by Judy Duarte
It sure seemed that way. She’d picked up on a lot of their habits in a few short weeks. But then again, they didn’t call her Little Miss Google for nothing.
Still, it tugged at his heart that the woman who’d fallen into his life seemed to have somehow picked him up after that fall.
Angie looked up and spotted Toby. “Oh, you’re here. I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have ordered for you.”
“No, that’s fine. I’m glad you did.” He slid into the booth and placed his hat on the seat beside him.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“Great. My family is behind me one hundred percent.”
“I knew they would be.”
Toby studied his hands, which rested on the table.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “Do you want to talk about it before the kids come back?”
All right. This was the opening he needed. Now all he had to do was form the words.
He took a deep, fortifying breath. “Things will probably get pretty intense over the next few weeks and months.”
“I know.”
He paused a beat, then pressed on. “I realize you didn’t sign on for all of this. And I want you to know that I understand. At this point, you can bow out gracefully before anyone gets hurt.”
There. He’d said it.
Now all he had to do was wait and see what she would do with the ball he’d lobbed into her court.
* * *
Angie hadn’t been sure how to tell Toby that she’d decided to back off, that she needed some space and time to herself. Then he’d broached the subject himself.
Not only that, he’d practically spelled it all out for her, making it easy. But now that he’d given her a free pass...
Well...was taking a step back what she really wanted?
In truth, she hadn’t been ready to walk away yet. But because she was afraid she’d change her mind down the road, which would devastate the kids, she’d thought it would be best to do it now.
And apparently, Toby felt the same way.
Yet now that he was cutting her loose, she felt an incredible sense of loss and fear that she stood to lose everything she’d ever wanted or needed if she didn’t speak up...
Speak up and say what? That she didn’t want to completely bow out?
That, in fact, she might not want to bow out at all?
“You’re not saying anything,” Toby said. “What are you thinking?”
“That I’d planned to take a step back and give you guys time to yourselves, but not because of the problems you’re facing.”
“Then why?”
“It’s complicated.”
Toby leaned forward. “I’m going to fight to keep Brian, Justin and Kylie. So things aren’t temporary anymore. I’m making a commitment to them—one I hope the courts will make permanent. And as much as the kids—and I—would like you to be a part of that, I wouldn’t even think of asking you to stick around for the long haul. It would be asking too much, and it wouldn’t be fair.”
Good. That was what she’d wanted to explain to him.
But the way he’d said it, the way he’d implied that it was just him and the kids from here on out—a family through thick and thin—made her feel as though she was the odd man out. And she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be on the outside looking in.
She lifted her eyes, caught his gaze zeroing in on hers. Glossy. Intense.
His words told her he was letting her go and that he thought it was for the best.
Okay, she got that. But his pained expression said something entirely different to her heart.
Or did she just want to read something into all the emotions she saw brewing in his eyes?
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “I thought you’d be relieved to have an opportunity to ease out of this relationship.”
She should be. She’d come here intending to end things between them after dinner, then return to her own little corner of the world—the part-time job at the Superette, the twenty hours a week at Redmond-Fortune Air, the small little granny flat behind Mr. Murdock’s house that she called home....
But was that cute little granny flat where she really called home?
Not when she woke up each morning in her own bed, thinking about Toby, seeing his face, hearing his voice. And whenever she thought about going home, it was always to the Double H, where Toby, the kids and one big mess or another always awaited her.
Come to think of it, no matter where she was—brunch with her mom, the Superette or at the airfield, her thoughts revolved around that precious, ragtag family. Even in her spare time, she planned meals she thought they’d like to eat and worked out better ways to balance their busy after-school schedules.
Just this morning, when she’d fixed her hair before her shift at the store, she’d wondered if Kylie was wearing the new headband Toby had bought her to use on days Angie wasn’t there to braid her hair. She’d also wanted to tell Justin to practice his spelling words one more time and to remind Brian not to forget his backpack.
She’d gone so far as to pick up the phone to call Toby and offer her suggestions, but she’d been afraid that she was getting way too involved, especially if she was going to distance herself.
But as she looked at Toby now, as she saw his anguished expression, as she realized how difficult this was for him...
It was breaking his heart, and for that reason, it was breaking hers, too.
He was all on his own and facing a custody battle, one he might lose. But that wasn’t the only thing hurting him.
Call it a zany sixth sense, but Angie could see it as plain as the summer sun at high noon. He was struggling with letting her go.
And she was struggling, too—right along with him.
All she wanted to do was to make his pain go away, to settle his fear, to strengthen his resolve.
And for some crazy reason, she didn’t even question the fact that she might be wrong in her assumption about what he was feeling for her.
The solution to the problem, to their problem, had never seemed so clear or so simple. All she had to do was to follow her heart.
