Agent's Admirer (Culpepper Cowboys Book 13)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “A taco burger?” her dad asked, a bemused smile on his face.

  “Bob is trying to make the perfect taco burger. Every day at lunch, he makes me try a different one. They’re all good, but the best one so far is the first one I tried. He used a tostada shell for the bun with refried beans spread on it. Was delicious, but it fell apart too easily. I hope he finds a way to keep the crunchiness of the taco. I’m not sure it’s going to happen, though.”

  “Will we get to try these taco burgers tomorrow?” her mom asked.

  “No, they’re not on the menu yet.”

  “Oh.” Her parents exchanged a look.

  “I’m his guinea pig for the perfect taco burger.” Megan looked down at her dress, never wanting to remove it. “I’m going to go get changed so we can have lunch. Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to the barbecue place next to the high school. Erin wants to join us.”

  “That’ll be fun. Will she be able to make it out for the wedding?” Megan asked, standing in the doorway of her room, looking at her mother.

  “She said she’d make it to Culpepper for your wedding if you’d come into Laramie for hers.”

  “Has Dr. Lachele found her someone already?” Megan asked in surprise. She’d heard the woman was an absolute miracle worker, but she didn’t know how long ago Erin had contacted her.

  Her dad shook his head. “I sure hope not. I’m really hoping she changes her mind about marrying a stranger. It’s crazy.”

  No crazier than what I’m doing. Megan shut her door and quickly changed back into the jeans and T-shirt she’d worn earlier. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, ready to go. “What time are we meeting Erin?” she asked as soon as she’d opened the door again.

  “Noon,” her mother told her. “Will you help us try to talk her out of it?”

  Megan laughed. “You know Erin. If I say it’s a bad idea, she’ll be more determined than ever to do it.”

  “So tell her it’s a great idea!”

  “I just might!” Megan looked at the clock. “It’s quarter ’til twelve. If we don’t get going, we’re going to be late and have to face the wrath of Erin.”

  “You make her sound like some kind of monster,” her mother said disapprovingly.

  “She’s my sister. I can say anything I want. I just can’t hit her.” Megan led the way out of the house and walked to her father’s car. He would insist on driving like he always did. She got into the backseat as soon as he’d used the remote to unlock it.

  Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the restaurant, and sure enough, Erin was out front tapping her foot and looking at her watch. She walked to them quickly. “I only have an hour and a half.” Grabbing Megan, she hugged her tightly, hissing in her ear, “If they start talking like I’m making a mistake, you have to help me. I can’t listen to them about it for another minute.”

  Megan bit her lip, stifling a laugh. “Will do.” She talked a good game about sibling rivalry, but when it came right down to it, her sister was one of her favorite people in the whole world. She linked arms with Erin, and the two of them preceded their parents inside, sitting at a booth off in a corner so they could talk. “Has she interviewed you yet?”

  Erin nodded, straightening up when their parents got to the table. “Did the dress fit?” Erin was as slender as her sister and mother, but her large breasts kept her from ever being able to wear their mother’s wedding dress.

  “Perfectly,” Megan said. “I love it! Have you started shopping for dresses yet?”

  Erin glared at her. “Not yet, but I just heard about your wedding last night.” With the subtle emphasis on the word your, Megan knew her sister wanted to focus on her wedding.

  “Well, you know you have to be maid of honor. I guess you don’t need a formal dress. We’re doing the whole cowboy wedding thing.”

  “I can find something that will fit that theme easily. Do you need to approve it, or can I just show up wearing it on Sunday?” Erin squeezed Megan’s hand under the table, silently thanking her for making it sound like the question had been about her maid of honor dress all along. “I can’t wait to meet your Bob!”

  “He’s pretty terrific,” Megan said with a grin. “You’re going to take one look at him and start drooling. Trust me.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “I don’t drool over men. I never have.”

