by Cora Seton
Mia softened at Luke’s words, but Rose still looked worried. Mia knew why; it wasn’t the right ring, no matter how beautiful it was.
“I like the other one,” she said softly.
Luke took her hand in his and tugged it until she looked up at him. “You’re just saying that because you’re worried about the price. I can afford the ring, Mia. I want you to have it. I won’t let people like your mother and Linette Wilcox make you small. You deserve the best and I’m going to give it to you. We’ll take this one.” He smoothed his thumb over the showy ring on her finger, and Mia didn’t know how to answer him. She knew that buying her this expensive ring was Luke’s way of showing everyone else just how much he cared for her. He wanted them to value her too, which she appreciated in the circumstances. If only he could see it was bound to backfire—people would only talk about how unworthy she was to wear it. But she couldn’t say that to him. Not now—in front of Rose and Morgan. Both women watched her expectantly.
She finally nodded. “This one,” she echoed.
“Are you sure?” Rose said.
“There are lots of rings to look at,” Morgan said.
“No, I’m sure,” Mia said, with a glance at Luke. He took her hand and squeezed it briefly, and she knew he was pleased she’d agreed with him. But should she have? How could she be angry with a man who wanted to give her diamonds? How could she feel disappointed when the ring was so spectacular?
But she did feel disappointed. It wasn’t the ring she wanted, and that didn’t seem to matter to Luke as much as what everyone else thought of him.
Unfortunately, she knew it was her own bad choices that put him in a position to feel insecure.
She stood back as Luke made the arrangements to purchase the ring. Since it needed to be sized, she slid it back off her finger gratefully and handed it over the counter to Rose. Rose held the ring a moment as if concentrating on it. When she passed it to Andrea, Mia couldn’t read her expression. A thread of fear tightened in Mia’s gut. Did that mean something bad?
As Andrea rang up the sale, Rose leaned in closer. “I’ve got news, too. Cab and I set a date for our wedding. May tenth. I’m so excited!”
“You and Mia should go wedding dress shopping together,” Morgan said brightly and Mia knew she was trying to lighten the atmosphere. “Bring me along. I love that kind of thing.”
Mia was all too eager to move to a more comfortable topic of conversation, too. “That’s a great idea. I could go the day after tomorrow. I only have two weeks until my wedding, so I have to get right on it. You’re lucky, Rose, to have more time to plan.”
“Not much more. I don’t know how I’ll get it all done.”
“I can help! We can plan together.” The idea raised Mia’s spirits and she made a decision that even if her engagement ring was far flashier than the one she would have chosen for herself, she’d adore it because Luke chose it for her. It was a symbol of his regard. So what if he overcompensated a little for his insecurities by spending too much money on a fancy ring? If that was the worst of her problems, she lived a charmed life.
And the thought of planning her wedding in tandem with Rose’s sounded like a lot of fun. She loved to plan celebrations, though she hadn’t had many in her life so far.
“I’ll meet you at Ellie’s Bridals the day after tomorrow then,” Rose said. “I want to visit Autumn and baby Arianna in the morning, so say two o’clock?”
“I’ll be there,” Mia said, deciding she would visit Autumn soon as well.
“I’ll be there, too. We’d better get going, Rose,” Morgan said. “Congratulations on your engagement, Mia! Should we celebrate it tonight at the Double-Bar-K?”
“Sure,” Mia said, a trifle hesitantly. Lisa had already voiced her approval of the match, but she had no idea how Holt felt about it. She guessed she’d find out soon enough.
Several hours later, Luke hopped out of his brand-new Ford F-250 and strode to the front door of his parents’ house, disappointed no one was around to see his purchase. When he’d driven Mia to the jewelry store earlier, he’d suddenly become all too conscious of what a rattletrap his old vehicle was. His brothers were right, Mia couldn’t be happy about riding in it, so he’d taken the first opportunity to fix the situation. Just as he’d thought, the Matheson name carried all kinds of weight at the dealership in town and he’d managed to finance his new truck without too much money down.
