He decided it was time to institute a good-neighbor policy. “You sure won’t have to worry about a parking problem if I end up owning the place,” he said. “I’ll only be coming down from New York once in a while, and I can’t imagine I’ll be throwing any parties.”
Garrett’s mouth curved in a faint smile. “Then you’d better stay away from this gal.” He put an arm around Mary Jane. “I understand you had a wild one going last night.”
Morgan nearly groaned as he thought how that would sound to Eleanor. But Mary Jane didn’t care what other people thought, he reminded himself. That was his hang-up, not hers. He also wanted to shove Garrett’s arm off Mary Jane’s shoulders. Her bubbly personality didn’t fit with Garrett at all.
“Morgan knows all about that party,” Mary Jane said with a grin. “He hid upstairs while it was going on. I’m sure he didn’t get much sleep.”
“So you’re staying at Mary Jane’s?” Garrett asked.
“Yes,” Mary Jane said.
Morgan would have loved to echo that statement and make it sound as if he and Mary Jane were very cozy, even though that would support Eleanor’s suspicions. But he didn’t.
First, he had no business staking any claims on Mary Jane. He was in no position to interfere in her life any more than he already had. And second, after the kiss by the fireplace, he realized that he couldn’t spend another night under the same roof with Mary Jane without making love to her.
“I have been staying there, and making use of her couch,” he said. Well, that had been true for about two hours one night. Maybe Mary Jane was strong enough not to care about her reputation, but he couldn’t help wanting to protect her. “But now that it looks as if I’ll be sticking around until I close on the house, I’ll probably move to a hotel.” He glanced at her. “I’ve inconvenienced you enough.”
“I can recommend a good one,” Eleanor said. “Many of my clients from out of town have stayed there.”
Questions upon questions lurked in Mary Jane’s blue eyes. “It’s really no trouble for you to stay with me,” she said.
“It’s better if I book a hotel room.” He looked into her eyes and hoped she’d get the message. Another night together would only have one outcome.
She held his gaze. “Well, if you’re sure.”
“You could stay with me,” Garrett said.
Morgan and Mary Jane turned in surprise.
Garrett looked almost as surprised that he’d made the offer. Then he shrugged, as if he couldn’t do anything about it now. “I have room in my main house,” he said. “And you could get to know the area while you’re waiting for the closing. I could loan you a horse.”
Morgan nearly choked. “I don’t—”
“A gentle horse.” Garrett’s faint smile appeared again. “If you’re going to buy a piece of property out here in horse country, it’d be a real good idea if you learned to ride.”
“He’s right,” Mary Jane said. “When the baby comes, you’ll want to teach her, too. Kids love horses.”
“Baby?” Eleanor said. “I didn’t realize you had a child, Mr. Tate.”
Mary Jane turned to her. “Well, you see, I—”
“She’s still very young,” Morgan said.
“Oh.” Eleanor looked at him as if she longed to ask more questions but knew she was liable to overstep if she did. “A child would be very lucky to have this house and grounds to roam in.”
“Yes, she would,” Mary Jane said wistfully.
Her tone tore at Morgan’s heart. She so wanted to mother this little girl.
“I guess it’s settled then, Tate,” Garrett said. He sounded friendlier than he had before. “Come on out and I’ll get you acclimated.”
Morgan could see that if he didn’t accept Garrett’s offer he’d lose face in front of his new neighbor. He’d also look like a coward in front of Mary Jane, which was worse. He was going to have to stay at Garrett’s and learn to ride one of his horses. He’d been on a horse maybe once in his life. Or maybe it hadn’t even been a horse. Might have been a pony. A pony tied up to one of those pole things that went around in a circle.
“Okay,” he said. “I appreciate the offer. I’ll take a cab out here this afternoon.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Mary Jane said. “Taking a cab out here would cost a fortune. I’ll drive you.”
