reached across the bed
without opening his eyes. Forcing himself to recognize that is was indeed
morning, and Marion was already awake and out of bed, was easier said than
done. Now he’d have to face TJ and Allison, where as he’d hoped he could slip
out the front door without notice.
Marion sat at the table when he joined the trio a few minutes later. TJ straddled a
chair turned backwards watching Michael attempt to shovel oatmeal into his mouth
with a large spoon.
“Hungry?” Allison asked, setting a cup of
coffee in front of an empty chair. “Sit,” she instructed.
Train sat down across from Marion. He gave
TJ a chastising look, knowing he was struggling to keep from laughing.
“Have you lost the bet?” He snorted as a
peal of laughter rang through the room.
“Stop it, TJ.” Allison pressed her lips
together tightly.
“You told them?” he questioned Marion. “Is nothing sacred to you, woman?”
She shrugged. “I felt I owed an explanation
for our sharing a room.”
“We won’t be tonight!” Train’s chair grated
across the floor. “I’ve got work to do.” He put his cowboy hat on and stomped
out the back door.
“You two are mean,” Allison said, wiping Michael’s
hands. “Train has a soft heart and you stomp all over it.”
Marion grunted. “Nothing about Train is soft with me.”
TJ choked on his coffee. “That is my cue to
leave.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin. After kissing Michael on the forehead,
he pulled Allison into an intimate embrace. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Marion asked, “Where will Train be today?”
He stopped and grinned. “Around.” With that,
he went out the door.
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”
she asked Allison.
“That the lines of battle have been drawn.”
Allison shook her head. “I don’t know who to support. If you win, Train loses
again.” She got a far away look in her eyes.
“What happened between you and Train? I know
you were close. The day after your marriage, down at the stables, I could tell
by the way he looked at you.”
Allison sat across from her. “TJ made me
crazy. When I thought he didn’t want me, I took advantage of Train. I used him
to make TJ jealous.” She reached across the table.
Marion stared at their linked hands. Unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions roiled in
her stomach. Why should it bother her that Train had once fancied Allison? By
the end of the week, she’d be back at the Dusty Rose and Train would be a
cherished memory. That thought too, troubled her.
Marion squeezed Allison’s hand, then stood. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I don’t know
who to root for either.” She let Allison pull her into a hug. “He makes me want
to believe.”
“Give it a little more time and he’ll prove it
to you.”
* * *
Marion nearly cried from boredom as she wandered around the house watching Allison
move from one project to another never giving herself time to relax. Michael
demanded much of her time, but Sissy seemed to come and go at will. “Do you
ever sit?”
Allison knelt next to Sissy’s bed tucking
the sheet under the mattress. “If you go down and make a pot of coffee, I’ll
take a break and have a cup with you.” While still on her knees, she sat back
on her heels. “I wish I could spend the day riding horses, or walking the
property, but I can’t.” She tossed her hands wide. “It isn’t easy taking care
of a house, kids, and a husband, but if I stick to my routine everything gets
done. Today I change sheets and do the wash.”
“I’d rather work on my back,” Marion said, disgusted. “If Train wants a wife to cook and clean, he’s going to be
disappointed.”
Allison’s mouth puckered. “Obviously you’re
considering marrying him. What if you win the bet?”
To her annoyance, Marion felt the beginnings
of a blush. She didn’t like the transparency of her feelings. She could only
hope Train wasn’t as observant as Allison. “Whether I win the bet or
without opening his eyes. Forcing himself to recognize that is was indeed
morning, and Marion was already awake and out of bed, was easier said than
done. Now he’d have to face TJ and Allison, where as he’d hoped he could slip
out the front door without notice.
Marion sat at the table when he joined the trio a few minutes later. TJ straddled a
chair turned backwards watching Michael attempt to shovel oatmeal into his mouth
with a large spoon.
“Hungry?” Allison asked, setting a cup of
coffee in front of an empty chair. “Sit,” she instructed.
Train sat down across from Marion. He gave
TJ a chastising look, knowing he was struggling to keep from laughing.
“Have you lost the bet?” He snorted as a
peal of laughter rang through the room.
“Stop it, TJ.” Allison pressed her lips
together tightly.
“You told them?” he questioned Marion. “Is nothing sacred to you, woman?”
She shrugged. “I felt I owed an explanation
for our sharing a room.”
“We won’t be tonight!” Train’s chair grated
across the floor. “I’ve got work to do.” He put his cowboy hat on and stomped
out the back door.
“You two are mean,” Allison said, wiping Michael’s
hands. “Train has a soft heart and you stomp all over it.”
Marion grunted. “Nothing about Train is soft with me.”
TJ choked on his coffee. “That is my cue to
leave.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin. After kissing Michael on the forehead,
he pulled Allison into an intimate embrace. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Marion asked, “Where will Train be today?”
He stopped and grinned. “Around.” With that,
he went out the door.
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”
she asked Allison.
“That the lines of battle have been drawn.”
Allison shook her head. “I don’t know who to support. If you win, Train loses
again.” She got a far away look in her eyes.
“What happened between you and Train? I know
you were close. The day after your marriage, down at the stables, I could tell
by the way he looked at you.”
Allison sat across from her. “TJ made me
crazy. When I thought he didn’t want me, I took advantage of Train. I used him
to make TJ jealous.” She reached across the table.
Marion stared at their linked hands. Unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions roiled in
her stomach. Why should it bother her that Train had once fancied Allison? By
the end of the week, she’d be back at the Dusty Rose and Train would be a
cherished memory. That thought too, troubled her.
Marion squeezed Allison’s hand, then stood. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I don’t know
who to root for either.” She let Allison pull her into a hug. “He makes me want
to believe.”
“Give it a little more time and he’ll prove it
to you.”
* * *
Marion nearly cried from boredom as she wandered around the house watching Allison
move from one project to another never giving herself time to relax. Michael
demanded much of her time, but Sissy seemed to come and go at will. “Do you
ever sit?”
Allison knelt next to Sissy’s bed tucking
the sheet under the mattress. “If you go down and make a pot of coffee, I’ll
take a break and have a cup with you.” While still on her knees, she sat back
on her heels. “I wish I could spend the day riding horses, or walking the
property, but I can’t.” She tossed her hands wide. “It isn’t easy taking care
of a house, kids, and a husband, but if I stick to my routine everything gets
done. Today I change sheets and do the wash.”
“I’d rather work on my back,” Marion said, disgusted. “If Train wants a wife to cook and clean, he’s going to be
disappointed.”
Allison’s mouth puckered. “Obviously you’re
considering marrying him. What if you win the bet?”
To her annoyance, Marion felt the beginnings
of a blush. She didn’t like the transparency of her feelings. She could only
hope Train wasn’t as observant as Allison. “Whether I win the bet or
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