The Texas Rancher's Marriage Read online

  * * *

  THROUGH BARELY OPENED eyes, Chase watched Merri gather up her milking clothes—flannel shirt, down vest, jeans and boots. She slipped into the bathroom, and then a couple minutes later came out again.

  Damn, but she was sexy, with her face scrubbed bare and her honey-blond hair swept up into an untidy knot on the back of her head. As sexy as she had been in those pajamas. He’d had an ache that wouldn’t quit the entire night, which had made moving closer to her distinctly unwise.

  His body might be telling him all systems were ready, but his head knew different. Merri wasn’t the kind of woman who could handle sex with no strings, even for the purpose of making a baby they both yearned to have. She was the kind of woman who needed tenderness as well as passion. Love. Commitment.

  And though he could easily give her three out of the four, his gut told him that she would never be happy unless she had the Real Deal feelings included in any bedroom alliance: love. Even if it was a mutually-agreed-on kind of caring.

  So for now, he’d continue to feign sleep long enough for her to slip from the bedroom undeterred. Continue to wish they didn’t have a million things in the way of the two of them getting close enough to make love, and hence get close enough to potentially be really truly happy together. But even though mind-blowing passion wasn’t in their immediate future, he could still do what had to be done to give his new wife—and the inadvertent mother of his children—the domestic assistance she needed.

  Once they were past the Thanksgiving holiday, and their company left, their lives would settle down quickly. A daily rhythm would be established. And with it, hopefully, so would the closeness and sense of family they all wanted and needed to make their lives complete.

  Chapter Five

  When she slipped into the kitchen to make a quick cup of coffee, Merri found she wasn’t the only one up. Addie was already sitting at the table, dressed, restless and ready to go.

  “Trouble sleeping?” Merri asked sympathetically.

  She dipped her head in acknowledgment. “Guess I slept too much on the flight home. Going out to take care of your herd?”

  Reminded that Addie had grown up on a farm in Minnesota, she nodded. There was something about living the rural life that created a near instantaneous bond in people. “Yep…that’s right.”

  “Want some help?”

  Merri knew it would go a lot faster if she did have assistance. And given how much she had to do before they all headed to the community center for the annual Thanksgiving dinner… “That would be great, thank you.” She went into the mudroom, got out two pairs of Wellington boots, and handed a set to Addie. “Have you ever milked a cow?”

  “I’ve done it the old-fashioned way—by hand.”

  Smiling, Merri went to the cupboard and pulled out an extra barn coat and work gloves. “We’re a little more modern than that.”

  “Well, I’d love to see the operation. That is, if you don’t mind me tagging along?”

  It was easy to tell why Chase was so fond of Addie. Merri handed the other woman an insulated coffee mug. “I’d welcome the company.”

  As they drove out to the barns in the pickup truck, Merri filled Addie in on the specifics of the dairy operation. “Female calves are raised for two years before they produce milk, and milking is done twice a day—morning and late afternoon. Slim handles it most of the time, during the week, and I pick up a couple of shifts on weekends, when it’s easier for me to get a sitter over to take care of the kids. Although I often take them to the barn with me, too.”

  Merri parked and got out of the truck.

  As always, the herd was stabled in the adjacent barn at night, so it was easy to move them into the milking barn through the backing gates, and into the parlor. Addie helped Merri situate all twenty-four cows in their berths. Together they put out the feed and went up and down the aisles, sanitizing teats and hooking them up to the automated milking systems.

  As they moved along, working nicely in tandem, Merri got the feeling that Addie was trying to work up the courage to talk to her about something. Merri hoped it wasn’t more questions about how she and Chase had met.

  Once everything was set, the two women stepped out to drink their coffee in the brisk November air, and admire the streaks of pink spreading across the horizon.

  Finally, Addie spoke what was on her mind. Her cheeks a self-conscious pink, she blurted, “Don’t worry about Starr when it comes to Chase.”

  Merri stiffened in alarm. Starr? The striking brunette who obviously had a big-time crush on Chase....

  Addie lifted a hand. “It’s obvious to everyone that she wants him to be a lot more than just her friend. She was hoping—since he’s now out of the service—that she’d be able to make a play for him.”

  Merri ignored the sudden clenching of her abdomen. The idea that she and Chase had to prove themselves in family court, to Judge Roy, was stressful enough. Now she had to worry about someone trying to steal Chase from her?

  She pulled in a breath and attempted to quell the sudden rise of anxiety within her. “You’re telling me she hasn’t made a move on him before?”

  Addie shook her head soberly. “Starr knew she would crash and burn if she tried. Chase is a by-the-rules kind of guy. Fraternization within a unit is severely discouraged. Causes too many soap-opera-type problems, you know.”

  “So if you were to have a romance with a fellow soldier…one of you would have to be transferred out?”

  “And Chase knows that and believes it’s the right policy,” Addie agreed. “It’s why he never dated anyone within the unit, even on the sly. Plus, he was heartbroken by his previous fiancée.”

