by Diana Palmer
She pulled at a stabilizing breath. Her heart was still whacking around at the walls of her chest, as if she’d been running a race. ‘‘Are you sure I don’t want you to do that? I mean, if you get pregnant, I’ll marry you,’’ she said breathlessly, and with deathbed humor. ‘‘Honest!’’
He looked at her as if he couldn’t believe his ears. The passion drained out of him, replaced by howling amusement. He started laughing. ‘‘Damn you, that wasn’t fair!’’ he accused.
‘‘Well, I like that! You’re laughing, and here I’ve made you a solemn promise,’’ she persisted, eyes twinkling.
‘‘Hell!’’ He rolled away from her and sat up on the edge of the bed to run a lean hand through his disheveled hair. He glared down at her. ‘‘Now you’ve got fingerprints and lipstick and perfume all over me. The men will laugh themselves sick if I go to work smelling like a flower garden.’’
She tugged down her top and gave him an impish grin. ‘‘We could rush into my bathroom and shower it off, together,’’ she offered wickedly.
He laughed again. He’d never laughed as much in his life as he did with her. Was this the way she’d been, before the tragedies of the past year that had marred her life? She’d said she didn’t date much, but how in the world could men ignore a sweet, pretty little woman like that?
‘‘I can’t believe you spend your weekends watching television with your father,’’ he murmured.
‘‘I don’t. I work.’’
He frowned. ‘‘On the weekends?’’
She sat up, reaching under her blouse to refasten the bra he’d unsnapped. She wondered why she didn’t feel embarrassed. ‘‘Seven days a week, for the past six months,’’ she said honestly. ‘‘Before that, six days a week, and I had to rest on Sunday. I usually work ten-hour days, sometimes longer if we have an emergency.’’
He didn’t like that. ‘‘You don’t have any free time, do you?’’
She shook her head. ‘‘I’ve been dedicated to the job since I got out of college.’’
‘‘And no men,’’ he murmured with a speculative glance.
She grimaced. ‘‘Well, there was one I liked very much. We went out together for four months, and I was very nearly in love with him. But he never touched me. I thought he was building up to it, or something.’’ She sighed. ‘‘Then I saw him, with another man.’’ She shrugged. ‘‘He thought of me as a friend. I thought of him as a boyfriend. I sort of lost confidence in myself after that.’’
‘‘It happens, in the modern world,’’ he replied quietly.
‘‘Before that, I had crushes on boys who never noticed me, except to ask me to help them with math or chemistry.’’ She searched his eyes. ‘‘Of course, I didn’t exactly look like this until last year.’’
‘‘How did you look?’’ he asked curiously.
She got off the bed, went to get her purse, and took out a plastic insert. She pulled a photo from behind a credit card and handed it to him.
His eyes widened. ‘‘Good heavens!’’
She winced. ‘‘I was sixty pounds overweight, and I couldn’t lose it at all. I guess I tried every diet known to man. Then I took nutrition classes and learned how to get it off the sensible way. That’s why I know so much about low-fat cooking.’’
He looked from the photo to her face and smiled. ‘‘You were pretty before, too,’’ he said slowly. ‘‘You know, Meredith, it’s not the outside that attracts people. It’s what you are, how you treat other people, that makes friends of them. You risked your life to save my brother, then you stayed with him until his family came. I wasn’t very flattering to you when we first met, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about what you did. You’re good people. Really good people.’’
She flushed and cleared her throat. ‘‘Thanks.’’ She gave him a mischievous look. ‘‘So, would you like to get married Friday, or is Monday better for you?’’ she added with a grin.
He chuckled. ‘‘Sorry, I have to wash my dogs.’’
She sighed. ‘‘Rejected again.’’
He pursed his lips and let his eyes run over her slowly. ‘‘You could lie back down and we could discuss it again.’’
‘‘Absolutely not. I only have so much willpower. You shouldn’t throw yourself at women that way unless you’re asking to be seduced. It’s unfair.’’
‘‘You’re not bad yourself, kid,’’ he murmured with a warm smile. He got up. ‘‘I’ve got to go back to work. Come here.’’
She went to him. ‘‘Changed your mind?’’ she asked. ‘‘I can get a ring today …’’
He put a finger over her mouth. ‘‘How do I smell?’’
