CHAPTER ELEVEN
According to the phone book, Ellie’s Bridals was the only store in Chance Creek that carried wedding gowns. Autumn parked Ethan’s truck outside the boutique with trepidation and remained in the driver’s seat a moment to look the little store over. She’d always thought she’d spend days trolling through New York City with her friends trying on dresses when it came time for her to be married. She’d pictured sales ladies in haute couture serving her champagne from silver trays while she posed in front of floor length mirrors in the latest style.
As a young girl, she favored dresses with trains a mile long. At twenty she would have picked something severe and sophisticated. What did one wear to a country wedding?
She gripped the steering wheel with hands that were suddenly sweaty. What was she doing? She hadn’t even told her mother or sister or even her best friend what was happening and she was supposed to get married in less than three weeks. Becka had texted her once or twice, then reverted to email when she realized Autumn wasn’t carrying her cell phone with her everywhere like she normally did. She’d told Becka some of the details about the ranch and gardening and cooking, and how hot Ethan was, but she’d neglected to say anything about sleeping with the man. For one thing, it didn’t sound very professional. For another, she didn’t want to face Becka’s tough questions.
Tonight she and Ethan would have to sit down and make some plans. Guest lists, catering…her head began to swim and she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She needed to call her editor, too – tell her she wasn’t coming back. Panic gripped her. Was she ready to burn her bridges like that?
“Autumn? Is everything okay?”
She reared back with a gasp. “Rose! You scared me to death!”
Rose stood on tiptoe just outside the open window of the Ford F-250. “Sorry! You looked like you were going to be sick. Is everything okay?”
“I…yes. I think it is. I’m…” she glanced at the boutique. “Picking out my wedding dress.”
“Oh, my gosh! That’s so exciting!” Rose peeked into the cab of the truck. “All alone? Isn’t anyone going to help you?”
“I don’t know anyone in town.” Rose’s tone said it all – it was pathetic to shop alone for your wedding dress. Maybe she should have called Becka to see if she could fly in for a day or two. But then she’d have to explain everything.
“I’ve got some time. Can I come with you? I love looking at wedding gowns, and I’ve got a good eye!” Rose bounced on the soles of her feet and Autumn found herself smiling at the young woman. Why not? After all, she’d done a great job helping them pick out the diamond ring that sparkled on her finger.
“Please do! I was dreading going in there by myself.” She gathered her purse and let herself out of the truck, locking it behind her. When she turned toward the shop she caught Rose’s smirk. “What?”
“City girl – no one locks their cars here.” Rose linked her arm through Autumn’s and pulled her toward the store. “Come on, this is going to be a blast!”
Half an hour later, Autumn was thrilled she was in Chance Creek rather than New York. Ellie’s Bridals was run by Ellie Donaldson, a boisterous sixty-something-year-old with a biting sense of humor that had Rose and Autumn nearly in tears as she told stories of weddings past – both triumphs and disasters. The little boutique was crammed full of gowns. The minute Autumn walked through the door Ellie took her measure and pronounced she had just the thing.
Just the thing turned out to be armloads of dresses Ellie hung on a wire rack outside a hexagonal dressing room hidden toward the back of the store. She and Rose took turns helping Autumn into and out of the gowns and leading her to the pedestal in the center of a room with mirrors positioned carefully to reflect her from every angle.
They vetoed the majority of dresses before she even set foot out of the dressing room, but several possibilities had accumulated on a second metal rack.
“This is the one I really wanted you to try,” Ellie said, holding out what looked like a very simple gown. “I knew it was perfect the moment you walked in the door, but brides have to try on lots of dresses or they won’t be satisfied. Here – give this one a whirl.”
Rose helped her out of a lace covered prairie-style gown they’d all agreed looked absolutely hideous and slid the smooth satin dress over her head. The bodice was fitted, with a sophisticated draped front neckline and plunging back. The skirt clung to her curves, folds of fabric falling to the floor in an abbreviated train. She felt like a 1940s movie star.
“Wow,” Rose breathed. “You’re a knockout. Ethan won’t know what hit him when he sees you in this.”
Ellie nodded happily. “I told you – just the thing.” She helped Autumn up onto the pedestal and stood back while she drank in the picture of this new, incredibly sensual version of herself. Somehow the dress echoed the way Ethan made her feel – curvy, sexy and beautiful.
When the bell over the door jangled and someone walked in, they all needed a moment before they could return to the present.
“Take your time looking, dearie. I’ll see who’s out front,” Ellie said, leaving the inner sanctum of the changing area for the front of the store.
“Hi Ellie! I hope you aren’t busy, because I plan to monopolize you for the rest of the afternoon. I’ll be ordering my real wedding dress from Paris, of course, but I want to try on every gown you have to get ideas of what I don’t want.”
