The Texan and the Cowgirl

by Victoria Chancellor

  “Okay. And that’s bad?”

  “Yes! Well, no, not normally, but I thought I had until later this year to decide what to tell them. If they see me now, and I’m not showing, and then I pop in for Christmas and I’m as huge as a house, they’ll know that I didn’t tell them I was pregnant.” She paused and took a breath. “And that would just break their hearts.”

  “Because you’re pregnant?”

  “Well, a little, but mostly because they’d see it as a lie. I’ve never lied to them about anything.”

  “Oh. Okay, then tell them. I’ll tell them with you if you want.”

  “No! I mean, that’s not the whole problem.”

  She told him a long story about an RV and a trip and her uncle’s niece Chelsey. And then she told him Chelsey was pregnant and her aunt was extremely upset.

  “Morally upset,” Cassie clarified. “My aunt and uncle have some very deeply held conservative beliefs, and while I don’t share all of them, I respect them.”

  “Okay. So…there’s no way to make this all disappear and pretend we live in a perfect world where everyone gets married before they have sex.”

  Cassie’s eyes teared up. “I know. It’s just that they’re going to be so disappointed.” She sniffled a little. “They said they were grateful I’d never put them through something like this, and now…”

  His parents would be disappointed in him also. But he’d always been the jokester in the family, the younger brother, and he knew they’d be more accepting than Cassie’s aunt and uncle. Still, he could understand her worries.

  “What do you want to do?”

  Cassie sighed. “I suggested to Darla that I might move away and change my name, but she said that wasn’t an option.”

  Charlie started to laugh, then cut off his chuckle when he realized Cassie wasn’t smiling. “Uh, you’re jokin’, right?”

  “I suppose, but the idea is pretty tempting.”

  “No, it’s not. You love this town, remember? So, what is an option?”

  “I don’t know! But Darla said—and mind you, this was last night and maybe I wasn’t thinking clearly, but she suggested…”

  “That we get married?”

  She looked surprised for an instant, then said, “Well, yes. But the kicker is she thinks we, um, should plan a wedding for when my aunt and uncle are here.”

  He sat there, trying to absorb what she was saying. A wedding in a week? He was thinking elopement with a nice, quiet ceremony. And that this little legal ceremony would happen after Cassie decided they could make a go of it.

  “I knew it was a bad idea, but Darla—”

  “No, it’s not a bad idea. It’s just…surprising.”

  “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “It’s not stupid.” He reached over and took her hand. “Is this what you want, though, or is this what Darla and your aunt and uncle would want you to do?”

  “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that I tried to do things my way and I messed up. So maybe I should try to do what would be best for Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim, and the baby…except it might not be what’s best for you.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. And we messed up, not just you.”

  “Of course I worry about what you think, since this would be a sacrifice on your part as well.” She ignored the bit about which one of them was to blame for the pregnancy. It was nice that she didn’t point the finger at him, but blaming herself wasn’t right either. Or accurate.

  “It’s no sacrifice to stand up to your responsibilities.” His father had told him that a long time ago, but the truth of the statement hadn’t really sunk in until now.

  “Is that what we’d be doing?”

  Charlie shrugged. “As I see it, it would. Besides, my parents would be thrilled. They aren’t as conservative as your aunt and uncle, but they have pretty traditional values. They’d love to see us married before their first grandchild is born.”

  Cassie nodded. “Marriage seems the ideal solution to both our families.”

  “But what about you? Do you want to get married just to make your aunt and uncle, and my parents, happy?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “I’m willing if you are. Why don’t you think about it today and let me know later? Just tell me what you want, Cassie, and I’ll do it. For you and for the baby.”

  Maybe, just maybe, if they got married, they could pick up where they’d left off when he went to California. That alone would be worth the price of a ring.

  But what would be the true cost of his freedom? He might be doing the right thing, but was he really ready to settle down with a wife and a baby?

