The Rancher's Surprise Marriage

by Susan Crosby

  “I’m thinkin’ I should lock the door if I want to keep Garnet and her fury out,” Tony said, a twinkle in his eye.

  “You’re a quick study.”

  He turned the lock, set his hat aside and closed the gap between them. “You look beautiful, Margaret.”

  She’d heard those words so many times they barely had impact anymore, yet her heart lurched when he said them, especially with him calling her Margaret—something no one else on the planet did. It was special, just between them. “Thank you. I need you to help me choose a hat to wear.” She pointed to the assortment on the sofa.

  He eyed them, leaned around her, grabbed one and handed it to her. “Don’t wear it, though. Just carry it until you’re done talking to the press. That’ll signal the end. Plus, I expect you don’t want your hair messed up.”

  Though she’d least expected it, he’d chosen the hat she liked the most, a low-brim, black wool one, with little adornment. She had no idea which brand it was.

  “I’m kinda surprised you’re wearing that outfit,” he said. “That’s the one we were photographed in. I didn’t know a star wore the same outfit twice.”

  “This has sentimental meaning to me.” She tugged on his bolo strings. “You look handsome.”

  “Thank you kindly.”

  “Are you nervous?” she asked.

  “I did my share of interviews in my rodeo days.” He put a finger to her chin, lifting it. “You look a little nervous, though. I figure a kiss’d take care of that, except your lips look ready for your close-up.”

  How could she keep resisting him if he kept saying things like that? And following through? His kisses made her weak.

  She pointed to his belt buckle. “Did you win this one?”

  “Nope. My prizewinners are in a case at home. This one’s custom, my brand. And speaking of brands…” He held up his hand. A small, square velvet box sat in his palm.

  An engagement ring? What else could it be? What a sweetheart of a man. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Course I did.” He pushed a tiny button. The lid popped open. Inside was a substantial square diamond set in a simple platinum band. “Jeweler called it an Asscher cut.” He took out the ring and slid it on her finger.

  Maggie didn’t know what to say. How could he afford it? She couldn’t ask, knew he wouldn’t appreciate her questioning his ability to pay for it or offering to reimburse him. He was the one doing her a favor.

  “It’s exquisite,” she said, aware he was waiting for a response. But “exquisite” didn’t begin to describe it. It was flawless in her eyes.

  “Looks like it fits okay.”

  “It fits perfectly. Tony.” She flattened her hands on his chest. “You can return it, right? You made a deal with the jeweler to do that?”

  A beat passed. “Course. He’s a good friend of mine.”

  He’d hesitated just long enough to make her wonder if he was telling the truth.

  “Well, darlin’, what do you say we go feed ourselves to the wolves?”

  She slipped her hand in his. “I still can’t believe you’re doing this for me. I don’t know anyone else who would. Not anyone I could trust to keep it all a secret.”

  “No more thanks from you. It’s a fair deal in my mind.”

  He tugged on her hand, walked her to the door and opened it. Lights flashed, people jostled, a sea of bodies crowding and shifting. Voices clamored.

  Garnet, her back to the scene, gave Tony an I’ll-deal-with-you-later look then she turned and addressed the audience.

  “Good afternoon,” she said into the bouquet of microphones in front of her. “What we’ve got here, folks, is a story better than any screenwriter could’ve conjured up…”

  Chapter Seven

  “I hadn’t been paying attention before. Is all this property yours?” Maggie asked as they drove to Tony’s house later. Her tension was ebbing by the minute. She was happy to be in the truck, alone with him, away from the crowd. She’d almost forgotten the traffic jams of home. Here, the wide-open spaces and far-off mountains mesmerized.

  “I own forty acres, and I lease seventy thousand acres of public land for grazing. We’ll take a ride on your first free day, and I’ll show you. Or maybe you don’t ride?”

  “I do, although I’ve never ridden in country like this. I’m just a trail rider.” She’d taken extra lessons before filming started, wanting to keep her role realistic.

