imported caviar Buckmaster had flown in just that morning. No expense had been spared. It was the Hamilton way. Whatever it cost, money was never an issue.
He caught his reflection in a mirror as he passed through the house, and he straightened his tie. Wouldn’t his family be surprised to see him now? He looked nothing like the old Cooper Barnett; he still felt a lot like the old one—except in nicer clothes. It was that old one who worried him.
You don’t belong here. Worse, he feared that a lot of people at this party knew it. He shoved the thought away as he exited the house and walked among the crowd outside, anxious to find his fiancée. Stars twinkled overhead. A light breeze swayed the nearby pines and music filled the air. The Hamiltons couldn’t have ordered a more beautiful night. Even the weather did what Buckmaster wanted, he thought with a wry smile.
Then he saw his bride-to-be and forgot all about his future father-in-law and the old Cooper Barnett. His heart did a little stutter-kick in his chest. Damn but Livie Hamilton was breathtaking tonight. She wore a burgundy-red dress that accentuated her rich olive skin and contrasted perfectly with her long dark hair. He still couldn’t believe she’d fallen in love with him. How had he gotten so lucky?
Not that she wasn’t a spitfire who fought him at every turn. Also he’d done his best not to fall in love with her. He’d been warned about the Hamilton girls and he’d wanted nothing to do with her.
When he fell, though, he’d fallen hard. He wouldn’t admit it to her even at gunpoint, but her independent, mule-headed stubbornness and determination were part of her charm. But she was a Hamilton and that came with its problems.
He was headed for her when she saw him. Her face lit, making his heart take off at a dead run. The band broke into Livie’s favorite song, just as he had requested. It was sappy, but when he saw her smile of recognition, it was all worth it.
“You look...amazing,” he said, taking her in with his gaze, then his arms.
She smiled up at him, her blue eyes wide and luminous. “You don’t look so bad yourself. You clean up nice, cowboy.”
He pulled her out onto the dance floor, drawing her in closer. As he nuzzled her neck, he caught the scent of light citrus. Desire almost buckled his knees. Overhead, starlight glittered down on them from Montana’s big sky. The night really was perfect.
“I am the luckiest man alive,” he said as he drew back to look at her. He’d never understand why she’d fallen in love with him. If only she wasn’t a Hamilton, he thought, and shoved the thought away. He wouldn’t let anything ruin this night.
He’d never believed in luck. He’d gotten where he was through hard work. But he was afraid to jinx this, afraid he didn’t deserve this woman, deserve any of this—and he knew he could blame his father for that.
Ralph Barnett had told him from the time he was a boy that he wasn’t worth two cents and would never amount to anything. He’s spent most of his twenty-eight years trying to prove the man wrong. But there was still that part of him that didn’t believe he deserved anything, especially happiness.
“I’m the lucky one,” Livie said.
Cooper pulled her closer, leaning down to whisper, “I love you,” against her hair. He relished the soft sweet moan she uttered in response. He ached with a need for her. The two of them had been so busy they had hardly seen each other for weeks. Once this shindig was over, he couldn’t wait to get her alone.
As the song ended, she drew back to look at him, her gaze locking with his. He lost himself in her sky-blue eyes. Her dark hair floated around her bare shoulders, making his fingers long to bury themselves in it. No woman had ever made him feel like this and he knew, after Livie, no other woman ever could.
“I love you, Coop. Remember that always.” She said it with such force that he felt a niggling of worry. She looked a little pale, he thought, and recalled that the few times he’d seen her over the past few weeks she hadn’t been herself.
He’d been busy working on the ranch, getting it ready for when she moved in after they were married. Livie had also been busy, taking care of the wedding plans. He would have been happy to elope, but Buckmaster Hamilton wasn’t having that. His first daughter to marry was going to have a huge wedding, no expense spared.
Cooper had gone along with it, knowing it was important to Livie. But he’d dug in his heels when it came to her father helping them financially, which had been a bone of contention between them, among other things.
He would also have gladly gone for a longer engagement, giving him time to finish the house he was building for them on his ranch. But Livie wasn’t good at waiting for anything. It was her impulsiveness that he loved—but it also caused him concern. She often acted without thinking of the consequences.
Like last winter when, after a fight, she’d taken off with a storm coming and ended up in a ditch. Even though she swore her injury was minor, she hadn’t been the same since, he thought now.
“Is everything all right, Livie?” he asked, his heart suddenly in his throat.
* * *
LIVIE MET HIS dark gaze. She’d loved this man almost from the first time she’d seen him in the corral working with the horses. There’d been something special about him—a tenderness, a vulnerability and yet a strength like none she’d ever seen.
At the thought of losing him... Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. Not now, she told herself. All you have to do is get through tonight. “I’m feeling a little emotional, that’s all.” She could see that he was worried and wasn’t going to leave it at that.
But fortunately, his future best man, Rylan West, cut in and whisked her away. Rylan and Cooper had been best friends since Cooper arrived in town. It was good to see him and his wife, Destry, at the party. Not long ago, Destry had lost not only her brother but also the baby she was carrying.
When the song ended, Livie quickly excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. As she left the party, she glanced back. She saw Cooper in deep conversation with her father. Both men were frowning. Like her and Cooper, they were probably having the same argument. Her father wanted her to live in a nice house after they were married.
Because she’d insisted on a short engagement, she and Cooper would be living in his old cabin until he finished building their house. With her father’s resources and a hired crew, the house could have been finished before the wedding if Cooper would only agree to it. But he was determined to do it all himself without his future father-in-law’s help.
The music started up again, seeming too loud. She caught scents in the crowd—perfume, aftershave, appetizers and alcohol. It all made her stomach turn. She swallowed back the nausea and made a beeline for the patio bathroom.
Rushing in, she threw up. As she finished, she leaned against the cool wall of the bathroom feeling a little better. Once she’d gotten herself together again, she stepped back outside. The party was beautiful from here—all the lights, the sound of laughter, music and voices, the tinkling of champagne glasses.
Her stepmother had done an amazing job, but then again, the woman had been throwing parties for years here on the ranch. Livie remembered the day her father and Angelina had walked into the house and announced that they’d gotten married. She’d taken an instant dislike to Angelina—just as her sisters had.
Fortunately, Angelina hadn’t
