“And he’s found his soul mate in Matty,” Travis continued. “Matty is true-blue, the straightest shooter I’ve ever known. If there is such a thing as a match made in heaven, you’re looking at it. God bless, Matty and Sebastian. I’m proud to be here.”
Gwen was destroyed. She clapped furiously and blinked back tears. Then she took a quick sip of wine to toast the newlyweds and grabbed a napkin to dab at her eyes.
The band started playing a waltz, and Sebastian handed Elizabeth to Travis. “Thanks,” he said, his voice suspiciously hoarse. “That was…damned nice.”
“Outstanding,” Matty said, sniffing.
“I meant every word,” Travis said. “Now go have that first dance, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels. You deserve it.” He sat down next to Gwen and propped Elizabeth on his lap. “What’d you think?” He sounded as if he actually cared.
“Great.” Gwen took another gulp of her wine and choked on it. She snatched up her napkin again and held it over her mouth while she coughed.
“Easy, now.” With one arm wrapped around Elizabeth, he leaned over and patted Gwen on the back. “Didn’t mean to make you nervous.”
She glanced at him. The hell he didn’t. At least she had an excuse for the tears in her eyes as she continued to cough and gasp for breath.
“And now let’s have the best man and the maid of honor on the floor,” announced the band leader.
Travis leaned closer. “Are you up to it?”
She coughed once more. “Sure,” she said hoarsely. “But what about Elizabeth?”
“We’ll take her along.” He stood and pulled back Gwen’s chair.
Stupid her, she was disappointed that they were taking Elizabeth. What a dope she was, feeling sorry because she wouldn’t have Travis all to herself. She was twenty times safer if they danced with Elizabeth cradled between them, and safety was important. Self-preservation was imperative.
Unfortunately Travis’s speech had derailed her protective instincts and stirred up needs she would do well to bury, especially when she was around this man.
Travis guided her with a hand at her elbow as they wound through the tables to the dance floor. Once again Gwen became aware of the envy coming at her in waves. She and Travis would dance this one, obligatory number. After that, he’d be mobbed and she wouldn’t have to worry about protecting herself from his advances. She should be happy about that, not depressed.
“How about if you hold Lizzie?” Travis asked as they stepped onto the temporary dance floor that had been erected in one corner of the tent. “Then I can hold both of you.” Without waiting for an answer, he transferred the baby neatly into Gwen’s arms.
Elizabeth was growing limp and her eyes drooped with fatigue.
Gwen cradled the little girl in her arms, and with a yawn Elizabeth laid her head trustingly on Gwen’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Gwen’s heart swelled with pleasure as she turned her head and brushed a kiss against the baby’s velvet cheek.
In the past few weeks, Gwen had tried to keep some distance from this cherub, but she was afraid that distance had just disappeared. She’d fallen in love with the baby like everyone else who came within Elizabeth’s charmed circle. If Elizabeth ever left Huerfano, the town would be wall-to-wall with broken hearts.
“Perfect,” Travis murmured, as he wrapped his arms around Gwen and Elizabeth and gently led them into a slow, swaying dance.
The baby sighed and gave in to sleep, relaxing completely against Gwen.
The dance should have been harmless, even platonic, Gwen thought. But she hadn’t counted on having to look directly into Travis’s eyes while they moved to the music. Cheek-to-cheek would have been one kind of sensual temptation, but gazing into those golden eyes seemed even more intimate.
He held her gaze, and even though his arms cradled her loosely, she felt cinched in tight by the warmth in his eyes. She couldn’t glance away without seeming cowardly, or nervous, or lacking in confidence.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Gwen,” he said.
She lifted her chin. “I’m not.”
In sleep, Elizabeth’s hand slipped down and rested on the swell of Gwen’s breast. The innocent touch ignited Gwen’s already heated nerve endings.
Travis glanced down with a hint of a smile. Then his gaze moved back up and lingered on Gwen’s mouth before returning to her eyes. There was a flicker of heat in the tawny depths that hadn’t been there before. “Yeah, you’re afraid,” he said. “The pulse in your throat is going like sixties. But I won’t hurt you.”
