Mara McBain

by McCade's Way

  Trey stared down at her looking like he’d been pole axed. He rubbed the back of his neck, a scowl narrowing his eyes.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he muttered. “I guess once you’ve been burned—”

  Gen shook her head, dismissing that argument. “I understand that she hurt you, but you don’t like me judging you based on my father’s actions. How is this any different?”

  Flinching, Trey stepped back. He opened his mouth and then looked at the people streaming around them on the sidewalk and shook his head. Taking her elbow, he silently escorted her down the sidewalk. They crossed a couple streets before stepping onto the school playground at the edge of town. Releasing her arm, Trey swept off his cowboy hat to run a hand over his head.

  “You said you wanted honesty,” she said softly, settling into a swing.

  “And I do,” he said with a decisive nod. “You deserve the same courtesy. Love wasn’t part of our deal. I didn’t promise that and I can’t.”

  Catching her breath, Gen focused on the dirt oval at her feet. Slowly, she backed up and picked up her feet. The feeling of flight brought to mind her leap of faith from the tree and Trey sweeping her over the fence. She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was right. He hadn’t promised love. She hadn’t even allowed herself to dream of that rare emotion, but there it was, and she had stupidly let it out of the bag. “I’m not asking you to confess to something you don’t feel. I was just trying to make you understand that, while I will respect your wishes where it comes to other men, you have nothing to worry about. You’re more man than I’ve ever dared hope for. I told you from the beginning that I thought you were getting short changed in this arrangement.”

  “Look, sometimes I’m too honest for my own good, but I meant what I said the other day. I want the kind of marriage my parents had. You and I’ve worked well around the place this last week. I enjoy your company. You’ve said yourself we’re good between the sheets,” he said, smirking a little at the last one. “Just give it some time.”

  “That sounds fair to me,” Gen agreed, forcing a small smile to her lips. He was giving her so much, what difference did love make?

  Cole pushed off the side of the truck as his brother and Gen came back down the walk. Outwardly composed, tension seemed to vibrate between the two. He shook his head. His brother was a good man, but he had no finesse with the fairer sex.

  “I put our feed order in at the mill. We can pick it up on the way out of town,” he said.

  Trey nodded and continued toward the store. Cole tried to catch Gen’s eye, but she seemed inordinately fascinated with the sleeve of her husband’s coat. Following them into the grocery store, he trailed along through the aisles carrying a basket his brother handed him. He smothered a smile. Gen stuck ruthlessly to the list and actively searched for a bargain. Trey just picked things up and put them in the basket, earning him questioning looks from his wife. Who knew grocery shopping could be entertaining?

  They were loading the boxes into the back of the truck when Gen suddenly bolted off the sidewalk. Tires barked and horns blared. Cole barely caught the horrified expression on his brother’s face before Trey charged after his wife, his big hands extended commandingly to oncoming traffic as he ran.

  “Gen! Look out!” Cole bellowed as a delivery truck rumbled down the street. His heart hammered as he dodged cars in his brother’s wake.

  The driver saw Gen just as Trey reached her. He pushed his wife out of the way as the truck ground to a halt with a cowboy on its front bumper. Scowling at the driver, Trey smashed his fist down on the hood as he jumped down. Gen batted away helping hands as good Samaritans rushed to her aide. Scrambling up, she hurled herself into the waiting arms of a stunning brunette. The girls squealed as they hugged one another joyously.

  Trey tore Gen away from the other girl, spinning her around to face his furious and twisted visage.

  “Have you lost your damn mind?” he roared.

  Gen didn’t have time to answer as a ladies handbag smacked Trey upside the head hard enough to stagger him and knock his hat off.

  “Hey! Hands off, hoss!” the curvaceous brunette snapped, thrusting Gen behind her and raising the purse again.

  “Adrienne, no!” Gen cried, grabbing her friend’s arm. “That’s my husband.”

  Cole couldn’t hold back a strangled bark of laughter, but he gamely waded between the combatants as Trey straightened with murder in his gaze, and the raven-haired angel tilted her cute chin in challenge.

