Ben studied the five women standing in the middle of the barn, their eyes trained on him. He flinched as Daphne Wellington laughed and tugged at his arm playfully, her ponytail swinging like a cat’s tail.

Daphne was beautiful, in a classic way. Long, lean limbs gave her a modelesque quality that most men fell for immediately. Including him. But once she’d set eyes on his best friend, Patrick Fairplay, Ben had known Daphne was off the market forever. Not that he’d minded. Daphne was gorgeous and intelligent, but she was exceedingly high maintenance and somewhat spoiled. Ben didn’t do either.

“Ben,” Daphne tugged at his arm again.

When had she moved so close?

“What?” he asked quietly, not sure if she’d asked him a question. Daphne was also loud and exuberant. He didn’t really do those two either. Not that he didn’t love her as a friend. He did. But, man, was she boisterous.

“You didn’t tell me there was a wedding planner here in your home town that worked with famous people.” She bounced up and down and covered her mouth as she squealed.

Oh, Lord.

Ben quirked a brow at his cousin, Lily. “That’s because I didn’t know we did.”

Lily shrugged and pointed to her mother, Aunt Sally.

Aunt Sally shrugged and pointed to his mother.

Ben ran a shaky hand through his hair. Women.

“And how is it exactly that you know Daphne?” Maggie asked.

Ben turned at the sound of her voice. Her full lips curved into a smirk, her green eyes dancing with mischief. But there was something else there behind them. Ben narrowed his eyes and tried to read her.

“Oh, Ben and I go way back,” Daphne repeated, patting his chest, distracting him from his study of Maggie.

Maggie’s smile looked forced, like it might shatter at any moment. “Oh?” she said. “How far back?”

Her green eyes turned darker and if he didn’t know better, Ben would have sworn he heard Maggie snarl.

“Well,” Daphne sighed, “I’d wanted to go out with Ben for months.”

Ben’s eyes snapped to Daphne’s. God, not this story again.

Daphne stared up at him, batting her eyes. She was an expert at flirting and didn’t even know it. Or did she? “I met Ben at Daddy’s office.”

“Daddy?” Maggie lifted a brow, her smirk slowly returning.

“Yes, my daddy’s an oil and gas man from Houston,” Daphne said, her Southern drawl suddenly more pronounced.

“I thought I detected a southern accent,” his mother said, smiling.

Drawl was putting it nicely. Daphne damn near sounded like she belonged on Hee Haw, but in a sophisticated kind of way.

“Ben flew in to help Daddy create a new systems development for his seismic testing division.” She glanced up at Ben, her brows wrinkled. “Is that what you call it?”

His mouth twitched at the corners. “More or less. We developed a software system to integrate her father’s field ops’ geographic seismic tests with real-time data so—”

“Oh my God, yada, yada, yada,” Aunt Sally broke in, moving her hand like a duck quacking its bill. “Can we finish the story this century? I have cookies in the oven and a Steve Perry video loading on my phone.”

“Who’s Steve Perry?” Daphne glanced around the group.

“Oh, jeez.” Aunt Sally covered her face.

Ben’s mom laughed. “I like you, Daphne.”

Daphne’s blue eyes sparkled. The only thing she loved more than Ben’s best friend was attention. “I like you, too, Valerie.” Daphne smiled.

Ben scrubbed a hand down his face. “Please don’t encourage her,” he said with a pointed look at his aunt.

Aunt Sally swatted at him.

“We should post signs around the lodge that say, ‘Don’t feed the animals,’” Ben groaned.

“Are you calling me an animal, young man?” Aunt Sally narrowed her eyes.

Ben shrugged.

She shrugged back. “I’ve been called worse.”

He had no doubt of that.

“The story,” Maggie said impatiently.

“Oh, yes, sorry.” Daphne released his arm and stepped forward. “So, anyway, I really liked Ben and flirted with him shamelessly.” She glanced back at him. “But he was such a workaholic, he never even noticed me, and he wouldn’t take any time off to go out with me.”

