Montana Welcome Read online

  She’d be darned if she was going to tell these strangers about her intention to call off the wedding.

  Lily drew herself up tall. “Everyone has doubts.” Even Danny.

  “That sounds like a bad fortune in a fortune cookie.” The old man gave her a wry half smile. “If you were meant to get married today, you’d have a clear mind. True love tends to trump any worries.”

  “I never admitted I’m having second thoughts.” But this stranger... He’d known. Lily’s stomach dropped to her toes, currently housed in white sequined sneakers. Was this man related to her fiancé? If so, she had to keep up appearances until Danny knew she was backing out. “Danny and I make sense. We never fight.” She generally accepted whatever challenge he threw her way. And if there weren’t any fireworks when they kissed... Well, she hadn’t met a man yet who sparked something inside her.

  The younger cowboy at the door shifted, just a scuff of those black boots.

  Unexpectedly, something sparked inside her.

  Lily blew out a breath and asked them both, “Do I know either of you?”

  “This is Conner, one of my ranch hands.” The old man pointed toward the guy leaning against the door. “And I’m Elias. But folks call me Big E.” He strode forward with confidence, as if intent upon a handshake. Instead, he took both of Lily’s cold hands and held them out so he could get a good look at her. “You’re beautiful. We’ve never met, but your father... My son...” There was a rueful slant to his dark eyes. “I had no idea I had another son, much less five granddaughters, until a few days ago.”

  Lily tried to smile past her confusion. “My paternal grandfather’s name is Charles. Charles Harrison. And I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not your granddaughter. This is the Harrison-Belmonte wedding. I heard there was a small ceremony earlier. Perhaps your long-lost granddaughter was married then?”

  “I’m in the right place, honey. Charles Harrison is your stepgrandfather. Rudy Harrison is your stepfather. And...Susan was your mother, may she rest in peace.” He sighed mournfully. “And from what I’ve recently learned, your real father is named Thomas. Thomas Blackwell.”

  Thomas Blackwell. The world tilted. Lily recognized the name from her birth certificate. But she hadn’t shown it to anyone.

  The younger cowboy’s boots creaked.

  “I never had the honor of meeting your mother or knowing my son Thomas,” Big E continued with that reassuring, yet slightly vulnerable smile. “Fifty-some-odd years ago, I fell in love with a woman when she and her family visited distant relatives in Falcon Creek, Montana.” His expression turned mischievous as he straightened his black bolo tie. “I was a fine young rancher and she wanted to be a photographer. She took a picture of me leading my horse across an old wooden bridge on our ranch.”

  This was surreal. “I’ve seen that picture.” There were grand mountains in the backdrop. “I’ve seen that picture,” Lily repeated, frowning. “At Great-Aunt Pru’s house.” Great-Aunt Pru, who Mom had said was a dear family friend, not a relation. Hence the title was honorary.

  “Yes, Prudence.” Big E’s tone turned sentimental. “She had a beauty mark right here.” He touched his cheek. “A sharp wit, a laugh that made a man smile and a father who didn’t approve of me.”

  Great-Aunt Pru had indeed had a beauty mark, a Victorian home full of photographs and apparently a secret, if Big E was to be believed.

  But there was a flaw in his story. “Great-Aunt Pru doesn’t have any children.” At least none living. There was a picture of her son on her mantel, a handsome man. He wore a military uniform and a roguish smile. And his eyes... They bore a striking resemblance to Big E’s. But if that were true... It would mean they were related. It would mean the birth certificate hadn’t been a misprint. And that Dad—Rudy—wasn’t really her father. Lily’s stomach did another free fall. She wasn’t ready to believe it.

  “Haven’t you ever wondered where you got your adventurous spirit?” Big E asked softly.

  “Well, I...” Yes. But still, coming on the heels of Rudy strong-arming Danny to marry her, this was too much. “I can’t be the person you’re looking for.”

