A Christmas Wedding For The Cowboy. Mary Leo

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СКАЧАТЬ cream-colored Western hat in his hand. “And some white hydrangeas, and maybe some white baby’s breath along the stairs to the altar, where you and Marilyn Rose will be standing.”

      “Sounds good,” Carson said, raising his voice so she could hear him. The large church propelled his reply back to Zoe and sounded almost heavenly.

      “I can’t condone lying,” Father Beau reasoned. “That’s just wrong on so many levels.”

      Father Beau stood at the same height as Carson, six feet three inches tall, with the same slim build, and aside from their different attire—Father Beau in his black cassock and white collar—they both wore black Western boots. Nothing could take the cowboy entirely out of Father Beau, no matter what clerical garment he wore.

      “I’m not asking you to lie, exactly. I’m merely asking you to keep your distance from Zoe so you won’t blow it for me until I’m ready to come clean. Besides, you owe me.”

      Carson didn’t think that was too much to ask considering their history. Beau had skipped out in the middle of the night on more than one occasion to meet up with friends when they were teens and Carson had always covered for him. The way Carson had it figured, life had come full circle.

      “And why aren’t you ready now? Seems like this is the perfect time. You’re in a church. I’m a priest. And Zoe Smart is gearing up for a wedding that isn’t going to happen. She’s been down this road with the Grant family before. Do you really think it’s okay to do it to her again?” Father Beau stared at Carson as a curious look washed over him. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to attempt to change Marilyn Rose’s mind. You’re not seriously thinking you can win her back, are you? You tried that once in high school with Lana Thomson and she ended up cheating on you the entire time you two went steady.”

      Secretly, Carson had to admit there was a part of him that believed Marilyn Rose would come to her senses and run back to him, pleading for a second chance. That it was just some kind of ploy to get him to pay more attention to her and stop feeling sorry for himself. Both of which she’d told him the previous night. Harsh, but more truth than not. He’d been feeling sorry for himself, big-time, and he’d been ignoring her for some reason. But he’d been certain both of those things could have been talked out, dealt with and put behind them so they could go on with the wedding. And maybe they still could be worked out, if he called her or, better yet, flew to Vegas to persuade her in person. Perhaps that was the real reason why he couldn’t seem to find the right moment to spill the truth. Somewhere deep inside, he thought he and Marilyn Rose would get back together.

      Or not...

      “Nope, once burned and all of that... Look, I know you never liked my choice of women, but we won’t get into all of that now. Marilyn Rose and I haven’t been, well, you know, together since my accident. I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did. That woman’s a hellion in b— Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about sex to you, especially while we’re inside a church.”

      Even though Beau stood right there in front of Carson, dressed in his black cassock, Carson couldn’t help but talk to him as he always had—like a trusted friend. “I’m a priest, not a prude,” Father Beau said. “I believe I remember a little something about the relationship between a man and a woman. You can say you two haven’t had sex since your accident, but yes, I agree, the details of your bedroom romps are better left unshared.”

      Carson stepped in closer, not wanting Zoe to hear the conversation. “I thought priests frowned on all that premarital stuff.”

      “We do, but I’m also your cousin.”

      “Once you put that collar on, our relationship changed.”

      “It shouldn’t have. You can still confide in me.”

      “Great. I’m confiding in you now. I need you to not blow it for me, at least not until I’m ready for the town to know the truth. Two cancelled weddings in one family in less than six months might be too much of a scandal for the Grant family to bear. We’re a sensitive bunch. And that includes you, cousin. It took you months to tell the family you’d decided to attend Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon instead of continuing on at Idaho University.”

      “That was different. I was engaged to Connie Ballantine and I had to figure out how to tell her without breaking her heart.”

      Carson shook his head. “I never could figure out why you asked her to marry you in the first place when you knew from when you were no higher than a June bug you wanted to be a priest.”

      “Same reason why you asked Marilyn Rose to marry you, and why your sister said yes to Jimmy Bartley.”

      Carson stepped back to get a better look at his cousin. “What are you talking about? What reason?”

      But Zoe interrupted before Father Beau could respond to Carson’s question. “I think clusters of towering white branches, tied together in a bunch, at every pew would really pull it all together,” Zoe said as she walked up to Father Beau and Carson, who stood in the middle of the church. “That, coupled with all the Christmas decorations the church will provide, will be breathtaking. What do you think, Father Beau? Will we be allowed to do some branches for your cousin’s wedding?”

      Christmas decorating had already begun inside the church. Two massive blue fir trees waited to be illuminated and decorated inside the sanctuary. Rows of white and red poinsettias lined the stairs to the main altar, and a life-size nativity set was going up just outside the front doors on a cleared and sheltered grassy knoll.

      Father Beau hesitated answering as Carson’s heart skipped a beat. Then, with a warm priestly smile on his unlined face, he turned toward Zoe and said, “Yes. That would look lovely for any wedding.”

      She turned to Carson. “What do you think, Carson? Will that idea work for you? Should we get Marilyn Rose’s agreement? I can try calling her, if you would like.”

      Carson felt the blood drain from his face as he contemplated his next move. He had no idea what his cousin had meant when he compared his own failed wedding plans with Kayla’s and Carson’s. He wanted him to elaborate on that but the excitement on Zoe’s face told him he’d have to wait until another time.

      Carson knew he had to respond. Merely nodding wasn’t an option this time. But did she have to look so dang cute when she was talking about his bogus wedding? Couldn’t she be more matter-of-fact about it? More businesslike? The glow that radiated from her smiling face was way more than Carson could deal with. He didn’t know why he was having such a visceral reaction to her, and inside a church of all places, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. Every time he looked into those doe eyes of hers, something inside him buzzed with excitement. He had no idea what made him so attracted to her, but this whole wedding planning thing with Zoe Smart was going to get a lot more difficult if he didn’t come to terms with his emotions real quick-like.

      Carson turned away from Zoe and looked to his cousin for some support. Certainly, after all he and Beau had been through together, Beau would have his back.

      Big mistake.

      Father Beau conjured up a sarcastic little smirk on his clerical face. “Yes, cousin, what do you think Marilyn Rose will say about white trees lining the aisle? Seems like a big decision for a cowboy to be making on his own.”

      Carson’s mind raced. His heart pounded in his chest. His palms were sweaty. He was more nervous about his answer than he ever had been gearing up in a chute, easing down on СКАЧАТЬ