agreed.”
“Is Susan going to keep working for Kate?”
“Yes. She’s planning on driving in every day.”
“In that old car of hers? I’ll have to insist she let me buy her a better one. It would be dangerous—”
“I’ve already taken care of it.”
“Well, you’re two for two. I’m impressed.”
“Two for two?”
“You’re getting her out of the apartment and giving
her a better vehicle. We couldn’t convince her on either one of those.”
“So you’re not upset with me?” Zach asked, breathing a sigh of relief. Not that their being upset would stop him, because he needed Susan and he believed he was helping her, too. But it would’ve made things difficult for her.
“Not me. I’m not speaking for my wife, of course.” He paused, then said, “Kate says to tell Susan she’ll be over in the morning, as soon as she’s done a few things at the diner, to help pack up. She’ll call Maggie, too.”
“I’ll tell her. That’s nice of them.”
“They’re family.”
Zach hung up the phone after saying goodbye and relayed Will’s message.
Tears filled Susan’s eyes. “They’re so wonderful.”
He stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, unable to resist the urge to comfort her, but she backed away again.
“Listen, you’re going to have to get used to a little touching, or Gramp will never buy our story,” he said. And he’d go crazy if he couldn’t touch her.
“It’s okay to touch in front of Cramp—or Hester. But not when we’re alone.” She felt ridiculous making these rules, but she knew they were absolutely necessary.
“Why not?”
“You know why not, Zach Lowery. It’s like playing with matches around a gas leak.”
He put his hands on his hips and stared at her,
thinking about what she’d said. It was a pretty accurate description of what happened when he touched her. “Okay. I need to talk to Rosa and Pedro. And when we get back from the hospital tonight, I’ll start helping you pack. Do you have any boxes?”
“No. I didn’t realize—Everything’s happening so fast.”
He couldn’t argue with that statement, either. Last Saturday he only had his grandfather. Now he had a wife—and a lot of other new family when he counted Megan, Paul, Kate and Will with their son, and Maggie and Josh with their two children.
“When am I going to meet Megan?” he asked suddenly.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t... I haven’t talked to her since I met you. She’s been so busy trying to find a job and getting used to the campus. I’ll have to tell her, but not yet.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re ashamed of me, Mrs. Lowery,” he teased.
“Not ashamed. Just—just finding it difficult to explain what we’ve done.”
“Let’s go next door and figure out a schedule. Then we’ll go to the hospital. And we don’t have to explain anything to anyone.” He took her hand before she could move away and pulled her behind him to the front door. At least once they were around people, he could touch her.
She’d agreed to that, whether she realized it or not.
“Pizza’s here,” Zach called at noon the next day as he came up the stairs.
Susan peeked out her door and saw her handsome husband with pizza boxes stacked to his nose.
“How many did you order?” She would hate to see the bill, but, of course, Zach had already taken care of that She was discovering he was a very generous man.
“A lot. Cowboys have big appetites. Right, Rick?”
One of the cowboys who’d arrived around seven this morning with two trucks and trailers, grinned at Susan. “Yes. ma’am, Mrs. Lowery. We eat a lot.”
“Well, you’ve certainly earned your lunch. Your help has been invaluable.” She had a lot of people to thank. Kate and Maggie had arrived around nine this morning and were still packing the few things left in her apartment,
“I’ll call the others to lunch,” she said.
“After we eat, I think we’ll be ready to head for the ranch,”
“Is Susan going to keep working for Kate?”
“Yes. She’s planning on driving in every day.”
“In that old car of hers? I’ll have to insist she let me buy her a better one. It would be dangerous—”
“I’ve already taken care of it.”
“Well, you’re two for two. I’m impressed.”
“Two for two?”
“You’re getting her out of the apartment and giving
her a better vehicle. We couldn’t convince her on either one of those.”
“So you’re not upset with me?” Zach asked, breathing a sigh of relief. Not that their being upset would stop him, because he needed Susan and he believed he was helping her, too. But it would’ve made things difficult for her.
“Not me. I’m not speaking for my wife, of course.” He paused, then said, “Kate says to tell Susan she’ll be over in the morning, as soon as she’s done a few things at the diner, to help pack up. She’ll call Maggie, too.”
“I’ll tell her. That’s nice of them.”
“They’re family.”
Zach hung up the phone after saying goodbye and relayed Will’s message.
Tears filled Susan’s eyes. “They’re so wonderful.”
He stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, unable to resist the urge to comfort her, but she backed away again.
“Listen, you’re going to have to get used to a little touching, or Gramp will never buy our story,” he said. And he’d go crazy if he couldn’t touch her.
“It’s okay to touch in front of Cramp—or Hester. But not when we’re alone.” She felt ridiculous making these rules, but she knew they were absolutely necessary.
“Why not?”
“You know why not, Zach Lowery. It’s like playing with matches around a gas leak.”
He put his hands on his hips and stared at her,
thinking about what she’d said. It was a pretty accurate description of what happened when he touched her. “Okay. I need to talk to Rosa and Pedro. And when we get back from the hospital tonight, I’ll start helping you pack. Do you have any boxes?”
“No. I didn’t realize—Everything’s happening so fast.”
He couldn’t argue with that statement, either. Last Saturday he only had his grandfather. Now he had a wife—and a lot of other new family when he counted Megan, Paul, Kate and Will with their son, and Maggie and Josh with their two children.
“When am I going to meet Megan?” he asked suddenly.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t... I haven’t talked to her since I met you. She’s been so busy trying to find a job and getting used to the campus. I’ll have to tell her, but not yet.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re ashamed of me, Mrs. Lowery,” he teased.
“Not ashamed. Just—just finding it difficult to explain what we’ve done.”
“Let’s go next door and figure out a schedule. Then we’ll go to the hospital. And we don’t have to explain anything to anyone.” He took her hand before she could move away and pulled her behind him to the front door. At least once they were around people, he could touch her.
She’d agreed to that, whether she realized it or not.
“Pizza’s here,” Zach called at noon the next day as he came up the stairs.
Susan peeked out her door and saw her handsome husband with pizza boxes stacked to his nose.
“How many did you order?” She would hate to see the bill, but, of course, Zach had already taken care of that She was discovering he was a very generous man.
“A lot. Cowboys have big appetites. Right, Rick?”
One of the cowboys who’d arrived around seven this morning with two trucks and trailers, grinned at Susan. “Yes. ma’am, Mrs. Lowery. We eat a lot.”
“Well, you’ve certainly earned your lunch. Your help has been invaluable.” She had a lot of people to thank. Kate and Maggie had arrived around nine this morning and were still packing the few things left in her apartment,
“I’ll call the others to lunch,” she said.
“After we eat, I think we’ll be ready to head for the ranch,”
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