Without a thought to the repercussions, the words rolled out of her mouth as loud and clear as the church bells on Sunday morning. “Toby, I think we should get married.”
He blinked, and his lips parted. “What did you say?”
“Those kids need a loving, two-parent home. And you and I are the ones who can provide it for them. I want us to be a family. And if we go before the court together, I don’t think the judge will turn us down.”
“You mean you’d marry me because of the kids?”
Angie laughed. “I want to marry you because I love you. And because I love the kids, I want us to be a family.”
Toby reached across the table and took her hand in his. “You love me?”
“Yes.” How could she not? He was everything a woman could ever want in a man—loving, loyal, a family man... And he was the most handsome man in all of Texas—if not the whole world.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “You’re not going to change your mind?”
“I’ve always known that when the perfect choice came along, I’d know it and that I’d jump on it. And that’s what I’m doing. When I’m with you and the kids, I don’t feel the least bit insecure or indecisive or flighty. I feel in control, at home, and...” She paused, realizing that was one word she needed to hear Toby say himself.
“And what?” Toby asked. “I hope you feel loved, because I’m crazy about you.” He slid around to her side of the booth and slipped his arm around her. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much.”
Angie leaned into him. “I must admit, I felt loved and cherished on Saturday night.
”
He brushed a kiss on her cheek. “Honey, if we weren’t out in public, I’d make you feel loved and cherished right now.”
She laughed. “Something tells me our private times together, as nice as they’ll be, aren’t going to be easy to find. But I’ll put some thought into it and figure out something.”
“One thing I can do is to call Stacey and ask if she knows any reliable sitters we can hire on a regular basis. We’re going to set aside one day a week as date night. I’d also like to plan some romantic weekend getaways.”
Angie’s heart swelled until she thought it might burst wide open. “I’m going to like being married to you, Toby.”
“I’m glad, because the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of being married to you.”
“It’s too bad the junior college doesn’t offer a crash course in motherhood,” she said. “There’s a lot I need to learn. Maybe I should ask your mom to tutor me.”
“You’re doing just fine. You’ve picked up plenty already.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Oh, no? You know which girls in Brian’s class think he’s cute and how many breaths Justin takes when he swims the length of the YMCA pool. It took you all of fifteen seconds to figure out how to juggle the timing of Kylie’s gymnastics lesson and still get the boys to baseball practice on time. You’re a natural—and a fast learner. You’ve also come to know me pretty well.”
She smiled and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Oh, yeah?”
“You can read my mood like nobody’s business. You knew that I really wanted to beg you to stay with me and the kids, even though I was trying to do the gentlemanly thing and give you a way out. And, maybe even more importantly, you know how to set my blood on fire.”
She leaned in and gave him a long, heated kiss that could have set The Grill on fire if he hadn’t drawn back.
Toby ran his finger along her lips. “But you need to know something. No matter what happens with the kids, even if I lose them, I still want you for my wife.”
“We won’t lose them,” Angie said. “I’ve set my heart on it.”
For the first time since Ms. Fisk had returned his call and told him Barbara had moved forward with her plan, Toby began to relax. With Angie in his corner, how could he lose?
Before either of them could comment further, the kids dashed back to the table announcing their high scores and asking for more quarters.
“What do you think?” Angie asked Toby. “Should we tell them?”
Justin pressed in front of his brother and sister. “Tell us what?”
“Angie and I are getting married,” Toby said.
“No kidding?” Brian asked. “Sweet.”
“Woo-hoo!” Justin shouted, drawing the other diners’ attention to their table.
Kylie clapped her hands and gave a little jump. “Can I be in the wedding?”
“Absolutely,” Angie said. “You’re all going to be in the wedding. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“So when is it?” Brian asked.
“We’ll have to wait at least three days,” Angie said. “That’s Texas law.”
Toby chuckled. “I suppose you picked that trivial piece of info up at one of your temp jobs?”
“As a matter of fact, I spent a few weeks working at a bridal shop in Vicker’s Corners.”
Miss Google strikes again.
“So how soon can I call you my wife?” Toby asked.
Angie tossed him a flirtatious grin. “How does next Saturday sound?”
“That long, huh?” He slipped his arm around her again and drew her close. “Saturday is fine with me. But don’t you think you’ll need more time to plan a wedding?”
“Yes, but I’d like to keep things simple. You may not believe this, but I can practically see it all unfolding in my mind.”
“You’re right. That is hard to believe, but I don’t doubt it.” He leaned over and kissed her again.
“Hey,” Justin said. “Before you guys start smooching again, can you look and see if you have any more quarters?”
Toby laughed, then dug into his pocket and pulled out several. “Take these.”
