by Cora Seton
These days, however, that independence was getting pricey. He’d replaced a window in her kitchen that wouldn’t open anymore, dealt with a foundation issue that let moisture into her basement and soon he was afraid he’d need to replace her roof.
“Say hi to Mia for me, Luke. She’s such a sunny thing.”
“I will. See you next week!”
He checked his watch and picked up speed as he stowed away his shovel in the shed he’d built a year ago, and got into his old truck to make the trip back to the Double-Bar-K. His engine refused to turn over the first time he turned the key. He held his breath as he turned it a second time. There, that did it. Pretty soon he’d need a new truck, too. That was going to stretch his finances.
As he drove home, however, his thoughts turned to a happier topic.
Mia.
Today was the day.
Today was the day he and Mia would stop being just friends and get on to the good stuff. It was Valentine’s Day—and his brother’s wedding day. Surely that double-dose of romance, plus the gifts he intended to shower her with, would finally convince the pretty young woman that the man she was looking for was right under her nose.
He could never tell with Mia, though. Every time he thought he’d got the measure of her, she surprised him. Hell, she’d managed to keep him at arm’s length for two long months now, and they were living in the same house.
He frowned as he turned into the long lane that led to his family’s home. He pulled up in front of his parents’ house and parked. If he couldn’t move his relationship with Mia to a more romantic level soon, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Living in close proximity to her was driving him wild. It was hard to concentrate when she was around—and it was doubly hard, pun intended, to sleep knowing she was right next door.
He exited his truck and made his way into the house where the smell of bacon led him straight to the dining room, where most of his family was already seated. Everyone who lived on the ranch had gathered to eat and then help set up for the wedding. He wasn’t entirely surprised to see Mia’s customary chair empty, however. He knew she wanted to look extra good for the wedding. He ducked into the kitchen to wash up and slid into his own seat just in time to snag the platter of pancakes from Ned’s hands. If Mia didn’t make it, he’d put together a plate of food and bring it to her after he ate.
“Paris.”
Luke jumped when his mother, Lisa, slapped a glossy brochure down on the dining room table in front of his father, Holt. Everyone stopped eating and stared at her. Luke didn’t blame them. This early in the morning the extent of the conversation at the Matheson table was generally limited to a few grunts and an order or two, although usually there wasn’t such a crowd.
Luke slathered his pancakes in butter, then drenched them in syrup, but took a moment to study his family before his first bite. Lots had changed recently. Only last September all his brothers had been single. After today he’d be the only one who could claim that status.
To his right sat Jake, his oldest brother, and Jake’s wife, Hannah. Married just before Christmas, Luke hardly saw them these days because they were both so busy with classes they’d just started at Montana State and their regular work—Hannah with Bella Mortimer, the local pet veterinarian, and Jake with Bella’s husband, Evan Mortimer, a wealthy man with an interest in sustainable ranching.
Holt pushed the brochure out of his way. “Nnnh?” he growled.
“Paris, France,” Lisa said, pushing it closer to Holt again. “That’s what I want for our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary this fall. A trip to the City of Love.” She sat down beside her husband and helped herself to some bacon and eggs.
“Paris sounds lovely,” Morgan said from her seat next to Hannah.
Morgan had married Luke’s youngest brother, Rob, back in September. Rob had partnered with Ethan Cruz from the ranch next door, and was also helping Morgan start a vineyard. Luke bet Morgan and Rob would love to travel to France to check out the wineries.
“Why the hell would you want to go to Paris?” Holt said.
Luke saw Ned and Fila exchange a look. They sat on his side of the table, Luke closest to Holt and Fila beside him. Ned was only a year older than Luke and he and Luke had argued a lot as kids—well, as adults too, until this year. Now they found themselves agreeing about more things. He was glad Ned had found a woman like Fila to love. She’d made him a better man. She was a beauty, too, with her coffee and cream skin and waist-length hair. She was funny, too, with a dry sense of humor she expressed more and more as she gained confidence. In Luke’s opinion, the couple deserved a memorable wedding day. Fila had been to hell and back when she’d spent ten years as a prisoner of the Taliban, and Ned had barely survived a recent disastrous trip to the family’s hunting cabin last month that left him still healing from a broken leg.
“Come on, Holt, you old goat. You’ll love Paris,” Camila Torres said, helping herself to orange slices. Luke marveled that his old man put up with her sass. Somehow she’d gotten into his good graces. Maybe it was her amazing Mexican cooking—so fantastic, even Holt liked it. Or perhaps it was because she was co-owner of Fila’s new restaurant and now that Fila had saved one of Holt’s son’s lives, any friend of hers was a friend of his.
“Who wants more bacon?” Lisa asked, passing the platter around. Luke was amazed his mother had pulled off this kind of breakfast today. He’d seen the kitchen. Every spare inch was filled with items for the wedding feast.
“All there is in Paris is foreigners.” Holt took the rest of the bacon and used his elbow to push the brochure farther away.
Luke ignored the back and forth. At twenty-nine he knew better than to interfere when his parents bickered. You’d think they could call a truce for Valentine’s Day—for Ned’s wedding—but his parents’ marriage seemed to run on friction, and today evidently would be business as usual.
