Matt (The Cowboys)

by Leigh Greenwood

  His gaze became intense. “You don’t think I’m too boring and quiet?”

  “No. Well, maybe sometimes, but I’ve got some ideas about how to fix that.” She could see the excitement building in him.

  “You won’t get upset if I want to adopt some other kid?”

  “I expect we’ll adopt several. We still have six to go before we match Jake and Isabelle.”

  “You really mean it?”

  “I really mean it. I’m sorry I—”

  Without warning Matt let out a war whoop that probably woke every living animal within a distance of five miles. He grabbed her, kissed her so hard she saw stars, then fell back and pulled her over on top of him.

  “Something wrong?” Hank asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

  “Everything is just fine,” Matt said. “Go back to sleep.”

  “Matt, I—”

  “You don’t have to explain or justify anything. All that’s past, for both of us.” He grasped her chin and kissed her, but his grin was so broad she couldn’t help smiling.

  “I’ve never seen you like this,” she said.

  “I’ve never felt like this. I’m a new man.”

  “Not too new, I hope.” She kissed him lightly. “I sorta liked the old one.” She kissed him on the end of his nose. “He’s real cute.”

  “You’re not too bad yourself.”

  “All the women in Bandera are jealous.”

  “The men hate me.”

  “Looks like we have nobody but ourselves. What are we going to do about it?”

  “As soon as we don’t have one of our boys sleeping right next to us, I’ll show you.”

  “I don’t want to wait.”

  “Neither do I, but we have the rest of our lives.”

  She snuggled down next to him. “I like the sound of that. I like it very much.”

  Epilogue

  “You sure you don’t mind keeping them for a week?” Ellen asked Isabelle.

  “There’s nothing she likes better than a house full of people she can boss around,” Jake said. “She hasn’t been completely happy since the boys grew up.”

  “Don’t believe a word he says,” Isabelle retorted. “There was so much they needed to make them human, I could only hit the high points.”

  “You think you can make Toby human?” Matt tousled the boy’s perfectly combed hair.

  “I doubt it,” Isabelle said. “He’s pretty much ruined already.”

  “That’s not what Tammy Jackson says,” Toby said. He took out a comb, walked over to the mirror, and restored his hair’s perfect order.

  “The less you listen to Tammy Jackson, the easier life will be for the rest of us,” Matt said.

  But things had changed drastically in the weeks since Hollender’s death. Wilbur Sears’s influence had sunk to such a low level, he’d left town in search of another congregation hungry for his hand to guide their collective conscience. He had not even tried to approach Ellen, much to her relief. The formal adoption of the children had made Toby much more acceptable to the parents of impressionable girls. He was no longer a nameless boy without expectations but a full-fledged member of the Maxwell clan. Practically overnight he became a charming boy with just enough devil in him to make him interesting.

  To quote Tulip, the other kids were as happy as pigs in mud. Orin and Hank felt safe, and Tessa and Noah felt wanted. Suppertime was an exciting time in their house, with everybody talking at once and Matt calmly keeping the whole crew under control.

  “I’m keeping my options open,” Toby said. “There must be lots of other girls who’d like to meet me.”

  “Like I said, ruined already,” Isabelle said.

  “Don’t you two worry about a thing,” Will said. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

  “That’s what really worries me,” Matt said.

  “Just get out of here,” Isabelle said. “If you come back before a week is up, I’ll close the door in your face.”

  It took several minutes for Matt and Ellen to kiss and hug everybody good-bye, especially since Tess had to hug them a half dozen times each, but finally they were in the buggy, driving down the lane, waving until the ranch house disappeared behind the willows along a bend in the creek.

  “Nervous?” Matt asked.

  “No. You?”

  “No, but I do feel strange. I haven’t been away from the boys since they came to the ranch.”

  “That’s exactly why Isabelle insisted we go away by ourselves, even though she was disgusted you decided to make it a business trip as well.”

  “I couldn’t stand the thought of so much pleasure all at once. I’m going to have to work up to it.”

  “Don’t talk nonsense.”

  “I’m not,” he said, turning serious. “I never thought I could ever be this happy. I was certain something would go wrong. And it did.”

  “Matt, I’ll never—”

  “I’m not complaining. I’m just explaining why I’m having trouble getting used to everything being perfect.” He smiled and put his arm around her. “But don’t worry, I’m a fast learner.”

  Ellen put both arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Where are we going?”

  “Isabelle told me about this wonderful hotel in San Antonio. She says the food is perfect. Jake says the beds are soft.”

  Ellen chuckled. “Jake would remember the beds.”

  “I’ve been thinking about them, too.”

  She tilted her head back until she could look into his eyes. “You have?”

  “Well, I’m not very experienced yet.”

  “I think you’re wonderful.”

  “I’ll get better, but I need practice. Lots of concentrated practice somewhere I can do things over and over again until I get them right.”

  Ellen stifled a giggle. “You think this concentrated practice is really necessary?”

  “Definitely, Jake says a man should strive to do everything to the best of his ability. I’d hate to let Jake down.”

  Ellen couldn’t keep that giggle inside. “I didn’t realize this had anything to do with Jake.”

  “It doesn’t. It’s just the principle.”

  “Just the principle, huh?”

  Matt took his eyes off the trail long enough to give her one of the patented grins that warmed her down to her toes. “Not entirely. I thought you might enjoy it a little. Do you think you could?”

  She smiled up at him. “I’ll do my best.”

  He smiled back. “That’s good enough for me.” He cracked the whip and the horses broke into a trot. “Giddy up, you slowpokes. My gal’s got business in San Antonio, and she’s mighty impatient to get to it.”

  She punched him. No self-respecting woman could let her husband think she was anxious to make love to him, but she was glad he’d put the horses into a trot. If they didn’t reach San Antonio soon, she’d have to drag him into the bushes. Even a respectable married woman could wait only so long.

  About the Author

  Leigh Greenwood is the award-winning author of over fifty books, many of which have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Leigh lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Please visit his website at http://www.leigh-greenwood.com/.