Page 55 of One-of-a-Kind Bride

“Maybe we should have dessert now.”

“I thought I just had some.” She tilted her head, unable to resist teasing him. Anything to remove the regret singeing his eyes.

“Yeah, about that…”

“Shh. You don’t have to say anything, Coop. In fact, it’s better that you don’t.” She knew the drill.

They didn’t need to rehash their past or try to compensate for it. They didn’t have to try to make sense of an impossible future. At least she’d kept her promise to Julie. She’d given the evening a chance. And look where that had gotten her.

“Tell me all about this Bluebonnet Festival coming up on Saturday?”

Clearly relieved, Coop went on to explain about the festival and parade, a Last Stand tradition that celebrated bluebonnets and the onset of spring. But as he spoke, she only pretended to listen, concentrating her thoughts on hiding a heart that was beginning to break.

Later that night, while in the confines of her bedroom, she opened her computer and began revamping her résumé. Back in the real world, she needed a job. She couldn’t let the romance of small-town life deflect her from her goals. Never before this determined, she worked into the wee hours of the night and then emailed the final draft to Simone for editing and review.

At least now, she was making a move toward her future.

Coop or no Coop, there’d be no more languishing in the past.

Chapter Eight

Coop and hisdad stood on the sidewalk as the Bluebonnet Parade made its way down Main Street. Warm spring air and a cloudless sky made for a perfect day in Last Stand. If Coop had his way though, it’d be ten degrees cooler, but he wasn’t complaining. No, not when Cassie was so excited about the festival.

“Look, there she is,” his dad pointed out ten minutes into the parade.

Cassie was in line with the other children. Her kindness display was one of seven chosen from Mrs. Marquez’s second grade classroom that best depicted the theme, and the children had taped their posters together to make one large banner. The children beamed, their smiles bright, but no one beamed as long or as hard as Cassie. And as soon as she spotted them, she lifted her hand to wave. They waved back, Coop so proud of his daughter for her accomplishments.

“That girl’s poster kicked butt,” his dad said, unabashed pride in his tone.

“I wonder why?”

“What? You think those other kids didn’t have help from their folks?”

Coop pursed his lips, keeping his mouth shut. He knew better than to get between Grandpa Joe and his granddaughter. Cassie’s poster was all about her friendship with Taylor. His dad had encouraged her to draw out the scene and label it, “Kindness is when friends make you feel better when you are sad.” It was picture of a small figure of Cassie and a grown-up figure of Taylor holding hands and wearing their heart-shaped necklaces with big smiles on their faces.

Coop took his eyes off Cassie just long enough to see Taylor watching along, standing beside Julie and Miguel on the sidewalk. Their eyes connected for a split second and in that flash, he was taken back to holding her in his arms and kissing her. The kiss that shouldn’t have happened. The one that had kept him up half the night. He was beginning to fall for Taylor again and that just couldn’t be. Raw pain gnawed at him. He was doing his very best with Cassie, but he didn’t deserve another chance at love. Underlying guilt surfaced and the heartbreak of losing Francine still beat close to his heart. After he’d kissed Taylor, it had all come crashing down on him again. So, he’d minimized it in his head, pretended it meant nothing, and made sure Taylor didn’t read too much into it. He’d driven her back to Julie’s house, thanking her again for the dress, for her help with Cassie, and making sure Taylor understood the date was really one big thank-you. And then he’d rushed off, leaving her alone on the doorstep.

How unfair of him.

Cassie’s class moved on, heading toward the park in the center of town and after the Creekbend High School marching band and the Last Stand Fire Department Engine 105 followed behind with hand-waving firefighters atop the shining apple red truck, the parade ended. All the spectators remaining on the streets headed to the park, where the Bluebonnet Festival was just beginning.

*

“This is great,”Taylor said to Julie and Miguel. “All these years I’ve heard about the festival and now I’m getting to experience it myself.” Around her, open air tents and makeshift booths lined the entire perimeter of the park. Balloons flew, banners waved and children ran by with wide-eyed joy in their eyes. Smoke billowed up at one corner of the park where barbeques were set up, cooking burgers and dogs, chicken and brisket. Fried foods were offered in abundance. Some booths housed games where adults and children alike could win prizes. Every kind of dessert was represented—rainbow snow cones, blue cotton candy, funnel cakes and five flavors of ice cream.

This was the most people she’d ever seen congregate in town. Had the entire population of Last Stand come out for the festival?

“It’s a lot of fun,” Julie said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” Miguel said. “Small-town life has a way of creeping up on you.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?”

Miguel smiled wide. “Just stating a fact, Taye.”

“You two are so darn calm. Next week at this time, you’ll be saying your vows. And look at you, neither one of you have a care in the world.”

“That’s because we have you to worry for us,” Miguel teased.

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