There were no roses at his mother’s seat. No box of candy, either, but if he wasn’t mistaken, those were new diamond earrings in her ears.
“There’s delicious food and beautiful architecture—and the Louvre, too,” Lisa said.
“A bunch of stuck-up pansies.”
“And shopping and art galleries and monuments.”
“I’d go to Paris in a minute if it meant I could stop dealing with that damn architect. He’s sent over so many alternate plans it’s making my head spin,” Jake said. Luke knew what he meant. Holt had given Jake two hundred acres to do with as he pleased, and he and Hannah meant to build a house this summer.
Lisa smiled sympathetically at her oldest son. “Building is always such a bother, but you’ll be happy this fall when you move into your new home.”
“I told Evan if I was rich I’d buy his place—let him go build.”
Hannah laughed. “Yeah, but he shot that idea down pretty quickly. Apparently he and Bella are having just as much trouble getting her clinic and pet shelter built as we’re having with our house.”
“It’ll all be done by the time Holt and I fly off to Paris,” Lisa assured her.
“I ain’t going, and neither are you.” Holt made eye contact across the length of the table with his wife for emphasis, then caught Luke’s expression and fixed him with a scowl. “What’re you snickering about over there?”
Luke straightened. “Nothing, Pops.”
“I have a bone to pick with you.”
Uh-oh. Classic Holt technique. When an argument with his wife got too hot, he’d pick a new one with a son. Luke braced himself.
“See all this folderol?” He waved at the wedding preparations. “Time for your share. I’ve gotten the rest of your brothers hitched, now it’s your turn.”
“You’ve gotten them hitched?” Lisa got up again and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. She came back with a plate stacked high with toast. “More like they got hitched in spite of your interference.”
“He can interfere away, Mom. I’m all for marriage.”
Lisa sat back down
in her seat. “Then what’s the deal with you and Mia?”
“Yeah,” Ned said. “What is the deal with you and Mia?”
Luke glanced at the empty chair beside him. “She’s getting ready for the wedding. She should be here any minute.” He hoped his family would leave things at that, but of course they didn’t.
“You’re living with her. Your intentions better be pure,” Lisa said.
“My intentions are far from pure, but our living arrangements sure are. That’s the problem.” Shit. He shouldn’t have said that out loud. Jake guffawed and Hannah elbowed him.
“Hush, Jake.” Lisa turned to Luke. “Then Mia’s smarter than I gave her credit for. It doesn’t do to give away the milk for free—”
“Mom!”
“Slap a ring on her finger and she’ll put out soon enough,” Holt declared.
Lisa dropped her fork on her plate. “Is that why you married me, you old coot? So I’d put out?”
“I thought that’s why you married me,” Holt countered.
Everyone laughed, and Luke knew his parents’ spat was over as quickly as it had begun.
“I bet Mia’s blowing you off because of your truck. What woman in her right mind wants to ride around in that old thing?” Jake said.
“It’s not his truck, it’s his hat,” Ned said. “He’s worn the same one since fourth grade.”
“It’s the fact he hasn’t taken her out to a single restaurant,” Rob said. “Luke, face it—women don’t marry cheapskates.”
“Yeah, you’re lucky we’ll still be seen with you.”
Luke rolled his eyes at their teasing, but some of the barbs hit home. He had a reputation for being cheap because he was often broke. And while that was partly his own fault—he liked a night out at the Dancing Boot as well as the next guy—it was more a result of helping Amanda Stone.
If he was smart, he’d let someone else know about the old woman’s problem, but he knew what would happen next. Amanda’s house and possessions would be liquidated and she’d be put in one of the state-run homes for the elderly. It was a smart solution—the right solution—but Amanda Stone was terrified of old-age homes. She’d broken down and told him about her fears one day five years ago—the day he’d found her shivering in her house. It turned out her grandmother had been institutionalized with Alzheimer’s and Amanda had been the one to discover the systemic neglect she’d suffered. She was terrified it would happen to her, too. She’d sworn him to secrecy and he’d promised not to tell anyone about her difficulties in maintaining her home. At first it hadn’t been hard to help her keep it up and cover a few of her costs, but now he was in over his head.
His father spoke up again. “I gave your brothers deadlines to speed things along.”
“Won’t work with me,” Luke said, coming out of his reverie. “I’m not the one holding up the proceedings. Mia is. Beside, you won’t kick me off the ranch. I’m the only extra pair of hands you’ve got left.” It was true; Jake and Rob were too busy with their own ventures to do more than help out now and then with some of the chores, and Ned was still recovering from breaking his leg last month. That left Luke and Holt to pick up the slack.
“I’ll think of something.”
Lisa sighed. “You know what, old man? I think you’ll just mind your own business for once.”
“I will, will I?”
“Yes, you will. Because I’m going to set the deadline this time. Luke, you’ve got six months to convince that girl to marry you, or I’ll help her move along. No, don’t worry—I won’t be rude. There’s no sense in either of you keeping the other from meeting your true love, if you aren’t meant to be together. Meanwhile, your father won’t say one word about marriage during that time.” She held up a hand when Holt began to sputter. “Not one word, or you’ll take me to France. That’s the deal. Keep quiet and we’ll celebrate our thirty-fifth anniversary on the ranch. Speak your mind and we’ll go to Paris.” She beamed. “My money’s on Paris.”
