Book One: Choosing Happily Ever After- Chapter One
Hope
She was gorgeous. All dressed in white, of course. The veil covered her face, but there was no doubt that beneath the gauzy film was the hint of a smile while she tried to bite back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks despite the bride’s insistence earlier that she “absolutely will not cry. I’m just not a crier.”
Hope Turner had seen it a million times before. And they almost always cried.
At least a little.
“Are you ready?” she asked the bride, who clutched her father’s arm tightly. “Just like we practiced.”
“Only this time it’s for real.”
Hope nodded. “It is.”
She’d also seen this a million times. A bride and groom who laughed and joked their way through the rehearsal the night before and then completely came undone at the actual ceremony the moment they realized that it was, in fact, real.
“And you are ready,” she added. “It’s going to be great.” The bride nodded and looked straight ahead. That was Hope’s cue.
She whipped out her phone, which also served as a control station for basically everything, and tapped a button. A moment later, the traditional wedding march—the bride’s choice, not hers—filled the outdoor ceremony space Hope had dubbed Riverbend, due to the fact that it was, in fact, in the bend of the river. She had her pick of perfect ceremony sites on Ever After Ranch, but this was her favorite.
Hope stepped back and let the bride’s father lead her down the grassy aisle toward her groom, whom, she was absolutely certain, would also be dabbing his eyes through the entire ceremony.
The bride made it safely to the end of the aisle, hugged her father, and took her groom’s hand as the ceremony began. There was a time when there was nothing Hope enjoyed more than listening to the couple recite their vows. After all, it didn’t get any more romantic. But lately, there hadn’t been time to enjoy the details of the beautiful weddings she put on. There was just too much to do.
Which was why, as soon as the officiant began speaking, Hope scurried away in the golf cart that she’d recently started using to get from place to place around the ranch, back up to the Barn, where the reception was to be held to double-check with the catering staff that everything was set up. Just as she’d instructed, champagne was poured and ready to go on trays by the entrance. The servers stood by with canapés to keep guests entertained while the newlywed couple went for a few photographs around the property.
Hope did a quick spin of the reception space, a refurbished barn that was her pride and joy and also the reason that her business was booming in the last few years. It was rustic elegance that spoke to the dreams of many engaged couples. It didn’t hurt that it had the capacity for large gatherings, and a wedding coordinator who could handle anything that was thrown at her. She’d come a long way from the little girl who, along with her twin sister, used to beg her parents to help with the few weddings that they’d host on the lawns of their sprawling mountain property. Back then, it hadn’t been a business. Not really. Just a little bit of fun money, her mom used to call it. Something to do when things were slow with the ranching business, or more usual, when there was a special request to hold an event on their property. The Turner ranch had always been gorgeous.
And Hope had seen the potential. Of course, not even her grandest dreams could have prepared her for how successful Ever After Ranch would be and just how busy she’d find herself in such a short time.
Satisfied that the reception was ready, Hope gave a few final instructions to the catering staff, who she already knew didn’t need them, and raced back down to the ceremony space just as the officiant was declaring the happy couple husband and wife.
Perfect timing.
She quickly pressed another button on her phone and new music played over the speakers. The crowd cheered and the bride and groom danced down the aisle with their arms in the air, and ever so slightly red eyes, just as Hope predicted.
It wasn’t until hours later, after the photographs, the speeches, and dinner, with the guests all happily dancing the night away on the hardwood floors of the barn, that Hope had a minute to hop in her cart and head back to the ceremony site to clean up any garbage that guests had left behind, pack up the speakers and sound system, and take care of anything else that couldn’t be left out in the elements.
The stars and the moon lit up the night sky and in desperate need to sit down, Hope gave in and did just that. She tipped her head up and let herself take it all in.
When was the last time she’d stopped and just looked up?
She couldn’t remember. But that’s what it was like to build a business. Exhausting. Which would explain why she could barely keep her eyes open. She felt it deep in her bones. An overwhelming exhaustion. It was different than her usual tiredness. Of course, she was taking on more bookings than ever before. Maybe it was time to bring on an assistant.
Or her sister.
Hope almost laughed out loud at herself. There was no way. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot. Well, it was worth another shot. Still chuckling, she pulled out her cell phone and pressed the button for her twin sister.
“It’s late on a Saturday,” Faith answered. “Shouldn’t you be busy perpetuating the myth of happy ever after and charging tens of thousands of dollars for it while you’re at it?”