  “Adri, stop!” Gen pleaded and slipped around the group to rescue Trey’s Stetson from the street. “I’m so sorry. She thought you were going to hurt me.”

  “I’m about to strangle you both,” Trey growled, cramming his hat on his head. “What the hell did you think you were doing? You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”

  “Don’t take him seriously. My brother would never hurt a woman. Gen just scared a few years off his life, and the big lug doesn’t deal well with fear,” Cole said, sweeping off his hat. “I’m Cole McCade.”

  “Adrienne Lachance.”

  Cole caught her dainty fingers and raised them to his lips, fighting to find his voice. He sucked in a breath as he stared down into her shimmering shamrock eyes. She was the most striking woman he had ever seen. He bit his tongue as a hard cuff to the back of his head bounced his chin off his chest.

  “Put your tongue back in your mouth and act like you’ve seen a woman before,” Trey snapped.

  “I’ve seen a woman before. Just perhaps not one this beautiful, and certainly not one that accomplished what a truck couldn’t and knocked you for a loop,” he said, winking at the little porcelain doll.

  Adrienne laughed, and Cole was enamored. The sound held a smoky quality that threatened to turn him inside out.

  “Behave, Adri, and don’t you dare try seducing my husband. Some things are sacred,” Gen chided, but gave her friend an adoring smile.

  “No chance of that,” Trey grumbled.

  Adrienne laughed again and hugged Genevieve. “I wouldn’t dream of it! Nothing means more to me than our friendship.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you,” Gen whispered, clinging to her. She kept her arm around her petite friend as she turned to Trey. “Maybe we should try this again. Adrienne Lachance, this is my handsome husband Trey McCade.”

  Chivalry kicked in, and Trey took off his hat and shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet a friend of my wife’s. What do you keep in that purse, rocks?”

  “If you make Gen smile the pleasure is all mine. I do apologize for the misunderstanding. She’s all I have, and I’m protective. As to my purse, it’s a blackjack,” Adrienne said with a small smile. “A girl can never be too careful.”

  “Then it would seem we have something in common. I’m very protective of what’s mine. That’s why I would prefer if the silly thing didn’t run out in traffic.”

  Cole laughed as his sister-in-law blushed prettily, and stepping into the crook of Trey’s arm, stroked his barrel chest in supplication. If the rumble of pleasure his brother emitted was any indication, it would seem her apology was accepted.

  “Where are you staying?” Cole asked.

  “I actually haven’t acquired accommodations as yet. I arrived just a couple hours of ago and had only made a few inquiries looking for Gen. I remembered the destination, but unfortunately not your brother’s name.”

  Cole glanced at Trey, but he was involved in a whispered conversation with his wife. He assumed Gen was asking his permission to extend hospitality. He didn’t have any such compunction.

  “We would be honored if you would stay with us.”

  Adrienne quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her best friend and Gen nodded, having obviously received Trey’s blessing.

  “Thank you. That is very generous of you, Mr. McCades,” Adrienne said with a beaming smile for both men.

  “Let’s get her baggage. Gen and I have some shopping to do yet, but then we can al
l have dinner,” Trey suggested.

  “A little retail therapy after a long trip and a hot meal sounds heavenly,” Adrienne said, hooking her arm through Cole’s.

  Fingers laced through Adrienne’s, Gen finished showing off her new home and pulled her to sit down on the couch. Adri squeezed her hand and smiled; her green eyes suspiciously bright.

  “I’m so happy for you, little sister.”

  “I’m so blessed. I never imagined anyone like him in my wildest dreams. I still don’t know what he’s doing with someone like me.”

  “Someone like you?” Adrienne scoffed. “You mean smart, pretty, funny, sweet, and the hardest working girl I’ve ever met? Someone like that?”

  Gen rolled her eyes and shook her head shyly.

  “You really don’t see it do you?” Adrienne asked with a giggle. “Oh my Lord, you don’t. That man adores you.”

  “You’re crazy. His first wife was—well, she was like you. She was tiny, classy, and beautiful.” Gen bit her lip. “He wanted an ugly wife after her because he knew that no one would ever compare.”