“My money’s on me finding another place to live,” Luke growled, pushing back from the table. “You can’t kick Mia out of my house if I want her there. Besides, I don’t see what the hurry is.”
Lisa became serious. “I think you will all too soon.”
‡
Chapter Two
Mia sat on her bed in the room she was renting in Luke’s cabin and stared at the cashier’s check Ellis had given her, unable to make herself go have breakfast with everyone else at Luke’s parents’ house. Between the check and Inez’s revelation, she couldn’t form a coherent thought, let alone take part in a family gathering.
Inez wanted her to send a letter to the committee that oversaw the region’s beauty pageants and tell them what Fred Warner had done to her all those years ago. Inez meant to write to them too and follow up her letter with phone calls until they were taken seriously. It might be too late to prosecute Warner—Inez was looking into that, too—but maybe they could get him barred from judging pageants.
Mia had promised Inez she would think about it, but right now she had more a more pressing matter on her mind. As soon as she deposited Ellis’s check, she needed to tell Luke about her condition, and before she could do that, she needed to move into her own apartment. Luke would be angry at her when he heard the news. She needed somewhere else to go.
Last November when she left her parents’ home, she’d first rented a room at the Cruz ranch guesthouse, run by her close friends Autumn and Ethan Cruz. The guest ranch had opened to the public only last summer, and as winter began they’d lacked the customers they needed to keep paying their bills. Autumn had welcomed Mia and two other single women—Hannah Chatham and Fila Sahar—to rent rooms on a monthly basis. Mia had loved it there until an unexpected houseful of paying guests descended for the month of December. Autumn and Ethan needed all the rooms back then, so all three women moved out—each to one of the cabins on the Double-Bar-K. Mia had ended up with Luke, which was great. She fallen for him hook, line and sinker.
And Luke wanted to be with her. He made that clear every day. She couldn’t be with him, though. Not when she was nearly four months pregnant with another man’s child.
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t be the kind of single mother who dated a string of men and turned her child’s life upside down each time it didn’t work out. From here on in, she’d have to proceed slowly, and she wouldn’t let a man into her life she didn’t think could go the distance.
Mia placed Ellis’s check on the bed. She’d fallen hard for Luke. It wasn’t his broad shoulders, or six-pack abs, or the glint in his eye when she caught him looking at her.
It was his laugh.
Luke wasn’t an outgoing man. He was your typical strong, silent cowboy, which sometimes drove Mia around the bend, but when he laughed he gave in to it, and that joyful, masculine sound twisted Mia’s innards into knots of longing. She’d never thought such a simple thing could make her want to rip her clothes off, but there it was. She’d never tell him that though; the man would simply laugh her right into bed.
Mia fell back on the mattress with a thump. Sex was what got her into this mess, so she shouldn’t be daydreaming of making love to Luke—yet daydreaming about Luke’s hands on her body got her through a lot of difficult hours. It could never happen in real life. She’d slipped once and she wouldn’t slip again, but—oh, God—she wanted to. She wanted Luke on top of her. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist. She wanted to kiss the underside of his chin, just where she knew it would drive him wild.…
A slam of the front door told her Luke had finished his earliest chores and had stopped at home to say good-morning before heading out again. She was constantly in awe of how hard the men worked on this ranch, especially Luke now that all his brothers were busy with their own concerns. The Double-Bar-K employed ranch hands that came in from town every day, but Luke still labored from before sunrise to after sunset—physical work, too. His body was hard and muscular from all that work, taut an
d enticing. If only she was marrying Luke today.
Mia jumped up. She had to get ready for the wedding. She had to stop thinking about him like that. She had to stop thinking about him at all. Soon she wouldn’t be able to hide the evidence of her pregnancy anymore and she had no illusions about what Luke’s reaction would be when he noticed her belly bump. Disgust pure and simple—that she’d slept with a married man, that she’d lied by omission about being pregnant, that she’d allowed him to think she was available.
Of course, she was available, but even if Luke truly cared for her, that didn’t mean he’d welcome another man’s child into his life. If he couldn’t do that, she couldn’t be with him. It was that simple.
She shoved the check into the top drawer of her dresser and examined her appearance in the mirror. Hair, eyes, cheeks, lips, clothing, posture and expression. Check, check, check, check, check, check, check. She never could see her reflection without falling back into beauty pageant mode, running through her checklist so that her exterior was perfect before she stepped outside. Some lessons you never forgot.
If only Luke knew what it cost her to keep her distance, maybe he’d have some sympathy. She smoothed her hand over her belly and turned sideways to see her profile. Her belly swelled slightly, but she was sure no one else would notice it. Not yet. If Luke only knew how much she loved the child growing within her, would he choose to love him too?
Twice in the last month she’d actually seen Luke fuss over a baby in public. Once he even consented to hold one. The sight of the little mite in Luke’s big, strong hands, its sweet face nestled against Luke’s wide shoulder almost brought Mia to her knees.
