Coming Home to Texas

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“Didn’t anyone tell you that frowning causes wrinkles?” he said in a faintly teasing tone, placing his hands on his hips and staring up at her.

She smoothed away her expression, surprised she’d let him see her emotions so clearly. “Obviously, I’m not using Botox,” she quipped, thinking of all her acquaintances who had the injections to paralyze the muscles that caused frown lines on their foreheads.

“What’s troubling you?”

You, she felt like shouting. But that wouldn’t accomplish anything, especially when she needed his cooperation. “I have a few things on my mind.”

“Join the crowd,” he said with a sigh. “Come down and have some breakfast. Then I’ll help you with any plans you need to make.”

She turned away toward the spiral staircase leading to the first floor, feeling the telltale frown return. Her hand gripped the metal banister until her newly polished nails threatened to snap. She didn’t need his help planning—she needed his agreement that they would cooperate on a temporary marriage, she thought as she tromped down the steps. She needed him to make the media believe they’d fallen madly in love in Monte Carlo and were getting married because they couldn’t bear to be apart.

Well, at least not too far apart for too long, since she planned to continue her scheduled assignments and he probably had commissions to design buildings. Once the news of their hurried, hushed wedding hit the press and they’d granted a few choice interviews, she and Travis could go back to leading their separate lives most of the time. Then she’d fly back to Texas as often as possible and he could visit her in California, especially when she had a function to attend.

Especially when she started showing her pregnancy. She’d need a supportive husband then.

She walked into the breakfast area of the spacious kitchen. She smelled bacon and commented, “You’re quite the cook.”

“Not really. I just know enough to get by. I have a housekeeper, Helen Kaminsky, who comes twice a week. She’ll be here tomorrow and you can meet her. If I’m in town and on a project, she sometimes prepares meals for me. Otherwise, I go shopping myself. I’m amazed by the new prepared food at the grocery stores.”

She couldn’t picture Travis Whitaker pushing a cart through a supermarket, although she had no problem thinking of him in formal attire or country casual or cowboy chic. The fact that they knew so little about each other’s lives accentuated the need to avoid a permanent commitment. They’d have plenty of time to get to know each other well enough to mutually support a child, however, if Travis decided to stay involved.

“I’m constantly amazed at the variety of food available in restaurants,” she replied, forcing her attention back to breakfast.

“Maybe in New York or L.A., but you’ll find the choices much more limited in Ranger Springs.”

“But surely you have restaurants.”

“A few. The Four Square Café for breakfast and lunch. A pizza place that delivers. That’s a fairly recent addition. There’s a Tex-Mex place on the state highway, a fast-food burger chain and then there’s Bretford House for lunch or dinner. That’s where we’ll be having the wedding.”

“If we can agree on terms.”

He turned toward a beep from the oven. As he pulled a pan of perfectly browned biscuits out, he said, “There’s really not much to talk about. I’ll be glad to sign a prenuptial agreement if you’d like. We can each agree to keep whatever we came with into the marriage, although that’s pretty much the law in Texas anyway. Since there’s no baby yet, we don’t need to address that issue right now. Other than inviting family, I’m not sure what else is necessary.”

“How can you be so calm, so glib, about this? Surely you don’t get married every day!” At his chuckle she added, “Do you? You mentioned one ex-wife, but are there more?”

Travis shook his head, making a lock of tawny hair fall over his forehead. “No, one was quite enough, which is a really good reason not to have another one. Ex-wife, that is,” he clarified as he dumped the biscuits into a basket and covered them with a napkin.

“What was she like?” Jodie asked before she could stop herself. His past relationships weren’t really her business, but she was curious about his ex. In Monte Carlo he’d been so adamant that he wasn’t looking for anything past a great weekend. Had his marriage been a disaster? Her fault…or his?

He shrugged, carrying the biscuits and butter to the table. “Tiffany was cute and clever. Petite. Dainty, I suppose, but only in appearance. Inside she was a ten-foot-long great white shark with a huge appetite for anything that caught her eye.”

“And I’m sure you caught her eye,” Jodie commented, grabbing the plate of bacon and carrying it to the table. He’d set two places with place mats and heavy, dark blue ceramic plates.

“If you’re thinking of love at first sight, you’re wrong. She decided I was moving up and could give her what she wanted.” He pulled out two chairs and indicated where Jodie should sit.

She smiled to herself when she noticed the tall glass of milk at her place setting. “Which was?”

He settled into his seat before answering. “Everything. I never understood what Tiffany really wanted, but she was sure glad to look under every label and price tag to find it.”

“Other than spending your money, what was the problem?”

