Chapter 27

"Stop tugging, girl," Nettie said.

Casey yanked at her strapless dress again, pulling it up.

"Here," Mary said, moving closer and pulling at the laces on the back of Casey's dress, securing it more snugly.

Casey finally let go of the dress and turned slightly to look at herself in the full length mirror in Mary's hotel suite. Kaylee watched from her seat on the couch.

"You look lovely," Mary said to Casey. She went back to behind the couch so she could reach Kaylee's hair. She brushed a hand lightly over Kaylee's hair, pulling it away from her face. Kaylee felt her braiding her hair loosely, then Mary moved in front of her and pulled a few tendrils of hair free around her face.

One strand tickled her cheek and Kaylee blew it out of her face.

Mary smiled. "You look beautiful."

Kaylee hoped so. She kept her fingers from wandering toward her face and smudging the light bit of make-up Mary had applied for her.

"Whoa!" Casey yelled, teetering on her high heels and starting to tip over.

Nettie caught her before she crashed into the mirror. She exchanged a look with Mary.

"I think you have so much detail in your dress, some simpler shoes would work better with it," Mary said diplomatically.

"You think so?" Casey asked.

"Yes," said Mary and Nettie in unison.

Kaylee held back her smile. Mary met her eye and winked.

Kaylee pulled up the satiny skirt of her dress enough to look down at her feet. Mary had taken them for pedicures earlier. From there, Kaylee and Casey had gone back to their hotel rooms and promptly pulled socks and boots over their toes as they got ready for the rodeo.

There had been a question about one of Ezra's bulls so he had been pulled over to the arena to deal with that. The next Kaylee had seen him, he was on top of Smokey, chatting with one of the steer wrestlers Vin was supposed to haze for. He had caught her eye, giving her a smile meant just for her. Kaylee had felt herself blushing and had moved to the section of reserved seats in the stands where Vin was sitting with his leg stretched in front of him.

They had watched Ezra ride for three of Vin's competitors. Kaylee had been struck anew by how good Ezra was on horseback. They had only managed a quick kiss in the staging area before it was Kaylee's turn to ride. She managed second place, winning enough money to giver herself breathing room to enjoy the poker tournament with Ezra.

Maybe.

Kaylee stood, her silver sandals, studded with crystals, easier to walk in than the shoes Casey had purchased. Thankfully, Mary had also convinced Casey to buy a pair of silver threaded ballet slippers and keep the receipt for the heels.

Casey had Nettie helping secure a sparkling necklace around her neck and Mary was putting the heels back in the box they came in. Kaylee took advantage of their distraction to look at herself in the mirror.

She smoothed suddenly clammy palms over her dress. She hoped she looked like she could fit in with Ezra's other side. The one that had initially scared her away from him.

A knock sounded on the door and Kaylee's mouth went dry. She saw Casey look towards the door, her eyes widening with nerves.

Mary moved easily, not hindered by her own slim fitting black dress. She pulled the door open.

Chris and Vin stood there and Kaylee let out a long breath, relieved and disappointed it wasn't Ezra yet.

Chris looked over Mary and a small smile moved at the edges of his mouth.

Kaylee looked at the two of them together. Chris was in a tuxedo with a black shirt. They looked like they belonged together. She could only imagine how out of place she'd look next to Ezra. She started to wish—for the fiftieth time that day—she hadn't pushed Ezra to let her into his world. His world she didn't fit in.

"You look good."

Kaylee was brought out of her spiraling thoughts by Vin's voice. Whereas Chris fit the dress code in his tie, Vin had a suit coat and pants, no tie, and his white shirt was open at the collar.

"Thanks," she said, finding her voice somewhere among her nerves.

"Ezra's a real lucky guy," Vin said. He shifted on his crutches and Kaylee winced.

"Does your knee hurt bad?" she asked.

Vin shifted again. "It ain't bad."

She didn't believe him, but there was another knock on the door before she could push for the truth.

This time Chris opened the door and JD was there, one finger in his collar, tugging at the starched tuxedo shirt.

"How's a man supposed to breath in this monkey suit, Chris?" he asked. "I feel like I have a noose—"

His words cut off when he caught sight of Casey standing in the middle of the room.

"Whoa," he said.

A shy smile came to Casey's face and she caught her lower lip between her teeth.

"You look…you look like a real girl," JD said.

Casey's smile turned to confusion, then her brows knit, her nose wrinkled and she frowned. "I am a real girl, JD."

"Right," JD said. "You just don't act like one. And you never look like…" he waved a hand at her. "Like this."

"What's wrong with how I look?" Casey asked, her frown turning to a scowl.