He’d have to do something soon about Amanda Stone, however. He wasn’t going to be able to make the payments on this truck and Mia’s ring, and keep paying her bills, too. He’d sit down and explain the situation and help her find a place she’d be comfortable living in. Maybe Reverend Halpern could help. Surely he’d had people in his congregation with similar issues.
Luke went into the office and sat at the computer to update the books. The cramped room was situated on the first floor of their parents’ house, since Lisa used to do this job before she handed it over to Luke.
He pushed his hand through his hair as he waited for his accounting program to load. Lately he’d taken over more and more of the business side of the family’s cattle operation, in addition to supervising the health of the herd, running the breeding program, making repairs on their outbuildings and managing the rotation of the herd through their pastures.
He was happy his mom was spending more time on her own pursuits and with her friends in town these days, and he understood why his father wasn’t more help with the accounts. Holt’s dyslexia was so severe he was almost illiterate. But happy or not, sometimes Luke felt like he couldn’t shoulder one more thing—
A spreadsheet opened, cutting those thoughts short. He got to work.
Fifteen minutes later, the door slammed open and Jake strode in. “Nice truck, man. But first things first, you sneaky bastard. How long have you known you were going to be a father?”
Luke swore, made a correction, then looked up. “Not long.”
“I can’t believe you managed to keep it to yourself.”
“I would’ve liked to keep the secret a bit longer. Didn’t mean to hijack Ned and Fila’s day.”
“They’ll be all right. Nothing could make those two unhappy right now. I’ve got to ask though—are you sure that kid’s your own? Rumor has it Mia was seeing Ellis Scranton earlier last fall.”
Luke’s jaw tightened with anger, but before he could form an answer, his youngest brother Rob crowded into the office too. “Is that your new Ford outside?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I thought you said you and Mia weren’t together. You said she wouldn’t touch you. What was all the whining about?”
If Ned weren’t on his honeymoon, Luke figured he’d be in here smothering him, as well. He stood up, squeezed past his brothers and kicked the door shut, not wanting their mother to overhear them and knowing he had to get this right or the whole family would end up in an uproar. On the one hand, he wasn’t prone to lying. On the other, he didn’t want Mia’s fling with Ellis to overshadow their marriage for the rest of their lives.
“I’ll say this one time only and after that as far as I’m concerned, the subject is closed. Mia slept with Ellis. She got pregnant. They broke up.” He charged on before either of his brothers could speak. “Ellis is gone—out of the picture for good. So I’m the father of Mia’s child. Got it?”
“You sure Ellis ain’t coming back? Seems like something he’d do.” Jake folded his hands over his chest and leaned against the windowsill.
“If he comes back I’ll convince him to leave again mighty quick. And I won’t have any of you treating Mia differently because of the circumstances, you hear? She’s my fiancée. In two weeks she’ll be my wife.”
“Fine with me,” Rob said with a shrug. “Morgan’s already excited about being sisters-in-law with Mia, and about having their kids so close together. Did you know they’re going dress shopping?”
Luke relaxed. “Yeah, I was there when they made the plan.” He was glad Morgan was helping Mia pick a
dress. That meant she accepted the wedding.
“What did Dad say?” Jake put in.
“Nothing at all.” It had surprised Luke that Holt hadn’t said a word so far, but on the other hand, why would he if he wasn’t privy to the rest of the gossip? As far as Holt knew he was getting exactly what he wanted. Luke would be married in a couple of weeks, and there was another baby Matheson on the way. And as long as Holt kept his mouth shut, he’d win his bet with Lisa, too, and wouldn’t have to fly to Paris.
What would he do when he discovered Mia’s baby wasn’t blood-related though? Luke thought Holt would have plenty to say then.
Which is why he meant to keep it a secret as long as humanly possible.
“Don’t tell Dad,” he cautioned his brothers.
“Don’t tell me what?” Holt butted his way through the door and into the room. “What the hell’s going on here? A tea party? Get back to work.”
