by Unknown
Lucas drew a shuddering breath. He’d hold his unborn child at a distance as he intended to hold his wife at a distance.
Except for making love to her.
Having sex.
“Boss, breakfast’s ready,” Frankie called up the stairs.
As if escaping from a torture chamber, Lucas rushed out of his bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen.
When Doc arrived that afternoon to escort him to the church, Lucas had put on his best suit, a crisp white shirt and a silver-and-blue tie. His mirror told him he looked the part of the eager groom.
Except for the pallor beneath his tan.
“Ready, boy?”
“Am I making a mistake, Doc?” He wanted to grab the older man by the neck. It was his fault, after all.
“No, Lucas, you’re not making a mistake. It’s time for you to enter the human race again.”
Lucas stared at him, afraid he was right.
“Come on. It’s too late now.” Doc took him by the arm and led him out to his Cadillac.
Doc remained at his side as he entered the church where he’d married his sweet Beth. She’d looked like a delicate doll in her white gown, all innocence and eagerness.
It took all his courage to face the filled church. But, with Doc at his side, he walked down the aisle to greet Pastor Collier who was waiting at the altar. The people quieted and the pastor signaled the organist to begin to play.
Though he’d organized most of the wedding and all of the reception at his ranch, Lucas had meticulously informed Susannah of each event, giving her every choice, during the week. He didn’t want a repeat of the night she’d heard of his plans secondhand. But he’d consulted with her from a distance. He hadn’t seen her since their confrontation.
Since neither he nor Susannah had parents, the only person to precede his bride down the aisle was Abby. When the organ music swelled and the guests stood and faced the front of the church, Lucas closed his eyes, unwilling to face his future.
He hadn’t seen Susannah’s gown. He’d given Abby strict instructions and she’d promised to keep Susannah from choosing a sensible suit. Even though their marriage wasn’t romantic, he felt he owed her a real wedding.
A murmur ran through the audience and he snapped open his eyes. And understood why she’d gained their attention. She wore a white satin gown that draped her tall, rounded figure, sweeping the floor. The white drifting veil gave her a fairy princess air, only heightened by her brunette curls touching her shoulders.
He drew a deep breath. You don’t care about her. You don’t care about her. You’re just going to make love to her. That’s all.
Susannah’s hands trembled as they clutched the huge bouquet of pale pink rosebuds and baby’s breath Lucas had sent her. In spite of the distance they’d maintained this week, he had gone the extra mile to provide a beautiful wedding.
She was grateful. Really she was. But she was so worried over what would happen after the reception that she could scarcely concentrate.
Raising her eyes, she stared at the tall, handsome man waiting for her. Soon to be her husband. When she reached his side, she lowered her gaze to her trembling flowers and waited.
The music stopped and the minister began the ceremony.
They should’ve discussed the vows, she realized as Lucas repeated the words. He was promising to love her and she knew his words were a lie. Again she looked at him, but his gaze was fixed on the minister.
Then it was her turn. Like Lucas, she mouthed the words, knowing that in her heart she was promising no such thing. Not that she hated him. But she wasn’t promising to love him. It was too frightening. Her gaze flashed to his, panic filling it.
He frowned and squeezed her hand, as if to offer support.
She turned back to the minister and Abby handed her the gold band she’d purchased for Lucas. Dr. Grable did the same for Lucas. When he slid a ring on her trembling finger, she started, surprised by the diamonds. She’d tried on a plain gold band on Monday. Now she was wearing at least three carats of diamonds—an incredibly beautiful ring.
After Lucas had received his ring, the minister informed them they were now man and wife and added the words she’d been dreading. “You may kiss the bride.”
Lucas lifted the veil, then drew her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Every time he’d kissed her, she’d lost control, her body responding to his touch no matter how much she’d intended to remain distant. This kiss was no exception.
“Ahem. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd, I think we’re ready for the reception,” the minister said, breaking into the passion they were sharing.