‘‘Is that all you want?!’’ she exclaimed. ‘‘Good Lord, you got me all the way over here to smell you?’’
He bent and kissed her hungrily, pulling her so close that she could feel him against every cell of her body. But before she could cling, he put her away. ‘‘How do I smell?’’ he persisted.
She sniffed him. ‘‘You smell like aftershave.’’
He bent and sniffed her, and frowned. ‘‘You’re not wearing perfume, are you?’’
She shook her head. ‘‘I’m allergic to most strong fragrances.’’
‘‘You smell like flowers.’’
She smiled. ‘‘Herbal shampoo. Flowers don’t bother me. Well, real ones do sometimes, but not flowery scent. I can use scented shampoos and wear one or two colognes, but no perfumes. They’re too strong.’’
‘‘At least I don’t smell womanly,’’ he said with mocking relief. ‘‘I’d never live that down.’’
She cocked her head and stared up at him. ‘‘There goes the shower,’’ she sighed.
He tapped her nose. ‘‘Now, cut that out.’’ His fingers traced the fading bruises on her cheek and jaw and his eyes narrowed. ‘‘He’ll never touch you again, I swear he won’t,’’ he said in a low, dangerous tone.
Her heart lifted at the look on his face. ‘‘Oh, my, aren’t we getting possessive?’’ she teased.
He didn’t smile. ‘‘Careful,’’ he told her quietly. ‘‘I’m not teasing.’’
Her eyes widened with something like wonder.
‘‘Hasn’t anyone ever stood up for you?’’ he asked curiously.
‘‘Just my brother. But he never had to protect me from Daddy. I know it looks really bad, but my father was the most gentle man on earth until we lost Mama and Mike. He goes crazy when he drinks, and he never remembers what he did.’’ Her eyes fell to his chest. She toyed with his shirt buttons, wondering absently how it would feel to smooth her fingers over his bare chest. ‘‘I miss my brother terribly,’’ she added simply.
‘‘I’m sure you do. And your mother.’’
She grimaced. “She and I weren’t really very close,” she confessed. She searched his eyes. “You see, what Daddy yelled about her that night you were at the house was pretty much true. She was a very attractive woman, and she had lovers.” She winced. “I hated knowing that. You can’t imagine what it did to Daddy. She even bragged about them.”
‘‘She doesn’t sound like much of a wife,’’ he murmured.
‘‘She didn’t act like one, either. She did love to spend money, though. That’s why she picked rich lovers.’’ Her face clouded. ‘‘I was so ashamed of her. I guess she saw herself as a modern woman. I’m not. There’s a big difference between sleeping with someone you truly love, and jumping into bed with anyone who has some money.’’
He nodded and touched her soft, swollen mouth. ‘‘She’s soured you on men, hasn’t she?’’
‘‘Sort of. Until you came along, at least,’’ she admitted, without looking at him. She stared at his shirt button. ‘‘Bad temper and all, you’ve got some wonderful qualities.’’
He gave her a wry look. ‘‘I’ll have to tell my brothers. They didn’t know.’’
She chuckled. ‘‘Thanks for letting me come here to heal, anyway.’’
He felt uneasy. ‘‘That sounds like goo
dbye, Meredith.’’
She sighed. Her fingers stilled on his buttons. ‘‘I can’t stay much longer,’’ she said sadly. ‘‘Even though I’d like to. My boss is shorthanded as it is, and the woman filling in for me doesn’t like leaving her kids in day care. She retired when she had the second one.’’
‘‘Retired?’’
‘‘Yes. She said keeping two kids in day care ate up her whole paycheck.’’ She lifted her eyes to his. ‘‘Since her husband got a raise, it was actually cheaper for her to stay home with the kids than it was to work. She loves it.’’
There was a strange look on his face. He rubbed his fingertips over her short fingernails absently. ‘‘Would you want to stay home with your kids?’’
She stared up at him, transfixed. ‘‘Yes, I would. Those first few years are so important. If I could find any way to do it, I would, even if I had to sacrifice some little luxuries.’’
‘‘That would be tricky. You’re a highly trained professional.’’
‘‘One of my friends was a highly trained doctor,’’ she replied. ‘‘She gave up her job and stayed home with her little boy until he was in kindergarten. Even then, she arranged her schedule so that she’d be there when he got home in the afternoons.’’
