A Willing Wife

by Jackie Merritt

  Ruben shouted from the living room, “Rosita, stop with the feelings!”

  “Oh, hush!” she called back. “You know my premonitions are more often true than not.”

  Maggie had heard the same exchange from her parents before, and she hastened to change the subject, grabbing at the first thing that entered her mind. “It’s hard to believe that Cruz is married and settled down, isn’t it? He always had so many girlfriends.”

  “Ah, but things went very differently when he met Savannah. They had their ups and downs, of course. Only once in a while does true love run smoothly. But they are happy now.”

  “And I’m happy for them.”

  Rosita nodded. “Yes, we all are. And I’m so pleased about the child they are expecting.”

  “I’m sure you are, Mama.” Maggie smiled. “You will have another grandchild to love.” Her smile faded slightly as she thought of her and Craig’s shotgun wedding. Their marriage hadn’t lasted. She hoped Cruz and Savannah’s would endure forever.

  “I’m so proud of him for striking out on his own,” Maggie murmured, forcing her thoughts into a happier vein. “I can’t believe he’s finally going to have his own ranch. That piece of land he bought is breathtaking. He’s going to make something of himself, Mama, and that’s very exciting.”

  “Yes, it is, but it wouldn’t have been quite so easy to do if Dallas Fortune hadn’t offered to invest in Cruz’s dream.”

  Maggie frowned. “That’s true, isn’t it. Mama, for Cruz’s sake I hope his ranch and horse operation doesn’t end up being just another Fortune possession.”

  “Dallas isn’t like that, Maggie. I’m positive that his investment is in Cruz, not in the ranch itself.”

  “Oh, I believe that Dallas’s investment is in Cruz, too. But after Cruz works himself to death starting up the ranch and getting it in good shape and running smoothly, what is Dallas’s attitude going to be then?”

  Rosita looked shocked. “Maggie, what are you thinking of? Dallas is not plotting to benefit from Cruz’s hard work.”

  Maggie sighed. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  “Dallas is not going to take advantage of Cruz,” Rosita repeated. “He’s not that kind of man.”

  “What kind of man is he, Mama?”

  Rosita thought a moment, then said with a saddened sigh, “He’s a lonely man, Maggie. He took the death of his wife and baby very hard.”

  Maggie let that pass, for the moment, and the brief interval altered her mother’s thoughts. Rosita began to beam. “It’s so good having you home, Maggie. Promise you will never leave again.”

  Maggie replied gently, “Mama, this is just a visit.” She smiled. “Granted, it’s a long visit, but eventually Travis and I will have to live someplace else.”

  “No!” Rosita cried, then called to her husband, “Ruben! Maggie said this is just a visit.”

  Ruben appeared in the doorway still holding the newspaper. “Why do you say such a thing and break your mama’s heart?” he asked Maggie.

  “Papa, I can’t live off you and Mama indefinitely,” Maggie said weakly. She loved her father dearly, but he could be very daunting, and right now he wore an expression that made her feel like a child again.

  “This is your home. You and Travis will stay,” Ruben said with a finality that brooked no further debate. He returned to his chair in the living room.

  Maggie looked down at her coffee cup. Her parents were united against her in this case. There was no point in arguing with either of them. When the time came, she and Travis would simply leave. Regardless of their generous, loving spirit, she could not live off her aging, hardworking mother and father. Rosita was head housekeeper in Ryan Fortune’s huge mansion, and Ruben was a cowhand. They had already raised their family and should not have to raise Maggie’s, too.

  While it was good to be home for a visit, things weren’t quite the same as they used to be. Or maybe they were exactly the same, Maggie thought, and she’d simply forgotten how deeply her mother had always involved herself in the Fortune family’s troubles, and how quickly she had defended anything they’d ever done. Maggie now saw that involvement and defensiveness from a much different perspective. As strange as it seemed, Rosita loved the Fortunes, and she worried about them as she would a second family.

  Maggie became introspective. Her mother might love the Fortunes, but she certainly didn’t. Neither did she dislike them; they were simply there, rich beyond belief, and obviously bored with life, because one or more of them was forever getting into or causing trouble.

