Megan's Marriage

by Annette Broadrick

  However, she didn’t trust all these new feelings. They certainly weren’t reliable, not enough upon which to make such a decision. There was time…a year at least…in which to explore the possibilities of learning more about the pleasures to be enjoyed with her husband.

  Megan climbed out of the truck and gathered up some of the bags Travis brought while he removed the boxed cartons and placed them on the porch.

  With both of them unloading, it didn’t take long to have everything in his room. The bedroom was a corner room and had originally been two rooms. An earlier O’Brien had knocked out the dividing wall and had partitioned part of the larger space to make a walk-in closet and a bathroom.

  Megan went to the bathroom door and said, “You’ll find towels and shampoo and soap in here. Sometimes I use this one when the other one’s occupied.”

  “Why didn’t one of you move in here after your parents died?”

  “We talked about it. Several weeks after friends helped us to pack up all our parents’ belongings, I considered moving in. The girls were so young at the time, they preferred their own rooms that Mama had decorated for them. The truth is, I felt the same way. Plus, I wanted to be closer to the girls in case they cried out at night. It’s very quiet back here. You shouldn’t be disturbed.”

  The bed was an oversize four-poster. She studiously ignored it. “There’s plenty of drawer space for your things, and as you can see, the closet is huge. Do you want me to help you unpack?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. I think we’ve done enough today.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

  “Megan?”

  She stopped in the open doorway to the hall. “Yes?”

  “You’re still welcome to use this bathroom anytime. I don’t mind sharing.”

  There was only one lamp on in the room, and his face was in shadows, so she couldn’t see his expression. She nodded, not knowing what to say. The casual, friendly atmosphere had disappeared and she could feel the tension mounting between them. With a hasty “good night,” Megan retreated to the safety of her own room.

  Share the bathroom, share the bed. Share his life.

  She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t allow herself to become vulnerable where Travis Kane was concerned. He had his own life, mostly on the road. She had her responsibilities here. What if she became too attached to him? She couldn’t afford to miss him when he was gone, or look forward to his coming home. She certainly couldn’t get caught up in worrying about his safety.

  She just couldn’t.

  Early the next morning Megan was hunched over the kitchen table sipping her second cup of coffee when Travis came downstairs. Although it was light outside, the sun had yet to appear. She glanced up at him with a scowl before returning her glare to her coffee.

  He grinned at the sight of her sitting there in her sleeveless shirt and coveralls, still barefoot, with her hair uncombed. “You find out all kinds of interesting things about a person you wouldn’t have guessed unless you happen to live with them.”

  Obviously reluctant, she raised her eyes until her gaze met his. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He poured himself a cup of coffee, snagged the leg of his chair with the toe of his boot and turned it to face her before sitting down next to her. “That you get up earlier than I do, and that you’re grumpy in the mornings.”

  She shoved her hand through her hair and reached for her cup. “You’re reading a great deal into very little evidence.”

  He took a sip of the coffee and smiled. She made a mean cup of coffee. He could forgive a great deal in exchange for that particular talent. “True,” he acknowledged. “Where did I go wrong?”

  She folded her arms and rested them on the table. “I’ve been up for a while because I couldn’t sleep.” She shook her head in disgust. “I heard the girls come home, I heard every rustle in the yard, I heard—” She shrugged. “You get the picture. I’ve been sitting here trying to decide whether to try to get some work done or to go back to bed and hope to get some sleep.”

  “Ah. While I, on the other hand, slept very well,” he said, stretching the truth more than a little. There was something about sleeping alone on his wedding night that created a certain restlessness, not to mention being aware of his new bride just down the hallway. However, he couldn’t resist teasing his grumpy bride this morning. “The bed’s quite comfortable, thank you for asking. I came down hoping to find you up and about. I have a suggestion to make. Why don’t we spend today outdoors, maybe take the horses and have a picnic?” He took another sip of coffee, hoping to catch her reaction without being obvious.

  Megan rubbed her head, wishing her nagging headache would go away. It wasn’t fair that he could be so rested and relaxed, that he could sleep like a baby, while she tossed and turned all night.

  “It will do you good to get away for a few hours,” he coaxed. “Besides, I’m going to have to leave tomorrow. I’d like to spend a little time with you before I go.”

  She straightened. “You just got here.”

  “I know. But if I don’t stay with my schedule I won’t rack up enough points to qualify for world champion, which is what all this traveling is about. I have to enter as many events as I can.” He leaned back in his chair. “I had to pass up a couple in order to come home for the weekend.”

  She gave him a disgruntled look. “I’m sorry if I put you out.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t like this every morning?” he asked with mock suspicion. He had to tease her or he’d grab her and kiss the living daylights out of her. Damn, but she was adorable in this mood. No wonder he’d been unable to resist her when they were kids.

  She buried her face in her hands and groaned. She peered at him through her fingers. “Oh, Lord, I don’t know. I don’t seem to know myself at all, anymore. I lay there last night wondering what I’d done. How could I have thought that marrying you would solve anything?”

