“Right. If I ever decide to marry a guy, and that’s a big if, I need to be willing to give up all the things I like about being single.”
“But you could gain so many other—”
“You can, Nell, because you’ve found someone you can’t live without. I’m looking forward to the next few days with Teague, but if we decide to part ways after that, I’ll survive just fine.”
Nell gazed at her for a moment, then nodded. “Got it.”
“Great. I’ll stick this in the fridge and we can attack the pizza. I’m starving.”
“Me, too.” Nell pulled out the chair at what had become her designated spot and opened the box. “Yum. I— wait, why are there mushrooms? You don’t much like—”
“But you do, so I decided—”
“You’re supposed to get what you like when it’s your turn to buy.”
“And you splurged on an apple pie.” She took her seat and lifted her wine glass. “I guess we were both feeling guilty.”
“I definitely was. Here’s to clearing the air.” She tapped her wine glass against Val’s.
“I’ll drink to that.” She took a mouthful of wine and let it slide over her tongue before she swallowed. “I like this one so much.”
“We’re serving it at the reception.”
“Not apple cider? Doesn’t that break some kind of town ordinance?”
“Almost, which is why we’ll serve both wine and cider.” Nell transferred a wedge of pizza to her plate. “Plus Ed’s donating some of her pricey champagne. We’ll have out-of-towners and not everyone’s a fan of hard cider.”
“I like it, but not as much as this. Or Ed’s champagne.” Setting down her glass, she scooped a slice of pizza out of the box. “Listen, I need some pointers on how future daughters-in-law are supposed to act.”
“Like I’m supposed to know?”
“If you don’t, I’m SOL. You’re the only future daughter-in-law in my phone contacts.”
“I doubt Teague’s mother is anything like Zeke’s.”
“Probably not, but I’ll bet there’s some protocol.” She bit into the pizza. The mushrooms weren’t half-bad. Maybe her taste buds were changing.
“If there is, I’ve never heard of it. Just be nice to her.” She finished her first piece and took a second.
“I’m not good at sucking up, if that’s what you mean.”
Nell shook her head, finished chewing and swallowed. “Sucking up could be a disaster. Teague’s mom and Ed are buddies and Ed hates suck-ups. I assume Madeline does, too.”
“Madeline? That’s her name?”
“Teague didn’t tell you?”
“We didn’t get around to that.”
Nell grinned. “I see.”
“Okay, okay. We both went a little crazy Sunday night.”
“You talked to him today, though.”
“I did, but… this new version of Teague has me discombobulated.”
“No, really?”
“Bite me.”
Nell just smiled and took a sip of wine.
“Maybe I won’t have to spend too much time with his mom.”
Nell’s snort of laughter made her choke on her wine. Grabbing her napkin, she put down her glass and dabbed at her eyes.
“What’s so funny?”
“She’s coming to meet you, girlfriend. You’re the whole reason for the trip. She’ll want to spend most of her visit with you.”
“Well, she’ll have to amuse herself on Friday. We have stuff to do.”
“Teague hasn’t mentioned that his mom wants to help get your room ready?”
She stared at Nell in dismay. “No, she can’t! It’s just you, me and the girls. I don’t want Meredith or Marilyn or whatever her name is horning in on our special—”
“Madeline. And that’s basically what I said to Teague, which is probably why he hasn’t brought it up.”
Val heaved a sigh. “I suppose an actual fiancée would be delighted to include her future mother-in-law.”
“Yes, she would. Especially since this FMIL is an experienced elementary teacher. An actual fiancée would see it as a bonding opportunity.”
“The fake fiancée sees it as a royal pain in the ass.”
“I know.” Nell gestured toward the pizza. “You take that bigger piece. Not as many ’shrooms.”
“Okay, but I’m starting to like ’em.” She picked up the larger of the two remaining pieces.
“Yeah? Does that mean we can have them every week?”
“Fine with me.” She took a bite and chewed slowly. She’d so looked forward to spending Friday with the girls — working on both classrooms in the morning and taking them for a special lunch at the Moose afterward. “What if we come up with a reason to shift the classroom thing to Monday, after she’s gone?”
“Riley’s end-of-the-summer trip is next week. That’s why we—”
“Damn, you’re right.”
“Hey, it won’t be so bad. The girls won’t mind. They love meeting new people, and Madeline clearly loves kids or she wouldn’t be substituting after her retirement. Teague says she doesn’t need the money. She donates a big chunk of it to her favorite charity.”
“Hm.” She took another bite, chewed and swallowed. “Nell, I just had an awful thought.”
“Which is?”
“So far I’ve heard mostly good things about this woman. Inviting herself to live with Teague is a little out there, but otherwise, she sounds great. What if I like her? What if we like each other?”
“Then the next few days won’t be as bad as you think.”
“No, they’ll be worse. I’ll be tricking someone I like. I’m gonna hate that.”
Chapter Seven
Usually by five in the afternoon, especially on warm days, Teague was sweaty and looking forward to a shower after he’d finished feeding the critters. Tonight he’d showered before feeding time. Silver, a white gelding and a former star in the world of trick riding, sniffed Teague’s freshly laundered T-shirt.
