What Price Paradise (9 page)

Oh, shit. Why hadn’t he realized sooner this was going to happen? Buddy, the secretary and the judge were all looking at him expectantly. He glanced down at Abby. Panic was written all over her face. Apparently she hadn’t realized it was going to happen either.

Tate took a deep breath. Okay, they could handle this. Just one little peck and everyone would be happy.

He wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Abby’s eyes widened even more as he leaned down. Just a fast brush, he promised.

Then his lips touched hers and he saw her eyes drift shut, tasted the sweetness and innocence that had been plaguing him for weeks. And his lips clung to the warmth, savored it against his will. When her lips parted, he deepened the kiss, unaware that his arms had gone around her to pull her tighter to him.

Someone cleared their throat and Tate jerked away from her, shock running through his system. What the hell was he doing? Abby looked as stunned as he felt, the paleness of her skin replaced by a high flush of color across her cheekbones.

He released her abruptly, using the excuse of paying the judge to give him time to get his tingling body back under control. It wasn’t nearly long enough. He was still blessing the length of his jacket when they reached the sidewalk out front, and praying it hid the bulge.

“Let’s find a restaurant.” Buddy was looking up and down the street. “I’m starved.”

Tate added Buddy’s stomach to his list of blessings. The cover of a table was just what he needed right now. That and a tub full of ice water.

* * * * *

It was true, Abby thought, looking yet again at the wedding rings on her finger as the truck pulled up next to the house. It was really true. They were married and her life was never going to be the same again.

She glanced up as the motor shut off, her gaze going straight to Tate’s mouth. She’d never been to a wedding before and, while she’d read about them, she certainly hadn’t been expecting a kiss like that one. Her lips were still tingling and she had the urge to rub them with her fingers to make them stop.

Oh, he’d kissed her that night. A lot. But somehow, it had been different then. She hadn’t even been sure she’d liked it. On the other hand, she’d liked that one this morning quite a bit. It wouldn’t even be so bad if it happened again.

Tate interrupted her thoughts. “I’m going to go put these papers up. I’ll be right back and we’ll take that walk down to the creek.”

“Shouldn’t I change first?”

His gaze swept over her. “No, you’ll be fine.” He paused with one foot on the bottom step. “I don’t think I told you earlier, but you look real pretty today.”

A tide of pleasure mingled with embarrassment rushed over her. “Thank you.”

Abby watched him vanish into the house and then looked down as Dog trotted up. “Did you hear that, Dog?” she whispered, scratching his ear. “He thinks I’m pretty. No one has ever thought I was pretty before.”

She shut up when Tate came back out. He’d removed his suit jacket and tie, and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows.

“It’s this way.” He started off toward one of the pastures and Abby ran a few steps to catch up to him.

“Have you lived here on the ranch all your life?”

“Yeah. I was born here, in that room you’re staying in. So was my dad.” He slowed a little so she could keep up with him. “My grandfather built the original house. Dad added onto it after he and Mom got married.”

“It’s a beautiful house. You’re lucky, you know.” Abby pulled a stalk of grass and ran it through her fingers as they walked. Ahead she could see a line of cottonwoods rustling in the breeze.

“Why am I lucky?”

She shrugged. “To grow up in a house like that with a real family. It’s like you’ve put down roots here and every generation they grow a little deeper. You’ll always have this place, no matter what else happens to you.”

Tate held a tree limb out of the way so she could get by. The sound of gurgling water was louder now. A path wound through the grove of trees ahead and she followed it, coming out on a grassy bank beside the creek. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, giving the light a greenish cast. The water rippled over and around shiny stones, turning them dark and mysterious.

Abby paused to look around and felt Tate stop next to her. “I can see why you like to fish. It’s almost like being in a church. So quiet and peaceful.”

“It’s a good place to come when you need to think.” He lowered himself onto the grass and looked at her curiously. “You go to church?”

“No. Not really.” She sat down and curled her legs to one side. “When I was little, this church group would send out a bus during the summer for vacation bible school. They always picked me up. I think that was in Tennessee. All the places we lived sort of run together now.”

Tate stretched out on his back and laced his fingers behind his head. “Why did you move so much?”

“I’m not really sure.” Abby found a rock and tossed it at the creek, watching as the water shot into the air. “Mama was just restless, I guess. She didn’t like to stay in one place for too long.”

He turned his head slightly and studied her. “Is that why you didn’t graduate from high school?”

“No, there were always schools. Not long after we got here, Mama got sick. She just kept getting worse. The state paid for her medical bills, but when they were sure she was dying, they sent her home. There was a nurse that came by everyday to check on her and give her medicine, but she had to have someone with her all the time. The state wouldn’t pay for that, so I quit school and stayed with her myself.”

“It must have been hard.”

“Hard?” She stared at the water. “I don’t think I ever thought of it that way. It was just something that had to be done and there was no one else to do it but me.” Abby glanced at him. “You’re a lot older than Buddy aren’t you?”

“I was thirteen when he was born.”

“Why did your parents wait so long to have another child?”

“It wasn’t intentional. They both wanted more children, but it just never seemed to happen until Buddy. It was pretty late in life for both of them and I suspect he came as a real surprise. It was a good surprise, though. They were thrilled.”

He unlaced his hands and pushed up on one elbow. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“You look younger.”

Abby nodded and looked down at her hands. “I know. That plus not having a diploma made it hard to get a job. Pete was the only one who’d hire me and he made me bring in my birth certificate first. He said he’d lose his liquor license if he couldn’t prove I was at least twenty-one.”

“That’s why you’re getting your G.E.D? So you could get a better job?”

“Sort of. I thought maybe one of the factories near Austin might hire me full-time. But they won’t if I don’t have a diploma.”

