The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek Book 8) Read online

  “I’ll go to Linda’s Diner tomorrow and see what I can figure out,” Morgan said to Mia’s relief. “I’m sure Rose will understand either way. You don’t have to worry about it.”

  “It’s just I’m Tracey’s wedding planner, too,” Mia explained. “I didn’t know her date when I accepted. I figured there was no chance she’d pick the same weekend as Rose.”

  “And you took the job?” Claire said. “That’s not very responsible, Mia. You’d better back out.”

  Mia was used to Claire’s habit of speaking frankly, but it still rankled. “I can’t. She’ll tell people and I’ll get a reputation for unreliability.”

  “If you don’t back out you’ll get a reputation for letting down your customers. What about Rose’s rehearsal? And the rehearsal dinner? Won’t those be the same night as Tracey’s wedding?”

  “No. They’re on Thursday, thank goodness.”

  “What about Tracey’s rehearsal and dinner?” Claire said. “Won’t they be on Thursday, too?”

  “I’ll tell her she can’t do that.”

  “You’ll tell the bride what she can and can’t do?” Claire’s tone was caustic. “That’s not very businesslike.”

  “What am I supposed to do? She’s the one who booked her wedding on that ridiculous day,” Mia cried.

  “It’s your business. You’re in charge. Get on the phone and sort it out. Apologize and tell Tracey there’s a scheduling conflict, and that she has two choices: change the date of the wedding or find another planner.”

  “I’ve been friends with Tracey for a long time.”

  “That does seem harsh,” Autumn put in.

  “It’s practical,” Claire said, her black bob swinging with her vehemence. “Businesspeople make tough decisions all the time, Mia. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be one.”

  “Mia is still learning.” Autumn adjusted her blouse to nurse Arianna. “It takes time. Everyone makes a few mistakes. Mia, find out where Tracey intends to hold her wedding and reception as soon as possible. Get as many details as you can. Maybe there are things on her list and Rose’s that overlap and you can dovetail the planning you’ll need to do. A busy New York City wedding planner has back-to-back events all the time. If they can do it, you can, too.”

  “Thanks, Autumn,” Mia said, a wave of gratitude washing over her. She avoided meeting Claire’s eye as she stood up and crossed the room back toward the stairs. “I’ll go call Tracey right now.”

  “She’ll never pull this off. She’s so young,” Mia heard Claire say as she went upstairs. Mia increased her pace, not wanting to hear any more, but Autumn’s answer floated up toward her.

  “Don’t underestimate her, Claire. I think she’s more on the ball than any of us give her credit for.”

  “Where are we putting this thing again?” Jamie called out as he and Cab struggled to get the queen-sized mattress out of the guest room door and down the staircase of Luke’s cabin.

  “The basement over at Mom and Dad’s.” Luke took hold of one end of the box spring while Ethan grabbed the other. They tipped it vertically to fit through the bedroom door.

  Luke hadn’t remembered how hard it was to get a bed in and out of these rooms until they were too far into the job to call it quits. He directed the operation as best he could, hoping against hope neither of the other men would take a tumble down the stairs before they were done. He’d grabbed Jamie, Cab and Ethan from Linda’s Diner, where he’d gone to lunch after another run out to Amanda Stone’s, and asked them to help him real quick before they got back to their workdays. His own brothers were all busy today and there was no way he’d ask Holt to wrestle a mattress down a flight of stairs, not with the stiffness in the old man’s hip. Besides, his dad was nowhere to be seen these days. His mother said he had a new project brewing that he hadn’t even told her about.

  “You sure it’s a smart idea to build a nursery for Mia before you two even sort things out?” Ethan asked him.

  “The whole point is to show her why we should sort things out. I need her to know I’m the kind of man who puts her and the baby first.”

  “Where are you going to get all the baby stuff?”

  “I’ll buy it.” On credit, unfortunately. His next truck payment was going to eat up a big swath of his monthly income. Luke backed out into the hallway until Ethan’s end was free of the door. Then they changed directions and Ethan backed slowly down the stairs. Cab and Jamie were nearly at the bottom when Cab stumbled, yanked the mattress forward and pulled Jamie off his feet. Fortunately the mattress broke his fall, but he landed on top of it in an ungainly heap.