Not having a vehicle in Austin was becoming a real problem, Morgan realized. In New York he hardly ever drove a car, but out here cabs weren’t the best way to get around.
He glanced at Mary Jane. “Thanks, but I think I also need to buy a car. Maybe we could do that this afternoon.”
“A car?” She looked flabbergasted.
“It’s a good idea,” Eleanor said. “You could find a used sedan for a reasonable price, leave it parked in the garage when you’re not here, and then whenever you come down from New York, you’re all set.”
Instantly he realized a used sedan wasn’t what he needed at all. If he planned to own a place in horse country, he needed to think about his image. “Scratch that. I need to buy a truck.” From the corner of his eye he could see that Garrett Lord, macho rancher, approved of that statement. “A big truck,” he added for good measure, and watched Garrett’s head incline the slightest bit in agreement.
“A big truck?” Mary Jane stared at him. “But you won’t be here that much, and—”
“And when I am here, I need to be able to drive around. And I might want to haul things.” Yeah, that sounded good. He’d never hauled anything in his life, but now that he said it, he knew it was something he’d have fun doing.
“Absolutely,” Garrett agreed, looking even friendlier. “You have to buy furniture for that house, and there’s no reason to pay the delivery fee if you can haul it yourself.”
“Hold it.” Mary Jane stood with her hands on her hips and looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You are going to spend thousands of dollars on a big truck so you don’t have to spend a few dollars on delivery fees? What kind of logic is that?”
Morgan glanced at Garrett, knowing he had an ally. “Makes sense to you, right?”
“Sure does.”
“Then it’s settled. We’d better head on back now, so Eleanor can get started on the paperwork.” He glanced at Garrett. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“You might want to check at Buck’s,” Garrett said. “He usually has some decent trucks on the lot. Tell him I sent you.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks.” Morgan opened the door for Mary Jane.
“Men,” she mumbled as she got in the front seat next to Eleanor.
After closing the door and climbing in the back, Morgan glanced out the window and gave a friendly wave to Garrett. The guy had mounted his big brown horse, and Morgan had to admit he looked pretty good sitting up there. Women seemed to like that cowboy hero type. A New York pediatrician was a long way from fitting that image.
He hoped to hell Mary Jane and Garrett didn’t have something going on between them. Much as he loved the house, what he’d seen of it, he didn’t relish the thought of living next door to Mary Jane’s boyfriend.
ELEANOR WHISKED THEM back to her office, and Mary Jane spent the ride listing as many objections to the house as she could make up, considering she’d seen the entry and the living room and had a quick peek into the sunny kitchen. The bedrooms were still a mystery.
Once they’d arrived at the real estate office, Morgan named the figure he was willing to pay for the house, considering all the points that Mary Jane had brought up. The amount seemed staggering to Mary Jane, and though she was all in favor of Morgan getting a bargain, she hated the thought that he’d decide against the house if the Slatterys wouldn’t come down on the price.
“I don’t know if the Slatterys will accept a lower offer, but we’ll try,” Eleanor said as she settled them in chairs in front of her large desk and picked up a sheaf of papers. “As I understand it, this is a firm price. There’s a lot of architectural detail in tha
t house. For example, the window seat in the master bedroom is a wonderful touch.”
“Window seat?” Mary Jane asked eagerly. She adored the idea of a window seat—a place to sit and read, crochet something for the baby…dream.
“Why, yes.” Eleanor glanced at her with a puzzled expression. “Did you miss that?”
“I guess we did,” Morgan said. He looked at Mary Jane. “You like window seats?”
“Oh, yes. Think of being curled up there on a rainy afternoon with a good book, or just to watch the raindrops running down the windowpane. You can be so cozy, and yet the outside is right there, and—”
Too late she remembered she was supposed to be the one who wasn’t excited about the house. She cleared her throat and did her best to sound nonchalant. “They’re okay. This one must not have been very cool if we didn’t even see it.” Glancing at Eleanor, who had a cat-who-ate-the-cream smile on her face, Mary Jane decided she’d definitely blown her cover by raving on about the wonders of window seats.
