The Cowgirl Who Loved Horses, Queens of Montana Bonus Book

by Vanessa Bartal

  Chapter 11

  “Perfect” was the word Cecily would use to describe the three days she and Marcus spent in Las Vegas. It was a honeymoon in every sense of the word, more so because no one knew where they were or what they were doing. They felt like they had captured their own piece of paradise as they hid away from the world and explored their new relationship.

  For three days they spent almost every moment together. Neither of them wanted to return home, but both of them had responsibilities to tend to. And they had to face their families and friends.

  “Where did you tell your parents you went?” she asked. So far, they had talked about everything except what would happen when they returned home.

  “Away. I’m twenty six; I don’t answer to them about every detail of my life.” He frowned. “Where does your family think you are?”

  “No one is home. Dante and Kitty are in Chicago with my mom. I called my foreman to let him know I would be gone for a few days and told him what to do in my absence.”

  “He didn’t know already?” he asked.

  She frowned. She didn’t like his teasing tone. “I’m sure he did, but I’m the one he reports to, and I give the orders.”

  He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You’re cute when you get on your high horse.”

  She dropped her suitcase when he pulled her further into his embrace. “We’re going to miss our airplane.”

  “Doesn’t matter, no one is expecting us anyway.” He backed her up to the bed and then they heard the housekeeper opening the door. He groaned. “And so it begins with the interruptions.” He stepped back and picked up her suitcase. “Come on, Lee, let’s go home.”

  The problem, she realized when they arrived back in their small town, was that they hadn’t agreed where home was.

  “Do you want to stop by your place and check on things before we head home?” he asked.

  “I thought my place was home,” she said.

  “Your spread is an hour’s drive from our ranch. I can’t commute that far every day.”

  “But you expect me to?” she asked. She was working hard to rein in her temper. It was a misunderstanding, that was all. “Besides, once Dante goes back to work in Omaha we’ll be alone at my house. Alone,” she stretched out the word. “Just me and you.”

  He clasped her hand. “That sounds wonderful, but I can’t leave my parents so soon after they lost Mathew. Mom especially isn’t doing well.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Do you have to go to your place every day? Can you get away with going a few times a week?”

  She frowned as she looked out the window. She didn’t want to. Her business was new, and she needed to be there every day. On the other hand, her foreman was capable and trustworthy, and she didn’t want to hurt Marcus’s parents by taking him away from them.

  “I suppose,” she mumbled.

  He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Thanks. In a few years when we’re ready for kids, we’ll work something out so that we’ll have a place of our own.”

  All the blood drained from her face and she froze in horror. In her haste and nervousness she hadn’t considered birth control. “Uh, Marcus,” she said.

  He turned to her in concern. “What is it, Lee? Are you all right, honey?”

  She couldn’t tell him. He might be angry with her for not taking care of it. Obviously he had assumed she was prepared because he didn’t mention protection, either. He was more experienced in these matters, so probably the women he had been with actually were prepared.

  “Nothing.” She smiled and hoped it looked convincing. It was probably all right anyway. Her doctor had warned her that because of her irregular menstrual cycle getting pregnant might be a challenge for her. She would go to the doctor as soon as possible and ask to be put on some form of birth control.

  They arrived at her house. She spoke with her foreman, checked on her horses, and spent some time packing up essentials to take to the Henshaw’s. As she was finishing, she heard a car in the drive and knew by the rumble of the engine that it was Kitty and Dante.

  “You guys are home early,” she said as she went out on the porch to greet them.

  “Mom had to go away on business, and we didn’t want to stay in Chicago alone. So we just decided to come home,” Dante said. He eyed Marcus’s truck. “Is a Henshaw here? Are they buying something else?”

  “Uh,” Cecily said. She had no idea how to tell her brother and best friend that she was now a Henshaw.

  “Lee, let’s make sure and take these with us,” Marcus said. He exited the bedroom dangling her laciest pair of black underwear from one finger, and froze with them held in midair as he stared at Dante and Kitty and they stared at him.

