Chapter 8

CHAPTER

EIGHT

“ Y ou stay here,” Adam said as he twisted in his seat. “I just need to talk to their security to make sure we’ve got the right seat for you.”

“Fine.” Harry didn’t mean to clip the word out, because he really liked Adam. But he hadn’t gotten used to being driven everywhere in a black SUV with super shady windows. He wasn’t used to having a personal assistant arrange where he sat at a friend’s wedding, so he wouldn’t be mobbed by people he didn’t want to be mobbed by.

“Sorry,” he murmured.

“You’re fine,” Adam said cheerfully. He glanced over to the driver. “Don’t move from here. If someone tells you you have to, tell them you absolutely don’t.”

“Yes, sir,” the man said, and Harry worked hard to remember his name. Kenneth. That was it. Adam got out of the SUV, and Kenneth locked the doors again the moment his closed.

“There is a lot of traffic here,” Kenneth commented. “Real nice farm. These people have money.”

Harry watched a couple in their Southern finest mince their way across the road and head down the decorated and marked path leading further onto the property. Kassie Goodman’s parents’ place, in a ritzy equine neighborhood in Louisville.

“Reggie is a professional baseball player,” Harry said.

“No wonder Adam has security to speak to.” Kenneth wore a smile in his voice, and Harry caught the tail end of it when he glanced up to the front seat.

“Kassie’s parents are pretty well-known in horseracing,” he added.

“Yes, they are,” Kenneth said. “The Goodmans own at least a dozen big race winners.”

“Mm.” Celebrity didn’t impress Harry, and it never had. He’d grown up with a famous father, and he himself didn’t feel any different now that people worldwide knew his name than he had when he’d been nobody in Coral Canyon. In fact, Harry craved that nobody-life in Coral Canyon, and he couldn’t wait to get back to it.

He leaned his head back against the seat, a melody coming into his mind. His first instinct was to record it. Write down the notes so he could set lyrics to them later. But he’d also learned not to press himself into a corner. To let the music talk to him.

So while he waited for Adam to take care of whatever Adam needed to take care of, Harry hummed a tune that would most likely make it onto his next album. After several minutes, he did pull out his phone and record himself singing the tune, his text message notification interrupting him for a moment.

He kept going, because Bryce just wanted to know where he was and when he’d be arriving. When he’d finished, he quickly tapped out a reply to his cousin. I’m here, but Adam’s making sure everything is set.

I can’t wait to meet Adam. Maybe I’ve walked by him a bunch of times and didn’t know it.

Bryce had always been very good not to tease Harry about having an assistant. He said he wanted one of his own, what with Kassie’s wedding being today, and Bryce and Codi’s wedding coming up in only three more months.

Kassie had been living down here in Kentucky for the past month, after she’d had to postpone her wedding, and that had left Bryce short-handed on the ranch they co-owned in Wyoming. Then, she and Reggie were going on a twelve-day Mediterranean cruise, so it was still weeks before Bryce would have his cowhands back. Or horse-hands, as he didn’t actually raise any cattle on his horse rescue ranch.

Tall guy, Harry said. Black suit that looks like it cost a million bucks. Blond, clean-cut, no beard. Probably talking to the security.

I’ll look for him. This place is pretty locked down. Kassie’s parents have two people checking actual invitations before letting anyone in.

I mean, can you blame them? They’re high-society, and Reggie’s famous too. I’m sure the world knows about this wedding today. Harry didn’t want anything like this, and he couldn’t believe that an image of Belle drifted through his mind. He’d been talking to her since he’d left Coral Canyon, and she’d taken the news of his decision to stay here and record his album pretty well.

They texted; they called on the phone; Harry enjoyed talking to her. He didn’t have to be The Harry Young with her, and she had a soothing voice that would definitely make good music. He’d tried to get more out of her about her own music career in Nashville, but she’d said she didn’t want to talk about it all that much.

He’d respected that, and he’d had the tempting thought to look her up online. But he hadn’t. He wouldn’t want someone doing that to him, when he’d told them he wasn’t ready to talk about himself, his life, whatever.

