Brazen (16 page)

"Of what?" Casey was at a loss as she looked at him
across the table. She didn't know what was so special
about this night. They were supposed to eat dinner. That
hardly made the evening anything out of the ordinary.
She wondered if Michael thought it was special just because she'd put on a dress for him.

The time had come.

Michael knew it.

He stood up and went to her.

"Casey "He reached down and took her hand, drawing her up to stand before him. He was surprised by how
soft her hand was, considering all the hard work she did
at the Bar T; then he remembered how soft she'd been
when he'd held her against him down at the river. "Will
you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"You know-" Casey began, wondering why he was
bothering to ask her when they had already settled on the
marriage. She wondered, too, why his one simple touch
had the power to send a rush of heat through her.

"Just answer the question," he said, trying to hide his
irritation with her as he reached into his pocket.

"All right yes."

"Good. Here," he said in a low voice, handing her the
jewelry box.

"What's this?" She looked from the small box up to him
and back.

"Open it and see."

Casey carefully opened the lid and stared down at the
diamond ring resting there.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful."

"It was my grandmother's."

"But I can't take this." She couldn't imagine wearing
such an expensive ring, doing the work she did.

"You can and you will," Michael said firmly.

Without waiting for her to say anything more, he took
the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. It fit
perfectly. As Michael stood there holding her hand, their
gazes met and locked. For a moment, it almost seemed
as if they were enraptured.

And then reality returned.

Casey felt as if she'd been branded. She yanked her
hand away from his.

Michael stepped back, putting a distance between
them.

"There. We are now officially engaged," he announced.

Casey gazed down at the sparkling ring on her hand.
She'd never had anything so lovely before. "Are you sure
you trust me with this? I mean, if it was your grandmother's-"

"It's yours now."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, looking up at him
suspiciously.

"Doing what?"

"Being nice to me."

"Because you're my fiancee, and you'll soon be my
wife."

"But you've never been nice to me before."

"We've never been engaged before."

As he was speaking, Elizabeth and Alice, the cook,
came into the dining room carrying their food.

"It's official now," Michael told his mother.

Elizabeth smiled as she saw Cassandra wearing the
ring. "Good. And it fits?"

"Perfectly," Casey said, holding her hand out for Elizabeth to see.

"This is so wonderful," Elizabeth said with heartfelt
emotion. She went to Casey and gave her a hug. Then
she went to her son and kissed his cheek. "Everything is
going to be fine. You'll see."

Silently Michael hoped she was right, but he had his
doubts.

"You two enjoy your meal," Elizabeth said as she and
Alice left them alone.

Michael and Casey settled in to enjoy the dinner. They
were served tender beefsteak, potatoes and fresh hot
bread. There was even a berry pie, and she savored every
bite.

Casey began to think about the fact that in one short
month, he'd be expecting her to turn out meals just like
this one.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you," she began
tentatively.

Michael looked up surprised. He'd thought things were
going reasonably well, considering the awkwardness of
their circumstances. "What?"

"I know we're going to be living at our own place after
we're married, but..."

He waited, unsure what to expect from her which
wasn't unusual.

"But I don't cook," she finished.

"What?"

"Becky, our foreman's wife, does the cooking at the Bar
T, so you're going to have to take over the kitchen duties."

"I've got a ranch to run. I don't have time to do
women's work."

"You've got a ranch to run?" Casey stared at him in
irritation. "What do you think I'm going to be doing?"

"Taking cooking lessons from Alice, I hope." Michael
said it deliberately to taunt her.

"No, I'm not," she said defiantly, their momentary truce
at an end. "I'm going to be working on the ranch, just like
I do now. Besides, you've been back East so long, you
probably don't even know how to run things anymore.
You're the one who should learn how to cook."

Her comment stung. "Just because I've been away for
a few years, doesn't mean I've forgotten anything."

"We'll see."

"I thought once a woman married, she was supposed
to love, honor, cherish and obey her husband."

"But it doesn't say anything in those vows about cooking, now does it?" she challenged.

Michael couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud.
"You know, you're right. It doesn't. So I guess we're both
going to starve to death, because I don't know how to
cook either."

Casey found herself laughing along with him. "Have
you got enough money to. hire us a cook?"

"I'd better have, or we're going to get mighty hungry."

"Then I'd better enjoy a good meal while I've got the
chance." Casey turned her attention to the food before
her.

Later, when they'd finished eating and Michael was getting ready to take Casey home, Elizabeth joined them in
the dining room to go over a few things about the wedding.

"Do you have a wedding dress? Your mother's perhaps?" Elizabeth asked. She was very aware of Cassandra's wardrobe limitations and wanted to help in any way
she could.

Casey deliberately hadn't thought that far ahead. The
thought of the actual wedding was too overwhelming.
Just the fact that she had to marry Michael was hard
enough to accept, but now she realized she had very little
time to prepare herself especially since the Donovans
were insisting on a real ceremony instead of the elopement she'd hoped for.

"Actually, no - I don't."

Elizabeth didn't want to be pushy, but she knew Cas sandra needed help. Tome with me, dear. I've got something I want to show you."

Michael remained behind as Casey followed his
mother from the dining room and up the stairs.

"I was thinking about this the other day," Elizabeth said
as she led Cassandra into the guest room and opened a
trunk at the end of the bed. She lifted the carefully
wrapped gown from the trunk and spread it out on the
bed for Cassandra to see.

