“She gave me the ingredients and told me how you like them. I’m going to have to do some grocery shopping tomorrow if you want me to keep feeding you.”
He frowned. “I’m a little worried about money. The whole thing with Travis is scary. I don’t want to sell off part of the ranch. I don’t want to take out a mortgage on it, and we don’t have a lot of ready cash.”
She reached over and took his hand. “My sisters and I discussed it this morning. We’re all going to do everything we can to help.”
He raised an eyebrow. She had never worked a day in her life. How did she think she could help? “How?”
“Well, I’m going to start a daycare at your mom’s. We’re calling it Culpepper Care. Faith is going to sell the dolls she makes.” She hated that she couldn’t just come out and tell him that her sister had been selling them for years and making a tidy profit off them too! “Joy is going to make plastic canvas Barbie stuff and sell it. Chastity is going to knit socks and other stuff.” “And you really think your crafts will make a difference for us?”
Hope shrugged. “Depends on how hard we work them. We can certainly make enough to help. If we all cut corners at the same time, maybe we can manage without a mortgage or anything.”
“I appreciate it,” Karlan told her, looking like he was dubious. Really, what did she know about making money when she’d never even worked?
After the lunch dishes were done, Karlan took her hand and pulled her into his room. “This is my first Sunday afternoon off in forever. I’m going to use it wisely.”
“Oh, really? How are you going to do that?” Hope was surprised he’d brought her into his room.
“I’m taking a nap with my new wife.”
Hope felt her heart jump into her throat. “I’m not ready for that.”
“I didn’t say I was making love to you. I said I’m taking a nap with you.” He pushed his shirt off his shoulders and kicked off his boots. Pulling a pair of clean shorts out of a drawer, he tossed her a T-shirt. “I’ll go in the bathroom and put shorts on. I can sleep in those, and you sleep in the shirt.”
He went into the bathroom and Hope sprang into action, quickly stripping and putting the shirt on, carefully keeping her back to the bathroom door so he wouldn’t see her if he came out unexpectedly. She debated keeping her bra on, but it was too uncomfortable to sleep in. So what if he saw the outline of her nipples? He was her husband!
She was under the covers when he came out of the bathroom, and he smiled when he saw the stack of neatly folded clothes on the dresser. He slid into bed beside her, moving to the middle and gathering her into his arms.
“I really am planning to sleep. I just want to do it while holding my new wife. You know, like people sleep holding teddy bears.”
She laughed. “I’ve never been compared to a child’s stuffed toy, but okay. I guess that works.”
He kissed her briefly, before resting his head on the pillow. She put her head on his shoulder. “This feels nice,” he said. He liked holding her. He’d like it if she’d let him whip out his ding-a-ling a lot more, but for now, he’d be content to hold her.
Hope smiled. “I feel like I’m doing something wrong just being in your bed. I think I may have some—hang-ups about sex.”
He grinned. “I bet I can help you work through them. Want to start now? Or later?”
She laughed. “Later is probably better for me. I really am tired.” She never took naps, because she was always busy, but napping in his arms sounded blissful. “G’night, Karlan.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “G’night, Hope.”
* * *
Hope woke to find herself on her side facing away from Karlan, her bottom nestled against his groin. There was definitely something going on there. She started to ease away from him, when his arms tightened around her, and he pulled her right back. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his lips against her ear, causing shivers to run down her spine.
“I thought you were still asleep,” she said. “I was going to get up and go do something useful.” She had planned to cut out some of the little Halloween outfits. She’d already bought the fabric. She’d always found that if she cut out all of one type of outfit at once, things went quicker for her.
He brushed her hair out of the way, before kissing the side of her neck, biting it gently. “You’re useful right where you are, darlin’.” His voice was filled with Texas for the first time since she’d met him. She shivered.
“Not as useful as I could be out there,” she said.
“You know we have to make a baby, right?” he asked softly. He didn’t know what all she’d been told about the provisions of the will, but he did want her to understand.
“Now?” she asked, her voice barely squeaking out.
Karlan’s deep laugh filled the room. “No, not right this second. Unless you want to, of course.”
Hope sighed. “When then?”
“Soon. One of the provisions of my grandfather’s will was that all four of us had to get married for any of us to inherit. And then one of us has to have a baby on the way within a year. If none of us has a baby on the way, then we forfeit the ranch and it goes to Travis.”
She shuddered at the thought. “Why Travis?”
“He’s our cousin. He’s been married for five years. Has two of the worst behaved children I’ve ever seen. The will says he gets a tenth of the profits of the ranch forever, unless he chooses to help work it, in which case he gets a fifth.”
“Will he help work it?” she asked.
“Not for all the gold in Fort Knox. The man is the laziest human being I’ve ever met. He’s afraid of horses.” His voice was filled with disgust as he said the words.
Hope frowned. “I don’t know how to ride. I’ve never been on a horse.”
“That’s different! You weren’t on a ranch for an entire month every summer growing up. You didn’t have a grandfather who was dying to teach you how to ride.”
“No, I didn’t. I would like to learn.”
“I’ll teach you at the same time I teach our first child. So, you wanna make a baby now?”
