скачать книгу бесплатно
He cleared his throat and then smiled. It was the sexiest, most seductive smile Maribeth had ever witnessed. Her heart began to pound in her chest. Darn, but this man had a lethal charm that she was much too inexperienced to know how to handle. “My mama always told me that a gentleman keeps his mouth shut,” he finally drawled.
She fought to control her responses. Working to sound as unaffected as she knew how, Maribeth murmured, “Mmm-hmm. And you’re always a gentleman, right?”
“I try my damnedest, ma’am. I most sincerely do.”
They laughed together, effectively breaking the tension that had suddenly sprung up between them.
Maribeth impulsively reached over and touched his hand, then jerked back as though she’d accidentally touched a hot coal. “I’m glad you came to see me today. I’ve missed having you as part of my life.”
He deliberately took her hand and held it firmly in his. “I’ve missed you, too.”
The tension immediately surrounded them once again.
Maribeth nervously began to talk. “You know, being the youngest sister hasn’t always been the easiest thing for me, especially as I’ve gotten older. Do you realize that both Megan and Mollie were married and had children by the time they reached my age?”
Her palm was tingling where it was pressed against his. She looked down at his darkly tanned hand. It was strong, engulfing hers. She forced herself to look into his dark eyes. There was a warmth there that made her feel accepted.
Impulsively she asked, “Have you ever wanted a brother or sister in your life, Chris?”
She could almost see his withdrawal although his body hadn’t moved in the slightest. “Not really. Being an only child was complicated enough, given my family history. Although, looking back, it might have been nice to have someone else there.”
“As much as I fuss about Megan always playing mother-hen with me, I’m really grateful to have her in my life. Mollie, too. It’s strange to think about it. Mollie’s only two years older than me, and she’s already been married eight years and has three children. Wow. It’s hard to realize time has gone by so quickly.”
“She seems happy enough.”
“Oh, yeah. Deke’s obviously crazy about her and it’s easy to see how she feels about him.” For a moment she was caught up in her memories. “I wouldn’t have dreamed when I watched them get married that I would still be single so many years later.”
Chris watched her through his lashes. Damn, but it was good to see her, to be with her again! He’d pushed his feelings for her away for so long that he’d almost convinced himself that they were no longer there… or real. This time with her had quickly disabused him of that notion.
They’d been out there on the bluffs for almost an hour and he still hadn’t told her what he needed to tell her. Dear God, but he hated this.
She was staring out over the river to the surrounding hills, looking relaxed enough. He still held her hand in his. She might look relaxed, but there was a slight tremor in her fingers.
“Maribeth?”
She slowly turned her head toward him. “Hmm?”
“Bobby called me last night.” His voice sounded harsh to his ears.
He felt her hand stiffen in his. She tugged, silently requesting release, which he reluctantly gave her.
She watched him warily, and he knew that on some level she had been expecting something like this. Regardless, it didn’t make his job any easier.
“He was in Las Vegas.”
She had been bracing herself for something, even though she wasn’t certain what it was. All kinds of thoughts had dashed around in her head. He was hurt. He was going to postpone the wedding, he was—What? Why would he have called Chris and not her? Why—?
“Las Vegas? What in the world is he doing there? He said he’d be in Oklahoma this week and would be through there by tomorrow.”
“He asked me to come down here to see you.”
She fought to hang on to her composure. “Why? What is it, Chris? Just tell me.”
He reached for her hands, already feeling the coldness that had washed through her. “He wanted me here because he didn’t want you to be alone when you heard his news.”
“What?” she whispered.
“Bobby got married last night.”
Two (#ulink_ec246c9c-9882-51b6-8109-15e5f4ddaadc)
She stared at him blankly for a long moment without blinking. When the silence seemed as if it would stretch into infinity she silently mouthed the word “married?” as though it was a foreign word she’d never heard.
Chris waited, knowing there was nothing else he could say. There was no way to make this easy for her. He could almost see the pain as it seemed to inch its way into her consciousness.
As though finally remembering to breathe, she took a quick breath, then released it. Another moment passed, another gasp of air followed, as though she had to remind herself of her lungs’ continual need for lifesustaining oxygen.
“I don’t understand,” she finally said. Her mouth quivered, then was still. As though searching for words that might make some sense to her, she asked, “Why would Bobby call you and say such a thing? Bobby would never…”
What little breath she had, suddenly deserted her. She paused, her hand pressed against her throat, her eyes mutely pleading for him to tell her that this was all a joke.
Chris could feel her pain just as surely as if it was his. In many ways, it was. He would have done anything in his power not to hurt this woman.
