Noemi ROLLED TO HER back and stared up at her ceiling. She'd done back-to-back weddings Friday and Saturday. By all rights she should sleep half the day away, and yet here she was, awake with the sun.She'd known Friday she was in trouble when the DJ just happened to play a jazzy number that reminded her all too much of the beach front club she'd dragged Garth to. Saturday's cowboy themed wedding made her think of him, how silly he'd looked at the resort in his boots, jeans and polos.God, she wanted to be over the man.She grasped the front of the oversized sleep shirt she'd gotten up in the middle of the night to put on and pulled it up over her nose. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep.Logically she knew the shirt no longer smelled of Garth. It was one of those freebies someone had launched into a crowd and he'd worn a few times over the course of the trip. It had wound up in her suitcase and she'd never given it back.Why couldn't she put Garth and that trip out of her m
Garth RUBBED THE TOWEL over his hair, glad they had another successful weekend wrapped up.Three days.Four events.Even with the divided labor it had still been a hard stretch, but he enjoyed the work. More so now that he could slow down and soak up the atmosphere.Of all the directions he'd seen his life going at eighteen, operating a rustic wedding venue out of the historic barn was the last place he'd expect. The day that first bride had stopped in their driveway and all but begged him to allow her to use the old barn for her wedding had changed their lives for the better.Voices from below made him pause.He missed the days when they all lived under one roof.Scarlett had been the first to move out, then back. They'd settled on her having a house of her own all of twenty yards from the foundation of the original Lively house. Benji technically still lived here, but spent most nights in town at his girlfriend's place.It made for quiet, lonely nights.Truth was Ga
Just to be safe Garth checked the calendar.Totally free.He jotted down the meeting on his sheets."I want to go lie down," Scarlett announced.Cole stopped eating, stood and helped Scarlett out of her chair."You do that," Benji said though he'd begun to sweat. They all wanted this wedding to be as perfect as possible. "Leave the photographer to me, okay?"Dixie pushed back and started gathering plates. "I'll bring your food over."As quickly as the meal-meeting had begun, it was over without much of anything being decided.Garth glanced at Benji, the only other person left. His brother shrugged and picked up his phone."And this is why I made a calendar," he said."I'm impressed." Garth flipped through a few more pages.Benji not only had the month, but a one-page overview of each event they were hosting over the course of the next few weeks, including two pages to detail Scarlett's wedding and the things they would want to cover while she was off on her honeym
MONDAYS WERE SUPPOSED TO be Noemi's day off, but with Scarlett's wedding coming up Noemi didn't have a hope or prayer of a minute of downtime. It was her own fault. If she hadn't been in avoidance mode over Garth she'd be more on top of things instead of scrambling around.Thank goodness Scarlett was a relaxed bride.Just thinking about her friend made Noemi's heart go all warm and mushy.It was a feeling Noemi didn't get often these days.When she'd begun planning weddings she thought she'd scored her dream job. She got to live in this love-infused bubble where people connected with their soul mates and lived happily ever after.The reality of her job hadn't come until later. Sure, her mother and what few friends she had liked to peg her break-up with Ángel as the turning point for her cynicism. Truth was it had come six months before Ángel left her.Noemi and a bride had walked in on the groom screwing the caterer, a friend of his family. While the moment had been tense,
From a logical standpoint, telling Scarlett she was going to have more work in the future while pregnant and planning her own wedding was a terrible idea. It made sense Garth wouldn't tell Scarlett. But he was sharing his plans with Noemi first.She knew the moment had stretched on too long.They were staring at each other.Why had she worn sweats? They were far too hot to be in such a small room with this man."I like it," she said finally. "Are you going to do the landscaping part yourself though?""I hadn't thought through that part."She narrowed her eyes at him. "Liar."Garth glanced away.He was too much of a control freak to not have it all figured out before he confided in anyone."Don't make me tell on you," she said.His gaze snapped back to her. "You wouldn't."She held up her hands. "I care about Scarlett and that phone call about you was not something I ever want to live through again."Not to mention she quite liked a healthy, living Garth, herself
They stared at each other.Okay, so friendship wasn't all Noemi wanted from Garth, but it was the only thing she'd grant herself. A relationship would ruin things and she wasn't willing to give up Scarlett or the chance of a friendship with Garth just so Noemi could scratch an itch.Or was she?Scarlett was going to be married and have a baby, all within the next year. Lots of people drifted apart during one of those events, but both? Was Noemi destined to lose it all here no matter what she did?Damn, she hadn't thought of that."Well?" she said when he didn't reply."I'm not sure how to respond. Do I lie to you and tell you we can be friends? Or am I honest?" His brown eyes were molten now to the point Noemi's mouth dried up. "I'm not sure I'm capable of being friends with you and not wanting more, No-No."Noemi drew in a deep breath at the silly nickname. He'd called her No-No the first time as a joke. She'd said no to another drink, second desert and turning in at a r
