Saved By A Texas-Sized Wedding

SUZANNE MCCOY was still holding the phone to her ear, arguing with a dial tone.

“Susie, is something wrong?” Josh asked.

“Uh, I don’t know. A misunderstanding, I think.” She hoped that’s what it was. Marry the man? He was crazy. And it wasn’t necessary. Her plan would work.

She’d been giving the house a spring-cleaning all day. She wouldn’t have much time for cleaning it when she worked all day with the three children at his house. Someone knocked on the front door and she stared at her watch. It couldn’t be Mr. Walker. It had only been five minutes.

She hurried to the door and discovered it had been longer than she thought. There he stood, an impatient look on his face. He had Beth in his arms. She pushed open the screen door. “Come in.”

He came in and set Beth down on her feet. “Are you ready?”

“No, I’m not. I think you’ve got things all wrong. I didn’t agree to marry you. I agreed to be your housekeeper. I’ll come every day and leave after you get in for dinner.”

“No. We’re getting married.”

“How can you say that?”

“I can say that because half the town will be at our wedding on Sunday. Can Al take care of the kids for a couple of hours?”

She took a step back, frowning. “No. He’s out with Doug and Hinney. So I can’t leave.”

“I’ll go get him. In the meantime, you get ready. Oh, and Beth is hoping you have a snack for her. Our pantry was bare.”

She stared in exasperation when he turned on his heel and walked out. Her gaze encountered Beth’s hopeful blue eyes, so like her father’s.

Suzanne sighed. “Come on, Beth. The kids are having their snack now. We’ll join them.”

“What are they having?”

“Ice cream with fresh strawberries and a little whipped cream on it.”

Beth’s eyes widened in excitement. “Oh, boy! I think I’ll like that!” She skipped along beside Suzanne.

In the kitchen, there was a fast introduction to the other children while Suzanne made the treat for Beth. Then she turned the television on to Sesame Street. “I may have to go out, but if I do, Al will be here. But I want you to watch Sesame Street until it’s finished. Okay?”

All three children nodded, their eyes already glued to the television. Suzanne continued her job of rubbing down the cabinets. She was sure she’d be able to convince Ryan he’d misunderstood. She certainly had.

Ryan was feeling a little better about his forthcoming marriage. After only seeing Suzanne in suits, he’d now seen her when she first woke up in her nightgown and robe, her hair flowing free, and he’d seen her in jeans. She looked damn good in jeans. Maybe the side benefits would make this marriage tolerable.

But there seemed to be some confusion in her mind. She thought she could sashay around his house every day as a housekeeper, and everything would be all right? What would happen when other men saw her in jeans? He’d have visitors tramping through his house all day. She’d get marriage proposals, and if she accepted one, he’d have to start all over again. But if he married her, she’d have to only flirt with him. Only be married to him.

He liked that idea.

He found the men and told Al to get in the truck, because he needed him to baby-sit. His men were doing okay, so he didn’t bother to explain anything. There wasn’t time.

“I’m happy to baby-sit a little while. Your men are hard workers. I have trouble keeping up.”

“I know what you mean, Al. But we’ll always have a job for you.”

Al nodded, as if he expected such an assurance.

When they got back to the ranch and Al discovered he’d get ice cream, too, he was happy. After serving him, Suzanne nodded to Ryan and led the way out of the kitchen. “We have to talk,” she said once they were in the hall.

He tugged her kerchief that held back her hair off her head. “No, there’s no time. We have to get the license this afternoon.”

“Ryan, if you’ll just listen, we can avoid marrying. I’ll be the housekeeper you need. You can handle Beth at night, can’t you?”

“It won’t work that way. There will be whispers and all kinds of talk. And you’ll have other men wanting to marry you. If that happens, Beth would be upset and I’d be in trouble again. And what if the man you marry isn’t a rancher? You’d still need help.”

She stared at him. “But—”

“It’s the only way. I fought it myself for a long time, but in the end, there was no other answer. That’s why the ladies of Cactus succeed so often at matchmaking. They’re so damned good at it.”

“I can’t believe—”

“Just come with me to get the license. We can discuss it again before Sunday, but the more you try to argue against it, the more you’ll see a marriage of convenience works.”

She fell silent and though he watched her out of the corner of his eye as they drove to the county courthouse, she said nothing else.

