Western Spark

Just Have Fun

Author's Note:

The following is a deleted scene from Western Connection, set just before Liz and Jake's wedding day. It was cut for length, and I decided not to introduce new characters by name late in the book. It was a fun look into Liz from Caitlin's point of view, and a heart-to-heart between two women who love West men.

Please note that there are mild spoilers for Western Connection in this short segment. Read with caution if you have not read Brady's story yet!

I hope you enjoy!

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Caitlin, Liz, and Liana were at Angie's place, a friend of Liz's from high school. Ingrid and Tabitha, the other two women who had been helping them out for the day were busy making margaritas in a gigantic blender. Liana knew several of them and was hooting it up in the living room with some other friends who had been invited, playing some sort of board game where you wore headbands and had to guess at things. They had decided to play the "dirty" version.

Caitlin's energy was sagging from the long day, so she was sitting with Liz at the island, sipping one of the slushy concoctions that was all shades of orange and yellow.

"Truth? I hate these," Liz leaned in and whispered. "Give me a good bourbon or whisky."

"I'm not much of a drinker at all," Caitlin admitted, and took a sip. "These taste like fruit punch. If I have more than one my head will split in two tomorrow."

"Uh huh. Angie made me one without the damned booze," Liz chuckled. She had a low, raspy voice that reminded Caitlin of a less rough Janis Joplin. If there were opposites, she felt like one next to Liz. But in the same sense, she also felt comfortable around her. She hoped they were on their way to being friends. Liz was hard to read, even with her nurse's intuition.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Caitlin asked suddenly. "I mean, are you nervous or anything?"

"Nah, I just want it over with, you know? I'm not one for ceremony and stuff. But this is important to my mom, so I'll wear the dress and do the thing."

"Surely it's important to you as well," Caitlin added. "I see you and Jake together and you're the real thing."

"Of course! It's a big deal for both Jake and me. You know, we said our vows, sort of, the night he proposed, in front of the Christmas tree, and I've always thought commitment doesn't need a piece of paper to make it real. All the fuss when it's so personal. Makes me jumpy. Jake, he enjoys all of this, I think."

"Opposites attract," Caitlin said, and they both chuckled. "Reason enough for a party I suppose?"

"That is the part I am looking forward to. Crazy, isn't it?" Liz sighed and stirred her drink with the bendy straw poking out of it. "When I met Jake, I didn't know how to take him. He was stupid gorgeous, so frickin' different from what I was used to. I thought I could have some fun, a good roll in the hay, and that would be that. I was so leery of letting anybody in, after Darren fucked me over. But Jake wore me down, bit by bit. Didn't take long, if I think about it. I was a sucker for those damned wide West shoulders."

"How did you know you could let him in?" Caitlin asked. She wondered the same thing a lot the past few weeks. Brady was unlike any man she'd ever been with, and the depth of feelings she had for him was overwhelming. It was really too early to be thinking forever, even though they had confessed to loving one another already, and she had opened herself to him in so many ways.

But she'd thought forever before and it hadn't been so great. She doubted her own judgement, and she worried she was pushing herself in that direction before she was ready. She was already living on the ranch, and spent most every night with Brady. It was rare they were apart, even though she had her own space, and he had his. He had a lot to process with all that had happened to him recently, she was still healing, even though she'd made huge strides since meeting him. They both had work to do before they could think about commitment on that level, right?

Liz was looking at her and she shifted so she was facing Caitlin. "What prompted that question? Been around you enough now to know when you're worrying something in your head. Stop thinking so much! We're supposed to be having a good time tonight."

"I—" Caitlin started then threw up her hands, belatedly remembering how observant and blunt Liz could be. "Yeah, I am. All this wedding prep and stuff just has me thinking, I guess."

"If you are worried about Brady, well, I can't speak for him, but you two are the real thing too. He is crazy in love with you, anyone can see the way you two moon over each other."

"No, I'm not worried about him. I am in love with him too. I just—"

"Been down this road once and don't want to be burned again?" Liz finished for her. Caitlin nodded and slouched.

"Yeah. Stupid, isn't it? Brady is not him. I know that. But I still worry. That it's too much, or I can't truly give him what he needs. My anxiety lies to me, you know?"

"Been there," Liz replied seriously. "It takes time for your head to hear what your heart knows is true."

Caitlin thought that was very poetic, and looked over at Liz stirring her drink, the slush half-melted, and she amended her impression of her. There was an incredibly astute and empathetic woman behind the tough girl facade.

"Brady got quiet for awhile after he found out about Keith. It was hard to see, his shine was dulled," Liz said suddenly.

"It must have been a lot to reconcile," Caitlin said, remembering their talk outside the garage not so long ago. Liz had compared him to an injured bird, saying Caitlin might be the one to help him heal. She still wasn't sure, but she hoped she could.

"Yup. He's back to himself now, almost insufferable. That's all you." Liz laughed and pointed at Caitlin.

Oh. Caitlin hid her smile and looked away. Most mornings Brady left her place early to go back to the main house to get ready for the day after waking up beside her. It was rare if he spent a night at home now. She was slowly making the small bunkhouse hers, but it also felt a little bit like 'theirs' and that had caught her short as she realized it.

"And don't think I don't hear the screen door squeak as he's leavin' your place," Liz added, reading her mind. "It is right beside us, you know."

Caitlin covered her face with her hands, her face heating. "I... I kind of asked for space, when he asked me to stay. Was that dumb to assume we'd sleep apart?"

"Not dumb," Liz replied. "You need what you need. There might be times you'll want to be alone for a bit until you're one hundred percent. Besides, Brady's got some decisions to make with what came out of that box of Veronica's before he'll take a step towards the altar, or leaving the big house to shack up with you officially."

The box. Right.

Brady had met her parents just last week when they'd visited to see her new place, and her dad had sat down with him and made sense of the mess of papers. They'd tracked down all the accounts, and by the end of it, with her dad's help and a hastily called lawyer named Frank, Brady discovered he was now the proud owner of Sandstone Ridge in its entirety, as well as a huge chunk of money. He was still trying to wrap his head around it, and Caitlin had given him space on that subject because he was touchy about it. He had yet to read his mother's letter, doing the same thing with it as he did with Brett's.

Yes, he did have to make some decisions on that before... What, she wasn't sure, but she'd give him time. Grief did not have a timetable, and the entire thing had reopened the wound of his mother's death. Caitlin was just glad he had Keith to talk to, to understand it better.

"We're nowhere close to that, Liz," Caitlin said, deciding to stew on that particular dilemma later. "We're together, but—"

"You're more than just together," Liz remarked. "But for now, don't think too hard on it. Just have fun. That's half the battle. Finding that person that lets you relax and enjoy life."

Liz turned as her name was called. They were interrupted by the other women who called them over to play another game, and Caitlin let it go. She hadn't answered her original question. Maybe you just did know when, and it wasn't something you could quantify. With a deep breath, Caitlin joined the other women, and decided to follow Liz's advice.

Just have fun.

❤️