Noemi had missed this, too. Her mouth was too dry to respond.Garth leaned in and licked her. No hesitation. No coercion. He just went for it like it was his favorite thing in the world."Fuck," she moaned as his mouth did things to her.Most men seemed to need a roadmap to figuring out a woman's pleasure and even then it took them a while to get there. Garth? He was probably the guy who'd written the map in the first place.His fingers thrust inside her, curling and curving, stroking the sensitive places. She arched her back and shifted, but didn't have any leverage to play with. His tongue rubbed against her, his intention clear.She had no ability to withstand him. Not like this and she didn't want to. Who didn't like multiple orgasms? Why was she avoiding a man with the talent to give her a minimum of two? What was wrong with her?"Oh-Garth!" She planted her hand on the back of his head, holding him right there.He pressed in, focusing his attention on her clit while
Garth STOOD FROZEN TO the spot, staring at his little brother while Noemi made her getaway.There was no denying what they'd done. From Noemi's abrupt exit to the disheveled office, not to mention the musky scent of sex, it was clear as day.Benji glanced over his shoulder then at Garth and back to the front of the house."Did I just...?" Benji opened and closed his mouth a few times."What do you want?" Garth snapped.Fucking hell. Noemi had finally let down that wall and opened up to him again. Why was it now was the moment Benji decided to traipse back home?"I, uh, came to bring you the notes for the festival." Benji held up an envelope Garth hadn't noticed."Give it here." He took the envelope and plopped it onto a bit of clear desk that hadn't just supported Noemi's ass.This desk was never going to be used again."What's going on with Noemi?" Benji's gaze raked over Garth.He fought the urge to tug his shirt down a bit more in an effort to hide his groin and
SIX MONTHS LATER...SCARLETT SAT STRETCHED OUT on the old, wooden swing content to watch the circus going on over in the flower garden.Mom threw her hands up and said something Scarlett couldn't hear. She chuckled and knew the others were likely beside themselves trying to figure out how to make Mom happy.They all called Noemi's mother Mom now. It just felt right. Garth stood next to Mom, shaking his head at the others. Noemi bent, fussing no doubt over the way the blankets lay or how the bow sat.Benji and Dixie had the whole light kit out and three cameras.All the attention was focused on the bundle of joy currently sleeping soundly in the cradle Garth had carefully restored. It was one of a handful of old things he'd found in the barn and kept. Judging by the initials on the bottom of the old crib, generations of Livelys had slept in that thing.And now so would her baby.Scarlett smiled and sank further into the cushions Cole had set up for her. She was still ex
Noemi WHIPPED HER CAR into the driveway. With it being so early and since everyone had family visiting the street was packed with cars. Garth's truck barely fit in the one open spot.Where the hell was he?What was he doing?Why was he talking to Ángel?A Jeep pulled across the drive behind her, Cole and Scarlett getting out."Why can't you answer your phone?" Scarlett demanded.Noemi threw up her hand as she caught the sound of a deep, rumbling voice."Benji? Hey, we're already here." Scarlett's voice faded as Noemi crept toward the fence and the gate her mother always left open between the two properties.Ángel sat in the swiveling chair at the head of the table on his parent's patio.Garth had a tight grip on one of the other chairs, his back toward her. He was leaning forward, his entire focus on Ángel, who was staring back at Garth like he'd just sprouted a second head or something."You're only going to get one shot at this. If she's decided to give you anothe
Garth HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT the hardest thing he'd ever done was bury his parents and accept responsibility for Benji and Scarlett.That had been easy. A simple process and an obvious life altering decision.Neither of those moments had anything on what he was about to do.Garth stood on the front porch of the brick house and glanced to his left, where Noemi was likely sleeping. He hoped that she was getting rest. She never took off except for holidays and if he remembered correctly, she had events this weekend. With any luck, she'd have someone in her corner that would look after her properly.He turned his attention back to the door. There was one of the new, electronic doorbells. He pressed it, listened to the chime and waited.It was early still, but he hadn't been able to make himself wait any longer.After a few moments the locks clanked and the door swung open.Ángel stood on the welcome mat in sweatpants, a T-shirt and a hoodie draped over his shoulders. His hair was