  “We’ve got trails,” Tony said. “We’re even starting a business to go along with it, but I’ll tell you about that later. We figure to be up and running by next summer.”

  “Tourist trade?”

  “Aimed at tourists, of course, and we want to make money at it, but we want people to see the land. To appreciate it. How many times will most folks ride a horse in their lives? We aim to have a cookout, too, where the guests and the cowboys can mingle.”

  “Dispel the myths that most people have?” she asked.

  “That. And just let people have an appreciation for the cowboy life and why it should continue. You know, it’s faster rounding up a herd with the help of a helicopter, but it takes jobs away from good men. There is a romance to it all, I think. I want it to continue.”

  “I really admire you, Tony.”

  He shrugged. “I’m just doin’ my job.”

  It was much more than that, but she let it go for now. “How is it you’ve been able to spend so much time with me? I’ve always figured a cattleman to be one busy guy.”

  “Depends. We have two consistently busy times during the year—the spring castrating and branding, and the fall weaning and shipping the calves to market. Monthly, it takes us three days to move the herd to the next pasture, then there’s twenty-seven days of other chores to do. Lots of fence work, stringing or repairing. It’s feast or famine. And with the trail-ride business we’ve got going, we’ve always got something new to build.”

  “Your life has changed drastically with me around, especially with all of us moving to your property.”

  “Yep. Nothing else to do about it, however. It is what it is. You come with people.”

  “Most men—”

  “Margaret,” he interrupted. “Let’s not go there. I’m not most men.”

  Which was one of the biggest understatements ever. “You’re right. Okay, I’ll just say you did a great job with the press.”

  “Did I look appropriately sweet on you?”

  She smiled. Oh, yeah. He’d played the role well, keeping her hand in his, looking at her adoringly. “I even bought it.”

  “I don’t think Garnet’s too pleased with me.”

  “That’s her problem, and she’ll either recover or quit.”

  He sent a quick look in Maggie’s direction. “Would she? Quit, I mean?”

  “She’s used to being in charge.” And Tony hadn’t let her be in charge.

  “There can only be one Alpha dog in a pack,” he drawled.

  Maggie laughed. “And that’s you, I take it.”

  “Well, sure. At least I got her to promise she would run everything past me as well as you before taking any information to the press. I know she’s more skilled in that particular area than I am, but we need one common source if we’re going to work as a team. I don’t take orders well, in case you hadn’t noticed, but I do listen.”

  “I can learn from you. Sometimes I forget that I’m Garnet’s boss, not the other way around, because she’s so…right all the time. Doesn’t allow for much discussion.”

  He eyed her. “You sure keep destroying my image of a Hollywood star.”

  “In what way?”

  “You just seem…normal. Most of the time.”

  “It’s the controversial ones who make the headlines, you know. I’ve never caused controversy. Believe it or not, I’m not a rarity. It’s the publicity machines that end up fostering a lot of bad press—and those few celebrities who really are screwed up.”

  “Misperceptions abound. Same is true of co
wboys.”

  She’d seen the truth of his words. “You’re complex. I like that.”

  “So are you. Which I also like.”

  A building came into view, a house.

  “Is that your new ranch house?” she asked, admiring the wood-sided structure, which spread out like she would’ve expected a ranch house would, with lots of windows facing an unparalleled view.

  “Yep. The couple standing on the porch are Butch and Sadie Kelly, my foreman and housekeeper.”

  “Sadie? I don’t think I’ve heard that name except in old Westerns. How did they come to work for you?”

  “Butch and I rode rodeo together. He’s my age. She’s younger—and four months pregnant. We’ve been friends for a long time. Just seemed like a good thing, them working with me. Although once the trail-ride business gets going, she won’t have time to help me out with the house, not with a baby to take care of, too. She’s going to be fully involved in that business.”

  He stopped the car near the porch. Dino pulled up behind him in his rented RV/security command center. Leesa followed in the SUV they’d been using since their arrival.