  Oops. He’d hoped that the ceremony yesterday had effectively moved them past this part of their relationship. “Well,” he said, thinking hard, “at least your immediate concerns are taken care of. The mortgage is paid for another year, you’ve been able to take care of the most pressing repairs, and—” he threw his arms wide “—you got me in the bargain. Doesn’t that count for something?”

  The look she gave him was quite similar to the ones she used to give him on the school bus all those years ago. “That’s what bothers me, if you want to know the truth. Our plans all sounded so cut-and-dried when we first discussed the idea. I mean, let’s face it, I know you as well as I know anybody. I trust you. But now that we’re actually married, none of it seems real to me.”

  He let out a silent breath of relief. If she had to deal with these doubts, he was glad she was looking at them after the wedding and not before. At least now he had a better chance of dealing with them.

  “Let’s not worry about it just yet. I’m no expert by any means but it makes sense to me that marriage takes some getting used to. So why don’t we just ease along, continuing with our routines while we spend whatever time we can together, and see what happens? Nothing has to be decided on today, does it?”

  She’d been watching him closely during his speech, as though trying to make up her mind about something. He was glad he’d taken the time to shower and shave and put on his best pressed shirt. When she continued to study him in the silence that fell between them he lifted his brows in silent query.

  After allowing the silence to stretch, she eventually asked, “Are you always so bright-eyed at this time of the day?” as though she really wanted to know.

  “Only on alternate weekends,” he immediately replied. “The rest of the time I don’t hear anybody or anything, much less talk, until the middle of the morning.”

  He spotted a tiny grin lurking on her face as. she said, “That’s good to know. I’d never realized before that unremitting cheerfulness too early in the day can be quite grating.”

  “I’l
l keep that in mind.” He got up and refilled both their cups. “So, how about it, sunshine? You want to run for the hills today? After all, this is officially our honeymoon.”

  She considered his earlier suggestion, not really finding anything wrong with it. She wouldn’t have worked today anyway, which was one of her problems. She didn’t know what to do with herself. Her life had changed when she hadn’t been paying enough attention. She wasn’t sure what to do next. “Do you have a particular place in mind?” she finally asked.

  “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I thought we’d take Daisy over to Dad’s place by trailer, get my horse and ride back into a part of his property that he doesn’t check out much. It would give me a chance to scout around and report to him how it looks, as well as give us a chance to do some exploring in a part of the county you haven’t seen.”

  Megan stood and stretched. Either the coffee or the conversation had helped her mood. “I’d like that,” she decided suddenly. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. “The girls brought home enough food from the reception that we won’t have to cook for at least a week. I could make up a picnic lunch.”

  He could feel his relief that she’d agreed to his plan run through his blood like the finest champagne. It was all he could do not to laugh out loud with triumph. Instead he nodded and said, “Great. While you do that, I’ll make us some breakfast.”

  She looked around at him in surprise. “You can cook?”

  “Yep.”

  “Wow. Maybe I got a better deal than I thought. I’ve often wondered what I’ll do once Mollie leaves for college. I really don’t function well in a kitchen.”

  He started gathering ingredients for pancakes. “You’ve got her convinced to go?”

  “Yes. She got accepted at UT in Austin. I’m going to miss her but I’m glad she’s going to get away and enjoy people her own age. She’s had too much responsibility.”

  “That sounds funny, coming from you.”

  “Not really. That’s why I understand the importance of a social life, so she won’t be like me—awkward and unsure of herself.”

  He paused in his mixing. “Is that the way you view yourself? I see you as self-assured, filled with self-confidence, knowing what you want and striving to achieve it.”

  Why did his words remind her of some of the thoughts that had kept her awake most nights these past few weeks—thoughts of when she’d been in high school, wanting to be noticed by this particular man. Her feelings had been buried so deeply back then they were only now beginning to surface, which made her very self-conscious around him.

  Megan began to fill a basket with food while Travis put their breakfast on the table. They worked together as though they’d been a team for years.

  After.they ate and were rinsing their breakfast dishes, Travis said, “Be sure to bring a swimsuit. There’s a great place to swim in this particular section. Zack and I used to swim in this stream when we were kids. By the time we get there, we’ll probably be glad to rest and cool off some.”

  A tingling awareness shot through her once again at the idea that she and Travis were going to spend the day alone together…and that he was leaving again tomorrow.

  Hopefully she would get through today and have some time to work through this strange jumble of feelings before Travis came home the next time. She hated the jittery, jumpy feelings that had engulfed her recently. All she wanted was to return to the uneventful life she’d been leading before Travis Kane showed up and turned her life upside down.

  Nine

  By the time they reached the hidden canyon back in the hills, the sun was high overhead. They’d been riding for most of the morning through rough terrain. The unexpected adventure was just what Megan had needed to get her mind off her strange situation. Horseback riding had always been a way for her to relax and become a part of nature.

  Did Travis know her that well to have suggested it, or did he find a similar sense of well-being away from the world? She was too content at the moment to ask him, but filed the thought away for another time.

