Home Free. Claire McEwen
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up to sitting, every part of her stiff, shaky and stinging.
The dark-haired man was on one knee, as if he was about to propose. And in his arms, perfectly upright, perfectly intact, was her perfect cake.
Mandy stared at him, wondering if she’d fallen right into some kind of fairy tale. Because only in stories did someone this handsome show up out of nowhere and save the day. He even had the wavy black hair of a fairy-tale prince.
Holy cow, she was staring at him like a possum at a flashlight. She scrambled to her feet, brushing at her hands and elbows, trying to ignore all the throbbing and stinging. “Thank you!” Her throat was pebbled with gratitude, tumbling the words out ragged as she leaned over and lifted the tray from his outstretched hands. “I can’t believe you saved it!”
“My pleasure.” He rose from the dirt. And rose. And rose. There had to be over six feet of him.
“It was a really good catch.” She sounded like a kid meeting a sports hero, all awestruck. But he was overwhelming. Each piece of him, from his height to the sharp cheekbones that slashed across his angular face, was larger than average. He was hard to take in all at once. And he’d saved her cake.
He looked down at her, eyes shadowed under dark brows. His voice was low pitched, the gentle edge a surprise in such a big man. “That was quite a fall. Are you hurt?”
“I expect so.” She knew so, but there was no time to deal with it now. She’d break out the first aid kit once she got the cake to the reception.
“Your arm is bleeding.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled napkin. There was a fast-food logo on it. “Why don’t you let me hold the cake for a minute?”
She hesitated. “You’ll be careful, right?”
“Very.” He set the napkin on the edge of the tray. Then he took the cake from her easily, as if it weighed nothing.
Mandy picked up the napkin and pressed it to her elbow, surprised when blood bloomed through it. “I’m a mess.”
“You’re messy. That’s different.” His slight smile was kind. “There’s dust on your dress, near the hem. Can you brush it off? And you’ve got some grass in your hair, too.”
She threaded fingers through her hair and found the dry blades. “Ugh. This isn’t what I had in mind when I planned this wedding.”
“You’re a wedding planner?”
Mandy bit back a laugh, remembering the stress of the past weeks. “Far from it. It’s my sister’s wedding day and I wanted everything to be perfect for her. Left on her own, she would have gotten married on a break between ranch chores.” The last of the adrenaline from her fall drained away, and Mandy’s voice bumped against her throat. “I’m just so grateful you came along.”
“You’re the first person who’s said that to me in a mighty long time.”
Something rough in his voice drew her glance, but he looked away. There was an awkward pause as she tried to figure out the meaning behind his words. She settled for brushing the dust off her dress as best she could. She was a wreck. It didn’t help that she’d been awake most of the past forty-eight hours cooking for the wedding.
“I wouldn’t have dropped it, except that darn donkey...” She looked around. The animal was nowhere to be seen. “There was a donkey...”
“I saw it go by. I think it’s over by the house somewhere.”
So she wasn’t having some kind of stress-induced hallucination. That was good news. “It’s just going to have to stay there, then. I have to get this to the reception.” She realized suddenly that he wasn’t dressed for a wedding. Unless Levi’s and a tight black T-shirt were formal wear for him. “You’re a guest?”
He hesitated. “Actually, I’m not.”
“Oh!” Her brain felt scrambled. Maybe she’d hit her head harder than she realized. “I’m sorry, I assumed... Can I help you with something?”
“To be honest, I didn’t know there was a wedding. I came by because someone in town told me my brother might be here. He’s your neighbor. Wade Hoffman?”
Mandy’s breath caught on the dark lump of dread settling below her sternum. “You’re Wade’s brother?” Wade had two brothers. Both criminals, both on the run.
“My name’s Arch Hoffman. I haven’t been back to Benson for a long time.”
She knew why he hadn’t been around town. If the rumors were true, he’d been hiding out in Mexico with his brother and father to escape criminal charges for theft, drug dealing and God knew what else. Mandy forced her shaking hands to steady. She glanced in the direction of the barn. The music was loud and she was still pretty far away. Would anyone hear her if she screamed for help?
“I guess you’ve heard of me.”
Blast. Her fear must be easy to see. “I have, a bit,” she admitted. She stole a peek at him. He didn’t look like a criminal. But that was how the Hoffman brothers had always worked, wasn’t it? A layer of charm smeared over cunning and crime. Like icing piled up to hide a fallen cake. “Your brother is marrying my sister today.”
He stopped. “You’re kidding. My little brother’s getting married? Today?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I haven’t spoken to my brother in over ten years.”
She couldn’t think how to answer such weighted words. “Well, I guess we should go find him.” Though she didn’t look forward to ruining Wade’s wedding day.
“That would be great. And I’d be happy to carry your cake for you.”
“Thanks.” They walked, Mandy brushing her skirts and trying to rearrange her hair as they went. But as the barn got closer, her worries got bigger. If Arch strolled into the wedding, all Mandy’s attempts to make the celebration perfect would be ruined. Upstaged by the inevitable gossip about Arch’s exploits and wrongs.
“I’ve got lousy timing, huh?” His quiet words echoed her thoughts.
She was suddenly too tired to be kind. “You do.”
“I won’t mess up the party. You can trust me.”
Ha. From all she’d heard over the years, Arch Hoffman was about as trustworthy as a bear in the beehives. She stayed silent, but he seemed intent on making conversation.
“So you made this cake yourself? These pictures on the sides and everything?”
She heard the note of forced cheer in his voice and felt selfish, all of a sudden, for worrying about the wedding. He was estranged from his family. This couldn’t be an easy moment for him.
“Yes.”
“And you’re really gonna let my little brother chop this up? It’s a work of art. Seems like you should put it in some kind of cake museum.”
It was just flattery, but it warmed her anyway. “I don’t think they have those. I did take photos, though.”
“I sure hope so. Are you a baker?”
“I have a small business. Just here on the ranch, using our kitchen. I make pies, muffins, cupcakes, things like that. This is my first wedding cake.”
He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to admire it from the side. “I guarantee that once folks see it, it won’t be your last.”
“That’s what I hope.” Mandy felt the words release into the air like fluttering doves. She’d never said it aloud before. How much she wanted to expand her business. Or go to school. Or apprentice somewhere. To pursue her dreams. But just knowing the words were out had her heart stuttering. Anxiety never stayed away for long.
They were almost to the barn, approaching from