To Marry a Texas Cowboy

by Julie Benson

  “Gracious, no, dear.” Ginny’s voice rang with affection as she patted McKenna’s hand. “You are amazing, and I’d be lost without you, but I’m worried about overburdening you. There’s too much for you to do alone. You and I working full-time barely kept up.”

  McKenna waved a hand in dismissal. “You needn’t worry about me. I don’t mind putting in more hours until you return. This is what I studied to do, and the plan we made is solid. Between you, me, and Opal, we don’t need Zane seeing to the finances.”

  “That’s what he said he was doing? Handling the finances?” Ginny asked, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

  McKenna nodded and chuckled. “He also said he’d handle ‘management issues.’ Can you see Miss Opal, Tyler, and me having management issues?”

  “Oh, that’s not right. I’ll talk to Zane tonight about that, too.”

  Something felt off, almost as if McKenna had come in partway of a conversation. While she’d convinced Ginny to talk to Zane, what exactly would they discuss? Hoping for the best, but knowing she had to know what Ginny meant, McKenna said, “I tried to tell Zane there had to be a misunderstanding. That his working in the office wasn’t a good fit.”

  “I’m afraid you’re misunderstanding, too, dear. I expect Zane to help with more than the finances. I intend for him to help with everything, including running events.”

  No. No. No. McKenna swallowed hard. Blood pounded in her ears. This couldn’t be happening. How could she have screwed up this conversation so badly? She’d come here to convince Ginny she didn’t need Zane’s help, and instead she’d ended up with him involved with every aspect of the business.

  Please don’t make me have to work events with Zane. It’ll be my worst nightmare come to life. He’ll treat them like a frat party. All the unattached women will fawn all over him, and I’ll have to hire EMTs to be on standby in case catfights break out.

  How could she undo this disaster?

  Chapter Eight

  “While I appreciate your concern, it’s unnecessary. Plus, Zane has a full-time job. It’s not fair to ask him to juggle two. He’s the one you should be worried about burning out. Worse yet, I’d feel terrible if helping us put his job at risk.” Before Ginny could object, McKenna added her final point. “While I’m sure Zane’s very good at what he does, I don’t see how his skills as a video game designer translate to the wedding industry.”

  Ooh, that was good. Emphasizing her concern for Zane paired with her ability to handle things alone and his lack of industry experience laid out a solid case. Not that her apprehension for his career was a lie, it was real. She simply wasn’t as worried about his career as hers. McKenna relaxed against the chair back and took a bite of bread. This time it didn’t taste like dust.

  “He’s more than a designer. When he and a coworker pitched a game set here on the ranch with cowboys killing zombies, their company rejected it. He and Cody quit and started their own company.”

  “Zane owns the company that created Cowboys and Zombies?” McKenna gasped. She loved that game. One reason being its main female character, a cowgirl, possessed as much strength, ingenuity, and ability as any of the game’s cowboys.

  His partner must’ve designed the cowgirl.

  Ginny’s revelation sank in. Zane owned his own business. He possessed management experience. Controlled his financial destiny. He’d already obtained what she so longed for and his company probably employed more people than his grandmother’s. Why hadn’t he or Ginny told her?

  “Didn’t I tell you he owned half a gaming company?”

  McKenna shook her head. “Then he certainly doesn’t have time to manage your company, too.”

  “He’ll be another set of hands, and he might be more help than you think,” Ginny said, ignoring her comment. “He has industry experience. He worked receptions for me when he was in high school and college.”

  Well, then, never mind. I didn’t realize he had that much industry experience. I’m sure he’ll be oodles of help. At least when the single females in attendance give him enough room to move.

  Was it opposite day and no one told her? That was what it felt like because all her arguments appeared to have the reverse affect from the ones she intended. “What about the women falling all over him? I’m worried for your business. You’ve spent years building a solid reputation. His presence is disruptive, through no fault of his,” she quickly added. “Aren’t we simply trading one set of difficulties for another?”