“Not used to being served by such a sweet-smelling wrangler, are you, boy?” He dropped a hay flake into the net, taking his time because he’d promised Val she could help.
She’d be here any minute. That concept put his body on red alert, his heart pumping faster than normal and his skin flushed.
The soft rumble of her truck on the road sent a trickle of sweat down his spine. Would she drop off her stuff before walking to the barn? The house was unlocked, as usual, so she might choose to do that.
The thud of the truck’s door made him catch his breath. The faint scratch of boots on dirt grew louder. Not putting her stuff in the house. Heading straight for the barn. Hot damn.
He concentrated on his breathing, going for a slow, steady rhythm. He’d partially achieved it when she appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the warm glow of late afternoon sunshine. The light touched her blonde hair, creating a rim of gold around her head.
He fought the urge to go to her. Gripping the edge of the stall door to hold himself in place, he cleared his throat. “Hi, there.”
“Hi, yourself.” She glanced at the wheelbarrow loaded with hay flakes. “Looks like you started.”
“Just did. Work gloves are in the tack room.”
“I remember.” Stepping into the barn, she ducked into the tack room and reappeared with the gloves. They were big on her, but she’d managed with them before. “Just hay flakes tonight?”
“That’s it. They’ll also get oats in the morning.” The morning after they shared a bed the entire night. His groin throbbed.
“I want to help with that, too.” A slight tremor in her voice betrayed her outward calm.
“Okay.” Was she remembering what they’d done the last time they were alone in this barn?
“It seems like Ed doesn’t have as many horses.” Her color high, she surveyed the stalls on either side of the aisle.
Her blush gave her away. She was thinking about it just like he was. “Normally
there would be one more. Ed trailered Cinnamon over to the Buckskin today so Claire could work him into the routine during Thursday’s riding lesson.”
“Good idea. I’ll bet Claire’s excited about that.”
“Over the moon.”
“But adding one more horse still wouldn’t make the stable as full as I remember. Wasn’t there a horse named Dusty? And another big brown one named… let me think… Hercules.”
“Good memory. A kids’ riding program wanted to expand and Ed gave them Dusty, Hercules and Jim.”
“That was nice of her. I’m glad she didn’t give them Nugget, though.” She focused on the palomino three stalls down, who’d stuck his nose over the door to peer at her.
“Ed knows you’re partial to him.”
“But I never intended to come back here to ride, so why would she—”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
“Maybe I will.” Banked heat flickered in her eyes. “What’s her take on our… arrangement?”
He tightened his hold on the stall door. “She called it an interesting development.”
“Good description.”
“Shall we get started?”
Her eyebrows rose.
His cock tried to do the same, but it was hampered by a layer of knit cotton and another of sturdy denim. “I mean with the feeding.”
Her mouth curved in a smile as she glanced at the area below his belt buckle. “Tell that to your friend.”
“My friend doesn’t give a damn whether the horses get fed. But I do.” He let go of the stall door and grasped the wheelbarrow handles. “Next stop, Toffee on the left and Nugget on the right. Take your pick.”
“Nugget.”
“Want to ride him tomorrow morning?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“How often I ride you tonight.”
He sucked in a breath. Keep your cool, buddy. She’s testing you. Play the game. “I’ll go easy on you, then. A morning ride would be nice.”
“A midnight ride would be nice, too.”
He dug deep, came up with a sexy reply. “Then I’ll make sure we do both.”
“I like the way you think.”
Think? That skill was gone. She’d flash-fried his brain. He operated on auto-pilot, quickly stuffing the hay nets for Toffee and Herb, the ancient gelding Ed kept for sentimental reasons.
Val fed Nugget and Sir Eatsalot. “I’m glad Ed kept this guy, too.”
“Nobody else would have that sway-backed food hog. Ed’s promised him a home for the rest of his life.”
“Your boss is a soft touch.”
“Uh-huh.” The words soft and touch coming out of her mouth weakened the fraying cord keeping his impulses in check. “We’re done, here.” His tone was clipped. Couldn’t help it. “I’ll stow the wheelbarrow. Just leave your gloves in the tack room and wait for me outside. I’ll be right there.”
“You’re booting me out?”
“No, I… wait for me outside, please.”
No answer. Maybe she was ticked. Without checking to see if she was glaring at him, he rolled the wheelbarrow quickly to the rear of the barn and leaned it against the wall. He’d planned to make her dinner and keep his libido in check until after the meal. The pressure behind his fly might not make that plan doable.
“You sound stressed.”
He turned and there she was, inches away, her gaze smoldering and her breathing shallow. He swallowed. “It’s been a long day.”
“It’s been a long summer.” Tossing the gloves to the floor, she moved in, smoothing her palms up his chest, cupping his face in both hands and pulling him down to meet her full lips.
He ran up the white flag. Grabbing the back of her head, he put his own spin on the kiss, delving into the moist heat of her hungry mouth. She responded with a groan and pressed her body to his.
