The Texan and the Cowgirl

by Victoria Chancellor

  Toni left to walk over to the city offices around the corner, locking the door behind her since Cassie was there alone. Cassie folded her hands on her desk and laid her head on them for just a moment to rest a bit. So much was happening so fast. She didn’t like to make decisions under pressure, especially when she was feeling such stress. If only she hadn’t thrown herself at Charlie at the wedding reception. If only he’d driven there with his brother instead of having his own truck, with its convenient camper, right in the parking lot. If only…

  She must have dozed off, because the sound of her new Tim McGraw ringtone woke her up. Blinking her eyes, she reached for her cell phone, noticing Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim’s names displayed. She frowned. Usually they called at night.

  “Hello?”

  “Cassie, I hope I’m not disturbing you at work,” Aunt Helen said.

  “No, that’s fine. I’m at the office but I’m not busy right now. Are you and Uncle Jim okay?”

  “We’re fine. Better than fine, really.” Her aunt took a deep breath. “We’re just so excited we wanted to call and tell you right away. We were blessed with a settlement for that accident I was in two years ago, the one where the teenage boy hit my car and I had to go through a year of physical therapy.”

  “Yes, I remember. I’m so glad you’re well now and that the insurance company finally did the right thing.”

  “So we got that RV we’ve been talking about forever.”

  “Oh, Aunt Helen, that’s wonderful.”

  “We couldn’t wait to plan a trip. We’re heading to Memphis to see your uncle Jim’s brother and his family, plus we’re going to Graceland!”

  “Sounds great,” Cassie said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up straighter. Conservative Aunt Helen, Uncle Jim, and Elvis. Who would have figured? “When are you leaving?”

  “Wednesday morning. We’re not going to push ourselves, since we have to get used to driving the RV through the mountains, and you know Jim doesn’t like to drive at night since he had cataract surgery.”

  “Yes, I remember.” Cassie suppressed a yawn. If she weren’t pregnant, she’d make herself a real coffee.

  “We should be able to reach Brody’s Crossing by Sunday.”

  Cassie blinked, sure she’d heard her aunt wrong. “Didn’t you say Memphis?”

  “Yes, that’s where we’re headed, but it makes no sense to drive more than halfway across the country without stopping to see you. We’ve looked at the map and we can take Interstate 40 by going south toward Los Angeles, then due east. We can get off the interstate in Oklahoma and come down to visit you for a few days.”

  “Oh, okay.” Bad timing. Really bad timing. Her life was up in the air, she threw up every night, and she had no idea what to do about Charlie. “But don’t feel as if you have to. I mean, I’m fine. Really. My job is pretty busy and—”

  “Of course we don’t feel as if we must visit, but it’s been seven months and we miss you.” Helen’s voice dropped a notch. “We worry about you, living all by yourself.”

  Seven months. In less than that time she would have a baby. And her aunt and uncle would know she’d been pregnant when they came to visit because they kept track of things like that. “I have a roommate, Aunt Helen.”

  “I know, but we’d feel so much better seeing you ourselves. It’s just that…well, to be honest, one of the reasons we’re going to see Jim’s brother and his family is because of their family crisis.”

  “What’s wrong?” The word crisis snapped her out of her own problems. She barely knew her aunt’s in-laws, but Uncle Jim had talked about them quite a bit when she lived with them in California.

  “Their youngest daughter, Chelsey, is expecting.”

  “Oh, is she having problems?”

  “No, thank the Lord, but she’s not married. She told her parents she wasn’t getting married, either, and they had a horrible fight.”

  “Oh.” Cassie swallowed. Maybe a glass of wine would be better than a cup of coffee.

  “She’s in junior college and she has her whole life in front of her, but she had this relationship with a boy she met in psychology class. She barely knew him and they…well, you know what I mean.”

  “Um, yes, I do.” More clearly than her aunt could ever imagine. More clearly than she could have imagined just a few months ago.