  “I think you are.” Big E pinned her with an honest glare. “Because recently, one Lily Rose Harrison requested a copy of her birth certificate, a document that listed Thomas Blackwell as her father.” When Lily opened her mouth to say something—anything—he held up a hand. “I have protocols in place to notify me when the Blackwell name hits public record. I don’t put much stock in coincidences. Blackwell isn’t an uncommon name. Though a trace of the lineage of Thomas Blackwell proved interesting. Guess who was listed on his birth certificate? His father. Elias Blackwell.” Big E tapped his chest. “And his mother, Prudence Williams.”

  “Great-Aunt Pru,” Lily rasped. Grandmother Pru? Wait until she told her sisters. “When I saw the name Thomas Blackwell on my birth certificate, I figured...” She picked up her pearl-studded pouch from the side table. Her fingers fumbled at the latch and slipped while pulling out the earth-shattering document. She stared at the names listed on her birth certificate—Susan and Thomas Blackwell. Lily wished Mom were alive to explain this away.

  She lifted her gaze to the man claiming to be her grandfather. “Who are you really? And why are you here today? Now?”

  On what was proving not to be the happiest day of her life.

  “I came here to meet you.” Elias led Lily to the antique love seat and they both sat down, not saying anything until she’d properly angled her broad hoop skirt so she could face him. “From the moment I came through that door, I knew I’d arrived at just the right time—the moment when you were realizing this wedding might be ill-conceived.”

  “Danny’s my best friend,” she protested, albeit weakly. She set her birth certificate on the small end table. “I don’t want to hurt him.” But she no longer wanted to marry him, either.

  Big E waved her words aside. “Notice you didn’t say you loved him.”

  Oh, she’d noticed, all right.

  “I can’t call off the wedding.” Although she wanted to more than anything. The longer she delayed, the harder it would be. All the repercussions... She had to talk to her family. Make them understand that she was about to make another mistake, create another wave of mayhem. Lily tried to dislodge the guilt, the nerves, the tantalizing urge to run. “This dress... The flowers... The people...”

  “A wedding isn’t like a play.” Big E’s voice was gentle, soothing. “The show doesn’t always have to go on.”

  “But my father... Rudy, I mean...” Lily blinked back a sudden onslaught of tears, looking toward the hot cowboy but fixated on the door behind him. “I can’t marry Danny. I know that now.” She loved him, but he deserved someone who loved him to the moon and back. “But how can I stop the wedding?”

  The old cowboy straightened, drawing her attention to his resolute posture, the firm line of his jaw, the air of strength. He’d never run from responsibility.

  Yet he didn’t have Rudy and Peyton to contend with. They’d argue. They’d wear her down. She knew it. Look at the way Rudy had convinced Danny. The only way for Lily to avoid getting married today was to flee the scene.

  “I need to leave.” Once she got free, Lily could call her family. She sprang from the couch, scanning the room for her cell phone, which was...

  Back at her apartment. Peyton had told her it was the worst wedding faux pas to carry your phone on your wedding day. The only thing Lily had in her tiny purse was a roll of antacids, her driver’s license and her birth certificate.

  “I can’t go without telling someone.” Her breath caught in her throat. “How am I going to break this to—” Dad “—Rudy?”

  “You should leave a note explaining that you need time to think and to discover who you are.” Big E produced a pen from the interior pocket of his jacket and held it toward her.

  She
didn’t raise a finger to accept it. “They won’t understand.”

  “They will. Eventually,” Big E said. “Knowing where you come from helps you see the path ahead of you.”

  Lily understood nothing.

  Stay out of trouble. Honor your word. Do the right thing.

  The feeling of unease returned. She rubbed her chest. “Where would I go?” As soon as she left, everyone would converge on her apartment in downtown San Diego.

  “Back to your roots. To the Blackwell Ranch in Falcon Creek, Montana.” Big E made it sound so simple. “You might find the piece of yourself you’re looking for.”

  She studied the old man—my grandfather—and in her muddled, panicked brain, she thought, Why not?

  Lily glanced at the handsome cowboy still standing at the door. Did he think her foolish? His expression gave nothing away.

  “I’ll explain to your family.” Big E put an arm around Lily’s shoulders. “Conner will take you to Montana.”

