Herd the Heavens

“You’re getting married where?” Griffin Jameson wanted to kick himself for not seeing this coming. He should’ve known his delightfully hoydenish soon-to-be sister-in-law wouldn’t mind stretching the boundaries of propriety — even on her wedding day.
 

“You heard me.” His younger brother, Kane, tossed him a laughing look that was accompanied by a shoulder-bump as he led his horse back to its stall. “I’m not sure why you look so surprised. We’ve been building our replacement hot air balloon for months.” He gave a war whoop of elation for no particular reason. “Right under your nose, Griff. Where have you been?”
 

And just like that, Kane effortlessly flipped the conversation into yet another one of his interrogations concerning Griff’s whereabouts lately. The three overnight trips Griff had taken during the last two months had stuck a Texas-sized burr on his brother’s backside. However, Griff’s not-so-above-board activities during his personal time weren’t up for public discussion. Or even a private discussion with the people he was closest to. Not yet, at any rate. More’s the pity. He didn’t like keeping secrets from his family.
 

However, he’d been sworn to secrecy, so he had no choice but to ignore his brother’s curiosity. Since his own mount was already back in her stall, he followed Kane. “I almost lost you when you crashed your first hot air balloon,” he reminded gruffly. He paused outside the stall, leaning against the door frame to watch Kane brush down his horse. “I’d just as soon not watch a repeat of that.” As long as he lived, he would never get the smell of burning burlap out of his nostrils. Nor would he ever be able to purge the image of Kane and Bert plummeting from the sky through an inferno of flames.
 

Kane shrugged unconcernedly as he continued to brush his horse. “I think you’re forgetting that we purposely crashed our hot air balloon.” They’d done it to save a friend in trouble in a nearby hot air balloon, positioning their balloon under his to cushion its fall. By some miracle, their shenanigans had worked, and all three of them had survived.
 

“That’s not making me feel any better about you getting married in the clouds.” Griff pointed upward. Why, oh, why couldn’t his brother and Bert have a regular ol’ church wedding and be done with it? Unfortunately, he already knew the answer to that — Bertha Langston, Kane’s betrothed who preferred to be called Bert, must have specifically requested it.
 

“We won’t be that high up,” his brother assured. “Not even close.” He winked at Griff over the back of his horse.
 

You can go up there with us, if you’d like, to add your weight of disapproval to the basket.”
 

“Not funny.” Griff jutted his chin.
 

“On that, we’ll have to disagree.” Kane grinned to himself in a way that warned Griff he was up to mischief. “If exchanging our wedding vows in a hot air balloon bothers you that much, I’m willing to strike a bargain that could change our venue.”
 

“You don’t say.” Griff’s instincts went on full alert as he straightened. Since Bert wasn’t present to take part in the so-called bargain, he could only assume that his fun-loving younger brother had already rigged its outcome.
 

“Oh, but I do.” Kane tossed his brush aside and stepped around the horse to meet him face-to-face. “If you tell me the real reason you’ve been hightailing it out of town, left and right, I’ll beg Bert on my hands and knees to move our wedding ceremony back to the ground.” He waggled his eyebrows mockingly. “How could she refuse such a humble request?”
 

How, indeed? Kane had to know it was a safe gamble on his part, because he’d long since figured out Griff’s lips were buttoned as tight as they could be about the side job he’d taken on. 
 

“Your silence is telling.” Kane’s grin faded. “I truly hope the new woman in your life is worth all the secrecy.”
 

Griff muffled a snort. Now there’s a thought. “She is,” he lied, hoping he hadn’t responded too quickly. A little misunderstanding like this could easily provide the perfect cover story for getting closer to his target. He wished he’d thought of it himself. He’d never pretended to court a woman before, but how hard could it be?
 

To his surprise, his brother pounded one of his fists into his other hand. “How do you think Bea Hazelwood will handle the news?”
 

Griff blinked at him. “About what?” He’d been so engrossed in plotting his next move on his case that he’d all but tuned out what his brother was saying.
 

