When Dreams Collide Read online

  WHEN DREAMS COLLIDE

  Brenda Sinclair

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN 978-0-9880157-6-0

  Copyright December 2012 Brenda Sinclair

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Except for use in any review, the reproduction of this work in whole or in part in any form now known or hereafter invented is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to Victoria Chatham, Sharon Vierboom, and Ellen Jorgensen for reading my manuscript and providing excellent critiques. I appreciate you taking time away from your own projects and work to accommodate my request.

  Many thanks to Su Kopil from Earthly Charms at http://www.earthlycharms.com/ for the wonderful cover.

  A special thank you to Victoria Chatham for the pleasant discussion about horses and horse rescue facilities over lunch. And thank you to Shanna Benson for answering my questions regarding the banking industry. Thank you once again to Ted Williams for line editing my final manuscript.

  And thank you to my husband for not complaining on the evenings that dinner was late because I couldn’t drag myself away from the computer during a stretch of particularly productive writing.

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to everyone who has lost a friend or family member to a drunk driver.

  And to every person, whether law enforcement personnel or members of M.A.D.D. and similar organizations, who tirelessly works toward removing drunk drivers from our roads.

  Huge heartfelt thanks to all of you.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author

  You can find Brenda at

  Chapter 1

  “Oh, hell,” the guy blurted, a second after he charged into the cloakroom. Instantly, his face turned a dozen shades of red.

  Susan Sanders stood with her silk, two-toned teal bridesmaid’s dress up around her waist, unable to drop her skirt, and too stunned to scream. Apparently, the man moved at lightning speed when on a mission. She’d purposely looked both ways down the swanky hotel’s carpeted hallway before sneaking into the room where several dozen coats hung unattended on this rainy, June afternoon.

  “What are you doing in here?” she demanded, too shocked to do anything except stare back at the stranger.

  “I forgot my cell phone in my coat pocket. I need to set it on silent so it won’t interrupt the ceremony.” The man glared at her, his face now only slightly pink. “Shouldn’t you use the ladies’ room for whatever you’re doing?”

  “If I knew where a ladies’ room was, would I be in here?” Susan’s best friend, Amanda Bailey, and Jeremy Branigan were tying the knot in ten minutes. She’d felt her half slip heading toward her knees and snuck into the cloakroom to execute a quick fix.

  “That is the laciest pair of pink panties I’ve ever seen. Judging by your shocked expression when I stepped through the doorway, I wouldn’t have been surprised to find you standing over a dead body with a gun in your hand. Since I don’t see a smoking weapon, why exactly are you in here?” He looked away then.

  Perhaps the guy finally realized he’d been gawking at her legs and admiring her underwear, as unabashedly as a damn voyeur. Although the grin creasing his face suggested any guilt he might have experienced had been short-lived.

  “I tried to remove my slip, but the claw on my ring caught on something.” Susan sucked in her breath.

  Had she just shared that tidbit with a total stranger? A stranger who looked like a movie star with his shaggy dark brown hair and neatly-trimmed moustache. The deeply tanned complexion confirmed he either worked outdoors or spent a fortune at a tanning salon. His broad chest and slim muscular build suggested he enjoyed sports, or maybe his job kept him active. Had the situation been less embarrassing, she’d be drooling over this testosterone-oozing specimen. And she couldn’t recall any male who’d induced drooling since high school.

  “So, what’s the problem?” he frowned.

  “The claw on my ring is caught in my dress, and I can’t drop my skirt to utilize both hands to untangle it in case the ring tears the silky material. Now I know how helpless those baby whales feel when they swim onto a beach by mistake.” Damn that stupid slip and her impatience. She’d totally humiliated herself, all for the sake of punctuality, refusing to keep the bride waiting while she searched for a ladies’ room.

  “Hold on a minute and let me help you.” He slipped his strong tanned hands under her dress and fumbled around in the gown’s delicate frills.

  Now, her humiliation was complete. But for a brief moment, she’d imagined the handsome stranger’s hands caressing her, not digging through the folds of her dress.

  “Careful you don’t tear anything,” she warned.

  “Do you want my help or not? I know what I’m doing,” he mumbled.

  “Really? And how many times exactly have you untangled a ring from a woman’s dress?” she asked, snidely.

  “This week, or in total?” He glanced up at her, smiling wickedly.

  “Oh, you’re the most...”

  “All done.” The stranger—could he still be considered a stranger after the intimate rescue he’d just executed?—stood up and motioned for her to drop the dress. She looked into his brown eyes, saw a hint of hardship he’d endured in his lifetime, and she wanted to know more about him.

  Susan shook out the skirt allowing it to billow around her legs the way the designer must have envisioned. “Thank you so much.” She examined the claws on the guilty culprit and made a mental note to drop the ring at a jeweler’s shop for repair. “I won’t be late after all.”

