by Cora Seton
“What’s that?” Carl signaled for more coffee. A new waitress brought it over for him—a young woman Mia didn’t recognize.
“No more Tracey,” Mia said. “And I’m going to follow her example. I’m going to get married, too.”
“Does Luke know?”
“Not yet. I’m trying to give him subtle hints. I told him a while ago I didn’t want to marry until after the baby’s born, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“Hmm. I said I was done teaching you things, but would you mind one more lesson?” Carl lifted his coffee cup. Took a sip. “Don’t ever try to give a man a subtle hint. Not if you want it to work. Just do the poor schmuck a favor and whack him over the head with it, whatever it is.”
“Really?” Mia nibbled the cupcake.
“Really.”
“Okay.” She decided she’d think that over when she was alone. “So, what about you? Any luck yet with buying a house?”
“No. But I decided that’s a good thing. When I got here I was in a rush to buy a place and start feeling like I belong, but I think that’s backwards. I think I’ll figure out how to belong here first—then find the right property.”
“So you’ll be looking for a long-term rental? I could put out the word for you.”
“I’ve found a situation, actually. There’s another family moving back to town—the Coopers. Apparently they pulled stakes and moved to Wyoming for some years to be part of a venture there, but now they’re coming home and getting back into the ranching business. I’ll get their house in order for them, supervise some repair work, that kind of thing, and I’ll move into one of the other houses standing empty on the property. I figure it won’t hurt me to get some hands-on ranching experience before I buy my own spread, and living with the Coopers should give me an in with the community I never had before.”
“Sounds like things are looking up for you, too,” Mia said.
“Here’s to progress.” He raised his cup of coffee and Mia raised her cup of milk in return.
Marry her now.
If only he could, Luke thought as he crumpled up the latest mystery message and tossed it in the trash. He’d marry Mia any day of the week, in his best suit or fresh from a day of work in his jeans and a sweaty T-shirt. All he wanted was to know they’d spend the rest of their lives together, come what may. But Mia had been perfectly clear—no proposal and no marriage until after the birth.
At least he’d get to see her tonight. They were eating with his family—the whole gang from the Double-Bar-K and the Cruz ranch, plus the Mortimers and a surprise guest he’d invited without the knowledge of anyone but his mother. Lisa was cooking her signature baked chicken and he was sure there would be all his other favorite fixings. The meal would taste great, even if the company got ornery.
He and Ned were back on speaking terms at least, although things weren’t entirely smooth between them. He knew Fila and Mia had patched things up much more thoroughly than he’d managed to do with his brother.
A half-hour later, he was sitting around the large oak dining room table in his parents’ house, laughing at Jake’s rendition of Ned’s first time mounting a horse since he broke his leg back in January.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Ned protested.
“It was that bad,” Jake returned. “But you’ll loosen up again in time. I’m just glad Fila was there to get your leg back on straight when you broke it. Otherwise who knows if you’d be riding today at all.”
“That’s right,” Lisa said, passing a platter of chicken to Jake. “Fila, we’ll always be grateful to you.”
“Thank you.”
“And Morgan, that son of yours is as cute as a bug. Are you getting any sleep?”
“A little.” Morgan smiled at Rob. “Not much.”
“No, not much,” Rob agreed.
“Who’s the empty seat for?” Evan Mortimer spoke up.
“A friend’s joining us for dessert,” Luke put in quickly.
“Mia, how are you holding up?” Lisa asked. She caught Luke’s eye and winked. He smiled to show he appreciated her help in diverting the question. He meant to bring up the practical jokes soon and Carl’s unwitting part in starting them off.
“I’m okay. Tired. Achy. Sleep-deprived.”
“The last few weeks of a pregnancy are the hardest. I was like that with all four of my boys.”
At the far end of the table, Holt shifted. Luke wasn’t sure if his father was uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, or if he had something to say. But his father remained uncharacteristically quiet, as he had for weeks now.
“This time next month you’ll have your little one, too,” Morgan said to Mia. She was holding baby Jack in her arms and trying to eat one-handed.
“I can’t wait.”
Holt shifted again.
“Are you all set? Do you have a bag packed for the hospital?” Hannah asked.
“I’m going to do that tomorrow. I didn’t want to jump the gun.” Mia smiled. “I’m off work now, so all I have to do is lounge around and wait for this baby to arrive.”
“What about a crib?”
“I’ve got a bassinet for now.” It was Mia’s turn to shift in her seat and Luke figured she didn’t want the question of her living arrangements to be the topic of conversation. They hadn’t said as much, but he felt pretty sure that soon after the baby was born, Mia would move back into his cabin. With the nursery all set up there, it didn’t make sense for her to buy a crib.
“Luke’s got a crib,” Ned said, echoing his thoughts.
Luke frowned.
“I know,” Mia said. “It’ll come in handy if I ever visit.”
Holt dropped his silverware on his plate. “When the hell are you two getting married?”
Everyone froze in shock at his sudden outburst, then Lisa’s laughter pealed out. “Paris! You owe me a trip to Paris, my dear!”
“Don’t Paris me, woman! No one here is talking about Paris.”