Kane looked at him like he’d sprouted horns. “About the mysterious new lady you’re courting.”
 

Griff didn’t care for the direction their conversation had taken. He pushed back his Stetson, scowling. “Why would she care?” She’d made it quite clear just how beneath her notice he was.
 

Kane barked out a laugh. “That’s a good question. I’m glad I brought it up.”
 

Griff was more disturbed than ever about why his brother had brought up the woman who’d given him the biggest rejection of his life. Three years had passed since Bea had turned down his marriage proposal. Just thinking about her, though, still twisted his insides.
 

She was as outspoken and spirited as Kane’s betrothed, albeit a more ladylike version of spirited. To his knowledge, she’d never publicly gallivanted around in trousers like Bert so often did. Bea was equally witty, though, and brimming with opinions on a wide variety of topics — probably because of the amount of reading she did. According to the last tidbit of gossip that had reached his ears, she’d recently joined some new ladies’ reading club. It didn’t surprise him one bit. Her parents were notoriously strict with her — something he’d always suspected was the real reason she’d snubbed him. The book club was likely one of the few places they allowed to go.
 

Kane pointed at Griff’s mouth. “You’re a contradiction unto yourself.”
 

Griff threw his hands into the air. “Now what?”
 

“You’re glaring hard enough to ignite my shirt.”
 

“I wasn’t aware that was a crime.”
 

“You’re still angry with Bea, aren’t you?”
 

It was the question of the century, one Griff didn’t have an easy answer to. “I wasn’t aware that was a crime, either.” He lowered his hands, feeling suddenly restless. Whatever his brother was insinuating was way out of line. He’d long since accepted the fact that Bea Hazelwood was never going to love him back the way he couldn’t seem to stop loving her.
 

“It sounds to me like you haven’t heard her latest news then,” Kane returned in an aha voice. “I assumed you’d be the first person Paisley would’ve informed about it.”
 

Griff stared at his brother, wondering why he was acting like a bloodhound chasing a juicy scent. If their sister had something she wanted him to know, she wouldn’t have been shy about telling him. Unless it was about Bea, that is. She and Bea had continued to be friends, even after Bea had turned her nose up at him. It was something they didn’t talk about.
 

Kane studied his changing expressions with a smirk. “On second thought…” He shrugged, managing to adopt a superior look despite the dust and dirt clinging to his shirt and trousers. “Maybe I’ll keep what I know to myself for now. I can’t force happiness on anyone. You have to want it for yourself.”
 

Unbelievable! Shaking his head at his brother’s nonsense, Griff stalked from the barn. He was happy. Whatever harebrained notion to the contrary that Kane had gotten stuck between his ears was hogwash. Yes, he was still single and was probably destined to remain that way. However, marriage wasn’t the only thing in the world that could make a fellow happy.
 

The two of them, along with Paisley and her husband, Train, ran a successful ranch on the outskirts of town and an equally successful inn downtown. Griff was also making a decent go of his new side job as an undercover detective. He had a good life in Cedar Falls, Texas. One that made him feel like he was making a difference.
 

Which didn’t explain why the restlessness he’d experienced earlier was back in full force.
 

* * *
 

One week later

Bea Hazelwood watched the pale green-and-white striped hot air balloon ascend over the grassy pasture with its gently rolling knolls. Her throat constricted with envy. Talk about a match made in Heaven!
 

Kane Jameson and his beloved bride were quite literally floating toward Heaven itself as they exchanged their wedding vows. High above their heads, puffy white clouds floated against a June sky, forming the perfect celestial backdrop. They were too high in the air for her to hear with any clarity what was being said. However, the way Pastor Nathan Daniel was gripping his Bible in one hand and the side of the balloon’s basket in the other hand suggested he was in the middle of officiating their union.
 

She bit back a smile over the memory of seeing Bert climb into the basket, wearing yet another one of her infamous split skirts. It was white this time, and it was a far cry from donning a pair of trousers. Bea had always admired the way the outdoorsy woman never hesitated to flout convention. Bert, whose real name was Bertha, was quickly becoming a local legend, adored by many and gossiped about with a vengeance by others.
 

