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The Great Texas Wedding Bargain
Judy Christenberry
She needed a husband–fast. He just wanted a few home-cooked meals. Let the great Texas wedding bargain begin!It was desperation that had Megan Ford proposing to solitary rancher Rick Astin. She promised to pay handsomely for an in-name-only marriage and swore their understanding would end in mere months, while secretly wishing it would last forever.As flattered as he was by the loveless offer, it was the thought of a spick-and-span home that had Rick agreeing to the charade. He told himself he had no interest in his new bride becoming a permanent part of his quiet life. And despite his body's cravings to make Megan truly his, Rick intended to honorably uphold his end of the deal. Until they sealed their bargain with a kiss…
“We’re not talking about a real marriage,” she assured him. “It would be a marriage on paper.”
She was desperate, Rick realized. So desperate she was on the verge of tears. Walking away from Megan Ford would be hard to do. He’d be haunted forever by those big blue eyes.
“What kind of coffee do you make?”
She blinked several times. “What kind? I—I usually grind my own beans. I like—”
“Grind your own beans? Tell me you can cook, too.”
Megan gave him a befuddled stare. “Well, yes. Of course.”
He grinned at her, hoping to chase away those tears that still lingered. “Honey, looks like we got a deal.”
Come back to Cactus, Texas, in Judy Christenberry’s bestselling series TOTS FOR TEXANS! You’re guaranteed to have a grand ole time!
The Great Texas Wedding Bargain
Judy Christenberry
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers. Judy quit teaching French recently to devote her time to writing. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy’s a native Texan, living in Plano, a suburb of Dallas.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
He was the one.
Megan Ford nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at the dusty cowboy leaning against the feed-store counter. She’d heard Mr. James, the store owner, call him by name, confirming his identity.
Richard Astin.
Her mother’s friends had recommended him.
If she weren’t so desperate… But she was. Time was of the essence.
“Well, hello, there, Megan. What can I do for you?” Mr. James called out, having finally seen her in the dim shadows of the store.
“Good afternoon, Mr. James.” She remembered he’d gone to school with her mother and treated her as if she were a favorite niece even though she’d only met him a month ago.
The cowboy turned around to glance at her, and she sucked in a deep breath. He might appear tired, dirty and down-at-the-heels, but he was good-looking. Maybe he wasn’t as perfect for her plans as she’d thought. But she didn’t have any other candidates.
She stepped forward and extended her hand to the stranger. “I don’t think I’ve met you. I’m Megan Ford.”
“Sorry, I should’ve introduced you,” Mr. James said. “This here is Richard Astin. We call him Rick. He’s got a smart little spread outside of town.”
She smiled politely. “How nice.”
His eyebrows raised over his warm brown eyes. “Yeah. Are you ranching in the area?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m a nurse. I work for the doctors.” She didn’t need to give their names. Dr. Greenfield had been the only doctor in the west Texas town of Cactus for a number of years. He’d recently taken in a partner, Samantha Gibbons. She’d married one of the local men last summer.
The cowboy didn’t look terribly interested in her history. Even better.
Turning back to Mr. James, the cowboy finished his business and started to go, tipping his hat at her as he strode past.
She wanted to grab his sleeve, to stop his departure, but she certainly didn’t want to conduct a conversation in front of Mr. James. That would never do.
With a quick nod in the older man’s direction, she followed Richard Astin outside.
“Mr. Astin?” she called out. He’d covered a lot of territory in the two minutes he’d been out of her sight and was now standing at the door of an old pickup.
“Yes, ma’am?”
In the sunlight, though his gaze was shaded by his cowboy hat, the strong planes of his face were visible, making Megan hesitate. He wouldn’t be easy to manipulate.
She drew a deep breath. It was now or never. “Could I have a word with you?”
RICHARD ASTIN stared at the pretty woman on the porch of the feed store.
Not another one.
He’d thought he was safe here in Cactus. The eight months since he’d moved here had been the happiest of his life. The good people of Cactus took a man at face value…and left him to live in peace.
Well, most of them. The Matchmakers weren’t quite as good about staying out of a man’s life. But he’d found them amusing. The four women had gotten their sons married, with children on the way. Then they had started looking for fresh bait. But lately they’d left him alone.