  Well, she wanted no part of them. She’d come home to see her family, and to get herself back on track, not to get involved with the Fortunes.

  But today’s event seemed to have worked against that philosophy, she realized, and though it would bring Dallas’s name back into their conversation, she couldn’t keep it from her mother.

  Maggie related the incident as calmly as she could manage. “Travis could have been—” she couldn’t force the word killed out of her mouth “—seriously injured.”

  “Well, thank God Dallas was there,” Rosita exclaimed. “I’m so glad you met him again. He’s a fine man, Maggie, but so alone. My heart goes out to him every time I see him.”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t have to be alone, Mama.”

  “He’s an honorable man who loved his wife,” Rosita said with defensive pride in Dallas’s lonely existence. “Mourning Sara’s death the way he’s done indicates respect for her memory. Too many people seem to forget a beloved spouse within months of their passing, which I will never understand. Do you think I could forget your father so soon if something should happen to him, God forbid? No indeed, Dallas is to be admired for holding his grief so close to his heart.”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” Maggie said quietly, recalling quite vividly the way Dallas had looked at her today. He hadn’t been thinking of Sara then, Maggie thought. And she knew that he would have stayed and talked to her for longer, if she had encouraged further discussion.

  But what did a Fortune and a Perez have to say to each other? Oh, they might do business together, as Dallas and Cruz were doing, but Dallas breathed the rarefied air of the very wealthy, and Maggie was the daughter of a housekeeper and a cowhand. Not that she was even a tiny bit ashamed of her parents’ life-style or history. Rosita and Ruben had raised their five children in this very house, and it had been a home brimming with love and good morals.

  Still, the distance between the Fortunes and the Perezes was much farther than the walk from Ryan’s southwest mansion to this cozy little house.

  Strangely, knowing how far apart the two families really were didn’t seem to keep Maggie from thinking about the unique color of Dallas’s eyes or his wonderful smile. Sensible or not, she knew that he had stirred something within her today that had nothing at all to do with gratitude over his rescuing Travis.

  She gave her head an almost angry shake to push Dallas from her mind. She was absolutely not going to get silly over Dallas Fortune.

  “So, Mama,” she said matter-of-factly, “how did your day go?”

  Rosita frowned. “For me it went well, but it wasn’t a good day for Ryan. His lawyer, Parker Malone, delivered some very bad news. Ryan’s wife, Sophia, is demanding half of everything Ryan owns in the divorce settlement, which she certainly doesn’t deserve. That woman is a disgrace,” Rosita exclaimed disgustedly.

  “She must be the same woman today that she was when Ryan married her, Mama,” Maggie said gently.

  “She was his first wife, Janine’s, nurse, and I would bet anything that conniving Sophia set her cap for Ryan Fortune long before his wife and the mother of his children passed away! Oh, I remember so much about that sad time, Maggie. Ryan was devastated, and Sophia was there to console him. Console him, hah! Why did she stay on the ranch after her patient was dead and buried? I’ll tell you why. It was to get her greedy hands on Ryan’s money! She was never a nice woman, Maggie, never. Ryan was vulnerable, and Sophia took advan
tage of him. She’s still trying to take advantage of him!”

  Maggie couldn’t help smiling. “Mama, do you eavesdrop on the Fortunes’ conversations?” she asked teasingly.

  Rosita looked hurt. “How could you say such a thing?”

  Maggie reached for Rosita’s hand. “Mama, I was only teasing you.”

  “Sometimes I hear things—how could I not? But I do not deliberately sneak around and spy on the Fortunes.”

  “Of course you don’t.”

  “And sometimes they tell me things themselves. They know I care about them, Maggie.”

  “I’m sure they do.”

  Rosita became thoughtful for a few moments, then she smiled rather impishly. “You know, Maggie, Dallas is considered to be the area’s most eligible bachelor. He’s very good-looking, he’s educated and he’s a hard worker. Maybe you should be nice to him.”

  Maggie’s eyes widened. “You just told me a few minutes ago how much you respected his long mourning period. And then we talked about Sophia, and you said that she took advantage of Ryan while he was in the same state after Janine’s death. Surely you’re not suggesting that I chase Dallas as Sophia chased Ryan!”

