The Great Texas Wedding Bargain (6 page)

The future, however, frightened her. When Andrea had married Drake, they had all thought the future looked bright. True, he hadn’t interested Megan. She’d thought Drake was a little heavy-handed, but her mother accused her of being too independent. But even then, Megan hadn’t realized how Drake would change.

So, even though Rick seemed like a nice man, Megan would hold back a judgment.

“You’re being ridiculous,” she said to herself, as she parked the car by the clinic. “It doesn’t matter, because you’re not really going to be married. It’s a temporary thing.”

That comforting thought made it possible to put a smile on her face.

R
ICK SPENT THE
morning of his wedding day doing his usual work. He surveyed the calf he’d just discovered in the back pasture, already nursing, with satisfaction. His crop of calves was exceeding his expectations.

He’d made all kinds of projections on the computer, planning his year as a rancher. But he knew paper expectations could go to hell in a handbasket if Mother Nature decided not to cooperate.

But the bull he’d chosen and purchased was giving him strong babies. Black Boy hadn’t had much of a track record, which is why he got him for the price he did, but he was really paying off.

Jose rode over. “Another healthy one?”

“Looks like it.”

“We’d better move the mothers and babies closer in. I heard there’s a pack of coyotes that have been killing calves in the area.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“At the bar last night. One of the cowboys from the Marcus spread was talking about it.”

“Okay, we’ll move this pair into the next pasture. Then I’ll see Tuck and Spence tonight and ask if they’ve had any problems.” His spread was between the two men and they’d become friends since his move to Cactus. The two experienced ranchers had offered advice and assistance when he’d needed it.

“Is there a party tonight?” Jose asked.

Rick frowned. He hadn’t thought about asking anyone to the wedding. Tuck and Spence would be there because of their mothers, friends of Faith. “Well, sort of. I forgot to mention that I’m…” Somehow the words stuck in his throat. He’d never expected to say them again. He cleared his throat and managed to say, “I’m getting married tonight.”

His cowhand stared at him. “You forgot?”

“Um, I didn’t forget that I was getting married, but I didn’t—I haven’t been much involved in planning it. Tuck and Spence will be there because Ruth and Edith, their mothers, are helping with it. Can you come?”

“You sure you want me to come? I mean, if it’s just family…”

“Hell, Jose, I don’t have any family. You can be my family. Find a pretty lady and come on. We’re to be at the church by seven. Then we’ll have dinner at The Last Roundup.”

“Hey, I’ll be there. Congratulations, man!”

“Yeah, thanks.” Congratulations to him. Congratulations to repeating the biggest mistake of his life.

M
EGAN DIDN’T
get home from the clinic until almost six o’clock. Samantha apologized for keeping her so late, but they had an emergency come in at the last minute.

“Don’t worry about it,” Megan assured her. “They can’t have a wedding without the bride, so they’ll just have to wait.”

“I know,” Samantha assured her. “But Florence will be upset.”

Megan had been here long enough to know better. “Your mother-in-law thinks you walk on water, you fraud. She’ll know it wasn’t your fault.”

Samantha beamed. “I know. She’s so wonderful.”

With a sigh, Megan stowed away the last of the supplies they’d used. “Okay, I’m done. I’ll hurry home and turn into a blushing bride. Then I’ll be back at nine in the morning.”

Samantha shook her head.

“Nope. It’s a surprise, but Marybelle agreed to work all day tomorrow so you can have the day off.”

“No!” Megan protested. “That’s not necessary.”

“Oh, yes, it is,” Samantha assured her, with a look that made Megan uneasy.

Rick swallowed his nervousness, trying to give the appearance of an eager bridegroom. Instead of a man facing the gallows.
Get a grip, man. This isn’t for real.

“You okay?” Cal Baxter asked. He was standing next to Rick, as his best man.

Giving the best grin he could summon, Rick muttered, “Yeah, of course.”

It amazed him, as the organ music began, how quickly the ladies of Cactus had pulled together a real wedding. He’d assumed he and Megan would stand up in front of the preacher, say their vows, and be done. Instead, he was wearing a tux, there were flowers everywhere, and, damn it, there were a lot of people in the church.

Where had they come from?

He’d invited Jose, of course, who was sitting in the second row, a very attractive young woman beside him. And Cal’s wife had agreed to be Megan’s maid of honor. Then, the four matchmakers and their husbands were in attendance, along with Faith and Torie and Drew.

And, of course, Tuck and Spence, with their families, and Mac, the attorney Megan had consulted, whose mother Florence was one of the matchmakers.

But the others? He recognized the feed store man who’d introduced Megan to him. That must be his wife beside him. And Lucy, the one from the drugstore—

A sudden shifting of the man beside him caught Rick’s attention, halting his inventory of the guests. He followed Cal’s line of vision and realized the music had changed and Jessica, in a blue suit, was coming down the aisle.

Envy filled him. Not because of Jessica’s beauty, or because he had any interest in her romantically, but because of the marriage she had with Cal. They’d been married over a year and a half, and you’d think it was
their
wedding day.

He found it hard to believe there were marriages like theirs, especially after going through one himself, but they were living proof.

