone get hold of Yvonne?”

“Lizzie said the last time she saw Yvonne, she was on the phone with Rio, and dashing off to her apartment. She’s not there anymore, but no one knows exactly where she’s gone. She left a note for Lizzie that said not to worry anyone, and she’d definitely be back in time for the wedding.”

“Maybe something happened to Rio?” Cam said. “He is a bull rider, and they do get injured a lot.”

“That’s possible.” Sam got off the couch. “I can’t deal with anything else tonight. Let’s go to bed and hope it all resolves itself by morning.”

* * *

Sam opened her eyes into complete darkness as her cell phone buzzed right in her ear. She checked the time, which was almost six in the morning, and read the series of texts from her younger brother, Carter.

Sam muttered, “How did he end up near Morgansville with a flat tire? How did he even get onto the ranch?”

Knowing her brother was a laid-back version of herself, she wasn’t surprised he’d ended up in the wrong place. Squinting at the screen, she replied.

Stay put and I’ll come to you ×.

She received another thumbs-up in reply.

Sam got dressed in the clothes she’d worn the night before and tiptoed out into the silent kitchen. Should she leave a note for Cam? Hopefully, she’d be back in an hour.

Deciding not to alarm her friend, Sam