  Tony introduced everyone. Dino left to move the RV alongside the house. Leesa and Butch took suitcases and garment bags inside.

  “We just saw your press conference on YouTube,” Sadie said, excitement bubbling from her. “I never noticed before, Tony, but you kinda look like John Wayne!”

  “See?” Maggie said to Tony, and feeling an instant bond with Sadie. “I’m glad I’m not the only one to recognize that.”

  “Aw, shucks, ma’am,” Tony said, tipping his hat, a slight smile softening his face.

  Sadie rolled her eyes. “How soon would you like to have dinner, Ms. McShane? Tony said to make something simple, so I fixed Cobb salad.”

  “Oh, that sounds perfect. I’m starving. And please call me Maggie.”

  “I will, thank you. You’ll probably want to freshen up first. Maybe have a drink and relax?” Sadie asked.

  “Iced tea, if you have it, thanks.” She wondered what Tony was thinking. He’d been pretty quiet most of the time since the press conference, answering her questions but not really keeping a conversation going. “May I have a tour of the house first?” she asked Tony.

  He hesitated. “Would you mind if Sadie takes you around? I’ve got a couple of things to check on before it gets dark.”

  “No problem.”

  “Okay. See you in a little bit.” He went down the stairs and walked away, heading toward the side of the house—and Dino’s RV.

  “I’ve never seen him look happier,” Sadie said.

  “How can you tell? He hardly ever smiles.”

  “It’s inside him. I can see it.” Sadie’s eyes sparkled. “Who would’ve ever thought it? Tony and you. You are a very lucky woman.”

  Most people would’ve said that Tony was a lucky man. Maggie was so happy that Sadie saw it differently—because Maggie did feel lucky. “I think so, too.”

  “Ready to see the house?”

  Maggie fell in step beside her. “Tony tells me you’re four months pregnant.”

  Sadie’s hand slid across her abdomen. “We’d been trying for five years, so this is extra special.”

  It was one of the biggest reasons why Maggie had wanted to marry Scott—he’d wanted children, too, right away. Or so he’d said. She’d begun to wonder a lot about that relationship now, after the fact, even her own motivations. She’d wanted a family to replace the one that was gone. But the speed at which the relationship happened, then the fact he hadn’t made a lot of time for her, gave her pause now. Granted, he’d been filming, but he hadn’t invited her to join him, even when she’d had a few days free to do so.

  Had it all been a publicity stunt for him, and she’d fallen for it because she so desperately wanted a family? Had he told her what she wanted to hear rather than the truth? It seemed possible, now that she could take an unbiased look at the situation. He could’ve been using her to further his career. And her being named the villain in the public’s eye about the breakup wouldn’t hurt him, either.

  Maggie followed Sadie into a large, open living room, with a stone fireplace, rustic but comfortable-looking furnishings, a large area rug atop wood floors, a masculine, Western feel. “I understand this was recently built.”

  “He moved in about six months ago. Butch and I have a double-wide across the yard, but after the movie’s done, Tony’s going to remodel the old homestead for us. It’s spacious and closer to the corrals.”

  Maggie’s cell phone rang. She looked at the screen—Scott. “I’m sorry. I need to take this call.”

  Sadie pointed. “Tony’s office. You can shut the door.”

  “Thanks.” She said hello as she walked.

  “Just wanted to let you know that my part’s done,” he said.

  “I’ll bet you got a lot of sympathy.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. I still don’t know why you decided to let me off the hook instead of being the one who done you wrong, since that’s what I was.”

  The sound of his voice grated. She was glad it was the end for them. “Doesn’t really matter, does it? It worked out for you. How long until you go public with Gennifer?”

  “I don’t know. Not too long.”

  “There were rumors about your affair with her even before you broke it off with me. People may draw their own conclusion about what really happened. The truth could come out.”

  “Unless you or I set the record straight, it’ll only be speculation, though. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  “So will I.” She wasn’t sure about Gennifer, however, and Maggie didn’t want the truth to come out. She wanted it over with.

