Thunder Canyon Homecoming / A Thunder Canyon Christmas: Thunder Canyon Homecoming

She glanced at Corey again and found his eyes still on her. Her future might be uncertain, but she wasn’t immune to the attraction of a handsome man.

And she found herself wondering what it would be like to be held by him, kissed by him. She wanted him to take her in his arms and hold her tight against his hard body until she was breathless. Which would take all of about half a second considering that just the thought of kissing him stole all the air from her lungs.

She tore her gaze from his and forced the treacherously enticing thoughts from her mind.

Because she had no doubt that the six-foot-tall oil heir had kissed more than his fair share of women and she had no intention of joining the undoubtedly long line of willing women he had left behind. And he would be leaving—he might have family in Thunder Canyon, but his home was in Texas and her home was…well, she hadn’t quite figured that out yet.

Which was just one more reason that any kind of involvement with Corey Traub would be both foolish and reckless.

When the bride and groom’s kiss finally ended, even the minister was smiling his approval. Then he turned to the assembly and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Dr. and Mrs. Dillon Traub.”

The guests all rose to their feet and applauded.

Dillon took Erika’s hand with one of his and held out the other to Emilia, his two-year-old stepdaughter. The little girl’s bright, happy smile made Erin smile, too. Her friend had harbored doubts about Dillon’s willingness to be a father to someone else’s child, but the sexy doctor had proved that he wasn’t just ready to step up but was eager to do so, and it was obvious to everyone present that the bride and groom and tiny flower girl were already a family.

Erin felt an ache in her heart as she thought of her own family and the questions that had brought her to Thunder Canyon. Questions that remained, after more than three months in town, unanswered.

Her parents still didn’t understand what had precipitated her sudden decision to pack up and head to Montana. She’d claimed dissatisfaction with her job and the relationship with Trevor, but she knew they were worried, that they felt she should have tried to change the situation rather than run away from it. But after her last meeting with Aunt Erma, only hours before the elderly woman passed away, she’d realized that she needed answers her parents couldn’t—or wouldn’t—give her. Answers that might finally explain why she’d always felt a little out of place in her own family.

You need to find your family. Her aunt’s words echoed in her mind. They’re in Thunder Canyon.

Erin had been as stunned as she was skeptical, especially when Erma didn’t provide any more information. As for the newspaper clipping the elderly woman had given to her, Erin still didn’t know what to make of that. She didn’t have a clue which of the families in the photo—if any—might be able to help her find the answers she sought, and Erma hadn’t steered her in a specific direction.

She hadn’t shown the clipping to her parents—a decision that she continued to wrestle with. But both Jack and Betty had been dismissive of Erma’s claims. When Erin had asked if she’d been adopted, her mother had offered to show off the stretch marks and unsightly veins that were her reward for the nine months that she’d carried her daughter.

But there was something about Erma’s words that haunted Erin in a way she didn’t understand and couldn’t disregard.

If she wasn’t adopted, maybe her parents had gone through a rough patch in their marriage and her mother had been involved with someone else. It had taken a lot more courage to ask Betty about that possibility, but her mother had actually laughed, assuring Erin that there had never been anyone before her father and never anyone since.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel that there had to be some kind of foundation for Erma’s conviction. Unfortunately, her aunt’s death had left Erin with a lot of doubts and uncertainties, countered only by her determination to find the truth once and for all.

“Shall we?”

The question jolted her out of her reverie and made her realize that the bride and groom had already started down the aisle. She forgot about Erma and all of her reasons for coming to Thunder Canyon when she settled her hand in the crook of Corey’s elbow.

She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as she followed Dillon and Erika and Emilia, refusing to look at the groom’s brother. But as they approached the doorway, Corey pulled her a little closer to negotiate the narrow opening, and she shivered.

Thankfully, the cool November afternoon gave her a ready excuse for the goose bumps on her flesh, even if she knew they were more a response to the man at her side than the chilly weather. But she had no intention of being distracted from her fact-finding mission by anything or anyone—not even the groom’s far-too-sexy brother.

It was torture, riding beside him in the limousine on the way to the resort for the reception. Although there were only five of them in a ten-passenger limo—and one of those five a child buckled into a car seat—the interior of the vehicle felt small to Erin. Or maybe it was that Corey was so big.