Let me know when you’re in , Bryce said. Codi and I are standing here with your momma and daddy, trying to stay out of the way, but everyone keeps coming over to meet Ev, and then you know how things go when they realize who your dad is.

Harry’s heartbeat bumped, and he yearned to be standing next to his parents too. Adam would never allow anyone to come right up to him, though, so Harry suddenly wasn’t sure where he’d fit. Where he could stand. What he could and couldn’t do here.

Then the back door opened, and Adam said, “We’re ready for you, Mister Young.” He must not be alone, because he only called Harry “Mister Young” when he stood in mixed company.

Harry turned and slid out of the oversized SUV, then reached to straighten his tie and his jacket. He hadn’t even looked out this window, so he got completely caught off-guard when someone yelled, “Harry, this way.”

He did automatically look that way, and no less than three cameras snapped his picture. He put a smile on his face, stood there for two breaths, and then Adam took his elbow and steered him toward the entrance to the Goodmans property.

The reporters clamored around him, but Harry kept walking. He didn’t duck his head and allow his wide-brimmed cowboy hat to hide his face, so he gave them that. Then he and Adam made it past them, and he figured they could—and probably would—take photos of his back.

The lane stretched ahead of him, immaculately cared for, with emerald green grass on both sides. The Kentucky horse farm white fences welcomed everyone to a podium up ahead that had been draped with flowers as if the Goodman’s had a horse who’d won the Triple Crown.

His cowboy boots—black and polished to match his deep midnight suit, jacket, and hat—scuffed along the ground as he walked, and Adam matched him stride for stride, at exactly the same pace.

They approached the gatekeepers, but Adam steered Harry around them, nodding to the two men there. One of them actually wore an earpiece, and Harry did enjoy this type of VIP treatment .

“Bryce said my parents are here,” Harry said, just now realizing that Kassie was about to become his aunt. Through marriage, but still. Reggie was Ev’s brother, and Harry had been calling him Uncle Reggie since Ev had come into his and his daddy’s life.

He supposed Kassie was almost a decade older than him, but it still felt weird. He felt like Kassie was a friend, that they were the same age, that they’d hung out plenty of times when Harry had stayed on the ranch with Bryce. And now, with this wedding, all of that would change.

Beautiful music twinkled above them as Harry took in the huge urns of flowers, the pristine barn ahead of them, all of the doors thrown open wide, the scent of something browned and smoked and delicious.

“Yes,” Adam said. “Your parents, cousin, and aunt and uncle are seated around you. I saw them when I came through before.” He threw a woman a severe look as her face brightened in clear recognition of Harry. “They’re holding down a private corner just through the barn.” He spoke with a clip now, and his step increased.

Harry kept up with him, and he did duck his head as more people swung their attention toward him. He’d gotten used to the idea that people knew him when he didn’t know them, but only intellectually. Having to actually deal with it in person was completely different.

They entered the barn, which had been set for dinner already, with beautiful linens in snowy white, glinting silver utensils, and blue flowers in the center of every table. They rose and rose and rose feet in the air, so guests could still see across the table and converse.

No expense had been spared for this wedding, clearly, and Harry wondered what his nuptials would look like. He’d do whatever he had to in order to make his bride happy, he knew that. He’d seen all of his uncles do exactly that, and he had no doubt that was all Uncle Reggie cared about.

“Harry,” Adam said as they neared the other side of the barn, the doors all gaping on this side too. A nice breeze ran through the building, though it wasn’t terribly warm today. The sun shone, and the sky radiated blue, so Kassie had gotten her wish for a gorgeous outdoor wedding, and Harry wouldn’t be cold in his jacket.

“Mm?” Harry glanced over to Adam as his assistant slowed. He’d been doing coaching sessions with Adam, and he’d taught him to look straight ahead. Don’t look around. Don’t make eye contact, then people won’t feel like they can come up to you.

So he’d been doing that, but now he slowed and stopped when Adam did. “What is it?”

“Your cousin…maybe your father—maybe both of them.” He sighed and reached up and ran his hand down the side of his face. “Bryce said it was Kassie. No matter who did it, they arranged a surprise for you.”

