Bartender's Beauty (Culpepper Cowboys Book 11) Read online

  “Why do you need help? You seem pretty darn terrific to me.”

  He took her shoulders, pulling her close. “Yeah, but I want permission to kiss and…you know…”

  “No, what?” she asked, batting her eyes teasingly.

  “I want to be able to…”

  “What?”

  “Well, if you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you!”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re just being difficult now.”

  “It’s my job.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “I’ve missed being able to do that this week. We were always together, but I didn’t want to distract you from the important stuff you needed to do.”

  She made a face. “If you didn’t already have a ring, I’d think you were marrying me because of my property in Iowa. Everyone wants to own property in Iowa.”

  “Not me. I’m happy right here, owning property in Wyoming.”

  That made her think. “So do you want me to sell so we can live in town? At your place?”

  “I honestly don’t care. If you want to live here, we will. I’ll just want to hire someone to run the ranch, because it seems a waste to do nothing with all this land.”

  “I don’t know what I want. How long do I have to think about it?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Who’s been running things this summer?”

  “Marcus has been paying someone to keep an eye on things.”

  “That makes a lot of sense.” He kissed her again, more lingeringly this time, his hand stroking along her back. “Marry me.”

  “I will. When is the only question.”

  “Today?”

  She shook her head. “I would feel guilty for that. It would be like dancing on his grave.” Their relationship had never been good, but she couldn’t do that.

  “Tomorrow?”

  “If I say no to tomorrow, are you going to ask about Tuesday? And Wednesday? And Thursday?”

  He shrugged. “Probably. Is that a problem?”

  “Let’s get married tomorrow then. You arrange things with Brother Anthony, because I’m not sure I can survive another phone call with the man, and I’ll figure out what to wear. Will you mind if I just wear a nice dress? Wedding dresses will slow things down.”

  “I don’t care what you wear to the wedding as long as you’re in my bed naked on the wedding night.”

  She blushed, pushing against his shoulder. “What about birth control?” she asked. “Getting married that quick, we’re going to need to talk about it.”

  “I don’t care either way. I want kids, and I want them as soon as you want them.”

  She nodded. “Let’s not worry about that then.”

  “We’re going to add to the Culpepper baby boom.”

  “Culpepper baby boom?”

  “It started with those Quinlan girls. Lots of babies on their way now.”

  Dallas frowned. “Sounds like the Quinlans shook everything up around here.”

  Austin nodded. “They did, but I think it’s for the best. It was time we all got out of our rut of being upset about the stupid underwear models. Did you know Allen was married to one of the girls who ran off with one of them?”

  “That’s crazy! Why would she run off with an underwear model when she could have Allen?”

  “I have no idea. He said that when Felicity first met him, she thought he was one of the underwear models, and she wanted to go looking for a photograph.”

  Dallas laughed at that. “Maybe you were one of the underwear models. You sure have the body for it!”

  “Have you been looking at my body?” He gave her a shocked look.

  “Since I was about twelve, and I noticed just how broad your shoulders were getting. I wanted to touch them so badly. Still do, actually.”

  He shrugged off his jacket and removed his tie. Taking her hands, he put them at the buttons of his shirt. “Take it off, and you can touch all you want.”

  Dallas grinned, tempted. “I’d love to, but we should probably wait until tomorrow.”

  “For you to touch my shoulders and take my shirt off? What if my shoulders don’t meet your needs after the shirt comes off? Then what? We’ll already be married, and there will be have to be messy legal drama. Isn’t it better for you to make sure you’re getting what you want now?”

  She laughed. “I think there’s a lot less chance I’ll be bothered by your body than there is that you’ll be bothered by mine!”

  He shook his head. “You have no idea how many times I’ve fantasized about your body. Trust me. There will be no disappointment on my end.”

  She sighed, leaning close to him and kissing him. “I sure hope not.”

