brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy (8 page)

“Keep her job?” Jake bellowed. He turned to his new sister-in-law. “Megan, you don’t have to work. You and Chad will be wanting to start a family, like Pete here, and—”

Jake’s words set off an uproar from Chad and Megan. Megan immediately protested Jake’s dismissal of her job, and Chad wanted to know what Jake was talking about.

Questions flew around the table, but answers were in short supply until a sudden clanging got everyone’s attention. Red was standing by the sink beating a skillet with a large spoon.

“Here, now! You all are gonna have to settle down or I’m kickin’ you out of my kitchen.”

Brett grinned at his oldest brother. “Guess Red’s got a point. Maybe you’d better stop laying down the law and listen to what the newest member of the Randall clan wants.”

Jake glared at his sibling, but he carefully wiped the frown away when he turned to Megan. She’d rapidly become a favorite with all of them even before they realized she’d be joining their family. “Megan, I didn’t mean to step on any toes. I just assumed—”

“Sorry, Jake, but Chad and I haven’t discussed—” her cheeks heated as she sought the right word “—starting a family. And I don’t want to miss out on redoing the house. I’m looking forward to working with Adele.” Adele, the second of the three decorators, was older, but she and Megan got along well. They’d decided to combine their ideas for the ranch house.

The other three brothers looked at Chad, as if wondering how he would react to his wife’s response. Chad leaned back in his chair and grinned. “Boys, whatever makes Meggie happy is fine with me. Now, what’s this about Pete?”

Pete immediately realized his time out of the spotlight had come to an end. But he left it to Jake to do the explaining.

“Janie’s pregnant.”

Talking about Janie and the baby made Pete tongue-tied, but even he could’ve done better than Jake’s blunt statement.

Megan looked puzzled, but Chad put things together quickly and turned to Pete, a frown on his face. “Yours?”

Pete nodded.

“So, when’s the wedding?”

With a sigh, Pete confessed, “I don’t know.”

“You offered, didn’t you?” Chad demanded, tensing. “You can’t treat Janie like some—some…”

“Of course I offered. Hell, I insisted. But you know Janie. She’s as hardheaded as they come.”

“You mean she turned you down?” Chad asked, astonishment on his face.

Pete studied his cup of coffee, and no one said anything.

Finally Megan reached out to pat Pete on the arm. “I’m looking forward to meeting Janie. I saw her the night you all took us to the steak house, but we weren’t introduced.”

“Maybe Megan could talk to her, woman to woman, you know?” Brett suggested.

Five pairs of male eyes focused on the only female in the room.

“Well,” Megan said, before pausing to run her tongue over her lips, “I’d certainly like to—to talk to her, but I don’t know—”

“Great!” Pete replied before she could finish. He was desperate for help. “I’ll bring her over tomorrow.”

Chapter Six

Chad settled beneath the covers with a sigh of satisfaction. Megan, emerging from the bathroom, noticed how much more comfortable her husband was here than in her apartment in Denver. “Happy to be home?”

He grinned, putting his big hands behind his head. “Yeah.”

His muscular physique still took her breath away, but she tried to concentrate on other things. “You don’t mind that I want to work on the house, do you?”

“Of course not. Like I said, whatever makes you happy.”

“We haven’t discussed children.” She slipped off her robe and slid into the bed beside her handsome husband.

He chuckled and drew her into his arms. “Don’t let Jake get to you, Meggie. I didn’t marry you so we’d have another generation of Randalls. That’s Jake’s plan, not mine. I married you because I love you more than anything, even the ranch. Remember?”

She remembered. Afraid of marriage because of her mother’s numerous trips down the aisle, she’d had a hard time believing Chad was serious about his commitment until he’d presented her with a prenuptial agreement promising her his share of the Randall ranch if he should ever leave her.

Offering her lips to assure him she remembered, Megan found herself wrapped in his powerful arms, his lips devouring hers.

When his mouth moved on to nibble on her neck, she asked, “But do you want children?”

He pulled back and stared at her in the night lamp’s glow. “He really spooked you, didn’t he?”

“No. But everything happened so quickly, I just realized we didn’t discuss a lot of important things.” She ran her fingers through the black hair on his chest, her gaze not meeting his until his fingers lifted her chin.

