Her Cowboy Billionaire Best Man, Chapter 2
*Christmas *Holiday read *Billionaires *Family saga *Later in life
Zach Zuckerman couldn’t believe his rotten luck. The first woman to catch his eye in a couple of years, and she was an Abbott.
He wanted to shake his fist at heaven and ask, “Really, Lord?”
But he should probably shake his fist toward the ground and say, “Not today, Satan. Not today.”
No matter what, he was going to walk down the aisle with an Abbott on his arm. Of course, she wasn’t an Abbott anymore. She’d grown up and gotten married, same as him. Her husband had been his best friend in high school, and Brandon had died a number of years ago. There was nothing his grandfather had liked to do more than trash-talk the Abbotts, but even he’d been reverent when the news came of Brandon Armstrong’s death.
A couple of years later, Gramps had passed himself. Zach was glad he hadn’t been alive when Zach’s own marriage had fallen apart. When Kathy had filed for divorce and taken the kids to Boise.
Twelve years later, Zach still lived on the farm in Dog Valley where he’d envisioned him and Kathy growing old together. He’d always found comfort in his friendship with Finn, as the man seemed perfectly happy alone on his farm on the other side of town.
But now his best friend had gone and found himself someone to share his life with in a way that Zach desperately wanted for himself.
And until five minutes ago, he’d been thinking maybe something good would come out of his long drive on snow-packed roads and him dressing in his nicest suit.
A date with a pretty woman.
Too bad he hadn’t recognized her sooner.
He tried not to breathe in the fruity, flowery scent of the woman next to him. Tried not to notice the way her arm fit in his. Tried not to focus more on her than on the ceremony in front of him.
He failed at all three, and all he could do was pray the wedding would conclude quickly so he could get a lungful of air that didn’t tantalize him.
Why? ran through his mind. Why had God allowed her to come back into his life? Why? Why? Why?
The word practically screamed through his mind, and he turned away from her slightly and took a deep breath.
Even if she wasn’t an Abbott, Zach still wouldn’t have pursued her. Brandon had always been like a brother to him, and he had no desire to dig up old memories with the man’s widow. Surely she wouldn’t want that either.
He finally managed to pull himself from his own mind and focus on the best friend he had now. Finn glowed with happiness as the ceremony concluded and he kissed his new wife. Zach clapped and cheered along with everyone else, a rush of joy painting over the stress he normally dealt with behind closed doors and gates.
Celia stepped away from him, clapping same as him. She wore a beautiful smile to go with that flattering blue dress—the one that had caught Zach’s eye at least an hour ago. Amanda’s sons filled the lodge with whistling, and Zach couldn’t help laughing.
He also couldn’t help thinking of his own children, his own family. He was the second oldest of four boys, and he’d been secretly glad he hadn’t had to decide if he’d stay on the family farm or not.
The feud between the Abbotts and the Zuckermans bothered Kathy, and she hadn’t wanted Zach to be a part of it. They’d chosen a quiet life in Dog Valley—until that became too quiet for her.
Zach had never even considered returning to Coral Canyon or the family farm. That place had a spirit all its own, and it could poison a man’s heart.
It had, actually. Many times.
His oldest brother, Owen, ran the place now, and he spewed as much vitriol about the Abbott’s as most of the other Zuckerman’s. Another glance at Celia found her watching him too, and their eyes locked.
He felt the smile slipping from his face no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it. He could not imagine a reality where he drove down that winding dirt road to the house where he’d grown up, opened the door for her, and took her inside to meet Owen.
No way he could ever do that.
Ever.
She managed to smile back at him, duck her pretty head, and turn toward the kitchen. He felt like a satellite, like he needed to stay near her, orbit around her. Her spirit called to his soul, and he found himself following her.
Thankfully, so did everyone else, as the next stage of the wedding would obviously take place in the kitchen.
In fact, Celia seemed to be in charge, as everyone turned toward her as she spoke in a loud voice. “Congratulations to the bride and groom!”
Another cheer went up before she got down to business. “Now we have all of Finn and Amanda’s favorites here. Cherry pie. That’s for you, Finn.” She beamed at the man with affection on her face, and Zach wondered what that would feel like.
It had been entirely too long since he’d had the gentle touch, the soft influence, of a woman in his life.
And suddenly, his family didn’t matter. If he wanted to go out with Celia Armstrong, he could. Should, in fact, if the way his heartbeat raced told him anything. He thought of his daughter and what Lindsey might say if she found out he was seeing someone.
“About time, Dad.”
The words looped in his mind as he listened to Celia detail the chocolate mousse cake, and then pull out a tray of chicken salad croissants and say, “Amanda makes these for every family party she has. It seemed only fitting we’d have them at her wedding.”
The two women embraced, and chaos erupted as people started grabbing plates and napkins and helping their kids through the line.
Zach stood back, watching. He didn’t have any grandchildren yet, but Finn absolutely shone as he took a baby from someone.
To his great surprise, he found himself standing next to Celia only a few moments later. “Did you make all the food?” he asked, though it was obvious she did.