  Megan was surprised to discover that the Kane ranch, although sharing a border with the O’Brien ranch, had a different geological landscape on part of the land. There were more granite outcroppings, the hills were steeper, and she had seen a couple of natural springs that she wished they had on the Circle B.

  Cottonwood trees and weeping willows lined both banks of the stream that ran through the canyon, providing shade for the horses and a cool place for a picnic.

  The canyon was wide enough to capture the breeze flowing over the land. Since they had been steadily climbing, the air actually felt cooler here, despite the summer sun beating down around them.

  “I don’t know about you,” Travis said, dismounting, “but I think I’m going to swim before we eat. I’d like to cool off some.”

  “Sounds good to me.” She looked around the area and noticed that one of the weeping willows had an abundance of foliage drooping toward the water that could provide a private changing area.

  She slid off Daisy and while Travis loosened the cinches on the horses she dug into the bag she’d brought for her swimsuit.

  She’d had her suit for more years than she could remember. It was faded and without style, but it had never mattered to her before. Now, she felt a little self-conscious about being seen in it, but there was nothing to be done about it.

  By the time she stepped through the leaves once again Megan discovered that Travis had already changed into ragged cutoffs and was already wading into the stream.

  “How is it?” she asked, admiring the way his broad shoulders narrowed down into a trim waist. He was already brown from the sun, the muscles in his back gleaming.

  He paused and glanced around. “Great, really great. I’m always amazed at how cold the water is, no matter how hot it is. The springs feeding this stream must come from way underground.” His gaze took in her skimpy attire.

  She self-consciously pulled her suit down over her hips, then hastily readjusted the top. She must have grown some since the purchase of this particular piece of apparel. Since it was all she had to wear, she couldn’t be too choosy.

  Luckily Travis didn’t appear to notice what she was wearing. He had already turned away and dived beneath the water.

  She sank into the refreshing depths with a chuckle. This was wonderful! There had been times when she was younger when she’d take the girls swimming in one of the stock tanks but this was so much better—cooler and fresher. She wished the girls were there to share it with her.

  That’s when she remembered that she and Travis were there together because they were married and people expected them to spend some time alone before he left again.

  She was grateful that he’d come up with his plan to remove them from everyone. They hadn’t even seen anyone when they’d brought Daisy over earlier in the day. It was almost as though they were the only two people in the world today.

  Megan stretched out and floated on her back, closing her eyes. She wasn’t prepared for the feel of something brushing her thigh. She let out a squeal as she jerked away and opened her eyes. Travis was standing beside her, grinning.

  She’d gone under when she’d started trying to get away from what obviously was Travis touching her, and she came up sputtering. “You scared me to death!” she yelled, taking a swing at him.

  He nimbly dodged her and hit the water with the side of his hand, splashing her full in the face.

  “Travis!” She hit a spray of water back at him and in moments they were playing and splashing each other as if they were a couple of kids. He dived under the water and grabbed her ankles. She had a chance to grab some air so that as soon as she went under she twisted and hit him hard behind the knees so that he, too, collapsed.

  Because of her smaller size, she was much more nimble and was able to give as good as she got. By the time they crawled out of the water they were both weak with a combination of laughter and strenuous exercise. />
  “I can’t remember when I’ve acted so silly,” she said, still giggling, as she grabbed a towel and scrubbed her face and hair. When she uncovered her head she saw that Travis was standing a few feet away, his hands on his hips, watching her with a grin on his face.

  “What?” She asked, looking around. “Did you want this towel? What is it?”

  He shook his head and without taking his eyes off her reached down and picked up his towel. “I was just enjoying watching you. I can’t remember ever having seen you laugh before. I was just thinking about that. As I recall you were generally angry with me about something or the other.”

  She leaned over and began to dry her legs. “That’s not surprising, since you always did your very best to make me angry!” She straightened and saw that he was absently patting his dripping chest, still watching her.

  “Did you ever wonder why I pestered you so much?”

  “I didn’t have to wonder. I knew you hated me. Well, believe me, the feeling was mutual!”

  His grin shone white in his darkly tanned face. He shook his head. “Wrong. Guess again.”

  She tied her towel around her waist and began to unload the food she’d stuck in the saddlebags. Travis spread out the blanket he’d tied to the back of his saddle and knelt down beside her, still watching her with amusement.

  After setting everything out, she leaned back on her heels and looked at him. “What do you mean, guess again?”

  “I didn’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. So guess again.”

  She looked at him, puzzled by his attitude. “You just like to tease people?”

  “Close. I always liked teasing you.”

  She snorted and began filling a plate with barbecued chicken, potato salad and spicy baked beans. “That’s for sure,” she said, taking a bite and giving a sensuous purr of pleasure.

  He quickly mimicked her actions, and they spent the next several minutes indulging their appetites. At one point, Travis got a thermos of lemonade out of his saddlebag and filled the cuplike lid. They companionably shared the icy liquid between them while they ate.