Hope shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Hi to you, too, sis.” Where Hope was a die-hard romantic, which had led to the idea of her business in the first place, her twin sister, although identical in appearance, couldn’t be more opposite in her feelings about love and marriage. “So I was thinking…” Might as well get right to the point.
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.” She groaned and moved the phone to her other ear. “At least wait until I—”
“You’re going to ask me to come home to Glacier Falls and run the ranch with you,” her sister said matter-of-factly. “Just like you always do when I answer the phone at eleven p.m. on a Saturday night. And just like it always is, the answer is no. I hate that shit, Hope. You know that.”
She did.
“But you love me.”
“I do.”
“So do it for me. To help me out.” She knew it was pointless, but she tried anyway. “Besides, it will be fun. We can be the wedding sisters again, like when we were kids.”
It was one of Hope’s favorite memories, when their mother would dress them up in frilly dresses and give them baskets of flower petals to throw on the newly married couples. Guests had loved the identical blonde-haired, little girls. Hope had loved it too. Faith, not so much. But even so, there had been a handful of times when Hope had managed to convince her sister from time to time to dress up and reenact their own weddings, taking turns with who got to be the bride and who had to play the groom.
“If you’re trying to convince me, that’s the wrong way to do it.” Faith laughed and then added, “Seriously though, if you need help, Hope, hire someone. Because as much as I love you, I’ll be staying in the city. Sorry.” She actually did sound a little sorry this time. “Put an ad on the town’s Facebook page or something. You’ll get someone.”
“Yeah, maybe. But hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?” Hope smiled into the phone. Distance and lifestyle may separate them, but they were still close. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Hope,” Faith said. “And Hope? Get some sleep. You sound exhausted.”
She hung up the phone and tucked it away before going to gather up the rest of the things that couldn’t wait until morning. Hope fell heavy into her golf cart and checked the time. There was still at least two hours before she could announce last call. And then she got to start the process of cleaning up.
Hope closed her eyes, but only for a moment. She couldn’t risk falling asleep. Maybe Faith was right; maybe she really should hire someone. She was exhausted already and the wedding season was only just beginning. Before she could talk herself out of it, Hope opened the Facebook app on her phone and typed up a quick help wanted ad.
After all, it couldn’t hurt.
Levi
“I’m not saying it’s not good to have you back…”
“It’s just strange,” Levi Langdon finished for his cousin, Logan. “I get it. It is strange.” Levi lifted the bottle to his lips and let the cold beer slide down his throat. As strange as it was to be back in his hometown after almost ten years, it also felt good. Really good. Like putting on an old sweater. Or in this case, an old pair of work boots to help Logan out on his family ranch. The ranch he’d grown up on and couldn’t wait to leave.
“But I’m not complaining.” Logan grinned. “I’ve missed you and it was good to be out there today. When was the last time we rode the fence line like that together?”
Levi chuckled and shook his head because they both knew the answer. He’d been twenty years old, Logan a year ahead of him, and they’d both been caught drinking Logan’s dad’s beers. Both were of legal drinking age in Canada, not that it mattered to Uncle Harold. They were his beers. An already hard man got even harder when someone took his beers. Especially his dead sister’s kid. For whatever reason, Uncle Harold had a special place in his heart for Levi. And it wasn’t a good one.
Their punishment had been to ride the fence line and repair some downed wire in the middle of the night. Of course, Levi’s punishment had also included a punch in the face that only narrowly missed breaking his nose, but he’d sported the shiner for weeks. It was the last time they’d rode the fence together, because it had also been the last time Levi had spent the night under his uncle’s roof.
He’d had enough. Besides, he was already living on borrowed time on the Langdon ranch. A fact Uncle Harold had no trouble reminding him of on a regular basis. He should have left years ago but he’d been trying to save up enough money to get an apartment in the city. Or at least enough to set him up. But leaving early couldn’t hurt. Hell, it would probably hurt a whole lot less.
At least that’s what he’d thought at the time.
Levi blinked hard and shook his head. Coming back to Glacier Falls was hard enough. He didn’t need to relive every goddamn heartbreaking moment.
“Right.” Logan lifted his own beer, obviously remembering that night as well. “Hey, about all of that.” He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “I’m really sorry that my dad treated you like that back then. I don’t—”
“Want you to worry about it,” Levi answered for him. “It wasn’t your fault and you can’t own the actions of your parents. Hell, we’d both be in trouble if that were the case.” He hadn’t known his dad, but all accounts were that he was a deadbeat asshole who’d left his mom knocked up and alone. Levi didn’t even know what his last name was, having been given his mother’s family name. And it didn’t matter; he’d never cared to know who the man was.
