Page 25 of Marrying the Accidental Groom
She stared at the wide front porch, her pulse skipping. “You’re serious.”
He nodded, all laid-back charm, but something softer flashed in his eyes. “They’re good people, Jules. They’re not gonna interrogate you or make it weird. They just want to meet the woman who has made me smile like a lunatic for the past twenty-four hours.”
Her heart did a traitorous little lurch at that, and she hated how much she liked hearing it. “I’m not ready for this.”
“You’ll be fine.”
She blew out a breath, looked toward the door, then back at him. “Do I have dirt on my face?”
“Probably.”
“Gideon.”
“You look perfect.” And this time, there was no teasing in his voice. Every resistance she was holding softened. Why did his compliments unravel something inside her?
She should’ve run. She should’ve marched back to the lodge and demanded a flight home and a refund for every ridiculous lei and symbolic certificate. But instead, she stood there on his parents’ porch with wild hair and dusty boots and let herself be seen.
“Fine,” she muttered. “But if they try to show me naked baby photos of you, I’m out.”
Gideon grinned, slipping his hand into hers like it belonged there. “Noted.”
And together, they walked toward the house like two people who weren’t faking it—at least not entirely. Gideon pushed the door open with exaggerated flair. “Mother Reynolds, may I humbly present your new daughter-in-law. Juliana Marie Emerson, of the San Francisco Emersons,” he added dramatically.
Juliana froze. Gideon didn’t. He was already laughing.
The petite, silver-haired woman beamed and crossed the room in three strides to embrace Juliana like they were old friends. “Oh, honey, I’ve beendyingto meet you. You’re even prettier than Cassie said. Knock it off, Gideon. You’ll make her think we’re all stuck up or something.”
“I—thank you.” Juliana straightened, unsure what to do with her hands. Or face. Or life.
His mother took it all in stride. “I’m Connie. And this grump back here—” she motioned toward a barrel-chested man with bushy brows and a skeptical gaze “—is Barry. Don’t mind his frown. It’s permanent.”
Barry grunted. “You planning to stay long?”
“Dad,” Gideon warned.
Juliana lifted her chin, channeling every polished event-planner instinct she had. “I’m not actually sure.”
Connie’s eyes sparkled. “Well, while you’re here, we coulddesperatelyuse some help planning the Christmas Barn Dance.Cassie’s up to her ears with the boys, and I’m not twenty-five anymore, no matter how young I look.”
Juliana blinked. “I—um?—”
“Gideon says you’re an event planner. That’s an answer to prayer, right there.”
“Well,” she said slowly, “I suppose I could take a look at your checklist.”
Connie clapped her hands. “Marvelous. I knew I liked you. The Christmas Barn Dance is the biggest event we host at the ranch, and the whole town comes. Has Gideon taken you into town yet?”
She shook her head.
“Gideon,” his mom admonished. “You can’t just keep the girl trapped out here on the ranch.”
“She just showed up two days ago, Mom,” he replied with a good-natured smile. “I’ll take her into town soon.”
The evening with Gideon’s parents was filled with a surprising amount of laughter. Juliana watched with rapt attention at the way Connie and Barry interacted. They loved each other. It was obvious that there was very little Barry wouldn’t do to make Connie happy. The two of them were affectionate in a way she’d never witnessed with her own parents, nor her mom and step-dad.
Is that what she and Gideon would be like if they stuck it out?
10