  “HE SAID YES,” CASSIE told Darla that afternoon. She knew the Crawford children usually took a nap, and Darla could talk undisturbed.

  “Yeah! I knew Charlie would agree.”

  “But I still haven’t decided it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Then write one of your lists of pros and cons and make a decision, preferably by four o’clock this afternoon so I can start calling people and making plans. We have to get a dress, arrange for the church, since I assume you want a church wedding, plan a reception, and lots of other things. You and Charlie need to go to Graham tomorrow and get a license or you won’t be getting married on Sunday.”

  “Oh, good grief. How can we get all that done?” Cassie sat up straight in her desk chair.

  “To quote an old song, you’ll get by with a little help from your friends.”

  “This is not ‘a little help.’ This is a huge imposition. Most weddings take months to plan.”

  “I know. All that wasted time. My wedding took months and cost a few thousand dollars, even though it was simple and small. My parents were against me getting married so young or to the loser I picked out. But hey, we got married and see how that turned out? He drank like a fish and cheated on me with the video store clerk. And I thought he spent so much time there because he loved movies!”

  Cassie smiled despite the old hurt she knew Darla hadn’t forgotten. “That doesn’t mean a quick marriage will last any longer.”

  “True, but it will last long enough to make your aunt Helen and uncle Jim happy. And who knows? Maybe it will be forever.”

  “You are a closet romantic.”

  “No, I’m out of the closet. Anyone who watches When Harry Met Sally and The Switch in one evening is officially a romance junkie.”

  Darla had a thing for movies about friends finding out they were in love. Cassie laughed despite the seriousness of the decision she had to make. The burden really was lighter with friends around to help. “Okay, I have until four o’clock. Then we have until Sunday, when my aunt and uncle arrive, to pull this off.”

  “That’s right. Make your list. Make a decision. Whatever you decide is fine with me, but we need to get a move on if you’re going to drag Charlie to the altar on Sunday afternoon.”

  “I don’t have to drag him!”

  “Oh, that’s right. He’s ready, willing and able.”

  Cassie didn’t have a sharp comeback to that little bit of sarcasm. Yes, he was willing…to get married and maybe a lot more. And he was definitely able. Just the memory made her flush.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” she said quickly before she gave any more away to her intuitive friend.

  “COME TO THE BEAUTY SHOP first thing in the morning,” Clarissa Bryant told Cassie on the phone later that evening. “I have just the dress.”

  “You do?” She’d only made her decision late that afternoon and wondered how word had spread so quickly.

  “Do you remember the annual Settlers’ Stroll we do every Christmas? We all dress up in period costumes and promenade along the main streets to remember the town’s past?”

  “Yes, of course.” She’d enjoyed dressing up herself last Christmas with Darla, Cal and Christie Crawford and their two children. Christie even had an antique stroller for baby Callie.

  “Someone don
ated a wedding gown a few years ago and we’ve never used it. It’s beautiful and it’s new. Darla said you were a size six, so it should fit. The tag from a bridal shop in Dallas is still on it, and believe me, this is a really nice dress.”

  “What does it look like?”

  “It’s gorgeous. You’ll be surprised. Come by in the morning. We’ll get it pinned up for alterations and talk about your hairstyle.”

  “My hair?” She touched the shorter “flirty” curls Clarissa had talked her into a few weeks ago.

  “For the wedding. You need a style that will go with the veil.”

  “A veil.” She wasn’t sure she wanted a veil. Weren’t they out of fashion?

  Clarissa’s sigh echoed over the phone. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Just come around nine o’clock. Bring Darla if you can.”

  “I’m not sure she can get away.”

  “I think Christie will make some allowances. I know Toni will.” Clarissa chuckled. “Toni understands what it takes to plan a wedding. After all, she’s married to the world’s most demanding man, Wyatt McCall.”