  “Pish posh. These women have known him most of their lives. He’s the flavor of the moment because he’s new in town. Pretty soon he’ll be yesterday’s news.”

  Sure. he would, and tomorrow she’d address the UN on world peace. Ginny couldn’t be serious. Zane would stand out in Hollywood. How would he become old news in Wishing where the pickings of single attractive men could be called slim, at best?

  “Please, Ginny. Can we talk about this? I don’t need his help. I managed Grace and AJ’s engagement party. It was a huge success.”

  “I’m not criticizing you, dear, or your abilities. I’m so thankful to have you working with me, but who knows how long my recovery may take.”

  “I thought you said you were doing well. Is something wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned for the kindhearted woman.

  “I’m doing well, but I’m no spring chicken. I need to put all my energy into my recovery. I think it’s best if I take a complete break until my doctor clears me to return. That means I need Zane helping.”

  McKenna’s throat tightened. Her heart raced. Her mind whirled, unable to think of anything but what a mess she’d made of this. She couldn’t let this happen. “Ginny, we hire plenty of help for receptions. Zane doesn’t—”

  Ginny raised her hand. “I won’t have you working yourself to the bone, and that’s final. Now, I don’t want to hear another word about it, and you know how stubborn I am when my mind’s made up.”

  That settled that.

  Ginny placed her hand over her heart and leaned further back into the pillows. “Thank you, dear. With you and Zane working together managing the business, I won’t worry one bit. I know it’s not what you want, but you wouldn’t deny me that peace of mind at my age, would you?”

  McKenna resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. In an instant, her job with tons of potential that she’d pinned so many future hopes on had turned into a nightmare.

  She’d been outmaneuvered by a true master. “Of course I wouldn’t, Ginny.”

  *

  Some days a man shouldn’t get out of bed. Today had turned out to be one of those days for Zane.

  Who’d have ever guessed he’d have so much women trouble in twenty-four hours? The bridesmaids from hell in the morning. Grabby, drunk, sex-deprived Campbell in the afternoon. His grandma Ginny throwing him a curve before he left for town, and pain in the ass McKenna through it all.

  In the Horseshoe game room, Zane lined up his shot, thankful he and his friends had arrived early to get in a game of pool before the band started playing. After taking aim again, he sent the cue ball zooming across the pool table. It connected with a healthy crack, sending the other balls careening in all directions with surprising force.

  “That was some break. You use enough strength there, Zane?” AJ teased.

  “It was a rough day.” How could his life become such a mess so fast, and all because he’d been a standup guy helping his Grandma Ginny? Whoever said no good deed goes unpunished knew what he was talking about.

  Zane scanned the table. He called the three ball in the side pocket and took aim. When he sent the cue ball in motion, instead of hitting on the right side, it hit dead center sending his target straight ahead missing the pocket.

  “What’s up? You never miss a shot that easy,” Cooper, his partner for the game of eight ball, asked.

  “Like I said. It was a brutal day.” He explained about Cora’s bridesmaids. “Then in the afternoon, Campbell and Susannah arrived. Good thing y’all
are spoken for. She’s on the hunt for a man to fix her problems. But that wasn’t the worst thing that happened.”

  Ty checked his shot and sank the eleven ball in the corner pocket. “We’re stripes. Zane and Coop, you’re solids.”

  “If none of that was the worst part of your day, what was?” Cooper asked.

  I kissed McKenna.

  How could he have done that? He’d lost his mind. Crazier yet, how could he have enjoyed it?

  Enjoyed it? That’s way too mild to describe what you felt.

  He’d taken a bad situation, made it worse, and damned if he could figure out how it got away from him. One minute he and McKenna stood arguing about her sticking her nose into his personal life, and then she’d flipped a switch and they were on each other like a couple of horny teenagers with their parents out of town.

  But what could he tell his friends? None of that. Maybe ever. But he needed their help. Best start with Ginny and work up to McKenna. “You won’t believe what Ginny guilted me into doing.”

  “From the look of horror on your face it’s got to be bad. Does she need you to donate a kidney or something?” AJ teased.