Chris leaned down to speak quietly in JD's ear, his back to Casey. "Son, tell her she looks good and stop talking."

"You look good," JD said automatically. "Real pretty. So pretty that—ow!" he said as Chris stepped on his toes.

"Better get movin'," Chris said.

Kaylee watched Casey head out the door with JD, Nettie following after thanking Mary for helping the girls out. Kaylee almost wished she was going back to her hotel room to watch TV like Nettie.

"Do you want us to wait for Ezra with you?" Mary asked.

"No, that's fine. I'm fine," she assured her.

"You're sure?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, absolutely," Kaylee said.

"Alright then," Mary said. Her face relaxed into a smile. "He's going to be knocked over when he sees you."

Kaylee wrinkled her nose at the compliment. "Thanks," she managed. Then more sincerely, "And thanks for everything today, Mary."

"Of course," Mary said. "We'll see you over there."

"C'mon peg leg," Chris said to Vin. "We'll get you settled in a chair over there and see what the doc gave you for pain."

Vin managed his way to the door on his crutches. "Don't need nothin' for pain," he said through a voice tight with pain.

Chris let out a snort, but whatever he said next was lost when the door closed behind them.

Kaylee stood alone in the middle of Mary's suite. She tried out another look towards the mirror. She fidgeted with the silver bracelets at her wrist. She brushed aside the loose tendrils that Mary had taken from her soft braid, trying to keep them from tickling her face.

A knock on the door and Kaylee looked toward it. She took a deep breath before going to open it.

#

A bowed tendon on one of his best bulls had distracted Ezra for most of the night. Not enough to keep him from watching Kaylee ride, though.

He had just about yelled himself hoarse as she raced around the barrels. It had been a strong run and she had taken second place.

The vet and his injured bull had kept him at the arena longer than he planned and he had had to race back to the hotel to quickly change for the poker tournament. He would have been just as happy to stay in the hotel suite with Kaylee, but the tournament had been important to her. And he didn't mind sharing the annual tournament, that he had won the last two out of three years, with her. He liked having her in every part of his life. He liked being in every part of her life.

Smoothing his hair with one hand and balancing the box he carried with his other, he hurried toward Mary's suite.

He knocked and waited for someone to answer.

He was almost ready to knock again when the door opened and Kaylee stood there.

His oxygen supply left him.

Her dress was a soft shade of lilac, skimming over her body, showing off the athletic shape a summer of rodeoing earned her. The dress was simple, made to go over one shoulder and leave the other bare. It was perfect for Kaylee.

"Wow," he said, his entire vocabulary leaving him at the sight of her.

She smiled uncertainly. Ezra couldn't have her doubting what he thought. He pulled her against him with his free arm and brought his mouth down to hers. He said everything he wanted to with the kiss. His hand moved to find the curve at the small of her back, his mouth tasting her. He started to try to move his other arm around her, wanting to pull her closer, but the box got in the way, reminding him why he was there.

"Wow," she said when he lifted his head, echoing his greeting. She sounded breathless and Ezra wanted to give her another reason to lose her breath, but stopped himself before he did anything that would prevent them from making it to the poker night.

He held the box out for her.

She met his eyes. "What's this?"

"Something for you," Ezra said.

Kaylee took the box, setting it on the table in front of the couch and opening it. Ezra found himself holding his breath while she opened it.

Her eyes flew up to his when she saw what was in the box, a grin spreading across her face. Then she looked back down at the box and went still.

The new boots were a soft, buttery tan color. The stitchwork was intricate and artistic. Kaylee reached out a finger and traced the initials that were stitched boldly onto the side of each boot. KS

"Ezra," Kaylee said when she saw the initials for her married name.

"If they aren't what you like, or if you have something else in mind, you can exchange them," Ezra said, not sure what the tears welling in her eyes meant. Technically custom boots couldn't be exchanged, but he would let her think it was an exchange and pay for whatever she wanted.

And then she was in his arms again, squeezing him with all she had.

Ezra's relief came out on a chuckle. "Well try them on, Mrs. Standish," he said.

Kaylee quickly kicked off the strappy sandals she had on and slipped on the boots. "They're perfect," she said.

Ezra looked at the toes of her boots peeking out under the hem of her gown. Her braid, slightly more polished than the one she wore her hair in for competition. She was perfect. "You should wear them tonight," he said.

"What?" Kaylee shook her head laughing. "I can't wear boots to a fancy event. I wouldn't fit in with any of the people you're there with."

"Who said I wanted you to be anything like them?" Ezra grew serious. "This is who you are. This is who I love."

Kaylee's mouth screwed up to the side in thought and she looked down at the boots. When she looked back up at him she had a hesitant smile. "You're sure?"

