Sunday morning, Caroline walked into the Whispering Springs United Methodist Church as she had every Sunday since moving there. However, today she felt as though every eye was on her. The usher who handed her the morning bulletin grinned a little too broadly and his, “Good morning, Dr. Graham,” was a little too jolly, as though they shared a secret.
Paranoid much, Caroline? There was no way anyone knew she and Travis would be having lunch today. She was reading too much into the usher’s greeting.
Caroline entered the sanctuary. The entry aisle bisected the rows on the right into the front portion of twenty rows and a back section of four rows. It didn’t take but one visit to discover mothers with new babies sat in the back section for easy access to the fellowship hall in case of cranky ones and dirty diapers that needed attention. The left side of the worship area had twenty-five rows. Where new mothers and babies claimed the back of the right side, teenagers claimed the last five rows of the left side.
Interestingly, the congregation referred to the left side as Fitzgerald side and the right as Montgomery side. Apparently, the two families had contributed equally to build the church in nineteen-nineteen. Caroline usually sat on the Fitzgerald side but only out of habit. She’d grown up sitting on the left side of the Superior Avenue Methodist Church’s in Waterton, Arkansas. Today, Jackie Montgomery waved to her from the third row of the Montgomery side and pointed to the seat beside her. Manners dictated that Caroline had to at least acknowledge the invitation, but she didn’t need to do more to stir up the rumor mill.
Caroline stopped beside the pew. “Good morning, Jackie.” She leaned forward until she could see the two women on the other side of the Montgomery matriarch. “Morning, Lydia. Hi, Olivia. Been a while since I’ve seen you. Hey, Adam.”
Olivia Montgomery Gentry was Travis’s only sister. From what she’d heard from Lydia, after a nasty break-up with the father of her son, Adam, Olivia and Mitch had only recently reconciled. Adam, a cute kid with curly dark hair, sat beside his mother swinging his legs as he drew horses on today’s service bulletin. He gave Caroline a lop-sided grin that she knew would break hearts some day.
After the greetings had been exchanged, Jackie pointed once again to the empty spot on the pew next to her. “Sit.”
Caroline chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Sitting.”
Jackie laughed. “Can you tell I’m used to dealing with hard-headed cowboys? Not to mention a hard-headed daughter.”
Caroline smiled. “That I can.” She glanced around. “Where’s Lane and the boys?”
“They’ll be along in a minute or two. Last I saw them, they were having a heated discussion about water rights with Judge Devlin.”
“I know nothing about ranching, but it seems like water rights come up a lot around here for discussion.”
“With this latest drought, even more than usual. So Lydia tells me you only have a few months left with us.”
Caroline nodded. “Right. Five. My contact with the clinic is up at the end of the year.”
“Have you given thought to staying on? We sure could use you around here.”
“Thanks, Jackie. I’m flattered, but I’ve already made commitments for next year.”
Olivia leaned forward. “Where to next?”
“Montana for a couple of months then to Utah in the spring.”
Jackie touched Caroline’s hand. “Will you be back here some day?”
Caroline shrugged. “I don’t know. I doubt it. I’ve never gone to the same place twice.”
“But you have a home here now. You should think about that.”
Before Caroline could answer, a large, rough hand settled on her shoulder. “Good morning.”
She turned and looked over her shoulder into Lane’s blue eyes. From the shape and color, she knew where Travis had gotten his sexy stare.
“Morning, Lane.” She stood. “I was just saying a quick hello. Here. Take this seat.”
“No. Sit. Sit.”
The pew behind the Montgomery clan had already filled with Elsie Belle Lambert and her parents. If Lane didn’t take her seat, he would be separated from his family.
As Caroline stepped into the aisle, Elsie Belle gave her a hostile stare, which she found odd. She’d done nothing that should upset that gal.
“Sit, Lane.” Caroline tilted her head across the aisle. “I’ll grab a seat there.” She leaned into the pew. “Nice to see you all this morning.” She stepped into the pew directly across the aisle and sat. She watched as Lane slipped in and took the seat next to Jackie.