  Although Merri had been privy to that last bit of news, she’d never actually heard Chase’s side of the story—just that he had fallen in love during his last years of medical school, and that the engagement was abruptly called off before he entered the military. True to form, he’d been tight-lipped about it ever since.

  “Anyway, it’s why we all came out here with Starr,” Addie continued quietly. “’Cause we knew she was going to make a fool of herself over him. And we were hoping to sort of run interference—to keep things from getting too uncomfortable for either of them. Because at the end of the day, we think they both will still want to be friends.”

  Merri studied Addie’s worried expression. “So you’re telling me you think he’s not interested in Starr that way.”

  She hesitated a second too long. “Well, obviously not, because he married you, didn’t he?”

  Yes. He had. For reasons Merri wasn’t about to explain.

  But would Chase have still married her if he’d known Starr was about to come after him, uninhibited by any military regulations that may have once stood in their path? Or would he have tried to solve the daddy dilemma another way in order to keep his options open?

  Unfortunately, there was no way to know for sure.

  No way she could ask Addie any of this.

  “You all are so close,” Merri said, instead.

  “Crisis bonding.” Addie walked through the wet grass and leaned against the pasture fence, her back to the beautiful Texas sunrise. She looked around, enjoying the sweet serenity of the morning. “Being thrown together in a field hospital forges quick, strong bonds. And it’s not just on the battlefield where this occurs. It happens to people in any kind of crisis situation.”

  Like mine and Chase’s, Merri thought, keeping an eye on the milking op
eration, and finding all was still well. She paced away from the open doors. “So the lot of you will be friends for life.”

  Addie’s expression grew uncertain. “As long as we’re in the military together, we will be.” Briefly, pain flashed in her eyes. “But once a person is back in civilian life, and the high-stakes camaraderie that keeps a unit together no longer exists, well…” She shrugged and looked Merri in the eye. “In those situations, friendships sometimes fade or disappear altogether, because the closeness wasn’t based on anything enduring....”

  Taking Addie’s words to heart, Merri thought about the hospital grief group that had proved so important to her—in the months after her mother’s death, as well as in the aftermath of her sister and brother-in-law’s tragic accident. Both times, the support group had been a lifeline. But then, as everyone gradually healed and resumed their normal lives, the acute intensity of those friendships had faded.

  They were all still friendly, of course. But not the way they had been while deep in mourning.

  Merri swallowed. “Has the loss of this kind of friendship happened to you?” And more important, she thought nervously, would it happen to her and Chase? Not that they were all that close yet.

  Addie nodded. “A few times, with people who have left our unit. But I’m still close to some individuals who left the army, too. So it depends.”

  Merri turned back to the fence, watching as the pale yellow sun edged over the sagebrush that dotted the far horizon. “What do you predict will happen with Starr and Chase?”

  Addie finished the rest of her coffee, and replaced the lid on the stainless-steel travel mug. “To date, they are just friends. Although, Starr’s always believed where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  And Starr clearly had a huge crush on Chase. Merri’s stomach twisted with anxiety. “So what are you trying to tell me? That she might make a play for Chase while you all are here?”

  Addie’s expression sobered. “If she does, it isn’t anything you should be mad at Chase about. Because he’s married to you now, and he’s an honorable guy. The kind who always does what’s right in the end.”

  Like throw away his freedom to marry me, to give the kids the best possible life. Merri sighed.

  * * *

  IT TOOK ANOTHER TWO HOURS to finish the milking, check the production information on the computer, turn the cows out to pasture and clean and disinfect the barns with high-pressure hoses.

  By the time they got back to the ranch house it was nearly nine. Merri was in desperate need of a shower and shampoo. Aside from taking care of their company, she still had the casseroles to make. Or did she?

  The aromatic smell of brown sugar and sweet potatoes hit her the moment she walked in the door. Was it possible Chase had been cooking? she wondered in shock.

  She slipped off her boots in the mudroom and walked into the kitchen, Addie tagging along behind her. There, standing in front of the stove, wearing Merri’s favorite Williams-Sonoma apron, was a satin-pajama-and-slipper-clad Starr. Ovenproof gloves on her hands, she was lifting out four large casseroles. Four more sat, the picture of perfection, already baked. The last two were ready to be slid in to cook.

  “Surprise!” Starr said.

  “Look, Mommy!” Jessalyn called, from her perch on the counter next to Nissa and Davita. “Miss Starr cooked your sweet ’tatoes!”

  Jeffrey nodded solemnly, clearly impressed. He beamed at Harmony and Polly, who’d been seated at the kitchen table, playing blocks with him, then pointed to the tattered piece of yellowed paper on the counter. “Just like the recipe said.”

  Addie looked as shocked as Merri felt, but not surprised. Clearly, Merri thought, this was stage one of Capture Chase’s Heart. Complete with one button too many undone on Starr’s satin pajama top.

  “Wow,” Addie said. She walked over to give a nicely dressed and showered Chase a friendly punch in the forearm. “You have been busy, soldier.”

