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Randall Pride
“Uh, have they set a date?”
“Nope. I asked Chad about it and he said he wasn’t in any hurry. He’s hoping Elizabeth will come to her senses.”
Toby frowned. “The moms aren’t doing any manipulating, are they?”
Jake grinned again. “Naw. Not much.”
“What do you mean not much?” Toby didn’t want Elizabeth to be unhappy, but she’d made her choice. If she was going to marry the guy, they might as well get it over with and marry…and move.
“I guess you don’t remember when Brett got engaged, do you?”
“To Anna?”
“Nope. Anna was here to help Janie deliver the twins, but Brett was in Cheyenne. When he got home and met Anna, he was already engaged to a senator’s daughter. A real, uh…female Cleve.”
“How awful. What did the moms do?”
“Nothing evil. They invited his fiancée to come to the ranch for a visit. And then let nature take its course. Within a couple of days, Brett realized Anna was the lady for him, thank God.”
“They think if Cleve visits the ranch, Elizabeth will see that he doesn’t fit in?”
“How could she help it? So, with you and Elizabeth coming home at the same time, we’re feeling real lucky.”
Toby offered up a smile, but it didn’t match his father’s grin. Real lucky. Oh, yeah. He didn’t think that was what he’d call it.
ELIZABETH had to be up early the next morning for class, so she said goodbye to Cleve on the back porch at night.
“I wish you’d go for a drive with me, Elizabeth. It’s not that late,” Cleve pleaded.
“I can’t, Cleve. I like to get to school early. Some of my babies are dropped off at seven-thirty because of the bus schedule. I don’t like to leave them unsupervised.”
“I don’t know why you took the job. You’ll just quit once we’re married. You won’t even finish the semester.”
Elizabeth frowned. “What are you saying? I have no intention of quitting just because we get married.”
“Of course you’ll quit. I’ll expect you to be my wife.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” This topic hadn’t come up in the two weeks they’d been engaged.
“You’ll keep house, do volunteer work, have intimate dinners, things to promote my career.” He smiled with satisfaction, obviously envisioning their future differently than her.
“Intimate dinners aren’t exactly in style in Rawhide,” she pointed out.
“Well, we won’t be in Rawhide all that long. You can practice for when we move to Denver.” Assuming she was in agreement, he put his arms around her and pulled her close.
Elizabeth shoved against his suit jacket. “Why would we move to Denver?”
“Because I don’t intend to stay in a small pond forever. I’m made for bigger and better things.” He leaned over to nuzzle her neck, and she jumped back, making it impossible to touch her.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, irritation in his voice. “I’m waiting, just like you asked, but surely I can touch you.”
She couldn’t argue that. He’d wanted her to sleep with him after their third date. She’d refused. He said he’d be patient. But his patience disappeared. Then he’d asked her to marry him and assumed he’d pushed the Go button.
Their engagement had almost ended in half an hour. When he finally understood that she intended to marry as a virgin, he’d reluctantly accepted her decision. But he pushed the limits every time.
Elizabeth held herself stiffly. “Cleve, you’re making some assumptions that aren’t true. I don’t want to move to Denver. I want to stay here.”
“Don’t be silly, Elizabeth. I can’t live on what I’ll be making with this hick Bill Johnson.”
“You don’t like Bill?”
“Who cares if I like him? Don’t tell me he’s another Randall cousin. You’ve got enough of them already. And no more kissing the newest one.”
Elizabeth knew he was referring to the kisses she’d given Toby when she’d first seen him. She didn’t think that would happen again. Toby was too distant. Too—too changed. But she wasn’t ready to accept limitations on her behavior.
“Cleve, I think you’d better go. I’ve got some thinking to do.”
“Okay. I’m going back to Laramie early tomorrow morning, but I’ll call you.” He managed to snatch a brief kiss, seemingly unaware that he’d upset her.
When he’d left, Elizabeth remained on the porch, enjoying the privacy. What had she done? In Laramie, Cleve had seemed sophisticated, well-mannered. He was handsome, smart, active on campus. When he’d proposed, she’d explained that she intended to go back to her home to teach school. He’d agreed.
But apparently his agreement was only temporary. He’d already made plans to move and assumed she’d accompany him.