  He shook his head and took another long draw from his bottle of Shiner. “Nope. It’s worse.”

  She’d banished him to work hell, stuck in an office with McKenna. A woman he never should’ve kissed. He’d never met a woman with more rules. Did she have a giant book somewhere that listed them all? She was a good girl and a wedding planner. No one except maybe a minister believed more in marriage and commitment than a wedding planner. What the hell was he going to do? How could he have kissed McKenna knowing she was the ultimate good girl?

  “What could be worse?” Ty asked. “It’s not her health, is it?”

  “She’s fine,” Zane said.

  Good enough to pull a fast one.

  Cooper scratched the stubble on his chin and studied him. “The only thing you’d think was worse would be helping with weddings.”

  “Zane would never agree to that,” AJ said.

  “I would if Ginny asked if she could count on me.” Zane leaned against his pool cue. “I don’t know what happened. I stopped by to see her before I left.” He said how she’d looked good and they’d talked about her physical therapy. “She’d said she was ahead of schedule recovery wise. Then I don’t know what happened, but the next thing I knew she said I’d misunderstood her, and she needed me helping with every aspect of the business.”

  Never before in his life had his Grandma Ginny used manipulation or guilt to get him to do something. Nope, she was a straight shooter who came at a person head-on. Because of that, he hadn’t guessed what was going on until she had him roped and tied.

  “Everything?”

  “Seriously, Zane? You’re going to be stuck going to rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions on weekends?” AJ said, his gaze filled with pity.

  “Did you talk about what she said?” Cooper asked, as he scanned the table searching for the best shot.

  “When I tried, she claimed exhaustion, thanked me for taking care of everything for her, and told me to have fun.” He chuckled. “As if I could after the bomb she dropped. While it won’t be fun working weekends, I can handle it. My real problem is McKenna.”

  And whenever I think about kissing her my body goes into overdrive in less than twenty seconds.

  “I gather your work relationship hasn’t improved?” Cooper asked as he sent the four ball skittering into the side pocket.

  “Nope. It’s worse. How am I going to survive working with her more? Hell, how do I cope with her being here tonight?”

  “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” Cooper said and Ty and AJ nodded in agreement, their heads shaking like damn grinning bobblehead dolls.

  “What am I missing?”

  “What you said about McKenna gave me flashbacks to when I met Cassie,” Ty said. “You should’ve seen how ticked she was when I controlled Ella’s finances and she needed my approval for expenditures. We butted heads constantly. I swore I’d never met a more cantankerous woman.”

  AJ nodded. “And Grace literally rammed into me and then tried to talk me out of reporting the accident. She let me have it when she learned I was the chief of police.”

  Zane clenched his teeth so hard his jaw cracked. How could his friends, who knew him better than anyone and were more like family than his blood relatives, not understand what he was saying? How could they be so wrong? His situation with McKenna hardly resembled theirs. Despite knowing that, his stomach clenched, and a cold sweat blasted through him.

  “You’re not getting this. Y’all are so far from the field you’re in the nosebleed section under the roof. McKenna and I have a business relationship. There’s nothing personal about it, and she’s the opposite of my type.”

  His buddies burst out laughing. This time he remained silent.

  What he’d said earlier to McKenna had been right. Work was her whole life, and she wouldn’t know how to have fun if the good Lord showed her. The woman didn’t believe in casual time, much less a casual relationship. If she ever fit a man into her life, he’d be the kind who took her home to his family before he hopped into bed with her. Because once he bedded her, she’d expect the relationship to lead to a ring, a house with a white picket fence, and kids.

  Since he’d started dating at sixteen, Zane had steered clear of females like McKenna.

  “When Cheyenne moved into my spare bedroom, I said she wasn’t my type.” Cooper thumped Zane on the back and tossed him a pity gaze. “Those two laughed and bet me in four months we’d be living together in the biblical sense. I insisted we’d still be nothing more than coworkers.”

