The Great Texas Wedding Bargain (10 page)

“I suppose we could leave it up to her,” Rick said slowly, as if considering her words. He winked at Faith and she nodded to him before calling out a good-night and leaving the room.

Rick crossed to the table. “Come on, gloomy Gus, I want to show you something.”

“This is no joke, Rick!” Megan snapped. “We could lose the kids!”

He pulled her to her feet. “I know that, Megan,” he assured her, wiping any amusement from his face. “But we’re not going to. And whatever happens, getting depressed about it isn’t going to help anything.”

She bowed her head.

Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her up and led her to the back porch where a porch swing hung. He hadn’t spent much time in the porch swing since he bought the place. It had felt too lonely to sit there at night by himself.

He sat them both down in the swing, his arm still around Megan. After a moment of sitting stiff as a toy soldier, Megan sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Rick pushed the swing into motion with his foot.

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered.

“For what?”

“For acting like a baby. For making you work so hard at our agreement. It would’ve been better for you if you’d hired a housekeeper instead of putting up with our problems.”

Instead of responding directly to her remarks, Rick continued to push the swing. Then he said, “You know, no one has ever called me daddy before.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll tell Torie not to—”

“You’ll do no such thing. I’m not complaining. I kind of liked it.”

“But you don’t want a family. You said you’d never marry again.”

Rick chuckled. “I said I didn’t want a wife. Not a real one. But a family? I always thought it would be neat to have a couple of kids.”

Megan sighed. “Life is so complicated.”

“Yeah, but it can be pretty great, too. Look up there,” he directed, pointed up to the velvet blue night. A silver-dollar moon shone down on them. “That’s what I wanted to show you.”

“It’s lovely. Everything is lovely here. So quiet and peaceful. So safe.”

“And we’re going to keep it that way. You just keep believing, sweetheart. That’s all it takes.” He kissed her forehead.

“Rick, I…it’s not fair to you.”

“What’s not fair?”

“You’re giving so much.”

“You think I should renegotiate our deal? Maybe I could ask you to sleep with me on alternate Thursdays?”

She gasped.

Rick chuckled. “Don’t get upset. I’m teasing.”

“But—”

“Megan,
if
we share a bed, it will be because we both choose to do so for ourselves. And no other reason. Understand?”

“Yes,” she said with a sigh, her head still resting on his shoulder.

Rick knew how to take her attention off her problems. “And I just want to tell you I’m ready whenever you are.”

She leaped up from the swing.

Damn, he’d done a good job.

His first breakfast at home as a married man was a silent one. Neither Faith nor the children were up yet. To his surprise, Megan was in the kitchen when he got downstairs a little after six.

But after his remark last night, Megan wouldn’t look at him or speak to him. She fed him, but that was all.

“Do you work today?” he finally asked.

“No.”

“When would be a good time to take Torie to pick out her puppy?” He polished off the bacon and eggs, sopping up the last of the eggs with his biscuit. She still hadn’t answered when he finished. “Come on, Meg, quit treating me like a criminal. It’s not against the law to tell you that I want you.”

“That wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“Hey, I know that, or I’d be a lot more content right now.”

She squared around, her fists cocked on her trim hips. “How do you know? I might be lousy at sex.”

The significance of her words almost passed by him as he enjoyed her challenge. Then he stared at her, horror on his face. “You’re a virgin?”

“I didn’t say that,” she snapped and whirled around, turning her back to him.

He ignored those words. “Why?”

“Why what?” she asked as she furiously scrubbed at an already clean sink.

He stood and carried his dirty dishes to the sink, but he was careful not to touch her. “Why haven’t you ever, uh, you know, been with a man?”

“You think no one ever asked?” she challenged.

“Not likely,” he assured her. “You’ve had
me
drooling ever since we met.”

She turned bright red and looked away. “That’s none of your business.”

Rick wondered who would be more involved than her husband. But he wasn’t really her husband, and he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to be. So she was right.

He backed away. “Uh, I’ll start my day. How about right before lunch?”

She gave him a puzzled look.

“To go get the dog. I figured Torie took a nap after lunch.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll have her ready.”

He panicked. “You’re coming with us, aren’t you? I mean, I like Torie, but I don’t know how to take care of her by myself.”

For the first time since he’d entered the kitchen, Megan smiled. “One of us will go with you, I promise.”

“Okay. I have to run into town for a little while, but I’ll be back by eleven.”

M
EGAN SANK
back against the counter and let out a big sigh when Rick left the kitchen.

She was in trouble.

The man was being an angel, a protective, thoughtful angel. She couldn’t ask for more to protect her niece and nephew. When they’d made their arrangement, she’d figured a marriage certificate, a man as a figurehead, was what she’d get.

Rick had given her so much more.

He’d comforted, consoled, teased. He’d reached out to Torie. The child had even called him daddy, though Megan didn’t intend to encourage that.

But last night he’d indicated he wanted more. Oh, he’d said he was teasing, but it had always been Megan’s theory that teasing had an element of truth in it.

