by C. C. Coburn
“I will be, once Mom leaves me alone to finish my packing.” He gave her a pointed look.
Megan turned to make one last appeal to Luke, but he held up his hands. “Don’t even think about trying to talk me out of this, Megan. Cody is coming with me. He wants to come with me. I could list about a hundred reasons this’ll be good for him.”
“Then I’ll get a pen and paper and start my list of a hundred reasons it won’t be,” Megan said, about to leave the room, but Luke stopped her at the door. His grin made her anger rise. “This isn’t funny,” she protested. “I’m really upset about it.”
Luke steered her out of the room and down the hallway. He opened a door at the end and gestured Megan through it.
As soon as she realized it was Luke’s bedroom, she turned on her heel, intending to leave. Instead, she came up against his hard chest. He nudged the door closed with his foot and led her to the bed, where he sat her down.
Megan looked everywhere but at Luke. The room was furnished Western-style in masculine colors, lots of wood, leather, a hand-stitched quilt on the…bed. The enormous bed. The bed he’d no doubt shared with Tory.
She leaped off it and went to sit in the leather armchair by the window. Luke came over, knelt down in front of her and took her hands as she fidgeted with them in her lap.
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” he said. “I was smiling. In spite of your fussing over Cody, I know you’re doing it because you love him. I only wish Tory had fussed over the girls even a fraction as much.”
Megan’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m worried,” she admitted. “We’ve never been apart.”
She swallowed painfully. “Except…except for the two times he ran away and spent the night out on the street. I guess that’s really why I’m so scared.”
“I know. I know.” He paused. “Look at me,” he said, obviously noticing she’d glanced out the window, afraid to hear what he had to say.
When she focused back on him, he told her, “I promise I won’t let Cody come to any harm. I’ll keep him with me at all times. I’ll make sure he calls you every night, okay?”
Megan nodded slowly and he added, “But don’t wait by the phone, because he won’t have a moment to himself—other than maybe thirty minutes to call you at night.”
“O…kay,” she agreed.
“Honey.” He leaned closer. “I’m not feeling any qualms about leaving you in charge of my three precious daughters. And the reason for that is, I trust you. You’re a good mom.”
Megan stared at him uncomprehending.
“That was a compliment.”
Pleasure bloomed inside her. “I…I’ve never thought of myself that way. I…feel like I’ve been such a bad mother. A fail—”
He cut her off by touching his finger to her lips. “I’ve never believed that, and neither should you.”
“My son nearly ended up in juvenile detention!” she said, leaping to her feet, needing to put space between them. Luke’s bedroom felt far too intimate for her.
“But he didn’t. And he never will. I know I said you were too indulgent, but I understand why. I—”
Luke was right. Angry with herself, but perversely needing to take it out on Luke, she said, “And don’t you just love it that you rode in on your white charger and fixed everything?” she demanded. “Rescued the stupid heroine, too helpless to do anything for herself.”
“Stop that!” He captured her flailing hands in his and held them firm. “I’m no fairy tale knight. And you’re certainly not helpless! Where is this coming from?” he asked. “Why are you trying to make me feel like the bad guy here?”
Yes, why was she dumping on Luke? So she’d feel better about herself?
In her heart, she knew it was unfair to take it out on him, but he was such an easy target. “Because everything you do makes me feel like a failure,” she confessed, hating the catch in her voice.
“Oh, honey!” He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re not a failure. I’ve never thought that, and I’m positive no one else has, either.”
She shook her head, unable to find comfort in his embrace. “The look you gave me in Judge Benson’s office said it all. You loathed me!”
LUKE DIDN’T REMEMBER thinking any such thing, but she seemed beyond convincing. All he could do was hold her and silently try to impart his strength, his respect for her and his gratitude for all she’d done for their son. The judge was right; beneath the bravado, Cody was a good kid. Lousy moms didn’t raise good kids.
“I hate leaving while you’re feeling like this,” he murmured into her hair, enjoying the fresh-washed smell of it, the softness of her body against his. He drew back, knowing that in a moment he’d be reacting to her nearness. She was as skittish as a filly. Bringing her into his bedroom probably wasn’t the best idea he’d had all day, but they needed privacy. Four active kids running around, a ranch to run and the fact that they weren’t sharing a bed left them no time to talk in private. And now, while Megan was obviously feeling so insecure and he was heading to another state for most of the week, definitely wasn’t the right time for taking their relationship to another level, emotionally more than physically. One that would convince her that he wanted this to be a real marriage.
And that reminded him…. “Are you okay about us getting married all over again on Saturday? I can put a stop to it, if you think it’s too silly, or putting you under pressure.”
She managed a smile. “Really? I can just see you telling Celeste it’s off. Major tantrum, including some floor work, gallons of tears, screaming and slamming of doors.”
Luke laughed and said, “I think you’re right. Plus Daisy, in spite of pretending she’s not interested in such girly events, would probably horsewhip me.”
“Sasha would be overjoyed, however.”
She would, but Luke had no intention of being pushed around by a twelve-year-old. “In the eyes of the law, we’re already married, so that’s irrelevant. But I’m not prepared to hurt Celeste or the rest of my family, especially my parents. They’re cutting short their Alaskan trip to be here.”
