The Cowboy and the Bride

by Thomas, Marin

  “And what about the attention she gives you? Do you like it, Jake?”

  “You’re getting a little personal here, Reverend.”

  “I might be a reverend but I’m also a man. And I was married once.”

  Surprised, Jake spoke before thinking. “What happened to your wife?”

  “She divorced me.”

  Jake was speechless.

  The reverend pulled out a chair and sat down, his shoulders slumping. “Mary had an affair after we’d been married two years. She said the whole reverend thing had turned her on when she’d first met me. But after a while I wasn’t exciting anymore. So she moved on to someone else.”

  Jake couldn’t think of anything to say but “I’m sorry.”

  “When you came to me after Sara died and confessed your troubles, I felt as if I were reliving my own marriage. Like you, I’d experienced what it felt like to desire a woman who didn’t desire me back. You probably won’t believe this, but helping you went a long way in helping myself let go of Mary and our marriage.”

  “Did you want the divorce?” Jake didn’t know if it was any of his business, but he was curious.

  “Yes and no. I still had feelings for Mary, even though she wasn’t sexually attracted to me anymore. If she’d wanted to stay and try to work things out I would have welcomed the chance. But she didn’t. In the end we just weren’t a good match. Not like you and Annie’s nanny.”

  “What makes you believe Maddy and I are a good match? You just met her.”

  “I saw the way you looked at her, Jake.”

  “Well, how the hell was I supposed to look at her? She was wearing lace underwear!”

  The reverend smiled. “There was more than lust in your eyes. And I saw the way she looked at you.”

  “Yeah, I saw it, too. She looked ready to beat me with a broom.”

  The reverend chuckled. “She stared at you like you were her whole world, Jake. Maybe you should give this woman a chance.”

  Maybe if he kept his mouth shut the reverend would take the hint and drop the subject.

  “Have you considered that Madeline might have been sent here for a reason?”

  So much for taking a hint. “A reason? That’s a little superstitious for a man of God, isn’t it?”

  “Not at all. God has a plan for everyone on this earth. Madeline may be part of his plan for you.”

  Jake shook his head. God didn’t reward sinners. “Maddy’s only here for a short time. I’m grateful to her for taking care of Annie, but that’s it.” He rubbed his chest, wondering at the heaviness pressing against it from the inside.

  “Don’t let your experience with Sara keep you from living, Jake. You helped her when she needed you most. You tried to heal her, you sheltered her, offered her your love and protection.”

  Then betrayed her trust.

  “Let the past go. Life is too short to live it without loving someone.”

  “I’ve got Annie.”

  “A man needs more than his children.”

  Jake stared at the reverend, and for the first time saw beneath the white collar and black suit. He was in his late forties, trim and fit for his age. Jake supposed a lot of women would still find him attractive. He wondered if the reverend ever thought about marrying again and having a family. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve got everything under control.”

  The reverend stood and pushed the chair in. “If you want to talk, you know where to find me.”

  “You’re not staying for supper?” The reverend couldn’t leave him alone with Maddy. Not after she’d…she’d…bought new underwear for him!

  The reverend smiled. “I believe there’s a young lady upstairs who went to a lot of trouble to make this evening enjoyable for you.”

  Jake’s neck heated.

  “Now that Annie’s nanny is going to be a part of the community this summer, I expect to see all of you in church, starting tomorrow.”

  In seconds, the porch door slammed shut, leaving Jake alone in the kitchen with the smell of snuffed-out candles and fried chicken wafting around him. He glanced toward the doorway leading to the hall that led to the stairs that led to the second floor that led to…trouble. Pure, unadulterated, sexy-as-hell trouble.

  He opened the oven door, grabbed a handful of hot chicken and headed out to the barn as if his pants were on fire.

  MADELINE’S SHOULDERS itched—a sure sign the fifty or more church members were staring holes in her back. They’d arrived only seconds before the service started, thereby avoiding introductions to the other parishioners. Obviously, Jake had planned it that way.