With a sigh, she turned back to go inside. She’d end the engagement. He wasn’t leaving her any choice.
A sound behind her had her spinning around. In the shadows, she recognized Toby.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
He stepped up on the porch, but he didn’t show any enthusiasm about joining her.
“Out at the barn.”
“Your horses all right?”
“Yeah, fine.”
She couldn’t think of anything else to say. They used to talk nonstop when they were younger. But as she’d noted earlier, Toby had changed. “What made you decide to drop out of rodeo and come home?”
“It wasn’t because I was losing,” he said, “like Caroline said.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Caro was teasing. She brags about you all the time. She has tons of friends because they’re hoping she’ll introduce them to you.”
His cheeks darkened, just barely visible. It was a charming part of Toby. He was unimpressed with his achievements.
She watched him shrug his shoulders instead of answer her original question. “Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Why should I? We don’t share secrets anymore. You certainly haven’t said why you’re marrying that idiot! I thought you were supposed to get smarter in college, not take leave of your senses.”
The abrupt attack stunned Elizabeth. “How dare you call me dumb! I have a right to my own choices! You don’t even know Cleve.” Why was she defending the man when she had no intention of marrying him? But it was only fair to tell him first, not Toby. Especially not Toby when he was insulting her intelligence.
“I know him more than I ever want to. He’s an accountant and he thinks he’s superior to us?” Toby’s scorn was evident.
“Uncle Brett is an accountant. It’s a perfectly good job.”
“Uncle Brett is a rancher. He does accounting for the family. That’s different.”
“So Bill Johnson is—”
“I’m not arguing this,” he muttered, walking past her to reach the back door.
“What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll lose?”
Her taunting had the desired effect. He pulled to a halt and turned around to stare at her. “You’ve certainly changed, Elizabeth. I don’t remember you being so difficult.”
“I’m surprised you remember me at all, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I used to— I guess you’ve been more interested in…other things than your family.”
He stared at her, his breathing rough. Then, much to her disappointment, he muttered, “I guess I have.”
Before she could say anything else, he disappeared into the house.
A single tear escaped her eye to flow silently down her cheek. She remembered a picture in a cowboy magazine of Toby surrounded by beautiful women putting their hands all over him. She’d hated that picture, told herself it didn’t represent Toby’s real life. He probably didn’t know any of those women. They were just models.
Now she wasn’t so sure.
Maybe he was biding his time before he brought one of them home as his wife. Or maybe he intended to cut a wide swath through Rawhide and the surrounding ranches with all the single women. She immediately started making a mental list of women he would discover.
As she went back in the house to go to bed, she didn’t give her engagement to Cleve a thought. What Toby was going to do was much more important.
THOUGH ALL the male cousins had moved to the Pad, they always ate their meals with the family. Toby figured he wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Elizabeth at breakfast. After all, schools didn’t start until eight in the morning. He’d have been in the saddle for at least an hour by then.
He came into the kitchen the next morning at six-thirty, the normal time, and discovered Elizabeth helping Mildred to set the table.
Mildred sang out, “Morning! So good to see you here, Toby!”
“Hey, now,” Russ called, “no giving Toby more food than us.”
Mildred grinned. “Might be a good idea. I think you’re puttin’ on weight, Russ.”
Though he was tall and lean, Russ pretended to be wounded by Mildred’s teasing. With laughter, the guys sat down. Their fathers would come a few minutes later. Red called it the second wave.
It was the younger Randalls’ job to have the horses saddled when their fathers finished eating. Jake called it the privilege of rank.
“What are you doing up?” Toby asked Elizabeth abruptly.
“I leave for school at seven,” she replied, not looking at him.
“Do Drew and Casey ride with you?” He noticed the two boys weren’t there for breakfast.
“No, they like to wait until seven-thirty before they go. Drew takes a truck.” She didn’t know why it mattered. Drew was a senior, certainly old enough to drive.
Red nudged Toby toward the table. “I’m serving your eggs, boy. Sit down and eat.”
Toby did so, but his mind seemed to be on Elizabeth since he continued talking to her. “In winter it’s going to be dark at seven. I don’t think you should drive alone when it’s dark.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Toby.
Jim, her brother, spoke up before Elizabeth did. She was too stunned by Toby’s words.