His own marriage had been a mistake almost from the first day of the honeymoon. He’d tried and tried to remember what had prompted him to think they could make a go of it, but he remained bewildered.

Then suddenly his breath deserted him.

Megan.

His bride.

She was dressed in a cream suit that hugged her curves and gave her an air of sophistication that belied the dinners they’d shared in his kitchen. Softening the look, however, was a cream rosebud and baby’s breath tucked in her hair.

The perfect bride.

He quickly reminded himself that his first bride had looked elegant also. Of course, he’d paid for it. In more ways than one.

But this bride was temporary. So, if she turned out to be less than she looked on their wedding day, it wouldn’t cost him anything. He could breathe again.

And took a deep breath.

Lordy, she was beautiful, though.

M
EGAN CAUGHT HER
breath as she looked down the aisle at the man waiting to become her husband.

She’d thought him handsome, sexy, in tight jeans and a Stetson. But in a tux, he was incredible.
A tux? How had he had time to get a tux? He probably had to go into Lubbock, an hour’s drive away.

She felt badly that he’d taken that much time out from his busy schedule. A tux hadn’t been necessary. But the man seemed determined to do everything right. Even if it was a pretend wedding.

Vowing to repay his every kindness and consideration in whatever way she could, Megan took a deep breath and continued toward the altar. She walked alone.

Letting someone “give” her away bothered her. If and when she ever married for real, it would be because she wanted to unite with a man. Her choice.

One she didn’t think she’d ever make.

Her gaze met with Rick’s and relief flooded her. His eyes weren’t filled with love. Or even lust. She held back the chuckle that rose in her. Thank goodness she’d learn to read his eyes. Because they were filled with stark terror, just like her own. Nothing could’ve reassured her more.

She stepped to his side, trying to smile. The man was helping them out. He musnt’t suffer because of his charity.

All through the ceremony, concern for Rick made Megan’s role easier to perform. She tried to put the man at ease. A gentle squeeze of his flesh when the pastor asked them to join hands seemed to ease his strain. Her smile as she said her vows, as if inviting him to share the amusement of their situation, brought an answering smile.

In fact, Megan was feeling quite relaxed. She was certain she was doing the right thing, since it wasn’t real, by the time they finished the ceremony.

Until the pastor said those traditional words she’d forgotten about.

“You may kiss the bride.”

O
KAY
, R
ICK ADMITTED
, that was one part of the wedding he didn’t mind. Kissing the bride. He’d thought about kissing Megan. Dreamed of kissing Megan. Hungered to kiss Megan.

Of course, he would’ve preferred not to kiss her for the first time in front of a large audience. But, hey, a guy had to do what a guy had to do.

He wrapped his arms around her slender form and slowly lowered his lips to hers. A perfect fit. No awkwardness, no fumbling, no…reserve. The kiss was incredible, the best he’d ever experienced. The lady was a great kisser. And he didn’t want to stop.

Until Cal put a hand on his shoulder and tugged. “Whoa, cowboy, come up for air.”

He stared at his friend, frowning, until his gaze trailed away to their audience. Then he quickly turned to Megan, ready to apologize.

The stunned look on her face made him think better of wasting words. He slipped his arm back around her and pulled her tightly against him as the pastor introduced them as husband and wife.

“Smile,” he whispered to her, hoping to wipe that panic from her face. He was relieved when her lips widened, even if the smile was weak.

“What do we do now?” he whispered to Cal. He wasn’t doing much better than Megan.

Cal chuckled. “You lead your bride back up the aisle. There’ll be a car waiting for you at the door. Tuck’s dad is driving you to the restaurant in his Cadillac.”

“You’re coming, too, aren’t you?” Rick asked, panic filling him at the idea of being alone with Megan. He figured she’d take him to task for his enthusiastic kiss.

Cal, after a pause, nodded. “Sure, Jess and I can ride with you…if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah.” Then Rick followed instructions, pulling a silent Megan along with him as they walked up the aisle, past the smiling crowd.

As Cal had predicted, Frank Langford was waiting on the sidewalk, beaming at them. As they approached, he swept open the backdoor.

“Thanks, Mr. Langford,” Rick muttered as first Megan and then he ducked and entered the spacious car.

Cal bent over and stuck his head in. “Sure you want us to come with you? It will make it a little crowded.”

“Yeah, we want you to come. We’ll make room.” Without consulting his bride, Rick reached over and lifted her into his lap. Then he scooted against the window.

“Rick—” Megan shrieked, clutching at his shoulder with one hand during the transfer, while the other held her bouquet.

Jessica slid into the car, distracting Megan, followed by Cal. She grinned at them. “That’s a good way to conserve space.”

Rick didn’t think so. He figured he was going to need some more space in his tuxedo pants if the ride was a long one. But fortunately, he knew the restaurant was only a couple of blocks away, on the town square.

Much to his relief, Jessica chatted about the wedding during their short trip.

“What a beautiful wedding!” Jessica enthused. “Isn’t it amazing what those women can do in a hurry? I guess they’ve had so much practice now, it’s becoming quite routine. Was everything okay, Megan?”

“It was lovely,” she said softly.

