Her mom had met Adam briefly, and had cast speculative glances at Lizzie for the rest of the day until Lizzie had caved and told her they were going out together. After the usual mom-type warnings, Angela had been thrilled. She remembered Adam and the rest of his family from his high school days. Lizzie had also told her about Carlos’s illness and the possible sale of the Cortez ranch.
Her cell buzzed, and she put down her mascara wand to check the message from Yvonne.
I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes, okay?
Lizzie sent her a smiley face and concentrated on finishing her makeup and arranging her hair up on the top of her head in an unstructured bun that allowed tendrils to frame her face.
She was ready to go when Yvonne arrived in Rio’s pickup truck, which was huge enough to get all the essentials up to Morgan Ranch where the small wedding was being held.
“You look so pretty!” Yvonne said. “New dress?”
“My mom gave it to me.” Lizzie did a little twirl, which allowed the chiffon overskirt to take flight around her. “Don’t worry. I’ll put an apron on before I start setting out the food.”
“You’d better.” Yvonne got back into the truck and Lizzie joined her. “It’s not going to take us long to get set up. Avery’s got most of the details covered. It’s a relatively small wedding for Morgan Ranch to handle these days.”
“She’s a very efficient wedding coordinator,” Lizzie agreed. “I’m going to watch her at work and see if I can learn anything to bring to managing the café.”
“Good idea.” Yvonne expertly backed up the truck. “The wedding starts at one so we’ve got plenty of time.”
* * *
Half an hour before the outdoor ceremony was about to start, Lizzie ran into the bathroom at the Morgan ranch guest center. She took off her apron, made sure her dress was splatter-free, and reapplied her lipstick. Nate Turner and his best man were already pacing the hallways, and the guests were starting to arrive. There was no sign of the bride, but according to Avery everything was on schedule.
Lizzie checked her cell, but there was nothing from her parents. There was a message from Adam saying he’d just arrived and was wondering where she was. She gave one last pat to her hair and went outside into the bright sunlight, shading her eyes against the glare.
She spotted him immediately leaning up against the corner of the building. He was looking down at the wedding marquee, arms folded, white straw Stetson tipped low over his eyes, booted feet crossed at the ankles. She paused to admire his broad shoulders in his newly pressed blue check shirt, and appreciate his height and strength. He looked as solid and dependable as the Sierra Nevada mountain range and just as climbable.
Lizzie sucked in a breath. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to fall in love with him. . . . And then where would she be?
He turned as if suddenly aware of her scrutiny, and looked her up and down, a smile illuminating the harsh contours of his face.
“Lizzie. You look beautiful.”
“So do you.”
He tugged at the neck of his shirt. “Ben put too much starch in it.”
She walked around to look at him, and felt the stiff collar. “As soon as the ceremony is over, you can let it all hang out.”
“I can’t wait.” His fingers trailed down from her shoulder to her hand. “You look good in that shade of blue.”
“My mom said it’s lilac, but I think it’s more mauve.” Lizzie smoothed her skirts. “What do you think?”
“Let’s stick with blue,” Adam said firmly, and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Shall we get a seat?”
“Where’s the rest of your family?” Lizzie asked as he maneuvered around the vases of fresh flowers and into the actual marquee.
“I have no idea. They’re coming together. I had to go and make sure the livestock at the Cortez place was okay, so I came on by myself.”
He found two seats and waited for her to take hers before sitting beside her.
Lizzie pointed at his boots. “Are they new?”
“Yeah.” He regarded his pointed toe, which was imprinted with black and white skulls. “My family bought them for me last Christmas. This is the first time I’ve dared put them on.”