“A factory.” His voice sounded flat to her ears and resentment bubbled up in her.

“There’s nothing wrong with working in a factory. Lots of people do it.”

“They aren’t as little as you are. A factory would have killed you in a month.”

“No, it wouldn’t. I’m healthy and I’m a lot stronger than I look.”

“That reminds me.” Tate rolled to his feet. “We’d better get back to the house. You need to call and make an appointment with a doctor.”

Abby stood. “I don’t know any doctors.”

“There’s bound to be some in the phone book. Come on and let’s go see.”

He held out his hand again and this time Abby took it with no hesitation. She was actually getting used to his touch, she decided.

They reached the house just in time to see a rotund figure heading back to a strange pickup that was parked behinds Tate’s.

Abby tried to hang back a little, but Tate still had her hand and he pulled her forward with him as a deep voice rang out.

“There you are, boy. I was just about to head out to the fields to find you. Wanted to see if you had any extra soybeans. Decided to increase my acreage since I had to sell off more of my cows.”

“Sure, Hank. You know I always keep plenty on hand.”

Abby suddenly found herself pinned by a pair of faded green eyes.

“Well, well, now. Ain’t you a pretty thing? I’m Henrietta Donley but most folks just call me Hank. Don’t see why you shouldn’t do the same.”

Now that they were closer, Abby could see that what she’d mistaken for a man was, indeed, a woman. Her sandy hair, liberally sprinkled with gray, was twisted into a bun at the back and all but covered by the battered felt Resistol she was wearing. A bright red, flannel shirt was set off by the largest pair of denim coveralls that Abby had ever seen. She wasn’t quite sure how to react, but Tate took the problem out of her hands.

“Hank, this is Abby.” With a barely noticeable hesitation, he continued. “Abby McCullom. We got married this morning.”

Hank’s wide cheeks rounded in a huge grin. “Well bless my soul if you ain’t a sneaky snake in the grass! Here everybody in the county has been worried half to death about you and all this time you’ve been keeping secrets. If that don’t just beat all.”

Abby suddenly found herself swallowed in a bone-crushing hug.

“Welcome to the community, darlin’. And don’t you worry. You might be a little on the scrawny side now, but we’ll put some meat on you real fast.”

“Thanks. I think.” Abby gingerly rubbed her arms.

Hank’s laughter rang across the yard. “Yep, she’s a keeper, Tate.” She slugged him in the arm and he rocked back on his heels before catching his balance. “You should have let us know. We could have had a nice fancy wedding right here on the ranch.”

“We were in kind of a hurry, Hank. Didn’t take much time for plans.”

She looked at him knowingly. “Like that, was it?”

Abby felt heat creeping up her neck and warming her cheeks. Maybe if she held still long enough she’d just vanish completely. At the moment, that was all she wanted.

“Well, don’t you worry none. Won’t be the first time a youngun’ predated the wedding vows a little and sure won’t be the last. Why, my own oldest was a mite premature if you get my drift. Ain’t hurt him none. And my man, God-rest-his-soul, sure was proud of hisself. Strutted around like a banty rooster with ten hens when that boy was born.” Head tilted to one side, she considered both of them. “Guess you know we’re gonna have to have a party to celebrate. Saturday, I think. Yep, that’ll do fine. It’ll be potluck, naturally. Wouldn’t be right to make you do all the cooking for your own party. You can cook, can’t you?” She eyed Abby.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good, good. Never know with townies. And now that I think about it, I’ll take that glass of iced tea after all.” She turned and started toward the house.

Abby looked at Tate, totally lost by the turn in conversation.

He grinned at her and leaned closer. “Hank has a tendency to hear what she wants to hear, even when you don’t actually say it.”

“I heard that, boy.” Hank called over her shoulder. “I ain’t deaf, you know.”

By the time they reached the kitchen, Hank had already lowered her bulk into a chair at the table.

Abby edged around her carefully. “I’ll just get the tea going.” She filled the kettle and put it on the stove as Tate joined Hank at the table.

“Been thinking.” The woman tipped her hat back. “I got me about a dozen laying hens that I could do without. Let you have them cheap.”

“Chickens?” Abby paused, tea leaves drifting to the countertop.

“Yep, all the rancher’s wives around here raise chickens. Nothing better than fresh eggs.”

Abby went back to measuring carefully. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about chickens.”

“Nothing to know,” Hank commented. “Stupidest critters ever put on Earth. Just keep them fed and watered and they’ll lay all summer long.”

“I don’t know…” She looked at Tate for direction.

He shrugged. “Up to you. We’ve got a henhouse and coop, but it hasn’t been used in years. Neither Buddy nor I have time to mess with them.”

“Well—”

“Good,” Hank interjected. “I’ll bring them by later this week and get you started. Got your garden broke up yet?” A wistful expression crossed her face. “Jenny McCullom used to have the best garden in the state. Never could figure out how she did it. Things just seemed to grow better for her. Lord, how I miss that woman.” She watched Abby pour boiling water over the tea. “It’ll be nice to have another female close again. Specially one with a youngun’ on the way. I got three of my own, did I mention that? All boys. Couldn’t work the ranch without them. So anytime you need any help or advice, you just give me a holler.”

Abby added sugar to the pitcher she’d gotten out. “Well, Tate wants me to make a doctor’s appointment, but I don’t who to call.”

“Doc Spanos,” Hank replied without hesitation. “He’s a little long in the tooth, but he’s still the best Doc around for this kind of thing. Been delivering babies for years and he keeps right up to date on all that new-fangled stuff folks seem to want now.”

Abby added the tea to the pitcher, gave it a quick stir, then poured it over the ice she had ready in glasses.