Susannah’s cheeks flamed as Lucas turned her toward the doors of the church and the crowd cheered, some of them laughing, she supposed, at the length of the kiss.
“Ready?” Lucas whispered, his arm around her waist.
She nodded, though she had no idea what she was agreeing to. She was still lost in a haze of passion. How could she respond to Lucas that way when no other man had ever aroused her?
Lucas took his arm from around her and laced his fingers with hers, pulling her from the altar down the aisle. A lot of well-wishers patted them on the shoulder or stopped them for a handshake as they made their way out of the church.
“Looks like everyone made it,” Lucas whispered when they stepped outside in the late-afternoon sunshine. “We’ll have a full house at the ranch. There hasn’t been a party there since…I mean—there’ll be a crowd.”
“I haven’t helped prepare anything,” she returned, feeling guilty.
“No problem. Half the town has dropped off food and Frankie’s been cooking for three days. We’ll have leftovers into next week.”
How mundane to be discussing leftovers after leaving the church. If she could hold on to such practical things, maybe she’d be able to handle this liaison better than she thought.
Doc and Abby stepped out after them. “Let’s get a move on,” Doc ordered. “We’re going to be surrounded in ten seconds.”
His Cadillac was waiting by the door and Lucas helped Susannah get her gown into the back seat and then slid in after her. Abby joined Doc in the front.
They were back at the ranch in five minutes, not enough time to worry about conversation. Halfway there, however, Lucas realized he was still holding Susannah’s hand and jerked his away, as if she’d been trying to trap him.
She missed the warmth of his touch. But she wasn’t surprised.
“All right, now,” Abby said over her shoulder. “You two stand by the front door so you can greet everyone. I’ll check on Frankie. He was in the back of the church and scooted out just ahead of you.”
For the next hour, Susannah greeted everyone she’d ever met, and a few strangers, too, as Mrs. Lucas Boyd. It was a strange experience. And draining. When she sagged against Lucas briefly, he immediately called a halt to the line.
“My wife needs to eat something. Did you skip lunch?” he demanded.
Susannah couldn’t believe he sounded as if he were her keeper, not her husband. “I ate something.”
“What?”
Her mind was buzzing with the day’s events. “I don’t remember. I’m fine.”
Ignoring her protest, he pulled her into the living room and found her a place on the sofa. “I’ll bring you some food.”
“No, I can—” She didn’t finish her protest because he’d disappeared. “Well, really!”
“Let him wait on you, honey. It won’t last long,” one older lady assured her, laughing.
“True,” another chimed in. “When I was pregnant with our first baby, Walter waited on me hand and foot. By the time the third came along, he’d plop down in a chair and ask me to wait on him.”
Several other ladies had stories to tell, and Susannah relaxed for the first time that day. And felt more married than she had up till then.
Lucas returned with a plate piled high. “Eat quickly. We need to cut the wedding cake in a few minutes,” he warned. “Do you ne
ed anything else?” He set a cup of coffee beside her.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Go on, Luke, go out to the barn and man-talk. We’re taking care of everything here.”
He walked away and Susannah looked at the woman who’d spoken. “The barn?”
“At these parties, the men always end up in the barn, having some beers and talking about sports or cows or something else we don’t care about.”
“Oh. But the cake—”
“There’s no rush. Eat up. You’ll need your strength for tonight. That boy’s all man.”
Her ribald comment brought the blood to Susannah’s cheeks again, and she tucked into her food. She didn’t want to think about tonight, after everyone left. But the image of Lucas, all two hundred hunky pounds of him, was uppermost in her mind.
Abby came over. “Want to remove your veil? Is it bothering you?”
“Yes, thank you, Abby.” She hadn’t intended to have a veil but according to Abby, Lucas insisted. In fact, she’d intended to buy a plain business suit, one that she could wear again and again. Lucas had nixed that idea, if she believed Abby.
