"That was never a question. I trust you with her the same way I trust myself." His voice dropped low. He stepped closer. "But none of that is why I came here today. I could have had a lawyer tell you all of that. I could have called. What I came for couldn't be left to a lawyer or taken care of over the phone."
"So…why did you come??" Her voice was soft and uncertain.
"I came to ask you a question." He hesitated, then reached out and gently grasped her chin. "I want you staring straight into my eyes when I ask you this. I need to see your reaction."
"Ask me anything," she whispered, staring straight into his eyes.
He nodded slightly. "I want to know…I need to know if it's possible that you could ever come to care for a man who runs a ranch."
Jackie closed her eyes. Steven nearly panicked. He flinched, his fingers tightened, but he immediately recovered, afraid he might have bruised her.
"Jackie?" His voice was hoarse.
She opened her eyes, and he saw that they were damp but clear. She focused on him completely. "That man…he has to know that I'm not much of a rancher."
He swallowed. "Do you hate ranching so much?" He felt the seconds ticking by as he waited.
She shook her head, her soft skin sliding beneath his fingers. "No, I don't hate ranching. I love it, actually. When I was at Rollins Acres with you and Suzy, for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged, that I was right where I wanted and needed to be, the place that I was born for. But…I know that I wasn't very helpful. Not the way a woman raised on a ranch would be."
"City girl," he said softly. "You helped me more than anyone had in years. You gave me what I needed. You filled my empty spaces, you made me want to dream again, but…"
"But what?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"But you still haven't told me if you could love a rancher. Not that I want you to worry about that. You don't have to love me. It's not a requirement."
And suddenly Jackie was pressing closer to him. She lifted her face, twined her arms around his neck and kissed him. Then she pulled back, her expression confused. "You wonderful rancher, you. How could I not love you? And how could you love a woman who has to take a deep breath every time she's near a horse?"
Steven chuckled. "It's impossible not to love you, and I ought to know. I tried my best not to fall in love with you, but you've got a heart as big as my ranch. You've got my heart. As for the horses, you'll lose your fear of them with time, or you won't. And if you don't, it won't be an issue, because you'll never lose my love. You'll always have me and our child."
"Our child. Thank you so much for that," she said.
"I didn't do anything. She was yours from the minute you smiled at her, and she's here for you right now. Charlotte has her, and I'll take you to see both of them in a few minutes. But first I have something I need to do."
And he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her the way he had been longing to for weeks, with passion and heat and love. It was a long kiss. When he raised his head, her lips were rosy and her eyes were dazed.
"Whew! Do all ranch boys learn to kiss like that?" she asked, her voice a little broken.
He smiled. "I hope this ranch boy is the only one you ever kiss. And no, I learned a lot on the ranch, but that was pure…you. I get a little crazy whenever you're near."
"Good. I've always been the sensible one, but I get a little crazy whenever I'm near you, too. And you know all those days I was walking around the ranch?"
"I was miserable every minute without you."
Jackie smiled. "I was, too, and I found a lot of places where a man and a woman can be alone and go crazy."
"Then I can't wait to get back to our ranch and visit every one of them with you, love."
She blinked. "Our ranch?"
He hesitated. "I guess I forgot to ask. Will you marry me, Jackie, love?"
"Yes, oh very much yes," she whispered. "And I'll love you and our daughter forever. I can't wait to get home to the ranch and begin."
Steven gave a whoop, and picked her up and swung her around. "Thank goodness for Merry and whatever her plan was. It made me realize how much I was missing. Now come closer, my pretty city girl."
He wrapped one hand around her waist and drew her closer.
"Let me kiss you again, my love," he whispered.
She moved back into his arms. "City or ranch, anytime, anywhere," she said. "I'm yours."
"Then right here, right now," he told her. And then he stopped talking and simply kissed the woman he loved with his whole heart.
Epilogue
"I'm worried," Merry said the next day.
"About what?" Lissa asked.
Merry shrugged. "About whether this match is going to be added to my total. Just about everything I tried ended up going wrong."
"Yes," Lissa said softly, "but when it really counted, things went right. Steven and Jackie are together, they're happy, and I think you might even be a bit elated about that fact yourself. Admit it. Here they come."
Merry watched as Jackie and Steven walked along the beach barefoot, Suzy on Steven's hip.
"They do look happy, don't they?" Merry asked, her gaze following them. "Not that it matters to me. I'm just glad I'm getting the credit and that I'm one step closer to my goal." But she didn't look away from the couple. Lissa thought she might have even heard a sigh.