Inside, she filled out the necessary information and watched when he put down the required money.

“Good thing they don’t still require the blood tests. That would take more time.”

“Yes, that’s true, but since it’s a marriage of convenience, a blood test might not be necessary,” she said.

He shushed her at once. “Hey, don’t spread that around. We’d be the objects of gossip for the entire year. That’s no one else’s business.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”

Once they got the license, she assumed they’d head back home. Instead, he suggested they dine at the Last Roundup, a big restaurant on the town square. “Cal Baxter’s wife, Jessica, owns it.”

She protested. “I don’t have dinner made for the children. They’ll be hungry soon.”

“I’ll call Al. He can make them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something. They’ll be fine.” He gave her a smile. The first one she’d seen from him. Oh, dear, she thought to herself, I’m in trouble. He’s so handsome when he’s smiling. She looked away.

“I really think we should just go on home.”

“Nope, we’ve got to celebrate our nuptials.”

“I didn’t think it was something you wanted to celebrate,” she accused, watching him.

“I’ve learned to make the best of bad situations.”

“What a compliment,” she pointed out, coming to an abrupt halt.

“Don’t stand in the road, sugar. You’ll get run over.” When she didn’t budge, he scooped her into his arms and didn’t put her down until they reached the sidewalk.

“Ryan, I’m not dressed for dinner out. I’ve been cleaning the house all day. I can’t go in that fancy restaurant.”

“It’s not that fancy,” a deep voice said behind them and Suzanne spun around to find Cal Baxter, the sheriff, standing behind them, his hands on his hips. “Jess won’t throw you out ’cause you’re wearing jeans. That’s pretty common around here.”

“But I’ve been cleaning the house all day,” she continued to protest.

“Then you deserve to eat out. Come on. Jess and I will join you if you don’t mind.”

Suzanne felt she didn’t have any choice but to agree. She glared at Ryan. “Fine. I’ll just call Al about what to fix for supper for the kids.”

“There’s a phone right inside the door,” Cal said and led them up the steps.

By the time Suzanne had called Al, telling him about the cold roast beef she’d planned for sandwiches the next day, Cal had them a table toward the back of the restaurant. Since the restaurant was fairly full, she was surprised at how quick he’d been.

“It’s the family table. They always keep it empty, in case we want to eat. When you’re married to the boss, there have to be some perks,” he added with a grin.

“True,” Ryan agreed. “You’ll have a few perks married to me, Suzanne.”

She didn’t answer, hoping Cal hadn’t heard. She should’ve known better.

A beautiful dark-haired woman joined them. “Hello, Suzanne. I’m Jessica, Cal’s wife…and Mabel’s daughter-in-law. I hope you’ll speak to me in spite of that.”

“Oh! Of course. I don’t blame Mabel and Florence, but—well, I guess I might as well say it…I find this situation hard to believe. We’re expected to get married on Sunday?”

“Yes, you are,” Jessica said, with a grin that made her even more beautiful. “We were the first of the ladies’ many successes. One of them even married. Florence was a widow and she and Doc, well, he’s actually our medical examiner, got married.”

“My, life must be exciting around here.”

“Actually,” Jessica replied, “we settle down into a nice routine most days.”

“Yes, I like routine. I think it’s especially important for children. I’m the guardian for Josh and Mandy Howe.”

“Yes, and thank goodness you’ll also be taking care of Beth. We’ve all worried about her because Ryan is a heathen. You’ll have to watch his vocabulary.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Hey! I watch my tongue around Beth. It’s the cowboys that say the wrong thing.”

“I thought you were a cowboy?” Suzanne asked.

“I am, but—oh, never mind,” Ryan said.

“I had to learn to watch myself, too, once the babies came,” Cal said.

“How many children do you have?” Suzanne asked Cal.

“Two little boys,” Cal answered with real enthusiasm that impressed Suzanne. “They’re the greatest! My mom and dad spoil them rotten, of course, but they also help us take care of them. With my job as sheriff and Jess’s restaurant, we’re pretty busy.”

When Suzanne looked at Jessica, expecting the same enthusiasm, she found her staring at her napkin, saying nothing. Was something wrong?

Then two more people came in and joined them. They were introduced as Mac Gibbons, a lawyer, and his wife, Dr. Samantha Gibbons.

“You’re the lawyer who handles the finances for the children!” she exclaimed.