The scary part was it would be so easy to give herself to him. He was sexy, kind, honest. He was protecting the children.

And there was something in her that lit up like a firecracker when he touched her.

She straightened, stiffening her shoulders. So okay, she’d have to avoid his touch. She could do that. She’d stay focused on the problem at hand. Once she got custody of the children, then she’d deal with Rick.

An annulment would be a lot simpler than a divorce.

Drew’s fussing interrupted her thoughts. The baby monitor on the cabinet told her her nephew was ready for his breakfast.

She hurried upstairs to him before he woke his sister. Torie usually slept until eight, another hour and a half away. Megan didn’t want her tired if they were going to pick out her puppy today.

With Drew in his high chair, Megan began the rest of her day, distracted from the thoughts that had interrupted her sleep the night before.

R
ICK HEADED INTO
town around eight-thirty. He’d decided he needed to consult with Mac in more detail.

When he reached the town square, where Mac, and Tuck’s wife, Alex, had their offices, he discovered Mac’s office didn’t open until nine o’clock. He changed direction and headed for the sheriff’s office.

Cal, sitting with his feet propped up enjoying a cup of coffee in his office, saw Rick as he entered. “Hey, bridegroom, grab a cup of coffee and come join me.”

Rick did as he suggested, snagging a doughnut, too. After all, breakfast had been a couple of hours ago.

“How’s married life?” Cal asked.

“Great, except I’m tired of answering that question,” Rick told him, recalling Mac’s same question the night before.

“Ah. Life under the microscope. Well, that’s life in a small town. Get used to it,” Cal suggested with a huge grin.

“I will, but it’d be easier if the matchmakers didn’t help.”

Cal’s grin widened even more. “Aw, come on, they were doing you a favor. A night of bliss with your new bride.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “That’s not why I’m here.” He didn’t want to discuss his marriage with anyone.

“Something wrong?” Cal was suddenly all business.

“Not yet. I’m actually in town to see Mac. He came out last night to tell us we have to be in court in Fort Worth on Monday. Megan’s brother-in-law is challenging the temporary guardianship.”

“What does Mac think?”

“He said he thought we’d be okay. But Megan is worried.”

“Yeah.” There was a wealth of understanding in that one word.

“I wondered what you knew about the man.”

“Moody? Mac asked me the same question. I pulled everything I could off the computer and gave it to him.”

Rick sighed and sipped the hot coffee. “Megan hasn’t said much. How bad a character is he?”

“I don’t know. Megan talked to Mac, but the only things on his record are a couple of DWIs.”

“That’s not a lot to cut him off from his kids.” Rick couldn’t help thinking if someone tried to take his kids from him, he’d do whatever it took to get them back. Then it occurred to him that he was beginning to feel the same way about Torie and Drew.

“Megan told Samantha he was abusive,” Cal said thoughtfully, frowning, “but I don’t know what that entailed.”

Rick raised his eyebrow. “And Dr. Gibbons told you?”

Cal grinned. “She didn’t tell Samantha as a patient. And Samantha told Mac. After all, he’s her husband.”

“And he told you because you’re the sheriff?” Rick deduced.

“He wanted me to know what to look for in the records.”

“Okay, I’ll see if Mac is in yet.”

“Want me to go with you?”

“You’re not busy here?”

“Naw. And I’ll tell ’em where to find me if something comes up.”

After making arrangements, the two men walked to Mac’s office to find him just settling in to the day’s business. They covered Drake Moody’s record quickly, and Mac said he’d hired the best P.I. he knew in Fort Worth to see what else he could find.

Rick leaned forward. “Okay, here’s what I want to know. Should I call in some markers? I know a few influential people in Fort Worth.”

“You do?” Mac asked with a frown. “Like who?”

Rick ran down a mental list. “The mayor, a couple of councillors, some businessmen.”

Cal spoke up. “This judge granted the temporary custody to Megan originally, didn’t he? So he must not favor Moody.”

Mac shook his head. “When it came up after her sister’s death, Megan said Moody and his family were involved in saving his skin. They all ignored the children.”

“And since then?” Rick asked.

“They’ve ignored the children,” Mac repeated with a nod.

“They haven’t seen them since her sister died?” Rick asked, wanting to be sure he understood.

“They haven’t even called. They didn’t attend the funeral. Nothing.”

“Won’t that count against them?”

“Yeah, if we’ve got a fair judge.” Mac blew out a suppressed breath.

“Give me his name and I’ll see what I can do,” Rick said.

“Rick, I can’t be a party to bribery or—”

Grinning, Rick reassured Mac. “I’m not going to do anything illegal. I’m just going to let some people know I’ll be there, and make sure there’ll be some attention paid to what happens.”

Mac gave him the name.

“Can I use the phone here? I don’t want to make the calls from the house.”

Mac offered him Alex’s office. She wasn’t in this morning.

After Rick left the room, Cal looked at Mac. “Will that do any good?”