She was also afraid Morgan would be annoyed, but instead he continued to gaze at her with tenderness.
Then he did the most amazing thing. He turned to Eleanor and told her not to submit a lower offer, after all. He’d pay the asking price for the house so they could get the purchase taken care of without haggling or delays.
Mary Jane grabbed his arm. “But, Morgan—”
“It’s worth it,” he said, smiling at her.
“So you’re really buying it, lock, stock and barrel?”
His smile widened into a grin. “Yeah.”
“Oh, Morgan!” She leaped from her chair and leaned over to give him a big hug. The minute she breathed in his familiar fragrance and felt his arms tighten around her, she realized that hadn’t been a good idea. Obviously the chemistry lesson she’d been given beside the fireplace hadn’t taught her anything.
While she still had a few brain cells working, she backed quickly out of his arms and away from his chair. “I don’t think you’ll be sorry,” she said, sounding very breathless.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with a soft light. “No chance.”
Very aware of Eleanor watching them, Mary Jane returned to her chair and sat down demurely, but her cheeks felt hot. “I’ve never been with someone when they bought a house,” she said by way of explanation. “It’s very exciting, isn’t it?”
“Under the right conditions,” Eleanor said with a smile. “This is a special house. It was built with great love. But as much as they cared for their house, the Slatterys care for their children more. The kids’ jobs took them to California, and there was no chance they’d ever move back to Texas. Once both parents retired, they decided to move to California, too. I know they hoped someone would buy the house who loves it as much as they do.”
“I think there’s a good chance of that,” Morgan said.
“I think so, too.” Eleanor turned to her computer. “Now, let’s get things rolling.”
“Did their kids grow up in that house?” Mary Jane asked.
Eleanor kept typing. “I believe they did.”
“Well, personally, I think they were nuts to leave Austin, which means their folks have ended up selling the family home. But their loss is our gain. I mean your gain, Morgan.”
“Our gain,” he said, sending her another one of those tender looks. “And the baby’s gain. I guess the first thing we’d better think about is outfitting the nursery.”
As she thought about that, her heart expanded another notch. She’d been dying to outfit a nursery and she hadn’t even realized it. Now she would get to. Then she remembered that Morgan couldn’t hang around indefinitely fooling with this house.
“We might not have time before you go back,” she said. “I’d hate to slap stuff in there without thinking it over, wouldn’t you?” As she said that she realized she’d been thinking over a nursery plan for at least a month, but she’d never let herself admit it. Rainbows. She envisioned a room filled with rainbow colors, rainbows painted on the wall, on the crib, the changing table and the big wooden rocker.
“I’ll call Chuck from your place,” Morgan said. “Maybe I can buy a little more time.”
“And I’m going to have to get back to work, too,” Mary Jane reminded him. “I know what Shelby said, but I’d feel bad sticking Georgette for too long.”
His expression dimmed. “You know, I sort of assumed…but I was probably wrong. Never mind. You don’t have to worry about the nur—”
“But I want to,” she said quickly. “I really do. It’s just that I have to do it after work or on my days off.”
“I don’t want you overworking yourself. That would defeat the whole purpose.”
She gazed into his eyes and wondered what color eyes the baby would have. Arielle’s had been gray. Once Mary Jane had known the baby was a girl she’d automatically given the kidlet gray eyes and blond hair, like Arielle. But brown eyes would be nice on the little girl. Soft, compassionate eyes like Morgan’s.
“I really want to help with the nursery,” she said. “But if it means you have to stay longer than you should to accommodate me, then maybe I won’t be able to. Unless you want me to work on it after you’re gone.” That didn’t sound like much fun, although it was better than nothing.
“I’m not sure I trust you not to overdo it,” he said with a grin. “I picture you getting started after work, getting involved in painting or something, and not knowing when to quit.”
