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.”

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