One Wedding Night... Read online

  Swearing under his breath, he walked over to her and offered some advice on her technique. She listened intently as he spoke, looking him directly in the eyes. He had to hand it to her, she seemed to have more of a grip on her emotions than he did. She absently licked her lips, and Russ felt his chest squeeze.

  “You’ve done a good job with him.”

  Her head came up and she looked at him, caution in her eyes. “Do you mean that?” He’d never given her much indication of whether he felt she knew what she was doing. In the past, they’d pretty much argued about everything involving her training. She wasn’t sure if he was being sincere.

  Russ eyed her with open speculation. He sensed that her confidence at this point was fragile, and he supposed that was his fault. He’d held back his encouragement because of Jake. She deserved to know that she was good, deserved to hear the truth. “Yeah, I mean it.” His lips curled into a half smile.

  “I think I could’ve learned a lot faster if you’d given me the chance.”

  “Jake wanted me to bring you along slowly,” Russ admitted. “He wanted to be sure you knew what you were doing.”

  She stared at him, a look of distrust in her eyes. “Why? Because he was hoping I’d change my mind?”

  Russ didn’t corroborate her statement. “You take it up with him.” He gently patted the horse. “You had a lot to learn in the beginning, but you’ve come a long way.”

  Lynn swallowed hard as she watched Russ’s big hand slide across the horse’s hide. Her memory of how those same hands had slid along her skin made her spine tingle. “Casper has good ‘horse sense.”’ He’d been given the name Casper because he used to spook easily. He was a different horse now, and she was proud of his progress. “He’s done most of the work.” Shifting her stance, she ran her hand down the horse’s mane.

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You have a natural talent that I’ve just helped develop.”

  She looked up at him then, and his gaze locked with hers. Dark and mysterious, it traveled over her body, making her insides turn to jelly. “Thanks,” she replied, striving to keep her voice from revealing her thoughts.

  Russ tamped down on his urge to touch her. Still, his gaze dropped to her mouth, and he remembered how sweet she’d tasted, wanted very badly to taste her again. Trying to keep his mind on business around her was a challenge. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her to his bed, wanted to bury himself inside her so deep that his hunger would be assuaged.

  Damn, he was losing his objectivity.

  “He’s ready to be returned to his owner,” Russ commented.

  “I know. I hate to see him go,” she told him, her fondness for the horse showing in her eyes. She knew he’d be in good hands. His owner was a nearby rancher who’d recently lost his wife and was left trying to juggle ranching and raise three small children. He had the Bar M training his horses because he no longer had the time.

  “I’ve contacted Dan Blake and arranged for him to come on Monday morning.”

  She broke eye contact with him. “I won’t be here on Monday morning. Can you make it in the afternoon?” Turning away, she began unsaddling the horse.

  Russ frowned. “What’s so important that you can’t be here?”

  She shrugged, her back still to him. “I have plans in Crockett.” Though she’d told him about her desire to start her own horse ranch, she didn’t think he’d like the news that she’d stepped up her plans and was meeting the banker. She hadn’t planned on going into it with Russ. It wasn’t a concern of his, and she didn’t need his interference.

  He picked up on her evasive tone, and he wondered what she was hiding. “Change them,” he ordered.

  Lynn rounded and faced him squarely, putting her hands on her hips. “I can’t change them.” She could tell from his stance that he didn’t like her answer. This was the Russ she knew, obstinate and thoroughly uncooperative. He made her want to scream.

  “Then you won’t be here.”

  “That’s not fair,” Lynn complained, her lips thinning. “I should be here. I’m the one who trained Casper. Can’t you ask Mr. Blake to come in the afternoon?”

  “Give me a good reason why I should.” His tone was uncompromising. He wanted to know what she was up to, and he planned to force the issue until she told him.

  Lynn struggled to hold on to her temper. “If you must know, I have an appointment with Linwood Finney at the bank to talk with him about a loan.” She grabbed the saddle and pulled it from the horse, then struggled to get a better grasp on it.