Megan chewed on her lip.
“What’s wrong?”
“Let me get that pencil and paper. I need to list how many things I’m unsure of. Number one being how your parents are going to feel about Cody.”
Luke shrugged, unable to understand her concerns. “They’ll love him on sight.”
“Yeah…I’m sure they’ll be impressed by their grandson’s strange hairstyle, piercings and bad attitude.” She shuddered. “I really want him to get rid of them and look…normal when he meets them.”
“Let me see what I can do. What’s your next problem?”
“You’re trying to do the white knight thing again.”
“Sorry, can’t help it. I own horses. Gotta use them for something.”
Megan smiled at that and Luke relaxed. He felt repeating the ceremony wasn’t necessary. But what he felt didn’t matter. It was too important to too many people not to go through with it. And although he’d exchanged the traditional wedding vows in front of friends and family before, it would be Megan’s first time. Brides liked all that pomp and circumstance, didn’t they? Which brought him to another thought, something he had to address before he left for Wyoming. “My family and friends know about the wedding and are coming, but in spite of what you told Jack, I really think we should let your folks know.”
“They won’t want to come.”
“Of course they will. Granted, you’ve had your differences in the past, but this should be a time of healing for your family. How about if I call them up and invite them out here? Your friends, too—”
“No!” she said, slashing her hands through the air. “In fifteen years, my family hasn’t once made contact with me. They knew where to find me. And none of my friends could afford to fly out here even if they wanted to come.” She’d had friends once, girls who could afford to fly anywhere in the world first class, but they’d dropped off
the radar soon after Cody’s birth, if not before.
“Then I’ll pay their fares.”
She rounded on him, fire in her eyes. “Luke! Stop the white knight act. We’re going through with this for the benefit of your family, nothing more! I don’t need anyone else here.”
Luke contemplated her words, particularly the ones about not needing anyone. He had the feeling that Megan had cut herself off from so many people, she truly believed she didn’t need anyone in her life. Didn’t need anyone’s help. Or love.
“Okay, have it your way,” he said. But he’d already decided to find Megan’s parents and invite them to their only daughter’s wedding. Because family was everything to him. Family was the way to happiness.
Chapter Ten
Megan cursed her alarm when it woke her at five the next morning. She’d barely slept, worrying that Luke would go against her wishes and contact her parents to invite them to their wedding.
Although confident he’d never find them, she was still worried. Luke knew they’d lived in Boston while she was at school, but she doubted he’d have time to search the Boston phone book, calling every Montgomery there.
She’d heard from a distant cousin, who kept in sporadic contact, that her parents had retired to Florida several years ago. Her father had turned over his law firm to her brother. He’d also sold the family home for an undisclosed but reportedly exorbitant sum.
Megan hauled herself out of bed and into the shower, needing it to wake her so she could see Cody and Luke off. Feeling guilty for having overslept the past couple of mornings, she was going to make up for it by having breakfast waiting on the table by the time they came downstairs.
Twenty minutes later she headed for the kitchen, but Luke had beaten her to it. He was bent over, peering into the fridge, giving her a nice view of his butt. She was almost tempted to whistle. Maybe she would if they were on intimate enough terms to joke about anything sexual; instead, she cleared her throat.
He turned around and offered one of his rare smiles, warming her insides more than she felt comfortable with.
“Hi. You didn’t need to get up,” he said, closing the door with his foot as he took out milk and eggs.
“You were going to have breakfast and sneak off without saying goodbye?” she said.
“I was hoping to bring you breakfast in bed, wake you slowly and make love to you while you ate it.”
Megan could feel the color leaving her face. She resisted the urge to clasp the back of a chair for support.
“Are you okay?” he asked, setting the eggs on the table and coming toward her. He pulled out a chair and pressed her shoulders until she sat.
“I…I’m fine, but please don’t say things like that. One of the children could have walked in.”
“The girls won’t be up until at least six. And Cody was snoring his head off when I passed his room. He won’t get up until I wake him.”
“Then we’re alone?” she asked, rising shakily and going to pour herself coffee, noticing that Luke had already brewed a pot and drunk half a cup himself.
“Probably not long enough for me to make love to you before breakfast,” he teased, clearly enjoying himself.
“Luke.”
“But one day soon, I hope we can.”
She swallowed, facing him, the coffee cup held in front of her. “About…about our wedding night…”
He placed strips of bacon on the griddle. “Where would you like to go?” he asked, obviously mistaking her intent.
She frowned. Go? “I thought we’d be staying here…at the ranch.”
“We should have a honeymoon. I hoped we could escape for a few nights. My folks will be here, so they can take care of the kids. It’ll give them a chance to get to know Cody. Without either of us around.”
If Luke’s parents weren’t planning to continue their Alaskan holiday, that meant they’d be moving back into their quarters. And that meant the only place she could sleep was with Luke. For a fleeting moment, she thought about sharing Cody’s room, but immediately discounted it. How would that look to everyone? Some marriage! Perhaps it would be better if they went away. Got separate rooms. Figured out how they were going to make this marriage work—or appear to work.