  “Now she’s going to have a baby and she doesn’t want to marry him. She said she barely knows him! Can you imagine what this has done to her parents?”

  Cassie forced back the nausea that usually didn’t hit until nighttime. “I guess I can, now that you mention it.”

  “Why any young woman would do that with a man who wasn’t her husband, or who she had no intention of marrying, is a mystery to me.”

  “I understand.” Aunt Helen had obviously never been swept away by passion.

  “Jim’s brother and his wife are just beside themselves, wondering what they should do.”

  “It’s Chelsey’s life and her baby,” Cassie said gently. “Maybe she’s right. Maybe the father wouldn’t make a good husband.”

  “She should have thought of that before they…you know.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “So now she’s going to have a baby, which is God’s gift and bears no shame in all this, but I’m so afraid the child will suffer the stigma of its birth and grow up without a father like so many other little babies out there. It breaks my heart.”

  “Oh, Aunt Helen, please don’t get upset. I’m sure it will all work out.”

  “I wish I could believe that, although I know the Lord has plans we can’t foresee.” Helen took a deep, wavering breath as though she was holding back tears. “I’m just so thankful that we never had to face that with you. You’ve always been such a good girl.”

  Cassie’s mouth went dry. “I’ve tried.” Up until Leo and Amanda’s wedding reception.

  Helen sniffed. “I didn’t mean to get all upset. Really, we’re very excited about the RV and the upcoming trip and everything. We’re looking forward to seeing Jim’s family and praying about their troubles.”

  “That will help.”

  “And of course we’re looking forward to seeing you.”

  “I’m…I’m looking forward to seeing you also. Can’t wait.” Cassie forced the words out. “Call me when you get close, okay? Let me know what time you’ll be arriving.”

  “Of course. Is there an RV park nearby?”

  “Not here in Brody’s Crossing. I think there’s one in Graham, about fifteen miles away.”

  “Oh.”

  She heard the disappointment in her aunt’s voice. “I’ll check for you, Aunt Helen, and see what we can do.”

  “Thank you, Cassie. As I already said, you’ve always been such a treasure.”

  “Um, thank you. I’d better go now. I’ll see you soon.” Way too soon.

  The minute her aunt disconnected the call, Cassie ran into the bathroom and lost her lunch.

  “WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?” she asked Darla over a dinner of soda crackers and a lemon-lime soft drink.

  “Maybe it would be best to tell them sooner rather than later. I know it will be hard, but showing up for Christmas with a tummy the size of Kansas isn’t going to go over well, from what you’ve told me about your aunt and uncle.”

  Cassie moaned and put her head in her hands. “I know that’s the logical thing to do, but I hate to give them any more to worry about right now. Aunt Helen is really, really against having a baby outside of marriage. Let’s face it, she’s against having sex outside of marriage.”

  “I know what you mean, but the deed is already done. You’re going to have this baby…right?”

  It took a moment for Darla’s comment to register. Cassie sat up straight. “Yes, of course I’m having the baby! I couldn’t…no, not that.”

  “Well then, you’re going to have to tell them.”

  “Maybe when they get back from their trip.”

  “How will they feel when they realize th
ey were here and you were pregnant and you didn’t tell them face-to-face?”

  Cassie dropped her head in her hands again. “Terribly betrayed.”

  “I guess you could lie to them and say you’re secretly married to a spy or something. Any profession where the guy is gone most of the time.”

  “Nice idea, but I’m a terrible liar. I’d also have to come up with a reason for not mentioning the wedding or husband before. Like earlier today.”

  “You’re right. I know it seems as if you’re in a bad situation, but everything will work out. They might be angry and hurt for a while, but they’ll get over it.”

  “Will they?” Cassie wasn’t sure. She had a feeling her aunt and uncle would be hurt forever, although they would forgive her. Forgiveness was the cornerstone of their faith.

  Right up there with chastity.

  “Are you going to discuss this with Charlie?”