Casey stared down at the full-skirted white satin and
lace gown which was trimmed in pearls.

"It's beautiful."

"You're welcome to wear it for your wedding, if you
like," Elizabeth offered. "Do you want to try it on now, so
we'll know if it fits?"

"You want me to wear it?"

"Yes. Let's see how it looks on you," she encouraged.
"If it doesn't fit, we can visit the seamstress in town and
see about getting you a dress made."

"But I don't have any money to buy a wedding dress."

"Don't worry," Elizabeth reassured her. "We'll work
something out."

Once Elizabeth had closed the bedroom door, Casey
slipped out of her dress. Elizabeth drew near to help her
don the bridal gown. She lifted the heavy garment over
Casey's head, then helped her arrange the skirts. Moving
behind her, she buttoned the pearl buttons up the back,
then stepped away to look at her.

Elizabeth thought the transformation was amazing. Cassandra had been pretty enough in her ordinary day gown,
but wearing the wedding dress, even with her hair still
unstyled, she was stunning.

"You're absolutely beautiful," Elizabeth told her. "Take
a look at yourself."

She took Cassandra by the shoulders and turned her so
she could see her image in the full-length mirror behind
her.

" Casey stared at her reflection in amazement.

The bodice of the wedding gown was modestly cut, but
it was more revealing than anything she'd ever worn before. The gown was fitted to the waist, and the skirt flared
out over her hips, showing off her feminine figure.

"Do you like it? It looks like it only needs a few minor
alterations to fit you like a glove."

"You really trust me to wear it?" Casey was suddenly
concerned about damaging the gown. This dress was far
more expensive and delicate than anything she'd ever
worn before.

"Of course," Elizabeth said. "Cassandra I've never had a daughter, but once you and Michael are married I
will have a daughter-in-law."

"I never expected you to be nice to me, since I'm a
Turner and all," Casey said honestly.

"Frank and your father have had their differences
through the years, but it's time for us to start thinking
about the future and not dwell on the past."

«>I m trying."

"I know this is difficult for you," Elizabeth sympathized.
"You and Michael barely know one another, and what
you do know about each other... well..."

"Exactly," Casey said seriously.

"If you ever need to talk to anyone, I'm here." Elizabeth's words were heartfelt.

"Thank you."

"It'll work out. Just give it some time," Elizabeth said
encouragingly.

Michael decided to go to the bunkhouse once Casey and
his mother had gone upstairs. He didn't see any reason
to sit around in the parlor and wait for their return. Knowing women, he figured they would be a while.

"What are you doing here?" Nick asked, looking up
from the table where he was playing poker with some of
the men. "I thought you were having dinner with Casey."

"She went off with my mother, so I figured it was safe
to come down here and see what you were up to."

"Want to join us?" Harry invited. "We'll be glad to
lighten you of some of your money."

"I'll sit in for a hand or two, but I'm warning you, I don't intend to lose," Michael said, pulling up a chair.

Two games later, the men were glad to see Michael go.
He'd won both pots.

It was growing dark when Michael started back up to
the house. He noticed that the guest room was lighted,
and as he looked that way, he caught a fleeting glimpse
of Casey through the sheer curtains that covered the window. She was clad only in her chemise.

The vision stopped him.

That day he'd kissed her at the river, he'd had a hint of
her true femininity, but he had never imagined she was
this beautiful. He waited, watching to see if she would
pass by the window again, but she didn't. And eventually
the light went out.

Michael returned to the house to find Casey and his
mother coming down the stairs. Casey was again wearing
her day gown.

"We have a wedding dress," Elizabeth announced happily. "So, that much is taken care of."

"Good." He looked at Casey. "Are you happy with it?"

"The gown is lovely," she answered.

"Are you ready to head home?"

"Yes, it is getting late." She turned to Elizabeth. "Thank
you for everything."

"It was my pleasure, my dear. I'll see you tomorrow at
the church."

"I'll be there."

Michael escorted Casey out to the buckboard. This
time she accepted his help up without protest. She'd almost proven earlier that pride did indeed go before a fall, and she'd learned her lesson. He climbed up beside her
and they started off for the Bar T.

It was a pretty night. The sky was cloudless. A canopy
of stars twinkled high overhead, and in the distance a
sliver of a moon hung just above the horizon.

It could have been a romantic night but not for Casey
and Michael.

Casey held herself stiffly beside him, trying not to be
thrown against him whenever they hit a bump, and Michael concentrated hard on not thinking about the way
she'd looked when he'd seen her for just that instant in
the window.

They had an agreement.

Theirs was to be a marriage in name only.

It was a business arrangement.

They both intended to stick to their deal.

In Philadelphia, Karen sat in the chair by her bedroom
window, staring out at the night sky and thinking of Michael. She knew this must be a terrible time for him, with
his father being so seriously injured and all, but she still
longed for the day when he would return to her.

Karen was hurt and more than a little angry that Michael still hadn't contacted her. Since visiting Mr. Paden,
she'd thought about wiring Michael, but had held back.
Now, as the days passed and still no word came, the fear
that he might decide to stay in Texas grew within her.

She wanted Michael.

He was handsome and he had money.

Karen had been almost certain he was going to propose when he'd returned from his tour of the Continent, but
all that had changed now.