Noemi HADN'T SLEPT ALL night. Most of the time when she wasn't sleeping it was because she was up at all hours trying to pull the last bits of a wedding together. There was purpose to the sleepless nights.All she'd done since getting home around two was sit in the guest chair at her desk and stare at the clear surface. She couldn't claim to have done a lot of thinking in those hours. Mostly she'd sat, stared and let her mind wander. She'd poked at corners she normally ignored, examining her feelings, her thoughts and all the other uncomfortable bits of her life.She excelled at leaving relationships.There were only two men in her life who had ever left her.Her father.And Ángel.Noemi had left every other man before he could get tired of her. She'd known she had the habit, but she hadn't paused to think it through like this until tonight. It was easy to pretend that she didn't have time for men and relationships that weren't going somewhere. She could spin all the excuse
Garth GRIPPED THE WHEEL of his truck and drew in a deep breath. He knew it was his imagination. Noemi's perfume wasn't really lingering, he just wished it were.Another car rolled up to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. Garth waved and pressed the accelerator, heading into town.It was tradition for the guys to meet up at The Hole in town for beers on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Benji had already texted, wondering where he was. Scarlett and the girls were up to something. All the normal things were underway. Except for him.Garth felt stuck. Like he couldn't move.He rolled the problem around in his head as The Hole came into view.The little parking lot was full and people had taken to finding spots along the street. It would no doubt be loud in there, full of people ready to start talking about the Christmas tours, when they were bringing the tractors to Main Street to help decorate and so forth.He just wasn't in the mood.Garth turned the wheel away from the
Noemi KNEW TODAY WASN'T her best work. She'd gone through the whole day in a fog that had nothing to do with the large, Thanksgiving meal she'd eaten yesterday or the Black Friday shopping she'd done that morning.Once again she had to wonder at a bride choosing to have her wedding the day after Thanksgiving. If Noemi was going to have a wedding-No.Not going there.She shook her head and turned her attention back to packing up the arch and removing the flowers. She had about an hour to get the rental pieces ready to go while the wedding party ate dinner. There were still a few things to make sure went off without a hitch. The cake needed cutting and the bride wanted Noemi to keep the speeches short, but there was time before that got started.It felt like she'd lived in a daze the last forty-eight hours.Wednesday night she'd chosen to not go to the annual meal her family had with Ángel's. She couldn't be in the same room with him and act like she wanted to be there. Not
Both Garth and Noemi glanced at the door.Benji laughed loudly and a single pair of heavy footsteps came creaking up the stairs mixed with Dixie's softer voice.Noemi covered her mouth with her hand and glanced at Garth. Her eyebrows were almost at her hairline.He just shook his head as something-probably one of the pictures on the landing-clattered to the ground. Another burst of laughter followed by hurried footsteps into Benji's room and the slam of a door."Well, I guess no one knows we're in here," Noemi said dryly."No they do not." Garth put thoughts of his brother out of his mind. It wasn't the first time he'd ignored his brother's antics. "What's really going on, No-No?"She blew out a breath and let go of his hand. For a moment she fussed with her boots, unzipping them and getting more comfortable, sitting cross legged in the middle of his bed. He didn't say anything, just watched her face, how lines developed and went away as she thought through what was botheri
Garth STARED DOWN AT where he'd thought he'd seen Noemi.Except Noemi didn't wear flannel. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her wearing jeans and have fingers leftover. But he was fairly certain that had been her."Garth?" Adeline's voice brought him back to the moment.He blinked down at this funny, sweet woman, but she didn't stir anything in him. Not like Noemi."Adeline?" He took her hand in his. "It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we see you around. Scarlett's intentions introducing us were good, but..."She smiled a knowing smile and turned her hand in his so she could give it a friendly shake. "I can tell. She's a special woman. I appreciate the history lesson.""Thanks, Adeline."If he'd met her at another point in his life, he'd have been interested. But it wasn't the burning connection he'd had with Noemi. Nothing could compare to that.Garth headed for the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. He skirted the tables between
Noemi PARKED HER CAR out on the grass along with all the other cars.She could do this.Hopefully Garth wasn't angry with her. Well, he could be a little angry. She'd deserve that much. She just hoped he'd hear her.Noemi began walking with the crowd, toward the festival clustered around the barn. Her heart gave a twinge as she got closer to the houses.She hadn't told anyone she was showing up, partly because she was nervous and feared she'd chicken out. Through all the jumble of thoughts, the one thing she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was that she loved Garth.As the crowd folded her into their midst, Noemi realized there were a lot more people there than she anticipated. How was she going to find Garth in all this?"Noemi?" a familiar voice called out.She turned and saw Scarlett standing with a basket of something hanging from one arm and a toddler perched on her hip looking at Noemi with wide eyes."Hey." Noemi fidgeted with the hem of her T-shirt.Scarlett gr