  “That’s only because you haven’t seen Bob yet.” Megan badly wanted to talk about her sister’s decision to hire a matchmaker, but she decided she’d call her later, rather than risk the wrath of the parents by talking about it over lunch. “He’s tall, dark, and sexy.”

  “Megan!” The chastisement came from her mother, but Megan just wrinkled her nose.

  “Mom, I’m twenty-eight and about to marry the man. If I didn’t find him sexy, it wouldn’t be good for anyone involved, now would it?”

  Her mother sighed. “I guess not. Just so you’re not—.” Her mother waved her hand wildly, as if to try to communicate more without saying it.

  “We’re not having sex yet, Mom. That’s what you want to know, right?”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “You don’t have to be so blunt about it!”

  “Everyone at this table knows that you have sex after you marry. Why is it a problem if I just say it?” Megan wasn’t sure why she had, except that she knew it would bother her mother. There was something about being with her family that made her feel about twelve.

  Erin kicked her under the table, and when she looked at her sister, Erin was giggling. “You should behave, Megan.”

  Megan just rolled her eyes. “You’re a high school teacher, and you’re giggling at a discussion about sex. Don’t you think that’s a problem?”

  “I teach speech, not biology. I’m good.”

  “What did you teach in your classes today?” Megan asked, hoping her sister would take the new topic and run with it.

  Erin smiled. She loved talking about her work. “We started a unit on oral interp today, which is my absolute favorite thing! I read a short piece from Pygmalion with accent and everything. It made me very happy.”

  Megan grinned. She’d heard her sister do Eliza Doolittle and knew she was brilliant at it. “Did the students cheer?”

  “Of course not. It wouldn’t be cool to cheer for a teacher doing something fun. They save cheering for fights in the cafeteria or for someone falling on their face. You remember high school.”

  Megan wrinkled her nose. “I sure do. I can’t believe you decided to go back voluntarily.” She shuddered.

  Erin laughed. “I love my job. A couple of the girls came to me after class to tell me how amazing it was, and asked me if I’d work with them on their pieces.”

  “Did you agree?”

  “Of course. I’m always willing to help as much as I can.”

  Their mother cleared her throat as the waiter approached the table. “If you two could quit ignoring us for long enough to order, it would be extremely helpful.”

  Megan turned to the waitress with a smile. “I’d love an ice water.”

  “Lemon?”

  “No thank you.”

  The waitress went around the table getting everyone’s drink orders before walking away.

  “We’d better decide what we want to eat before we make Mom mad again,” Megan whispered to Erin.

  “No kidding. Do you remember that time she made me eat a veggie plate just because I hadn’t decided yet, so she ordered everything she knew I wouldn’t like for me?”

  “We’re so abused,” Megan said with a grin. She and her sister had never been fond of vegetables and still weren’t. That particular time, she’d shared her food with her sister, and their mom had ended up taking the vegetable plate home in a box for her to eat later.

  Megan looked at her dad and saw he was biting his lip to stifle his grin. “You girls behave.”

  “I’m so glad I have you guys. I always know where to go if I need to feel loved. Thanks.” Megan said t
he words softly, but they were heartfelt and she knew the others felt it.

  “Our home is always open for you, Meggy. I’ll keep your room just like it is.” Her mother grinned as she made the promise.

  Megan smiled at the childhood name. “You’re welcome to turn it into a normal guest room instead of a shrine to the girl who once lived there.”

  Erin grinned. “You need to keep my room just like it is, though. I wouldn’t want to have to store all those UIL trophies.” Even though she lived in the same town as her parents, Erin had moved out after finishing college. She needed her own space.

  John took a sip of the drink that had been placed before him. “So we’re all having lunch at your Bob’s restaurant in Culpepper tomorrow, are we?”

  Megan nodded. “We are. If it’s okay, I’d like to meet about one. It’s busy there until about two, and he won’t have a chance to stop and chat before then.”

  “Let’s meet at two then,” her dad said. “I’d love for him to eat with us, so I can really get to know him.”

  Megan smiled at him. “You’re going to like him. He’s a good man.”