  “If he said that to you, I’m going to go clobber him in the head again,” Adrienne said, anger flushing her beautiful face.

  “Actually the first thing he said to me was, ‘You aren’t ugly, but I guess you’ll do,’ Gen said with a self-conscious giggle. “He claims to like my hair. He said it looks like a new penny. He’s been really good to me, Adri. No matter how I’ve messed up, he hasn’t so much as cuffed me.”

  “Is the fact that he hasn’t hit you supposed to be a ringing endorsement? The man is the size of a damn horse. If he needs to resort to his fists to intimidate a woman, then he has problems.”

  “Adri, please. I promise you. Trey is a really good man. You will see. He spoils me rotten. You saw the things he bought me today, like that beautiful dress coat with the fur collar. My wool was a little worn, but it would’ve lasted me a couple more winters. He didn’t have to do that.”

  “You’ve never been about things. I just want you to be happy, Gen, and you’re giving me mixed messages here.”

  “I’m happy.”

  “I hope so. It can’t hurt that he adores you. I saw it on his face. Cole even commented that Trey doesn’t deal well with fear. He wouldn’t have been so upset if he didn’t care about you.”

  “I made the mistake of telling him that I loved him today. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “You deserve the fairy tale.”

  “I’ll settle for it not being a nightmare,” Gen said with a laugh.

  “I’m here now. We’ll figure it out.”

  “As excited as I am that you’re here, it was impulsive and risky to just jump on a train not even remembering his name. You’re a little crazy at times, but you’re careful. What happened?” Gen asked chewing her lip and peering at her friend in worry. “There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

  Adrienne sighed, picking up one of the striped throw pillows and cradling it in her lap. She shrugged daintily, not meeting Gen’s eye. “Clark got engaged, and to my surprise, it wasn’t to me. All of his promises were just empty words, and I fell for them. I thought it would be best if I got out of town for a while before I did something stupid.”

  “Oh, Adri,” Gen breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “He was impossibly snide about it when I confronted him. I don’t know what I ever saw in him. Deep pockets shouldn’t make up for a shallow little man.”

  “It’s his loss. I hope she’s some vapid, spoiled society twit that bores him to tears and hates sex!”

  Adri laughed. “Listen to you. My little sister has become a woman.”

  “I’ll have you know that bedtime is me and Trey’s favorite part of the day. That’s one part of the marriage that we’re very good at.”

  “That makes me happy. I told you that it was nothing to fear with the right guy,” Adrienne said with a smug smile and then giggled. “Though if everything is proportionate, I’m thankful your beau has some finesse. That’s one big man.”

  Gen laughed and blushed, snatching up a pillow to smack her friend with it. “Behave, you!”

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  “In your dreams, handsome,” Adri said with a sensual wink.

  “She told you,” Trey muttered, pushing his brother out of the way and walking over to warm his hands in front of the fire.

  “All I heard was handsome,” Cole said with a big grin.

  Shaking her head at Cole’s swagger, Gen stood. “May I get you something to drink, Adrienne? The men will want coffee, but we have tea or cocoa if you prefer.”

  “Coffee would be wonderful if you have a bit of cream and sugar. May I help?”

  “You’ve had a long trip. Just sit back and relax.”

  “I would rather catch up with my best friend,” Adrienne said, unfolding herself from the couch to follow Gen into the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

  “Umm, you could pop those apple tarts in the oven for a few minutes. Trey likes them warmed.”

  “Well if that’s the way Trey likes them, then who are we to argue?” Adri said, opening cupboards to locate a baking sheet.

  “Do you think it’s so wrong to do such a little thing when I know it will make him happy?” Gen asked; hurt lacing her tone as she put a hand on her hip.

  “Oh, Lord, Gen. I didn’t mean it like that, sweetie. I was just being silly. Of course you should do the little things that make your husband happy. Sometimes it’s those tiny touches that make all the difference and show that you care.”

  “I’m sorry,” Gen said with a deep blush and turned to fuss with the coffee.