Ezra framed her face with his hands and kissed her soundly. "I'm most assuredly certain beyond a doubt," he said against her lips.

He felt Kaylee's arms wrap around his waist, the toes of her boots bump against his polished black boots. Felt her fit in exactly where she belonged.

#

Chris took his reserved seat at one of the guest tables, for those not playing cards. He watched Vin settle into a chair with a wince, settling his crutches to lean against his chair.

"I'm going to make sure they got Casey and JD's reservations correct since it was so last minute for them," Mary said.

Chris nodded and turned his attention back to Vin. "Why don't you take something for the pain?"

Vin shifted, another wince narrowing his eyes. "I already did."

"Well take another."

Vin pulled a prescription bottle from his pocket and squinted at the label. He handed it over to Chris.

Chris skimmed the label. "How many of these did you take?"

"Two. It's what the doctor said. Can't take another for four hours."

Chris snorted and twisted off the lid. He shook another tablet out and handed it to Vin. "They have to say that. The doctor was probably more worried about his malpractice insurance than makin' sure you're not hurtin'."

It told Chris how much pain Vin was in that he took the pill without argument. Chris flagged down a passing waiter and took two flutes of champagne from his tray. He handed one to Vin. "Wash it down with that. It'll work better than any pill."

Vin downed the drink in two gulps.

"I'll go get us some real drinks," Chris said. He made his way to the bar. On the way he saw Casey at a table, JD next to her apparently pleading with her to listen to him.

Chris veered around their table. The kid got himself into that mess, he was on his own to smooth things over. Nathan had been called to the hospital with one of the bullriders who took a bad spill at the end of the night. And Josiah would be farther on down the Vegas strip, at a smaller hotel, listening to the local singer, Emma, as he did every year they came to town. Chris let out a heavy sigh. Josiah would have his head in the clouds for the rest of the week, then the melancholy would set in until Nathan or Ezra could talk Josiah around to reminisce about the fond memories he and Emma had and Josiah would live on those memories for another year.

Chris made it to the bar and ordered two beers. Ezra came up next to him and ordered a beer and a Sprite.

"You cutting back on drinking?" Chris asked. He held back any hint of humor, knowing why Ezra had ordered a soda.

Ezra looked at him, no hint of embarrassment. "My bride isn't quite of drinking age," Ezra said.

A grin crooked Chris' mouth at Ezra's unabashed acceptance of Kaylee, age and all. "Good for you, Ezra," he said.

"Besides, she tends to be something of a handful when she does drink," Ezra said.

Chris grunted, taking the bottle the bartender handed him and clinking it in agreement against the one Ezra was handed.

"You planning on lettin' her lose everything tonight?" Chris asked.

Ezra looked pained. "I'm hoping she doesn't find out what an abysmal player she actually is."

Ezra looked over Chris' shoulder and his face softened slightly, a look Chris hadn't seen on the hardened conman's face before. But then, Ezra wasn't really that person anymore.

"Good luck," Chris said, picking up Vin's beer and heading back to where Vin was waiting.

Vin was absently rubbing his knee through his immobilizer. He looked relieved when he saw the beer Chris held, taking it from him.

Chris picked up the menu, written in swirling script and asked Vin what he planned on ordering. It was an innocuous question and would save Vin from having to pretend he could decipher the words when they were written in such an elaborate font. "Chicken, fish, or steak," Chris said.

"Duck," Vin said.

Chris swung his head over to look at his friend.

Vin's eyes were half shut.

"That ain't on the menu," Chris said.

"Spaghetti," Vin said.

Chris scowled. "Just make a choice. The waiter's coming around."

"Duck, duck, goose," Vin muttered, his eyes falling shut.

Chris couldn't respond to him because the waiter was there. He ordered the steak for Vin and himself, the chicken for Mary. The waiter thanked him and moved to the next table. Chris craned his neck, looking for Mary. He saw her talking to one of the rodeo advertisers. He turned back to his beer and Vin's chair was empty.

Chris took a long drink, relieved Vin was feeling better and able to move around easier. Damn doctors didn't know anything, telling him not to take enough painkillers to actually work.

#

Kaylee felt the same hum of butterflies in her stomach she felt every time the cards were dealt. She looked across the room of tables to Ezra and saw him pick up his cards, his entire focus on the cards. She thought back to the night she talked to him for the first time. When she had desperately tossed her money down and insisted he let her gamble against him. When she had reluctantly moved into his camper, determined it would be temporary until she figured something out. When she had been intimidated by him, unable to see anything in his stoic expression.