  “He sounds like it, but I need to make sure. It’s my job to watch out for my baby girls.”

  She laughed. “Your baby girls are now twenty-six and twenty-eight. I think we’re going to be okay.”

  “Probably, but until I see that you’re happily married for a while, I’m not going to rest easy. Not every man is as wonderful as I am.”

  The two sisters laughed while their mother rolled her eyes. It was the sort of claim John made regularly, and they were all used to him.

  Megan watched her family for the rest of their time together. She was glad they were as tight-knit as they were. They meant the world to her. Sometimes she wished she’d moved back after Brett left, but she knew she’d made the right decision now. Bob was her future. Bob and Culpepper, Wyoming.

  6

  After some shopping with her mother that afternoon, Megan was headed back to Culpepper by shortly after three. She used the Bluetooth, attached to the car’s navigation system to call her sister, who was just finishing up school for the day. “Hello?”

  “Hey! I was hoping you’d call. There was way too much I needed to say without the parental units listening. How much time do you have?” Erin asked. She sounded a lot more animated than she had with their parents around.

  “I just left Laramie.”

  “So about forty-five to an hour before you’re home?”

  “Yup.”

  Erin sighed. “Okay, so here’s the deal. I’m tired of being single. I want kids. A friend I met during the summer I went to New York to wait tables…remember that?”

  “Yeah! You got to be friends with several of the other waitresses, and a couple of the frequent customers, right?”

  “Yes. Well, one of the two customers I’ve kept in contact with is a matchmaker who matches people up at the altar.”

  Megan grinned. “Dr. Lachele, right? She’s a legend in Culpepper, because she matched the Culpepper men with the Quinlan women. Man, having the Quinlans here has changed the whole town!”

  “Exactly! Well, her assistant was the other friend I made. Her name is Samara. Samara was matched by Dr. Lachele and is happily married and expecting twins.”

  “I can’t believe you know Dr. Lachele. This is so cool. I haven’t met her yet, but I want to.”

  There was silence for a moment. “You don’t want to use her services do you?”

  “Of course not! I’m marrying Bob on Sunday. I don’t know if I would be if I hadn’t seen how the Culpepper matches worked out though.” Megan frowned as she switched lanes to go around a tiny red Smart car.

  “How’s that? What does one have to do with the other?”

  “Well, I saw four couples who were not madly in love with one another when they married end up that way in a short time. I think if there’s a strong foundation, there doesn’t need to be love before marriage for it to work.”

  “Wait—Are you saying you’re not in love with Bob?”

  “At the moment, I think I could easily fall in love with Bob. I’m currently deeply in lust with Bob.”

  “Have you guys…you know?”

  “Nope. We haven’t. And we won’t until after we marry, which is what I think is his main reason for asking me to marry him. Either way, I think we’re going to make it work.”

  Erin was silent for a moment. “So you’re not worried about going to bed with him, even though you’re not in love?”

  Megan laughed softly. “The man’s kisses reduce me to mush. I’m not at all worried about it…a little nervous, of course. I mean, we both know it’s my first time, but I wouldn’t say worried.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him tomorrow. I hope he’s as perfect for you as you seem to think he is.”

  Megan grinned at that. “Erin, I’ve never met anyone who was as far from perfection as Bob is. He’s crabby, stubborn, and difficult at times. No, he’s not perfect at all. But neither am I.” She paused for a moment. She’d called for information, not to talk about Bob. “Tell me more! Did Dr. Lachele come out and interview you yet?”

  “No, she’ll be here next weekend. I’m a little nervous, even though we’re good friends. She’s going to stay with me, and we’re going to spend the weekend together.”

  “Are you willing to relocate? Or is she finding you someone local if she can?”

  “I said I needed to stay in Wyoming. I don’t necessarily care if I stay in Laramie as long as I can finish out the school year here.” Erin sighed loudly. “You know, I am really nervous about the whole thing, but incredibly excited as well. I feel like we have the foundation to be great parents. Mom and Dad were wonderful examples.”