“Chris, surely he was teasing. Surely he didn’t really mean that he—” Her breath was coming in short pants, as though she’d been running hard.
“He said that a bunch of the group had been out celebrating, partying. He admitted that he didn’t remember too much about the night. Vegas was mentioned, it was like a joke or something. He couldn’t fill in details and I didn’t ask for any. When he woke up the next day he realized what he had done. He knew he had to let you know. He found that he couldn’t call you and just tell you like that. So he called me, instead.”
She looked at Chris with dawning awareness. “All this time you’ve been here…we’ve been talking about the past, and the wedding…” Her voice trailed off. She spoke as if to herself. “I was even discussing my sex life with you, for Pete’s sake.” Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and Chris felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. “All this time you knew that Bobby had—That Bobby-”
Suddenly she jerked away from him, jumping to her feet. “I don’t believe you,” she said in a hoarse voice, her back to him. “Why, the whole idea is absurd. The invitations have all gone out, everything’s been planned for months… for years! Bobby wouldn’t suddenly do something so—” Her voice broke. Without looking at him, she walked back to the car. In a low voice, she said, “I’d like to go home now.”
Chris reluctantly followed her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right at the moment, do you?” he asked reasonably. “That’s why I brought you out here. So you could have some time alone, to get used to the idea.”
The look she gave him was chilling. “Get used to the idea? How, exactly, do you propose I do that? Am I supposed to calmly dismiss and forget the past fifteen years of my life?”
“No. Of course not. Damn it, Maribeth. I know I didn’t do this right, but how the hell do you tell a person something like this? You had to know. He sure as hell left it a little late to pull a stunt like this, then leave it for me to tell you. I came as soon as I could.”
“Fine.” Once again she turned away, this time opening the door to the car and getting inside. “You’ve told me. Thank you very much. Now I’d like to go home.”
She’d left the door open. Chris took advantage of that by hunkering down beside her. Taking her hand, he said, “Don’t shut me out, honey, okay? I know you’re hurt by this. But I’m here for you. You’ve got me. Does that help?”
Gentleness from this particular man was more than she could handle. The tears she’d desperately been fighting to contain finally spilled over and rolled down her cheeks. She could do nothing to stop them.
Awkwardly he pulled her into his arms. The sudden reminder of his after-shave teased her senses, whisking her away to a younger, more innocent time.
“I don’t want to cry,” she said fiercely into his shoulder, ineffectually wiping her eyes.
“You’re entitled,” he murmured. He fumbled in his back pocket and brought out a crisp, neatly folded handkerchief, silently offering it to her.
She straightened, taking the handkerchief and energetically wiping her eyes and cheeks. “How could he do something like this?” Her voice broke and she jammed her fist against her mouth to muffle a sob. She waited until she could gain some control before saying, “It’s like a nightmare, a scary dream brought on by prewedding jitters. It’s like some kind of a test. What would you do if you planned a wedding and your fiancé didn’t show up? It’s a giant, cosmic joke. Isn’t the bride being left at the altar a cliché?”
“Look, why don’t we go back over there and sit for a while? I know I’d be more comfortable,” he added lightly, glancing down at his awkward position beside the small car. “Maybe we can work out some kind of plan.”
Maribeth glanced at Chris and tried to smile. She wasn’t certain how successful her attempt was, but she reminded herself that she had to stop thinking of herself for a moment. Bobby had put both her and Chris into a horrible situation here. Why should she take her feelings out on Chris? He was only trying to help.
With a nod, she moved her legs to get out of the car. Chris immediately stood and offered her his hand. When she was standing beside him, he put his arms around her.
“I know you’re hurt, but you and I both know that Bobby has never been a role model for responsibility. In a way, this is very typical of the kid I used to know. I had just assumed he’d grown up some…until that phone call last night.”
Maribeth was furious that she couldn’t stop crying. The tears slid down her cheeks quicker than she could wipe them away. This was so stupid, getting upset this way. It certainly didn’t solve anything.
She leaned against Chris, grateful for his warmth and for his understanding.
He turned and with one arm still around her shoulders, guided her back to the blanket. He helped her to sit, then lowered himself beside her.
They sat there in silence. Maribeth lost track of the time. So many thoughts raced through her mind, none of them making much sense. Chris was no longer touching her, but she knew he was there.
Eventually she asked, “Did he say who it was?”
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer. When he did, his voice was low. “No. I didn’t ask. That wasn’t the purpose of his call.”
“I suppose.” After another lengthy pause, she said, “It’s probably somebody who follows the circuit. She’s probably been there for him whenever he needed consoling or cheering. She’s probably—”
“Don’t, honey. Don’t start to imagine stuff that you have no way of knowing if it’s true or not. Trying to second-guess the situation doesn’t do any good. It will only make you feel worse.”