  “Where’s my camera?” Ethan said. “There’s a pinup pose if I ever saw one.”

  “Ha, ha.” Jamie scrambled up and set his hat back on his head. “Cab, you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just got tangled up in my own feet.”

  “Well, untangle them, pick up your end of the mattress and get to it.”

  “Why don’t you both get to it,” Ethan called down.

  They managed to make it the rest of the way to Luke’s parents’ house without incident where they stored the set in the basement. Back at his cabin, Luke thanked everyone for their help.

  “Just remember sets,” Ethan told him. “Everything has to match—the crib, the changing table, the dresser. And the baby blankets have to match the curtains. And then pretty soon you’ll find Mia trying to match the toys to the wallpaper. It’s like an illness.”

  “Match everything. I can do that.”

  “What’s her favorite color?”

  “The baby’s?” Luke frowned.

  “Mia’s, idiot. Does she know if she’s having a boy or girl?”

  “Not yet. I don’t think.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes at him. “Find out. In fact, you’d better go to that appointment; it’s an important one. And don’t buy anything or paint anything until you know. But then don’t use pink or blue—those are out. Choose yellow or green, but make it masculine or feminine depending on what the baby is. You know.”

  Luke was glad to see he wasn’t the only one staring at Ethan. “I don’t think I do know.”

  “You will,” Ethan said darkly. “Trust me.”

  “It’s the only weekend Tracey’s sister can make it,” Autumn reported back to Mia several days later. “Nora is a Marine on active duty. If Tracey doesn’t hold her wedding on that Friday, her sister can’t come.”

  Mia sighed. “Well, at least that explains things. I didn’t think Tracey was that insensitive. Did you tell Rose?”

  Autumn nodded.

  “Good. Well, that’s that. I’ll just have to be super-organized. The whole weekend will be like one big party.”

  “Let me know if I can help.”

  “I will.” Mia was already making lists in her head as she trailed up the stairs to her own room. She was due to meet with Tracey tomorrow morning, Lila White tomorrow evening, and Rose the day after. She decided she’d put together a big checklist for each event and start calling venues and suppliers. By the time she met with each of her clients she’d have everything under control.

  Her phone buzzed and she picked it up.

  “Mia?” It was Inez. Mia’s gut tightened with anxiety.

  “Yes.”

  “I drafted my letter. Can I e-mail it to you to take a look at? How is yours coming?”

  “Great.” Actually, it wasn’t coming at all. She’d tried once or twice to sit down and put the events of six years ago into writing, but no words had come.

  “I know it’s hard.”

  “I’ll do it.” Mia overrode Inez’s comforting words. “It is hard, but I will do it.”

  “Thank you. I’ll send my letter over right now.”

  “Maybe it will help me to read it.”

  Mia found herself reluctant to open Inez’s email when it came, however, and while she found its contents frank and well written, when she heard a commotion in the living room fifteen minutes later, she was grateful for
the interruption. She ran lightly to the head of the stairs and found Jamie squared off with Autumn down below.

  “I’m going to kill him. I can’t believe Ethan did this!” He looked fit to be tied, waving his hat for emphasis.

  “What did Ethan do?” Autumn stared at him, protectively cradling her baby.

  “Entered me in a calendar pinup contest.” He read from the screen of his phone as Mia slipped downstairs and joined Autumn. “‘Dear Mr. Lassiter, we’re pleased to inform you that you have made it to the finals in our Cowboy of the Month Calendar contest. Your photos and description have been posted on our website for the final voting phase. We will announce the twelve winners on May first. If chosen, you will be notified and a time and date set for your calendar photo shoot.’ Can you believe that?”

  “You think Ethan entered you in that contest? Why would he do that?” Mia asked.

  “Hell if I know! But he told me I looked like a pinup just the other day.”

  Autumn looked at him askance. “Ethan said that?”