  “McKenna has good girl flashing like a neon beer sign over her head,” Zane said. “You know me. I steer clear of them because they make me sweat. Don’t get me wrong, marriage is fine for y’all, but not for me with my parents’ records.”

  With a fifty percent divorce rate, marriage was a crapshoot at best with good examples of marital life. He was way too smart to risk repeating their mistakes. Nope, he preferred learning from them instead.

  “You’re not your parents,” Ty said, taking on the group optimist role. A wide, dopey grin spilled across his friend’s face and his eyes grew wistful as if he was somewhere other than with them. “I got to say, marriage has some fine benefits.”

  Zane rolled his eyes. “Guess you feel obliged to defend the institution since you’re the old married man, but I get most of the benefit without the commitment. What’s the point of getting into a serious relationship when I know it won’t work?”

  “When did you become a pessimist?” AJ asked.

  “I’m not. I’m a realist on this subject.” When Coop opened his mouth to speak, Zane waved him off. “Forget it. I’m not getting involved with McKenna personally. What I need is advice on how to survive working with her until Ginny’s return.”

  “Women never get under your skin like this.”

  “That’s because when a woman aggravates me, I walk away. I can’t do that with McKenna.” His right eyelid twitched, but he resisted the urge to cover it. “Between the three of you, you’ve got to have advice for me.”

  His friends glanced between each other, all expecting someone else to answer until Ty shrugged. “I wish I did, but Lord knows every woman’s different and what worked for us probably won’t work for you.”

  “You mean you found something that worked with Cassie? Tell me what because Grace got ticked at me yesterday when I threw her favorite T-shirt in the dryer. Now it looks like one of Ella’s,” AJ joked, referring to Cassie’s young niece. “I got in more trouble when I said if she got mad I wouldn’t help with laundry anymore.”

  “That’s easy to fix,” Zane said, shaking his head at AJ’s lack of sense. “Go to Dress Like a Dream and buy her a new shirt, you moron. Better yet, get a necklace and earrings to go with it.”

  “That’s a great idea.” AJ pressed his palm against his forehead. “Why d
idn’t I think of that?”

  “Because you’re not too bright,” Zane shot back. “Come on. You’ve got to have advice.”

  “I could tell you what we did, but you’re not going to like it,” Ty said. Zane motioned for him to get on with it. “Remember, you asked. I married mine, and AJ and Coop are engaged to theirs.”

  Zane laughed. Ty had to be joking. Or he’d gone insane. This mess with McKenna was nothing like when his friends met their significant others. He waited for his buddies to laugh with him, but they didn’t. Hell, they were serious? “You’re Looney Tunes crazy.”

  Strains of the band warming up floated into the game room. Zane looked at his friends and said, “We’d best finish quick before the molting starts.”

  “We’re not henpecked,” Cooper insisted.

  “But he does have a point,” AJ said. “If we’re not back by the first song, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  *

  As McKenna turned from the gravel road leading from the Lucky Stars Ranch onto the small two-lane state highway heading to town, she still couldn’t believe what had happened. She drove past barren hay fields and cattle lounging in the fading fall sunlight, the peaceful rural setting a stark contrast to the turmoil chewing her insides.

  Until she met Zane, she never let her emotions control her. How had she let that happen today? She’d started out to teach him adoring, brainless females weren’t so great or real because any woman could fake it. But when she peeled off her cardigan, someone else took over her body, and before she knew what happened, they were getting all hot and heavy. Her body shuddered remembering the response Zane aroused in her.

  Then she’d compounded her mistake by letting her panic drive her to see Ginny. She should’ve known it would be a disaster. Why hadn’t she waited, composed herself, and developed a plan? Calm, rational, logic worked in business. Not acting under the influence of unpredictable emotions.

  Talk about a plan backfiring. When she set her mind on a goal, she succeeded. Only once in her career had she ended up worse off than when she entered a meeting. The day Darby brought her in to discuss a cash drawer discrepancy. She never should’ve promised Erin she’d keep quiet. How would her life be different if she’d made another choice?