Autumn’s heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach at the familiar strident tones.
Lacey.
It figured.
Rose met her gaze and made a face. They both heard Ellie say, “Sorry, my dear – I’m already helping a customer and we’ll probably be some time yet. Maybe you’d like to come back after lunch when I can give you my full attention?”
“That won’t work for me at all. This afternoon I’m picking out floral arrangements – I have a schedule to keep! Who’s here with you? Maybe they can come back.”
Autumn heard footsteps approaching and jumped down from the pedestal, rushing for the changing room, her feet tangling in the train of her gown. Rose grabbed her arm and kept her upright as Lacey burst through racks of wedding gowns and into view. She narrowed her eyes, face flooding with angry color at the sight of them.
“You! What are you doing here?”
“What do you think she’s doing?” Rose said, stepping in front of Autumn. “She’s choosing a wedding dress – duh!”
“For what? You aren’t getting married! Didn’t you hear a thing I said at the diner? Ethan’s broke and Carl’s buying his ranch for me, so you’ll have nothing if you marry that loser – nothing!”
“Why do you care so much if you think Ethan’s a loser?” Autumn said, peering around Rose. “Why don’t you just leave us alone?”
“Because…” Lacey sputtered. “Because you’re ruining everything! Everyone is supposed to be focused on my wedding – it’s going to be the event of the year! And instead all they’re talking about is you. Why don’t you go home to New York – you don’t belong here, and you definitely don’t belong with Ethan!”
“No,” Ellie said, puffing her grandmotherly bosom out like the prow a battleship. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong here, Lacey Turner. I don’t even recognize you anymore. When you were a little girl you were the sweetest thing. Now look what you’ve turned into. Only a truly wicked woman dumps the man she loves in the moment of his biggest defeat and then adds insult to injury by trying to turn others against him. Marriage is the joining of a man and a woman forever – for richer or poorer. That’s what wedding vows say. I doubt you’ve ever paid attention to the wording, though, since you’re much too busy calculating how much money it will net you. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, and I’m ashamed to have you in my store. I sell wedding gowns to brides here – I don’t cater to…to…fortune hunters.”
Autumn’s mouth dropped open at the older woman’s tirade. A moment later Lacey turned on her heel and marched out the front door.
“Good riddance,” Rose said.
Ellie bustled over to a dress rack. “I think we all know you’ve picked your gown, but you try on a few more, just to be sure.” She held out a gown with a beaded bodice.
Autumn took it and dutifully turned so Rose could unbutton her current one, but her joy in the morning had gone out the door with Lacey.
* * * * *
The next week and a half flew by in a blur until Saturday rolled around again, and only a week remained until her wedding. In between fittings for her dress and all the other arrangements, she hardly had time to consider the drastic step she was taking. She also had very little time to worry about the fact that she still hadn’t told her mother, sister, or even Becka about the big event. But now with only seven days left until the ceremony, she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. Ethan brought it up once, when they were coming up with numbers for Rose, who had volunteered to coordinate a potluck buffet dinner to hold down costs. About sixty people would attend the wedding, almost all of them Ethan’s friends and neighbors from Chance Creek. Aside from Becka and her family, Autumn couldn’t think of anyone to invite. She had plenty of acquaintances, but few real friends she’d ask to buy a plane ticket just to see her walk down the aisle.
“Your Mom and sister will be there, right?” he said. “I have to meet your family.”
“Of course they will – they wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said.
But she hadn’t picked up the phone or sent an invitation. Now she had no choice.
She called Becka first.
“Ohmygod, Autumn! Where’ve you been – I was about to send the police after you!” Becka squealed.
“I know – I’m sorry. Things got really crazy here, really fast. You won’t believe what’s happened.”
“What, you’re going to marry the cowboy?” Becka laughed. Autumn, stunned, remained silent. A pause stretched out. “No way. Autumn – you’re not serious. You’re marrying him? You’ve known him, what – three weeks?”
“I know it’s crazy, but you have to meet him, Becks – he’s amazing. He’s so handsome and kind and wonderful.”
“He’d better be wonderful,” Becka said after a long moment. “If he’s stealing you away from me he’d better be awesome. Crap, you’re not coming back to New York, are you? Autumn – I’ll never see you again.”
“Sorry,” Autumn said in a small voice. “I’m staying here. I love it. The ranch is so beautiful – better than anything we pictured and we’re going to turn it into a guest ranch. There’s an amazing lodge basically all ready for people to come and stay. That’s where we’ll put you when you come out for the wedding.”
“When is it?”
“Next Saturday.” Autumn held her breath. Becka’s voice screeched over the line, “Next Saturday? Are you insane? That’s…next Saturday! You can’t marry him that fast.”
“The minister’s already booked and I have my dress.”