The choir leader motioned for the congregation to stand and Caroline stood.
“Scoot over,” a male voice whispered into her ear.
An army of goose bumps sprang to attention on her arms.
“Scoot over,” Travis repeated with a gentle jab with his elbow. “There aren’t any seats left.”
Caroline glanced around. He was right. There were a few seats in the sanctuary, but most of them were in the new mothers and babies section. No surprise he didn’t want to sit there. Still, to sit by her in church might send the wrong idea, but she stepped to the side and Travis slipped in.
“You know you’re going to feed the rumor mill sitting here by me,” Caroline whispered while the rest of the worshipers were singing the opening hymn.
“I can’t help it. It was here or in the crying-babies section and that wasn’t goin’ to happen. Now, hush,” he whispered with a nudge. “I’m singing.”
She hushed and listened as Travis’s deep bass voice sang “Amazing Grace.” The low hum of his voice had her insides vibrating like guitar strings and her knees going soft. The man could sing. How did she not know that? If he hadn’t been a rancher, Nashville would have come calling for his talents. As the hymn came to a close and she bowed her head for the opening prayer, she realized she’d never sung a note.
They sat as Reverend Berry made his opening announcements. Hot waves from Travis’s body heat surrounded her in his woodsy cologne. She tried to concentrate on the sermon, but her mind refused to stay in Whispering Springs United Methodist Church and instead took off on its own trip down the road to fantasy town and some totally inappropriate scenarios for church.
Travis had done some dumb things in his life. Sitting by Caroline Graham during church might rank up with some of his biggest mistakes, but it wasn’t as though he’d had much of a choice. Sitting on the Fitzgerald side of the nave wasn’t a big deal. He’d sat there a lot during his teenage years. Sitting with crying babies and breastfeeding mothers made him squirm regardless of the location inside the church. But pressed up next to Caroline’s curves presented two potential dilemmas.
The first was sitting directly across the aisle, if the look on Elsie Belle’s face was any indication. Three dates. No sex. That was their total history, if you didn’t count a couple of hot, steamy kisses and some very heavy petting in high school some twenty years ago. Why the woman thought she had a claim to his time left him baffled. But honestly, the way most women thought left him baffled. However, the glare she gave Caroline made his balls pull up tight for protection.
The other potential problem was directly to his left. Dr. Caroline Graham. He didn’t like the change in his thinking of her as a sexy, desirable woman instead of his future sister-in-law’s temporary medical partner or a sweet family friend. When had he stepped over the line and given thought to breaking his never-fuck-where-you-live rule? Of course, he wouldn’t actually be breaking his rule, more like bending the rule since she didn’t actually live here and would be gone in just a few months. Hmm. A loophole perhaps?
He ventured a subtle peek at Elsie Belle. This might be a little wrong of him, but maybe Caroline could be useful here. How could he convince Elsie Belle that he and Caroline were a couple without conveying that message around town? Tricky, sure, but doable. As the closing hymn began, he promised to think more about that.
As soon as services were dismissed, Caroline slipped past him with a quiet, “See you
later,” and was gone. Making his way to the exit resembled running a gauntlet. Hands to shake. Backs to slap. Promises to make for a lunch or dinner with friends. When he finally pulled from the Whispering Springs United Methodist parking lot twenty minutes had passed, but that worked to his advantage. Most of the parishioners had had time to make it to the Lone Star Diner for lunch, making his drive to Caroline’s house more discreet. Thank you, Jesus.
Once he could have sworn he saw Elsie Belle’s black Porsche behind him, but when he turned, the car traveled on straight. The thought of Elsie Belle following him to Caroline’s house made him antsy. After her divorce, the damn woman had set her marital sights on him. Getting her off his back was going to be as hard as removing a burrowed tick off a dog. She needed to set her marriage aspirations on someone else…the poor bastard.