  “I will be very disappointed if you don’t remove my shirt posthaste, however.” Austin’s eyes met hers, and she knew he was daring her.

  “Posthaste?”

  “Did I use that word right? Remember, I’m not as smart as you. I didn’t go to real college. I went to business college.”

  Dallas rolled her eyes. “You know as well as I do that you’re as smart as you want to be.” She slid one button out of the hole, feeling daring. “But I can take your shirt off if you’re really that uncomfortable.”

  “I’d rather take your shirt off, of course, but I’ll do that tomorrow.”

  “Maybe you should call Brother Anthony and make sure that we can get married tomorrow instead of showing off your manly shoulders to me.”

  “Manly shoulders. I like this phrase. I’ll call him later.” He studied her face as she liberated each button from its hole.

  “Okay. But if someone else decides to hurry and marry tomorrow, and we miss out, don’t blame me.” She tugged his shirt out of his slacks, and pushed it off his shoulders, her hands smoothing over the taut muscles there. “Just as I always imagined them.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad my shoulders are up to par.”

  “It’s not like I have a lot of shoulders to compare them to.” She’d actually never touched any other man’s bare shoulders. Of course, admitting that to him would make her feel stupid.

  “We could find the shoot from the underwear models, and you could look at them all and compare their shoulders to my shoulders if we have to. Of course, then I’d have to get all jealous about you looking at the underwear models and lusting after them, and it might not be a good way to start our marriage.

  She laughed. “I don’t need to compare you to anyone else. You’re perfect enough for me.” She leaned forward, pressing her lips against one of his shoulders. “I like. I like a lot.”

  Her hair was down her shoulders for the first time all week. “You know what I like?” he asked.

  She shook her head, almost afraid of his answer. He said some of the craziest things to her, but she liked it. She liked it more with every moment they spent together. “No, what?”

  “Your hair being down like that. I like how it feels against my bare skin. It’s so soft and perfect.”

  “Nothing about me is perfect,” she said with a frown.

  Austin shook his head, cupping her cheek with one hand. “That’s him talking, not you. In my eyes, there’s no one more perfect on this entire planet. I never thought I’d see you again, and I was still comparing every woman I met to you.”

  She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, enjoying herself more than she should. “And I was comparing every man to you.”

  “Tell me about this teacher you were dating. What was he like?” Austin had a hard time believing how jealous he was of the science teacher she’d mentioned, but he sounded like he had so much more in common with her.

  She shrugged. “Howard? He was…boring. I went out with him because I was lonely, and I wanted to have kids, and I figured if I kept saying no to everyone that asked, I’d never meet anyone.”

  “And what did you and Howard do?” he asked, torturing himself by asking for details. He didn’t want to picture her with another man. How many men had sat in front of her bared to the waist as she stroked them? She
couldn’t seem to take her hands off his shoulders, and they were in constant motion.

  “Not much. We went out for coffee once. He took me to a school play. We went to dinner and a movie once, but I didn’t really like his choice of movie. We supervised prom together.”

  “So all the kids knew you were an item?”

  Dallas laughed. “We were far from being an item. He kissed me twice. I did my best not to fall asleep both times!”

  “Oh really? Do you feel like falling asleep when I kiss you?” he asked, pressing his lips to hers. “Do you feel like nodding off suddenly?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I feel like stripping and climbing on your lap.”

  He grinned. “Be my guest!”

  She shook her head, blushing. “I’m as bad as Felicity sometimes. You make me blurt out things that I never intended to say!”

  “I don’t make you do anything. I think you’re making a choice—and a wise one at that!”

  She shook her head at him. “Quit messing with my head!” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder one last time. “Put your shirt back on, and I’ll heat something up for dinner. We have to eat casseroles, and a lot of them.”

  “Can any be frozen?” he asked, following her into the kitchen, his shirt forgotten on the couch.

  “I’ve frozen a couple of them already.” She pulled a tuna casserole from the refrigerator and put a portion into a microwave bowl, covering it with a paper towel. “You’re getting tuna casserole for supper. It will make you strong.”