Harry blinked, searching Adam’s face. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?” Was this going to draw more attention to him? He didn’t want that, and he certainly didn’t want anything to detract from his uncle’s wedding today. He and Kassie should be the stars, not Harry.

“I’ve been instructed not to tell you.” Adam’s jaw jumped. “But I think you’re still in the early stages of dealing with things in public, and you should know.”

“So tell me,” Harry said. “I don’t care if they’re mad.”

“You want to know?”

“Yes.” Harry tucked his hands in his pockets in an attempt to calm himself. “I can’t believe my daddy and Ev thought it would be a good idea to surprise me at this wedding.”

“They brought someone with them from Wyoming,” he said, a frown that Harry was still learning how to read appearing between his eyes.

“Who?” As far as Harry knew, Country Quad would not be at this wedding, though Uncle Tex and Aunt Abby had come. They’d left their kids with Abby’s brother and sister-in-law, and Harry expected to see his grandparents here too.

The trip had been on and off as Grandpa continued to heal from his surgery and time in the hospital last fall, but the last Harry had heard, they were coming. They wanted to support Kassie because of Bryce, and Reggie because of Ev.

“Another uncle?” he asked. He couldn’t wait to see Keri and Clay, maybe even hold his new baby sister, Avery. He just wanted to be surrounded by people who knew him and loved him for who he was, not who they’d seen on stage, on an album cover, or a television program.

“It’s a woman,” Adam said as if women were distasteful. “ Her name is Belle Graves. She’s out of Jackson Hole, and I’ve checked her out. She seems….”

But Adam’s voice faded into white noise, because Harry’s brain had caught up to his ears.

Her name is Belle Graves.

A smile covered his whole face, and he started for the big wide opening ahead of him. “How did they know?” he wondered aloud, and he didn’t have to remind himself not to look around now. His focus felt laser-like, and the moment he exited the barn, the rows and rows of chairs spread before him, the altar clearly set far ahead, at the back of the yard, where a gazebo stood.

He didn’t care about that at all. He wanted to see Belle.

A ringing noise sounded in his head, and Harry told himself not to be so eager. Not to play too many cards. Everyone would be watching his reaction to this “surprise,” and he didn’t want his parents, or Bryce and Codi, or Belle herself to see how excited he was that the Missing Person’s Investigator had come from Jackson Hole to Louisville for a wedding where she knew neither the bride nor the groom.

She’d come for him, plain and simple.

“There he is,” Daddy said, and Harry spun to his right. Sure enough, his father stood there, and he smiled and opened his arms to Harry. Everyone did stand in a halo of sunshine near the corner of the barn, out of the way, but clearly confident too.

“Daddy.” Harry stepped into his father’s arms and hugged him. He’d just seen him a few weeks ago, but pure happiness ran through him again. He pulled back and grinned at him. “Everything’s ready?”

“Ev just came out,” Daddy said, nodding over to Ev. Harry took a couple of steps to hug her too. “She said Kassie’s dressed and ready. Her momma is just…doing something.”

“She’s putting on the final touches,” Ev said, whatever that meant. She beamed at Harry too. “How are you, my sweet boy?” She cradled his face in her hand, and Harry felt so loved by her.

“Good,” he managed to choke out. “Things are going really well, actually.” He glanced over to Adam and smiled. “Adam’s amazing.”

“Thank you, sir,” he said diplomatically. He stood with them, but out of the way as Bryce and Codi converged on him. Bryce too wore a deep, dark suit, and his tie matched Harry’s bright blue one, as they were both in the wedding party. Codi wore a shiny, glittery blue dress, the same one Ev had on too.

“Brother.” Bryce laughed as he put one arm around Harry and one around Codi.

“You look great,” Codi said. “Bryce, you need a big hat like that.”

They embraced while Harry told them it was the widest one he’d been able to find. “Well, Adam found it, but I do like it.” He grinned at both of them, and he couldn’t help the way his gaze darted around. He didn’t see Belle, and his pulse thrashed against his ribcage like an errant whip .

