A Cadence Creek Christmas (Cadence Creek Cowboys) by Donna Alward Page B

to mention the fact that she nodded off in the limousine on the way to the hotel and reception because the drug made her drowsy. Not my finest moment as an event planner.”
    She speared her golden-browned potatoes with a somewhat savage poke. “I’m telling you, Rhys, you do not mess with a bride on her wedding day.”
    She looked so fierce he nearly smiled. But there was something else in her expression, too. She didn’t like failure, or anything that would reveal a chink in her perfect armor. He wondered why.
    “Have you always been a perfectionist?”
    She didn’t even take it as a slight criticism. “Yes.”
    “And doesn’t that stress you out?”
    She shrugged. “Occasionally. As long as I stay organized I’m fine. And I do work best under pressure. It’s just now and again something will crop up and I’ll chew antacids for a few days.”
    He wanted to ask her how that could possibly be fun, but they were interrupted as the speeches began. Mr. Shepard welcomed Avery to the family, and then Avery and Callum stood to speak together, thanking their family and friends. They took a moment to thank Taylor for pulling it all together, and Rhys saw her relax a little in her chair. The day was nearly done. The ceremony had gone without a hitch; the reception was lovely and the food delicious. Perhaps she could actually enjoy herself a little during the dancing.
    Dessert was served—pastry baskets filled with chocolate mousse and topped with berries and whipped cream. They were almost too pretty to eat, and Rhys noticed that Taylor had slowed down on the wine and accepted a cup of coffee instead.
    He frowned. He shouldn’t care. Shouldn’t bother him that she was wound tighter than a spring or that she was so deliberate in each choice and move. Except he knew now. He knew that there was a vulnerable side. He’d seen it last night when he’d mentioned how her family had ignored her. Whether she acknowledged it or not, she was desperate for her family’s approval.
    And he knew there was an unpredictable side to her, too, that rarely had a chance to get out to play. Because he was pretty sure that the heavy kissing they’d been doing in the cab of his truck last night had not been planned out and put on a list of pros and cons. It had been spontaneous. And combustible.
    When the meal ended, the wedding cake was rolled in. “Oh, it’s stunning,” Taylor gasped, leaning forward to see better.
    “You didn’t know? A detail escaped your notice?”
    She laughed. “No one was allowed to see it. Avery’s friend Denise did it as a wedding gift. Avery insisted I trust her on this and so I did.”
    “It bothered you, though, right?”
    She tore her gaze away from the cake and slid it up to meet his. “A little,” she admitted. “This whole experience has been weird. I’ve had to give up way more control than I normally do. Usually no detail ever escapes my approval.”
    “Sometimes it’s good to let someone else take the reins.”
    She chuckled. “Not my style, Bullock.”
    The cake really was pretty, even Rhys could see that. It looked like three presents stacked on top of each other, each layer turned on a slight angle and alternating red and white. The topper looked like a giant red bow. “What’s the bow made out of?” he asked Taylor.
    “Fondant,” she said, smiling. “Okay, so the only thing to worry about now is the music, and the DJ should be fine, so maybe you’re right. Maybe I can relax.” She sighed. “And finally get some sleep.”
    He wondered if her lack of sleep was to do with the wedding or if she’d been like him last night, staring at the ceiling wondering what it would have been like to finish what they’d started.
    It had been a long time since he’d come that close. He certainly hadn’t wanted to sow any wild oats here in Cadence Creek. The town was too small. Things got around. And before he knew it he’d be tied down, worrying about what he had to offer a wife, wondering