Levi had nothing but love for his mother, what he could remember of her anyway. She’d died when he was only ten and he’d gone to live with her brother’s family in Glacier Falls. It had been a mixed blessing. Logan had been a cousin, best friend, and brother all rolled into one. Katie had been like a little sister to him, and Auntie Deb had done her best to love and protect young Levi from the unexplainable anger of her husband that only got worse the older he got.
Leaving them had been just as hard as it had been easy leaving Uncle Harold. But now Uncle Harold was gone, having died three months earlier from a heart attack. And Levi was back.
“Still,” Logan said. “I’m sorry he was such a dick to you. He never could explain it, and I know you don’t want to hear it, or you wouldn’t believe it anyway, but he really wasn’t like that with Katie and me.”
“That I do believe.” He took another long pull from his beer. “It doesn’t matter now,” he said again, meaning it. “I’m looking forward to catching up with you all. I’ve missed all of you.”
“Just us?”
If he hadn’t been on the other side of the shop, Levi likely would have punched his cousin or at least given him a shove. He hadn’t even been back for a full twenty-four hours. There was no need to stir the pot. Logan knew damn well that his family wasn’t the only thing he’d missed about Glacier Falls. Far from it.
“How is Hope?”
Hope Turner, the love of Levi’s young life. Or at least he’d thought she was at the time. With her long blonde hair and innocent blue eyes, he’d been completely wrapped around her little finger. He would have done anything for that girl.
Except stay in town.
As much as he loved her, he knew in his heart that if he stayed, Uncle Harold would slowly beat down his spirit—and his body—and in a small town, there was nowhere else to go. Leaving her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t ask her to go with him, because he knew her heart was in Glacier Falls. She loved her small town, and more than that, the ranch she grew up on. She was never leaving. He knew it just like he also knew if he asked her, it would break her heart to have to choose. So he’d let her go.
To his credit, Logan didn’t make a smart-ass comment the way Levi was so sure he would. Instead, he slowly put his beer down on the workbench he sat on and crossed his arms. “Ten years, and you’ve never once asked about her.”
Levi nodded. It was true.
“That must mean you’re finally over her.”
He laughed but didn’t answer right away. There would be a part of him that was never completely over Hope Turner. But he’d been a kid the last time he’d seen her. A lot changed in ten years. “It’s been a long time.”
“That didn’t answer my question.” Logan raised an eyebrow at him before hopping down off the bench and moving across the shop to the beer fridge. They hadn’t even been in the house yet, a fact Levi felt a little guilty for. But it was late and he hadn’t told anyone he was coming. He’d surprised Logan by joining him in the field earlier, but it was getting late now. He’d just have to surprise Aunt Deb and Katie in the morning. He accepted another beer from his cousin but paused before opening it when Logan said, “Hope’s killing it with her business. Turned her family ranch into a wedding venue, of all things.”
Levi laughed and shook his head but he wasn’t surprised. Ever since they were kids, Hope talked about the few weddings they held out on their property. She’d always been a hopeless romantic. “I’m glad it’s working out,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. She always knew exactly what she wanted.”
Again, Logan raised his eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “She must be doing even better than last year.” He handed Levi his cell phone. “She just posted on Facebook that she’s looking to hire some help.”
Levi took the phone without trying to look too eager. He was pretty sure he failed, but he couldn’t help it. Talking about Hope had his pulse racing. He’d managed to avoid her on social media all these years, largely because he wasn’t on any social media, but it didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about how easy it would be to see what she was up to. Was she married? Did she have kids? Was she happy? All things he could know if he’d joined the Facebook phenomenon. Which was precisely why he didn’t. But that didn’t stop him from grabbing his cousin’s phone and looking at the familiar, yet different, beautiful face on the tiny screen.
Hope Turner.
She looked the same, but also so different. She definitely wasn’t the innocent girl he’d left. Although she still had the sweet look of complete trust in her eyes, there was also something else in her expression. Something deeper.
Levi forced himself to look away from her profile picture and scroll down on the screen to the post Logan was referring to.
Help wanted: General handyman, jack of all trades. Must love love.
He couldn’t help but laugh. She was still a hopeless romantic. Some things never changed.
What if there were a few more things that hadn’t changed?
Levi looked up at Logan, who clearly saw the expression on his cousin’s face. “Looking for a job, are you, cuz?”