“It’s only ten or twelve miles, Toby. Elizabeth is a good driver.”
“But—” Toby began, but Elizabeth found her voice.
“It doesn’t matter what you think, Toby. If my father doesn’t have a problem with my behavior, I think you can stop worrying.”
“What does Cleve think about it?” he asked.
Since last night he’d called Cleve dumb, she didn’t understand why Toby would care about his attitude. And she wasn’t about to tell him that Cleve didn’t want her to teach at all. Maybe both men were more macho than she’d thought.
“Didn’t your mother work in the winter? I believe she’s gone out in the dark to work on dangerous animals. And Anna goes out to deliver babies at all hours of the day and night.”
“Yeah, but Uncle Brett goes with her after dark,” Rich pointed out.
Elizabeth glared at her helpful cousin.
Red interrupted. “Eat your breakfasts. I hear boots on the stairway.”
“And mind your own business,” Elizabeth muttered under her breath to Toby. She wasn’t about to let him tell her what to do when he wouldn’t even speak to her nicely.
The rest of the meal was a fast scramble as the guys gobbled down their breakfasts and carried their plates to the sink just as the older generation entered the room.
Elizabeth was glad Toby left the kitchen as the others took their places, only exchanging a few words with his father. He wouldn’t discuss her going to school alone with his father, she was sure.
When Toby left the house, Jake sighed with a big grin on his face. “Man, it’s good to have him back home.” He looked at B.J. “Isn’t it, sweetheart?”
“Of course.”
“What did he say last night when you talked to him?” Pete asked.
“How’d you know I talked to him?” Jake demanded.
Pete shrugged his shoulders. “’Cause I know you. The boy’s the biggest success in rodeo in years. I think he was on track for another Cowboy of the Year. Do you think he’s running away from a broken heart?”
Elizabeth kept her head down, but she listened intently.
“Didn’t mention a woman. I think something’s wrong,” he admitted, patting B.J.’s hand as she let a slight gasp escape. “He seems okay with his decision, but I told him we’d understand if he changes his mind. We wouldn’t be any worse off if he leaves again.”
They all nodded, as if in agreement, but Elizabeth had to hold back. She wanted to protest, to tell Jake he couldn’t let Toby leave again. But it wasn’t her business. And why did she think he shouldn’t go away again? She didn’t want to answer that question.
Red brought her out of her thoughts. “I fixed you lunch, Elizabeth. Don’t forget it.”
“I won’t, Red, but I’m going to gain weight if you don’t put less in it.”
“You need some meat on your bones, little girl. Some of those students are bigger than you.”
Elizabeth choked on her orange juice. “Red, I teach kindergarten!”
“But they still have big kids at the school. Those seniors can be difficult.”
Red’s words ended just as Drew, a senior, entered.
Red immediately dished up food for him.
“Maybe you shouldn’t feed Drew so much, Red. After all, he’s one of those dreaded seniors,” Elizabeth said, grinning.
“Hey, what did I do?” Drew asked, watching Red fill his plate.
“Nothing, dear,” Megan reassured him. “Red was concerned that some of you are bigger than Elizabeth.”
Drew snorted in disgust. “You bet we are. We’d all be shrimps if we weren’t.”
Everyone smiled, but Jake added, “Say, Pete, I wondered if you wanted to let Casey move out with the guys now that Toby’s back. He’d keep an eye on him.”
Janie protested at once, but Pete threw him a grateful look. “That’s a good idea.”
Elizabeth thought they were mistaken about Toby watching out for Casey. The old Toby would have, but the new one didn’t seem to care that much…in her opinion. But she didn’t say anything because she knew how badly Casey wanted to be counted as a grown-up.
She’d decided for several reasons she’d better be on her way when the phone rang.
Everyone stared at it. There weren’t many calls in the morning except for emergencies. B.J. grabbed it. She and Anna frequently received those kinds of calls.
With a puzzled look, she said, “Yes, just a minute.” Then she turned to Elizabeth. “It’s for you.”
Elizabeth frowned too as she took the phone.
“Elizabeth, this is Bill Johnson. Is your fiancé there?”
“No, he’s leaving this morning for Laramie. Did you try the motel?”
“Yep. I guess he’s gone.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, maybe. Can I speak to you after class today?”