  “I’m not strong enough for you? Is that what you’re saying?”

  She turned to him, resting her face against his broad shoulder. “You know what? If you hadn’t been there all week to lend me your strength, I don’t know that I’d have made it through. So thank you, and yes, you are more than strong enough.”

  “What else could I do? My girl was in distress. Saving her is my job!”

  She shook her head at him as she got the food out of the microwave. “Just sit down and let me serve you your supper.”

  He sighed. “The first of many.”

  “I only cook in the summers. You’ll have to cook the rest of the time!”

  “Peanut butter sandwiches for every meal!”

  Chapter Six

  Dallas put her pillow over her head to drown out the persistent noise coming from her cell phone. Surely it was too early to call another human being! She glanced at the clock and saw that it was only seven. She was always awake by seven during the school year, but she only had three days left of summer break, gosh darn it! And today was her wedding day.

  She sat up straight in bed, reaching for her phone. She didn’t recognize the number, but it was local, so she answered. “Hello?”

  “I didn’t wake you, did I? This is your best friend, Felicity, and I’m about to come over with my sister. My cousin Grace is in the bakery getting your wedding cake finished up, and Patience and I are going to get you all beautiful for Austin. Not that he cares what you have on. I saw the way he looked at you!”

  Dallas blinked a few times. It was a little early for Felicity. “Why are you coming so early?” she asked, yawning.

  “Austin just called, and he said that Brother Anthony had to do the wedding this morning, because he needed to go to Cheyenne this afternoon. Something about picking up an associate pastor at the airport. Anyway, wedding is at ten, and it’s already seven. You want to be at the church by nine-thirty to avoid seeing the groom, so that gives us just a couple of hours to get you ready. Do you even know what you’re going to wear? Austin said you didn’t have a weddin’ dress, and that’s just shameful!”

  “I’m going to jump in the shower. I’ll see you when you get here.” Dallas hurried into the bathroom and showered, washing her long blond hair. She was sure she couldn’t handle Felicity this early in the morning, but maybe Patience would be able to keep her sister quiet for long enough that she could wake up.

  Fifteen minutes later, her hair in a towel, wearing nothing but a robe, she went to the door. “Now, I know you said you don’t have a wedding dress, so we called around after Austin called me last night. Some of the ladies in town had some dresses that you can try. You do want to wear a wedding dress, don’t you?” Felicity asked. Both sisters had their arms full of garment bags.

  Dallas blinked a couple of times, opening the door wide so they would come in. “I don’t really have a preference. I won’t feel less married if I get married in green or purple than in white.” It was just then that Dallas noticed the little girl from the bakery, again wearing a leotard, tutu, and butterfly wings.

  Patience smiled at Dallas. “You sit down, and we’ll hold the dresses up for you, and you can say yay or nay.”

  Dallas sat on the couch, noting that the little girl sat beside her. “I’m Dallas,” she whispered, shaking her head at a hideous dress Felicity held up.

  “I’m so glad you said no to that one,” the little girl whispered. “It’s ugly. I’m Corinne. I’m a butterfly ballerina.”

  “I see that. And a beautiful butterfly ballerina at that.”

  Corinne patted her hair. “I know.”

  Dallas stifled a giggle. The dress Patience held up was pretty. “Maybe.”

  As they went through the ten dresses, Dallas consulted Corinne more than once. “What do you think of that one?” Dallas asked as Patience held up the very last dress.

  Corinne nodded. “I think you should wear that one if you can.”

  There were only two maybes out of the ten, so Dallas prayed that one would fit. She was certain Felicity would try to fashion her a wedding dress out of toilet paper if it didn’t. She took the two dresses and hurried off to her room, determined not to let anyone see her as she tried them on. She didn’t want anyone to see that much of her. Not even another woman.