  “Can’t start without the groomsman and bridesmaid. Besides, isn’t the bride supposed to show up late?” He dug a cell phone out of his coat, punched a few buttons, and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

  “Have you ever known Amanda Bailey to be late for anything? It just isn’t in her DNA.”

  “You’re right,” he said.

  Susan smiled smugly. Surprisingly, the guy actually agreed with her for a change. Can’t start without the groomsman and bridesmaid, he’d said. Her brain finally registered the fact that he wore a black tux with a teal blue boutonnière pinned to it.

  Oh, crap!

  The guy had to be Dusty MacFarland, the Lazy B ranch foreman and Jeremy’s absentee groomsman. Last night, Jeremy explained that Dusty was involved with an emergency at the ranch, but assured everyone his best friend would be in attendance today for sure. A cousin stood in for Dusty during the rehearsal.

  “You must be the elusive groomsman we’ve been awaiting. I’m Susan Sanders.” She stuck her hand out.

  He shook her hand, grinning broadly. “Dusty MacFarland. Pleased to meet
you. And quite a memorable meeting it was.”

  Susan grimaced. If Amanda ever heard about this, she’d never live it down. “Well, I’ll see you later with the rest of the wedding party. I’ll be the one standing beside the bride and maid of honor.” Susan wanted him gone since she still hadn’t resolved the issue of her slip with the ruined elastic. Better no slip than attempting to walk down the aisle with it around her ankles.

  Dusty grinned. “I’ll be the guy with the lasso around the groom so he can’t escape. Much more civilized than that shotgun business.”

  Susan laughed, in spite of herself. Amanda had replaced Jeremy’s sister-in-law, Catherine, at the Ellis Bank main branch during her maternity leave. By the time Susan arrived in April to assist in solving a problem at the bank, Amanda had discovered she was pregnant.

  Jeremy proposed to Amanda in mid-May. Six weeks later here they were.

  Somehow Amanda and Catherine pulled this wedding together in record time. Finding a church for a June wedding when it was already the middle of May would have been impossible, but a sudden cancellation at this swanky hotel had saved the day.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  Susan couldn’t believe she’d never encountered the Lazy B’s foreman considering all the trips she’d made to the ranch to visit Amanda. “You go on ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  She could almost see the light bulb go on above his head.

  “You still want that slip off, don’t you?” He crouched down in front of her. “Let me help or you’ll just get yourself all tangled up again.”

  Susan’s breath caught. She couldn’t recall the last time a man had squatted in front of her, and it unnerved her. Dusty resembled a prince preparing to slip a glass slipper on her foot. She never missed her twice weekly workouts, and men at the gym complimented her on her healthy, fit appearance while gawking at her 36Cs and admiring her long legs. Amanda often told her that she carried her size fourteen weight quite nicely on her five foot nine inch frame. Since high school, Susan carried on a permanent argument with herself that she needed to lose a few pounds. She never did, but she never gained any weight either. Perhaps Amanda was right.

  Dusty pulled up the hem of her skirt. A shiver of pleasure coursed through her body and warmed her private places the moment his hands touched her legs. His fingers searched for the slip and tugged it down. The errant garment landed in a puddle at her feet. Susan rested her hands on his broad shoulders for balance, lifted each foot in turn, and stepped out of the slip. He stood up—the guy was at least six foot four— picked the silky white scrap of material off the floor and offered it to her.

  “Just toss it in the garbage. The elastic is shot.”

  Rolling the material into a ball and taking aim as if an NBA title was on the line, he tossed what used to be her favorite slip into a black plastic garbage can. Good riddance, she thought. After all the trouble it had caused, she never wanted to see the damn thing again.

  Susan attempted to ignore the strong attraction she felt for Jeremy’s groomsman, but it was proving to be a losing battle. Especially a few minutes ago, when he was running his hands up her legs. Considering she’d be spending the entire day with this guy, she might discover the wedding had become the social highlight of her year.

  Would either of them initiate something, flamed by a mutual attraction? Did Dusty even feel attracted to her? Maybe he had a girlfriend? Or a fiancée? Or a wife even?

  “There you are!” shouted Jeremy Branigan, racing into the cloakroom. “Damn it man, I thought you’d run out. Scared the hell out of me. Amanda would have skinned both of us alive.”

  “Told you I forgot to shut off my cell phone.”

  “That was ages ago.” Jeremy suddenly noticed there was someone else in the cloakroom. “Hey, Susan, let me introduce you to my groomsman.”

  “I’ve met Dusty already. We introduced ourselves.” Susan pasted a smile on her face, inwardly grimacing as she recalled the embarrassing introduction. Jeremy Branigan teased her like a brother, and she adored her friend’s almost new husband. She prayed he’d never learn how the introduction went down or they’d never hear the end of it.

  “Yes, I know quite a lot about Susan already. Did you know she wears the...”

  “That’s enough chitchat.” Susan glared at Dusty. “Everybody to their places before Amanda comes looking for us.”