“Of course. I’ll come by as soon as I’ve finished.”
“Good. I’ll—I’ll see you then.”
Chapter Three
Elizabeth wondered what Bill Johnson had to say to her, but she didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. Her morning class consisted of seventeen five-year-olds. If she took her gaze off them even for a minute, they got into trouble. But she loved their energy.
When she did think of something else, her mind seemed naturally to flow to Toby, wondering about his first day working on the ranch. And why he’d come back. Not many people turned down fame and fortune.
She also wondered why he’d changed so much. She missed the Toby of her childhood, her teenage years…until she’d reached the age of sixteen. When she’d cried the last time he’d come home from college, her mother had explained that Toby probably had a girlfriend at school and his mind was on her.
“Miss Randall? Isn’t it time to go?” Davey, one of her brightest pupils, asked, staring at the big clock on the wall.
“Oh, yes, it is. Okay, let’s line up.” Times had changed. The kindergarteners were never released until someone came for them. A number of them rode a small bus to a childcare center nearby. The rest of them were claimed by their parents. Once Elizabeth had delivered each child to a guardian, she had an hour to eat lunch and prepare for the afternoon group. It was smaller because the morning was the preferred time. Most of the children scheduled for the afternoon were the oldest and soon to turn six.
Elizabeth headed for the teachers’ lounge and the refrigerator where she’d left her lunch. Then she settled at the round table. The lounge was filled with cast-off furniture, but it was actually a pleasant room. Just as she sat down, one of the first-grade teachers, also a native of the area, joined her.
“I heard Toby’s back home! Is he going to stay a while?” Abby Gaylord asked, her eyes sparkling.
“News travels fast around here. He just came back last night.”
“I know, but he’s famous. And rich. And the last I heard he was still single.”
“That’s the last I’ve heard, too,” Elizabeth admitted reluctantly. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lady. He’s not acting like himself.”
“Ooh! I bet he has a broken heart! I’ll be glad to console him.” Abby’s gaze was intent on Elizabeth.
“Did you want me to tell him that?”
“No! Don’t be silly. He wouldn’t look at me. Not with you hanging around,” Abby said with a wry smile.
Elizabeth concentrated on her sandwich. “He’s my cousin.”
“Honey, there’s no blood kinship. Everyone knows that.”
Elizabeth’s heartbeat sped up. She’d never admitted to anyone in the family that she’d finally figured that out when she was sixteen. Toby was considered a Randall in every way. For almost a year Elizabeth had held that information close to her heart. Then Toby’s behavior had told her it didn’t matter.
“Do you think he’ll come to the big Halloween party?”
Elizabeth stared at the other woman. “That’s two months away.”
“I know, but we could get him to sign autographs for a dollar and make a lot of money for the teachers’ fund.”
“I can ask him. I’m not sure he’ll be here by then, but I’ll check with him.”
“Thanks, Elizabeth. Or he could have a kissing booth for five dollars a kiss. Then we’d really make a killing.”
Elizabeth ended that idea. “No. Toby wouldn’t like that.” She wouldn’t like it, whether he did or not.
“Okay. Just a thought. But ask him about doing autographs. That would be great. Oh, I’ve got a better idea. We could have a raffle and the winner gets a date with Toby. Yeah, he could do that and the autographs. It wouldn’t kill him to spend one evening with a local lady, Elizabeth. Please ask him.”
Elizabeth didn’t like that idea either. But it was more reasonable than him kissing a hundred women. With a sigh she promised she would.
“Is he still as good-looking as ever?”
Elizabeth was fast developing a headache. “Yes.”
“Come on. Aren’t you going to give me some details?” Abby asked, practically salivating as she waited.
“No. Abby, you’ve known him all your life. He looks the same.”
Abby sighed and lapsed into silence, staring into space.
Elizabeth knew what her friend was seeing in her mind. A tall man, muscular, but rangy, with a singular grace, light brown, almost golden eyes, dark hair, strong features…and a beautiful smile that varied between cocky and sympathetic. The desire to be the center of his universe, to have that smile all to herself, had long been her secret wish.
“How’s your class today?” Elizabeth asked, desperate to change the subject.
For the remaining minutes before Abby’s next class, they discussed work. But when Abby left, the next arrivals wanted to talk about Toby, too. One of the teachers had taught him years ago and always thought of him as that same little boy. At least that was a better image than Toby in a kissing booth.