“All right.”
“Do I detect a lack of enthusiasm for my plans?” He flipped the bacon and cracked eggs into another pan.
“I…don’t know much about honeymoons. Can I leave the arrangements up to you?”
“My pleasure.”
“But only for a couple of days,” she hastened to say. “I don’t want to be away from the children for too long.”
He considered her carefully. “Okay. If that’s all you want. I’ll find something local. Sunny-side up or over easy?”
She handed him a plate and said, “Sunny-side up. Cody likes his scrambled.”
“Done,” he said, lifting two eggs onto her plate and passing her a toasted bagel. He placed the drained bacon onto her plate, too. “I already know how Cody likes his eggs since I made his breakfast the past two mornings.”
“While I slept in,” she said, feeling a lump in her throat.
He piled his own plate high with bacon, four eggs and two toasted bagels. Topped up both their coffees and joined her at the table. “You needed the sleep,” he told her. “Don’t feel bad about it.”
Megan had read about people in emergency situations who found enormous physical strength or managed to carry on for hours rescuing people, and then once the emergency was over, they collapsed, as if the situation had completely drained their reserves. Although she couldn’t compare her recent life with Cody to an emergency, her nerves had been on high alert for months. She’d barely slept, listening to see if Cody was sneaking out, getting into trouble. Worrying about him. And then, when Luke had taken over sharing the responsibility for Cody, it was as though her body had said, “Now you can rest,” and she had.
They ate in silence, each thinking of the days ahead. A thump sounded from upstairs and Luke rolled his eyes. “Princess number two is awake. As you’ve probably noticed, Daisy never does anything quietly.”
“I had noticed that,” Megan said with a smile. “What would she like for breakfast?” she asked, standing and taking their plates to the sink.
“She’d like waffles, maple syrup and ice cream.”
Megan looked at him, aghast. What a thing to feed a child for breakfast on a school morning! No wonder Daisy was so loud and hyperactive.
Luke got up and laid one hand on her shoulder. “Relax,” he said. “She might want that for breakfast, but what she’ll get is fruit juice, scrambled eggs and granola or a bagel.”
Megan got eggs from the fridge and turned to Luke. “I take it these were laid by your own hens?”
“Yup.”
“Um, when am I supposed to collect them? I’ve never been around chickens. Their beady eyes scare me. Will they attack me if I try to take their eggs?”
Luke roared with laughter, then sobered when he could see she was genuinely afraid. “Don’t worry about them. That’s one of Celeste’s duties in the morning, but if you want, she’ll teach you.” He put out bowls for the granola, plus milk and honey, and started toasting more bagels.
Megan enjoyed watching him and wondered just how many meals Luke had prepared for his daughters over the years. From now on, she’d take over that duty, leaving him with one less burden on his busy mornings. She scrambled the eggs and added grated cheese—Cody’s favorite way of having them. Plus, it sneaked in some extra protein. She also sliced tomatoes in half and set them on the griddle.
“I’ll go and wake the others,” Luke said, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
Megan poured the scrambled egg mixture into a pan and opened the back door to let in the freshness of the early morning. It was a little chilly, but the dryness of the mountain air made it seem bracing rather than cold. She gazed out at the dawn breaking over the distant mountains, then remembered the eggs and raced back to the stove
to stir them before they burned.
“Here you go, pumpkin,” she heard Luke say from behind her.
He was walking into the kitchen, a sleepy-looking Celeste on his hip, his arms protectively around her. Her heart seemed to expand at the sight and in that moment she knew with absolute certainty that her son would be safe with Luke. Sadness and guilt gnawed at her as she realized Luke had never been able to experience their son at that same age.
Luke might have claimed she was a good mother—something she still wasn’t convinced of—but she was certain that he was a good father. A great father. He’d protect his children with his life. He’d protect her son from harm. Correction, their son.
He was about to place Celeste gently in her chair, but then she saw Megan and cried, “Mommy!” She thrust out her arms toward Megan, who took her from Luke with pleasure. Celeste snuggled her face against Megan’s throat and sighed with a pleasure that sounded as if that was where she wanted to be more than anywhere in the world.
The rest of the children soon entered the kitchen. Daisy and Cody returned her greetings, but Sasha chose to ignore her and instead yanked out her chair, sat down and pulled the granola box toward her.
Megan was tempted to repeat her greeting, but decided against it. Perhaps Sasha wasn’t a morning person. She could relate to that, since she used to love sleeping in. But that was a luxury she’d given up a long time ago.
Luke was about to open his mouth but Megan stopped him, saying, “I’m sorry, I cooked the eggs too soon. I’ll make another batch.” She’d forgotten about the granola, since Cody wasn’t partial to it.
“I’ll eat ’em,” Cody said, reaching for the pan and dumping the entire contents onto his plate.
“Yuck! What’s that stuff in the eggs?” Sasha demanded.
“It’s called cheese, Sash,” Luke explained patiently, rolling his eyes at Megan.
Since Celeste didn’t want to let go of her, Luke took over making the new batch of scrambled eggs while the girls ate their granola.
“Well, I don’t like it,” Sasha sulked. “Don’t put any in mine.”