  Rosita looked aghast. “Oh, my, I did sound as though I was, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, Mama, you did.” Maggie studied her mother’s stricken face. “But I know you didn’t mean it. You were only teasing, too.”

  “Well…yes,” Rosita said slowly, almost reluctantly, Maggie noticed just before her mother smiled again. “But you are not like Sophia. You are a good, honest, kindhearted, decent woman, and Dallas would be lucky to have you for his wife.”

  “Mama, you’re incorrigible!” Maggie got up. “I’m going to bed.” Leaning over, she kissed Rosita’s cheek. “Good night, Mama.”

  “Good night, Maggie.”

  Chuckling under her breath over her mother’s brass, Maggie went into her room and shut the door. How could her mother possibly think that Dallas Fortune would ever marry a nobody? she thought while getting ready for bed. Especially when he was still in love with his deceased wife.

  Maggie stopped buttoning her pajama top, as today’s meeting with Dallas overwhelmed other thoughts. Unquestionably, he had looked at her as a man looked at a woman. She could get his attention, if she put out the effort. But then what would happen? she asked herself with a disdainful toss of her head. A fling? A short-lived affair? She wasn’t here permanently, for one thing, and besides, her sexual experience was limited solely to the man she had married. She wouldn’t even know how to have an affair. For that matter, she didn’t even like the word affair.

  Flirting with Dallas Fortune would undoubtedly end up in shame for herself and her family. She wanted no part of that sort of heartache, nor did she deserve it.

  Settling down in bed, she told herself to forget Dallas’s whiskey-colored eyes and great smile. Forget his long, lean body. Forget you even met him again!

  “Good advice,” she whispered, and took a vow to heed it.

  Two

  Dallas put in a restless night. He kept picturing Maggie, and reliving the feelings he’d had while talking to her. Was he being disloyal to Sara because he found another woman desirable? He’d honestly believed it would never happen again, and the fact that it had was still surprising him, even at midnight.

  How best to approach Maggie? he wondered, knowing he was driven to do it. Was she a lady who would like being treated delicately? Somehow that image didn’t mesh with the blatant sensuality she exuded. Maybe she liked the he-man approach.

  Truth was, Dallas finally had to admit, Maggie made him nervous. It had been a long time since he’d made advances toward a woman with anything in mind but a friendly chat. He was out of practice as far as flirting went—rusty as hell, actually. Maybe straightforward simple honesty was all he had to offer.

  Punching his pillow because he was tired and his eyes wouldn’t stay closed, Dallas tried again to steer his obstinate mind away from Maggie Perez. This time he thought about Travis and what a great little kid he was. Was he five years old? Six? He was a handsome boy, with his mother’s dark skin and hair, and bright blue eyes that could only have been inherited from his father.

  Where was Maggie’s husband? Okay, Dallas thought disgustedly, obviously he was destined to torture himself all night with questions about Maggie. She hadn’t said that she and her husband were moving back to Texas—she’d said that she was going to look for work in the Houston area. Did that mean that the man she’d married was no longer in the picture?

  It occurred to Dallas at some point in the night that he was almost as drawn to Maggie’s son as he was to her. Truth was, he realized, he would like to see them both again.

  Something else occurred to him. He could ask Rosita, Ruben or Cruz about Maggie’s husband. Rosita was the logical choice, because both Ruben and Cruz were rather closemouthed. But Rosita loved to talk; if Maggie was divorced, Rosita would tell him.

  But, dammit, he’d rather ask Maggie herself! No, he would not take his questions to her mother, he’d take them directly to Maggie.

  With that decision made and final, Dallas slept.

  The following day Maggie was startled to look out the kitchen window—just to check on Travis’s whereabouts—and see Dallas outside in the yard with her son. A pickup was parked near the front gate, obviously Dallas’s. Maggie’s stomach instantly tensed, and she chewed uneasily on her bottom lip. Why was he here?