From the corner of his eye, Ben noticed his mother staring at him.

“I was quite devious in my plans,” Daphne continued, clasping her hands together. “When my father’s annual charity benefit arrived, I asked Daddy to invite Ben, hoping I could get him away from work stuff long enough to make my move.” Her blue eyes danced and Ben found himself smiling.

“And?” Maggie asked, her tone flat.

“And,” Ben answered, “I was dumb enough to send my best friend to the event instead.” He laughed at the memory of Patrick returning from the event, looking like he’d been smacked straight across the face by cupid himself.

“Patrick?” his mother asked.

“Yes!” Daphne clapped her gloved-hands. “Mr. Patrick Nicholas Fairplay, the third.” She paused and got that goofy look in her eyes. “It was love at first sight, just like in the movies.” She fluttered her eyes closed and sighed.

“Ah,” the other women moaned collectively, but he couldn’t help notice Maggie’s eyes locked on him.

Jeez.

“It really was quite magical,” Daphne continued. “And I want our wedding to be just as spectacular.” She walked further into the barn. “When Ben came back to Seattle after the funeral, he told us about the wedding barn renovations.” Daphne glanced toward his mother. “I’m so sorry again for your loss, Mrs. Sumner.” She stepped toward Ben’s mother and patted her arm. “I really can’t imagine losing the love of my life.”

Love of her life? Ben had never really thought of his father as the love of his mother’s life. Probably because he wasn’t a dopey sap like Daphne.

Ben studied his mother. She looked tired, worn out. Heartbroken. Her face was pained for a beat before she offered Daphne a small smile.

“Thank you dear. And thank you for coming to look at the barn. Between Seattle and Houston, I’m sure you have lots of venues you’re looking at.”

“My father actually has a vacation home in Colorado not far from here,” Daphne said. “I hadn’t even thought about marrying in Colorado until we found out about your barn.” Daphne glanced around the room. “We have family and friends all over the world.”

“Well, again,” Aunt Sally stepped forward, “it’s not much to look at now, but give us a few months and this barn will be amazing.”

“I’m sure it will be, it’s just hard to see it all right now.” Daphne smiled. “I’m not really a visionary like Patrick is.” She looked at the women standing around her. “I’m more of a romantic.”

Aunt Sally grabbed Ben’s arm and yanked him toward Maggie.

“What are you doing?” he asked, staring down at her.

“You and Maggie walk down the aisle.” She pulled on Maggie’s arm and slammed them together.

“What?” Ben and Maggie screeched simultaneously, their pitch painful, like a barking Chihuahua.

“Shhhh,” Aunt Sally hissed. “She needs to visualize this.”

“Who?” Ben asked.

“Daphne, you idiot.” Aunt Sally gave Maggie some weird eye roll.

“Come on,” Maggie slipped her arm through his.

He noted how different Maggie’s arm felt wrapped around his than Daphne’s had. Instinctively he pulled her closer.

“Just make it look real.” Maggie whispered as she led them down the middle of the barn.

“Make what look real?” He was seriously lost.

“Just picture it, Daphne,” Aunt Sally’s voice echoed loud through the space as she all but danced to one end of the barn.

Ben glanced around and noticed he and Maggie were walking down an imaginary aisle headed straight for Aunt Sally with everyone else watching.

“You’ll be so beautiful,” his mother told Daphne, “the candlelight flickering in your eyes.”

Maggie and Ben came to a stop just before Aunt Sally.

“Patrick won’t be able to keep his hands off you.” Aunt Sally waggled her brows at Daphne.

Daphne giggled.

“That’s kind of irreverent, preacher,” Ben said.

“I’m all kinds of irreverent,” Sally whispered and winked. She glanced over at Daphne again. “All eyes will be on you Daphne, including Patrick’s.” Sally leaned in close and looked at Ben. “Stare longingly into her eyes.”

