party had changed locations.
After one and a half glasses of wine, Hope’s imagination shifted into high gear. The house was filled with wedding presents. What if some bad actors knew that and were planning to rob the place? If they had inside info, they’d think no one would be home this afternoon.
Then the truck moved on. Okay, so much for that theory. Maybe the driver was just lost. But moments later, she heard the truck again, only this time the engine was cranking. They’d gone around the block to get a faster start up the hill. Setting down her wineglass, she raced to the door and wrenched it open. “Phil, call the cops! Someone’s coming up here to rob you!”
Then she barreled down the steps toward the drive. Chances were they wouldn’t run over her if she stood in their way, plus they’d realize the house was occupied. She’d heard that most burglars robbed houses when the owners were gone. Throwing her arms wide, she yelled at them to stop.
The driver slammed on the brakes, both he and the other guy looking as if they’d seen a ghost. Oh, yeah, those two had definitely been up to no good! They were towing a loaded flatbed covered with a tarp to hide the stolen merchandise underneath. No doubt they’d planned on adding some wedding presents to their pile of booty.
Fists planted on her hips, she smiled in satisfaction as the truck rolled slowly backward, pulled by the weight of the trailer.
“What’s happening?” Phil’s red hair swung against her shoulders as she walked quickly over to Hope. Buzzing with excitement, the other guests followed.
“I’m positive they were after your gifts,” Hope said. “Did you call 911?”
“I did, but—”
“Robbers?” Edie, Phil’s stepmother, stared at the truck with wide eyes. “In broad daylight?” She and Phil looked enough alike to be mother and daughter, especially because Edie had colored her hair to match Phil’s.
“They thought nobody was home.” Hope watched a police cruiser pull up to block the thieves’ escape. Small towns usually had speedy law enforcement. “Caught in the act. That’ll teach them.”
Both men got out of the truck.
“Cowboys?” Lexi Simmons, one of Phil’s good friends, gazed at the two guys wearing hats, boots, jeans and yoked shirts.
“Cute ones, too,” someone added.
“Wait a minute.” Rosie Padgett, Damon’s foster mom, moved to the front of the crowd. “Those boys look mighty familiar.”
“Yeah,” Lexi said. “They look a lot like the Magee brothers.”
“Good Lord, it’s Liam and Grady!” Rosie started down the hill.
Phil gasped. “Grady?” She trotted after Rosie. “Are you saying I called the cops on Grady?”
“Isn’t Grady Magee that sculptor you love so much?” Edie hurried down the drive after them.
“Yes!” Phil tossed over her shoulder. “And a wedding guest, besides! This is so embarrassing.”
“But why would they just show up like this?” Hope observed the scene with growing dismay. She’d heard of Grady Magee. Everyone who lived in Cody had. She’d known he’d be at the wedding with his brother Liam. That probably meant one of Grady’s sculptures was under that tarp and not a bunch of stolen goods. If they were trying to bring the tarp-covered object up the drive, it might even be a wedding present for Damon and Phil. Damn it.
“Don’t feel bad.” Lexi gave her a quick hug.
“Too late.”
“Hey, they could have been robbers.”
“But they weren’t. And one of them is famous.” Her vivid imagination had gotten her into trouble a lot as a kid, but she hadn’t embarrassed herself like this in a long time.
“You didn’t know that, and you were bravely defending the castle. That’s admirable.” Lexi smiled. “Let’s go find out what they’re up to.”
“Okay.” Heading down to meet the Magee brothers was the last thing she wanted to do, but refusing wasn’t an option. She needed to apologize for interfering. She’d never met Grady, but she’d seen his picture in the paper. She picked him out as the one with collar-length brown hair.
He and his brother didn’t resemble each other. The closer she came to the group at the bottom of the drive, the more familiar Liam seemed. She remembered that jet-black hair and those blue eyes from somewhere. She also recognized his warm smile.
Then she placed him. He’d stopped in a few times after dropping off his rafting clients at the hotel in Cody where she worked at the concierge desk. From his subtle flirting, she’d thought he’d ask her out eventually. Even though he was temptation on a stick, she’d been rehearsing her refusal. She had no intention of getting involved with a guy. Not now, anyway, and maybe not ever again.
She probably wouldn’t need to refuse him after giving him a heart attack by standing in front of his moving truck and then bringing the law down on him. She’d be lucky if he didn’t chew her out. But what in hell had he been doing delivering a sculpture when presumably no one was home?
Unless it was supposed to be a surprise, doofus. She sighed. That would explain everything, wouldn’t it? But spoiling the surprise wasn’t all on her, not with the party guests in the cabin this afternoon.
By the time she and Lexi had joined the gathering, the cruiser had driven away. Phil was having an animated conversation with Grady, and Liam stood there smiling with one arm around Rosie’s shoulders as everyone gave him advice about getting his truck and the loaded flatbed up the hill. Except if Hope hadn’t stood in his way, he’d have accomplished it by now.
Liam’s gaze fell on them, and he brightened. “Hey, Lex!” He moved toward Lexi, but he sent a quick smile Hope’s way as if to acknowledge that he recognized her, too. “Grady, Lexi’s here!”
As both guys converged on Lexi, Phil hurried over and put her arm around Hope. “It’s fine. They’re not upset.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“I know, but please don’t worry about it. They’re good guys. Let me introduce you. Liam, Grady? This is my friend Hope Caldwell. We’ve known each other since ninth grade.”
“Nice to meet you, Hope.” Grady smiled as he touched the brim of his hat in a typical cowboy greeting. “I have to admit you scared the daylights out of us.”
“I know, and I’m deeply sorry. I thought—never mind what I thought.”
“Oh, we’re well aware of what you thought.” Liam’s amused voice matched the laughter in his blue eyes. “The cops made that clear. Hello, Hope. Good to see you again.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
“No, I mean it.” His gaze held hers.
Phil blinked. “You know each other?”
“Not really.” Hope scrambled to get her bearings. The warmth
