never seen anyone blush as much as Megan. And he loved it.
He pulled her against him. “Don’t worry so much. Even if we didn’t convince her, the matchmakers will persuade her. They know the truth, even if they choose not to believe it.”
“I guess you’re right,” she murmured.
Rick loved feeling her against him. She must like it a little, too, because, as when they danced last night, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Then she pulled back. “You’d better eat. We only have a few minutes before we’re supposed to check out. I’ll pack everything up in our new luggage while you eat.”
“I put my tux in the big suitcase, along with my other things,” he assured her as he started uncovering dishes on the tray. The sight of scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, distracted him.
“Do you use your tux often?”
“Not now,” he said absentmindedly.
“What did you do before you bought your ranch?”
Suddenly, his senses were on alert. Why did she want to know? One of the things he liked about the people of Cactus was their acceptance of him as he was, without questions. “I lived in a city. Why?”
“It seemed odd that you would own your own tux.”
“I bought it for a friend’s wedding. He told me it would be better to buy my own. It was on sale, so I believed him.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
A funny answer. “Yeah.” It made sense as long as she didn’t see the designer label. He was glad he’d already packed the tux, instead of leaving it to her. He had no intention of revealing his past to Megan.
Most especially to Megan.
S INCE M ARYBELLE had worked the Thursday morning shift for Megan, and she wasn’t scheduled for the weekend, Megan didn’t have to worry about working again until Monday afternoon. Unless there was an emergency.
She and Rick arrived back at the ranch just a little after noon. When they went in the backdoor, Faith was still at the table with the children, feeding them lunch.
“Hi, Mom,” Megan said, unable to keep a certain coolness out of her voice.
“Aunt Megan!” Torie cried, a relieved smile on her face. “I thought you weren’t coming back!”
Faith said under her breath, “She’s worried all morning.”
Megan pulled out a chair next to Torie and gave her a hug. “Of course I came back. We’re all going to live here with Rick, remember?”
“And Daisy!” Torie added.
Rick raised one eyebrow. “Where is that dog?”
Faith answered. “Jose asked if he could take Daisy with him to work the cows.”
“Good. I need to go see how he’s managing. I’ll take the new luggage upstairs, Meg. Shall I put it in your room? Where’s my things?”
Again Faith answered. “I moved all your things back upstairs, remember?”
“I just wanted to be sure.”
“I moved some of your machines last night, with Celia’s help, but I’m not sure I got them arranged or hooked up the way you would want,” she added.
“Oh, Mom, you should’ve waited,” Megan protested, concerned that her mother might have messed up some of Rick’s fancy equipment, not to mention overexerted herself.
“Uh, it’s okay,” Rick said, but Megan could tell he was nervous about the results. “I’ll move the rest of it this afternoon when I get in.”
Then he hurried from the room, carrying the three suitcases.
“Where did you get the luggage?” Faith asked.
“It was part of the wedding gift,” Megan said, knowing her voice sounded stiff.
Her mother looked at her from beneath her lashes and scooped up another bite of peas for Drew.
“Why didn’t you warn me, Mom?”
“What good would it have done? You would’ve just worried,” Faith said.
“Or been a little better prepared.”
Faith shrugged her shoulders. “They asked me to keep it a secret, and I promised.”
Frustrated, Megan turned to the door leading from the kitchen. Torie stopped her.
“Where are you going, Aunt Megan?”
“Upstairs, to unpack, sweetie. Finish your lunch and then
He pulled her against him. “Don’t worry so much. Even if we didn’t convince her, the matchmakers will persuade her. They know the truth, even if they choose not to believe it.”
“I guess you’re right,” she murmured.
Rick loved feeling her against him. She must like it a little, too, because, as when they danced last night, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Then she pulled back. “You’d better eat. We only have a few minutes before we’re supposed to check out. I’ll pack everything up in our new luggage while you eat.”
“I put my tux in the big suitcase, along with my other things,” he assured her as he started uncovering dishes on the tray. The sight of scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, distracted him.
“Do you use your tux often?”
“Not now,” he said absentmindedly.
“What did you do before you bought your ranch?”
Suddenly, his senses were on alert. Why did she want to know? One of the things he liked about the people of Cactus was their acceptance of him as he was, without questions. “I lived in a city. Why?”
“It seemed odd that you would own your own tux.”
“I bought it for a friend’s wedding. He told me it would be better to buy my own. It was on sale, so I believed him.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
A funny answer. “Yeah.” It made sense as long as she didn’t see the designer label. He was glad he’d already packed the tux, instead of leaving it to her. He had no intention of revealing his past to Megan.
Most especially to Megan.
S INCE M ARYBELLE had worked the Thursday morning shift for Megan, and she wasn’t scheduled for the weekend, Megan didn’t have to worry about working again until Monday afternoon. Unless there was an emergency.
She and Rick arrived back at the ranch just a little after noon. When they went in the backdoor, Faith was still at the table with the children, feeding them lunch.
“Hi, Mom,” Megan said, unable to keep a certain coolness out of her voice.
“Aunt Megan!” Torie cried, a relieved smile on her face. “I thought you weren’t coming back!”
Faith said under her breath, “She’s worried all morning.”
Megan pulled out a chair next to Torie and gave her a hug. “Of course I came back. We’re all going to live here with Rick, remember?”
“And Daisy!” Torie added.
Rick raised one eyebrow. “Where is that dog?”
Faith answered. “Jose asked if he could take Daisy with him to work the cows.”
“Good. I need to go see how he’s managing. I’ll take the new luggage upstairs, Meg. Shall I put it in your room? Where’s my things?”
Again Faith answered. “I moved all your things back upstairs, remember?”
“I just wanted to be sure.”
“I moved some of your machines last night, with Celia’s help, but I’m not sure I got them arranged or hooked up the way you would want,” she added.
“Oh, Mom, you should’ve waited,” Megan protested, concerned that her mother might have messed up some of Rick’s fancy equipment, not to mention overexerted herself.
“Uh, it’s okay,” Rick said, but Megan could tell he was nervous about the results. “I’ll move the rest of it this afternoon when I get in.”
Then he hurried from the room, carrying the three suitcases.
“Where did you get the luggage?” Faith asked.
“It was part of the wedding gift,” Megan said, knowing her voice sounded stiff.
Her mother looked at her from beneath her lashes and scooped up another bite of peas for Drew.
“Why didn’t you warn me, Mom?”
“What good would it have done? You would’ve just worried,” Faith said.
“Or been a little better prepared.”
Faith shrugged her shoulders. “They asked me to keep it a secret, and I promised.”
Frustrated, Megan turned to the door leading from the kitchen. Torie stopped her.
“Where are you going, Aunt Megan?”
“Upstairs, to unpack, sweetie. Finish your lunch and then
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