  “Do you think I should? I mean, what can he do about my aunt and uncle’s feelings?”

  “He could sweep you off your feet, elope with you in a most romantic way, so you’d have a happy story to tell them when they get here next week.”

  Cassie scoffed at that image. “He’s still coming to grips with the situation. He already offered to marry me, but I said absolutely not. He’s just not ready. If we ever did get married, it would have to be because we decided we were compatible, had similar values and the best interests of our child in mind.”

  Boy, did that sound logical. And not very much fun. She shook away those thoughts. “We’ve decided to start dating, though.”

  She looked at Darla, who was staring at the box of saltines as if they held the key to the universe. “Darla?”

  “That’s it!” she said, grabbing Cassie’s arm. “The two of you need to get married next week, while your aunt and uncle are here.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “We need to plan a wedding!”

  “Right, like Charlie and I are ready for marriage. Weren’t you listening to me? I told him no! We decided not to jump into any sort of relationship without—”

  “Oh, phooey. You already jumped into the sack. Now is not the time to get bogged down by details. You can always get an annulment or a divorce after the baby is born.”

  “We are not getting married just so we can end it in seven months!”

  “It would solve your problems.” Darla’s singsong voice sounded a lot like a siren call.

  “It would make more problems.”

  “Not really. I’ll bet your aunt and uncle would be thrilled that you’d planned a surprise wedding for their visit. Then you can break the news to them later, maybe when they get back from their trip, that you’re expecting.”

  “Expecting a divorce, you mean.” Cassie scowled at her friend and roommate. Of all the crazy ideas…

  “No, this is your best bet. We can make it happen by the weekend.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting one thing? I mean, other than the uncooperative bride?”

  “What?”

  “The groom.”

  “Oh.” Darla frowned, then her face brightened. “No, that won’t be a problem. It’s Charlie. He’ll be fine with it as long as all he has to do is show up.”

  “You obviously know him better than I do,” Cassie said, only slightly teasing. Lots of people seemed to know him better than she did.

  And just what did that say about their chances of making a marriage work?

  “Just explain about your very conservative, religious aunt and uncle, who are like parents to you. He’ll go along if it will make you happy.”

  Cassie drew patterns on the table with the condensation from her glass. “Will it?” she finally asked.

  “Will it what, sweetie?” Darla said, patting her shoulder.

  “Will it make me happy to deceive my aunt and uncle?”

  “Think of it as living up to their expectations.”

  “Maybe.” They certainly hadn’t expected her to be irresponsible and get pregnant by a cowboy she barely knew.

  “Look at it this way. Do you have a better plan?”

  Cassie thought a moment. “Move to Siberia and change my name?”

  “Not an option. And the only name change you should be considering is Mrs. Charles Yates.”

  AFTER THE NIGHTLY ROUND of nausea, Cassie knew she had to call Charlie. She wasn’t sure what time he went to bed—another thing she didn’t know about him!—but assumed he’d be up until ten o’clock or so.

  “Hi, Charlie,” she said when he answered. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Of course. What’s up? How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay. The nausea wasn’t so bad tonight.” Maybe because she’d gotten sick after talking to her aunt this afternoon.

  “That’s good.”

  “I…I need to talk to you. Something’s come up we have to discuss.”

  “Okay. Go ahead.”

  “Not over the phone. Can we get together tomorrow for lunch again? Maybe I could come out to the ranch, or you could come to my apartment instead of going to a restaurant.”

  “Okay. Look, I promised Colby I’d drive to Graham to pick up a part for the tractor. I could come by your place.”

  “That would be fine. I’ll fix us some lunch.”

  “You don’t have to go to any trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble, and we both need to eat. I can take an hour or so off. Around noon?”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  “Great,” she replied, forcing some enthusiasm into her tone. “Good night.”

  She disconnected the call because obviously they didn’t have anything else to say to each other. And wasn’t that just the way it was going to be for the unforeseen future? Two strangers trying to bond over a baby.