“You’re right. We don’t have to talk about it. We just have to pack our bags.” Lisa beamed.
Holt turned on Luke with a growl. “What are you waiting for? That girl’s as big as a barn. Marry her already!”
“We’re waiting until—”
“You’re waiting too long! Get on with it! What do you want—Christ to descend from heaven to do the ceremony himself?”
“Holt!” Lisa’s smile vanished. “No need for blasphemy.”
“I’ll blaspheme all I want if that’s what it takes to light a fire under their asses. Look at you two! What a pair you make!”
“Dad—”
“I thought for once one of my sons wouldn’t need my interference to get himself wed, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Every last one of you needed me to hold your hand all the way up to the altar. I raised a pack of fools!”
“I want to marry her!” Luke couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “I’ve been trying to marry her. I proposed twice! Maybe you should have meddled a long time ago. I’ll take any help I can get!”
“Wait a minute,” Mia said. She’d been staring at Holt ever since he started talking. “You’ve been interfering all along, haven’t you? The notes—those were yours!”
Luke’s jaw dropped. He turned to Mia. “You got notes, too?”
She nodded.
“Notes!” Lisa shook her head. “Holt didn’t write any notes, that’s for sure.”
“I think he did.” Mia leaned forward. “Am I right?”
Holt didn’t answer, but his struggle to hold back was plain for anyone to see.
“Did you butt in with notes, you old goat?” Lisa said. “Then you owe me a trip to Paris twice over.” She slapped her palm on the table. “Although I want to know how you managed it.”
“I don’t have to take you anywhere,” he burst out. “You said I couldn’t say a word about marriage. You didn’t say I couldn’t write about it.”
“How could you? You don’t even know how to write!” Ned said.
“
I guess I do, after all,” Holt said, and folded his arms across his chest. “You aren’t the only one who can hire a tutor.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Rob leaned forward. “Next thing you know, pigs’ll fly. Dad getting some schooling—that’s unexpected.”
“I know what I want for my next wedding anniversary.” Lisa smiled at Holt.
“A trip to the moon?” Holt eyed her back.
“A love letter.”
Luke fought to regain his footing in the conversation. The last person he’d suspected of writing those notes was his father, but while revelations were being spilled, he might as well tell everyone what else had happened.
“Looks like you fooled us all, Dad. You’re a real joker.”
“Not the only one around here from what I’ve heard.” Holt turned serious. “Seems like the jokes have gotten out of control, too.”
“I didn’t start it,” Ned said, as if he suspected he’d get blamed.
“I didn’t start it, either,” Rob said, holding up his hands.
“Sure you did! You stole my dress boots on Ned’s wedding day!” Jake pointed a finger at him.
“I had nothing to do with that and I have no clue why Cab here felt like he had to butcher my topiary.”
The sheriff looked indignant. “I didn’t butcher anyone’s topiary! I’m the victim here. Jamie’s the one who put that damn Honk if I’m Sexy sign on my cruiser. I still get crap about it from my deputies.”
“I didn’t do anything to your cruiser. I’m the one who’s half-naked on a Cowboy calendar because of Ethan here.”
“Are you serious?” Ethan exploded. “I don’t have the time or energy to enroll cowboys in calendar contests. I’m too busy taking hemorrhoid medication deliveries from Ned!”
“Let me guess.” Holt’s voice cut across the table and the hubbub subsided. He jabbed a finger at Ethan. “It was you who sent Ned the children’s book, not Luke. You just made it look like Luke.”
Ethan sat back. He ducked his head. “I guess that wasn’t cool. But like I said, the hemorrhoid joke wasn’t cool, either.”
“I had nothing to do with that.” Ned looked like thunder.
“I was the one who sent the hemorrhoid cream.” Jamie spoke up. “Because of the calendar.”
“And I was the one who signed you up for the calendar.” Cab nodded at Jamie. “Because of the sign.”
“I’m the one who put the sign on,” Rob said. “Because of that damn bush.”
“Which I turned into a bulldog,” Jake said, chuckling a little. “Because I thought you stole my boots on Ned’s wedding day.”
“Sorry, that was me,” Evan confessed. “When I got that envelope with the offer to trade my ranch for The Breakers, I thought you were making fun of me—especially with that note that said The Breakers was worth so much more.”
“That wasn’t Jake,” a new voice said. “I’m afraid that was me.” Carl rounded the corner and hesitated in the doorway to the room. “When I got to town I was so excited about getting my ranch back, I drove straight to your place and left the envelope in your mailbox. When you never answered me—not even to say no—I figured you had no intention to sell, so I moved on. It wasn’t until Luke here told me you thought it was a joke that I went back and looked through my things. I found the letter I was supposed to include explaining my offer—which meant all you got were the photos and that scrawled note. No wonder you didn’t take it seriously.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “The offer still stands, by the way. I thought I didn’t want the ranch anymore back when Lacy—my fiancée,” he explained to Evan, “broke things off with me, but I’ve realized since then that I didn’t move to Chance Creek for her. I moved here to be the person I’ve always wanted to be. So now I’m back.”
