Jake took his normal place at the head of the table, leaving Brett one seat—beside the redhead.
As soon as grace was finished, Janie called for his attention.
“Yeah, Janie? When are you going to hatch?”
“Hey!” Pete protested. “That’s my wife you’re talking to.”
“I hope so, ‘cause I think she’s pregnant,” Brett teased.
“I don’t want to discuss me,” Janie protested. “I want to know when you’re bringing Sylvia to meet all of us.”
Brett looked at her in surprise. “I assumed it would be best to wait until after you’ve had the babies, Janie. I don’t want the visit to be a strain for you.”
Pete nodded in approval.
Janie, however, didn’t seem to appreciate his consideration. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because it may be six months before I feel halfway decent once these babies are born. I won’t get any sleep, and I won’t have an excuse to be fat any longer. I think she should come for a visit at once.”
“Yes,” Megan chimed in. “You want her to come now, when the ranch is beautiful. In winter, she might not like it as much.”
“Megan, she’s a Wyoming girl,” Brett protested.
“Maybe so, but she’s spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C.”
Jake looked at Megan sharply before turning to Brett. “Megan’s got a point. Have you two discussed where you’ll live after the wedding?”
Brett’s head shot up. “Aren’t we welcome here?”
“Of course you are!” Jake returned. “You know you are. But I got worried that Sylvia wouldn’t want—She’s used to a more—more exciting life.”
“Sylvia knows I want to live here.”
“Then call and invite her,” Janie insisted. “Tell her we’re all anxious to welcome her into the family. We’ll give a party to introduce her to the neighbors.”
“You sure you’re up to all that activity?” Brett asked Janie. He wouldn’t want to do anything to interfere with the safe delivery of his first nieces and nephews.
“Tell him, Anna,” Janie ordered.
Brett reluctantly turned to the one person at the table he’d been trying to ignore. He didn’t want to be reminded of last night.
“I’ll make sure Janie doesn’t overdo it. And I can help Red with things around here.”
Staring into big blue eyes that reminded him of the Wyoming sky in summer, Brett almost forgot what they were discussing. Those eyes must be the biggest part of her, he decided. Except for those red curls that seemed to have a life of their own.
“Brett? Are you going to telephone Sylvia?” Jake prodded, calling him to attention.
He reluctantly drew his gaze away from Anna. “What? Oh. Oh, yeah. I’ll go call her right away.” He turned back to look at Anna again. What was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly reluctant to talk to Sylvia? He was going to marry her. Wasn’t he?
Chapter Two
“Hi, lover.”
Her sexy voice reassured him. Of what, he wasn’t sure, but Brett had been uneasy until she spoke.
“I miss you already,” Sylvia went on. “When will you be back? No, Maria, put that over here.”
Brett waited impatiently until he had her attention again. “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you come here? The family wants you to come visit. We’ll have a party to introduce you to the neighbors.”
He began to wonder if he’d lost the connection because silence was his only answer. Finally Sylvia said, “I’d love to, angel, but as Daddy’s hostess, you know I need to be here.”
“I’m sure he can spare you for a week or two, Sylvia. After all, he’ll have to get used to me coming first, won’t he?” Brett chuckled. Several times his brothers had pointed out how much things changed with marriage.
Sylvia didn’t laugh with him. “Of course, Brett, but—Maria! I told you I wanted lemonade with my lunch. Sorry, Brett. The woman can’t get anything right. I suppose I could spare a week. Daddy’s visiting with his constituents right now, nothing important. When shall I come?”
“The sooner the better. Tomorrow?”
“Darling, I can’t be packed in such a short time.”
“All you’ll need are jeans and a party dress. We’re pretty casual around here.”
As if he’d never spoken, she continued, “I suppose I could leave Friday. You’ll come pick me up?”
Brett never hesitated, though Casper was a two-hour drive. It suddenly seemed important that he see her again. “Of course. I’ll be there about nine, and we can be back at the ranch for lunch.”
“I won’t be ready until about three. Daddy’s having a luncheon on Friday, and I need to be here.”
“Okay. We’ll get back in time for dinner.”
“Yes, of course. Please assure everyone I’m looking forward to my visit.”
“You’ll love it here, Sylvia. We’re going to be very happy.”
“Of course we are, lover. Bye-bye.”
With a frown, he replaced the receiver. He didn’t feel as satisfied as he’d thought he would. Sylvia hadn’t sounded as enthusiastic as she had when he left her, either. And it seemed as if she had more important things to do than chat with him.
Of course, as her father’s hostess, she lead a busy life. But things would change once they were married. Then she could be busy on the ranch.
He was smiling again by the time he reached the kitchen. Sylvia could be in charge of all the parties they might want to give. And help Red around the house. And they could start a family.
“Is Sylvia coming?” Jake asked.
Brett was surprised to discover the kitchen empty except for his brother and Red, the old cowboy who’d taken care of them for a quarter of a century.
“Yeah. Where is everyone?”