Abby unpinned the veil, careful not to disturb Susannah’s hair. She’d felt a little silly curling it to fall around her face, as if she were a teenager trying to impress the boys. But Abby had insisted it looked more bridal than her normal bun.
“You look beautiful,” Abby whispered and kissed her on her cheek.
“Are you ready for some cake?” Lucas asked, stepping in front of her a few minutes later. “You took off your veil?”
“Yes, it was giving me a headache,” she replied.
“You look beautiful,” he repeated Abby’s words without the kiss. It bothered Susannah that his words meant more to her than Abby’s. The husky catch in his voice sent an unwanted shiver down her spine.
Taking her hand, he helped her to her feet and escorted her to the formal dining room where she’d dined last week. The chairs were all pulled back from the lace-covered table, and in its center was a magnificent wedding cake.
“Where…?”
“Frankie made it,” Lucas whispered.
The man was standing by the door to the kitchen and Susannah left Lucas’s side to kiss Frankie’s cheek. “Thank you so much, Frankie. The cake is absolutely gorgeous. I’m so amazed.”
He beamed at her. “My pleasure.”
“All right, stop flirting with Frankie and come back over here,” Lucas called, amid much laughter. As if he were really a jealous groom.
She moved back to the table and he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close, then handed her the knife and covered her hand with his. The flash of a camera startled her and she almost dropped the knife.
“Hey! I don’t want to lose any toes,” Lucas joked. Again, everyone gathered around the cake laughed.
She gulped, not bothering to smile.
He guided the knife to the middle tier of the cake, sliding the knife through the creamy icing and cake beneath. Abby held out a plate for the first piece. Once they’d put down the knife, Lucas took the plate and turned to Susannah. “Ready?”
“You’re not going to—” she began, fearing he meant to smear her face with cake as she’d seen some bridegrooms do. She’d always thought it was childish and cruel, but she’d forgotten to discuss this with Lucas. Because she hadn’t realized they’d have such a big reception, or a wedding cake.
He stopped her question by taking a small bite of cake and feeding it daintily into her open mouth. “Chew,” he ordered. As she automatically followed his order, he bent over and surprised her with a kiss.
“Hey, Luke, we’re never gonna get cake if you don’t stop kissing your woman!” some male called out.
Susannah, again lost to his touch, jerked back. She stared at Luke, unsure what to do next. He lifted the plate of cake he was holding just a little higher, catching her attention.
“Oh. It’s your turn.” She took a larger piece between her fingers, and he opened wide. But as he took the cake into his mouth, he captured her hand. Staring at her, he drew each of her fingers into his mouth, licking the icing from them, one at a time.
“Damn, someone get a water hose. They’re going to set the house on fire.”
The laughter was even louder, increased by a few cheers, and Susannah thought she’d never been so embarrassed in her life.
“All right, you two. Move aside so we can serve this hungry bunch some cake,” Abby ordered, as if nothing unusual had occurred.
And maybe it hadn’t. If this had been a usual marriage. But Susannah knew it wasn’t. Lucas had assured her it wasn’t. So why was he acting as if he’d been in love with her forever?
He pulled her aside and answered her unspoken question at once. “I think we fooled ’em,” he whispered in her ear, his arm around her waist. At his touch she felt a familiar current of longing travel through her.
Of course, she should’ve known. Lucas Boyd would be too proud to let people know his marriage was one of convenience. Probably, in the barn, he’d been telling everyone how crazy she was about him.
The sad thing was, it might be the truth. It would help explain her reaction to him. But he didn’t know. Or want to know. And, if she were smart, she’d make sure it wasn’t true.
After the cake was served, people began leaving. The crowd thinned out enough that Susannah noticed the huge pile of presents they’d brought. She’d already had a shower Thursday night, receiving some lovely, thoughtful gifts. It had surprised her that many of them were personal. She now owned an array of beautiful nightgowns and underwear.
One of which she would wear tonight.