“That’s right. I thought you’d be in to see me right away,” Mac said, just before he gave his order.

His wife, a pretty woman with a warm smile, looked at Jessica and nodded her head. Suzanne looked at Jessica, too, and saw the happy smile she’d been looking for earlier. What was going on?

Samantha leaned over to Suzanne and whispered, “If you need any kind of birth control before the wedding, I’m working in the morning.”

Chapter Four

Before Suzanne could pull herself together to respond to Samantha’s offer, Jessica stood and leaned over to whisper in Cal’s ear. He stood also, and followed her from the table.

Everyone stared at Samantha.

“What’s going on?” Mac asked.

“Is something wrong?” Ryan asked.

Suzanne didn’t ask anything. She thought she might even be able to guess what had just happened. She waited.

“So, is everything ready for the wedding?” Samantha asked. That took Suzanne by surprise. “How did you—”

“Florence is my mother-in-law.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize everyone was connected in this town.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. Have you figured out what to wear yet?”

“No. I’m not even sure I can go through with it,” Suzanne said without thinking.

Ryan protested indignantly, “Hey!”

“You said we could discuss it again!” she reminded him. “I don’t think marriage is necessary.”

“I don’t know,” Mac said slowly. “We’re a pretty conservative town. Living together isn’t very accepted.”

Suzanne turned a bright red. “No! I mean, I intended to be his housekeeper, but I would go home to the children’s house each night.”

“It won’t work,” Ryan said flatly, staring at her.

“I still don’t see why,” she said.

“Because of the kids. They all need a permanent situation to make them feel safe,” Mac said. “And you need a permanent solution to the ranch problem. Cal told me that you fired all your men and hadn’t found anyone to replace them.”

She knew he was being kind in not adding that she wouldn’t know a good cowboy from a bad one.

“Yes, but—okay, maybe you’re right, but what if Ryan meets his soul mate next year, when he’s married to me? What happens then?”

“Well, he can divorce you. In which case, hire me as your divorce attorney and we’ll strip him bare,” Mac promised, with a chuckle. Everyone laughed except her and Ryan.

Cal and Jessica returned to the table, and Jessica asked, “What are you laughing about?”

“We’re planning how Suzanne and I will take Ryan to the cleaners if he tries to divorce her next year,” Mac explained cheerfully, as if that were normal conversation.

Jessica looked at each of them. “Oh. But he’s a very nice man, Suzanne. Are you sure you want to divorce him?”

“You didn’t hear about him and Lola? I thought gossip was rampant in Cactus,” Suzanne said, getting into the spirit of the conversation.

Jessica looked from Suzanne to Ryan and said, “Oh, you and Lola, huh? I’m on your side, Suzanne.”

“Wait a minute. It was Lola’s fault!” Ryan protested, going along with their teasing. “She seduced me!”

“Just like a man,” Suzanne said, “always blaming it on the lady.”

Everyone chuckled.

“But seriously, Suzanne, have you figured out what to wear?” Samantha asked again. “Because we all have dresses and we’d be glad to loan you one.”

“Well, I do have a very nice cream suit. Would that do?”

“A suit?” Ryan asked, unhappy with her choice.

“Yes. It’s a nice suit.”

“I think that sounds lovely,” Samantha said. “And I have a cream hat with a small veil. I’ll bring it out to you tomorrow after office hours.”

“Oh, thank you, Samantha.”

“Who are you going to have as your maid of honor?” Jessica asked. “I’ll volunteer. After all, I’ve known you five minutes longer than Sam.”

“I’d be pleased if you would,” Suzanne said, feeling much better.

“What’s your favorite color?” Jessica asked.

“Blue,” Suzanne replied, careful not to look at Ryan’s eyes. She certainly hadn’t chosen that color because of his eyes. Of course not. “Could Mandy and Beth be flower girls? And Josh the ring bearer?”

“Perfect!” Samantha said, clapping her hands. “Now, we need someone to give you away. Cal? You’re the law in these parts. Do you feel up to the job?” She suddenly turned serious. “Unless your father…” she said, looking at Suzanne.

“No. If Cal doesn’t mind, that would be wonderful.” She looked at Ryan, who seemed uninterested in their discussion. “Who will your best man be, Ryan?”

“Well, I was going to ask Mac, but if he’s going to be your divorce attorney, I don’t know.” Ryan lifted an eyebrow in her direction, drawing attention to his blue eyes.