“Whose?” Ben asked.

“Me, idiot.” Maggie yanked his hand.

“Quit calling me an idiot.”

“Well, quit being an idiot,” Maggie whispered. “We’re trying to sell this venue. You’re not helping.”

Then it hit Ben. If Daphne booked the wedding barn, he couldn’t put a stop to the renovations. If he stopped the renovations, he’d be screwing Daphne out of her venue. Then again, halting build-out on the barn could save his family’s land and give him the time he needed to reassess the renovations without full commitments.

“Listen, Daph, it’s okay if this isn’t what you pictured for your wedding. A wedding in a barn isn’t for everyone,” he said.

Maggie turned on him, a look that could turn a man to stone on her face.

Ben glanced around the barn and noted the same round, hard eyes from every woman around him. Hell.

“Hey! You’re on Team Sumner, dipstick.” Aunt Sally poked her chest. “That’s us, in case you forgot. Get on board.”

“I just don’t want her to feel like she owes me this, or anything,” Ben said.

His mind whirled. He needed to stop this before plans got out of hand and it was too late. If Daphne booked the wedding barn, she’d be seriously pissed when she found out Ben had halted expansions indefinitely. Maybe he could book a backup venue for them and pay the deposit himself, so she and Patrick wouldn’t be left with nothing when he stopped the wedding barn plans. Or maybe she and Patrick could postpone their wedding for a year. Yeah, doubtful.

“By the power vested in me by the state of Colorado,” Aunt Sally’s voice boomed through the barn, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” She glanced at Ben. “You may kiss your bride.”

“What?” Maggie shrieked, dropping his hands.

Aunt Sally smirked.

Oh yeah. This he could get into. Back-up venue, it was. Patrick would understand.

Ben slipped one arm around Maggie’s waist as he drew her in close. “You said sell this place, right?” he whispered close to her lips.

“Not like this.” She struggled in his hold and slapped at this chest, but there was laughter in her eyes. He saw the catch in her breath as he pulled her tight.

“Kiss him, dammit,” Aunt Sally growled under her breath.

Maggie glared at Aunt Sally then turned to look at Ben.

“Well?” He arched a brow.

“Fine.” Slowly, Maggie relaxed in his arms.

Ben closed the gap, leaning in and pulling her even closer, so her thighs pressed to his, her breasts skimming his chest. Yup. There was something to this selling thing.

“Make it quick” she whispered.

Not on your life.

He wasn’t laughing now.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss.” Aunt Sally chanted, clapping her hands.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” the rest of the women shouted.

Ben wrapped his hand around the nape of Maggie’s neck, holding her to him as he leaned in close. Slowly, he brushed his lips against hers. Without thought, Ben’s tongue slowly licked the seam of her lips.

Maggie gasped.

Ben took advantage of her surprise and slid his tongue inside her warm mouth, deepening the kiss.

She opened for him and suddenly the kiss sparked like a lit match to dry leaves, burning out of control. Maggie melted into him as she moaned, her hands sliding up his chest and around his neck.

Ben’s hand slipped down her hips and he grew hard. Hell.

She tightened her grip, her fingers digging into his hair. Damn, this girl could kiss.

Someone cleared their throat.

Ben was oblivious to the outside world, lost in this erotic embrace. He’d always known Maggie Lawrence was beautiful. He’d had more than his fair share of wet dreams with her as the star, but never in his wildest fantasies had he thought her mouth would feel this amazing, this enticing, this—

“Ben!” His mother’s shrill voice forced them apart like cold water on two dogs in heat.

Ben stared down at Maggie, her eyes wide, face flushed, chest heaving as hard as his. Slowly, her hand came up and touched her swollen lips.

“Wow,” Daphne said behind them.

Ben and Maggie turned at her voice.

Daphne giggled. “I’m sold. Let’s book it.”