“I thought I’d be there when you picked out your dress,” Becka said. Autumn heard the hurt in her friend’s voice and sunk a little lower on the guest room bed where she’d retreated to make the call.
“I know – I’m sorry. Like I said, this all happened really fast. So can you come out on Wednesday and we’ll shop for your bridesmaid gown together? You can pick any one you want – on me! We’ll find you something really gorgeous and you can dance with all the cowboys at the reception. Pretty please? Don’t be mad – I still have to call Mom and Lily.”
“You haven’t told your mother you’re getting married next week?” Becka shrieked again.
“Can you blame me? Can you imagine her reaction?”
“Yeah – she’s going to think you got knocked up and needed a shotgun wedding.” Becka paused. “Oh, no. Autumn, don’t tell me you got knocked up.”
“I didn’t get knocked up! I mean, I don’t think…” She dropped a hand to her belly. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
Becka groaned. “Lay it on me.”
“We didn’t use protection the first time we had sex. And I’m kind of late – just a couple of days, nothing drastic.”
“What the hell are you waiting for – why haven’t you taken a pregnancy test?”
“I’m going to – tonight. It’s been so busy and I haven’t felt nauseous in the mornings, so I’m good, right?”
“I don’t know, honey – go pee on that stick and we’ll find out together.”
“I wish I could, but I want to save it until Ethan gets home.”
“You’re not just marrying him because you might be pregnant, though, are you?” Becka asked.
“No. Definitely not. I’m head over heels for this guy, Becka. I never thought I’d be this happy.”
“Then I guess I’m happy for you,” she said, although she didn’t sound completely convinced. “Give me the details and I’ll buy my ticket right now.”
Five minutes later, she clicked off the phone and stared at it, willing herself the courage to dial her mother’s cell number. The conversation wasn’t going to be pretty – she’d told her mother she was here researching a story, but left the details deliberately vague, so her news was going to come entirely out of left field. She took a deep breath and punched in the number.
“Hi, Mom,” she said when Teresa picked up.
“Autumn! Hi, honey – where are you?”
“I’m still in Montana, working on that…thing,” she began and then wanted to knock her head against the wall. “But something’s happened.”
“What is it? I have to hurry, I’m on my way into the office.”
Autumn could picture her mother rushing around her ultra-modern townhouse, finding her shoes and her purse and her briefcase.
“I’m getting married,” she blurted. “Next Saturday. He’s a cowboy and I love him and we’re going to run a guest ranch and I totally love him. Can you make the wedding? We can put you up.” She bit her lip and waited for Teresa’s reaction.
Her mother appeared to have lost her voice. After a couple of strangled noises, she finally cleared her throat. “Did you just say you’re getting married?”
“Yes.”
“To whom?”
“His name is Ethan Cruz. He owns a ranch here in Montana.” Autumn bit her lip and hunched lower on the bed, every muscle in her body clenched in anticipation of her mother’s next words.
“You’re getting married to a man who owns a ranch in Montana.”
“Yes.”
“How long ago did you meet this Ethan Cruz?” Teresa’ voice was icy cold. Damn, that wasn’t good.
“Three weeks ago.”
“And he owns a ranch.”
“A cattle ranch, yes.”
“This is a profitable ranch?”
“Umm…” Shit! “It’s got a few problems, but we’ve figured out a way to…”
“And the wedding is next week.”
“Yes, but…”
“A week from today you’re marrying a man you barely know who owns an unprofitable ranch in Montana. Do I have that right?”
“Yes,” Autumn whispered. This was going worse than she expected.
“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You get your ass on the next plane back home – tonight – or I’m sending Lily there after you. You’re going to tell that insolvent cowboy to get back on the horse he rode in on, and we’re going to sort out your future once and for all. There’s still time for you to get your master’s degree. You can get your MBA, if you’re so keen on working in the hospitality business. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner.”
“Mom…”
“Now, Autumn. Do I make myself clear? You get on that plane right NOW.”
A tear spilled down her cheek. “No, Mom. I’m not coming home. I love Ethan, and his financial situation is just fine – we’ve already figured out exactly what we’re going to do. I’m getting married next Saturday at 4 o’clock in the afternoon right here at Ethan’s ranch, and I’d love for you and Lily to be here – but only if you come to support me. I don’t need any more lectures about the right way or wrong way to live my life. It’s my life, Mom. I’m choosing what I want to do. I’ll email you all the information. I hope you’ll come and walk me down the aisle, since Daddy won’t be here to do it.”
She hung up before her mother could answer and walked on unsteady legs out to the back porch. She lived here in Chance Creek now and this ranch and the nearby town would be her home from here on out. Maybe she wouldn’t have any family attending her wedding, after all, but the rest of the guests would soon be her friends if she had any say in it. This was where she was making her stand. Here with Ethan on the Cruz family ranch.