Flames licked his privates as he thrust his tongue deep. His cock surged to life. Forget dinner. Forget everything but a kiss with the power to burn away every resolution to keep his emotional distance. This was so right. Couldn’t she see that? Couldn’t she feel it?
As passion raged through him, he was oblivious to everything but the perfect connection of his mouth and hers… until his belt loosened. And the top button of his jeans let go.
He put an inch between his lips and hers. “Val…”
“I want to.” She eased down the zipper of his fly. “We did this last time, remember?”
“Yes, but—”
“Let me take the edge off.”
“I don’t need—”
“Oh, but you do.” She slid both hands inside his briefs.
And he was lost. When she dropped to her knees, he turned over the reins. She took him without preamble, without coy licks and kisses. Clearly she wanted him to come, and come fast. He obliged, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling and scaring the horses.
When she finished and slowly released him, he was breathing like a freight train and denting his palms with his fingernails. Somehow he remained standing.
She tucked his happy cock back into his briefs, buttoned his jeans and zipped his fly. She even buckled his belt before she rose to her feet and wound her arms around his neck. “How was that?”
Heart pounding, he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin so she couldn’t see his face. Tender words of gratitude lodged in his throat. Couldn’t say them.
Instead he managed a chuckle. “I’d call that a good start.”
Chapter Eight
“I wasn’t sure what to bring.” Val handed Teague her suitcase and picked up two canvas bags on the floor of the passenger side of her truck. “How long does your mom think I’ve been here?”
“I kept it vague. I’ll take those bags, too.”
“Okay, thanks.” She gave him the bags one at a time so he could sling one over his shoulder. “I have more stuff behind the seat. I may have brought too much.”
“I doubt it. The more stuff, the more convincing this will be.” He lifted the second bag. “Books?”
“You guessed it. Paperback romances. Figured that would be a nice touch since I doubt you read them.”
“Not yet. Maybe I’ll start.”
She flashed him a grin. “I could read one of the sexy times scenes to you. Put you in the mood.”
“That won’t be a problem, but I like the idea.” He stood patiently holding a large suitcase and two heavy bags as if they weighed nothing. Quite the manly performance.
“Why don’t you take those in? I’ll be right behind you.”
“No worries. I’ll wait while you grab the rest. Can you get it okay?”
“Absolutely.” She knew better than to insist. He was a cowboy, and although he’d promised not to get mushy, he’d need a brain transplant to get rid of his gentlemanly manners. She flipped the front seat forward and lifted two more bags from the backseat. “All set.”
“After you.”
She lugged the bags up the porch steps and set one down so she could open the screen door.
“Just leave it open for now.”
“Will do.” She walked into his tidy living room. Would he have flowers waiting? The old Teague would have. Nope. No flowers. But the room looked different. “Did you move the furniture around?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The couch used to be in front of the fireplace.” Now it was perpendicular to the hearth, with both easy chairs across from it and the coffee table in the middle.
“I decided it looked better this way.”
“Very nice.” And less convenient for making out in front of the fireplace. “When did you change it?”
“Not really sure. A while ago.”
Likely the day after she’d rejected his proposal. “Should I just take these back to the bedroom?”
“If that’s where they go.”
“More or less. Bedroom and bathroom.”
“I cleared a shelf for you in the bathroom a
nd made room in the shower.”
“Thanks.” She took the all-too-familiar walk back to his bedroom. “This feels weird.”
“Déjà vu?”
“Not really. Before I was only here for the weekend. Now I’m moving in, or pretending to. I’ve never lived with a guy.”
“No?” He sounded surprised.
“Like I said back in June, I value my independence. Once I was out of college and could afford a place of my own, I jumped at the chance to have complete privacy.”
“So if I’d asked you to move in instead of proposing, you would have refused that, too?”
“Yep. But… that would have been an easier conversation.” She stepped through the door of his bedroom and set her bags on the polished wood floor. No sheets turned back or mints on the pillow. “This looks different, too.” She’d been too focused on him the previous night to notice.
“I like the bed pushed against the far wall. You catch the breeze from the window.”
“You got a new comforter.” Light gray instead of dark brown.
“A store in Great Falls had a sale.”
She’d hurt him more than he’d ever let on. The evidence was all around her — a rearranged living room and bedroom, new linens on the bed. His sheets and comforter had been in great shape. Most guys didn’t switch those things out because they were tired of the color. “Did you buy new towels, too?”
“It was an awesome sale.”
She turned back to him. “The walls weren’t yellow before, either.”
“They were a little dinged up.” He avoided her gaze.
Dinged up. No doubt from the many times their wild lovemaking had slammed the headboard against the wall. Staring at those scuff marks wouldn’t have been much fun.
“I figured if I had to paint, I might as well change the color while I was at it.” He set down the suitcase and both bags. “Why don’t I start dinner while you settle in? I left you space in the closet and the top two dresser drawers are empty.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you.” He nudged back his hat. “I didn’t realize the concept of living with me was such a scary deal.”
“I can handle it for five days.”
“That’s good.” His frown came and went in the blink of an eye. “When I saw all this stuff, I wondered if—”
Marriage-Minded Cowboy Page 4