  Russ wrestled the saddle from her. “So that’s what this is all about.” He should have figured as much. He’d given her a couple of days to settle down, and instead of her coming around to his way of thinking, damn her, she’d gone ahead with her own plans for her future.

  “Yes, I called him a few days ago and made an appointment to talk with him on Monday morning.” She followed him as he started walking away from her.

  “And have you spoken to your brothers yet?” He tossed the saddle down in the barn. A puff of dust and tiny bits of hay flew into the air.

  “You know I haven’t. Jake isn’t due back until Saturday, and I want to talk to him and Ryder together. I decided I’d talk to Mr. Finney first, get the loan, then tell Jake and Ryder of my plans.” Though her brothers loved her, they’d never agree to letting her live on her own. Not unless she could show them she was prepared and ready.

  Russ grunted. She had it all figured out, and she’d cut him from her plans like he meant nothing to her. He should have felt relieved. So why wasn’t he? Why was he annoyed as hell that he didn’t matter to her?

  “Do what you want, but I’m not changing the appointment,” he snapped.

  “Sometimes you are the most stubborn man!” Her eyes were full of fire as she regarded him. How in her right mind had she ever let herself become involved with him?

  “Well, hell, sweetheart, you sure aren’t always a picnic!”

  Lynn stared into his icy gaze. “Fine, I’ll change the damn appointment.” She stalked to the door and left without saying another word.

  Later that evening, she watched from the office window as Russ came out of his room. He was still dressed in jeans, and he had on a gray T-shirt. He settled a Houston Astros baseball cap on his head as he walked toward his truck. Her heartbeat quickened as he climbed in and started it.

  Where was he going? To see a woman?

  Did he have a female companion in town, or possibly in San Luis? Well, so what if he did? It was really no concern of hers. They weren’t a couple. They were…well, she wasn’t sure what they were. She fingered the diamond on her hand, then raised it to her face to study it.

  They were engaged.

  Her chest ached. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him leave the ranch at night. Before she’d wondered where he went, but now she was downright curious. Was all that talk about getting married to protect her reputation lip service after all? Because of the situation they were in, he really had no business going out with other women. Not until this whole engagement mess was over and behind them.

  Lynn watched his taillights disappear from view, and she reminded herself that she had her own agenda, and it didn’t include Russ. It shouldn’t really matter to her where he was going. She shouldn’t care.

  But she did.

  It was then she knew she was getting in too deep where Russ was concerned. She needed to take a step back and distance herself emotionally from him.

  Before it was too late and she lost her heart to him.

  “Married?” Catherine McCall squealed, hugging her son, Matthew, to her. She and Jake had just returned from their honeymoon, and everyone was gathered around them on the front porch. “Really? You’re serious?”

  Russ had seen the newlyweds arrive in the Cessna six-seater, and figuring it wouldn’t be long before the news of his engagement to Lynn reached them, he’d walked up to the house to join in greeting them. Ashley, bless her heart, hadn’t
even given Jake and Catherine time to get into the house before she had blurted out the news of Russ and Lynn’s engagement.

  Now they were all standing on the wide front porch. Russ’s chest tightened when he stepped closer to Lynn, a feeling that was becoming all too familiar when he was around her.

  He wasn’t sure how Jake was going to take the news. If his first reaction was anything like Ryder’s, Russ wasn’t going to leave Lynn alone to defend her actions. Of course, now they had the benefit of Jake not finding them in bed together, a detail he would no doubt be told eventually.

  Russ stood behind Lynn and possessively put his hands on her shoulders. She glanced back at him and gave him a slight smile, and her expression told him she was glad that he was there. He gently squeezed her shoulders as he felt the full force of her oldest brother’s speculative gaze.

  Apparently, Lynn had also. As she faced Jake’s suspicious stare, she inched backward into Russ’s embrace, aligning her back against his chest, tucking the curve of her rear against him. The warmth of her body, the smell of her, enveloped him.