She swallowed and tried to calm her breathing. Her senses filled with the scent of baby powder mingled with the spicy aroma of Travis’s aftershave. A baby and a man to love—she hadn’t realized how much she wanted that. Longing washed over her. “That’s right, you won’t hurt me, because I won’t give you the chance.”
“You know, there’s a big difference between me and your ex.”
“I don’t want to talk about Derek.”
“We won’t. I have something to tell you about me.”
She tried not to respond to the caressing tone in his voice. “I know all I need to know about you.”
“I don’t think so. Otherwise you wouldn’t be afraid. Gwen, the only way people get hurt is when promises are broken. I won’t do that.”
She shivered at the way he spoke her name. “Because you don’t make promises?”
“Not the forever kind.” His fingers traced lazy patterns over her back. “But I can promise to make love to you honestly, thoroughly, and tenderly for whatever time we decide to spend together.”
She didn’t want him to know he was arousing her, but those eyes probably saw everything—her rapid breathing, her beating pulse, her flushed skin.
“If we both know what to expect going in, then nobody gets hurt,” he murmured.
Oh, he was good. She wanted him to kiss her so much she could taste it. “I’ll bet there are several women with broken hearts who wouldn’t agree with your reasoning.”
“Then they lied to themselves. I never lied to them.”
His mouth was beautiful, she thought. Every woman should have a chance to kiss a mouth like that once in her life. And if the rest of him lived up to the sensuous promise of his mouth….
“You’re thinking about it,” he said. “That’s a start.”
“I’m thinking about what an arrogant man you are.” Excitingly arrogant. She wondered if she was capable of lovemaking with no strings. Pleasure without promises. For the long run, it didn’t fit into her dreams. But a forever man seemed like a distant and unreachable goal, and in the meantime she could allow herself to enjoy…no, it was too risky. But the fact that she was even wondering what it would be like to have an affair with Travis meant that he’d breached her defenses.
“I’m far from arrogant,” he said, subtly caressing her back. “I can’t afford to be when you have all the power.”
“Ha. You’re a world-class flirt, Travis. I can’t even play in your league.”
“You’re selling yourself short. When I saw you come down the aisle of the church in that dynamite dress, my knees almost gave out. I’m a desperate man, Gwen, begging you to soften your heart.”
She was getting soft, all right. Soft in the head, heart, everywhere. Outrageous though his compliments were, they were having an effect. Soon she’d be putty in his hands. “I don’t want to be another notch on your belt,” she said.
He smiled, slow and sexy, his eyes alight with banked passion. “Then let me be a notch in yours.”
3
TRAVIS PRIDED HIMSELF on his ability to handle a room full of women and make each one of them feel special, but this reception was taxing his powers. And to be truthful, his heart wasn’t in the effort. Flattering as it was to have all these ladies asking him to dance, he would have preferred a quiet little bar, a jukebox and Gwen in his arms.
He wasn’t happy about the fact that she was out on the floor nearly as often as he was, and that she seemed to
be having such a good time. Damn it, she wanted him. He’d seen it in her eyes when they’d shared that one frustrating dance, and he’d hoped for another dance with her once Elizabeth was tucked into the little bassinet Sebastian had set up in a corner. No telling where another dance might lead, considering the look in her eyes following the first one. He was eager to stoke the fire he’d started.
Instead he’d been besieged by the female population of Huerfano. He’d danced with nearly every woman in the room, and he’d been offered enough pieces of wedding cake to open his own bakery. Apparently his stint with Lizzie at the altar combined with his wedding toast had made him a very popular guy. Ordinarily he would have loved it, but tonight he was in a strange, one-woman kind of mood.
He was so busy that he barely had time to get himself a fresh beer. Finally he excused himself from Donna, the kindergarten teacher, and headed for the bar.