He was frowning, and his fingers were still smoothing over hers. He wanted to ask if she thought she could get used to ranch life and snakes. He was afraid to say it. The act of commitment was still very new to him. He couldn’t rush her.
He sighed, troubled. ‘‘What does your father do, by the way?’’ he asked suddenly.
‘‘Oh, he teaches in the veterinary department of his college in Houston.’’
His hand stilled on hers. ‘‘He’s a veterinarian?’’
‘‘He has a doctorate in veterinary medicine, yes. Why?’’
Wheels were turning in his head. He stared at her thoughtfully. ‘‘Will he have a job to go back to, after all the trouble he’s had with the law?’’
‘‘You’re very perceptive,’’ she said after a minute. ‘‘Actually, no, he won’t. The college phoned before his last bender and told him not to come back. You can’t blame them, either,’’ she added sadly. ‘‘What would it do to the college’s image, to have an alcoholic on staff with a dangerous temper?’’
‘‘Not much,’’ he had to admit. ‘‘Did he drink before the shooting?’’
‘‘Never. Not even a beer,’’ she replied. ‘‘But he’s set records in the past six months. I couldn’t get him near a treatment center. At least he’s in one, now.’’
‘‘Not only in it, but improving by the day,’’ Rey said unexpectedly. ‘‘He’d like you to come see him. I can run you up there Sunday, if you’d like to go.’’
That was surprising. ‘‘You’ve spoken to him?’’ she asked.
He nodded. ‘‘I had Leo phone Colter. He has contacts who helped arrange it.’’ He drew in a deep breath. ‘‘Your father seems pretty rational right now. Of course, he isn’t drinking, either.’’ His eyes darkened. ‘‘I meant exactly what I said. He’ll never touch you again in anger.’’
‘‘When he’s sober, he never would. I can’t believe…he really wants to see me?’’ she asked haltingly.
He brushed his hand against her cheek. ‘‘He loves you. I’m sure you love him, too. You don’t throw people away because they make a mistake—even a bad one. You get help for them.’’
‘‘I tried.’’
‘‘Sure you did. But it’s better this way. When he comes home, we’ll decide where to go from there. For now, I’ll drive you to Houston on Sunday to see him. Want to go?’’
‘‘Oh, yes,’’ she said. Her expression was soft, wondering. ‘‘You’d do that, for me?’’
He smiled. ‘‘Anything you want, kiddo,’’ he murmured. ‘‘It’s the least I can do for the only woman who’s ever proposed to me.’’
She pursed her lips and gave him an impish look. ‘‘We could lie down and talk about it.’’
‘‘No, we couldn’t,’’ he told her firmly, and chuckled as he removed her hands from his shirt. ‘‘I have to get back to work. I was in the middle of a meeting when you did your snake charmer routine. I left twelve employees sitting in the boardroom with glasses of water and no ashtrays. At least six of them smoke, despite all the regulations. I expect they’ve attacked the other six with chairs by now, or vice versa. I’ve got to get back. Quick.’’
‘‘I’d love to go Sunday,’’ she said.
‘‘Fine. I’ll run you up there Sunday afternoon. We can go to church first.’’
Her eyebrows lifted. ‘‘I’m Methodist.’’
He grinned. ‘‘So are we. It’s a date.’’ He opened the door. Before he went out it, he glanced back over his shoulder. ‘‘And stay out of the henhouse for the rest of the day, will you?’’
‘‘Anything for my prospective fiancé,’’ she said with a theatrical gesture of her arm.
He shook his head and walked out, still chuckling.
Later, she wondered what he’d meant, about making decisions when her father got out of rehab. She didn’t dare think too hard about it. But it sounded very much as if he wanted to go on looking out for her.
She was a modern woman. She could look out for herself. But it was kind of nice to have a man act protective and possessive, especially one like Rey, who didn’t seem the sort to do it habitually. She remembered the hunger in his lean body when he held her, when he kissed her. She remembered the strange tenderness he reserved for her. It was an adventure, just being around him. They’d known each other such a short time, really, but she felt as if she’d known him all her life. The thought of going back to Houston without him was suddenly frightening.
She did the routine things until Sunday, except that when she gathered eggs, she was overly cautious about going into the henhouse. She’d learned from Rey that snakes often traveled in pairs, so she was careful to look before she stepped anywhere that the ground was covered.