  Why in the world had she allowed him to talk her into going to church this morning? She should have fought him harder. But every excuse she’d come up with he’d deftly defeated and in the end she couldn’t resist the soft kiss he’d placed on her cheek and the whispered “Please” in her ear.

  So she’d donned her best pair of jeans, the only clean pair, and her least offensive T-shirt, the one with Country Girls Rock stamped on the front. She cursed Jonathon for stealing off with her luggage and the several beautiful outfits that would have been more appropriate for church.

  They sat in the third pew from the front, with Annie between her and Jake. The parishioners’ curious stares made her feel like a fox trapped in a chicken coop with no way out. She kept her face forward and listened to the six-member choir, singing behind the reverend.

  She was still in shock over last night’s fiasco. Her dream of watching Jake succumb to her charms had turned into a nightmare. All the hard work she’d put into making the meal, her carefully chosen attire—everything had been in place for a sexy, intimate evening. Until the man standing ten feet away had blown her seduction plot to smithereens.

  Never before in her life had Madeline been so embarrassed. Not even being left at the altar in Vegas was as embarrassing as being seen in her skivvies by a man of God.

  Embarrassment aside, the most painful part of the evening had been waiting for Jake to return to the house after the reverend had left. But he hadn’t. Instead, the coward had hidden out in the barn again. Teary-eyed, she’d taken a long, cool soak in the tub, munched on cold chicken and wondered if she should raise a white flag.

  But no matter how difficult things got between her and Jake, Madeline refused to let Annie down by breaking her promise to stay the summer.

  “Before I begin the service today, let’s take a moment to say good-morning to our fellow worshippers.” The reverend smiled pointedly at Madeline, but she slid her gaze to the wall behind him. Good grief, he had a lot of nerve smiling at her after he’d seen her underwear!

  A horrible thought hit her full force. What if today’s sermon dealt with sins of the flesh? She glanced around, searching for an alternative escape route just in case. Annie tugged her arm, urging her to stand. Jake was shaking hands with a man behind him and Madeline smiled stupidly at no one in particular. Annie, bless her heart, came to her rescue.

  “Hi, Mrs. Sloan. This is Maddy.” Annie lifted Madeline’s hand and pressed it to her heart. “She’s my new nanny and I love her.”

  Madeline’s throat threatened to swell shut. Again she marveled at how this child had found a way into her heart in such a short time. The thought of leaving her behind at the end of August was too painful to consider. Swallowing hard, she greeted the middle-aged woman. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sloan. I’m Madeline Tate, from Seattle.”

  The woman’s eyes twinkled. “It’s nice to finally meet the barbed-wire bride. You’re quite famous.” She leaned closer and whispered, “I’ll introduce you to several ladies who’ve expressed a desire to—” she waggled her eyebrows “—help you out.”

  Help me out? Her confusion must have shown on her face, because the woman added, “Help you catch Jake.”

  Most of the church members had quieted and sat back down, just as Annie blurted, “Why do you want to catch Daddy?”

  Madeline clamped a hand over Annie’s mouth and tugged
her down onto the wooden pew. She pointedly ignored the knowing grin on the reverend’s face. When she cast a sideways glance at Jake and saw that his neck looked as though someone had painted ketchup on it, she hid her smile behind a discreet cough. Served the man right for dragging her to the Lord’s house when both of them had sinning on their minds.

  Thank goodness the rest of the service went without further embarrassment. After the reverend led the congregation in a final prayer, he stood by the doors, greeting the parishioners as they exited the church.

  She leaned close to Jake and motioned to behind the pulpit. “Maybe we should use the back door.”

  “Leaving without saying hello to Reverend Thomas wouldn’t be polite.” His expression remained impassive, but his blue eyes sparkled with mirth. He found her situation amusing, did he? Well, we’ll see just how amusing he thinks I am in a minute.

  A short time later they reached the reverend. Madeline held out her hand. “I enjoyed the sermon today, Reverend.” Not that she could recall a single word of it.

  “Thank you, Ms. Tate. It’s good to see you again.”

  “I imagine it’s just good to see me in clothes, period.” She winked at the reverend, his widening eyes the only clue she’d shocked him.