When the kids dashed off, Toby turned his attention back to Angie. “So you’re not going to drag your feet and make me wait while you stew over bridal magazines and reception venues?”
“No, I won’t have to. When I make up my mind, and my heart’s in it, I don’t drag my feet. I can tell you right now that I’d like to be married in your parents’ backyard. And that I want Stacey and Delaney to be my bridesmaids. I’ve never had sisters, so I’m looking forward to having two right off the bat.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy about that.”
“Good. Then since we’re both on the same page, I don’t see a problem.”
“Neither do I.”
Well, other than having to wait until next Saturday to make love with her again. But he was going to work very hard at getting her alone before that.
“I don’t suppose you’ve thought about a guest list,” he said. “Saturday won’t give us time to send out invitations.”
“We’ll keep it simple—mostly family, if that’s okay. But with it being so soon, we’ll have to call and invite people.”
“I’d like my brother Chris to be there, but that’s going to be tricky.”
“Because of the hard feelings within the family?” she asked.
“Yes. Chris has always been both a black sheep and a lone wolf. I’ve understood that and known when to give him his space. After things blew sky-high, I knew he needed to do some airing out. So I gave him the time he needed, figuring that he’d contact me when he was ready to talk and move back into the fold.”
“So will you call him?” Angie asked. “You could use the wedding as an excuse.”
“It might be best to extend the invitation through Sawyer. That way I’m respecting his decision to distance himself from Horseback Hollow and from the rest of the family. Yet it’s also a way to let him know that I still love him and want a relationship with him. I have a feeling he’ll reach out to me at that point, even if he doesn’t come.”
“Do you think he’ll stay away?”
“I hope not, but Chris has always had to do things his way. In the meantime, my dad will need to do some bending, too. So if I want to see any fences getting mended, I’d better start working on him.”
“If anyone can talk some sense into your dad, I’ll bet you can.” Angie gave him a kiss. “Now let’s get busy. I have a lot of work to do—and nine days doesn’t give me much time.”
She was right. But when it came to waiting for Angie to move into the ranch and become his wife in every sense of the word, nine days seemed way too long.
* * *
Toby had an appointment to meet with his new attorney in Lubbock on Monday at eleven o’clock. So while he was in the city, he decided to stop by the real-estate office where Doris Edwards worked.
Needless to say, she was surprised to see him.
“Do you have a couple of minutes?” he asked.
“Certainly.” She led him down the hall to a small break room. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks. I can’t stay long, but I have a question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to ask for Angie’s hand in marriage.”
Doris sat up a little straighter. “That’s a bit of a surprise—and a little old-fashioned. What if I were to tell you no?”
“We’d get married anyway. I just thought I’d pay you the respect you deserve—and to ask that you do the same for us.”
“I see.” Doris sat back in her seat. “So have you proposed to Angie yet?”
“Actually, it was her idea. S
he’s the one who first popped the question.” A slow smile tugged at his lips. “She’s going to call you when she gets off work today and talk to you about it.”
“Have you set a date?”
“Saturday.”
“So soon?” Doris stiffened. “Are you eloping?”
“We’re going to get married at my parents’ ranch. We’re only inviting family and a few close friends, although I suspect it won’t be as small as it sounds.”
Doris perked up. “Will the Fortunes from Red Rock be attending?”
“They’ll be invited, as well as those from Atlanta and the United Kingdom. But with it being such short notice, I’m not sure who’ll be able to make it.”
“In that case, don’t you think it would be better to wait at least a month? That way, you’ll have more time to plan a nicer event. I might even be able to get the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal to run a spread in the society pages.”
“We don’t want to wait.”
“Oh, dear. She’s not pregnant, is she?”
Toby groaned inwardly. Doris Edwards was certainly going to be a trial, but Angie was worth it.
“No, she’s not pregnant. But don’t worry—even though we only have a few days to plan, the wedding is going to be nice. My entire family is pitching in, and we’d like you to be as involved as you want to be.”
“Of course I’d like to be included.” Doris began to click her manicured nails on the table—plotting and planning, no doubt. “I’ll also need to purchase a new dress to wear.” She bit down on her bottom lip, then looked at him with hope-filled eyes. “Do you think your aunt Josephine May Fortune Chesterfield will come all the way from England? Goodness, I’ll bet the cost of that flight will be incredibly expensive.”
Toby reached out and placed his hand over his future mother-in-law’s, stopping her from fidgeting. “Listen, Doris. There are a few things we need to get straight. I may be a Fortune by blood, and while my ranch is doing just fine and I’m financially stable, I’m not wealthy by any means. And I probably never will be. But I love your daughter with all my heart. We may never have the money that some of my family members have, but in everything that matters, Angie and I are rich beyond measure.”