She smiled as she saw him pick up the cards like he didn't have a care in the world and picked up her own cards. She tried to keep her attention on her own game, but she couldn't keep her eyes from straying to Ezra. To the way he leaned back in his chair and tossed cards down, pushed poker chips forward. The dealer called for her attention and Kaylee snapped her attention back to her own game. Her game where she was losing abysmally.

She shoved the last of her chips forward, figuring it was a good enough hand to go all or nothing.

She lost. But it was ok, she told herself. She had eight more rides this week to get money. She didn't need this. And now she could watch Ezra play. She smiled at the others at her table, congratulating them. The lightness she felt in spite of losing was so different from the panic that had set in that first night with Ezra, when she had lost to him.

Memories of that panic stirred uncomfortable thoughts of her desperation, her mom back in Nebraska, Cletus and his phone calls and the enjoyment of the game faded. She looked over to Ezra, saw him collecting a huge pile of chips as the rest of the players pushed back their chairs.

She needed him. Needed to remember what she had now, not what she had been running from. What she was still running from.

Ezra looked up when she slid her arm around his shoulders. His face relaxed into a smile and he pulled her onto his lap.

"How did you fare?" he asked.

"I lost it all," Kayee admitted.

Ezra brushed a kiss across her cheek, his fingers trailing over her bare shoulder. "Are you disappointed?"

Kaylee heaved a sigh. "A little. But not as disappointed as the first time I gambled. When I lost to you."

Ezra's eyes twinkled. "I would say I won my biggest prize thanks to that night."

She planted a kiss on his lips as the emcee for the night called for players to take their seats for the next round.

She slid off his lap, but Ezra caught her hand. "Should we call it a night? I can bow out."

She shook her head. "You keep playing. I'm going to go find Casey."

She left Ezra to his next round and looked around the crowded ball room for Casey, but saw Vin first. Her brown wrinkled as she saw him wobbling slightly on his crutches and headed towards him.

She hurried the last few steps to him and reached him in time to steady him.

"Hey," Vin greeted her.

"Hey," she answered. Concern took over the warmth she had with Ezra. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Just out for a walk. The weather's nice."

"You're inside," she said, the concern building at the way Vin's words slurred.

"Huh. Must be why it ain't rainin' then," he said. He looked groggy.

"Maybe we should get you back to the hotel," Kaylee said.

Before Vin could answer—not that Kaylee figured his answer would help her decipher what he wanted—Chris strode up to them.

"Been lookin' everywhere for you. What are you doing?" he asked Vin.

"Just goin' for a swim," Vin answered.

Chris shook his head in annoyance. "Come sit down." He put a hand on Vin's back and gave him a nudge toward their table. "What is wrong with you?" he asked his friend.

"Just a little out of sorts," Vin mumbled.

"Yeah, well pull it together," Chris ordered.

Kaylee returned Chris' nod of greeting for her and watched them make their way back to their table, Vin looking unsteady on his crutches. She started to follow after them, intending to make sure Vin really was ok.

"Kaylee!" Casey called.

Kaylee looked after Vin, saw Vin yanking a chair out for Vin to drop on to. They looked alright, so she detoured over to where Casey stood by the bar.

"Can you believe him?" Casey demanded.

Kaylee looked around them, not seeing anyone she recognized. "Who?" she asked.

"JD!" Casey burst out.

Kaylee felt her brow wrinkle and shook her head slightly. She wasn't sure what JD had done that was so unbelievable. Honestly, she couldn't imagine the goodhearted guy doing anything offensive.

"What he said to me," Casey said. And then Kaylee saw the look on Casey's face. She wasn't just mad. She was hurt. "That I don't usually look like a girl. Or act like one."

The stirrings of compassion moved through Kaylee. She knew it would have only taken one word from Ezra to shatter her when she stood before him in her fancy dress, feeling completely unlike herself. "I don't think he meant it to hurt you," Kaylee offered. "And if you don't act like a girl, then I sure don't," she said, giving her friend a tiny smile.

Casey stayed silent, a frown bringing out a small dimple on her cheek. She looked down at her polished nails, pastel pink to match her dress. The sounds of laughter and the clink of glasses filled the space around them.

"Maybe you should try talking to him," Kaylee suggested. She looked over at JD, where he was approaching Chris and Vin, his brow furrowed and lips downturned.

Casey shook her head quickly. "What I need to do is find someone else." As she said it her face lit up with determination. "Show him there are other fish in the sea and I don't need him."

Kaylee thought of her brief foray into dating with Gage and the bruises that had led to, both for herself and JD. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Casey straightened up, ignoring Kaylee's advice, her eyes already scanning the room. "Maybe I'll just sow some wild oats and he'll see what he missed out on." And then she was off, a determined stride carrying her into the crowd where Kaylee lost sight of her.