Jake and Rob headed for the door at a smart clip, but Holt still blocked it. “After you tell me what it is you ain’t supposed to tell.”
Luke shrugged. “Fine, we’re chipping in to buy you a new teapot for your birthday. Now you’ve ruined the surprise.” He hoped the sarcasm would work.
Of course it didn’t.
“I’ve got all day.” Holt leaned back against the door. “Let me guess. You knocked up your bride before your wedding.” He laughed at his own joke.
“Not quite,” Jake said. Rob elbowed him.
Holt stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes. “So this is about Mia. What’s the big secret? That she made the beast with two backs with Ellis Scranton? Can’t blame you for being displeased with that bit of gossip.”
“I don’t want to hear about that bit of gossip,” Luke growled.
“Well, you will hear about it in this town—and more than that, too. Like maybe that baby of hers wasn’t sired by you.”
You could have cut the sudden silence with a knife. Holt frowned. “That’s what’s bothering you? The gossip?”
Luke heaved a sigh. No sense in even trying to keep it secret. Holt was like a terrier that had caught a rat. “Not the gossip, Dad. The truth. The baby is Scranton’s.”
Holt straightened, his face mottling with color. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, shook his head and left, slamming the door behind him.
Rob whistled. “You are in some deep shit.”
Mia was reading the manual that came with the cash register at Fila’s Familia the following day when her mother pushed open the door and crossed the small restaurant with determined strides.
Mia had just reached the part about trouble-shooting problems with the machine, a part she wanted to know inside and out before the restaurant opened, and the interruption irritated her. She knew her mother would want to discuss the wedding and she was right. Enid didn’t bother with greetings or small talk. She went straight for the jugular.
“You’ll be married at our church. I just checked, and there’s an opening on the third of March. Four o’clock in the afternoon.”
Mia was shaking her head before her mother finished speaking. “I’m not getting married in church, Mom. I’ve already told Lisa Matheson I’d like to get married at the Double-Bar-K.”
Enid’s chin raised. “A wedding outside of church isn’t a wedding at all. On March third at four o’clock. I won’t hear another word about it.”
“We’ve already asked Reverend Halpern to marry us at the Double-Bar-K,” Mia said, although that wasn’t strictly true. Lisa had checked with the minister at the end of the evening yesterday and found he was available, but they hadn’t made a formal decision—they hadn’t had time.
“You’ll have to un-ask him. I’ve already spoken to Reverend Tilton. I’ve booked the time. It’s done. You grew up in that church and you’ll marry in that church. The bride’s family is in charge of the wedding!”
Mia’s courage slipped in the face of her mother’s certainty. “At any rate we’ll have the reception at the Matheson’s place. It’s so much prettier than any rented hall.”
“I see what this is about.” Enid clasped her purse so tightly her knuckles whitened. “You think the Mathesons are better than us. You want to cozy up to them. You think you can shake off your past—”
“That’s the last thing I think.” Mia was very clear on that. “I don’t like Reverend Tilton’s church. I don’t like the way he lets women like Linette Wilcox boss everyone around and freeze them out. I don’t like the way the congregation turns its back on anyone who isn’t perfect. We’re supposed to be Christians!”
“Don’t you speak to me like that. Linette Wilcox might not be fancy like your Mathesons, but she’s a good woman. She works on a number of charitable committees. I won’t have you speaking ill of her, or of the Reverend.”
“Fine, I won’t speak of them at all. And I won’t speak to them, either.” Mia saw Camila stick her head out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about. “In fact, I won’t need to—because I’m not getting married in that church!”
“You’re trying to break my heart!” Her mother clasped her purse to her chest, her voice catching. “Getting pregnant. Lying to me. You think I don’t know whose child that is, despite what Luke said?” She pointed to Mia’s belly. “You’ve just about killed me with your wild ways. And now this. I waited all my life to see you walk up that aisle—to see you married in the same church I was—”
Mia stifled a groan. She knew exactly what her mother had hoped. Enid had whispered that dream into her ear every Sunday for years as they walked down to take their seats. Someday you’ll get married up at the altar right where Mommy and Daddy did. And you’ll have a big white dress and a fancy cake— It took Mia years to realize they wouldn’t eat the cake up at the altar too, featuring as it did in her mother’s description.