  “That so?” Jake asked, and his tone held a trace of disbelief. It was obvious his question was directed at Russ and not Lynn.

  Unintimidated, Russ returned an unwavering stare. “Yes.” He wrapped his arms around Lynn, locking his hands together in front of her, and he pulled her closer.

  “I can’t believe it.” It was obvious to everyone that he was having a difficult time dealing with the unexpected news. “You’re in love with Lynn?” His tone was incredulous.

  Russ suppressed his annoyance. Lynn was sweet, smart and downright pretty. Despite the fact that he’d been trapped into this fiasco, he couldn’t understand why everyone seemed to find it difficult to believe he could have fallen for her. Or maybe they were having a hard time reconciling the fact that she was in love with him. That made more sense.

  “As a matter of fact, I am,” he stated. He was determined to protect her. If it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. To drive his point home, he nuzzled Lynn’s neck. She trembled in his arms.

  Catherine chuckled. “I told you, didn’t I?” she said to Jake, drawing his attention. She looked at Lynn, her eyes twinkling with delight. “I knew something was happening between you two, and I even mentioned it to Jake while we were gone. I’m so happy for you.”

  Russ let Lynn go as Catherine hugged her. She made a point to kiss his cheek, as well, then he put his arm around Lynn’s waist.

  “Um, thank you.” Lynn could barely get the words out. Her entire body felt smothered by Russ’s presence. She’d been surprised when she’d seen him come across the yard, more so when he’d come up behind her and held her against him.

  “I guess congratulations are in order,” Jake said, looking at Lynn. He turned his eyes on Russ. “I’d like to have a private word with you.”

  “Oh, no you don’t,” Lynn stated, and she held on to Russ’s arm when he started to move away from her. “You don’t have a thing to say about this, Jake.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’m old enough to know what I want,” she insisted.

  “It’s okay.” Russ cupped the back of Lynn’s neck, drawing her attention.

  “But—”

  “I’ll handle it,” he told her, stroking her skin with his thumb. She turned toward him, her expression worried. “We’ll be right back.” He kissed her briefly on the lips, then stepped away from her and followed Jake down the steps toward the corral. Ryder went along with them. Matthew, who considered himself included, was clearly unhappy when he was asked to stay with the women.

  Ashley grabbed Catherine’s hand. “There’s a lot of planning to do. Lynn wants to get married within six months. I told her how excited we’d be to plan a wedding, since both you and I had a spur-of-the-moment affair.”

  “Oh, yes!” Catherine smiled, excited about the prospect. “This will be so much fun.” They took off together, and Lynn had no choice but to follow. She glanced back at Jake, Ryder and Russ, who were standing beside the corral talking, and she wondered exactly what her brothers were up to.

  “Have you decided on where you’re going to have the ceremony?” Catherine asked, then before Lynn could answer, she went on, “What about a dress? Have you looked for one, yet?”

  Shaking her head, Lynn trailed behind them into the large den. “No, I—”

  In her excitement, Catherine didn’t give her the chance to answer. “Great! I want to go with you to shop for it. I know a really wonderful place. There’s a new shop that’s just opened in San Luis. If we don’t find one there, we can go to San Antonio.”

  “Well, I—”

  “Oh, and the cake! Are you going to use Mrs. Cherry or buy it somewhere else?”

  “I haven’t decided where—”

  “I made some notes,” Ashley said, interrupting her. “I know we’ve always used Mrs. Cherry because there’s no bakery in Crockett, but there’s that new place that opened near Ozona. I think we should see what they have.”

  Lynn started to speak again, but never had the chance. Ashley and Catherine were talking excitedly about her wedding plans, and she couldn’t seem to get a word in between them. As they continued to chat, she wandered over to the window. Looking out, she saw Jake, Ryder and Russ still talking.

  She was going to personally wring Jake’s neck for embarrassing her. Though she loved her brothers, she wasn’t happy knowing they still thought it necessary to protect her. She was a grown woman, after all. She was perfectly capable of making her own decisions—and that included marrying Russ!