At that moment, Jackie turned and waved. "Thank you, Merry," she called, just as Parris and Ruthie came around the corner and stopped beside Lissa.
Merry blinked. Then she waved back, and the four women began to talk.
"Why do you think she was matchmaking?" Jackie asked Steven.
"She probably wanted you to be happy."
Jackie smiled up at him. "I don't think you can ever know how truly happy you've made me. It's almost as if there's something magical in the air today."
Steven chuckled. "So you believe in magic?"
She bopped his arm lightly. "Are you making fun of me? Are you saying you're a skeptic?"
Stopping in his tracks, Steven gazed down at her. "No," he finally said, dropping a light kiss on her lips, then placing his arm around her as they continued to walk. "I had lost my belief in magic years ago, but now I know it's real. You've made it real for me."
"And you've done the same for me," she agreed, her voice low and dreamy. "You've made my dreams come true, and isn't that how every good fairy tale ends?"
"Not completely."
"No?" She sounded incredulous.
"No, I think a good fairy tale ends up with a lot of kissing and with a man and woman heading off to spend the day together. More practical, and very much what I'd like to do with you." He grinned at her. "See what you do to me? I can't stop thinking about touching you."
Jackie leaned against his arm and shook her head. "That…amazes me. It humbles me—especially since I ache to touch you, too. You know, I used to feel like an ugly duckling."
"You?" Steven asked. "Can't believe that. You are a swan, darlin'. An extremely lovely swan."
"I'm a swan who found my mate. I've found a man and a child who I love beyond belief."
"When we marry, will you want more children?" he asked. He stopped and faced her, waiting for her to speak.
She tilted her head up and gazed directly into his eyes. "Yes, I definitely want more children, if that's all right with you. Only, this time, I want to conceive them in the usual way."
"That sounds wonderful," Steven said, bending to whisper near her ear. "Can we discuss this further in private? I think our sweet little daughter might be getting sleepy, anyway."
Jackie leaned back against him. "She looks pretty bright-eyed to me, but I guess we can't be selfish. Other people want to meet her, I think." She took Suzy from him and gave her child a hug and a kiss. "Come on, sweetheart. I know a whole group of ladies who are just dying to spend some time with you."
"Ja?" Suzy asked.
"Oh yes, angel," Jackie said, nuzzling her dau
ghter. "You're very popular, you know. I want to introduce you to some very special ladies I know. You entertain them for a bit, okay, love? Your daddy and I have something we need to talk about."
Jackie and Steven turned and walked toward the group of women.
"Merry, would you mind watching Suzy for us for a few minutes? Charlotte is taking a bubble bath right now." And Jackie held Suzy out to the older woman.
"I—well, I—" Merry's eyes widened, but she held out her hands and awkwardly took Suzy. Ruthie and Parris and Lissa gathered closer to gaze at the adorable little baby.
Jackie looked at her half sister, who studied her for long seconds, then nodded and turned back to the child. The two of them had been the only children their father had ever had. Suzy was the first new connection, another girl. Maybe someday they would talk about that.
"Don't worry, we'll all help," Ruthie assured Jackie. "We'll protect little Suzy as if she's made of gold."
"That's right," Merry said with a shooing motion. "You two, go, enjoy yourselves. Go…plan something."
"Thank you, ladies," Steven said with a slight, gentlemanly nod.
And then he turned to Jackie. "Come on, love, it's time."
"Time?" she asked with a smile as she took the hand he held out.
"Yes, time to plan our happily-ever-after."
And Jackie moved into his arms and kissed him. "I'm pretty fond of happily-ever-afters," she told him. "My favorite kind of ending."
"So let's begin the story," he agreed. "It all started with this beautiful, golden-hearted woman and a hard-headed rancher."
She laughed. "Have I mentioned that I also love hard-headed ranchers?"
"I love you, city girl." And then he took her in his arms as the rest of the story began to unfold…
Don't miss the continuation of In a Fairy Tale World…
Six reluctant couples.
Five classic love stories.
One matchmaking princess.
And time is running out!
RICH MAN, POOR BRIDE
by Linda Goodnight
Silhouette Romance #1742
Available November 2004
HER FROG PRINCE
by Shirley Jump
Silhouette Romance #1746
Available December 2004
ENGAGED TO THE SHEIK
by Sue Swift
Silhouette Romance #1750
Available January 2005
NIGHTTIME SWEETHEARTS
by Cara Colter
Silhouette Romance #1754
Available February 2005
TWICE A PRINCESS
by Susan Meier
Silhouette Romance #1758
Available March 2005
Their Little Cowgirl Page 14