Enid searched her face with a pleading gaze and Mia caved in. How could she deny her mother’s wish when she’d ruined so many others? She’d never won the big beauty pageant like Enid hoped she would. She’d dropped out of them before she even got to that level. She’d had an affair with a married man. She’d gotten pregnant before a ring sat on her finger. It was time to give her mother what she wanted.
“Okay.”
But giving in hurt worse than she could have ever imagined.
“Do you really think you’re ready to be a father?” Rob asked. They’d met up outside their cabins, Rob heading home for a quick lunch with Morgan, Luke heading up to the main house to eat with his folks since Mia was at work.
“You’re going to be a father before I am.”
“And I sure as hell don’t feel ready. Don’t get me wrong; I can’t wait. It’s just…well, I don’t want to end up like Dad.”
Luke laughed out loud. “I don’t think there’s much chance of that.”
“I doubt he set out to be like he is, though.” Rob cocked his hat back. “Seems to me it must have just snuck up on him, all that orneriness.”
“Then watch out for it. Anyway, Morgan won’t let you turn into Dad.”
“That’s just the thing that bothers me. Why’d Mom let him get that way? She’s no shrinking violet. You’d think she’d pound some sense into him. I’m telling you; I’m worried.”
Luke understood why. His brother’s words were making him mighty uneasy, too. “It can’t happen to us. None of us are mean like that.” But as he said it out loud he remembered a time when he’d been all too mean to Rob. “Not anymore, anyway. Well, maybe Ned.”
“Naw, I think Ned might be in the best shape of any of us now.” They stood a moment and mulled over that surprising fact. “Anyway, we’ve all got tempers. We just didn’t used to have wives and kids to take them out on. Now we do—or we will soon.”
It was an uncomfortable thought.
“None of us are like Dad,” Luke stated with far more certainty than he truly felt.
He’d regained his confidence by the time Mia walked into the cabin just before dinnertime. He’d mot
ored through the rest of his never-ending chores and had even sat down to make the list of wedding guests Mia had requested from him. They needed to get a jump on things if this wedding was going to come off right. He knew some folks took an entire year to plan such an event, but with the spate of weddings among his family and friends lately, he figured his circle were old hands at it.
“Whose truck is that outside?” she said, taking off her coat and boots.
“Ours. What do you think?”
“Ours?” She stopped in her tracks. “You bought it?”
“Yep. Nothing but the best for my princess.”
“Luke, I wish you’d stop calling me that.”
“Why?” He moved toward her. Dipped his head down for a kiss. She kissed him back willingly enough that he took things a little further.
Mia retreated. “Because it makes me uncomfortable.”
“All right, sweetheart. I can call you sweetheart, can’t I?”
A smile tugged at her lips. “I guess so. That’s a pretty fancy truck. Are you sure you can afford it?”
It was his turn to pull back. “What did I tell you earlier? Stop worrying about the money. I’ve got it covered.”
“It’s just—”
“Shh.” He kissed her again. “Don’t you worry your head about anything. Come on and sit down.”
As he led her to the couch, Luke realized Mia seemed awfully tired. He knew she was beginning to feel the pinch of helping prepare Fila and Camila’s restaurant for its grand opening in a few weeks, but he was surprised by how pale and drawn she looked when she dropped onto the cushion beside him. He reached out to gather her into his arms.
“Something wrong?” He lifted her chin with his finger, the better to gaze into her eyes.
“My mother.” Her tone was sour.
He tightened his hold on her. “What did she do now?”
“She booked her church for the wedding. And she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I don’t want to get married there.”
“Well, hang on a moment.” That wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. Luke thought it through. He knew Mia’s parents were far more religious than anyone in his family. Their church had a large, close-knit congregation. He could see how holding the wedding there might be important to Enid. “It might make a lot of sense, now that I think about it.”