The Maverick's Accidental Bride

“Of course.” They’d exchanged so much last night. Phone numbers. Wedding vows. Possibly bodily fluids. She moaned again.

“Jordyn, are you okay?”

“No, I am not. Where are you, Will?”

“Out in front, in my pickup.”

“Why aren’t you gone yet?”

“Because I got a call from Craig.” Craig was the oldest of Will’s brothers.

“Why does that sound like very bad news?”

“Look. I just think you should know. Craig was there last night, when we got married. So was half the town, apparently.”

Half the town? Lovely. Half the town knew more than she did about what she and Will had done last night. “I know there were people there. I told you that. This isn’t news, Will.”

“Yeah, it kind of is.” He sounded scarily grim.

She kicked off her sparkly shoes and slid down the door till her butt hit the floor. “Just tell me.”

“Craig says everyone’s talking about it, about the ceremony in the park, about our, um, smoking-hot kiss—you know, the one that sealed our vows?”

Her headache had come back. With a vengeance. “So we kissed. Of course we kissed. That’s what you do when you get married. Is that all?”

“Er, no.”

“Then what else?”

“We made the Rust Creek Falls Gazette.”

“What are you talking about, Will? I don’t understand...”

“Apparently, there’s this column called Rust Creek Ramblings written by some mystery gossip columnist. Does that ring a bell?”

Nobody knew who the columnist was, but he or she always had the scoop, was always outing the personal, intimate and romantic business of people in town. A low moan escaped Jordyn. “Oh, no...”

“Yeah. Craig says this morning’s column is all about you and me. All about our surprise wedding. It’s, uh, not all that flattering, Craig says.”

“Not all that flattering. What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m going to go get a copy of the Gazette and find out.”

Jordyn cast a longing glance at her bed with its pretty white eyelet bedspread. All she wanted at that moment was to get in and pull the covers over her head.

“Jordyn, we really need to talk some more. We need to give careful consideration to how we want to handle this. We have to—”

“Will.”

“Yeah?”

“I need some rest.” She was going to take a hot shower, crawl under the covers and not come out for a year.

“All right,” he said resignedly.

“Thank you.”

And then he just had to remind her, “Tomorrow. First thing. We’re going to Kalispell, remember? I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“I remember. I’ll be ready.” She hung up.

About then, it occurred to her that she was expected at work tomorrow. She would need the day off, and the sooner she called in, the better. She autodialed Sara, one of her two bosses at Country Kids Day Care Center.

“This is Sara Johnston.”

“Hi, Sara, it’s Jordyn Leigh.”

“Hey! What a party yesterday, huh? I hear congratulations are in order...”

Jordyn, still on the floor in front of the door, put a soothing hand on her iffy stomach and wished her head would stop hurting. “I, um, yeah. Thank you. It was something, wasn’t it?” she offered lamely.

“I just wish I’d been there. Suzie told me.” Suzie Johnston was Sara’s twin sister and her partner in the day care. “Suzie said it was so romantic, and you and your new husband looked so happy together. He’s from Thunder Canyon, I understand. Just like you.”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve known him since we were kids.”

“He’s one of Cecelia’s brothers, right?” Cecelia Clifton Pritchett used to live at Melba’s boardinghouse, too. So had Cece’s new husband, Nick. Sara said, “His name’s Will, right?”

“That’s right—and Sara, listen, I called because I kind of need to take the day off tomorrow...” Jordyn’s voice trailed off as she realized that she would have to tell Sara something about why she needed the day. She gathered her courage to explain everything.

But Sara believed that Jordyn was a real newlywed. “Take the week, if you need it. Be with your new hubby. Enjoy every minute. Have yourselves a honeymoon, for goodness’ sake.”

“You’re an angel.” And I ought to have the integrity to tell you the truth. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Not right now. She’d deal with all that later. “I just need tomorrow. I’ll be in Tuesday.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“If you change your mind, just call. We can manage if you need the time.”

“Thanks so much.”

“You’re so welcome—and Jordyn Leigh, you be happy, you and your new husband, you hear? It all goes by so fast, believe me.” Sara’s voice held the weight of sadness now. She’d lost her husband in a car accident when their youngest was only a baby. “You need to treasure every moment the good Lord gives you together.”

“Thanks, Sara. I will.” The good Lord was probably up in heaven shaking His head.

Still, Jordyn let Sara believe what she wanted to. Eventually, the moment of truth would come, and Jordyn would face it. At least by then she’d be done with this awful hangover.

Sara said goodbye at last. Jordyn disconnected the call, dragged herself to her feet, grabbed her shower caddy and her robe and headed for the bathroom at the end of the hall.