If only I had the courage to live my best life as freely as she does! Sadly, Bea had never dared to do such things. Her parents had always been sticklers for rules and propriety, determined to turn their only daughter into a perfect lady…and eventually the perfect bride. Unfortunately, their idea of a perfect match for her differed greatly from anything she’d ever envisioned.
 

Like becoming the wife of Kane’s brother, Griff. Her heart ached all over again at the memory of turning down his sweet offer for her hand in marriage three years, three months, and nine days earlier. Yes, she’d been keeping count. She would never forget the mortification and pain her refusal had caused him. He hadn’t smiled at her since. Not once.
 

Despite the number of hopeful young ladies who’d flocked around him like eager hens afterward, he remained unwed — probably not for long, though. If there was anything to the rumors flying around town, he was courting someone at long last. Someone whose name and identity she hadn’t been able to get her fingers on, no matter how hard she and her friends tried. Whoever his mysterious amour was, he was keeping her tightly under wraps.

Bea blinked back tears as she shaded a hand over her eyes to continue watching the wedding ceremony. A sense of longing swept through her. Her twenty-first birthday was fast approaching, and the biggest gossips in town were whispering about how fast she was skidding toward spinsterhood.
 

Please, Lord, don’t let it come to that. She sent up a silent plea that her many years of painting watercolors, playing the pianoforte, and embroidering intricate designs would not fail to grace the rooms of her own home someday. A farmhouse, a cottage, a hut, any place was better than spending the rest of her life alone!
 

Right after destroying her one chance at happiness with Griff, her father had subsequently made a series of poor investments and lost their family fortune. Her grandfather would turn over in his grave if he knew what had become of all the gold he’d mined. Instead of cementing the wealth of the Hazelwood family for generations to come, her father had let it slip through his fingers in one fell swoop. They were poor now. Very, very poor. Far poorer than anyone in town yet suspected.
 

Their family estate was on the market — discreetly, of course — and her parents were auctioning off their belongings as fast as they could. They intended to keep up appearances by moving into a much smaller home in town. Heaven forbid they just admit the truth to the world — that their blood ran red like everyone else’s. But, no! Her parents would continue to act like they were better than anyone else. They’d continue to look down their noses at the world while bragging about all the gold their name was no longer worth.
 

And I’ll be expected to play along with their meaningless games.
 

If it weren’t for the book club Bea had started a few months ago, and the dear friends who joined her in her silent rebellion against her family, she would’ve lost her sanity the moment she received word of Griff Jameson’s pending nuptials. Just thinking about their secret mission cheered her up a little. Though her parents’ pride would forever stand between her and happiness, she’d organized the Christmas Book Club to ensure that others could find happiness.
 

It was something she would get back to tomorrow, though. Today wasn't about her. It was about Bert and Kane. She didn’t want to spoil it for them by being the only thundercloud in the crowd of friends and family gathered outside beneath the hot air balloon. She forced her attention back to the present, which wasn’t difficult since the man of her dreams was in attendance — the one and only Griffin Jameson. A man who’d once been her childhood friend. A man who refused to look her directly in the eye these days.
 

Saying his name inside her head was almost enough to make her dissolve into weeping. However, she didn’t want to explain herself to her austere mother standing on her right or her dignified father standing on her left. It took some effort, but she managed to hold in the wistful sound.
 

Griff was serving as his brother’s best man, of course. If Bea’s eyes had been twin candles, they would’ve surely ignited the dark fabric of his suit jacket the way she was staring a hole through his deliciously broad shoulders. 

He’d been avoiding her gaze today, as usual, which made her heart ache the same way it always did. Gone were the dusty, faded clothes he’d worn when they were children. As dramatically as her family’s wealth had faded, his family had prospered. Not only did the Jamesons now own the biggest ranch in town, they also owned and operated Cedar Falls Inn — the place she’d submitted her application for employment to yesterday. She hadn’t received any word back from them yet, but it was still early.
 

