The Cowboy's Summer Love (40 page)

When most everyone had gone up to the yard, Tess walked over to Travis. Standing in front of him, she took him in from the top of his new black Stetson to the tips of his polished black boots. He was handsome beyond words and Tess couldn’t keep from smiling.

“Why that smile?” Travis asked, reaching out a hand and gently brushing the fabric of her skirt. The dress felt as smooth as he anticipated only instead of being cool, it was exceedingly warm. Fitting his hand to the curve of Tess’ waist, he pulled her onto his lap, inhaling her citrusy scent.

“Because,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a hug.

“Because why?” he asked, closing his eyes as he savored the feel of her in his arms.

“Because I am more than a little fond of you and you are just about the most handsome cowboy I’ve ever seen,” Tess said, her face pressed to his chest.

Travis put his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up so he could look in those big brown eyes. They sparkled with life, happiness and love.

“Just about? Not the absolute?” Travis asked, deciding to tease her. “Who ranks above me?”

Tess gave him a flirty grin. “Well, I think Trent gets that honor today, since he is the groom. But ask me tomorrow and you might get a different answer.”

“I will, honeybee. You can count on it,” Travis said, nuzzling her neck as he drew her closer to him. “What if I said you were the most beautiful woman here tonight?”

“I’d say you are either blind or given to flattery that isn’t true. You know Lindsay is the princess of this party and there are oodles of beautiful girls here. Some of them single, several who were eyeballing you,” Tess said, trying to ignore the storm of desire Travis was igniting with his kisses on her neck.

“Lindsay is the princess, so I’ll give you that. There are other girls here? I didn’t even notice them because you, my sweet honeybee, are the most lovely, enticing, wonderful woman in my eyes tonight and every night.”

“Travis,” Tess whispered, turning her head so their lips could meet.

Travis was convinced the crowd gathered in the yard would see the sparks combusting between them and think fireworks were shooting off at the pond. Before they got carried away, Tess took a deep breath and got to her feet.

“We better get up there before Trent misses part of the best man duo,” Tess said. She walked over to the four-wheeler, started it up and rode it side-saddle to Travis. He sat down behind her and she drove them up the hill where they joined the rest of the group filling their plates with the catered meal in the front yard. Studying the four-wheeler, Tess realized even it had been scrubbed and polished with white ribbons tied across the front and back of it.

The food was excellent, although not as good as Cady’s cooking, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Cass, the mini-princess of the evening in her frilly lace dress, was busy running around as she played with old friends and made new ones.

Tess sat next to Travis in one of the tents, enjoying the atmosphere and the company. The photographer had taken a wealth of photos and was now focused on the dance floor.

They watched as Trent danced with Lindsay. He then danced with his mom as Lindsay danced with her dad. When Trent took a turn with Lindsay’s mother, Trey stepped in for a dance with the bride. After that, the band started playing some lively dance music and a crowd was soon on the dance floor.  Travis looked longingly in the direction of the band, but Tess pretended she didn’t notice.

“This is amazing, but I’m starting to think there was some merit in getting married with only a week to plan,” Cady said as she sank down by Travis. “I don’t know when I’ve ever been this tired.”

Cady, who helped Lindsay plan the wedding, worked to make the yard and pond look picture perfect, prepared all the rehearsal dinner food, and was now playing host to two hundred guests, made it all look so simple and easy.

“You’ve done a great job with everything, Cady,” Travis said, leaning over and placing a kiss on her cheek. “And I hope that brother of mine told you how absolutely stunning you look. If not, I’ll beat him with one of my crutches.”

Cady laughed as she patted Travis on the arm. “He may have mentioned once or twice that I look nice. Thank you, Travis. You guys all look movie-star handsome tonight. Tess, you look breathtaking in that dress.”

Brice and Trey came and sat at their table and the five of them visited, watching the shakers and movers have fun on the dance floor. Cass cornered a cousin close to her age and was making him dance with her, causing the adults to laugh at their antics. When a slow song began, Trey stood and took Cady’s hand in his.

“Cady, darlin’, will you please dance with me?” Trey turned on his charm and gave his wife a pleading look. “I know you’re pooped and you shucked off your shoes half an hour ago, so you can waltz out there barefoot for all I care, but come dance with me.”

“I’d be honored, boss-man,” Cady said, getting up from the table and stuffing her tired feet back into her high heels, letting Trey pull her toward the dance-floor.

A pretty cousin of Travis’ came up to Brice and shyly asked him to dance, which he was more than happy to do. That left Tess and Travis watching the dancers.

“Why don’t you go dance with someone, honeybee? You don’t have to sit here and keep me company all evening,” Travis said, looking around to see who he could trust to dance with his girl. No one was coming to mind except his brothers or hers and they were already dancing.

“If I can’t dance with you, I’d rather not dance at all. Besides, I’m not a very good dancer, as you well know,” Tess said tracing a pattern onto the table with her finger.

“I know nothing of the sort,” Travis said, getting up from the table and pulling her along with him. Leaving his crutches leaning against the back of a chair, he slowly walked toward the dance floor, her hand firmly clasped in his.