  Jamie colored. “We were moving a mattress—” His gaze darted to Mia. “I mean, we were just fooling around—oh, to hell with it. Just tell Ethan he’ll get his.”

  He stormed out of the room. Autumn shook her head. “I don’t understand men,” she said to Arianna.

  Before Mia could answer, the doorbell rang. She got up to get it and was surprised to see Luke.

  “Can I come in?” he said, and she fought the urge to hurl herself into his arms. As angry as she’d been with him, she’d missed him like crazy since she’d moved out and it was torture to keep her distance. She longed for the little things like sharing a meal with him, or chatting with him after she came home from work, but she missed the big things, too. Making love to Luke had been everything she’d ever dreamed sex could be, so to only have one night to enjoy it seemed much too cruel.

  Something of her thoughts must have shown in her eyes because the cowboy smiled. He came inside, shut the door behind him and leaned against it, one arm behind his back. “You have an appointment coming up, don’t you?”

  It was the last thing she expected him to say and it took her a minute to gather her thoughts. “What appointment?”

  “Your doctor visit. It’s an important one, right? To find out if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

  “Oh—yes. Next Tuesday.” How did Luke know about that?

  “Can I drive you?”

  His nearness made it difficult for her to concentrate. It conjured up images of the night she’d spent in his arms. He’d made love to her so tenderly and thoroughly it made her ache now to think of it. “O-Okay.”

  “What time?” Luke reached out and touched her, just a gentle caress of his hand along her arm. He bent down and brushed his lips over hers. She shivered and leaned closer. She craved his warmth, his strength. She wished he would hold her until all her worries slipped away.

  “Nine-thirty. In the morning.”

  “I’ll be here at eight forty-five. Take care of yourself until then. Don’t work too hard.” He tugged her a little closer. Mia held her breath. “Go to bed early.” He pulled her closer still and kissed her again—a longer kiss this time—making her breathless. As his kiss went on and on, Mia forgot everything else but the handsome cowboy holding her. The cowboy she wanted more than anything else. When he let her go and straightened up, he had to hold her steady until she regained her balance. He handed her the single pink rose he’d held behind his back and opened the door. “And think about me, because I’ll be thinking about you.”

  After he was gone, Mia clutched her flower and walked unsteadily back to the living room, where Autumn waited, her eyes dancing with mischief. She laughed when she saw Mia’s face. “Uh-oh, I know that look. That’s a girl who’s come under a cowboy’s spell.”

  “Just when I think I’ve figured him out, he does something like this.”

  “They’re crafty, those cowboys. Luke’s set his sights on you and he won’t give up easily.”

  Mia flopped down on the sofa again. She hoped he didn’t give up. She wanted them to work out a way to be together. She wouldn’t give in on what she wanted, though.

  If only Luke would be the man she knew he could be.

  On Tuesday, Luke jingled his keys in his hand until Mia shot him a look that told him to stop. He noticed that her foot was tapping up a storm, though, so he wasn’t the only one nervous about the appointment ahead. He had never felt as out of place as he did in Dr. Fitzpatrick’s waiting room. Done up in grays and browns, it was tailored, modern, and much too cold for Luke’s taste.

  He sat on a cushioned seat beside Mia, surrounded by other women, most of them visibly pregnant. One mother-to-be’s belly stuck out so far she looked like she’d swallowed a watermelon.

  Or perhaps a basketball.

  He glanced surreptitiously at Mia’s only slightly rounded abdomen and wondered if she’d even come close to looking like that.

  A new thought occurred to him. What if she had twins? He panicked a moment as he tried to think where they’d fit another crib into the already packed spare room, then cautioned himself to take it one step at a time. No sense letting his imagination run away with him.

  “Mia Start?”

  Mia stood up when a nurse called her name, and Luke followed suit awkwardly. Now that he was here, he couldn’t imagine they would let him in to the examining room. On the other hand, he needed to stake a claim to Mia—and this baby—right now, before it was born. Something told him it would be too late if he waited until afterwards. He’d seen how wrapped up Autumn was in Arianna. If Ethan got a sidelong look from either of them he was lucky. No, he couldn’t give Mia any more chances to push him away. He meant to be her partner in this, starting right now.

