Heart of Texas Series Volume 1: Lonesome Cowboy\Texas Two-Step\Caroline's Child (39 page)

“He never got it because you didn't mail it.”

“What do you mean?” Richard demanded.

The two men faced off, Grady's anger spilling over in every word and Richard looking stunned and hard done by.

“Grady, please,” Savannah said, hurrying toward her older brother and gently placing a hand on his arm. “Now isn't the time to be discussing this. Leave it until later.”

“She's right,” Richard said. “In case you hadn't noticed, we have company.”

It was obvious that Grady had been so consumed by his anger, he'd barely realized they weren't alone. “Caroline,” he murmured, and his face revealed both regret and delight. He seemed uncertain about what to say next. “Hello.”

“How's my cupcake?” Richard asked, smiling at Maggie.

The little girl loosened her grip on Caroline's waist, turning to Richard as he spoke. He threw his arms open and she raced eagerly toward him.

“That's my girl,” Richard said, catching Maggie and sweeping her high into the air. He whirled her around, the pair of them laughing as if it'd been days since they'd seen each other.

Savannah sidled closer to Caroline. “Grady's been looking for Richard all afternoon,” she said in a quiet voice, “and he's been conveniently missing until now.”

Caroline understood what her friend was saying. Richard had played his cards perfectly, appearing at the precise moment it'd be impossible for Grady to get a straight answer from him. Then he'd used Maggie's childish adoration to make Grady look even more foolish.

“Maggie,” Caroline called.

Richard set the child back on her feet. Together the two of them joined Caroline and Savannah.

“I do believe Maggie has stolen my heart,” he said, his eyes bright with laughter.

“Does that mean you'll marry me?” Maggie asked, grinning up at him.

“Sure thing.”

“Really?”

“He won't marry you,” Caroline said, reaching for her daughter's hand.

“Don't be so certain,” Richard countered. He crouched down beside Maggie, but he was looking at Caroline.

“Hi, Maggie,” Grady said, choosing that moment to try again. The anger had faded from his face, but he still held himself rigid.

Caroline gave him credit for making the effort to win Maggie over.

Her daughter wasn't easily swayed, however. She buried her face in Richard's shoulder.

“There's no need to be afraid of Grady,” Richard whispered to Maggie—a stage whisper that carried easily. Then he smiled in a way that suggested Grady was wasting his time. In other words, Grady didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of convincing Maggie he wasn't an ogre. Richard's meaning couldn't have been clearer.

“I don't like Grady,” Maggie announced, pursing her lips.

“Maggie!” Caroline admonished her.

“She's right, you know,” Richard said, teeth flashing in a wide grin. “Grady just doesn't get along with kids, not like I do.”

Caroline clamped her mouth shut rather than reveal her thoughts. She didn't trust Richard,
couldn't
trust him, not after the way he'd used his family. Used anyone who'd let him.

“I'm thinking Maggie needs someone like me in her life,” Richard said. “Which means there's only one solution.”

“What's that?” Caroline knew she was a fool to ask.

“You could always marry me,” he said and leaned over far enough to touch his lips to Caroline's cheek. “Put me out of my misery, Caroline Daniels, and marry me.”

“Oh, Mommy, let's do it!” Maggie shouted, clapping her hands. “Let's marry Richard.”

2

G
RADY
WAS
PLEASED
THAT
HIS
SISTER
HAD
convinced Caroline and Maggie to stay for dinner. Now all he had to do was behave. It never seemed to fail—whenever he had a chance to make some headway with Maggie, he'd do something stupid. He wanted to blame Richard, but as usual he'd done it to himself.

His brother brought out the very worst in him. As Grady washed up for dinner, he hoped this evening would give him an opportunity to redeem himself in both Caroline and Maggie's eyes.

The table was already set and the food dished up in heaping portions. A platter of sliced roast beef rested in the middle, along with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, a pitcher of gravy, fresh corn on the cob and a crisp green salad. There was also a basket filled with Savannah's mouthwatering buttermilk biscuits. His sister was one fine cook. He'd miss her when she moved into her own house with Laredo. But it was time, well past time, that she had a home and a life of her own. He knew from his talks with Laredo that they'd already started to think about adding to the family.

“Dinner looks wonderful,” he said. Grady made an effort these days to let Savannah know how much he appreciated her. Over the years he'd taken her contributions for granted, discounting her efforts with her roses and her fledgling mail-order business—a business that now brought a significant income. He'd even made fun of her goats, which he considered pets rather than livestock. Now that she was married and about to establish her own home, Grady recognized just how much he was going to miss her.

Savannah flushed with pleasure at his praise.

The compliment had apparently earned him points with Caroline, too; she cast him an approving smile. Grady held in a sigh. He needed all the points he could get when it came to Caroline and Maggie. If everything went well, this evening might help him recapture lost ground with the child.