She blushed at his words. Was he going to ask her that every time they talked? “Not yet. Soon.”
He sighed dramatically. “I was sure it wouldn’t hurt to ask, but you know what? It did. It always hurts to be rejected.”
She giggled, rolling over so she faced him. She felt his erection against her leg as she rolled, knowing he must be uncomfortable, but he still treated her with respect. She could get used to being married to a man like him.
“How can I make it up to you?”
He raised an eyebrow and a slow grin spread across his face. “I have several ideas!”
“I was thinking I could make your favorite dinner tomorrow night. Not whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“Well, dagnabbit. I wasn’t thinking about food at all.”
“I’m sure you weren’t!”
He took one finger and traced it down the side of her face, along her collarbone, and down her shirt. He moved it to her nipple, and gently stroked her through the thin white fabric. “You’re beautiful, wife.”
Hope blushed. “Want to know what I was thinking earlier? When I blushed?”
“Yes. Are you ready to tell me now?”
“I was thinking you looked really sexy with your shirt open and sweat dripping. I kind of wanted to lick your chest.”
Karlan grinned, a slow sexy smile that tied her stomach in knots. “Any time, sugar.”
Hope leaned forward and licked his chest, right above his nipple. “Salty.”
“I didn’t think you’d really do it!”
She laughed. “I maybe be inexperienced, but I’m very curious. I like how you taste.”
He groaned. “Don’t tell me that! I’m already so turned-on I feel like I’m going to break.”
“Oh?” She didn’t know what had gotten into her, but she leaned forward and sucked at his neck for a mo
ment before pulling away. “I think I’m going to like this marriage thing.”
“So am I. Just as soon as you let me strip you and introduce you to Charlie.”
“Charlie?”
“My ding-a-ling, of course. He’s ready to meet you now, if you’re interested!”
Hope pushed away from him. “I think I’m going to go get a shower and work for a little while. I promised Faith I’d make some clothes for her baby dolls.”
He watched as she rolled to a sitting position, grabbed her clothes, and rushed from the room. His shirt hit her mid-thigh, and he wanted to chase after her and throw her onto the nearest bed. Or floor. Or table. Or counter. He didn’t care where it happened. Just so it happened. What was it about that sweet little thing that kept his body in knots and his ding-a-ling hard enough to chop down a tree? She was pretty special all right.
6
While Karlan answered emails and made some phone calls, taking care of his mayoral duties, Hope cut out clothes for the babies at the kitchen table. She’d purchased the soft orange fabric in bulk, and she was certain she could make the fabric, meant for twenty outfits, stretch to twenty-two. The more she could stretch it, the more profit they’d show. She wouldn’t have even tried two days ago, because they made more than they needed, but now, she’d do anything she had to do.
One of the things she’d learned in her homemaking classes was how to be frugal. She was about to put that into play. She would use every coupon she could get her hands on, and she would make sure they squeezed every dime until Roosevelt cried.
She’d put on some yoga pants and a comfortable top to work in, knowing it would be a long day if she tried to work in jeans. She hated jeans anyway. They just weren’t comfortable. Her mother would have preferred she never wore pants, but she and her sisters had refused on that one point. They’d be comfortable, no matter what their mother said.
After a particularly long and angry sounding phone call, Karlan looked at what she was doing. “What exactly are you making?”
Hope grinned. “Twenty-two pumpkin outfits for baby dolls.”
“Twenty-two? Why pumpkin outfits?”
“Well, I think if we sell holiday outfits in sets for Faith’s baby dolls, we could make a huge profit off of them. A lot of women want to use the dolls in their decorations, but they don’t have the time to sew the clothes. It would be cheaper than buying the outfits separately somewhere else, and they’d be getting one for each season.”
“Are you sure the dolls will sell?” he asked. “You really think women are going to buy the things?”
Hope laughed. “Wait until you see them. You’ll understand. Yes, they’ll sell. And these outfits will do really well for us. I can sew them while the kids nap.”
“You know, Mom paints, but she’s really crafty in other ways too. If you need some help with anything, just put her on it. Mom can do anything.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Hope was thrilled he wasn’t laughing at her. Yes, it must seem like a strange idea to him, but he was being encouraging. That’s what she needed. She set her scissors on the table and walked over to him, plopping herself down on his lap. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”
“Why would I laugh at you?”
“My parents always laughed at us when we talked about our skills. They didn’t see them as marketable.”
“I’m willing to give anything a shot.” Karlan wished he could erase all of the mental damage their parents had done. He couldn’t help but wonder if his brothers knew how their parents had treated them.
She kissed him quickly before jumping back up. “I want to get these all cut out before supper. What time does your mom eat?”
“We should probably get there before five,” he answered.
Glancing at the clock, Hope realized she only had another hour. She still had to do the green stems for the hats as well. She picked up the pace.
Karlan held Hope’s hand as they walked over to the big house, going right in the back door. All of Karlan’s brothers were there, dressed in jeans and clean button-down shirts. They had all obviously showered and shaved after work and were paired off with her sisters.
Hope squeezed Karlan’s hand before walking toward the kitchen. “Do you need any help, Linda?”