  “Good point. Okay, I’ll be there and I’ll try to bring Darla.” Cassie took a deep breath. “And Clarissa? Thank you so very much. I’m not sure I could find a dress that quickly.” Or even afford to buy an actual wedding gown. She thought about all the other expenses she was going to incur over the next week. The food for the reception alone would put a major dent in her bank account.

  “You’re very welcome, and don’t you worry about a thing. We’re going to make this a wedding to remember. Our favorite rodeo cowboy and our favorite former California girl having a romantic wedding to surprise her family. What could be better?”

  For the bride not to have to get married to the rodeo cowboy? But she didn’t say that. She didn’t think the owner of Clarissa’s House of Style knew about the pregnancy, but even if she did, she obviously thought this was a love match.

  No way was Cassie going to tell everyone that she and Charlie weren’t getting married because they were madly in love. If she told them they were only planning this wedding to please her aunt and uncle, some people would try to talk her out of it. And the idea that the truth could get back to Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim just made her cringe.

  “See you in the morning. Good night.” Cassie disconnected the call and leaned back against the couch. Wow. What a whirlwind she’d created just by saying “okay.”

  She didn’t want to deceive anyone, but what else could she do? Darla had set this madness into motion, like a snowball rolling downhill, and Cassie felt a bit as if she were running in front of it, trying to avoid being crushed.

  “So, are we all set with the dress?” Darla asked, walking into the room, a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

  “Yes. Can you come with me in the morning to Clarissa’s? I’m stopping by first thing, before I have any appointments. Nine o’clock.”

  “I’ll let Christie know. I’m sure it will be fine. And I wanted to tell you that I’ve booked the church and the reception hall. The wedding will be at four o’clock and the reception follows. That way, we can get away with appetizers and the two cakes rather than a sit-down meal.” She made a notation on her clipboard.

  “Sounds…great.”

  Darla looked up. “Are you sure? Because if you’d rather do this—”

  “No! I don’t know a thing about planning a wedding. I’d have to go online or buy a bridal magazine and read it cover to cover to have a clue. But really, Darla, are you sure you want to coordinate all this? You’ve got a job and a life of your own.”

  “I don’t know much more than you do, but I do know who to call and what’s available in town. Still, it’s your wedding. Well, technically, yours and Charlie’s, but I don’t suppose he wants to be that involved in the planning.”

  “Um, no. He told me to let him know where he should be and when, and what to wear.”

  “Oh, that’s right! I’ve got to get the guys to line up a tux for him.”

  Cassie moaned.

  “No, it’s fine. He’ll look great and it will give the men something to do.”

  “I think he and Colby have something to do. It’s called running a ranch.”

  Darla dashed Cassie’s protest away with a wave of her hand. “Mostly that’s in the morning. They can take some time off in the afternoon. Graham has a tuxedo rental place or they can alter one of Wyatt’s dozen or so tuxes.”

  “Dozen or so?”

  Darla shrugged. “He’s rich. He won’t miss one.”

  Cassie shook her head.

  “Clarissa said I need a veil.”

  “Depends on the dress. But yes, I think so. You can probably get by with a short one attached to a comb.”

  “A short one wouldn’t be too bad.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “It just seems so old-fashioned. Weren’t they worn when the bride came to the groom as an innocent maiden? Believe me, once you’re pregnant, you don’t feel innocent anymore.”

  Darla smiled in sympathy. “I suppose. But the wedding is for Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim, remember? And in a smaller way, for your friends and neighbors here. They’re all excited to be a part of the wedding preparations.”

  “They don’t feel burdened?”

  “Not at all. You can’t believe how everyone is pitching in, donating, making suggestions. It’s great!”

  “I, on the other hand, am not doing a thing and I’m exhausted anyway. And then I wonder if everyone suspects the real reason for the hurry-up wedding.”

  “I haven’t said a thing except that you want to get married while your aunt and uncle are in town.”

  “But surely people know I haven’t been dating Charlie long enough to get married. He hasn’t even been here for the past couple of months! Won’t they put two and two together and come up with a baby?”