  “No. I’m sorry. You’re a new bride with a husband you barely know. I’m sure you’re a little on edge with him. You don’t need my poor attempts at wit. I really didn’t mean it like that, Gen. Please forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. I’m just being over sensitive,” Gen said, waving it off. “You know a lot more about men than I do. Anything you can pass on is greatly appreciated.”

  “From the looks of things, you’re doing it all right. It’s obvious that you try very hard to keep him happy, and that’s most of the battle with men. If they’re getting their own way, all is right in the world.”

  “It’s easy to want him happy. He is so good to me.”

  “You really are smitten,” Adrienne said, coming over to give her friend a hug and a little smile. “Just remember that you deserve someone who is good to you.”

  “No worries there, big sister,” Gen said, returning her friend’s embrace before moving to the counter to pour the men’s coffee. “Trey is everything I could have ever dreamed of in a man and more.”

  “After the way your father treated you and your mother, you are bound to see anyone as an improvement, Genevieve.” There was no sarcasm in Adrienne’s tone, just a quiet eloquence that spoke of the truth. “Just remember that there’s more than one way to hurt a woman and break her down. I don’t want that happen to you. All that has ever mattered to me is seeing you happy. You deserve it.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Cole interrupted from the doorway. He flashed a wide grin as both women whirled to face him. “But right now, big brother is waiting on his evening coffee and believe me, no one is going to stand a chance at happiness or bliss until he has it.”

  “He’s not that bad,” Gen admonished with a giggle. “It’s the first cup in the morning that’s the critical one,” she finished with a naughty wink and, picking up the loaded tray, led the way back to the living room.

  “I do appreciate your hospitality, Trey, and apologize for the abruptness of my visit,” Adrienne said when everyone was settled in with their coffee.

  Trey looked at her over the rim of the coffee mug, his gaze assessing. He took his time blowing on the steaming brew and took a gulp before answering.

  “I’m going to hazard a guess that your hasty departure from New York was necessitated by a bit of bad fortune.”r />
  Adrienne’s lips twitched as much at the big man’s frank manner as his shrewd assessment. She nodded in concurrence. “The man I was anticipating marrying decided on a more…advantageous union. Being slightly vexed with that decision, and possessing a temper and vindictive nature, I thought it best to remove myself from the situation before I ended up behind bars.”

  “Probably a wise choice,” Trey said, rubbing the side of his head with a wry smile.

  “He was a damn fool!” Cole exploded, interrupting the girls’ giggles. A dark scowl met their wide eyes. He shook his head and took a deep breath as Trey cocked his head in askance. “I’m sorry. Just my opinion,” he muttered into the silence. He looked down, fidgeting with his coffee cup for a minute and then stood abruptly. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Lachance. Sleep well. I will see you tomorrow. I better go finish the chores.”

  “The pleasure was mine, Mr. McCade, and thank you,” Adrienne said to his back as he strode from the room. She glanced at Gen, who was still staring after her brother-in-law with a puzzled look on her face.

  “It’s getting late. I’m sure you’re tired after your travels, Miss Lachance. Gen will help get you settled, and I’ll see you in the morning,” Trey said, before polishing off his coffee and standing. He dropped a kiss on top of Gen’s head, giving her hair an affectionate stroke. “I’ll be up shortly, darlin'. I better go help Cole…eh…finish up,” he said with a little shake of his head.

  Adrienne turned back to her friend as Gen stood to gather the mugs. “What was that about? I have a suspicious feeling chores were finished before they came inside.”

  “Unless Cole just remembered something they forgot; that is generally the case. Trey is a creature of habit or schedule, and those of us around him seem to fall in line.”

  “He does have a commanding presence,” Adrienne agreed with a giggle.

  “It didn’t seem to impress you too much earlier. I don’t think he’s going to forget your purse anytime soon,” Gen said, nudging her friend with a giggle.

  “How was I supposed to know he was your husband?” Adrienne asked with a blush. “Besides, it wouldn’t matter to me if he was your husband or not if he was hurting you. I will always try to protect you, Gen.”