  Make her escape with the cowboy?

  Lily sorted through the repercussions of such a thing.

  What would it look like to leave my wedding with a hunky cowboy?

  Bad.

  What would it look like if I bolted while walking down the aisle?

  Worse!

  Lily scribbled a note on her birth certificate and left it on the table with her engagement ring.

  I need to know who I am.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “CONNER, WE HAVE a slight change in plan.” Big E eased the door to his motor home closed with Lily inside. He lowered his voice. “Obviously, I have business to take care of here.” The old man nodded toward the church.

  “Yes, sir.” Conner Hannah shifted his stance the way a good cutting horse shifted its weight in anticipation of a steer making a run for it. His new boots groaned.

  Behind him, the motor home tilted as Lily walked toward the back in that bell-shaped wedding dress, the one that kept everyone a good three feet away. She was tall and willowy, delicate in appearance, like the porcelain figurine of Little Bo Peep in his mama’s curio cabinet. The dress was as bad a choice as that cold-footed groom of hers. When he and Big E had entered the church, they’d heard him try to wheedle his way out of marriage.

  “You still want me to pick up Pepper and Natalie in Vegas?” That had been the main reason Conner had come along with Big E in the first place—to transport and entertain Big E’s stepgranddaughter and friend to the Blackwell Ranch. “And swing by the wild-mustang auction?”

  Not being one to waste time or effort, his boss nodded. “Deliver everyone to the ranch as planned. It should be easy. And, Conner...” Big E gave Conner a cagey look. “I need to know I can count on your discretion. I want to be the one to break the news about my son and granddaughters to the family.”

  To Conner’s childhood friends, the older man meant—Big E’s five grandsons and Big E’s wife, Dorothy.

  In fact, Big E wanted Conner to lie. Or at the very least, be as guarded and evasive as the old man himself.

  Not stinkin’ likely.

  Conner removed his cowboy hat and ran a hand through his hair, sweating in the August midday heat. “And just what am I supposed to tell everybody about who she is?” She. Lily.

  The curtains near the end of the motor home twitched.

  “That she’s a guest of the Blackwell Ranch.” End of story, if Big E’s tone was any indication.

  Like it’s that easy.

  But Conner was being paid a sizable bonus to help Big E on this trip. And his boss didn’t like to be disobeyed.

  “Yes, sir.” Conner resettled his hat on his head, accepting the hard road ahead. “When should I tell everyone to expect you home?”

  Staring at the church, Big E took his time answering. “I’ll be back in time for Pepper’s wedding next weekend.”

  A commotion arose inside the church. Most likely, Lily’s family had discovered the bride was missing.

  “That’s my cue to leave.” Keys in hand, Conner turned toward the motor-home door.

  “She’ll be questioning herself.” Big E caught Conner’s arm. He may have been old, but he wasn’t frail. “You’re as good with people as you are with horses, Conner. I’ll double the bonus we agreed on if you can take care of things until I return to Montana.”

  Double meant Big E expected Lily to have more than doubts. He expected her to have regrets. Double meant Conner had to make sure her regrets didn’t send her running back to an ill-conceived marriage. Double meant Conner could pay the second mortgage on the Rocking H this month and the feed bill in full.

  He nodded.

  “Now, git.” Big E strode back toward the church, where four bridesmaids, the father of the bride and a soon-to-be-jilted groom were spilling out the back door.

  Conner hopped into the motor home and started the old tank up.

  “Wait. I see my sisters.” Lily emerged from the bedroom with a noisy rustle of voluminous material. “And there’s Danny! And my...my stepdad.”

  “Big E’s taking care of your goodbyes.” Conner gunned the motor home out of the parking lot.

  “But...oof.” Lily fell into the dinette, skirt groaning louder than Conner’s stiff new boots. “They’ll think you’re kidnapping me.”

  “Big E knows what he’s doing.” Oh, if his Blackwell friends could hear him now. Their laughter ricocheted in his head.

  “But...” Lily righted herself and stumbled forward to stand next to Conner, or as close as she could, given the girth of her wedding dress. “What if I think you’re kidnapping me?”