“Oh, all right, I’ll find another divorce attorney.”

“You can have Alex. She’s a damned good attorney. And she’s my partner.” Mac looked at Ryan. “You may regret that decision, because Alex might be even more vicious.”

“Naw. I’d rather have a male attorney. Besides, there won’t be a divorce,” Ryan said.

“By the way, I ordered for us when Cal and I were in the kitchen. We have something to celebrate tonight,” Jessica said, changing the subject. “We’re having another baby.”

Even Suzanne cheered that announcement. It was clear how much they cared about each other.

“Cal said no more babies, but I wanted to have a little girl. So keep your fingers crossed for us.”

They all cheered. Dinner was much more enjoyable than Suzanne had expected. When they left to head home, she felt that she had made two good friends. In the truck she said, “Everyone is so friendly here.”

“You met some of Cactus’s best people tonight. There are some others, too. We all went to school together,” Ryan said. “I was a few years behind them. And then I married Tiffany.”

“Is that Beth’s mother?”

“Yeah.”

“Beth is such an old-fashioned name compared to Tiffany.”

“That’s because Tiffany didn’t have any interest in naming our baby. She was mad because she’d gotten pregnant. I named her after my mother.” The bitterness in his voice was clear.

“I’m sorry,” Suzanne murmured.

“You’d better be good to Beth. She’s suffered enough because of her mother.”

Suzanne turned in the seat to stare at him. “The same goes to you. You’d better be good to Josh and Mandy, too. They’re great kids but they need a daddy to love them.”

“All right. So we’ll each be a parent to the kids, okay? See, things are working out, aren’t they?”

Suzanne swung around to stare out the truck window. She hadn’t set out thinking she’d actually marry Ryan, but somehow the evening had been spent planning their wedding, two days away. “I guess so,” she said softly with a sigh.

“Good.” He replied and neither of them spoke again the rest of the way home.

The children were very tired and a little unsettled that Suzanne and Ryan were out after dark. Suzanne sent Josh off to the main bathroom while she took Mandy to the other one for a quick bath after telling Ryan and Beth goodnight.

“Did you have fun tonight?” she asked Mandy.

The little girl leaned against Suzanne’s arm and said, “I like Beth.”

“Good. I think you’ll get to play with her a lot soon.”

“Okay,” Mandy said, her eyelids slowly going lower. Suzanne got her out of the bath and dried her off. She felt bad about not telling the children about the wedding. But she wanted to wait—to be sure it would really happen. It seemed so make-believe to her.

THE PHONE STARTED ringing early the next morning. Jessica had decided to throw her a shower. Suzanne was stunned. “But Jessica, the wedding is tomorrow.”

“I know. That’s why we’ll have the shower tonight. Melanie and Alex are going to help me. You haven’t met them yet, but you will this evening. It will be fun.”

“But I don’t know anyone here!”

“Maybe not, but most everyone knew Mary Lee and Rodger. We liked them both. And we’re glad the kids will have a good home. So just think of it as a tribute to your cousin and her husband. Does that make it easier?”

With tears in her eyes, Suzanne agreed. What else could she do? “Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”

“Okay. Ryan will pick you up at seven. Bring Mandy and Beth with you. It’s a girl thing. Ryan will take Josh with him to the bachelor party.”

Suzanne was stunned by that statement. “Don’t you think Josh is a little young for a bachelor party?”

“These bachelor parties are different. They meet at the restaurant and play darts. Ryan will take care of him.”

“If you’re sure.”

After the phone call, Suzanne found a pretty dress in her city wardrobe that would be fine for the party tonight. Then she checked Mandy’s closet. The only party dress Mandy had turned out to be outgrown. She called Ryan.

“Does Beth have a party dress?”

“Uh, I don’t think so. Why?”

“Because they’re giving me a shower tonight and the girls are supposed to go with me. Mandy needs a new dress. I thought I’d drive into town and see what I can find. Shall I buy one for Beth, too?”

“Would you know what size?”

“Of course not. I would need Beth to go with us.”

“Uh, okay. You want Josh to stay here with me?”

“I don’t think he has anything to wear either. Would I be able to find a suit for him?”

“Maybe. But nice slacks and a white shirt would be dressy enough.”