All around the table Luke saw stunned faces. Evan spoke first. “I don’t think we’re planning to sell. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“We really love the ranch, too,” Bella added, “and we’re already building my animal shelter and clinic there. I hope that won’t be a problem for you.”
“Not at all,” Carl said, although a flicker of disappointment crossed his face. “I have temporary lodgings, and I’ll keep looking.” He looked from face to face. “I guess I’ll be on my way.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Lisa said, standing up. “Luke, where are your manners? Show your guest to his seat. It’s time for dessert. Ladies, will you help me clear?”
In the general bustle, Luke led Carl to his seat. Mia leaned forward to smile and say hello. Others around the table called out greetings, and those close by moved to shake his hand. Carl looked pleased by the friendly welcome he was receiving.
Mia whispered in Luke’s ear, “That was nice of you to invite him.”
“Carl’s okay.” He kissed her neck. “Just don’t get any ideas.”
“You’re the man for me, Luke Matheson.” She kissed him back.
Luke stilled. Did she mean that?
He sure as hell hoped she did.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t there,” Mia said to Luke as they walked back to his cabin. “Who knew your dad would learn to write?”
“I hate to admit it, but those notes nudged me along a couple of times.”
“Me too—shocking as that is. Holt the matchmaker. That’s a dangerous proposition. You need to put that man back to work full-time on the ranch.”
“Actually, I think I do—whenever he’s done with that building project. But I also think he’s right—I think we’ve waited too long to get engaged.”
“I think so, too,” Mia said softly. “I wish I’d said yes a long time ago.”
He turned to face her. “Really?”
She nodded.
“So if I proposed to you right now, you’d say yes?”
“Only if you had a ring with you.” She chuckled.
He dropped down onto one knee. “I do happen to have a ring with me.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet case. “And you’d make me the happiest man in the world if you’d do me the honor of becoming my wife, Mia Start.” He opened the case to show her the delicate ring she’d first chosen from Thayer’s.
“Luke! You were carrying that around?” Love for him welled up within her. This was the man she’d fallen in love with. This was the man she wanted to spend her life with.
“Answer the question.”
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” She blinked back tears as Luke stood up, slid the ring on her finger and pulled her in for a kiss. She’d never forget where she stood the moment she became engaged to the man she loved above all others, halfway between the main house and Luke’s cabin, on a soft May evening with a canopy of stars shining overhead. “I love you,” she whispered into his neck.
He tilted her head back and kissed her soundly. “I love you, too.”
“All I’m saying is, you were right. I could use some more help around the place, Pops—even when Ned’s leg is healed. It used to take all four of us plus you to run the show. Now with Jake and Rob busy with their own businesses, we’re shorthanded.” Luke sat in the passenger seat in his father’s truck the next day, still buzzing with the knowledge that Mia had consented to be his wife. They hadn’t been able to celebrate with quite the rambunctious round of lovemaking that he’d have liked, but they’d come together in a gentle, sensuous way that was just as good. He’d lain awake long after Mia dropped off, planning for the future. He was determined to make a good life for his wife and child and that meant having the time to spend with them.
“Last year it was all the lot of you could do to shove me aside so you could run the show.” Holt turned the vehicle onto the highway. He’d told Luke he had something to show him. Luke figured it was the new house he’d built. Maybe he’d finally learn the mystery of who would live there.
“I’m not asking you to take charge.”
“So you want to give me orders?”
“How about we work together—you, me and Ned, with Jake
and Rob lending a hand when they can. That oughta work.”
“I suppose. Since you can’t handle things on your own.”
Luke knew that was as close to gratitude as Holt came.
His father pulled up in front of the brand-new house that bordered the highway. It had a little yard of its own, and pansies planted along the walkway. A front porch sported a rocking chair. The whole thing was as spotless as anything. In fact, it reminded him of…
“Luke! Hello!” Amanda Stone walked out onto the porch and waved as they got out. “Isn’t this a wonderful surprise?”
“You built this house for Amanda Stone?” Luke turned to his father in surprise.
“She called me up a while back. Let me know what my son had been doing for her all these years—what I should have been doing for the widow of one of my hired hands all along.” He lowered his voice. “I’m proud of you.” He squeezed Luke’s shoulder and moved past him to greet Amanda.
Luke rocked on his feet, so stunned he couldn’t move. His father was proud of him?
“Come on, don’t keep the lady waiting,” Holt called.
Luke snapped back to life and took the steps two at a time.
“We’ll be able to keep an eye on things for you now, Amanda,” his father said, accepting the glass of lemonade she handed him.
“And now that the house is built you can start helping me out with the ranch chores,” Luke said to him, accepting a glass as well.
“Of course you’ll have to make do while your mother and I are off gallivanting around Europe.”
“We can hold it together for a week or two.”
Holt snorted. “You’ll have to do more than that. We’ll be gone nearly two months.”
Luke cocked his hat back, the better to see Holt’s face. “You joking again?”
“No joke about it. They pack a lot of countries into that one little continent. No wonder those Europeans are all so scrawny.”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “A lot of countries, huh? Just how long have you been planning this trip, Dad?”
“Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies. Sit down and drink your lemonade.”
“You got it, old man.” Luke lowered himself into one of the wicker chairs.