Quickly she shifted her thoughts. She’d never make it through to the end of the reception if she started thinking about what was to come.
Lucas couldn’t focus on the conversations going on around him. All he could think about was tonight.
When the reception was over, he and Susannah would go upstairs and consummate their marriage. And make a child.
“There he goes again,” one of his cowboys said, punching his friend with his elbow. “He drifts off, with that look on his face. Think maybe he’s worried about the herd?” Then he laughed uproariously as if he’d made a witty comment.
“What are you talking about?” Lucas asked.
“Don’t mind Mike. He thinks you’re thinking about what’s going to happen after we leave,” one of his neighbors explained.
“Yeah,” Mike chimed in, “and we ain’t talking about the cleaning up!” He laughed again.
Several others joined him as Lucas felt his cheeks redden. Hell, he hadn’t realized he’d been so open.
Another neighbor, older, made a big production of looking at his watch. “It is getting late. Probably we should all pack it in.”
“Late? Hell, it’s only eight o’clock,” Mike protested. “I think we should make another run at the food. You’ve still got enough to feed an army.”
Lucas considered telling him to have all the food he wanted—to go. He didn’t want to be inhospitable, but he was ready for the reception to end. He looked over the guests’ heads, searching for Susannah.
Fortunately for his patience, some of his neighbors decided an early departure was called for and began a general movement toward the door. Which meant, of course, that Susannah would come to tell them bye.
So he didn’t have to search for her anymore.
Instead they reversed the procedure for the afternoon, staying by the door to tell their well-wishers goodbye.
By the time the last of them, Doc and Abby, had left, it was closer to ten than nine. He thought Susannah looked even more tense than she had earlier.
“Why don’t you go on up and get ready. I’ll help Frankie straighten the furniture for a few minutes.” He thought it was a tactful way to give her some time alone.
She didn’t even smile. With a stiff nod, she hurried up the stairs, as if escaping.
He stared after her, frowning. What was wrong?
Everything had gone well. They’d convinced the entire town that they were in love. That they were eager for their wedding bed.
Well, maybe that last thought hadn’t taken much work. There was some kind of chemical reaction every time he touched her. It wasn’t love. He was sure of that, but his body responded to that lady like a stick of dynamite to a match.
“Hey, boss, I don’t need no help. Most of it can be left until tomorrow,” Frankie assured him.
“It’s okay. The groom is supposed to give the bride a little time to herself.”
“Oh. It’s a good thing I never married. I woulda messed up good, ‘cause I wouldn’t be able to wait. She’s some looker, Mrs. Boyd. And nice, too.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think she was pretty at first, but she kind of grows on you.”
They moved the chairs back around the table in the dining room. When they finished there, Frankie started into the living room, assuming Lucas would follow.
He stopped and stared up the stairs.
“Uh, Frankie, I think I’ll go on up, now, if you don’t mind.”
“Right. I’ll go to the bunkhouse for tonight, but I’ll cook breakfast for you in the morning.”
“Uh, okay, but probably not till eight.”
He figured his wife could sleep in the day after her wedding. Hell, Beth had slept in most of the time, especially when she was pregnant. She said she wasn’t a morning person.
Suddenly realizing he didn’t know if Susannah was a morning person or not, he hurried up the stairs. Not that it mattered, but…he felt funny, knowing so little about his bride.
Except that he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman in his life.
But it was only because of that strange chemistry.
Unexplainable but true.
He took the last two steps in one and reached the door to his bedroom. Mindful of her possible shyness, he rapped before he opened it.
With a smile on his face, he stepped in and came to an abrupt halt. There was no sign of Susannah here. No suitcases. No bed turned down. No scent of perfume in the air.
He crossed the room to the bathroom door. Another knock before he impatiently opened it. Nothing. No feminine clothes, no makeup, or the usual clutter a woman left in the bathroom. He hadn’t realized, until that minute, how much he’d missed that feminine presence.