“Depends on how interested those people will be in Rick’s business. What did he do before he came here?”

“He’s never said. I assumed he worked on a ranch. He’s pretty knowledgeable.”

“I know he grew up on a farm, but—he did have a tux for the wedding.”

Cal frowned. “Damn. I’m supposed to be the observant one. That would be unusual for a cowboy, wouldn’t it?”

Mac nodded.

“Maybe I should’ve done a little investigating about him, but he’s a friend now. I’d feel funny looking into his background.”

“Yeah.”

As they sat there, thinking about the situation, the door opened and Rick reappeared.

“Did you do any good?” Mac asked.

“Maybe. The mayor plans to be in the courtroom Monday. He knows the Moody family. Doesn’t care for them much. Said he’d make sure the press picked up on it.”

“Good.” Mac didn’t say anything else, but he looked worried.

“What?” Rick asked.

“Damn, it’s awkward to ask, but…but why would the mayor care?”

Rick slumped down in the nearest chair, his lips pressed tightly together. He’d known the time would come when he had to reveal his past. But he’d been enjoying his anonymity.

Finally, he lifted his head and stared at Mac. “Have you ever heard of CAP Computers?”

Cal frowned, but Mac nodded at once. “Of course. It’s a major computer company out of Austin. The guy who started it sold it last year for a few billion,” he said, grinning.

“Yeah.” Rick didn’t say anything else.

Cal and Mac stared at him. Finally, Cal said, “That was you?”

He nodded.

“Damn, man, what are you doing chasing ornery cows?” Cal demanded.

“I could ask you the same question, Cal. You’ve got a job. I know the oil money your family has makes working unnecessary. And you, too, Mac.”

Both men nodded.

Rick pulled out his billfold and extracted a business card. Handing it to Mac, he said, “Send any bills to this man. They’ll be paid.” Before Mac could respond, Rick continued, “I need both of you to keep quiet about this. Even to your wives. I don’t want anyone to know.”

“What about Megan? Does she know?”

Rick shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together. “No. And it’s important she doesn’t find out.”

M
EGAN HAD
Torie dressed in tiny blue jeans, a pink T-shirt and sneakers, her blond hair in a ponytail, bobbing with every movement.

“Where are we going?” the child asked.

“Rick is going to take us for a ride,” Megan explained for the tenth time.

“When?”

“He should be here any minute,” Megan said again. “Why don’t you go watch cartoons? I’ll call you when he gets here.”

“I’m hungry.”

Megan sighed. “Okay, get in your chair. You can have two cookies and a glass of milk. But that’s all.”

Torie chuckled. “You sound just like Mom—” She stopped, confusion and sadness in her gaze. “Why did Mommy go away?”

Megan poured the milk and carried it to the table with a plate of cookies before she answered. “Mommy died, Torie. Remember, we talked about it? She’s in heaven with the angels. She’d come back if she could because she loved you very much.”

“Did she love Drew?”

“Of course she did.”

“Did she love Daddy?”

Tricky question. “She did, once. But Daddy…changed. He was mean to you. Mommy didn’t like that. Remember? That’s why you all moved in with Grandma.”

“I ’member. I was glad.”

“Eat your cookies, sweetie. I think I hear Rick coming.”

After taking a bite, Torie asked, “Will I like it?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. Will you like what?”

“Where we’re going?”

“Yes, I think you will.”

To Megan’s relief, the backdoor opened and Rick walked in.

“Morning, ladies.”

Torie giggled. “I’m not a lady.”

“Yes, you are. You’re a special lady ’cause you’ve got cookies.” He leaned close and pretended to take a bite of Torie’s cookie. She shrieked and pressed her half-eaten cookies against her chest.

Megan laughed at their playing. “There’s more cookies for you, Rick.” Without waiting for his approval, she placed several on a plate for him.

“Thanks, but we’ve got to get moving. I’ve got a lot of work to do this afternoon.”

“Have you been in town all morning?” she asked, wondering what had been so important. When he looked at her as if she was prying, she hurried to say, “I just wondered.”

“Yeah.”

His terse response didn’t encourage any further questions. Fine. If he wanted to have secrets, he could. She didn’t care. Much.

“Ready, Torie?” Rick asked, taking two cookies in his hand and standing.

“Yep, I’m ready. What for?”

Rick knelt beside the little girl’s chair, pulling it from the table so she could get down. “Ready to go get your puppy.”

There was no holding Torie still after that. She threw her arms around Rick’s neck as she slid from the chair, almost knocking him over. After squeezing his neck tightly, she broke loose and ran around the room, repeating “Puppy! Puppy!” over and over again.

Before Megan could corral her, she suddenly darted to the kitchen door and ran up the stairs. “Grandma! Grandma! I’m going to get a puppy.”

“Torie!” Megan called, hurrying up after her.

Before she could catch Torie, she heard Drew’s cry. She was too late. Torie had awakened her brother from his morning nap.

Megan calmed the little boy and came down a couple of minutes later, carrying Drew, Torie close behind. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”