  Merri nodded. Unable to vanquish the notion that she had just been upstaged in her own home, she forced a perfect hostess smile. “Wow is right. Thank you all so much! I hope you got breakfast....”

  “Oh, yeah. Chase fixed us his famous eggs and tortillas.”

  “He makes a mean cup of joe, too.”

  “We saved some for both of you, though.”

  “Thanks.” Ignoring the unprecedented jealousy roiling in her gut, Merri forced another smile. “But I’m going to head for the shower. In the meantime, carry on.”

  “Do you think she’s mad?” she heard Starr say behind her departing back. “Chase, honey, I think she might be mad. Why would she be mad…?”

  Why indeed, Merri fumed, heading for the stairs. A scant two minutes later, she was stepping into the shower. Only to discover the fifty-gallon tank had been drained of hot water. What was left was at best lukewarm. Deciding, what the heck, maybe a cold shower was what she needed right now, anyway, Merri turned off the hot spigot and stood under the freezing spray.

  By the time she had finished a quick lather and rinse of her hair and body, her teeth were chattering and she was shaking from head to foot. But her temper had cooled. Until a knock sounded on the door and Chase said, “Merri, I need to talk to you.”

  * * *

  CHASE KNEW HE WAS IN TROUBLE the moment Merri stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a thick terry-cloth robe. She smelled of lavender, but her lips were devoid of their usual luscious pink color.

  Upon closer inspection, he saw the goose bumps on her fair skin…and the way she was shivering. “Did you take a cold shower?”

  New color flooded her cheeks as she ran a towel over her hair, systematically blotting the dampness from it. “I didn’t really have a choice. We’re out of hot water.”

  He winced. “Sorry. All the gals were taking showers. Starr’s headed there now.”

  “I hope she likes her water icy.”

  Okay, that had sounded very unhostesslike, which was in turn very unlike Merri. Aware that she had every right to be annoyed and stressed out, Chase took responsibility, too. “It’s my fault. I had no idea we were short in that regard. I probably drained half the tank myself.”

  Merri regrouped and then flashed him a brief, purposeful smile. “I should have warned everyone.” She shook her head, as if chastising herself for not thinking about it in advance. “When the old water heater went out last fall, I tried to conserve energy, and replaced it with a smaller model. With just the three of us here, we didn’t need an eighty-gallon tank.”

  Chase leaned against the bureau, hands braced on either side of him, wondering what if anything she had on under that robe. Panties? A bra? Nothing at all?

  He had to struggle to stay with the conversation. “If conservation is the goal, a heat-on-demand unit would be even better.”

  Merri tossed him a considering look over her slender shoulder, before starting to untangle her hair with a wide-toothed comb. “I considered it, but those models are a lot more expensive to purchase and install.” She walked into the closet, hips swaying as she moved. “Right now I’m putting every penny I can spare into the expansion of the dairy, so it was out of my price range. At least for the moment…”

  With his eyes on her sexy-as-hell legs, Chase followed her into the narrow space between the racks, speaking in a low, confidential tone. “It doesn’t have to be, Merri.” He watched as she searched through her wardrobe. The neckline of her robe gaped slightly, answering his earlier question. No bra, anyway.
Just the soft, delicious curve of one plump breast.

  He cleared his throat. “Now that we’re married, I can help with things like that.”

  She kept her head averted, and focused on her mission—selecting the right thing to wear to the community event. As she held out a particular sweater, her teeth raked across her velvety soft lower lip. “I don’t think we’re going to run out of hot water very often. Unless you plan to have this many guests underfoot on a regular basis.”

  “You are ticked off that they’re all here.”

  She grabbed a skirt, too, and a pair of matching suede heels, and then brushed past him. “On the contrary. I’m enjoying their company, as are the kids. And Addie was a great help with the milking this morning.”

  Chase watched Merri hang her outfit on the hook on the bathroom door. “Let’s not forget that Starr pitched in to make all those sweet potato casseroles for the Thanksgiving buffet. Saving you a heck of a lot of time and work.”

  Merri returned to her dresser, pulled out a bra and panties and hose. “She certainly did.”

  Was that sarcasm underlying her low tone? Chase edged nearer. “I’ve heard of women being territorial about their kitchens…”

  “Um-hmm.” Lingerie in one hand, Merri pulled a pendant and earrings from her jewelry box. “Well, I’m not one of them.”

  But she certainly looked territorial about something.

  “Mommy!” Jeffrey and Jessalyn burst into the bedroom. “That lady, the one in the apron, is screaming in the bathroom!”

  Screeching was more like it, Chase thought, listening to the indignant, high-pitched sounds.

  “Guess Starr just found out we’re out of hot water,” Merri said wryly. She made shooing motions toward the hallway. “Now if you’ll excuse me, everyone, I’ve really got to get dressed and dry my hair.”

  “Kids,” Chase murmured with outspread hands, ready to herd them downstairs. Once again, Jeffrey and Jessalyn looked at him as if he were persona non grata, and then fled in the opposite direction. Merri displayed the same intolerant attitude, which made it unanimous.