“Harry!” Clay yelled as he ran toward him. Keri looked up from where she’d been crouched over the carseat, and she abandoned baby Avery in favor of Harry. He swept them both into his arms and let them squish his face and talk over one another and knock his hat to the ground.

Bryce bent to retrieve it, and as Harry swept a kiss across Keri’s cheek, he spotted Belle. She didn’t wear blue, but a white dress with bright pink, blue, and purple flowers all over it. She wore a flat-brimmed hat as if she’d make her way to one of the owner’s boxes to watch the Derby next, and her sexy smile reached him about the time Keri said, “Look at my blue dress, Harry.”

She squirmed to get down, and Harry dropped into a crouch to see it more closely. “It’s sparkly,” she said. “Like Momma’s.”

“And mine,” Codi said, taking Keri’s hand. She smiled down at the girl, and she smiled up at Codi. Harry marveled at how well Codi fit into the Young family, and he wondered if he’d ever be able to find someone who could do the same.

“Come on, ladies,” Ev said. “The music has stopped, and that’s our cue.” She turned in a full circle. “You boys go sit down.”

Half a second later, someone came over the speaker system and he had to be a professional voice actor as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the wedding of Kassandra Goodman and Reginald Avery will begin in ten minutes. Please make your way to the gazebo gardens and find your seats.”

Codi, Keri, and Ev left, and Daddy swooped over to Avery and picked up her car seat. “Clay, with me,” he said, extending his other hand to his son. He met Harry’s eyes and then swept his gaze toward Belle. “I’ve got three seats for you guys.”

Three? Harry thought, and then he remembered Adam. Of course. The man wouldn’t leave him, Harry knew that.

He met Bryce’s eyes, took his hat back, and repositioned it on his head as he asked, “How—? Why is she here?”

His cousin raised both hands in surrender. “This is the work of Kassie and Codi,” he said. “I know nothing of it.” He looked over to Belle too, who seemed to grow more uncomfortable with every moment Harry stayed over here while she stood half a dozen steps away. “She is pretty, though, and the women really like her.” Bryce clapped him on the shoulder. “Even your mama.” He grinned and then eased into step with his parents, who waved to Harry as they flowed by, plenty of other people heading into the gardens to get their seats.

Harry grinned as he faced Belle fully, glad he didn’t have to do this in front of everyone. Only Adam. He raised his eyebrows and his hands as he hurried toward her. “What are you doing here?”

He wasn’t sure if he could just pull her into his chest and hug her, because they hadn’t even technically been on a single date. “You didn’t say anything.” He did wrap her up and hug her, glad when her arms came around him too. “You’re stunning,” he whispered in her ear. “So beautiful. ”

He pulled back, not wanting or needing to put on a show for anyone. He searched her face as she continued to smile at him. “You’re like Prince Charming,” she said, her eyes dropping to his feet. “Amazing boots. Great suit.” Her gaze slid up his body. “Sexy cowboy hat.”

Harry’s blood burned hotly through his delicate veins. “Thank you. I seriously had no idea you’d be here. I wish I’d known. I’d have met you earlier or something.”

“I believe we have a double date tomorrow night,” she said as she turned toward the rows of chairs. “With Bryce and Codi.”

“Ah, I see.” Harry offered her his arm, and a thrill filled him when she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. “It’s amazing to see you, Belle.”

And suddenly, he didn’t care who saw what. Who was watching, taking pictures, or filming. He wanted to breathe in the scent of this woman’s skin and find out if he could see her for breakfast and lunch before their double date dinner tomorrow night.

So he leaned closer and pressed his lips to her cheek as he inhaled deeply. “How early do I have to get up to take you to breakfast?”

“This way, Miss Graves,” Adam said as Harry nearly walked right past the row where his father sat with Clay and Avery, and then a whole row of empty seats. He stared as Belle moved in front of him and said, “I’ll be right here, Harry, when you get back.” She nodded to Adam. “But you better go. You’re in the wedding party, aren’t you? ”

Harry had completely forgotten, and he let Adam take him away from the beautiful Belle and over to where everyone in the wedding party had gathered while they all waited for Reggie and Kassie to come out and get this celebration started.