Rick couldn’t help tightening his hold around her waist. Okay, so their marriage wasn’t real. He was still her husband until she decided otherwise. It was his job to support her.

“Yeah, and the bride was beautiful,” Rick said, just as softly. Then he abruptly remembered the couple beside him. “And the matron of honor, too.”

“No argument here,” Cal assured him, hugging Jessica to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, and Rick wished Megan would do the same.

On
his
shoulder, he meant.

Just for appearances, of course.

It was a relief to discover they’d reached the restaurant. Putting some distance between him and Megan would be a good idea.

Before he kissed her again.

Once they were out of the car, with Frank promising to return as soon as he parked, Rick looked at Cal, his guide.

“Do we go anywhere in particular? I mean, is there a table reserved or—”

“Man, you don’t know anything, do you?” Cal teased. “The entire dance hall is reserved. There’s a band and everything. Jess has set up a buffet and there’s a huge wedding cake.”

Rick stared at his friend. “All the people from the church are coming?”

Jessica laughed. “Every last one of them. It’s the way we do things here.”

He sneaked a quick look at Megan and then nodded to his friends. “Okay. Well, let’s go.”

Jessica’s restaurant, the most popular one in Cactus, had a large room to the right of the main dining room that had a small stage. On weekend nights, the room was opened and local bands had an opportunity to show their stuff.

Tonight, as Cal had said, it was a reception hall with a large wedding cake occupying the place of honor on the buffet table. With his arm still around Megan, Rick led her over to look at the delicate roses in cream, nestled among green leaves on all four layers.

On top of the cake, a bride and groom stood arm in arm, both with dark hair and smiles.

Megan reached out one shaky finger to touch the pair, as if to be sure they were really there.

Before Rick could think of anything to say, the first of the guests arrived and Jessica herded them to the door to form a mini-reception line to greet them.

Rick did his duty, shaking hands and smiling at his neighbors, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun as kissing the bride.

M
EGAN WAS
still in shock.

She’d recognized the attraction she felt for Rick Astin. But she’d assured herself it wouldn’t be a problem. After all, it was lust. She’d felt it before, sort of. She’d been attracted to a few men.

But she’d never given in to it.

When Rick kissed her at the altar, she’d prepared herself for a brief meeting of their lips. She’d even admit now that she’d been looking forward to it.

Idiot!

The man was an incredible kisser. The James Bond of all kissers. Or maybe it was just that her experience was so limited. What did it matter? The point was she was in trouble.

Because she wanted him to kiss her again.

And that mustn’t happen.

Now that they were out of the car, she could put some distance between them, concentrate on other things. She shook hands with all the strangers, only a few of whom she’d met before. She concentrated on their names and faces.

It kept her from concentrating on her husband.

Husband.
That word sent shivers through her.

Rick leaned toward her. “Are you all right? Are you cold?”

She shook her head, stiffening her shoulders. He’d felt her shiver? She obviously hadn’t put enough distance between them. From now on, she’d make sure he didn’t touch her.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a booming voice said from the small stage. “It’s time for our newlyweds to lead the first dance.”

“No!” Megan mumbled, her eyes widening.

Rick wrapped that strong arm around her waist again and led her toward the center of the room. “Don’t worry. They don’t expect Fred and Ginger.”

She guessed she should be grateful he didn’t realize what she’d meant by her protest. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to hold it through the dance, as if that would stop him from touching her.

Instead, he cuddled her closer. “Relax, Meg. It’s just a dance.”

Just a dance. And that kiss had just been a kiss. And their marriage was just a marriage.

And she was just an idiot. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t share a house with this man, a life with this man, without paying a heavy price.

“Rick,” she began, thinking maybe they should get an annulment before—no, it couldn’t be too late for an annulment because they weren’t going to make this a real marriage. That’s right, it was a pretend marriage.

The kiss had almost made her forget that important fact. It wasn’t a real marriage.

His lips brushed across hers, dragging her gaze to him. “Don’t do that! Don’t…you can’t—”

“But everyone’s watching. Don’t you want them to believe this is a love match?” When she stared at him blankly, he added, “For the children? Isn’t that what you said?”

“Y-Yes, for the children.” Dear God, she’d almost forgotten why she was doing this, marrying this stranger. She’d almost panicked and called the whole thing off because his kiss, his touch, had made her forget the reality.

She sought her mother in the group of people sitting down at the tables, watching them. There she was, holding a sleepy Torie. Drew was in a neighbor’s arms, already asleep.

The children. She had to protect her sister’s children. And Rick was helping her do that. He’d been magnificent, doing everything and more that she’d asked him to do.

“Yes, you’re right,” she said with a sigh, leaning her head against his strong shoulder. “We need to pretend… for the children.”

He pulled her even more tightly against him. “It’s not so hard, is it? We fit together well.”

She gave a small nod and closed her eyes. It was best if she didn’t think about that. She’d concentrate on the children.

A
FTER THAT
first dance Rick found his bride in great demand. So much so, that he didn’t even get close to her for the next hour. But he kept his gaze fixed on her.

Finally, Jessica ordered him to grab Megan and come cut the cake. “After you do that, you both need to eat something.”