  Ignoring Jake’s sudden coughing fit behind her and the openmouthed stares of the parishioners eavesdropping nearby, she tugged on Annie’s hand and proceeded out the door and down the church steps.

  Before she even reached the sidewalk, a gray-haired woman with too much starch in her clothes and a ridiculous hat with some sort of bird perched on top of it blocked Madeline’s path. “So you’re Jake’s new—” she narrowed her eyes “—nanny?”

  Madeline forced a smile. “No, I’m Annie’s new nanny. I believe Jake’s old enough to take care of himself.”

  “Tsk, tsk. One would think so, but…” The older woman gave Madeline the once-over, then stuck her nose in the air.

  “Oh, Madeline, there you are.” Mrs. Sloan approached. And just in time, to Madeline’s way of thinking. She’d been about to slap that silly bird off the old biddy’s hat.

  “I see you’ve already met Harriet Blecker. This is Maureen Crumble and Phyllis Martin. And please, call me Nancy.”

  “It’s nice to meet all of you.” Madeline glanced over her shoulder, wondering where Jake had disappeared to.

  “We heard you were staying the summer,” the woman named Maureen said.

  “Well, I have better things to do than gossip.” Bird head sniffed, then scurried away.

  Madeline must have allowed the relief she felt at the woman’s departure to show on her face, because the other women laughed and Nancy patted her arm. “She’s not so bad in small doses.”

  “As I started to say,” Maureen continued, “we wanted to be sure you knew about Ridge City’s Fourth of July celebration next Thursday. We’re always looking for an extra pair of hands to help with our decorations. Oh, and you’ll need to bring a dish for the potluck supper.”

  Madeline wondered if there was an ulterior motive behind the invitation, but their expressions appeared sincere. “I’d love to come. It sounds like fun.”

  “Good.” Phyllis took her arm and guided her away from the church steps, toward a gnarled oak shading the lawn. “The gossip mills have been churning since you arrived in town.”

  Madeline tugged her arm free. Three eager faces stared at her. She felt like a defenseless bunny cornered by a pack of coyotes. “I wish I could stay and chat with you ladies, but I need to get back to the ranch and put a roast in the oven for supper.” She knew for a fact there wasn’t a roast in the whole house.

  She turned away from the group and bumped right into Jake’s chest. He clasped her upper arms to steady her and smiled at the women. “I thought we’d eat Sunday dinner at the café today. I haven’t had their meat loaf in a long time.”

  Drat. The last thing she wanted to do was eat meat loaf with everyone in town watching her. But Jake seemed to want to delay their departure for the ranch as long as possible. “Sounds great.” After offering a “See you later” to the ladies, she followed him across the lawn to where Annie was chasing around with a bunch of girls.

  They drove to the café, Annie chatting their ears off about her friends. If Jake thought the restaurant was a safe zone he was in for a surprise. Everyone grinned as the waitress showed them to a table in the middle of the room. One man even gave Jake a thumbs-up when they passed by.

  Obviously, the locals were eager to participate in a little matchmaking. Well, all except Gladys. She sat in a booth with her husband and another older couple, her face puckered as if she’d just sucked a lemon.

  “Annie, what should we do when we get home?” Madeline asked after the waitress took their drink orders.

  “Can we fill up the pool and swim?”

  “Sure.” Madeline eyed Jake. “Maybe your dad would like to swim with us.” The idea had possibilities. She could picture the three of them sitting in the kiddie pool, she and Jake sipping a beer and Annie drinking Kool-Aid.

  “Sorry, ladies, but the owner of the Bar S is coming to check on his horses this afternoon.”

  I just bet you’re real sorry. Madeline waited until the waitress left after bringing their Cherry Cokes. “How come you didn’t mention this before now?” She felt a prick of irritation that he seldom bothered to keep her informed about anything dealing with the ranch or his progress with the horses. He was trying so hard to keep his distance, not just physically but emotionally. Her mind argued he wasn’t worth all this trouble, but her heart disagreed.

  “Sam William called this morning when you were in the shower.” Jake shifted in his chair and stared at her. “I didn’t tell you because it doesn’t concern you.”