Everyone began to arrive for dinner. With the scent of the meal wafting through the house, it wasn't long before all the chairs were occupied—except for one. Richard's. It was just like his spoiled younger brother to keep everyone waiting.

“Where's Richard?” Maggie asked, glancing up at her mother.

Grady was asking himself the same question.

“He's coming, isn't he?” Maggie whined.

Even from where he stood Grady could sense the little girl's disappointment.

“I don't know, sweetheart,” Caroline answered.

“There's no need to let our meal get cold,” Grady said. If Richard chose to go without dinner, that was fine by him. If anything, he was grateful not to have his brother monopolizing the conversation, distracting both Caroline and Maggie. Grady pulled out his chair and sat down. Laredo, Savannah and Caroline did so, as well. The only one who remained standing was Maggie.

“What about Richard?” she asked in a small stubborn voice.

“I guess he isn't hungry,” Caroline said and pulled out the chair next to her own for Maggie.

“He promised he'd sit next to me at dinner.”

“It isn't a good idea to believe in the things Richard promises,” Grady said as much for Caroline's ears as for her daughter's. He hated to disappoint the five-year-old, but it was God's own truth. Richard was about as stable as beef prices. His loyalties constantly shifted toward whatever was most advantageous to him, with little concern for anyone else.

His playful marriage proposal to Caroline worried Grady. She'd laughed it off, but Grady found no humor in it. Apparently his brother knew Grady was interested in Caroline and thus considered her fair game. It would be typical of Richard to do what he could to thwart any romance between Caroline and Grady by making a play for her himself. Grady knew that made him sound paranoid, but he thought his fears were justified. Experience had been an excellent teacher.

He reached for the meat and forked a thick slice of roast beef onto his plate, then passed the platter to Caroline.

Maggie folded her arms and stared defiantly at Grady. “I'm not eating until Richard's here.”

“Maggie, please,” Caroline cajoled. She glanced at Grady, her eyes apologetic.

“Grady yelled at Richard.”

Once again Grady was the culprit. “I shouldn't have yelled, should I?” He was careful to speak in a low quiet voice. “I do that sometimes without thinking, but I wasn't angry at you.”

“You were mad at Richard.”

No use lying about it. “Yes, I was.”

“And now he won't come to dinner.”

“I think Richard has other reasons for not showing up,” Caroline explained as she placed a scoop of mashed potatoes on her daughter's plate. “Do you want one of Savannah's yummy buttermilk biscuits?”

Maggie hesitated for a long moment before she shook her head. “I won't eat without Richard.”

“Did I hear someone call my name?” Richard asked cheerfully as he stepped into the kitchen. “Sorry I'm late,” he said, not sounding the least apologetic. He pulled out his chair, sat down beside Maggie and reached for the meat platter all in a single graceful movement.

Caroline's child shot Grady a triumphant look as if to say she'd known all along that Richard hadn't lied to her.

Grady's appetite vanished. For every step he advanced in his effort to make friends with Maggie, he seemed to retreat two. Once more Richard had made him look like a fool in front of the little girl. And once more he'd allowed it to happen.

“Is it true you want to marry my mom?” Maggie asked Richard with such hopefulness that the question silenced all other conversation.

“Of course it's true.” Richard chuckled, then winked at Caroline.

“I think you should,” Maggie said, hanging on Richard's every word.

Grady didn't speak again during the entire meal. Not that anyone noticed. Adored by Maggie, Richard was in his element, and he became the center of attention, joking and teasing, complimenting Savannah, even exchanging a brief joke with Laredo.

Caroline was quiet for a time, but soon, Grady noted, Richard had won her over just as he had everyone else. Despite his disappointment, Grady marveled at his brother's talent. Richard had always savored attention, whereas Grady avoided the limelight. It had never bothered him before, but now he felt a growing resentment, certain Caroline was about to be caught by the force of Richard's spell. Other than Ellie Fraiser, Grady had never known any woman to resist his brother's charms. Ellie was the exception, and only because she was already in love with Glen Patterson, although neither of them had recognized the strength of their feelings for each other—until Richard interfered. Indirectly, and definitely without intending it, Richard had brought about something good. Still, if it hadn't been for Glen in Ellie's life, Grady wondered what would have happened. That, at least, was one worry he'd escaped.

As soon as he could, Grady excused himself from the table and headed toward the barn. He would have liked to linger over dinner, perhaps enjoy a cup of coffee with Caroline on the porch, but he could see that was a lost cause.

Not until he'd stalked across the yard did he recognize the symptoms. Damn it all, he was
jealous.
The only woman he'd ever cared about, and Richard was going to steal her away. The problem was, Grady had no idea how to keep him from Caroline.

To his surprise Laredo followed him outside. Like Grady, his brother-in-law was a man of few words.