“Janie and Megan take a nap after lunch every day. Anna had visits to make, and your brothers are out saddling up.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long.” He was looking forward to working this afternoon. There was something so straightforward about ranch work, unlike the political scene where he’d just spent the past two weeks.
“So when is she coming?”
Brett looked at Jake, surprised that he had forgotten to tell them when Sylvia would come. He’d been thinking about the afternoon. “She’ll be here Friday. I’ll drive in and pick her up.”
“I thought you was startin’ the branding Friday,” Red said, looking at Jake.
“I didn’t know,” Brett hurriedly said. “I’ll call her back and pick her up on Thursday.”
“That’s all right. We’ll manage,” Jake assured him. “You go pick up Sylvia.”
“Right,” Brett agreed in a distracted fashion, and headed outdoors.
“Man,” Red said, shaking his head. “He’s got it bad.”
Jake grinned. “He’s supposed to, isn’t he? If I remember rightly, once they fall for someone, they don’t hardly know what’s going on around them.”
“I suppose. But I met that little lady once. She’s not like the other two.”
“Brett thinks she’ll make him happy.” Jake wouldn’t admit that he had his doubts, too. “Are you going to be able to manage with another mouth to feed?”
“Trust me, she won’t eat much. But I’m worried about getting everything cleaned up. I’ve been meaning to talk to you anyway. As pretty as everything is now since Megan and the other lady redid the house, I hate to see it all get dusty. But I can’t seem to manage everything.”
“I should’ve noticed we’d put too much on you. Especially since Janie can’t help anymore. I’ll have to think about what to do.”
“I have a suggestion. We could hire Mildred.”
“Mildred, B.J.’s aunt?”
“A-course that’s who I mean.”
“I thought you two didn’t get along.” B. J. Anderson, the local veterinarian, had moved to the ranch last winter, about the time his two brothers had m
arried, bringing with her her four-year-old son and her maiden aunt. Jake had noticed that Red seemed uncomfortable around Mildred.
Red’s cheeks reddened, and he looked away. “We get along fine.”
“Great. I’ll speak to her.”
Red nodded and began scrubbing the kitchen counter, which was already spotless.
BRETT COULDN’T SLEEP.
He’d gone up to bed with the rest of the family around ten o’clock, but he was restless. Finally, after reading for a while, he pulled on his jeans and a T-shirt.
Chuckling, he went down the stairs barefoot. Things had changed. In the past, when they were all men at the ranch, he wouldn’t have bothered with jeans. But he didn’t want one of his sisters-in-law to catch him in his underwear.
In the kitchen, he cut a piece of Red’s chocolate cake and poured himself a big glass of milk. He’d refused a helping of dessert at dinner, but it sounded pretty good now.
Just as he sat down at the table, he heard a car approaching. A sense of déjù vu stole over him. Except that the kitchen light was on tonight, and he knew who was arriving.
She hadn’t been at dinner. He hadn’t wanted to ask her whereabouts, sure the mention of her name would bring more teasing from his brothers. But in the course of the conversation, he’d heard Janie tell Megan that Anna was with Mrs. Cauble tonight. The lady and her husband lived on the other side of the county.
He listened as the car engine stopped, followed by the muffled thud of a door closing. When the kitchen door eased open, he stared at the slender female form.
“Don’t you ever keep regular hours?” he asked softly, startling her.
Anna jerked in surprise before relaxing. With a smile, she turned to him. “Not often. But at least you didn’t attack me this evening.”
He found himself laughing quietly, much to his surprise. “Nope, no attacking tonight.” He looked down at the cake. “Want some dessert?”
“It looks good, but I think I’d better have something a little more solid than that.”
He noticed for the first time how tired she looked. “Didn’t they even feed you?”
Again she smiled. “I’m afraid dinner wasn’t on their minds. Mrs. Cauble had complications, and we had to summon the ambulance and get her to the hospital for Doc to look at her.”
Brett stood and put his hands on Anna’s shoulders, guiding her to a seat at the table. “Rest. I’ll fix you some leftovers.”
“I can—”
“Don’t move. It sounds like you’ve had a rough evening.” He went to the refrigerator and brought out some of the roast they’d had for dinner, as well as leftover broccoli and carrots.
After he put a plate in the microwave, he turned to look at Anna.
“I guess you’re kin to Jake, after all,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Jake tries to take care of everyone.”
Brett grinned. “Yeah, he does. He’s been riding herd over us for a long time. Dad depended on him to watch the rest of us after Mom died.”
“How old were you when your mother died?”
“I was three. I can’t really remember her. She died giving birth to Chad.”
“Here at home?”
He sensed some urgency in her question and looked at her closely. “No, in the hospital. It was just before Doc moved here.” He paused, but she said nothing. “Why?”
“Just wondering.”
The microwave dinged, and he brought her dinner to her. Afterward he sat across from her and began eating his cake.
“Where do your parents live?”
She chewed her food without looking up, and he thought she was going to ignore his question. Finally she swallowed and said, “They’re both dead.”