“You’re not having regrets, are you?”

“No! Never!” Again she kissed him, with his complete cooperation. “But what do you think about children?”

Brushing back her silky hair, he said, “I think kids would be great, when you’re ready. But Pete’s taking care of the next generation, so there’s no hurry.”

“But what if she doesn’t marry him?”

“She will. She’s been in love with him forever.” Then, with a laugh, he added, “Besides, Pete’s got you on his side. You’ll talk her into it.”

Megan’s eyes widened in panic just before Chad turned off the light and proceeded to distract her.

J
ANIE RODE OUT
with her father the next morning, in spite of her mother’s protests. “Mom, I’ll be okay. I asked the doc, and he assured me any normal activities could be continued for a few more months. And Daddy needs me.”

“I’ll have a word with your father,” Lavinia insisted.

“No, Mom. I’ll be careful.”

Lavinia knew her hardheaded daughter and gave up the fight, only saying a silent prayer that Janie was right. But she was relieved to find a like thinker when the phone rang about ten o’clock.

“Lavinia, may I speak to Janie?” Pete asked.

“She rode out with her father.”

“What?” Pete roared. “What did you say?”

“Janie rode out with her father. She said he needed her help.”

“Damnation! Crazy woman,” Pete muttered.

Lavinia felt her regard for Pete rise until he asked his next question.

“Why didn’t you stop her?”

“Pete Randall, you know Janie as well as I do. Do you think
you
could’ve stopped her if she’d made up her mind?”

“But the baby…”

“I
know.
She said the doc okayed it.”

Pete muttered something else under his breath, but Lavinia didn’t catch the words. And she decided not to ask him to repeat himself.

“Look, I called to see if all of you could come to dinner tonight,” Pete finally said. “Chad and Megan are back home. I want Janie to meet her.”

“I’m sure she’ll want to meet Megan. But you don’t have to include me and Hank.”

“Janie wouldn’t come without you.” As if suddenly realizing how inhospitable his words sounded, Pete hastily added, “And we want you and Hank to meet Megan, too. After all, we’re all going to be family.”

“I hope so, Pete,” Lavinia replied. “Shall we come about six?”

“That’ll be great. See you then.”

When Janie and her father returned for lunch, Lavinia repeated Pete’s invitation.

“I don’t think I’ll go, thanks anyway,” Janie said, sinking into a chair with a sigh of relief.

“Why not?” Hank demanded.

“Because I don’t want to.” She raised her chin and stared at her father.

“They’re our neighbors, Janie Dawson. We’ll all go. It’s the neighborly thing to do.” He joined her at the table as if the conversation were over.

“But, Daddy—”

“Janie, I think it’s the least you can do. We’ve left the choice of marrying Pete up to you, but we shouldn’t have to give up our association with the Randalls.”

“Of course not, Mom, but I can stay at home, and you two—”

“We’ll go as a family,” Lavinia said firmly and sat down to dish up the food she’d prepared.

After a silent lunch, Janie decided not to return to the saddle with her father. Her mother let her help with the dishes and then shooed her upstairs. “You need a nap, young lady, and don’t bother denying it.”

With a weary smile, Janie shook her head. “I’m not a child, Mom…but you’re right.”

“I’ve been pregnant before. The most important thing now is your health.”

“Yes, Mom.”

As she started up the stairs, her mother added one more thing. “By the way, Pete was very unhappy that you were in the saddle this morning.”

Janie was tempted to tell her mother what Pete could do with his concern, but she decided to save her words for the person who needed to hear them. Words she would deliver after a good nap.

H
ER AFTERNOON REST DID
a lot to restore Janie’s sense of humor. She could face Pete now and handle any arguments he threw at her concerning going about business as usual.

What she wasn’t looking diding forward to was meeting the newest Randall. The bleached blonde who’d partied with the best of them that night at the steak house when she’d seen the Randall group from a distance hadn’t impressed her.

The other decorator, an attractive young woman dressed in a classic fashion, had been clinging to Pete’s hand. At least
she
wouldn’t be there. Janie didn’t want any competition for Pete’s attention, much less competition that made her feel unattractive.

“Are you ready?” her father called up the stairs. “We don’t want to be late.”