  “What exactly is he buying?” Kitty asked in her wry way that usually made Dante and Cecily laugh. Now it only added to the tension.

  “Um,” Cecily started again. She snatched her underpants out of Marcus’s hand and stuffed it in her pocket. “Don’t you dare laugh,” she told him because she could see the corners of his mouth turning up. She turned back to Kitty and Dante. “Come inside, we have something to discuss.”

  They trooped up the stairs behind her and sat nervously on the couch. She sat across from them on the love seat. Marcus sat next to her. Kitty and Dante looked curiously between them.

  “I’m going to cut to the chase here and ask why you were holding a pair of my sister’s underpants,” Dante said. “A pair that I could have lived without knowing she owned.”

  “Long story short, we’re married,” Cecily blurted.

  Marcus started to chuckle. “I think maybe they’re going to need the long version.”

  “The longest version possible,” Kitty said, and Marcus laughed again.

  “I’m not sure where to begin,” Cecily said. She looked at Marcus for help.

  “I’m not either,” he said. “It’s a complicated story neither of us understands. Suffice it to say we’re married and have every intention of staying that way.” He clasped Cecily’s hand and held onto it tightly, a determined expression on his face.

  Kitty and Dante remained speechless. Their pupils were fixed and dilated from the shock.

  “Are you pregnant?” Dante asked at last.

  Cecily’s mouth fell and her cheeks flushed. “Dante! No, I never, we didn’t, I mean…Kitty,” she said pleadingly, and looked at her best friend for help.

  Kitty leaned over to whisper something in Dante’s ear, most likely the fact that Cecily was a virgin and remained that way until her wedding night because he relaxed visibly.

  “That’s a relief,” he said out loud. “And a bit of a surprise, really.”

  “Dante,” Cecily said again. Beside her Marcus chuckled again. She scowled at him.

  “What? It was a relief and a surprise to me, too,” he said.

  Kitty laughed, and the sound went a long way toward clearing some of the tension from the atmosphere. “Let’s have some iced tea and continue this conversation. I’ll help you pour, Cecily.” She stood, grabbed Cecily’s hand, and dragged her into the kitchen. Behind them Dante and Marcus made awkward small talk.

  “Okay, what is going on?” Kitty whispered when they reached the kitchen.

  Cecily drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I honestly don’t know how to explain,” Cecily said.

  “Try, Cecily, for the sake of my sanity, you have to try,” Kitty said earnestly.

  “We found that we share a sort of connection. A chemistry, really. We were attracted to each other, so much that we couldn’t stay apart. So he asked me to marry him when he found out I don’t you-know-what outside of marriage.”

  Kitty’s eyes were troubled, and no wonder. Cecily wasn’t doing a good job of conveying the story.

  “Do you love him?” Kitty asked.

  “I,” Cecily paused. “I do,” she said softly. “With all my heart. I’m totally in love with him,” she said it in a shocked tone and then sat down at the table becau
se her legs would no longer support her.

  “You didn’t know before you married him?”

  Cecily shook her head. “There wasn’t time to think about it, and maybe I wasn’t. But the last three days cemented whatever I felt for him. I love him,” she repeated again. She looked up at Kitty and smiled. “I totally love my husband.”

  Kitty leaned down, hugged her around the neck, and kissed her forehead. “Be happy, Cecily. And if you’re not, if you ever need me, I’m always here for you; I’ll do anything to help you.”

  Cecily hugged her waist. “Thanks, Kitty. Sorry I got married before you.”

  Kitty shrugged on shoulder. “With two older sisters who are already married I sort of gave up trying to be first at things.”

  They poured iced tea and took it to the men who hadn’t progressed past their awkward small talk.

  “What’s your full name, Dante?” Marcus asked as he sipped his iced tea.

  “Dante Adan Javier Diaz Blake,” Dante said.

  Marcus clasped Cecily’s hand. “We’re not doing that to our kids.”

  “We’ll talk,” she replied, and then felt a small flutter of worry when she realized she might be carrying one of their children right now.