“Hey, Romeo.” Sebastian caught his arm as he was heading back into the fray, a cold long-neck in one hand. “Got a minute?” He glanced at Travis’s beer. “I’ll buy you a drink.”
Travis grinned, turned back to the bartender and lifted his bottle. “Get another one of these for the bridegroom, would you? The poor guy needs to live it up while he still has the chance.”
“Yeah, I’ve got it tough,” Sebastian said as he took the offered beer. “Not every guy could handle being married to a goddess, but fortunately I’m up to the job. Come on, let’s get some air.”
“I can see right off that my speech gave you a swelled head.” Travis followed Sebastian outside. The air was cold, but it felt good after all the exercise he’d been getting on the dance floor. “Keep it up and I’ll be obliged to round up a few guys to toss you in the horse trough.”
“You think I’ve got a swelled head?” Sebastian leaned against the fender of the caterer’s truck and unfastened the top button of his tux shirt. The string tie had been abandoned long ago. “After all the attention you’ve been getting tonight, it’ll take three men and a boy to cram your hat on in the morning.” He lifted his beer toward Travis and smiled. “Here’s to one hell of a wedding.”
Travis clinked his bottle to Sebastian’s. “A great party for a great reason.” He took a long swallow.
Sebastian sipped his beer and looked up at the night sky. “Full moon.”
“I ordered it special.”
Sebastian laughed. “Funny thing is, I believe you.”
“Hey, I can do anything I set my mind to.”
“Uh, huh. Evans, you really should work on that lack of confidence problem.”
“I know what I know.”
“Okay, you’re amazing. But listen, I’ve been going over this honeymoon trip again, and I really think I ought to hire somebody to help you with Elizabeth while Matty and I are in Denver. We don’t leave until noon, so I’m sure I could find somebody if I started calling around in the morning.”
Travis stiffened. “You don’t trust me with her.”
“Sure I do. Well, maybe I didn’t at first, but you’ve got the basics down. I’m worried about what you’ll do if something goes wrong, though. We’d be at least three hours getting home, assuming we even got the message right away, and—”
“You are such an old granny, Daniels. I swear. I can handle it. If it’s major I’ll go to Doc Harrison. If it’s minor, I’ll go to Gwen.” He’d just now thought of that, but the idea appealed to him. Not that he wanted any emergency to crop up concerning Lizzie. But the combination of him and the baby seemed to melt women’s hearts. It might have a thawing effect on Gwen, too. Yeah, he just might have to consult Gwen on some baby-care question.
“What’s up with you and Gwen, anyway?”
“What do you mean?” Travis took another swig of his beer, so he’d look cool and casual as he answered the question.
“I thought you two were like oil and water, but you were blending together pretty good during that dance earlier tonight.”
“I think she’s figured out I don’t have horns and a forked tail, after all.”
Sebastian gazed at him. “You do anything to hurt that woman, and Matty’ll be the one with the pitchfork, aiming it straight at your sorry ass.”
Travis blew out a breath. “Why does everybody think I’m out to break women’s hearts?”
“It couldn’t be on account of all the women you’ve left in tears, now could it?”
“Look, I’ve told each and every one of them I’m not in for the long haul. Is it my fault they won’t listen?”
Sebastian took a drink of his beer and glanced up at the moon. “I told Matty I couldn’t get serious, either, because of the baby and thinking I’d have to ask Jessica to marry me. That didn’t stop Matty from getting hurt.” He glanced back at Travis. “You can’t order a woman not to fall in love with you.”
Travis shifted uncomfortably under Sebastian’s scrutiny. “I don’t want Gwen to fall in love with me. I just—”
“Yeah, I know what you just. That dress she’s wearing would make a monk leave his order.”
Travis grinned. “Or revive a corpse at a wake.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Or replace Viagra.”
“I’m only human.”
“I know all about your humanity,” Sebastian said. “You’re a legend in your own time. But go easy on this, okay? Gwen’s a sweet lady and she had a rough few years with that husband of hers.”
