The Reluctant Bride (Montana Born Brides) by Katherine Garbera Page A

still had to do before they even got close to pledging their lives to each other.
    “I do have a good opinion of you, but I know I sort of screwed up how you feel about me.”
    “ This entire situation would be so much easier if you had. And earlier tonight, when I was about to walk out the door, I would have agreed with you. But you asked me to stay. And you kissed me, Risa. That changed everything.”
    “ One kiss?”
    “ Just one. That’s all it took the first time, too. Remember?”
    “ I can’t forget it. No matter how hard I try.” She sighed. “So what’s next?”
    “ We have lunch tomorrow, like you suggested, and we take this slowly.” Tonight he felt less confident that they’d be able to find their way back to each other. At this moment, when pride had turned to fear and he finally admitted the truth that had been hiding beneath his ego. That maybe her running away had been the best thing for them. He didn’t want to have to admit to her that he was no one’s hero. Not hers, certainly not Lane’s, and he wasn’t even sure he liked himself that much anymore.
    He had sought her out tonight, like she ’d said, for revenge. A chance to save his own face and to soothe his ego. Instead, he’d found that she was still the girl he’d cared for in Vegas—and a part of him wanted to be the man that she married.
    But they had to find their way back to that.
    “Lunch? That’s right. We did make a date for tomorrow, didn’t we?”
    He nodded.
    Someone turned the overhead lights on and he knew that things were going to get embarrassing for them if they were caught back here. Not because of anything they were doing, but more because of what they weren’t doing. More because she’d have to explain about her fiancé, and he wasn’t sure he could listen to any more of those stories she was so good at making up.
    “ Let’s go.”
    She nodded. “I have to clean up and get the vouchers I handed out.”
    “ Did you do the flowers for the event?” he asked.
    “ I did.”
    “ Want a hand cleaning up?” he asked.
    She looked at him. “Jane will probably ask about our engagement.”
    “ We’re still enjoying our reunion,” he said.
    “ Precisely.”
    She told him what needed to be picked up and gave away flower arrangements to anyone who was leaving.
    “Why did you do that?”
    “ I’d rather someone enjoy the flowers in their home, than see them in the trash can. And I can’t resell day-old flowers,” she said. “It seems a shame to let all that beauty go to waste.”
    Jane called Risa away and Monty watched her leave, thinking of beauty and shame and all the wasted moments of his life. She thought she’d started hiding from life, but it was clear to him she hadn’t. Seeing her tonight had clarified that. He wondered if the key to catching her was to help her find her way back to it, even though her parents were dead.
    He wanted that.
    He wanted to figure out how she’d move past guilt into a sort of future. That’s what he needed and he was a little afraid that maybe he was holding on to this, and to her, because he didn’t want to be alone. But the truth was he was broken. Broken in a way he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge until tonight. And he hoped there was some way that being with Risa could fix him.

     
     

Chapter Six

     
    Risa awoke at six a.m. She lay in the bed staring at the ceiling. Last night she’d seen Monty, asked him for time. Something he’d granted her. But now what? She’d committed to getting to know him again. To trying to see if they should still get married, and she was still wearing the ring he’d given her. The gorgeous marquis-cut ring.
    She rolled over on her side, tucked her hand under her cheek and looked at the picture on her nightstand of her mom and dad at Machu Picchu, taken three years ago. They had their arms wrapped around each other and smiled out at her with such joy and love.
    That was what she ’d hoped to find. Monty had offered her that in