  “Cassie, honestly, no one has asked me anything personal. Once I told them about your aunt and uncle, they said they wanted to help.”

  “It’s just so overwhelming, and this is only the first day.”

  Darla gave her a hug. “Why don’t you go soak in the tub or take a nice warm shower? I have a few more calls to make before it gets too late.”

  “Sounds like a great idea.” Cassie pushed herself up from the couch, thankful she hadn’t felt very nauseous tonight, thankful also for her friends. “Someday maybe I can return the favor,” she said, placing her hand on Darla’s shoulder and taking a look at the long list attached to her clipboard.

  Darla smiled. “I kind of doubt I’ll ever need a wedding planned in a hurry, but if I do, I’ll let you know.”

  Cassie paused for a moment, then said, “I can’t even remember if I asked you to be my maid of honor.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Will you?”

  “Of course I will!” Darla narrowed her eyes. “As long as I don’t have to wear a cheesy bridesmaid dress.”

  Cassie laughed. “Let’s see what Clarissa has in her closet tomorrow morning.” Her eyes widened. “Or here’s an idea! You could wear your dress from Amanda’s wedding, and she could wear mine, and we wouldn’t even need to find new outfits.”

  “SO, WILL YOU BE MY best man?” Charlie asked Colby as they drank a few beers after evening chores.

  “Sure. I thought maybe you were gonna ask Leo.”

  “Naw, you’re my brother. Of course I want you standin’ up with me.”

  “Yeah, it’s not every day you get married, right?”

  “Hopefully not,” he said, taking a drink of his longneck.

  “You must have a lot to do.”

  “Thanks to all of Cassie’s friends, they’re taking care of the details.”

  Colby took a long swallow. “So, where are you gonna live?”

  “Hell, I don’t even know if we’re gonna live together, much less where. I plan on talkin’ to her about it tomorrow when we drive to Graham for the license.”

  “There’s th
e old foreman’s house. It hasn’t been used since right before Mom and Dad moved away, but it’s sound. One bathroom, two bedrooms. Roof’s about ten years old and plumbing works. I checked it out earlier today.”

  “Yeah? Thinkin’ about your little brother settin’ up house, hmm?”

  “Hey, I figured you and Cassie didn’t want to live with me. And to tell you the truth, I’m not wild about the idea of a baby keeping me up all night.”

  “I didn’t think about that. Maybe we’ll have one of those nice, well-behaved babies that sleeps a lot.”

  Colby shook his head and took another drink. “Good luck with that.”

  “Yeah.” Would they even be living together as man and wife when the baby was born? Was Cassie only making her aunt and uncle happy, or was she going to try to make this marriage work?

  “I guess I’d better go see that house first thing in the mornin’,” Charlie said, then finished his beer. He might invite Leo over to get his professional opinion.

  “If we’re going to get it cleaned up by Sunday, we’d better get busy on it,” Colby said.

  Sunday. He had five more days as a single guy. He looked down at his scruffy boots and then back up at his big brother. “You ever think about getting married?”

  “Not really. Had a little bit of a close call a long time ago, but nothing else. Hell, who’s gonna marry a guy who’s already married to his ranch?”

  Charlie shrugged. “What kind of close call?”

  “Hell, that’s ancient history. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Yeah?” Charlie hadn’t realized his brother had had a serious relationship with anyone since he and Darla had dated way back in high school. Maybe someone from college had tried to trap him into marrying her.

  Funny, but Charlie didn’t feel as trapped as he thought he would. Sure, he was getting married because of the baby. But he really wanted Cassie more than any other woman in ages. They had some sort of crazy chemistry going for them. Without that, he knew he’d be sweating the idea of marriage.

  Instead, he felt an anxious kind of excitement. He wasn’t sure what to expect in the coming days, or how he’d feel when he stood in the church and watched Cassie walk down the aisle, but if he concentrated on the hours and days after the ceremony, he just might get through this next week with a smile on his face.