He pulled into Caroline’s drive and into the gaping mouth of her garage and parked alongside an ancient Honda. The aroma of fresh fried chicken assaulted him as he exited his truck. He licked his lips. He had no way of knowing if Caroline was a good cook, but the smells were making his mouth water.
After knocking on her door, he hit the remote on the wall to lower the garage door. The sense of cloak and dagger by sneaking into a house made him feel sixteen again. He smiled at memories of his teenage years and some the antics he and Jason had gotten away with.
“Come on in,” Caroline hollered from the kitchen.
He walked in and drew in a deep breath. “I hope your cooking is as good as it smells.”
Caroline smiled over her shoulder. “It’s better. Mamie taught me good old Southern cooking. Won’t swear it’s heart-healthy, but I can promise it’s tasty.”
In the time since she’d left church, Caroline had changed into a pair of knee-length khaki shorts and a white sleeveless top. Ten red-tipped toes tapped on the floor in time to the country music filling her house. She looked relaxed and at ease, which should have made him relaxed and at ease. Instead, thoughts of a naked Caroline with her long legs wrapped around his hips while he drove deep made him twitchy, not to mention horny.
She frowned. “Everything okay? You’re a little flushed.”
“No, no. I’m fine. Starving though.” He resisted the impulse to wipe at the sweat he felt popping out on his brow. He was glad neither of his brothers were present. They’d be poking him and whispering, “Horny sweat.”
She smiled. “Glad you’re hungry. You know we Southern gals have a tendency to cook too much.” She pushed a plate of fried chicken at him. “Put this on the table. I’ll get the rolls out of the oven and we’ll be ready to eat. What can I get you to drink?”
He brought the plate closer to his nose and sniffed. “Oh man. That smells wonderful. When did you have time to cook all this?”
A sparkle winked from her eye. “An old trick my grandmother taught me. Do all the cooking before church and leave it in the oven on low. It’s ready when you get home. Drink?”
“Water or iced tea would be great.”
He carried the platter of chicken to a well-set table of china and cloth napkins. He wasn’t surprised but flattered by her obvious attention to detail. Were cloth napkins a given for her or only used for special occasions? Was she raised to eat meals like this every day or did she only put out a spread like this for holidays and guests? With every question, he realized he didn’t really know Caroline Graham very well.
Would she have had a glass of wine if he weren’t here? He hated the thought that she might have wanted wine but wouldn’t because of him. He must have stood a little too long, because when she walked into the dining room she set the hot rolls on the table with lift of her eyebrow.
“Everything okay, Travis?”
He smiled. “Just knocked out by your table.” After setting the platter of chicken on the table, he hurried over to pull back Caroline’s chair.
“Thanks.” She gracefully slid onto the seat. “Sit,” she said with a gesture toward the only other chair at the table.
The food was as delicious as it’d smelled. The chicken was crispy. The rolls hot and buttery. The mashed potatoes smooth and thick. A meal designed to go directly to a man’s heart.
“So,” Caroline said. “You called this meeting. What’s on your mind?”
He laid his knife and fork on his plate then wiped his mouth with the soft white napkin. Leaning back into his chair, he tried to find the right words. Finally, he decided to jump in. “I’ve thought about your offer.”
“And?”
“It’s obvious you love your grandmother very much.”
“True.”
“And that you’d never do anything that would hurt her.”
“True again.”
He drummed his fingers on the table, a nervous habit he’d never been able to break. “Are you sure you won’t just sell Singing Springs to me? I’ve made you a very generous offer. Hell, probably more than it’s worth.”
She smiled. “No. It’s a trade or nothing. Take it or leave it.”
He sighed. “So what’s your plan?”
Now that he appeared to be resigned to her crazy plan, the smile on her face lit a twinkle in her eyes.
“Quite simple actually. We fly to Waterton. There’s no waiting period so we can get a marriage license the same day. We go to the hospital, see my grandmother, let her do a wedding ceremony and sign the license and we fly back to Dallas. We never file the marriage license. No filing. No marriage. It’ll be a quirky souvenir. That’s all.”