  Conner braked sharply at a yellow light, bringing the old motor home to a premature stop. He gaped at Lily. “In case Big E’s intro didn’t sink in, I’m Conner Hannah and I’m not a kidnapper. I’m a cowboy.” Mental cringe. One didn’t necessarily cancel out the other.

  Lily knew it, too. She smirked.

  “I mean...” Conner turned his attention back to the intersection. “This isn’t a hostage situation. I wrangle cattle for the Blackwells and guests on their dude ranch.” Instead of running his family’s place, which his pay barely kept afloat.

  Double bonus. Some might call that abduction wages.

  Conner’s temples throbbed.

  The light changed and he sent the motor home lurching ahead, like a bull charging out of a rodeo gate.

  “You’re driving like a kidnapper.” Lily may have been the prettiest lady he’d ever laid eyes on, but she wasn’t the prettiest lady to listen to, given kidnapping was a serious crime.

  If Conner dwelled on her words much longer, he might convince himself to head toward the nearest police station and drop her off. But that wouldn’t help him pay the mortgage or keep a roof over his mother’s head.

  “I apologize. This old RV has a hard time shifting out of first gear. I’m slowing down.” He took a deep breath and eased the pressure off the accelerator.

  The bell of her skirt crowded against his seat, his leg and the three-foot-high center console.

  Motor homes weren’t made for wedding dresses.

  “Could you take a seat?” Without shifting his gaze off the road, he gestured with his head toward the dinette behind him.

  She moved in the direction of the passenger seat instead, hindered by the circumference of her gown. A huffing fit ensued. Lily sounded like a wild mustang being penned in for the first time. She bent down, grabbed the hem of her skirt, picked it up like a collapsed Slinky and then sat in the passenger seat. The hooped skirt rose above the back of her head like an albino peacock’s feathers in full spread. “I never should have let Fiona talk me into this dress.”

  “Fiona being one of your sisters?” He’d seen them file out of that room she’d been in. The family resemblance was strong.

  She nodded. “We found a picture of our mother on her wedding day in a dr
ess like this. And since I was the first of five sisters to get engaged, she thought it’d be a good way to honor our mother’s memory.”

  “Nice.”

  Her skirt had so much hardware working noisily to keep it intact, it practically grunted with effort.

  He and Lily exchanged a quick glance.

  “I should get out of this dress before it explodes.”

  “There’s just one problem with that idea.”

  They exchanged another quick glance, and then both said, “Clothes.”

  “Big E’s clothes are in the bedroom, but they...uh...” They smelled like old man. “You could borrow one of my shirts, but...” His jeans would drop off her slim hips.

  “Are you a boxer or brief man?”

  Conner brought the motor home to a hard stop at a yellow light, sending Lily’s skirts flouncing over her head like a porch overhang. “Beg pardon?”

  “Obviously, I’m not going to don your briefs, but as it’s an emergency, I could wear a pair of your clean boxers.” She eyed his beltline. “Unless you go commando.”

  Sweat broke out on the back of Conner’s neck. He cranked up the air conditioner. “I’d prefer to keep my secrets secret.”

  “Are you blushing?”

  He was. Despite the air blowing on him, sweat popped out on his brow, too. He wasn’t cut out for chaperoning runaway brides.

  She grabbed her skirt and tried to rearrange herself. “You know what they say, cowboy—commando by day is commando by night.” Conner didn’t have to turn his head to see Lily’s smile. It was there in the teasing tone of her voice. “That’s a shame.”

  Conner swiped at his damp brow. Had he been worried about what he’d say to the Montana Blackwells regarding Lily? He should have been worried about a twelve-hundred-mile trip with Lily beside him.

  “I could have worn a pair of men’s pajama bottoms,” she said. “That is, if you weren’t a commando cowboy.”

  He was afraid his burning cheeks were a fiery red. They felt hot enough to roast a campfire marshmallow. “If it’s jammies you’re looking for, you can wear Big E’s.” Regardless of eau de old man.