  “Yeah, they were. I want kids too.”

  “Does Bob?”

  Megan laughed softly. “I have no idea! We’ve never even talked about it. I’ll talk to him tonight and find out. It’s something I should know.”

  “Yeah, it might be important information.”

  “I honestly don’t think he even realized he was willing to have a wife at this time last week. Talking about kids may blow his brain right open.”

  “Well, you have to! You’re getting married in two days. Knowing whether or not to use protection with His Royal Sexiness is important.”

  “Oh, please don’t call him that! He’s trying to get me to call him King Bob.”

  “Why?”

  Megan grinned. “Because I mentioned that I overheard another Bob tell his wife to call him that, and he thought it was a brilliant idea. Because he’s a silly man who needs serious help!”

  “And are you going to be able to provide that serious help?”

  “It’s not up to me to provide that! There’s got to be a mental health counselor somewhere!”

  “Your Bob is sounding more and more intriguing.” Erin sounded amused.

  Megan laughed. “He’s just a normal guy. I think you’ll like him.”

  “I will. I’m driving down with Mom and Dad tomorrow. I wish I wasn’t. You were a great buffer today, but they’ll be on me all day tomorrow about what a huge mistake it is to marry someone sight unseen.”

  “I’m sure they will. You enjoy that! I heard today that I shouldn’t be rushing things.”

  Erin groaned. “We love them though, right?”

  “Of course we do. They’re the best parents we could possibly ask for!”

  “Okay, well, you must be close to home. I can stay tomorrow night if you want. Then we can talk and catch up, and I can help you get ready on Sunday.”

  Megan jumped at the chance. “One last sister slumber party before the wedding? I’m in!”

  “Great! I’ll bring everything I need to stay!”

  Pulling into her driveway, Megan put the car in park. “I’m home. I’m going to change so I can go meet Bob for dinner, and then we’re going dancing.”

  “Don’t forget to ask him if he wants kids! Love you!” She ended the call be
fore Megan could respond.

  Megan grabbed her dress, still in the garment bag, and carried it inside, hanging it on the hook on the back of her bedroom door.

  An hour later, she was dressed and ready for dinner and dancing, so she got in her car and drove to Bob’s Burger Barn, and waited for Kari to seat her. Bob was nowhere in sight.

  Kari led Megan to the only empty table, babbling away. “Bob is so excited about your wedding. I’ve never seen him like this. He talked about it nonstop all day, trying to make all the little details happen.”

  “Wow. Really?”

  “Yeah, really! He’s getting dressed for your date tonight right now.” Kari slid the menu in front of Megan. “I can’t be there for the wedding, because I need to run this place while Bob’s there, but I’ll be there in spirit.”

  “Thanks,” Megan said with a grin. She was surprised Bob wasn’t running for the hills.

  Kari hurried back to work while Megan looked at the menu for a moment, deciding what to eat. She was pretty sure Bob wouldn’t have a new taco burger for her to try.

  Five minutes later, Bob slid in across from her, grasping her hand with his. “I thought we would skip the taco burgers tonight,” he said by way of greeting.

  “Works for me. I want to try your Royal Robert anyway. I haven’t had it yet.”

  “You haven’t? You’ll love it!”

  “It looks like I will. I love bacon and eggs, so why not put them on a burger with cheese?”

  Bob smiled, bringing her fingers to his lips. “That’s what I was thinking when I created it. What do you want for a side?”

  “Let’s just do fried cheese curds. I like that there’s something different from boring old fries here.”

  “Sounds good.”

  When he didn’t get up right away, she frowned at him. “Are you actually going to let someone else cook our meal for us?”

  Bob laughed. “I’m officially off. Kari’s cooking tonight!”

  “And seating people too?”

  “Nah. That was just because she saw you come in. She wanted to tell you how excited she is.”

  “My sister brought up something today, and until she said it, I didn’t realize we hadn’t talked about it yet.”