  Stung, Madeline reached for her soda. Ever since the reverend’s surprise visit last night, Jake appeared angry with her. Or maybe he just regretted bringing her to church today. Regretted flaunting her in front of the whole community. Maybe it hadn’t occurred to him until now that once they were seen together she suddenly became more than just a rumor, more than just some barbed-wire bride hiding out at his ranch.

  Maybe he realized that people would think of them as a couple now.

  “Should I have something ready to eat when he arrives?”

  “No. He won’t stay long. He’s on his way to Arizona—”

  “I’ll be damned,” a voice interrupted. “I guess the rumors are true. Is this the barbed-wire bride everyone’s been talking about, Montgomery?”

  Maybe it was her imagination, but Madeline swore Jake stiffened in his seat before standing and offering a hand to the man who’d stopped by their table. “Mac,” Jake greeted him. He motioned to Madeline. “Madeline Tate, this is Mac Glenwood. His ranch is a half hour south of here.”

  Madeline held out her hand and choked back a squawk of surprise when the rancher kissed her finger-tips lingeringly. Her gaze skirted to Jake. His expression was so dark she glanced up to see if a thundercloud had settled over his head. Annie, thank goodness, was oblivious to the tension crackling in the air around the small table.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Glenwood.”

  “My pleasure, Madeline. Call me Mac.” He grinned at Jake, then returned his attention to her. “Knowing Montgomery, I’m positive he hasn’t shown you the local sights. I’d be happy to tour you around the area this afternoon.”

  “I wasn’t aware we had any sights around here, Glen-wood,” Jake challenged.

  Madeline opened her mouth to decline the invitation, then snapped it shut. Maybe a little competition would light a fire under Jake. “I’d love to see the area, Mac.” She smiled sweetly at Jake’s glowering face.

  “You’ll have to take Annie along,” Jake grumbled.

  Mac didn’t appear happy about it, but he didn’t object. “That’s fine. I’ve got some business at the feedlot. I’ll be back in an hour and we can leave from here.”

  “Thank you again for the invitation, Mac.”

&n
bsp; “My pleasure, Madeline.” The rancher set his Stetson on his head, nodded to her and Annie, then left the diner, greeting those he knew on the way out.

  Jake leaned across the table. “Through making a fool out of us?”

  She coughed delicately. “I didn’t think there was an us.”

  Jake flinched. “For your information, he eats up women like you and spits them out for fun.”

  Here we go again. “Women like me?”

  “Yeah, women like you. Beautiful, smart, sexy.”

  She believed Jake thought she was attractive, but she was beginning to think that was all he thought she was.

  After the waitress brought their food, Madeline teased, “Why, Jake. I never knew you had a jealous streak.”

  “I’m not jealous.” His protest came out a bit too loudly, and several heads turned in their direction.

  Madeline smiled. “Whatever you say, dear.”

  Chapter Nine

  “‘Snow White kissed each dwarf goodbye. Then the prince lifted her up onto his horse and they rode to his castle on the hill, where they lived happily ever after.’”

  Madeline closed the book and smiled at Annie, who lay snuggled in bed with her favorite stuffed frog. She tenderly brushed a strand of hair off the little girl’s cheek, then bussed the soft, soap-scented skin.

  Although it wasn’t yet dark outside at eight-thirty, she had pulled the blinds and drawn the curtains, which made the room dark enough to need the night-light.

  “Maddy?” Annie’s sleep-slurred voice wrapped around Madeline’s heart and tugged.

  “What, sweetie?”

  Thick brown lashes fluttered. “Can I call you ‘Mommy,’ now?”

  Mommy. The single word managed to turn Madeline’s insides mushy and warm. She cast a glance over her shoulder, and sighed in relief at the empty doorway. If Jake overheard Annie’s question he’d pack Madeline’s bags himself and drive her to the nearest bus depot. Knowing the coast was clear, she let down her guard and allowed Annie’s words to fill her with joy. It would be so easy to love this child as if she were her own. “Sweetie, I think your dad might say it’s a little soon for that.”