  “We’ll talk later, I’m sure. Your Victoria’s Secret is safe with me,” whispered Dusty, placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her out of the room and down the hallway.

  Susan elbowed Dusty in the stomach, and her arm almost bounced off his six pack abs.

  Dusty chuckled and then hurried to catch up with Jeremy. Susan watched the two men saunter down the hallway with identical loose-limbed gaits. Dusty slapped his friend on the back and she heard the teasing jab. “Five minutes and counting. Then it will be all over for you, buddy.”

  Jeremy laughed, but Susan didn’t catch his reply.

  How would she manage to walk the length of the banquet room’s red carpeted aisle without tripping and landing on her butt, knowing that annoying man was standing at the front of the room, visualizing the pink panties hidden under her dress? And she didn’t doubt for a second that’s exactly what he would be doing.

  *

  Dusty MacFarland utilized every degree of his self-control to keep himself from looking back to spy on Susan. Had she headed off to check on the bride? Or were those stunning aqua blue eyes of hers watching him and Jeremy walking toward the banquet room?

  Finally, they reached their destination, and Dusty couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He glanced back hoping to catch her staring at him. She was nowhere in sight. He could have sworn sparks flew for a moment in the cloakroom when he had his hands up her dress, but maybe she hadn’t found him attractive. The only ring on her finger was the one tangled in the hem of her voluminous skirt. She was definitely single. Always a good sign. Unless she was involved with someone, which would be just his luck.

  Damn, he hadn’t met such a splendid example of womanhood in ages. She’d held her own when he’d questioned what he’d caught her doing in such an unorthodox place. And answered his teasing with equally witty quips. The image of those pink panties and her long shapely legs was burned into his brain forever, and he quickly adjusted his trousers to accommodate his body’s reaction to that memory. He’d never met a woman who turned him on so thoroughly and so quickly, both physically and emotionally, as Susan.

  And here he’d thought this wedding would bore him to tears.

  “Okay, man, I’m ready. June 30th is going to be my favorite day for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to tie the knot with Amanda,” said Jeremy. “Hey, man, you should find yourself a wife of your own. I highly recommend it.”

  “Yeah, right. What’s that old adage about ‘misery loving company’ or something like that?” teased Dusty, checking in his pocket for the wedding rings, knowing if he lost them Jeremy would have his left one. And he didn’t mean ear.

  You should find yourself a wife of your own. Jeremy’s words echoed in his head. For a brief moment, Dusty imagined himself married to Susan Sanders. The image of her sitting across from him at the kitchen table every morning brought an unexpected smile to his face.

  A wife. Had he just met the most likely candidate for the position a few minutes ago in the poorly-lit cloakroom? First, he had another project in mind for Ms. Sanders. If that collaboration proved successful, then marriage might be a possibility. But only if he could convince her to help him.

  “Nothing I like better than a challenge,” he whispered aloud, as he accompanied the groom around the perimeter of the room to where the minister and best man stood waiting.

  *

  “Where on earth have you been?” demanded Amanda, patting her veil’s headpiece with long slim fingers. She wore a heavily-beaded ivory silk empire-waist gown to accommodate the five months baby bump. A lacy veil covered her dark curly hair,
and her hazel eyes popped with artfully applied makeup.

  Susan stood, gaping. A year and a half ago, when Amanda lay in bed fighting for her life, her body ravaged by the chemo treatments following surgery, Susan had despaired ever seeing her friend in a wedding gown about to be married. Her eyes welled with tears as she whispered, “You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen. Totally, unequivocally, gorgeous.”

  “Thank you so much. Mom just left to be escorted to her seat before the ceremony started.” Amanda smiled and slowly turned for the full effect. “Do you think Jeremy will approve?”

  “Approve? I hope one of your guests knows CPR. Someone is going to have to start his heart again,” teased Susan, peeking into the wall mirror to check her appearance a final time.

  Aside from a slightly flushed face—and she knew whose fault that was—she looked fine. But dozens of butterflies inhabited her tummy, and she swallowed hard. She excelled in her position as bank manger for the Helena branch of the Ellis Bank, but the thought of being the first to walk up the carpeted aisle with dozens of eyes on her scared her silly.

  “Are you okay, Susan?” inquired the matron of honor. Catherine Branigan was married to Jeremy’s brother David and the mother of four-month old twin boys. “Don’t tell me the unflappable Susan Sanders is succumbing to a serious case of nerves?”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Susan grimaced. “If I recounted everything I’ve been through since I left this room, you’d never believe me.”

  “Oh no! Was there a problem? What happened?” Amanda’s smile faded, replaced by an expression of sheer terror. “Did the minister not show up?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. The minister’s here. And the groom and the best man. Even that Dusty MacFarland guy showed up.” Susan managed to smile in spite of her nerves. “Everyone is just waiting for the bride.”