“Don't let him get to you,” Laredo said, leading the way into the barn.

“I'm not,” Grady told him, which wasn't entirely a lie. He knew the kind of man Richard was; he knew the insecurity of Richard's charm. He didn't like the fact that his brother was working on Caroline, but he wasn't willing to make a fool of himself, either. Other men had made that mistake before him. Glen Patterson, for one. The poor guy had come off looking like an idiot at the Cattlemen's Association Dance. Richard and Glen had nearly come to blows over Ellie, with half the town looking on. They might have, too, if Sheriff Hennessey hadn't stepped in when he did.

“Good.” Laredo slapped him on the back and the two went their separate ways.

Grady didn't stay in the barn long. He gave himself ample time to control his resentment, then decided that, while he wasn't going to accept the role of fool, he didn't intend to just give up, either. He'd tried to make sure Caroline understood that their lunch today was more than a meal between friends. Hell—despite what she'd said—he didn't know if she ever considered him a friend.

Grady found her sitting on the porch with Savannah sipping hot tea. Maggie sat on the steps cradling her doll. He strolled toward the women, without a clue what to say once he joined them. He supposed he'd better learn a few conversational rules, he thought grimly, if that meant he'd have a chance with Caroline.

The two women stopped talking as he approached, which led him to surmise that he'd been the topic of conversation. He felt as awkward as a schoolboy and, not sure what else to do, touched the rim of his hat.

Savannah, bless her heart, winked conspiratorially at him and stood. “Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand to the little girl, “I found one of my old dolls this afternoon. Would you like to play with her?”

Maggie leaped to her feet. “Could I?”

“You bet.”

As Savannah and Maggie disappeared into the house, Grady lowered himself onto the rocker his sister had vacated. He felt as tongue-tied and unsure as he had that afternoon. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember that he'd been talking to Caroline all her life. It shouldn't be any different now.

“Beautiful night, isn't it?” he commented, thinking the weather was a safe subject with which to start.

“Those look like storm clouds to the east.”

Grady hadn't noticed. He gazed up at the sky, feeling abashed, until Caroline leaned back in her rocker and laughed. He grinned, loving the sound of her amusement. It was difficult not to stare. All these years, and he hadn't seen how damn beautiful she was. While he could speculate why it'd taken him this long, he didn't want to waste another minute. It was all he could do to keep his tongue from lolling out the side of his mouth whenever he caught sight of her. He longed to find the words to tell her how attractive she was, how much he liked and respected her. It wasn't the first time he'd wished he could issue compliments with Richard's finesse.

“Come on, Grady, loosen up.”

“I'm loose,” he growled and noted how relaxed she was, rocking back and forth as if they often sat side by side in the evening. His parents had done that. Every night. They'd shared the events of their day, talked over plans for the future, exchanged feelings and opinions.

The memory of his mother and father filled his mind. Six years, and the pain of their absence was as strong now as it had been in the beginning. Some nights Grady would sit on the porch, the old dog beside him, and silently discuss business matters with his father, seeking his advice. Not that he actually expected his father to provide answers, of course; Grady was no believer in ghosts or paranormal influences. But those one-sided discussions had helped see Grady through the rough years. It was during those times, burdened with worries, that he'd been forced to search deep inside himself for the answers. And on rare occasions, he'd experienced moments when he'd felt his father's presence more intensely than his absence.

“You've gotten quiet all of a sudden,” Caroline said.

“I want to talk to you about Richard.” His words were as much a surprise to him as to Caroline.

“Oh?” Her eyebrows rose.

“I realize you must find his attention flattering, but like I said earlier it isn't wise to believe anything Richard says.” The lazy sway of her rocking stopped. “I know you probably don't want to hear this,” he added. It wasn't pleasant for him, either. Regardless of anything between them, though, Grady's one concern was that Richard not hurt Caroline.

“I appreciate what you're doing, but I'm a big girl.”

“I didn't mean to suggest you weren't. It's just that, well, Richard has a way with women.”

“And you assume he's going to sweep me off my feet, is that it?” The teasing warmth in her voice was gone, replaced by something less friendly.

“You think I want to say these things?” he asked, inhaling sharply. “It isn't really you he's interested in, anyway.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Grady wished he'd never introduced the subject. Clearly Caroline wasn't going to appreciate his insight, but once he'd started he couldn't stop. “Richard knows how I feel about you and—” He snapped his mouth closed before he embarrassed himself further. “I'm only telling you this because I don't want you to get hurt again.” He didn't know what madness possessed him to add the
again.
He realized the moment he did that Caroline had taken his advice the wrong way.

Grady had never asked her about Maggie's father, didn't intend to do so now. Heaven knew she was touchy enough about the subject. The only other time he'd said something, months earlier, she'd been ready to bite his head off.