She’d become something of a legend among the Hart ranch hands already. They removed their hats when she walked by, and they spoke to her in respectful tones.
‘‘It’s really strange,’’ she remarked at the dinner table on Saturday evening, glancing from Leo to Rey. ‘‘The men seem sort of in awe of me.’’
Rey chuckled and exchanged an amused look with his brother. ‘‘They are. None of them has ever picked up a copperhead on a stick.’’
‘‘It let me,’’ she reminded him.
‘‘That’s the awesome thing,’’ Leo remarked. ‘‘You see, Meredith, copperheads have a nasty reputation for attacking without provocation. It’s kind of mystic, what you did.’’ He pursed his lips and gave her a teasing glance over his buttered biscuit. ‘‘Any snake charmers in your family?’’
‘‘No, but Mike had a pet boa for a while, until it ate one of the neighbor’s rabbits,’’ she sighed.
‘‘Yuccch!’’ Rey said, and shivered.
‘‘It was an accident,’’ Meredith insisted. ‘‘It escaped out the window and was gone for three weeks. We figured it was starving, because it hadn’t been fed in so long. Besides that,’’ she added, ‘‘the rabbit was vicious. It attacked everybody who opened the cage.’’
‘‘Why did the neighbor keep rabbits?’’
‘‘He sold them for meat to a specialty grocery store.’’
Rey chuckled. ‘‘Maybe the boa was a reincarnated taste-tester,’’ he mused.
Leo made a face. ‘‘I wouldn’t eat a rabbit if I was starving. On the other hand, snake’s not so bad. Remember when we were in Arizona on that hunting trip, camping out, and our guide caught that big, juicy rattler?’’
‘‘Sure do,’’ Rey agreed, nodding. ‘‘Tasted just like chicken!’’
Obviously that was a private joke, because the brothers looked at each other and burst out laughing.
‘‘What became of the boa?’’ Leo asked, interested.
‘‘Mike had just sold it to a breeder,�
��’ she recalled sadly. ‘‘He was engaged to the sweetest, kindest girl I ever knew. It devastated her when he was killed. They had to sedate her for two days, and she couldn’t even go to the funeral.’’ She shook her head. ‘‘I felt as sorry for her as I did for Dad and me.’’
‘‘What happened to her?’’ Leo asked.
She finished her coffee. ‘‘She became a missionary and went to South America with a group of them.’’ She winced. ‘‘She had the worst luck…it was that plane that was mistaken for drug smugglers and shot down. I think she was one of the survivors, but she didn’t come back to America with the others.’’
‘‘Poor kid,’’ Rey said.
‘‘Colter was upset over the shooting for a long time, too,’’ Leo recalled. ‘‘Just between you and me, he was sweet on Mike’s girl, but too much a gentleman to do anything about it. He thought the sun rose and set on Mike.’’
‘‘I never knew,’’ Meredith said softly.
‘‘Neither did Mike. Or the girl,’’ Leo added with a smile. ‘‘Colter’s a clam. He never talks.’’
‘‘Is he still with the Texas Rangers?’’ Meredith asked.
Leo nodded. ‘‘Got promoted to lieutenant just recently. He’s good at his job.’’
She pushed back from the table. ‘‘If you two are through, I’ll just wash up. Rey’s going to drive me up to see my dad tomorrow.’’
‘‘What a sweet guy!’’ Leo exclaimed with a wide-eyed look at his brother.
‘‘He’s being nice to me, because I’m the only woman who ever proposed to him,’’ Meredith volunteered with a wicked grin. ‘‘He feels guilty because he turned me down.’’
‘‘Good. I’ll marry you, Meredith,’’ Leo volunteered at once. ‘‘You just name the time and place, and I’ll buy a new suit…!’’
‘‘Shut the hell up!’’ Rey said curtly, and hit his brother with his Stetson.
Leo protected his shoulder. ‘‘Meredith, he’s picking on me!’’ he wailed.
‘‘Do you want biscuits for breakfast?’’ she asked Rey.
He stopped flogging his brother. ‘‘All right. But only for biscuits,’’ Rey said. He got up and deliberately bent and kissed Meredith, right in front of Leo. ‘‘Don’t stay up too late. Leo and I have to check the livestock in the barn.’’