  “What do you think, Lynn?”

  Lynn turned when she heard her name called, her expression blank. “What?”

  Catherine walked over and glanced out the window. Spotting Russ and the other men, she laughed. “Oh, so that’s where your mind was. Tell me, how did you ever break through that wall that surrounds him?”

  Her cheeks burning, Lynn moved quickly away from the window and across the room.

  Grinning, Ashley volunteered, “Oh, I bet even I can tell you that.”

  Shooting a silencing look at Ashley, Lynn cleared her throat. “Um, what were you trying to ask me?” she asked, steering the conversation away from where it was headed. The last thing she wanted to do was to stand there and hear Ashley tell Catherine how Ryder had walked in on her and Russ in bed together.

  Catherine paused, trying to digest the direction of their conversation. She ended up answering Lynn. “Oh, we were thinking about an all-day shopping trip this weekend. We could start in San Luis, then drive into San Antonio.” Her voice rose a pitch as her excitement built. “We can look at invitations to get an idea of what you’d like.”

  “And flowers,” Ashley added. “Have you thought about the kind of flowers you want? There are so many kinds to choose from. I’ve got some wonderful ideas already jotted down on a pad in the office. Why don’t I go get it?”

  “Wait!” Lynn said. Ashley stopped in her tracks, and Lynn stared at them both. Her life was getting more and more out of control. This pretend wedding was taking on a life of its own. “Um, not now. I’ve, uh, got some things to do.” She edged toward the door. “We’ll make definite plans later.”

  Before either woman could speak, Lynn rushed out and escaped to the sanctity of her room, slamming the door behind her, then taking a huge breath. She had to get some kind of grip back on her life! Why did everyone else want to control her destiny? And why couldn’t her brothers stay out of her personal business?

  Well, she had news for them all. She was going to claim her life back.

  Immediately!

  She’d changed her appointment with Linwood Finney. She’d hoped to get one later in the week, but he’d already had plans to go out of town. A new appointment had been scheduled for her Tuesday morning. Getting a loan was going to be the first definite step in her plans. Once she got past that hurdle, they’d all see that she could take care of herself.

  And t
hat included Russ.

  “Have a seat, Lynn, and I’ll let Linwood know you’re here.” Sadie Andrews waved her hand at a set of brown leather chairs. Lynn nodded and clutching a large envelope, sat on the edge of her seat, anxious to get her meeting started. Once she had approval of a loan, her plans would start taking definite shape and some degree of normalcy would return in her life. She’d be able to go home, pretend to break up with Russ, then move forward with her plans.

  She looked up as Linwood Finney walked into the room. He was a tall, thin man in his early fifties. A friend of her parents, Lynn had known him since she was a little girl. Though she could’ve shown up in jeans, she’d taken the time to put on a dress and sandals. Absently, she ran her fingers through her hair, then stood and took his hand when he offered it.

  “Mr. Finney.”

  “Lynn, sweetheart, it’s good to see you.” The banker held her hand in his a moment, and his eyes were as warm and friendly as his greeting. “Come on into my office where we can talk.”

  She followed him into an adjoining room and took a seat in front of his small wooden desk. Papers were piled high on one side, and a framed picture of his family stood prominently on the other. He took a seat and smiled, then leaned forward on his elbows, giving her his complete attention.

  “Now, what can I do for you?”

  Lynn jumped right into her reason for the appointment, then proceeded to expand on her plans. As she talked, she opened the envelope and pulled out a manila folder, continuing to outline her ideas as she talked. She’d given her plans a lot of thought, had taken the time to formulate a proposal. She smiled and handed him a copy.

  Mr. Finney slipped a pair of reading glasses on the bridge of his nose and was silent as he studied the paper. “Well, it appears you’ve put a lot of work into this idea.” He went on to ask a few questions, and Lynn filled in further details. When she finished talking, he laid the paper on his desktop. “I’m impressed,” he told her. “How long have you been working on this?”