He frowned. “You’re not that old. Did they die in a car wreck or something?”
She shook her head no. “I’m older than I look.”
“If you weren’t,” he agreed, chuckling, “you’d still be in high school.”
“I’ve always had that problem.” She smiled back at him. “People think I’m younger than I am.”
“So how old are you?”
“I thought a man wasn’t supposed to ask such a personal question?” One slender brow arched over her incredible blue eyes.
“I figure as close as we’ve been—” he wiggled his eyebrows at her and nodded in the direction of the floor where she’d taken him down “—it’d be okay.”
He liked the way her smile lit up her face.
“I guess you’re right. I’m twenty-seven.”
“Twenty-seven? Well, I guess that’s not too old. I can still give you a couple of years. And you’ll be glad you look young when you’re sixty.”
“Thanks,” she drawled. “And do people ask you if you’re still in high school?”
“No, ma’am. And all my teachers were glad to see me go, I can assure you.”
“I believe you. I can’t imagine those teachers facing all four Randalls.”
He grinned again. “They couldn’t, either.” After a pause, he returned to his question she’d avoided. “So, what happened to your parents?”
His question broke Anna out of the cocoon of the intimacy in the quiet kitchen, the web of caring Brett had casually spun. She never talked about her parents, didn’t want to remember those years. Maybe she should tell Brett Randall. It would emphasize the difference between the Anna O’Briens and the Randalls of the world. It would remind her that she was here for a job, not as a part of the Randall clan.
It was all too easy to forget.
Especially with the man sitting there dressed only in jeans and a snug T-shirt, his broad shoulders and chest clearly outlined. The temptation to touch him was almost irresistible.
“My mother died in childbirth, like your mother, only she wasn’t in a hospital, and my father drank himself to death afterward.” She stared at him, watching for his reaction.
He returned her look, concern on his face, and she had to look away.
“How old were you?”
“Six.”
“And when your father died?”
“Seventeen.”
“Is that why you became a midwife?”
His perception shot through her like a knife. Even Doc Jacoby, her staunchest supporter, didn’t know about her mother. He thought she liked babies and pregnancy. Why was she confessing everything to this cowboy?
“It doesn’t matter. I need to get to bed.” She abandoned the rest of her meal and pushed back her chair to stand, but a hand on her arm held her in the chair.
“Were you with your mother when she died?”
He was getting so close, invading her private space, and she felt the familiar anger fill her again. “Yes. Were you with yours?”
“No. What happened?”
His rapid-fire response almost had her answering him, but she drew a deep breath and responded in reasonable tones. “I’m really tired, Mr. Randall. If you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed.”
“Do you call my brothers Mr. Randall, too? If so, it must be really confusing around here.” His smile invited her to forget their previous conversation and relax.
“No, but they told me to call them by their first names.”
“Good. Call me Brett. And finish your dinner.”
“Thank you, but I have finished.”
“You didn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”
He still held her arm, keeping her in place. She knew she could get away from him, but she didn’t want another wrestling match with the man. “Fortunately I’m not a bird. If you’ll excuse me…” She stared pointedly at his hand.
“Just a few more bites? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She was torn between escaping the kitchen and proving to Brett Randall that she hadn’t let his conversation disturb her. Though she suspected she was making a mistake, she relaxed and picked up her fork.
“Good girl.”
“You’re trying to take care of me again, Brett. I�
��ve been on my own for quite a while.”
“I guess you have. When did you move to our county?”
“Last year. After I trained, I worked at a hospital in Casper for five years while I specialized in midwifery.” Safe topics.
“Why move out here, away from the big city and bright lights?” He watched her even as he took a bite of cake.
She found those brown eyes hard to resist.
“I like the country. And there’s more need for a midwife out here. Doc can’t cover the entire county.”
“He doesn’t have any problem with you working here?”
His question raised her hackles again. “Here? Do you mean here in your house or here in the county?”
He grinned, shaking his head. “Now, don’t get angry with me again, Red.”
“Red? Red is the housekeeper. My name is Anna.”
“I know, but you have a temper. It matches your red hair.”
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I do not have a hot temper. I’m always calm.”
“Ah, my mistake.”
His grin told her he was laughing at her, which only made it harder to control the emotions she’d learned to curb years ago. What was wrong with her?
“So, are you going to answer my question?”
“You have so many questions I can’t remember it.”
“About Doc.”
“Dr. Jacoby has been very supportive,” she said primly, not mentioning how the doctor and his nurse, Mrs. Priddy, had both helped her settle in and had recommended her services to patients. She’d been touched by both their responses.
“Good.”
She rose from her chair and washed her plate at the sink.
“How about some cake, now that you’ve finished your dinner?”
“No, thanks,” she assured him, and turned around, only to discover him beside her, his own dish in his hands. “Red certainly trained you all well.”
“You bet. He’d wring my neck if he came in here in the morning and found dirty dishes in the sink. And he always knew who the guilty party was.” He shook his head in wonder.
“Sylvia should be grateful. You’ll be a much better husband.”
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