It suddenly occurred to her to ask about his wardrobe. “You are wearing a suit tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am. They were just joking about me being a heathen, Suzanne.”

“Would you have Beth ready in about half an hour?”

“Yeah.”

She should’ve checked with Mac about the children’s allowance before now. Looking in Mandy’s closet reminded her that Mandy would need more clothes. She’d apparently just had a growth spurt. When she announced to the children they were going into town with her to get new clothes, Mandy clapped her hands, even though Suzanne wasn’t sure she understood what she was going to do. Josh frowned at her.

“Why?”

“Mmm. Well, I have something to tell you. Mr. Walker and I are—are going to get married tomorrow.”

Both children stared at her. Josh finally said, “What happens to us?”

“Sweetheart, you’ll come with me wherever I go. We’re family. We’re just going to have a larger family. You and Mandy and Beth will be our children.” No response. She asked, “Will that be okay?”

“So we’ll live in his house?”

“Yes.”

“Who will live here?”

That question hadn’t occurred to Suzanne. “Josh, I don’t know. I suppose we could rent it out, but—we’ll ask Mr. Walker, I mean Ryan, when we go pick up Beth.”

“We’re going to take Beth with us?”

Uh-oh. “Don’t you like Beth?”

“She’s bossy.”

“We’ll work things out. But she’s used to being an only child. It may take her a little while to get used to having a brother and sister.”

Suzanne tried to discuss cheerful things after that. But when they got to Ryan’s place, she remembered Josh’s question. “Ryan, who will live in the house on our place?”

“I was going to ask you about that. I’ve got a good man who deserves to be manager. But I’ve already got a manager. I thought I’d make him manager of that land and let him and his wife live there. They’re expecting a baby soon and don’t have much room where they’re living. Would that be all right?”

“Yes, of course. Did you hear, Josh? Some people who are going to have a new baby.”

“A boy baby?”

Suzanne looked at Ryan. He squatted down in front of Josh. “Yeah, Josh, they’re having a boy baby. Another cowboy.”

“Good. My daddy was going to teach me to be a cowboy. But now he can’t.” Josh’s sad eyes almost made Suzanne break into tears.

Ryan, however, took care of the situation. “No, he can’t, but I can. Want me to teach you?”

“Even how to ride?”

“Well, of course. Riding is the first thing to learn.”

“Daddy said it was too dangerous for me to learn now.”

“But you’re older now. You’ll take to it right away. After things have settled down, I’ll show you how.”

“I can ride,” Beth announced, looking triumphantly at Josh. He scowled in return.

“Beth rides with me some. But I’ll teach you together.”

Though Suzanne was concerned about the safety factor, she was grateful for Ryan’s offer to Josh. “That’s very good of you, Ryan,” she whispered before leaving with the children.

“It’s no better than you taking Beth shopping.” He opened his billfold. “Here’s some money.”

“No. I’ll charge it and you can pay me back later. I don’t know how much it will be.” Besides, she would pay for her own wedding. Even if she didn’t want one.

Four hours later, she knew Beth a lot better, including her stubbornness, which Suzanne was sure she got from her father. But overall, she was a sweet little girl who played well with Mandy. In fact, Beth acted like Mandy’s mother, and Josh tried to corral both of them. Suzanne found herself looking forward to spending time with all three children.

She’d found the girls dresses for the wedding, matching pale-blue dresses. And she’d bought them simpler dresses for the shower this evening. When she told Josh he’d be going with Ryan, he hesitated. Then he asked, “Ryan won’t mind?”

“Of course not. Maybe he’ll show you how to throw darts.”

That cheered him up.

She bought fast food for dinner, since she wouldn’t have time to cook, clean up and get dressed for the shower. Not and get three children ready. She suggested Beth stay with them to get ready. Suzanne promised to fix her hair for her. “If we have time, I’ll even paint your nails.”

Beth was awed by that offer and if Beth liked it, Mandy clapped, too. Suzanne made a special note to paint nails.

At last they were all dressed in their new dresses and Josh in nice slacks and a blue dress shirt. At the very moment Suzanne thought she should maybe call Ryan, he knocked on the door.

Beth ran to the door, dying to show off to her father. When she opened the door, she beamed up at him. “Look at me, Daddy! Aren’t I pretty?”

“Beth, a lady should wait until a man compliments her. Then she thanks him,” Suzanne pointed out, but she was smiling.