She honestly wouldn’t blame them if they ignored her application altogether. Her parents were going to have a fit when they found out, but what could they do about it? Threaten to disinherit her again? It wasn’t as if there was any money left these days to withhold. However, she’d cross that bridge with them if she was granted an interview. There was no need to trouble the waters before then.
 

She focused on Griff, instead. How handsome he looked in his elegant, coal-colored suit and dove gray dress shirt. They looked new, and why not? He could certainly afford new clothing these days. He’d paired the suit with a black leather Stetson and black boots. They were two accessories her favorite rancher would likely never leave home without, no matter how much money continued to flow into his bank account. His blonde hair waved out from beneath his Stetson, brushing against his collar and making her long to thread her fingers through the silky waves. Sadly, his hair wasn’t hers to straighten and never would be.
 

Like her, he was standing on the ground below the hot air balloon, which actually surprised her. The Jameson brothers were like two peas in a pod. A person rarely saw one without the other. She would’ve been less surprised to see him up in the balloon with the happy couple. However, it had been a tight squeeze to get three people in the basket. There simply hadn’t been enough room for a fourth person.
 

It felt like an eternity before the balloon started its descent. Bea didn’t realize how tightly she’d been clasping her hands in front of the new pink frock her parents could barely afford until the basket finally bumped to the ground. Only then did it dawn on her how clammy her palms were. Her knees felt a little shaky, too.
 

After Kane and Bert’s crash landing a mere three months earlier, she would never be able to look at a hot air balloon the same way again. Air travel was dangerous.
 

Her palms grew even clammier at the realization that Griff was looking her way at long last. She helplessly returned his gaze, drinking in his wholesome, tanned features. She’d always admired the strong line of his jaw and his squared-off chin. She especially adored the tiny cleft in his left cheek when he smiled. Then, wonder of wonders, nodded at her. Actually acknowledged her!
 

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Was it his way of letting her know that he’d received her application for employment at the end? Did it mean she stood a hair of a chance at getting hired? Why else would he greet her in public like this?
 

Throwing all caution to the wind, she started to lift a hand, full intending to flutter her fingers at him in return.
 

Then something awful happened — something so horrid that sleep would elude her for days to come. A raven-haired creature swept through the crowd from somewhere behind where she and her parents were standing. The woman was waving her hand with such energy it was a wonder her fingers didn’t fall off.
 

She was as slender as a broomstick, wearing a ruffled gown in the exact shade of pink as Bea’s new gown. Its hem was a good inch shorter than Bea’s hem, however, allowing a glimpse of her ankles.
 

Her mother’s indignant gasp told her that the color of the woman’s gown, as well as her well-turned ankles, hadn’t gone unnoticed. No doubt Bea was going to catch an earful about it later.
 

But that was far from the most horrid part of what was playing out in front of them. The woman flew straight up to Griff and snuggled against his side, brazenly wrapping her hands around his arm and gazing raptly up at him.

She might as well have staked her claim on him by building a fence around him. Her meaning was undeniable. She was the woman Griff Jameson was courting.
 

Bea struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat. It was next to impossible to see past the mist covering her eyes…or to continue breathing, for that matter!
 

Oh, this was bad! Very, very bad!
 

She could feel the wave of sensation the woman’s actions were sending across the crowd. Through her clouded vision, she could only dimly see the number of hands that flew to the mouths of the most mischievous gossips in town. Her heart sank at the realization that Griff’s name would soon be paired with that of the woman clinging like poison ivy to his arm. She must be new in town. Bea had never before laid eyes on her.
 

What made her heart ache most of all was that the man she was so desperately in love with was making no move to shrug off the woman’s hands, lending credence to her biggest fears. He was truly courting someone.
 

Someone who’s not me.
 