  In the next breath she couldn’t help smiling. Dallas had taken off his western hat and placed it on Travis’s head. Then he let himself be led around the yard while Travis showed him his toys. Maggie was amazed that a grown man would give some of his valuable time to a little boy he barely knew.

  “How old are you?” Dallas asked the youngster.

  “I’m five,” Travis said with a big-boy swagger. “And I’m tough, Dallas.”

  Dallas swallowed his laughter and said solemnly, “Five is almost a man.”

  “Yep, and I’m gonna be a cowboy like Grandpa and Uncle Cruz. They’re tough, too.”

  “Yes, they are,” Dallas agreed. Ruben wasn’t a tall man, but he was built like a bull and possessed astounding strength. Cruz had the height in the family, and everyone knew he was Rosita and Ruben’s pride and joy. He wore his shiny dark hair long and sometimes tied back with a leather band, and it was common knowledge that Cruz had attracted women like flies to honey since he was twelve years old. Now, at twenty-nine, Cruz was settled down and happily married.

  Dallas felt that their business arrangement was a good deal for both of them. Cruz had a special talent with horses, and Dallas was positive that Cruz would work hard and make his longtime dream of breeding and raising quality horses a huge success. Besides, Dallas personally like Cruz, who was two years older than himself.

  “Trav,” Dallas said, unconsciously shortening the boy’s name, “is your mama in the house?”

  “Yep! Want me to call her?”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll knock on the door.”

  “Want me to come with you?”

  “I’d really like to talk to her alone for a few minutes, if you don’t mind, that is.”

  “No, that’s okay.”

  Dallas ruffled the boy’s hair. “See you later.”

  Maggie saw Dallas heading for the front door, and was instantly on edge. Did she look all right? She was wearing jeans and a pink blouse. Her wardrobe wasn’t anything to boast about. Raising a child alone was an expensive endeavor and she’d had precious little money to spend on clothes.

  But her hair was fixed and there was makeup on her face—not much because she didn’t use a lot of makeup— Actually, she realized, she looked as good as she could—other than wearing glamorous, more expensive clothing, of course.

  When Dallas knocked, Maggie held her breath for five counts, then opened the door. She hoped her smile was only pleasantly welcoming.

  Before she could say hello, Dallas huskily said, “Maggie,” in such a
n intimate way that she backed up a step. She swallowed hard and forced a “hello” out of her mouth.

  Dallas suddenly believed he knew the best way to approach Maggie. She was so sexy-looking that she must prefer a man to act like a man. He figured he could carry it off.

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  “Uh, sure, yes, of course.” Standing back, Maggie held the door open wider so he could enter. Her knees got weak when he passed by her at a snail’s pace and even appeared to be inhaling the faint scent of the cologne she used so sparingly.

  She couldn’t think of one sensible thing to say to him. Why are you here? was just too blunt, although that particular question was definitely at the root of her confusion. Unnerved, she slammed the door shut a little too hard.

  Dallas grinned. Obviously he was ruffling her feathers, which was a good sign that he was right about her preferring a man to be a man.

  His smile broadened. “How are you today?”

  “Fine,” she said stiffly. “I’m fine. And you?”

  “Right as rain,” he quipped.

  Maggie was beginning to remember her manners. “Would—would you like something cool to drink? There’s fresh lemonade in the refrigerator.”

  “Thanks, I’d love a glass of lemonade.”

  Grateful that she had dusted and vacuumed the house that morning, Maggie said, “Go on into the living room. I’ll get the drinks.”

  “Thanks.” Dallas went one way, Maggie another.

  When she walked into the living room a few minutes later with two glasses of lemonade, Dallas was standing at the one window in the room from which he could see Travis playing in the yard.

  Dallas accepted a glass and said, “That’s some boy you have, Maggie. You must be mighty proud of him.”

  “Yes, I am.” She sat on the sofa. “Sit anywhere,” she told him.

  “Thanks.” Dallas chose Ruben’s favorite chair and took a big swallow of his lemonade. “This is good. Getting back to Travis, he sure seems focused on being tough—like his grandfather and uncle.”

  Maggie groaned. “He wants to be tough so badly, and I don’t think he even knows the true meaning of the word.”