  “I know, Maggie. That’s one thing I can take to the bank.”

  “I wish I could say the same about you, Scotty.”

  A couple of beats passed. “I’m sorry you don’t trust me.”

  “Me, too. But you were right about something. I am glad it’s over between us. Tony’s been really good to me.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s got America’s Sweetheart, doesn’t he? That’s major bragging rights. If you think being engaged to you upped my value, think what it does for a cowboy.”

  Annoyed, Maggie said goodbye and shut her phone. She settled into the big leather chair behind Tony’s desk. Scott was wrong. Tony wasn’t dazzled by her. He hadn’t been blinded by her star status at all. He’d been chivalrous and kind. He had a strong sense of himself and his own needs, wasn’t relying on her to build up his ego. She liked that about him, liked that she couldn’t push him around, or get him to do something he wasn’t comfortable with.

  A knock had her sitting up straight. The door opened. Tony stuck his head inside.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  She climbed out of the chair, went up and hugged him, even if it wasn’t what she should be doing. She didn’t want him to misinterpret. She would keep her word not to make love with him. She just needed a hug. “Everything is wonderful.”

  He slipped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and breathed him. “Everything okay with you?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  Not yep but a much more serious answer—yes. It comforted her. She had to make sure she didn’t mess up their chances for taking a deep friendship out of this relationship when it ended, the only way to keep this special man in her life. He’d already become that important.

  Tony propped his pillows against his headboard and took in the master bedroom, wondering what Maggie thought of it. It was a good-size room—he needed space—but it was probably small compared to her own. Would he see where she lived before they called it quits? He’d like to.

  At the moment, she was in the attached bathroom getting ready for bed. The sound of water reached him now and then, but the door was shut, so he couldn’t watch her. He had no hope that would ever change, but he’d like it to.

  It stunned him to think they’d known each other only two days. Two days. An
d yet they were getting married. Crazy.

  He tucked his hands behind his head. He was tired, yet thoughts were running through his head like a herd spooked by a mountain lion. The security issues wore him out. In the end he’d been grateful for Dino’s expertise. They had the same goals, after all, but it was a whole new world to Tony.

  His bedroom blinds were down. That was new, too. Dino didn’t like that Tony’s house had few window coverings. For the most part, there hadn’t been any need for them, as isolated as the ranch was. There were blinds in the bedrooms that were hardly ever let down, but the living room, dining room and kitchen windows were naked—which meant anyone with a supertelephoto lens could take pictures from far-off.

  Tony had taken Dino out in the Jeep to check for probable observation-danger spots, then they set up a plan to keep those areas under constant surveillance when Maggie was home.

  Finally the bathroom door opened and she came out. Her scent hit him first, light and arousing. She wore a T-shirt of his, something he guessed she thought wouldn’t be sexy to him. Did she really expect him to keep his hands off her when she was wearing something he could slip off her in a wink?

  He folded back the sheet, welcoming her. He’d turned off all the lights but one, a bedside lamp, more for mood than reading.

  “You smell female,” he said as she slipped in bed beside him.

  “It’s just lotion.”

  “I think it’s just you.”

  “You’re a very sweet man.”

  That caught him off guard. “No, I’m not, and don’t go thinking that. You’ve known me all of two days.”

  Maggie looked him in the eye. “I know that Sadie adores you, and I think she’s an excellent judge of character. I’ve learned that Dino respects you, and I know he’s an excellent judge of character. Yes, we have a lot to learn about each other, but I already figure you can handle yourself just fine in a fight, at the poker table or throwing a rope over a steer. None of that changes the fact you are also very sweet.”

  Well, no one had ever called him that before, not to his face. A man was made on his reputation. He liked being thought of as hard. Saved a lot of battles along the way. “Don’t go spreading that rumor around,” he said, then heard her laugh softly, which relaxed him. He hadn’t expected to be relaxed, being in the same bed with her without being allowed to touch.