I’ll read you a story before you take your nap.”
“A Pooh bear story?” Torie asked, her gaze filled with hope.
Who could resist? Of course, the fact that it was the longest book Torie owned probably had something to do with her request. “Yes, the Pooh bear story. But you have to eat your vegetables first.”
“Okay,” Torie agreed, immediately cramming a large bite of carrots into her mouth with both the spoon and her hand.
“Torie, your manners!” Faith urged.
Megan slipped from the room without Torie noticing. She climbed the stairs and stopped at the first room, Rick’s.
He’d left the door open.
“Do you want me to hang up your tux so you can join Jose?” she asked.
“No, I hung it up, thanks, Megan. I, uh, I put the suitcases in your room since I emptied the big one. Or I can store them in my closet, after you finish unpacking. I have a bigger closet than you.”
“All right, that would be nice. Did Mom mess up any of your equipment?” she asked, her gaze traveling over several of the machines.
“No, I’m sure she didn’t. But tell her not to move the others. They’re heavy. I’ll take care of them when I get back to the house.”
“I will. I’m sorry for all the inconvenience. I want to tell you again how much we appreciate what you’ve done.”
He moved toward the door and she stepped aside. But he didn’t pass her by. Clasping her shoulders, he leaned toward her and she thought he was going to kiss her.
“Megan, we’re each doing something for the other. Remember how this house looked before you and your mother cleaned it? And all that good food you’ve cooked? I’m not suffering.”
“I hope not,” she muttered, refusing to look at him. He was too close.
So when he did kiss her, she wasn’t prepared.
Fortunately, he only brushed his lips across hers and hurried down the stairs, leaving Megan standing in his bedroom doorway, wishing things were different than they were.
R ICK JOINED Jose and worked hard all afternoon, in spite of Jose’s teasing about his honeymoon. He distracted his friend by teasing him right back about the young lady he’d brought to the wedding.
“Maybe you’re planning on heading up the aisle, just like I did?”
“Hey, I just met the lady. Don’t be rushing me. Some of us don’t make decisions as fast as you do.”
“I guess I was a little quick, but I didn’t want her to get away,” Rick assured him, realizing he wasn’t completely lying. Megan needed his help and he felt she deserved a little consideration.
“Besides,” Jose added, “since I have to work for other people part of the time instead of for myself, I’m not ready to take on more responsibility.”
Jose had a small place, but he supplemented his income by working for Rick three days a week. When he could, Jose intended to train horses. He had a natural ability that impressed Rick.
“Yeah, a wife and family are a big responsibility,” Rick said with a sigh.
“You gonna adopt those kids?”
The question shocked Rick. Of course he wasn’t, because the marriage wasn’t real, but he realized if it was, that would be what he wanted. “Uh, Megan and I haven’t discussed it. Things happened too quickly.”
“They’re cute kids.”
“Yeah. And Torie is getting used to me. As long as she can play with Daisy,” he added with a grin.
Rick was still thinking about Torie as he and Daisy headed back to the ranch at sunset. He figured the little girl would ask about swimming in the creek, as he’d promised, when he got to the house.
He’d told Megan he didn’t mind Torie’s fondness for his dog. And he didn’t. As a child, he’d had a pet. Fluffy had been part cocker spaniel and part something else. She’d been a faithful companion as he’d navigated childhood. When his mother had died, Fluffy had consoled him.
Maybe he should get Torie her own puppy. Daisy was a work dog, but if Torie had her own puppy, housebroken of course, she’d have the
“A Pooh bear story?” Torie asked, her gaze filled with hope.
Who could resist? Of course, the fact that it was the longest book Torie owned probably had something to do with her request. “Yes, the Pooh bear story. But you have to eat your vegetables first.”
“Okay,” Torie agreed, immediately cramming a large bite of carrots into her mouth with both the spoon and her hand.
“Torie, your manners!” Faith urged.
Megan slipped from the room without Torie noticing. She climbed the stairs and stopped at the first room, Rick’s.
He’d left the door open.
“Do you want me to hang up your tux so you can join Jose?” she asked.
“No, I hung it up, thanks, Megan. I, uh, I put the suitcases in your room since I emptied the big one. Or I can store them in my closet, after you finish unpacking. I have a bigger closet than you.”
“All right, that would be nice. Did Mom mess up any of your equipment?” she asked, her gaze traveling over several of the machines.
“No, I’m sure she didn’t. But tell her not to move the others. They’re heavy. I’ll take care of them when I get back to the house.”
“I will. I’m sorry for all the inconvenience. I want to tell you again how much we appreciate what you’ve done.”
He moved toward the door and she stepped aside. But he didn’t pass her by. Clasping her shoulders, he leaned toward her and she thought he was going to kiss her.
“Megan, we’re each doing something for the other. Remember how this house looked before you and your mother cleaned it? And all that good food you’ve cooked? I’m not suffering.”
“I hope not,” she muttered, refusing to look at him. He was too close.
So when he did kiss her, she wasn’t prepared.
Fortunately, he only brushed his lips across hers and hurried down the stairs, leaving Megan standing in his bedroom doorway, wishing things were different than they were.
R ICK JOINED Jose and worked hard all afternoon, in spite of Jose’s teasing about his honeymoon. He distracted his friend by teasing him right back about the young lady he’d brought to the wedding.
“Maybe you’re planning on heading up the aisle, just like I did?”
“Hey, I just met the lady. Don’t be rushing me. Some of us don’t make decisions as fast as you do.”
“I guess I was a little quick, but I didn’t want her to get away,” Rick assured him, realizing he wasn’t completely lying. Megan needed his help and he felt she deserved a little consideration.
“Besides,” Jose added, “since I have to work for other people part of the time instead of for myself, I’m not ready to take on more responsibility.”
Jose had a small place, but he supplemented his income by working for Rick three days a week. When he could, Jose intended to train horses. He had a natural ability that impressed Rick.
“Yeah, a wife and family are a big responsibility,” Rick said with a sigh.
“You gonna adopt those kids?”
The question shocked Rick. Of course he wasn’t, because the marriage wasn’t real, but he realized if it was, that would be what he wanted. “Uh, Megan and I haven’t discussed it. Things happened too quickly.”
“They’re cute kids.”
“Yeah. And Torie is getting used to me. As long as she can play with Daisy,” he added with a grin.
Rick was still thinking about Torie as he and Daisy headed back to the ranch at sunset. He figured the little girl would ask about swimming in the creek, as he’d promised, when he got to the house.
He’d told Megan he didn’t mind Torie’s fondness for his dog. And he didn’t. As a child, he’d had a pet. Fluffy had been part cocker spaniel and part something else. She’d been a faithful companion as he’d navigated childhood. When his mother had died, Fluffy had consoled him.
Maybe he should get Torie her own puppy. Daisy was a work dog, but if Torie had her own puppy, housebroken of course, she’d have the
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