“Yes,” she said, keeping her eyes on the family in front of them. By his count, Finn had invited just him, his daughters and their boyfriends, and his parents. Zach knew the man was private, and he wondered who in the world he’d invite to a second wedding.
Certainly not the horde of people he and Kathy had hosted at their ceremony. And if Celia was the one across the altar….
Zach shook his head, because the idea was so ridiculous. So far-fetched. He hadn’t spoken to an Abbott since third grade when he’d screamed at her oldest brother Mack to leave Owen alone.
He hadn’t known that it was Owen who’d started the fight on the school bus. He honestly didn’t know which family had started the feud, but he knew it was over some land that bordered their properties, as well as the water rights that flowed from the Abbott’s side of the street to the Zuckerman’s land on the south.
As far as he knew, her two older brothers ran the Abbott place together, but he hadn’t kept up with the town gossip in Coral Canyon for at least three decades. Probably longer, as rumors and who was dating whom had never appealed to Zach.
“It looks delicious,” he said.
“I work for the Whittakers,” she said, finally looking at him. She possessed a pair of sparkling hazel eyes that harbored so many unsaid words. Zach couldn’t seem to look away as she continued with, “I’m their personal chef here at the lodge. I come up and cook a few times a week.”
“That’s great,” fell from his mouth, but he didn’t remember his brain instructing his vocal cords to speak.
She nodded like she’d done her duty by talking to him for sixty seconds. “What do you do?” she asked at the same time he said, “What do you do on the other days?”
She blinked, surprise moving through those lovely eyes. “I used to have several private chef jobs,” she said. “But I gave them all up when Graham hired me. He pays really well.”
“Seems like he’s doing well,” Zach said, glancing around the lodge.
Celia started to say something, but a crash in the kitchen had her jumping and then hurrying away from him. Zach would usually leave at this point. The chicken salad croissants looked amazing, sure. But he knew where to get a good hamburger in town, and it was supposed to snow again this afternoon.
Yet he didn’t leave. He leaned against the wall and pushed his cowboy hat lower over his eyes, until he could just barely see Celia as she helped clean up the mess a small girl had made.
“Stop staring and come eat,” Finn said, stepping between him and Celia, effectively ruining Zach’s line of sight.
“I’m not staring,” he said quickly.
“Of course you are.” Finn grinned at him. “I’ve seen the push-your-hat-down thing before, Zach. She’s pretty. You going to get her number?”
Yes, Zach thought at the same time he shook his head no.
“Why not? Still not dating?”
“Not her,” Zach said.
Finn’s eyebrows crinkled in confusion, and Zach pushed away from the wall, unwilling to say much more.
“Amanda and I are leaving on our honeymoon in the morning,” Finn said. “If you want her number, you’re going to have to get it yourself while you’re here, or text me pretty quick.” Finn turned and went back toward the kitchen.
Zach went with him, because he didn’t need to cause a scene at his best friend’s wedding. As he loaded a small party plate with a croissant, some mousse cake, and two of the peach pie tartlets, he couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to go out with Celia.
No one else had to know. She might not even like him. He might not be able to tolerate her. Perhaps the blood between all Abbotts and all Zuckermans would be bad.
And so he found himself loitering near her in the kitchen instead of going into the dining room to eat. “If a man wanted to get your number, what would he have to do?” He shoved a whole peach tartlet in his mouth, so he’d have time to think before he said anything else.
Celia whipped her head toward him, the panic and shock in her face speaking of the generations of loathing between them. “Are you serious?”
He swallowed, going over all the reasons he should walk away now. Keep his head high and get the heck out of there. Stat. But Brandon had been gone for a long time. And he would have to figure out how to deal with the feud between their families.
“I think so,” he said. “One date. If it’s too hard, or it doesn’t work out, fine. We walk away. No big deal.”
Celia huffed and returned her attention to the scene before them. Zach could practically hear the wheels turning in her head, and he liked it. She was considering it—that meant something. It meant she’d liked what she’d seen of him before she recognized him, same as he had for her.
He finished all the food on his plate, and she still hadn’t said a single digit. Folding the plate in half, he said, “Well, I have animals to care for this afternoon. Double duty, actually, as I’m handling Finn’s farm while he and Amanda are gone.” He tipped his hat at her and stepped in front of her to throw his trash in the huge can in front of the oven.
“Give me your number,” she whispered when he was right in front of her. He paused and looked down at her. Only a couple of inches separated their bodies, and he instantly felt hot all over.
“Yeah?” he asked, his voice almost as quiet as hers had been.
A flush climbed into her cheeks, and she twisted and picked up a pen. “Hurry, or someone will notice.”
“And you don’t want that.” Zach didn’t phrase it as a question. These people were practically Celia’s family, and he quickly rattled off his phone number while she scrawled it on a piece of paper. She ripped that from the notebook, balled up the paper, and opened the top drawer where he’d been standing. She put the wadded-up paper in there and looked at him.
“I’m the only one who’ll even notice that.” She flashed him that smile again, and Zach’s whole being lit up.
“All right, then,” he said. “I’m a farmer, Celia. Call early, but don’t call late.” With that, he touched the brim of his hat, threw his plate away, and escaped the kitchen.