He placed his fork and knife down with a clatter. “Look, let’s not talk about her anymore, okay? It’s over and done with. I was young and stupid when we married, older and wiser when we got divorced. It doesn’t have anything to do with this marriage.”

Jodie didn’t want to argue with him, but she thought that anything from their past might affect their marriage—even if it were temporary. Nevertheless, she could understand why he didn’t want to discuss his ex-wife with his possible future wife, so she kept silent. There would be time to talk later—if they actually got married.

“I’d like to see the town if you have time this morning. And this Bretford House where we’re going to have the ceremony, if we get married.”

“On Valentine’s Day,” he added. “Four days from now.”

Jodie sighed. The man had a one-track mind. “So, do you have time or not?”

He nodded while chewing a bite of biscuit. After swallowing, he added, “I haven’t started on my next project yet because I’m waiting on some additional site elevations from the surveyor. I can put that off until after the wedding.”

“Great.” All this seemed to be falling into place for him, while she still felt completely turned around. She couldn’t remember her schedule. Thankfully, it was all written down in her trusty planner. She knew she had to be back in California next week, but wasn’t sure what date.

If she didn’t value her independence so much, she’d hire a personal assistant to travel with her. But she didn’t want someone with her all the time. How would she get used to a husband if they actually lived together?

She couldn’t. She’d just have to explain that to Travis after they went through with the ceremony he wanted. Something for him. Something for her. Isn’t that what compromise was all about?

TRAVIS TRIED TO SEE his adopted hometown through Jodie’s much more sophisticated eyes, but he had a hard time reading her expressions as he parked his SUV in front of Schuler’s Jewelry Store. If looking around and meeting folks went well, he hoped they could shop for wedding bands before going to Bretford House to finalize the wedding plans.

The town square appeared rather bleak on this February day, with only a few evergreen shrubs to break the faded browns of this past winter. Soon spring bulbs would appear, but today he suspected Jodie wouldn’t see the charm of the gazebo or walkways used by so many in Ranger Springs.

“The town square is real nice in the spring and summer,” Travis commented as they stepped onto the sidewalk.

Jodie nodded, but was obviously busy looking around. “The businesses seem to be doing well,” she finally said.

“We’re having a small boom. More and more people are moving out of the cities and into the countryside.”

“It’s…charming.”

Not exactly wild praise, but he’d settle for her favorable impression. “The café is on the other side of the square, near the gazebo. I thought we’d go there first and meet some of the regulars.”

He and Jodie walked side by side. He felt as though he should hold her hand, or take her arm, or make some other gesture, but he couldn’t read her mood. She wasn’t exactly as chilly as the wind whipping along the raised concrete sidewalk, but she didn’t seem all warm and snuggly, either.

Despite her somewhat subdued mood, he enjoyed walking with a woman he didn’t have to lean down to talk to, or saunter beside slowly because their strides were so different. The kind of women he usually dated wore heels almost everywhere, and they giggled when he commented on how “little” they were. Jodie didn’t giggle, although in the days they’d spent together, she’d laughed and chuckled regularly. She had a throaty, genuine laugh that came from deep inside. He hadn’t realized how irritating a high-pitched, childish voice could be on a grown woman until he’d met Jodie.

The door to the Four Square Café tinkled in welcome as he stepped inside. Normally he took a table near the front window, but he didn’t want to appear antisocial by ignoring the folks who were lingering over their coffee. None of the waitresses were up front, so he grabbed a couple of menus before guiding Jodie past the old-fashioned chrome and Formica-topped tables to the rear booths.

“Mornin’, Ambrose. You’re looking pretty today, Joyce,” he greeted the semiretired doctor and his new wife. “Dr. and Mrs. Wheatley, I’d like you to meet Jodie Marsh. She’s going to be in town for a few days until she needs to go back to Los Angeles.”

“Why, hello there, dear. You’re the famous model, aren’t you?” Joyce asked. “Thelma told me she’d met you yesterday. You just missed her, by the way.”

Jodie chuckled. “I don’t know how famous I am, Mrs. Wheatley, but I do model. I’m not sure I remember who Thelma is, though.”

“Thelma Rogers. She’s the owner, editor and lead reporter for the Springs Gazette, our local newspaper.”

“Oh, really?”

Travis sensed Jodie’s concern over hearing that the newspaper editor already knew she was in town. “The Gazette is a weekly paper, and besides, Thelma doesn’t run any tabloid-style stories.”

“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t. I was just hoping to have a nice, quiet stay here for a few days.”

“I’ll bet you go to lots of exciting places for your work,” Joyce said.

“I stay fairly busy, but I don’t work all the time. There’s a growing market for plus-size clothes for business, casual and exercise wear. And I have some other…things I’m working on right now, too.”

