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Austin nodded to his boss, Ethan Traub, as he led Rose back the way he’d come from walking his sister to her groom. He envied Haley. Marlon was a great guy and the two were deeply in love. Now they had their whole lives ahead of them. It was everything Austin had once badly wanted.
The Andersons had been a traditional family before his father walked out. Austin still remembered being a little boy and blaming himself because he’d done something bad. His mom made him see it wasn’t his fault and they moved on. Then she died and Haley took over, missing out on her chance to go away to college. There was nothing conventional about that, but his sister did a great job with all the responsibility.
Still, he had vivid memories of that short time when he’d had a father and mother. And he’d wanted to have a family of his own, but the dream died when Rachel ran out on him. Now he just wanted to have fun.
With Rose.
Her hand was tucked in the bend of his elbow and he put his fingers over hers, then glanced down. She was eyeing the people filling the chairs they passed as if they were going to accuse her of something bad. Rose didn’t know it yet, but he was the one with increasingly dishonorable intentions. Did she really not know how badly he wanted to kiss her?
She was so beautiful. The other day he hadn’t noticed the dimples in her cheeks when she smiled. Or the way her eyes turned down slightly and crinkled at the corners when she laughed. Don’t even get him started on the way she filled out her dress. The velvet bodice clung to her curves and the lacy skirt was all sugar and spice and everything nice, equal parts sweet and sultry.
But she was hung up on the age difference. While he appreciated her honesty, to him it was just a number and numbers held no mystery. She, on the other hand, was a puzzle he couldn’t wait to solve.
He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?”
The look she gave him was sassy, saucy and sexy. “Are you taking that line out for a spin to see how well it works?”
“Actually, no. I’ve used it often without a microgram of sincerity. But this time I really mean it.”
“So you’re not practicing on me hoping to reap the benefits of my vast experience?”
“For a mature woman,” he teased, “your manners could use some fine-tuning. It’s customary when a man pays you an honest compliment to simply say thank you.”
“Thank you,” she repeated automatically.
They stopped in the crowd of people who were filling the open lobby area. “A reciprocal compliment would be nice, too.”
She looked him up and down, then moved around him to, presumably, inspect the rear view. Completing the circle, she said, “You’ll do.”
“Wow.” He whistled. “Praise like that could turn a guy’s head.”
“Oh, please. Excluding my brothers, there might be one, maybe two men in this room better looking than you. I can’t believe your ego needs massaging.”
“It’s just fine, thanks.” He put his arm around her waist and drew her to a protected corner as the guests waited to file into the dining room for the reception. It was with great reluctance that he removed his hand. “I’m surprised at you. With five older brothers you should recognize teasing when you see it.”
Her expression turned thoughtful. “Did you tease your sisters?”
“Still do. Every chance I get.”
“And yet you were on your best behavior when you walked Haley down the aisle.”
He could see the question in her eyes, why him and not Haley’s father. But Rose was too polite to ask. “My father abandoned the family when we were kids. Haven’t seen him since.”
“Oh.”
Austin saw the sparkle in her eyes fade to sadness and wished he could take back the words. Maybe put the sass back in her smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be a downer.”
“You’re not.” She glanced past him. “Looks like they’re letting people in to the reception. I think I’ll get in line, too.”
When she started to walk past him, Austin put a hand on her arm. “Not so fast. Are you trying to ditch me?”
“Because we’re here as friends with no strings attached, ‘ditch’ seems harsh. I thought I’d just mosey on in and watch single guys swarm around now that I have the Austin Anderson stamp of approval and they don’t need to be afraid.”
He’d set those parameters. It seemed the only way he could get her to go with him. But the idea of a bunch of guys hitting on her made him want to put his fist through a wall.
“Tell you what,” he said. “There’s a receiving line. We’ll say hello to the bride and groom and the bride and groom and then I’ll buy you a drink.”
“Done. Except I’ll buy my own.”
“It’s an open bar.”
“Big spender,” she teased.
Austin rested his hand at the small of her back, urging her to the end of the line. It didn’t take long to reach the couples of the hour standing just outside the double doors leading into the Gallatin Room.
Rose hugged Matt Cates, then his new bride. “Congratulations. You look stunning.”
“Thanks,” Matt answered.
Elise smiled radiantly. “She meant me, although you do look fairly spectacular, husband.”
Austin had been a couple years behind the twins in school, but they all knew each other well. He shook hands, then hugged Matt’s wife. “I suppose it’s too late to talk you into running away with me?”
“Sorry.” The pretty blonde shrugged. “It was too late a long time ago.”
“If you change your mind…”
“Not a chance,” she said.
Rose moved on and gave Marlon a hug. “Congrats. I wish you every happiness.”
“Thanks, Rose. Hey, Austin— Or should I say ‘bro’?”
“I answer to either.” And he truly meant that. The connection was legal now, but he felt as if he did have a brother. He met his sister’s gaze and didn’t miss the spark of interest in his “date.”
“Haley, have you met Rose Traub?”
“No.” The two women shook hands. “Marlon and I have been traveling and planning the wedding. But I heard you moved here from Texas.”