“Travis, what are you doing? You can’t dance and if you reinjure yourself, so help me, I’ll put you into a therapy program that will make what we’ve been doing seem like a Sunday afternoon picnic,” Tess said, trying to get him to stop. He kept walking, dragging her along with him. “Tee, this is crazy. I don’t need to dance with you that bad.”

“But I need to dance with you,” Travis rumbled, turning as they reached the dance floor and drawing her into his arms. “It’s a slow dance. We’ll just stand right here and sway back and forth and everything will be fine.”

Tess wasn’t sure about everything being fine as Travis pulled her flush against him and they swayed to the music. It only took a moment for the crowd to fade away and the two of them to get lost in each other. Trent and Trey, who were watching their baby brother fall in love, looked at each other and nodded their heads. Before the song ended, Trent maneuvered Lindsay close to the band and said something to one of the players.

As the slow song ended, the lead singer looked around the crowd and tipped his head toward Trent.

“We’ve got a special request for a song, so for the two of you who know what it’s all about, enjoy.” The band started to play
Honey Bee
and Tess shot Travis a look only to find him scanning the crowd for Trey and Trent. They were standing together and when he focused in on them, they pointed at him and smiled.

“I think we’ve been had, honeybee,” Travis said, continuing their slow dance, because it was the only speed he currently had.

Tess blushed, but kept on dancing with Travis. She should have known either her brothers or Travis’ would have to play some kind of joke on them this evening. If they hadn’t, she might have been disappointed or thought they had given in and finally grown up.

Truthfully, she wasn’t going to complain about being held close in Travis’ arms, although she did worry about how he was holding out physically.

When the song ended, the crowd laughed and cheered and Tess insisted Travis sit down and rest. He willingly agreed.

They barely returned to their table when Trent came and asked Tess to dance. She was then passed on to Trey and Ben followed by Brice. Her dad even took her out to “cut a rug” as he called it before returning her to Travis. By then she was overheated and dying of thirst.

Plopping down in a chair next to Travis where he sat quietly watching the crowd, she picked up one of the wedding favor fans Lindsay included at each place setting and batted it in front of her flushed face.

“Whew. I think I’m getting too old for this much fun,” Tess said, snapping the fan back and forth and stirring a breeze that unknowingly set tendrils of curls into an alluring flurry around her face.

 Travis stared at her transfixed.

 “I’m going to go find some punch or iced tea. You want anything?”

Travis continued staring at her with an odd light in his eyes.

“Trav? You okay?” Tess asked, putting the back of her hand to his forehead. It felt warm, but not any hotter than hers. At her touch, he startled and gave her a grin that formed parenthesis around his mouth. Tess had the strongest desire to kiss each little bracket but refrained, knowing that would lead down a path where they really shouldn’t go. At least right now.

“I’m fine, honeybee. What did you say?” Travis tried to pull his thoughts back together, but was finding it challenging with Tess leaning over him, her scent enveloping him and her warmth seeping into his bones. He placed a hot hand on her waist and moved his fingers up and down, enjoying the feel of the silky fabric beneath his touch.

“Do you want anything? I’m going to see what I can find to drink that hasn’t been tampered with,” Tess said, trying to keep focused with Travis setting her side aflame with his caress.

Travis raised an eyebrow at her.

“You and I both know those rotten Bradshaw boys will dump booze in anything left unattended. Henry’s been guarding the punch table, but he took a break and goodness only knows what happened when he did.”

Travis laughed and grabbed Tess’ hand. “Whatever you find would be great. And maybe a piece of cake. I haven’t had one yet.”

“Coming right up,” she said, kissing Travis on the cheek as she hurried off in the direction of the food tent. She returned carrying a tray with two glasses of iced tea and two pieces of cake, one white with raspberry filling, the other chocolate. Setting the tray on the table, she offered Travis his choice of cake, and he took the white, knowing she liked chocolate best.

They finished their cake just as an announcement was made that the bride and groom were ready to leave and would be tossing the bouquet and garter. First, Trent carefully removed Lindsay’s garter. He managed not to flash more than her ankle as he took it off her leg, although the action made her face turn a fiery shade of red.

Tess made Travis get up and walk with her to stand at the edge of the crowd gathered around the stage where Trent stood with the garter.

Trent looked around and shot it in a high arch. Although several guys reached for the garter, it sailed across the crowd and Travis held up one crutch, catching it on the leg. The crowd burst into laughter. Trent gave Travis a salute then turned to Lindsay with a bow.

Lindsay made note of who was standing where and gave the bouquet a good toss, making sure it flew straight toward Tess. No one in the crowd even made a grab for it as it sailed right into Tess’ arms. Tess blushed while the crowd whistled and clapped. Someone yelled, “two down, one to go,” referencing the number of weddings the Thompson family had held in the past year.

“Nice catch, honeybee,” Travis teased as he pulled the garter to the end of his crutch and slid it over his arm. “What do you suppose Trent and Lindsay meant by throwing this stuff at us?”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” Tess said, embarrassed and thrilled at the same time. She couldn’t give it too much thought as Trent and Lindsay prepared to leave.

A carriage that looked exactly like something Cinderella rode in to the ball pulled up at the yard and a footman got out then intoned over the crowd, “Carriage service for Mr. and Mrs. Trent Thompson.”