  She got to her room and pulled on her undergarments and then the first dress before realizing there was a reason women had help getting ready for weddings—there was no way to do it yourself. Finally, after trying for longer than she should have, she called out and Felicity was there beside her.

  Felicity quickly buttoned her up, and then walked around her to look, her hand coming over her mouth and tears springing to her eyes. The bodice was intricate lace, but the skirt just flared out. “You’re beautiful. I think that’s the dress. How does it feel? Oh, I can’t believe my best friend is getting married!”

  Dallas didn’t point out that they’d been best friends for only five days. She was certain that little piece of information would matter nothing to Felicity. “It feels good. I like it.”

  “Do you have white shoes?” Felicity asked, her hand going to her mouth. “Why didn’t we think of shoes? We’re going to have to run to a shoe store, and I don’t know of any that will be open in time!”

  “Felicity, get a grip! I have shoes!” Dallas walked to her closet and grabbed a pair of white flats, holding them up in front of her friend. “See?”

  “Oh, good. I was sure your wedding plans were doomed because of my lack of forethought!”

  Dallas sighed. “I thought I’d be getting married in my blue dress with my hair in a ponytail. This wedding will not be doomed.” She stepped closer to Felicity and whispered, “Do you think Patience would mind if Corinne was my flower girl? I never thought about having one, but she’d be cute.”

  Felicity laughed. “That’s fine. She even brought her flower girl basket and some flower petals just in case you wanted her to do it. Be aware, she will dance down the aisle throwing petals every which way, and everyone will laugh.”

  “Everyone? It’s not like people know we’re getting married. There won’t be more than five or ten people there.”

  Felicity’s jaw dropped. “You have no idea who you’re marrying, do you? Austin made a few phone calls last night to get some things ready, and then those people made a few phone calls, and so forth. Your reception has a band coming in from Haskell, and there will be a pot luck lunch. Patience and I will wear bri
desmaid dresses from our cousin Hope’s wedding, and Allen and Kolby will be standing up with Austin.”

  Dallas shook her head. “That was awfully fast.” She was sure Felicity was exaggerating. There was no way anyone could have pulled all that off in the twelve hours since Austin had left her house the previous evening.

  “Yeah, but that’s how we do things in Culpepper now.” Felicity opened the door. “She’s dressed. You have to see this!”

  Patience and Corinne came hurrying into the room. “I told you that one was perfect!” Corinne said, twirling a bit.

  “You were right,” Dallas said, grinning at the girl. “Now what?”

  Corinne rolled her eyes. “Now you sit down and let Auntie Felicity do your hair, while Mama does your make-up, silly.” She hurried over after Dallas was sitting on a chair, getting right in her face. “Isn’t there something you want to ask me?”

  Dallas laughed. “Do you want to be my flower girl, Corinne?”

  The little girl nodded regally. “I would like that a lot.” She looked at her mother. “I told you we’d need my flower girl basket. What would we have done if you’d made me leave it at home?”

  Patience patted Corinne on the head. “Of course, you were right, Corinne. Butterfly ballerinas are known for always being right.” Patience pulled out a big box of make-up. “Your eyes are a gorgeous shade of blue. I’m impressed that Austin found a ring to match them.”

  Dallas looked down at the ring, a smile touching her lips. “Until you said that, I didn’t realize he had.”

  An hour later, Dallas’s hair was piled atop her head, a veil affixed to it. Her make-up was perfect, and her shoes were on her feet. Corinne studied her critically. “I think we’re ready. Mama and Auntie Felicity will just have to get dressed at the church. It’s time to move!”

  Felicity shook her head at the little girl. “She’s seen some fast weddings, and she’s learned to be bossy.” She looked at Dallas. “I’ll drive you to town in your car, because you’ll need it after the wedding, and everyone knows you can’t drive a car in a wedding dress.”

  Dallas looked at the girl, trying her best to understand but failing miserably. “Why can’t you drive a car in a wedding dress?”