He could speak for himself.

Janie joined her parents downstairs and apologized for keeping them waiting. On the drive over to the Randalls’, she firmly kept the conversation on the running of the ranch. Her father loved to talk about business. According to him, the Dawson operation was the best in the state. He would allow the Randall spread, almost twice the size of theirs, to be secondbest, but no better.

Light streamed out from the windows of the Randall homestead, welcoming them. The house was enormous, but it had become run-down over the years, under the care of only men. Janie hoped Chad’s new wife did a better job with the house than she did with her own appearance.

The thought of Jake Randall facing chrome and glass at breakfast each morning, or relaxing in front of the fireplace in a lime green plastic beanbag chair, brought a chuckle to her lips. It might serve him right for his stupid matchmaking. Everyone in the county had heard the tale of his machinations.

And he’d intended for Pete to be the first married.

She drew a deep breath at such a scary thought.

“Everything okay?” Lavinia asked as Janie hesitated before getting out of the truck.

“Sure. I was just wondering how much Chad’s wife would change the house.”

Lavinia turned and stared at the stately home. “I hope not too much. It’s always been beautiful.”

“Come on, ladies. It’s cold out here,” Hank urged, placing a hand on each of their backs.

They allowed him to steer them toward the back door.

“Maybe we should go to the front door,” Janie suggested. “After all, we’re dinner guests.”

Hank snorted but didn’t change direction.

“I think we’re okay at the back door. We’ve known them a long time,” Lavinia said with a grin.

Since Pete emerged just then, they all knew they’d chosen the right door. He bounded off the porch and met them halfway.

“Hi. We’re glad you could make it.” He hugged Lavinia and shook Hank’s hand. When he turned to Janie, she took a step back, but her hesitation didn’t stop him. He hugged her close and brushed his lips across hers.

“Pete!” she protested.

“I was just saying hello. Come meet Megan. I think you’ll like her.”

Janie said nothing, but she wondered how men could be so blind. The bleached blonde she remembered, with her tight, suggestive clothing, might impress a room full of men, but Janie didn’t think she’d appeal to either her or her mother.

When they entered the kitchen, only Red was there, busy at the stove. He turned to greet them, then quickly urged them into the living room.

“We’re not eating in the kitchen?” Hank asked.

“Nope, we’re formal tonight in Megan’s honor,” Red assured them. “We invited the vet and her aunt and little boy, too. That’s too many to get around the table in here.”

“The vet? I like B.J. I’ll be glad of the chance to talk with her,” Hank said.

“Her?” Lavinia asked, startled.

“Didn’t I tell you she’s a woman? Nice lady, very knowledgeable.”

Janie looked at Pete. “Isn’t she living on the ranch?”

“Yeah” was his brief answer.

“So the Randall ranch, after having no women for a quarter of a century, suddenly has two?”

Red was the one who answered her question. “More’n that if you count Mildred—I mean, Miss Bates—and I think you should.”

Pete nodded but had nothing to say as he led them toward the living room.

When they entered the large room, the family was gathered around the fireplace. Everyone stood and turned to greet them, and Janie received a shock.

The bleached blonde wasn’t there. But the beautiful woman who’d clung to Pete’s hand was.

Chad came forward to greet them, pulling the fashionable young woman with him. Janie tried to suppress the surge of envy over the woman’s elegant hairstyle, her knit skirt and sweater in a heavenly blue, the look of adoration Chad was giving her.

“I’d like to present my wife, Megan,” Chad was saying, and Janie managed a nod in greeting.

Lavinia and Hank shook her hand, and then it was Janie’s turn. “Hello, Megan. Welcome to Wyoming.”

“Thank you, Janie. I know we haven’t met, but I saw you that night at the steak house. I’m delighted to finally meet you.”

“Me, too. But I’ll confess to being confused. You were holding Pete’s hand that night. I thought Chad had married the other lady.”

“Rita?” Chad asked before hooting in derision. “I’m insulted, Janie, that you would think I’d pick someone like her. My heart was set on Megan from the first.”

Janie managed a smile. “Well, I think you’ve chosen well.”

Megan must have realized her discomfort, because she leaned closer and whispered, “I was only holding Pete’s hand because he seemed so distressed to see you with another man.”