Linda shook her head. “No. Lachele’s been helping me. She has to be at the airport in a few hours, so this is her last meal with us.”
“I’m sorry. I know you’ve enjoyed having her here.” Hope was sorry she hadn’t had more time with the matchmaker herself. She was a good woman, and just strange enough to keep life interesting.
“I’m sorry, too. I’m sure she’ll be back though. I told her she could set up office right in Culpepper, and she’d have no problem staying busy.”
Hope grinned. “I don’t think she’d be as busy as she is in Manhattan, though. And she probably wants to go home to her husband, Sam.”
“And Margarita! Don’t forget about my dog, Margarita!” Lachele called as she carried her suitcases into the dining room, setting them against one wall. “I’ll be leaving right after supper.”
Linda looked at Hope. “Oh, everyone’s here. Hope, would you stir the sauce for a minute! I want to go get something I made for everyone.”
Hope walked around the counter that divided the dining room from the kitchen, stirring the spaghetti sauce. Karlan stood watching her with a grin. “What?”
Karlan shrugged. “Isn’t a man allowed to enjoy looking at his wife?”
Hope grinned, blushing a little. “I guess it’s all right.”
Linda came back into the room with five gift bags, setting one on the counter beside the stove, one at Lachele’s feet, and giving one to each of Hope’s sisters. “I made all of you gifts, but I wanted to give them to you all at once. I’d planned to do it after lunch yesterday, but we were suddenly getting ready for a wedding.” She took the spoon from Hope. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Should we open them now?” Hope asked.
“Yes! I love watching people open gifts!”
Hope opened hers, and it was a lap quilt. She pulled it out of the bag, and rubbed it against her face. “Oh, it’s so soft! Thank you, Linda.” She reached over and hugged her mother-in-law.
“You’re so welcome! I’m glad you like it.”
“I adore it. It will be really nice on cold winter nights.”
Hope watched as each of her sisters opened a similar quilt, each with different colors. Chastity’s quilt had little pickles all over it. Hope covered her mouth with her hand.
“You gave me pickles! How did you know I love cucumbers?” Chastity asked with a giggle.
Linda shook her head. “There’s just something about you, Chastity. It’s pretty obvious where your mind is.”
Faith held a quilt with tiny little dolls on it. She hugged it to her. “It was like you knew us before you ever met us.”
Lachele and Linda exchanged a glance, and Hope understood then. Lachele had told her the personalities of the girls coming to marry her boys. How clever!
Joy’s quilt had little puppies on it, and Hope smiled. Joy had always loved animals, but their parents had said pets were too messy, so they weren’t allowed to have them. Joy would be thrilled to have a puppy of her own.
Hope looked at her quilt more closely, and she saw a smaller quilt pattern, obviously showing her love of sewing. “You must have worked really hard to get these done in time.”
Linda shrugged. “It’s not a big deal once you get started.”
Hope shook her head. “I disagree. I’ve done some quilting, and I know how big of a deal it is.”
Linda put the food on the table while the girls compared quilts with each other. Hope was surprised her sisters weren’t helping more. She cornered Faith and asked her about it.
“We’re helping with most meals. Linda specifically told us that when the men are around she doesn’t want us to help. She wants us to concentrate on getting to know them.”
�
��I see. That makes sense then.” Hope was satisfied with that answer.
After supper, they all said a tearful goodbye to Dr. Lachele. Hope was surprised how close she felt to the woman on such a short acquaintance. “Come back and see us soon,” she said.
“Find a man in the area who needs a wife, and I’ll do my best,” Dr. Lachele said with a grin as she hugged Hope tight.
“I’ll do my best. You have to find a way to interview Grace and Honor, as well. They need to come out here and join us.”
Lachele nodded. “I’ll try.”
After she was gone, Hope looked at Karlan, expecting him to be ready to leave. He seemed to be deep in discussion with his brother, Chris, though, so she turned her attention to her sisters. “I’m going to drive into town in the morning. I need to see about getting a license for my daycare, and I need to get some groceries. Does anyone want to go with me?”
“Oh, yes. Linda told me there’s a doll store in Culpepper. I’d love to look at it, and maybe see if I ever build up an inventory of babies if we can sell them in the store,” Faith said.
“Oh, good idea.” Hope looked at Chastity. “How about you?”
“I’ll stay here with Linda.” Chastity smiled at the older woman, obviously already having bonded with her a bit.
“Joy?” Hope asked.
“Yeah, I’ll come. I want to see what kind of shops are local to us. I don’t want to have to drive super far for supplies or have to buy everything online.” Joy frowned. “I have a lot of stuff to get started with, but it seems like you always have one or two things you forget to buy.
“Okay, three for Culpepper in the morning.” Hope turned to Linda. “Do you need me to pick anything up for you?”
Linda pulled a piece of paper off the fridge that had been fastened by a magnet. “I made a list.”
Hope took the list and read over it, before tucking it into her pocket. “I can do that. I’m going to act like we’re going to have a full house for our daycare Tuesday through Friday of this week. I know it won’t fill up that fast, but I’m going to have the stuff for meals and snacks, just in case.”
Wyoming Wedding (Culpepper Cowboys Book 1) Page 6