Travis wondered if she meant her cosmetics contract or their baby.

“You’re not one of those skinny little beanpoles, either,” Dr. Wheatley added. “They look downright anemic to me.” He shuddered. “I like a woman with a good figure, like my sweetie here,” he added, patting Joyce’s hand.

The strawberry-blond hairdresser smiled and practically blushed. Newlyweds, Travis thought with a mental shake of his head. Ambrose and Joyce were just two more of the happily married couples populating Ranger Springs. Two more of the people making goo-goo eyes at each other and acting as silly as teenagers. Getting married without all that silliness made a lot more sense to him.

Jodie smiled at the older couple. “No one’s ever confused me for a beanpole. I tried dieting when I was a teenager, but I soon discovered that I couldn’t keep my weight down to a size six. It’s much more fun to eat enough to keep my weight up to a size sixteen.”

“Just as long as you exercise and eat right,” the doctor added.

“Believe me, I do.”

“Well, it’s so nice to meet you, Jodie. I hope you have a nice visit in our town. It’s a good place to…well, settle down if you wanted to live somewhere normal.”

The Ranger Springs matchmakers were still alive and well, Travis thought with fondness. Joyce and her sidekick, Thelma Rogers, had participated in several matchmaking projects over the past few years with great success. If one measured success by marriages, that is.

Jodie laughed. “I’ll remember that.”

Travis took her elbow. “I’d like to introduce you to Charlene Jacks, Kerry’s mother. She still works here at the café, although most of us assumed she’d retire now that two of her daughters are married to very successful men. Carole’s husband is CEO of a large food company.”

“I’d love to meet her. Although I knew Alexi first, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Kerry, also. And their son Alexander is adorable.”

The little boy was cute. Which reminded Travis that this time next year, he’d have a little boy or girl who would be equally adorable. Their baby would no doubt have blond hair, since he knew for a fact that Jodie was a natural blonde. And when the child grew up, he or she would be tall. If they had a son, he’d probably be muscular and athletic. A daughter would no doubt be long-limbed and curvy.

He’d have to lock her up until she was thirty, just in case she had any interest in boys.

“Travis?”

He shook himself out of his daydreaming and smiled at Jodie. “Sorry. I was just about to take you back to meet Charlene.”

They walked to the rear of the restaurant, toward the booths near the pickup window. The smell of bacon still hung in the air, but soon the fryer would be producing chicken-fried steak and French fries, and the grill would be full of burgers.

“Mornin’, Charlene,” he said to the woman rolling flatware inside white paper napkins.

“Travis! Good to see you.”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “That’s from Alexi.” Travis had talked to him just two days ago to discuss plans for the cultural center he was designing.

“I’ve been blessed with two wonderful sons-in-law.” She chuckled, a gleam in her blue eyes. “Now all I need is one more for Cheryl and all my girls will be happily married.”

“Don’t look at me!” Travis replied, feigning horror.

Charlene laughed, then smiled at Jodie. “And who is this lovely lady?”

“Charlene Jacks, allow me to introduce Jodie Marsh. I’m sure you’ve already heard she’s in town.”

“Yes, indeed. Welcome to Ranger Springs, Ms. Marsh.”

“Please, call me Jodie. And I’m very glad to be here, and to meet you. I’ve known Alexi for several years and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Kerry. She’s a delightful addition to the royal family.”

“I like to think so. And what about that baby of theirs? Isn’t he the most adorable child ever?”

Jodie chuckled. “He’s a cutie.”

She glanced at Travis and he could almost hear her thoughts. Our child will be cute, too. He smiled in reply.

“Would you like a table or a booth? It’s a bit early for lunch, but I could get you some pie or coffee cake.”

“We’re just stopping by to say hello, unless Jodie would like something…”

“No, I couldn’t eat a thing. Travis fixed me a great breakfast this morning.”

“Oh, really?”

Now that bit of news was going to be all over town, Travis thought. Good thing they were getting married quickly.

As soon as Jodie agreed with his plans.

Chapter Five

The second night in Travis’s house was as quiet as the first, Jodie thought as she looked out the window into the clear, cool night. She wasn’t as tired today, however, because she’d rested up from her flight to Texas. Still, she’d taken a nap after they’d gotten back from town, giving in to the demands of her pregnancy.

She’d have to be careful when she went back to work because she didn’t usually have the luxury of napping in the middle of the day. Sometimes they worked from dawn to dusk, waiting for just the right light to achieve the art director’s vision for still photographs, or repeating the same movement again and again for film shots. That part of modeling was tedious, but seeing the finished product usually made it all worthwhile.