Suddenly, Kaylee just wanted to go home with Ezra. She didn't want the memories of her first poker game, of Gage, of everything before Ezra. She ordered another Sprite and carried it over to watch Ezra's next match. He glanced up from his cards and though his expression didn't change, she saw the shift in his eyes when he saw her.

The knot that was coiled in her started to release. She just needed Ezra and everything would be alright.

#

"Hey, Chris," JD asked.

The older man didn't acknowledge him. He was busy shoving Vin over into a chair to keep him from leaning too far to the side and falling on the floor. "What is wrong with you, Tanner?" Chris grumbled.

"Chris?" JD asked again.

"What?" Chris snapped. Vin threatened to tilt too far the other way and Chris finally managed to get him steady.

"Do you have a minute? Casey's really upset and I could use some advice."

Chris looked nonplussed, but JD forged ahead. "I said something to her and it set her off. She won't even talk to me. I was wonderin' if you had an idea, maybe, of what I should do to fix it."

"I don't know," Chris sighed with annoyance as Vin's head dropped forward onto the table and Vin let out a soft snore. "Maybe you shouldn't say stupid things to her."

"Yeah," JD agreed. "It's just that, I didn't mean to say anything to make her mad. I didn't know it was stupid. I just get around her sometimes and I can't really think. My brain gets all fuzzy and she looks at me like she's expectin' me to say something, but I don't know what."

Chris scowled at Vin and gave him a less than gentle jab. "Wake up." Vin roused slightly and Chris shot JD a look. "Where's Buck? He'll have plenty of advice for you."

"He met a waitress yesterday and I haven't seen him since, other than our ride tonight." JD felt a little lost without Buck's presence, not that he'd admit that to anyone.

"Figures," Chris muttered. "Just go tell Casey you're an idiot and then stop being an idiot," he said. He finally looked at JD.

"Um, ok." JD had his doubts about how well Chris' advice would work. More than that, he didn't know exactly how he should stop being an idiot. "Thanks, Chris."

Chris grunted in response and JD left him to deal with whatever was going on with Vin.

He looked over at Ezra, shuffling a deck of cards, while he waited for the next round to start. Ezra's attention wasn't on the cards, but on Kaylee, smiling at him from a seat at another table.

JD thought back to when Kaylee and Ezra had been at odds. Ezra had been a mess. He saw that look on Ezra's face that he had never seen before Kaylee. Ezra had sure figured things out with Kaylee.

JD headed to Ezra.

"Hello, Mr. Dunne," Ezra greeted him. "Are you and your lovely companion enjoying the evening?"

"Well, not really," JD said, glad Ezra had given him the opening. As hard as Chris was to talk to, Ezra usually had him all twisted in circles, not sure what he really meant.

Ezra glanced over at Kaylee and JD tried to catch his attention before he got distracted by her again. "I sort of messed things up with Casey and thought maybe you…you know…you had some problems with Kaylee, but, well, look at you guys now."

Ezra didn't respond, a small grin teasing at the corners of his mouth as Kaylee gave him a wink.

"So, I, uh, I thought maybe you could tell me what you did to fix things with Kaylee," JD said quickly.

Ezra glanced at him, then back to the cards he was shuffling. Two of his competitors pulled out chairs and sat down at the felt covered table. Ezra's focus went to them and JD knew Ezra was already getting a read on them, looking for tells and weaknesses.

"So what did you do?" JD asked, hoping Ezra would have better advice than Chris.

Ezra gave the newcomers a slight nod. "Gentlemen," he greeted them.

"Ezra?" JD asked.

He finally succeeded in pulling Ezra's attention to him briefly. "What did I do?" Ezra asked. JD nodded. "I married her, Mr. Dunne."

JD blinked as Ezra turned his attention to the last two players taking a seat. "That's it?" JD asked. "It fixed everything?"

"I asked, she said yes, and now it's bliss," Ezra affirmed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe I have some money to win."

JD stepped back from the table. He saw Kaylee give him a sympathetic smile and debated going over to her. She might be able to give him some insight into Casey, but thought better of it. The way Casey had reacted when Kaylee had moved into the camper with him and Buck hadn't been good, and he didn't want to do anything to make things worse.

He headed back over to the bar, on the way he saw Casey. She was tossing her head back and laughing loudly at something some guy with an earring said. When she caught JD's eye, she angled herself farther away from him, towards the man with the earring and batted her lashes up at the man.

JD's entire body felt like it slumped forward. He went to the bar and ordered a drink.

He really, really wished Buck was there.

#