  She leaned her head back on the couch and sighed. What a mess she’d made of things. She, who was always so organized and who placed such value on planning. She, who never jumped wildly into the unknown or took excessive risks. Look what had happened when she’d tried to be someone she wasn’t. Someone fun and flirty and carefree, who met cowboys in honky-tonks, dancing and laughing the night away. Someone who let an infatuation with a semicelebrity get way out of hand.

  Now both she and her family would pay the price.

  But not her baby. No. She’d make sure he or she would never pay a penalty for being born to a mommy and a daddy who had no intention of getting married.

  Or maybe, a mommy and a daddy who got married two and a half months too late for some people’s sensibilities.

  Chapter Eight

  Charlie’s trip to buy an oil filter for the tractor and a new blade for the mower turned into several stops when he decided to get new tires for his pickup and flowers for Cassie as well. Still, he was only running a few minutes late when he arrived at her apartment.

  “Hey. How are you?” he asked, not sure whether to kiss her lips, her cheek, or forgo the traditional greeting altogether.

  The hell with it, he decided. He kissed her briefly on the lips, then pulled back and looked into her startled expression. “These are for you,” he said, holding out the flowers. Gerber daisies, the label read. They were kind of pretty and bold, like daisies on steroids.

  “Thanks. Come on in.”

  He removed his hat and entered the apartment. “Sorry I’m late. I decided to get tires put on the truck while I was in Graham.”

  “No problem. Lunch is ready if you’re hungry.”

  “Sure.” He placed his hat on the table beside the couch and walked to the dining area. Cassie went into the kitchen.

  “Iced tea okay?”

  “Fine with me.” She’d set the table with yellow place mats and dishes with lots of red circles that would make you dizzy if you stared at them long enough.

  “Here you go,” she said, placing glasses of tea on the place mats. She’d put the flowers in a vase and set them in the center of the table.

  “Looks really nice,” he said, wondering if he shou
ld hold out her chair. At the ranch on Sunday he’d felt downright awkward when he’d opened the door and she’d been standing there. Yesterday at lunch he’d wanted to be anywhere but in a public place. Now that they were alone, he felt uncomfortable again. He never felt self-conscious or clumsy around women. Never.

  Maybe they should just jump in bed and work things out there. Being skin to skin with Cassie in the back of his pickup, even dancing with her at Dewey’s that night, hadn’t felt awkward at all. Meeting her had felt as right as rain and he wanted that feeling back again.

  He stood by his chair as she returned from the kitchen, a plate and bowl in her hands. “I hope you like grilled cheese sandwiches,” she said in a cheerful tone. “Darla and I love these.”

  “That’s fine,” he said, figuring he could get something with meat in it on the way home.

  “Have a seat, please,” she said, placing the bowl of chips on the table and sliding a big sandwich onto his plate. She settled into her own chair and slid the other sandwich on her plate, all without looking at him.

  Was she really that nervous? She seemed full of false cheer, as if she was trying too hard to be polite and…bubbly. Cassie was a lot of things—smart, funny, sexy in an innocent sort of way—but bubbly didn’t seem like her.

  “These sandwiches have three kinds of cheese and bacon on sourdough bread,” she said. “I hope you like them.”

  “I’m sure they’re fine.” They looked a lot more substantial than the grilled cheese his mom used to make when he was sick or she didn’t have any meat thawed out.

  They ate in silence for a couple of minutes. He watched Cassie concentrate on her food, not on him, and frown when she didn’t think he was looking. Finally, he’d had enough of this soft-shoe routine. “What’s wrong?”

  She looked up, startled. “Noth…” she slumped a little. “Something big.”

  He put his sandwich down. “With the baby?”

  “No, the baby’s fine. I’m fine.” She leaned back in her chair, really looking at him for the first time that day. “My aunt and uncle are coming for a visit.”