The same thing every other woman wanted—a good time.
He was nothing more than an amendment to a contract. An item to be marked off of a bucket list.
How would he get through the rest of the day? He was gutted. Shattered. Nothing mattered anymore.
Everything he and Alice had shared together was fake.
Fake. Fake. Fake.
Fuck.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a margarita, Miss Martin?” one of the bridesmaids asked. “We’re going to be getting ready for a long time.”
It’s not even noon. “No, thanks.”
They’d already had pedicures, which was silly, since they were wearing cowboy boots with their yellow dresses. Beau had taken her to the RCV Mercantile to help her pick out a nice, moderately priced pair. He’d said she could also wear them horseback riding and that they’d be good for walking on trails.
She smiled dreamily, thinking about sunset rides with Beau. Rides that ended on the bluff, where they’d wait for the stars to come out, big and bright—she quietly clapped to herself three times—deep in the heart of Texas.
Beau was deep in her heart. There was absolutely no way to deny it. And having him in her heart had changed everything, including her. She was a different person, more willing to take risks. And tonight, she was going to take the biggest one of all.
She was going to open her heart to Beau and tell him how she felt. She wanted to extend their contract. Indefinitely. Because nothing about their relationship felt fake, and although she wasn’t all that great at reading people, she was almost certain that Beau felt the same way.
“Alice,” Brittany said. “You’re next to get your hair done.”
“Oh, I was just going to pull it back—”
“No. You’re getting an updo. Everybody is.”
God. The dreaded Texas updo. Alice had lived thirty-two years without ever having to suffer the “do.” Not for prom (she hadn’t gone) or homecoming (she hadn’t gone) or to serve in the Apple Festival court (she hadn’t been asked).
Lisa from Lisa’s Locks walked in the room and popped her gum. She wore what looked like a utility belt around her waist, and it was loaded with various bottles and spray cans and tools that looked like weapons. Her blond hair was curled and shellacked. She wore false eyelashes, dragon-length nails with rhinestones on them, and platform shoes that couldn’t possibly be comfortable for someone who stood on her feet all day. “Whose do am I doing next?”
Brittany pointed at Alice. “Hers.”
“My hair isn’t very thick. Nor is it all that long. I don’t think it’s going to even go up in a do.”
Lisa blew a bubble and popped it. “Honey, your hair will do just fine in a do. Hell, I got Misty Barnes’s hair up in a do. That girl’s got nothing but little baby hairs. Wispy like cotton candy. My mama says it’s a vitamin deficiency. Anyway, did y’all see her prom pictures?”
All the bridesmaids nodded enthusiastically. “Magic!” one of them said. “Lisa is a magician.”
Alice swallowed. There was no getting out of it. “Where do you want me?” she asked meekly.
“I’ve got my torture chamber set up in the adjoining room,” Lisa said, gesturing at the door.
“Don’t do just any do,” Brittany said. “I want all the updos as big as you can get them.”
Of course she did.
Alice followed Brittany into the other room, and suddenly, she didn’t even care how awful her hair would look. Heck, she wanted the updo! She wanted the full Texas bridesmaid experience. The new Alice was in it for the fun of it. She wanted to live it up.
Beau’s irresistibly fun nature had rubbed off on her. Actually, he’d more than rubbed off on her. He’d rubbed all over her. And in her. And—
“Goodness, Alice,” Lisa said. “What on earth are you thinking about?”
Alice’s cheeks became very warm. “Pardon?”
Lisa gave her a knowing smile. “Never mind. It’s not a what. It’s clearly a who. Now, let’s get you all dolled up.”
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Beau slipped into the back row of chairs just as the music began. He’d had to squeeze past the bridesmaids on his way in—they were lined up and ready to go—and he’d somehow managed to smile at Alice as he passed.
He wanted to loosen his tie, because he was hot. And yes, he’d worn a suit and tie and a brand new dressy felt Stetson even though half the men in the room were in jeans. Because he’d wanted to look nice for Alice. He’d wanted her to feel proud when she was on his arm.
He swallowed. She’d kept her end of the bargain—it wasn’t her fault he kept fucking up on the ranch—and he was going to keep his. He only had to make it to midnight without falling apart.
The first two bridesmaids walked down the aisle. Next came Alice, and the entire world stopped spinning as she passed, although nobody else seemed to notice. She gave him a sweet smile. And even though he was hurting, he returned it. Genuinely. The joy of seeing her, of having her smile at him, cut through the pain of knowing he was going to lose her.
He’d never really had her.
He watched silently as she floated down the aisle in the big, fluffy yellow dress. She was breathtaking, even though he knew she hated the gown. She probably also hated the way her hair was piled up in ringlets and curls, but she looked like a dream. And even though she didn’t need to be dressed like a princess to render him utterly speechless, something about the way she looked right now appealed to the little boy inside him. The one who’d fallen for the babysitter.
Dammit. He had to get a grip. Otherwise, he was going to completely lose it right here in front of everyone.
It was time to let go of his childhood crush. He’d had a fantasy, and he’d been lucky