He hated to ask about the Singing Springs deed, but that was why he was here. “And Singing Springs?”
“We execute a quitclaim deed that you won’t file until I leave town. Once I’m gone, it won’t matter how you got the land, but I’d rather not answer any questions or have to lie to people.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You mean lie to people other than your grandmother.”
She flushed. The pink of her cheeks along with her hooded eyes produced a different expression from what he was used to seeing from her. For one moment, he wondered if this was how she looked during the heat of sex. And no, he shouldn’t have been thinking about sex with Caroline Graham. Dangerous waters for sure.
“I love my grandmother, and trust me when I tell you if there were any other way to make her happy, I’d do it. But my happiness is all she asks about. Let me give her the one thing she wants, the one thing I can give her…peace at knowing I’m in love and settled.”
“When would you want to do this?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Do you mean this week?”
“Tomorrow if I could, but that’s short notice for you to get away from the ranch and to make sure Lydia can cover my shift. Can you get away this week? Like maybe Tuesday?”
A cold sweat broke out on his brow, only this time the sweat didn’t have anything to do with his sex drive. A bead of perspiration rolled down the side of his face. Married. In forty-eight hours from now. Even if it was a staged wedding, his gut roiled with nerves.
“I can probably get away for the day on Tuesday. But…” He pumped his eyebrows. “What about the wedding night?”
She laughed. “I’m picturing me at my house and you at your house.”
“Tuesday it is.”
“I’ll make all the arrangements and call you tomorrow, okay?”
“If this is the only way for me to get Singing Springs, then…” He sighed. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
True to her word, by Tuesday morning when they met at Dallas Love Field, Caroline had everything in order, including a legal document she had drawn up that spelled out their arrangement. He wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by her attention to detail or agitated that she found him so predictable she might have already had all these documents ready to go.
She’d arrived at Dallas Love Field wearing an off-white suit and a silky-looking cream-colored top. He couldn’t help but admire her shapely calves and trim ankles as he allowed his gaze to roam. He
r red-tipped toes from Sunday were encased in a pair of low-heeled off-white shoes. She’d fixed her hair in a fancy twist of some sort at the back of her head, like she’d done the last time they’d eaten at his parents’ house. All he could think about was pulling out the pins holding it up and running his fingers through her long hair.
And no. He shouldn’t have been thinking about that.
“Okay, here’s your boarding pass,” she said, handing him a strip of floppy paper. “And before you get off on some testosterone-driven rant about how I shouldn’t have paid for your ticket, chill. It was only sixty bucks roundtrip and you’re doing me a huge favor.”
He shrugged but played along with her lie. He’d checked ticket prices and knew she’d paid quite a bit more. Plus, she’d nailed his discomfort with her paying for everything. The man should pay, or at least that’s how he’d been raised. The women he did date—on those rare occasions when he did go out—expected him to pay for everything. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had picked up the bill.
“I’ll try to rein in my testosterone surges.” He smiled when she chuckled. He was beginning to love to hear her laugh. “But you know I would have paid for the airfare or anything else.”
“I know. It was nice of you to offer, but this is my trip.” She paused when the agent at the desk announced boarding. Caroline drew in a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”
As passengers began filing onto the plane, he allowed Caroline to walk ahead of him while he, once again, enjoyed the view of her swinging hips. Lord, the woman could walk. As the thought crossed his mind, the heel of her shoe caught on a metal plank of the jet bridge, causing her to stumble. He grabbed her elbow to steady her.
“You okay?”
She straightened and smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her skirt. “I’m fine. Thanks.”
Was she as nervous as he? Hell, even if she wasn’t nervous about today, he was. Thinking about saying those words, taking those vows, even when he knew neither of them were serious, was making him squirm. He believed in the sanctity of wedding vows. He’d only said them once and had meant each syllable with every fiber of his being.
Texas Tango: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 2 Page 6