“I promise to be careful. We won’t do anything that’s not in our mutual best interests.”
Sebastian nodded. “Good. And one other thing. If Jessica comes back while Matty and I are in Denver, you make her stay at the ranch until we can get home, okay?”
“Damn right I will. Jessica has some explaining to do, to all of us.” And telling them who was Lizzie’s father was the first thing, Travis thought. But he knew in his heart the little girl was his. Looks aside, Lizzie had his temperament. She was smart, easygoing and loved everybody.
“If I’m not convinced Jessica’s in a position to take care of Elizabeth,” Sebastian said, “I’m going to see what I can do about keeping the baby with us. I’ve checked into it, and abandoning your kid puts you on shaky legal ground.”
Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “I still can’t figure why she’d do that. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing the Jessica we know would even think of. Hell, it was her grit that saved Nat’s life after the avalanche. Something pretty nasty must have scared the daylights out of her, to make her leave her kid like this.”
“Yeah, and I want to find out what.” Sebastian took another swig of his beer. “I’ve decided to hire a private investigator while we’re in Denver.”
“Good. I’ll go halves with you on the fee. This is dragging out way too long.”
“And it damned near made me lose Matty.” Sebastian cocked an ear toward the tent. “And speaking of Matty, we’d better get back in. I think the bouquet and garter-throwing is about to start.”
“Hey, you go ahead. I’d sooner catch a rattlesnake with my bare hands than that garter.”
Sebastian laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know what your problem is, Evans. You’re twenty-eight, for crying out loud. The carefree single life must be getting old by now.”
“Nah. It’s terrific.”
“So’s marriage. Or at least I plan on it being terrific, this time around.”
“For you, maybe. Not for this cowboy.” Travis tipped the bottle back for a deep swallow of beer.
“Well, you gotta come back in and pretend to try for the garter. You’re the best man, which means you should act like you’re part of the proceedings. It’ll look bad if you’re not there.”
“I’ll be in shortly.” Travis lifted his bottle. “And thanks for the beer.”
“It’ll come out of your paycheck. Don’t forget—now that Matty and I are combining our spreads, you’ll be working for me.”
Travis clutched his chest and staggered backward in mock horror. “Don’t tell me I have to start calling yo
u boss?”
“Or Your Royal Highness. Whichever comes easier.”
“How about Your Royal Pain in the Ass?” Travis grinned. “That comes real easy.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “When I throw the garter, I’m aiming for you, hotshot. You need a woman to trim your wick. Now get your butt in there.”
“Shortly.”
“Insubordination already.” Sebastian sighed and went back inside the tent.
Travis figured he’d stall around outside and appear at the tail end of the garter-throwing. He wasn’t overly superstitious, but a guy couldn’t be too careful.
He’d thought about marriage, more than he’d ever admit to Sebastian, and he’d reasoned out that it was too complicated given his present circumstances. A promise was a promise, and he’d made a huge one to his dad before the old man died six years ago. Travis intended to honor that promise and take care of his mother, who depended on him something fierce.
She managed okay during the summer months, when she could walk to the little country store down the road from their place. In the winter, though, when the snow was up to her armpits, she needed Travis there to shovel the walkways and drive her where she had to go.
No one in this valley knew anything about his life in Utah, and that’s the way he liked it. If folks around here thought he was a devil-may-care playboy, that was fine with him. But the truth was that keeping his mother healthy and happy took all of his resources. He couldn’t imagine having enough energy left for a wife.
GWEN HADN’T PLANNED to take part in the bouquet tossing, but Matty had informed her it was obligatory. So she moved to the back of the crowd of women, figuring Matty wouldn’t heave the thing that far.
As the women stood there laughing and joking, Matty turned her back and sent the flowers sailing…right over everybody’s head. Gwen was forced to leap up and snag it or the beautiful bouquet would have landed on the floor. For a split second she considered letting that happen, but that would have created an awkward moment. With skills learned on the volleyball court as a kid, she pulled down the prize.
Two in the Saddle Page 3