Bea had always known this day would come, but it didn’t make it any easier to bear now that it was here. She squeezed her eyelids shut to gather her shattered emotions. Her mother had raised her to be proper and resourceful. She possessed too much backbone to fall apart in public, though she was mighty close to doing so. Fortunately, no one needed to know just how close.
 

No, indeed. A proper and resourceful woman like Bea Hazelwood, the chairwoman of The Christmas Book Club, didn’t come unraveled at the first sign of trouble. What she needed to do was come up with a plan. A plan that would prove to the world that she could handle the sight of her would-be groom from the past with the grace and decorum of a true lady.
 

Her heart was bleeding too much to muster a smile, but it gave her comfort to remember she had allies. Clever ones.
 

By the time she opened her eyes, they were dry. Until she caught sight of Griff and his new lady love again, which brought on a fresh prickle of tears.
 

This will never do!
 

She blinked rapidly as she scanned the people gathered around her and quickly found who she was looking for — Tessa Kingsley, the co-founder of the town’s all-new Christmas Book Club. The gossip mill hadn’t been any kinder to her than it had been to Bea. She didn’t know the woman’s whole story yet, only that she’d almost been forced into a loveless marriage by an unscrupulous guardian who was now deceased.
 

Life was so unfair sometimes, especially to women, but sometimes it wasn’t. After escaping a disaster union in the nick of time, Tessa hadn’t hesitated to help form the Christmas Book Club, where members could join its hallowed roster by special invitation only.
 

Bea and Tessa were the only two women who currently had the privilege of extending an invitation to the posh women’s club. She still wasn’t sure how Tessa had convinced the owner of the Cedar Falls Bookstore on Main Street to let them meet in the private parlor at the back of the store. The location had been the key to keeping Bea’s own involvement in the club from coming under fire from her parents.
 

She was puzzled that her mother hadn’t pitched a fit, solely on the grounds of her association with a woman who possessed a tarnished reputation. Maybe it was because Tessa was wealthy — the King Midas kind of wealthy. On the even of her twenty-fifth birthday, she’d inherited her late father’s fortune — released from her guardian’s legal attempts to withhold it from her by his untimely death. Some folks claimed it had been brought on by a weak heart. Others said it was his sour temper. Whatever the case, his demise had set Tessa free.
 

The best part about Bea’s membership in the Christmas Book Club, however, wasn’t her growing friendship with the strong-minded Tessa Kingsley or the other members. It also had nothing to do with the lovely parlor they were privileged to congregate in. The best part was their top-secret mission to unite each member with their one true love.
 

Except me.
 

Most unfortunately, Bea’s one true love appeared ready to declare his feelings to a different woman altogether. The wrong woman. She added a few extra “wrongs” inside her head for good measure.
 

It was a disastrous turn of events. There was no denying it. Every fiber of her being told her he was making a mistake. Not that she stood a chance at winning his heart back. However, something inside her rebelled at the thought of watching him step into a union that would doom him to a life of misery.
 

Even more misery than I’ve caused him.
 

Her thoughts raced. Unless…
 

Oh, it was an impossible hope, but that didn’t keep her from hoping. Her shattered feelings and thoughts slowly formed a plan, one that would save Griff from the mistake he was about to make. He might not ever thank her, but he would be better off in the long run. She bit her lower lip in contemplation, knowing that if anyone could help draw his attention away from his skinny-as-a-string amour, it was her friends at the Christmas Book Club.
 

No. I want more than that.
 

She lifted her chin in determination, vowing on the spot not to settle for drawing his attention away from the wrong woman currently clinging to his arm. She was never going to be content watching him wed another woman — no matter who it was! She wanted his good opinion back. Desperately. And his heart. And his last name. She wanted it all!
 

You’re simply going to have to choose me again, Griff Jameson. It was the only solution to the horrid muddle they were swimming in. She lifted her chin a notch higher. I’m your perfect match, even though I failed to see it the first time you pointed it out.
 

But I do now. Oh, but I do now!
 

She clenched and unclenched her fingers, mentally preparing to fight for the heart of the man she’d never stopped loving.