Anything for You

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

The words elephant and wedding really didn’t belong in the same sentence.

Even if the wedding in question was being held in a barn.

At least, that was Jillian Powell’s experience. But what did she know? She spent most of her life in the Mexican circus where the word elephant and pretty much any other word in English or Spanish would have been perfectly normal. Possibly mundane, even.

At her current location, in central Pennsylvania at the wedding of her good friend and dubious relation, Avery Williams, though, elephant definitely did not fit.

“What did you say that noise was again?” Avery leaned over and whispered in Jillian’s ear.

The brass ensemble that had been playing in the background while the guests had started eating had taken a break. The low murmurs of the guests had jerked into stunned silence when Heidi, the elephant, had trumpeted just a few seconds ago.

Jillian’s palms started to sweat and her heart shivered like leaves that had been blown from a baobab tree by the lonely and sad trumpet of an African bush elephant.

“It’s Heidi,” Jillian whispered back, surprised her voice only shook a little. Heidi and her sister, Hazel, had been part of Jillian’s act when she’d been in the Mexican circus. Not that she was going to go into her history with the elephant that currently stood below them in the long-unused barnyard.

That wasn’t exactly the most pressing question on anyone’s mind, anyway. ‘How did the elephant get here, might be the top question in most peoples’ minds.

Jillian, however, was more concerned about the best man.

No, she wasn’t attracted to McKoy Rodning, although with his square jaw, strong nose, and broad shoulders, he probably was attractive. Maybe she did spend more than the average amount of time thinking about him. Only because of her recently opened dog kennel. Or maybe because of her general distrust of government employees.

But her current level of apprehension stemmed from the fact that McKoy Rodning was the animal control officer, and it was pretty much his job to question why an elephant would be trumpeting, independent of the brass band, at Avery and Gator’s wedding.

And there she had it. Elephant and wedding in the same sentence, once more, sounding no more harmonious than they had the first time.

“And you know…Heidi?” Avery whispered, the pucker between her brows not matching the bright smile she flashed the curious guests who had slowly started conversing in low tones, throwing occasional concerned glances up at the wedding party table.

“Yes.” Jillian rubbed her wet palms together, trying to remember she was wearing satin and not denim, and could not wipe her hands down her legs like she longed to do. Hopefully, the sweat that gathered in her armpits wasn’t noticeable as long as she kept her arms pressed firmly against her sides.

The musicians began filing back to their seats. Avery pushed her half-eaten piece of cake away from the edge of the table and gave Jillian a nervous smile.

“If you leave before this dance, it will be noticeable, but I think once it ends, you could slip out and take care of whatever you need to. Maybe I can get Gator to distract McKoy.”

“You two just enjoy each other. I can handle it.” It’s not like she hadn’t learned plenty of survival skills growing up in the circus. Although how one would “take care” of an elephant problem in central Pennsylvania presented a quagmire she wasn’t sure her skill set could handle.

Avery squeezed her hand, her shiny pink nails sparkling in the romantic barn light. “Thank you. Thank you for spending this day with me.”

Jillian’s smile was genuine as she squeezed back. Avery had been a great friend to her.

“Guess this is where I try not to step on your toes,” Gator spoke, and Avery’s head swiveled to him.

He had stood and held his hand out to her, his eyes full of love and admiration, even if his request to dance had been less than romantic. His jeans and plaid shirt looked new, though they weren’t typical groom attire. They suited the barn wedding, and they suited Gator even more.

Just as the lacy white dress suited Avery.

Unfortunately, the coral satin dress Jillian wore might look fabulous next to her brown skin and black eyes and hair, but she would feel slightly more comfortable in a bikini standing at the South Pole than she currently did in the dress and the four-inch heels.

She wore outfits like this when she performed in the circus. Well, maybe not with the full skirt that fell below her knees. But definitely with heels this high. She could hold a hoop for the dog act, hang by her hair above the audience, twist herself into a pretzel, perch a monkey on her shoulder and ride the lead elephant’s trunk around the show ring with no more nervousness than if she were sitting in bed, reading a book.

But somehow she felt she needed the security of comfortable jeans, worn sneakers, and a soft T-shirt to face Mr. McKoy Rodning, animal control officer and the only one currently in attendance at this wedding who had the power to remove Heidi before Jillian could figure out where she came from, who brought her, and what she was going to do with her. If he knew the secret that her hosts, the Finkenbinders, didn’t know…Avery didn’t even know…he could have her sent back to Mexico.

But she didn’t have the security of comfortable clothes and he stood beside her, one hand behind his back, one hand held out to her, bowing slightly. The manners in his posture were impeccable, but the look in those powerful blue eyes was speculating.

Their relationship was not exactly harmonious.

They didn’t belong in the same dance together any more than elephant and wedding belonged in the same sentence.

With a lift of her chin and a glint of her own eye, she met the challenge in his gaze, placing her hand in his.

Like sticking her fingers in a light socket.

Jillian fought to hold steady as shockwaves ricocheted up her arm, past her elbow, and slammed into her shoulder.

Her eyes flew to his, even as her automatic brain took over and her performing smile slid easily into place on her face. The net might have broken, but she would smile all the way to the ground.

Her fingers, long and slender like the rest of her body, rested lightly in his large, calloused hand.

The touch was light, but that crazy electricity that zapped between them felt stronger than the poles that held the big top up.

Her performance mask solidified on her face.

“Thank you,” she said as she rose gracefully.

Something flickered in his eye as she straightened to her full height, her eyes square with his chin. Her stomach jumped in answer. Nervousness. It had to be. Had he recognized that noise for what it was?