“Yes, ma’am? Talk to me about what?” He didn’t budge. She could come to him. Maybe there was another dance and the ladies had sent her over to lure him to it.
His left eyebrow was raised as he recognized distress on her face. Those blue eyes of hers appeared wary and she was nibbling on her full bottom lip.
She took one step toward him, and stopped. “It’s…it’s personal.”
He dipped his head down so she wouldn’t see his grin. He wondered which matchmaker had put her up to approaching him. He’d have to tell them that she didn’t know much about flirting.
Looking up, he said, “Can’t be too personal. We just met.”
“Could I buy you a cup of coffee?”
Now she was tempting him. He’d never learned to make good coffee. The instant kind he made each morning was only a mockery of the fragrant coffee he loved. “Where?”
His question seemed to throw her. She should’ve planned better. He could give her pointers, from his past experiences, but why help the enemy?
“At the drugstore?”
He deliberately looked at his watch. No point in letting her think she’d roped him in. “I’ve got five minutes to spare.”
Her chin rose. “Then we’d better walk fast,” she retorted and turned on her heel to head down the sidewalk in the direction of Brockmeier’s Drugstore.
Rick chuckled under his breath. At least she had some spirit. She’d been so hesitant at first, he’d thought she was timid.
He strolled after her, not hurrying, but his long legs caught up with her a few storefronts away. Not that she had short legs. Her denim skirt ended above her knees, catching his eye.
No doubt she was good-looking. Half the single men in town should be after her. He didn’t understand why she was chasing him. Unless she knew his secret.
She stopped outside the drugstore and turned to make sure he’d followed. He’d admired her restraint in not looking before. He reached around her and held open the door.
Sweeping past him with her chin raised, in the fashion of a grand duchess, she headed for the side of the drugstore where several empty booths awaited customers.
“Howdy, Rick,” Lucy, the waitress, called out. Then she noticed the young woman standing beside him. “Megan, right? You’re Faith’s daughter. Welcome to town.”
“Thank you. May we sit anywhere?”
Lucy waved them toward the booths. “You bet, hon. Take your pick. It’s not like we’re busy.”
Rick followed Megan’s determined march and slid into the booth she chose, opposite her.
“What can I get you folks?” Lucy asked.
“A cup of coffee for the gentleman and iced tea for me. Would you care for anything else, Mr. Astin? I believe the pie is supposed to be good.”
“Best in town,” Lucy declared, staring at Rick, waiting for his decision.
He deliberately took his time, watching Megan’s antsy movements across from him. “What kind do you have?”
“Apple, coconut cream and chocolate.”
“I’ll have apple, with a scoop of ice cream,” he said, smiling at Lucy.
“Coming right up.”
“For someone who only has five minutes, you’re certainly taking your time,” Megan muttered as Lucy hurried away from their table.
“Pie’s worth the extra time,” he assured her, adding a wink. He thought she seemed a little tense, but it was silly to get her tail in such a twist over a dance.
She glared at him.
“Look, honey, don’t act so uptight. If going to a dance is that important, I’ll take you.” This time he might even enjoy himself.
Her blue eyes widened and she blinked several times. “I beg your pardon?”
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To ask me to take you to a dance? I’ll have to admit, buying me pie and coffee is a new approach. I like it.”
Her mouth dropped open. A tasty little mouth, too. Full lips, slightly pink, no lipstick. In fact, she didn’t have on hardly any makeup at all. Most of the women who’d come after him usually loaded up on the war paint.
Smart lady. Her dark lashes framed her blue eyes and her cheeks were soft pink over ivory. She didn’t need any fake enhancements.
“Why, you conceited…conceited oaf!” she exclaimed.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Did I get it wrong? Okay, what do you want? We don’t know each other. I doubt you’d want to buy cows. I can’t think of any other business we’d have.”
She suddenly retreated, her gaze becoming secretive, her openness disappearing. Looking away, she said nothing.
Lucy arrived at their table with their drinks and the pie and ice cream. “How’s your mother, Megan? Tell her to come in and visit. I haven’t talked to her since y’all came back.”
“Thank you, I will.”
After Lucy left the table, Rick leaned forward. “You just recently came to town?”