Not long ago she would have thought he was being over-protective and anal. Now she knew this was the way he showed he cared, not only for the baby, but for her. “Just put Shelby on it and I’ll be monitored every hour.”
“Let me talk to Chuck,” he said. “Then we’ll decide what to do.”
Eleanor’s printer surged to life as she turned to them and pushed a pen across the desk toward Morgan. “Ready to buy a house?”
He picked the pen up without hesitation. “You bet I am.”
MORGAN COULDN’T believe how he was flinging money around. He’d always been on the conservative side when it came to finances, and he’d just bought a valuable piece of property without making a counteroffer, and a shiny red pickup for the sticker price. And he hadn’t had a moment of regret.
He followed Mary Jane home from Buck’s and parked in front of her town house. Then he got out and circled the truck, admiring it from all angles. He’d always wondered why men bought trucks that cost as much or more than a luxury car. Now he knew. Driving a truck made a guy feel cool.
Leaving her Beetle in the drive, Mary Jane walked to the street and watched him, arms folded. “That’s a pretty expensive rig you plan to park in a garage for most of the year.”
He glanced at her. “I couldn’t resist it. I’ve never had a truck.”
“I could tell.” She walked closer and lowered her voice. “Listen, I didn’t want to say this in front of the salesman, but I’m worried about you.”
“You are?” He looked at her in surprise. “I can drive a truck. It’s easier than I expected, in fact.”
“No, I mean…you’re still recovering from a terrible shock. Now, the house was one thing. I can see how that could work out great for the baby. But this truck isn’t for the baby.”
“Nope.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be buying stuff like this until…well, until you’re sure you’re not doing it to…I don’t know…compensate or something.”
He gazed at her earnest expression and wanted to kiss her again. He backed up a step to avoid the temptation.
“Now I’ve offended you,” she said.
“No, you sure haven’t. I appreciate your concern. But let me tell you how I see this.”
“Please do. Because I’m worried. That truck is so red.”
“Do you like it?”
“Why, sure I do, but that’s not the point. I didn’t put out a gazillion dollars for it. You did.”
He loved the way her hair turned all gold and shiny in the sun. �
�When I first got here you took me out shopping for clothes, and you talked me into getting these.” He gestured to his shirt, jeans and boots.
“See, I knew it! I created a monster. Now you think you have to have a house and truck to match!”
Maybe he shouldn’t laugh, but he couldn’t help it. She was adorable. “Maybe you did create a monster, and maybe I’ve totally gone off the deep end, but I don’t see it that way. I feel as if you’ve given me the courage to break out of a mold that was getting too tight and confining. All my life I’ve been conditioned to be conservative, to only like what was elegant, tasteful and…boring. God, so boring.”
“You mean you were conditioned by your parents,” she said.
He looked into her eyes and decided to risk some heresy. “And by Arielle.”
He could tell she had some trouble with that. The struggle showed in that expressive face of hers, and he could well imagine she didn’t want to admit anything negative about her idol.
Glancing away, she stared at the red truck for a long time. Finally she spoke. “She would have hated that truck.”
“Yes.”
She turned to him, her gaze anxious. “That isn’t why you bought it, is it?”
“No. I like to think I’m more mature than that. I bought it because I like it. Remember when you asked me if I’d ever run around the back yard shooting at the bad guys when I was five years old?”
She nodded.
“Of course I did, but when I wasn’t doing that, I pretended my bike was a truck. A bright red truck.” He waved a hand toward the curb. “Just like that one. I realized when I decided to buy it that I didn’t have to please anybody but myself. I kind of thought you’d like it, too, but if you hadn’t, that would have been okay. This truck is for me.”
Her smile came like sunshine from behind a cloud. “That’s good. That’s very good.”
He couldn’t help but smile back. “I think so, too. And who knows? I might get down here more than you think I will. I might drive this truck a lot.”
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