When she was ready to go home, she checked her calendar for the next day and saw the note she’d written about Bill Johnson. Otherwise, she would’ve gone straight home, her mind focused on Toby.
She drove the short distance to Bill Johnson’s office on the main street of Rawhide. He never used a receptionist or secretary, so she knocked on the open door of his office and he looked up from his desk.
“Oh, Elizabeth, thanks for coming by,” he said, rising to shake her hand. “Sit down, please.”
Elizabeth did so and waited for him to speak.
“Uh, Mr. O’Banyon came in yesterday afternoon, you know. We’d corresponded, of course, and he has excellent skills.” He paused and stared at her.
“And?”
“Elizabeth, I’ve been friends with your family for a long time. I’d do anything I could to help them, but—” He broke off again.
Elizabeth smiled. She realized his dilemma. “You don’t think you can work with Cleve?”
Relief filled his face. “Not just me. My customers—they wouldn’t come back. He, uh, sneers at the way people dress here. He actually made fun of Mr. Holliwell when he came in while O’Banyon was here.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Bill. But deciding not to hire him won’t affect your friendship with my family. Have you spoken with Cleve?”
Bill nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t take it well.”
“I’m not surprised. He thinks he would be an asset to any company.”
Bill looked at her sharply, and she knew she hadn’t hidden her disgust well.
“Uh, well, I appreciate your understanding.”
“Do you still need help?”
He stared at her warily. “Yeah, but—”
“I was going to suggest you talk to my cousin, Russ.”
“Russ is looking for a job as an accountant?” Bill asked, surprise in his voice.
“Not exactly. But he majored in accounting, and I think he’d like to work in town part-time.”
“I had no idea. That’s a great idea! I’ll call him this evening.”
“Mmm, could you wait until next week?”
“Why?”
“I need to talk to my family after I’ve talked to Cleve, and I won’t be able to manage all that until the weekend.” She really felt she should tell Cleve first that she’d changed her mind.
“Okay, as long as you don’t think anyone else would snap him up. He’ll be perfect.”
“How do you know? He might not know enough accounting,” she pointed out.
“Randalls breed true, Elizabeth. There hasn’t been a bad one yet.” His grin was wide and warm.
Elizabeth smiled back. But she realized she might’ve broken that chain if she’d married Cleve and had his children. Why hadn’t she realized that earlier? She stood. “Thanks for your cooperation, Bill. We’ll have everything settled very soon.”
“I appreciate that, Elizabeth.”
DARK WAS STARTING to come earlier, and Toby was glad. His first day back in the saddle took a lot of stamina. He was strong and skilled, but he was tired.
“Good job today, Toby,” his Uncle Pete said, pulling up beside him. “I figure we got a lot more done today with your roping skills.”
“You’re no slouch yourself, Uncle Pete.” His uncle was the only one of the Randalls before Toby who had rodeo experience.
“I wanted to tell you I appreciate you not encouraging the boys to head out for the rodeo, too. Rich has mentioned going several times, but Russ always reminds him about what you said.”
Toby grinned. “I didn’t want them making that their life. It’s too hard, and it can lead them down the wrong path.”
“True. So why did you stay so long?”
Toby stiffened. He hadn’t been prepared for that question. “I wanted to earn enough to pay for my own place.”
“Oh. Have you talked to your dad about land around here? I’m sure he’d be glad to help you.”
“I’m in no hurry.” He’d already decided if Elizabeth and Cleve settled down in Rawhide, he wouldn’t be doing the same. He told himself she’d be married then, but it didn’t seem to affect his hormones.
“Your dad—”
Toby interrupted. “I’d appreciate your not mentioning this to Dad just yet. I want to enjoy being home with the family for a while.”
“Sure thing, boy. Jake loves having you home.”
“I love being here,” Toby returned as they reached the barn, and he caught sight of Elizabeth’s car. She was home. He started trying to stifle the desire that rose up in him. Damn, he only had to know she was there, without even seeing her, to start yearning for her.
After taking care of his horse, he headed for the Pad with Russ and Rich, telling his father he was going to clean up.
“Okay. Red will ring when dinner is ready,” Jake assured him.