“Yes.” Rose smiled. “When I was here for my brother Corey’s wedding I fell in love with Thunder Canyon.”
“Who wouldn’t,” Haley said. “But I don’t understand what you’re doing here with my brother.”
“What?” Rose looked like a kid who just got caught cheating on a test. “Why?”
“Because he’s an obnoxious jerk.” Haley gave him a teasing smile. “But I love him anyway.”
“Back at you, Hay.” Clearly his sister was joking, but Rose had gone directly to the bad place and he wasn’t sure how to get her out of it. He slid his arm around her waist. “Lets go find our table.”
“With any luck it’s in a dark corner behind a plant.”
“You’re overly sensitive. It’s not that much of a difference. You just had a birthday.” He decided it was best not to put a finer point on it with numbers. “And in two months I’ll be a year older. See? We’re practically the same age.”
“Nice try. With hinky math like that it’s a wonder you got into an engineering program at all.” She shot him a rueful look.
Austin followed Rose, mesmerized by the sway of that feminine skirt. There were white cloth-covered tables three deep lining the perimeter of the room with the center open for dancing. Poinsettias in red and white with candles on either side made up the centerpieces. In the far corner, wedding gifts were piled up and there were two bars set up on either side of the room. Austin guided her straight to the closest one.
“I’d like a glass of chardonnay,” she said.
The bartender, in crisp white shirt, red tie and black pants, had dark hair shot with gray. “May I see your ID?”
“What?” she asked.
“Identification,” he repeated. “It’s illegal for me to serve alcohol to anyone under twenty-one.”
“I’m way over that,” she assured him.
“Okay, but I need to see some proof of that.” His tone was polite and professional.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” He didn’t budge.
“He’s a friend of yours,” she said to Austin, suspicion lurking in her eyes. “You put him up to this. It’s a practical joke.”
“I’ve never met him before,” he assured her, giving the guy a what-are-you-going-to-do shrug.
She blew out a breath, then opened her tiny beaded black evening bag, pulled out her driver’s license and handed it over.
The bartender checked the date and looked surprised. “Wow, I’m usually not that wrong.”
“And I haven’t worked that hard for an alcoholic beverage since… Actually ever.”
“Did you even try to get a drink before you were old enough?” Austin asked.
“No.”
“Good thing.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve probably always looked about twelve.”
“Thanks, I think.” She took a sip of the pale gold liquid.
“What’ll you have?” the bartender asked him.
“Beer. Bottle is fine.”
“Coming right up.”
“Hey,” she said to the bartender. “How come you didn’t ask him for ID?”
The guy grinned. “Because I can tell by looking that he’s legal.”
Austin saluted a thanks with his bottle and they walked across the open dance floor to find their table. Rose was frowning and clearly in a snit.
“What’s bugging you, Red?” he asked.
“Like you don’t know,” she grumbled.
“I’ve always looked older.” He shrugged. “It’s why I was able to get a tattoo when I was under age.”
“No way.”
“Yeah.” He took a sip of his beer. “It’s a beaut, too.”
“Where is it? Show me.”
“That would require undressing—”
She slid him a wry look and shook her head.
Too bad. He would very much like to undress her and see if she had more freckles on the curvy body under her lace and velvet dress. She was really stubborn about the age thing and if he was as smart as everyone thought, he’d throw in the towel. The problem was, he liked her. She was a real firecracker and it had nothing to do with the color of her hair.
Austin was inclined to hang in for a while and see if he could fire her up.
After dinner, Rose sat alone at the table watching couples on the dance floor. Until a few minutes ago she and Austin were one of them and she’d really liked the feel of his arms around her. Then his sister Angie had commandeered him for the chicken dance. What wedding was complete without that?
Everyone seemed to be having a great time. What was not to like? The whole event had lived up to its advance billing as the social affair of the year. It was completely enchanting. This room looked as magical as the resort’s transformed lobby with twinkling lights wrapped around bare white branches and the poinsettias added a touch of red. The brides were perfect and perfectly happy with their hunky, handsome grooms.
It was the ultimate romantic fantasy and Rose was having serious doubts about her own ever coming true. Of course her brother Jackson chose that moment to sit down beside her. His fiancée, Laila Cates, pulled out the chair next to his.
“Hey, sis.”
“Hey, yourself. Hi, Laila.”
“Hi, Rose.” The other woman smiled. “Love the dress.”
She appreciated the compliment, but it didn’t lift her spirits. How she longed to rest her head on her big brother’s strong shoulder, but he wouldn’t understand. Besides the fact that he was a guy’s guy, he’d found the love of his life. Blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful, Laila looked like she’d stepped off a page of People magazine. And handsome Jackson, with his dark hair and eyes, could be in the movies if he wasn’t doing community outreach and public relations work for Traub Oil Montana.
“You look really pretty tonight,” Laila added.
Rose smiled at the woman who would be her sister-in-law. “I might have had a shot at mildly attractive until you sat down.”
“Oh, please.” She waved off the compliment.
Jackson’s dark brown eyes glowed with pride and love when he looked at her. “My sister is right.”