Her attempt at a laugh was a dismal failure. “Feel worse? Surely you’re kidding.”
Silence fell between them once more.
Eventually Chris said, “I know you don’t believe this right at the moment, but I know that things are going to be okay for you eventually. It isn’t the end of the world, even though it may feel like it. Someday, you’ll be able to look back at all of this and see how God’s plans for us aren’t necessarily what we had in mind at the time. Maybe He has other plans we aren’t aware of at the moment. Just give yourself some time to deal with what’s happened, and I think you’ll do fine.”
There was nothing more he could think of to say. So he sat there beside her, staring out over the hills, and waited for her to deal with the news in her own way. He knew she was crying, but she never made a sound, other than her uneven breathing and an occasional sniff. She was handling it as well as anyone could. He’d never been more proud of her.
And now she’s free, a small voice in his head reminded him.
So what?
So now’s your chance.
Oh, sure.
Think about it. Maybe something can be salvaged from this mess Bobby has created. Just think about it.
The sun sank lower in the west, tinting the sky with wisps of pastel colors. He’d forgotten how beautiful the Texas hill country was. The gentle breeze cooled them, wafting the scent of cedar across the hills.
He had no idea how long they had been sitting in silence when she finally spoke once again.
“He was right.”
“About what?”
“Not telling me over the phone.”
“Yes. At least he did something right.”
She sighed, her breath still catching. “I’m glad you were here, Chris.” She gave him a quick glance before looking away. “It would have been even tougher if I’d been at home, with the family, trying to explain.” She sighed. “I just feel overwhelmed at the moment. I don’t know where to start.”
Her voice sounded stronger. She was more in control of her emotions. He took the chance of resting his hand on her back. When she leaned into him slightly, he began to massage the area between her shoulder blades.
“Start what?”
“Telling everybody the wedding is canceled.” The tears that had dried up earlier suddenly reappeared. She impatiently wiped them away, then blew her nose on the handkerchief. “I feel like such a dope, patiently waiting for years for him to return home to marry me when all this time he—He’s been—”
There was no reason for her to finish that particular line of thought.
“You know what?” he said, making the effort to sound brisk and matter-of-fact. “What you really need to do is to get away from here for a while. Why don’t you come back to Dallas with me? I’ve got a big place with plenty of room. It would give you a chance to distance yourself from the situation until you can come to terms with what’s happened.”
His suggestion brought a quiver to her lips, as though she was attempting to smile. “You’ve got to be kidding, Chris.” Yes. Definitely a watery smile. “I’d never hear the end of it from my family if I went off somewhere with you.”
“We could get around that.”
Her expression when she cut her eyes around to look at him clearly showed her doubt.
“I have a suggestion that might solve some of this for you.”
“What? Put a notice in the paper? I already thought of that, but it’s too late. The weekly paper will be out in the morning.”
“No. I’m suggesting that you go ahead with the wedding.”
“What in the world are you talking about? I can’t have a wedding without a groom.”
“I know. So I’m volunteering.”
She straightened away from him, pushing herself up until she was standing, looking down at him. With a disbelieving shake to her head, she said, “You can’t be serious!”
Chris took his time getting up. When they were facing each other once again, he met her bewildered gaze with a level one of his own. He let her see what was in his eyes, what he was feeling, before he replied, “I’m very serious, Maribeth.”
If she lived to be a hundred, Maribeth knew that she would never experience a day like this one. “Why?” Blurted out that way, her response had sounded almost insulting.
“I have many reasons, none of which matter in the least if you find the idea repulsive.”
Marriage to Chris Cochran repulsive? Many feelings came to mind, but repulsion wasn’t one of them. For a day filled with shocking disclosures, this one was as great as any she’d heard so far.
Marriage with Chris? Why, she’d never thought of him in that way. At least…not exactly. Even though she had teased him earlier today about the women in his life, he’d always seemed too much of a loner for her to ever imagine him married to anyone.
He made her nervous in a way she couldn’t quite describe. What would it be like to be married to him? To live with him? To sleep with him? To make loveWell! He’d certainly taken her mind off the news he’d brought. She’d gotten so caught up in his proposal—and that was exactly what it was, she realized with a dazed fascination—that she had momentarily forgotten that the entire county was going to turn out for her wedding in three days, unless she got busy and explained to everyone what had happened.
Chris wished he knew what she was thinking. Her expressive face revealed a bewildering series of thoughts and feelings, none of which he’d been able to decipher.