She shifted on the seat so that she was pressed against the side of the car. But she could still feel the heat of his body and smell a hint of his aftershave, and she couldn’t help but watch the smooth, efficient movements of his hands as they peeled the foil off of a chilled bottle of champagne.

He unfastened the wire and popped the cork while Dillon struggled to unwrap the straw on a juice box for his new daughter. Erika reached for the drink, obviously trying to help, but her groom was determined to master the task. The bride shrugged and settled back against the cushy leather seat, content to let him.

Erin felt a little tug of envy again but pushed it aside. Maybe Erika did have it all, but getting it hadn’t been easy for her. She’d had her heart broken when Emilia’s father walked out on her, and then she’d had to tackle the trials and tribulations of single parenthood. From Erin’s perspective, her friend had done a wonderful job, and if she’d lucked out when she’d fallen in love with Dillon Traub, well, no one de served it more.

Corey had finished pouring the champagne and passed the crystal flutes around to the adults.

“To the bride and groom,” he said, lifting his glass.

Erin joined in the toast but only took the tiniest sip. Although she was sure the bubbly wouldn’t be nearly as po tent as Corey’s proximity, she didn’t want to take the chance of alcohol further compromising her judgment.

“To Erika,” Dillon said. “Not only the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen and the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, but also the one who has given me the greatest gift I could ever hope for by becoming my wife today.”

Erika’s eyes were misty with tears when her new husband brushed his lips against hers.

“To my daughter,” the groom said, tapping his glass against Emilia’s juice box. “One of those greatest gifts.”

The little girl beamed at him and slurped down more juice.

“And to my brother,” Dillon continued. “For always being there for me when it mattered, and especially today because it mattered most of all.”

Corey grinned. “I’ll remind you of those words the next time you grumble about me being underfoot.”

His brother smiled back before he shifted his attention. “And to Erin—”

“Wait,” Erika interrupted.

Dillon’s brows rose.

“As the bride, I should get to toast my maid of honor,” she said.

Her husband gestured for her to continue.

Erin’s fingers tightened around the stem of her glass as she felt the attention focus on her.

“To Erin. I know you were surprised when I asked you to stand up with me at my wedding, and more than a little reluctant, and I want to thank you for saying ‘yes’ because although we’ve only known each other for a few months, I feel closer to you than all of the people that I grew up with here in Thunder Canyon. More, I feel accepted by you and appreciated for who I am rather than judged by what I’ve done, and I will always be grateful for your unwavering sup port and your unconditional friendship.”

“Hey, can you say something about me?” Corey asked his new sister-in-law. “Because that was a lot more eloquent than what Dillon came up with.”

Everyone was laughing as the limo pulled up in front of the resort.

Erin slipped away from Corey’s side soon after they entered the ballroom.

The bride and groom had opted for a champagne reception rather than a formal meal, so there was no seating plan and guests mingled freely while waiters circulated with trays of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. Erin decided it was wise to do her mingling as far away as possible from the best man.

It was a strategic retreat. She simply didn’t know how to deal with the feelings that stirred inside of her when she was near Corey. During the brief time that she’d dated Trevor, she’d been aware that something was missing. She’d liked him well enough and they’d shared some common interests, but there was no spark between them.

When Corey Traub had walked into the rehearsal the night before, she could hardly see for the sparks. She’d al ways thought she should feel more, but she had never guessed how much more there could be—or how unsettled the more could make her feel.

She had no experience with this kind of immediate and intense attraction. But she was certain that Corey did. That he had this effect on women all of the time and no doubt knew exactly how to handle it. How to handle her. And as intrigued as she was by the idea of being handled by the sexy groomsman, she was even more wary.

She didn’t do a lot of mingling, but she made a point of chatting with the people she knew and spent several minutes talking with Haley Anderson and Marlon Cates, Haley’s now-fiancé. When she turned away from the couple, she found herself face-to-face with Corey.

Actually, it was more face-to-chest because, even in heels, she was several inches shorter than he. And it was quite a chest, the breadth and strength of it evident even through the shirt and jacket he wore. She forced her gaze to lift to an even more impressive face.

Was it any wonder the man took her breath away? He had a look that could sell…anything, she decided, and managed to hold back a sigh.