  “You’re coming in?” Mia asked.

  “That’s right.” He waited for her to protest, but she didn’t. Instead she mutely paced after the nurse. So far, so good.

  Inside the examining room, the nurse instructed Mia to change into a paper gown and take a seat on the table. Luke sat down in one of the chairs to the side as if he belonged there and prepared to enjoy the view.

  Mia picked up the gown and turned her back to him, undressing so carefully he only caught glimpses of skin as she changed—enough to alert his body that something interesting was happening, but not enough to satisfy him.

  Not by a long shot.

  When she sat on the table, her legs dangling over the side, Luke sighed. She looked so sweet. And delicious.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “You know what’s wrong.”

  “Luke.”

  “Don’t Luke me. We belong together. You know that.”

  “I know that I’m not interested in being told what to do.”

  A knock sounded on the door before he could answer her, and Mia called, “Come in.” A doctor entered and smiled at the two of them.

  “Good morning, Mia. Good morning…”

  “Luke. Luke Matheson. Nice to meet you.” He stood up and shook the doctor’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you too, Luke. I’m Marion Fitzpatrick. Are you the father?”

  “Yes,” Luke said at the same time Mia said, “No.” Dr. Fitzpatrick raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m going to be.” Luke stared Mia down.

  “Hmm. Let me put it this way,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said. “Are you going to be present for the birth?”

  “Damn straight.”

  “No,” Mia said quickly.

  “Yes, I am.”

  If Dr. Fitzpatrick’s eyebrows rose any higher, they would disappear under the fringe of her bangs, Luke thought. But he wouldn’t back down. He was going to be Mia’s partner in all of this, whether she wanted him to be or not.

  “Well, if you two work this out, there’s a birthing class starting up in a couple of weeks. I think you should attend, Mia. And if Luke here is going to be involved in your baby’s life, I think he should attend, too.” She handed Mia a brochure. After Mi
a skimmed through it, Luke took it from her and tucked it into his pocket. The corner of Dr. Fitzpatrick’s mouth curved into a smile. “Let’s take a look at your baby, shall we?”

  Luke had seen ultrasound machines in movies, of course, and had an idea what the image would look like when the doctor squirted clear goo on Mia’s belly and pressed the rounded tip of the ultrasound wand against her skin. At first the screen stayed grainy, with odd, rounded shapes appearing and disappearing as she moved the wand around. Then something came into focus and Luke’s heart lurched.

  “Is that the baby?”

  “That’s the baby,” Dr. Fitzpatrick confirmed. “Can you hear its heartbeat?”

  Luke realized the strange sound he was hearing was the fast-paced whomp-whomp-whomp of the baby’s heartbeat.

  “Is it a boy or girl?” he asked the doctor.

  “Do you want to know the sex, Mia?”

  “Yes.” Mia’s gaze was held by the shifting images on the screen. Luke realized he’d taken her hand and she was squeezing it tight—holding on for dear life. He knew exactly how she felt.

  “Let’s see.” Dr. Fitzpatrick moved the wand around again, angling it this way and that until she froze. “There.”

  “There what?” Luke asked.

  “See that?”

  “No—I don’t see anything,” Mia said.

  “Exactly. You’re having a girl. Congratulations.” Dr. Fitzpatrick beamed at both of them.

  “Did you hear that, Luke? We’re having a girl!”

  Luke pulled her into an awkward embrace, reclined as she was on the examining table. He kissed her neck, her ear and finally her mouth. “We’re having a girl,” he echoed.

  A moment later, Mia shifted away. “I mean…I’m having a girl.”

  Luke decided to let it slide. Her initial comment told him a lot. She still cared for him, for one thing. She still thought of him as partner material, whatever she said. And it made her happy to share her news with him.

  Sooner or later, Mia would be his.

  ‡

  Chapter Twelve

  “Are you ready for this?” Mia asked Fila two days later. They stood behind the counter of Fila’s Familia, where Mia would soon take orders and run the till. The restaurant was due to open in twenty minutes and already a line of their friends and family snaked down the block.