Читать книгу The Borrowed Groom - Judy Christenberry, Judy Christenberry - Страница 10

Rob stared at Melissa, speechless. A bra? His little girl needed a bra? No! She was only…twelve, almost thirteen. Almost a teenager.

“But she can’t…she’s too…what do I do?” He realized his mistake at once. He’d appeared vulnerable in front of Melissa. He stepped back as she moved forward.

“Rob, it’s not that big a deal. If you go with us tomorrow, you can take the little ones for ice cream while Terri and I make a quick purchase. After once or twice, she’ll be able to shop by herself, if she needs to.”

He should’ve been relieved. But he’d heard all she hadn’t said. She expected him to go on a shopping trip in the middle of the week with her and three children. She expected him to take the two little ones for ice cream. Most important of all, she expected him to act like a husband.

“I can’t do that!” he returned harshly.

“Okay.” Without waiting for an answer, she stepped around him, down the steps, and walked toward her house.

“Wait!” he called, hurrying after her. She never broke stride, however, until he grabbed her arm. “What do you mean, okay?”

“If you can’t go, you can’t go. I hope Terri can still go.”

“Of course she can. But what about…I mean—”

“Terri purchasing her underwear? If we can’t manage it with the other two children, I guess you’ll have to take her shopping for it. After all, she’s your child.”

She pulled free and began walking again.

It was a warm night. But the sweat beads on his forehead were from nerves, not the summer air. He’d walked past stores like Victoria’s Secret, but he’d always looked the other way. He’d ordered Terri’s undergarments from the Sears catalog. He’d never actually been in a lingerie department.

Melissa had said Terri could learn to shop for these things without any help.

He licked his dry lips. In the interest of being independent of Melissa Kennedy in the future, he needed to see that Terri got the instruction she needed.

He could do this.

“I-if Abby doesn’t mind, I’ll go tomorrow. You’ll show Terri how—I mean, you’ll help her?”

“Of course. I’ll be glad to. And the girls love ice cream, so they’ll be good for you. They haven’t gotten many treats in their little lives.”

He frowned at the sadness of her words, but he still hadn’t dealt with all the plans for tomorrow. “What time will we leave in the morning?”

“I thought we should leave about nine-fifteen. The stores don’t open until ten.”

“Then I’ll have time to talk to Abby in the morning. You’re sure she said it would be okay?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Rob. She knew you started work at once. Sometimes it takes people a little longer to get settled.”

“I can do a few chores before we leave,” he figured aloud. He usually started his day at six.

They’d reached her front porch, its light shining in the night. The smile on her face didn’t look condescending, but he wasn’t sure. “Will you send Terri out?”

“Of course, but you’re welcome to come in to wait for her. I’ll have to go upstairs to get her. We can’t leave the little ones in the bath without someone to watch them.”

“No, I’ll wait here.”

“Then, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, still smiling. He watched until the door closed behind her. Then he sank down onto the porch steps. She had a Mona Lisa smile if he’d ever seen one. But she was a hell of a lot sexier than that Italian lady.

Didn’t mean he could figure her out.

But that didn’t matter. He was getting some help for Terri. He guessed he’d have to admit that she was getting to the age that he couldn’t fix everything for her.

He should be grateful there was a woman nearby who could help her. But he should’ve asked Ellen to help. She was nice, motherly. She didn’t get him all hot and bothered.

He would’ve asked her, if he’d known there was a problem. But Terri had blindsided him tonight. She hadn’t talked to him. She hadn’t asked for help. At least, not from him.

That hurt.

But then, he couldn’t help her pick out a bra. So maybe it was just as well she hadn’t asked him. But if she had, he could’ve asked Ellen.

Oh, hell!

Rob administered the medicine to the two horses in the barn, feeding and watering them, too. Then he checked his list for any last-minute chores to do before he cleaned up. He’d talked to Abby just after breakfast. She’d assured him they could make it one day without him.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned back to the house where he and Terri had moved. It wasn’t a bad place. Ellen had helped them clean it up.

If it made Terri happy to buy a few things, dress it up a little, he’d agree to that. But he needed to get it all done today. He didn’t intend to take another day off just to go shopping.

His daughter was waiting in the kitchen, her dark hair, the same color as his, gleaming, curled under around her heart-shaped face.

“You look pretty, baby.”

“Thanks, Dad. Uh, could you not call me ‘baby’ when we’re out? I’m more grown-up now, and…and I don’t want people to think I’m still in elementary school.”

“Right,” he agreed, though he hated the idea. “I’ll try to remember.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, a sweet smile on her face as she leaned over to kiss him. Then she pulled back. “Hurry. You smell like horses.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, and continued on to the bathroom. He wanted to get this chore over with as soon as possible.

After cleaning up, he gathered his billfold, checkbook and charge cards. He wasn’t sure what he’d need, but from what he’d heard, he’d need something to pay the bills. Women and shopping could get out of hand.

When he returned to the kitchen, Terri was coming in the front door.

“Come on, Dad. Melissa’s outside.”

“Okay, okay. You got everything you need?”

“Yeah,” she threw over her shoulder as she hurried out the door.

Melissa Kennedy was a damned pied piper. If she told Terri to jump off a cliff, he figured his kid would run over him to do just that.

He was frowning when he looked up and saw the Chevy Suburban parked out front. The vehicle was new. Melissa was standing beside the passenger door. Terri had already gotten in the back.

“Do you mind driving?” she asked, smiling again.

“Me?”

“Aren’t you comfortable driving? I thought it would be easier for me to deal with the girls, if they get nervous, if you’re driving.” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “I can drive, though, if—”

“I’ll drive.”

He pulled open the passenger door and waited until she got in. Then he closed it and circled the vehicle to slide behind the wheel. He was comfortable driving. But little girls didn’t bother him, either. After all, he’d raised Terri.

Melissa gave him brief, succinct directions, and he looked at her in surprise. His experience said a woman couldn’t tell you how to go in a straight line without a lot of side trips.

Abby Kennedy had been direct, he had to admit. Maybe Melissa had something in common with her sister, after all.

Which made him wonder about the third sister.

“I haven’t met your other sister,” he said, staring ahead of him as he drove.

“She and her husband have been attending the rodeo in Oklahoma City. They’ll be back on Monday.”

He looked at her. “They follow the rodeos?”

“Not full-time, but Jed’s been training some guys, and he wanted to see how they do.”

“Who’s Jed?”

“Jed Davis, Beth’s husband.”

He almost stopped the truck. “Your sister is married to Jed Davis?”

“Yes, do you know him?”

“We’ve met. He’s the best there is as a trainer.” He’d heard that Davis had settled down somewhere in Texas, but he hadn’t realized it was here.

“Yes, he’s good.”

One of the children claimed her attention at that moment, and Rob didn’t speak again until they reached the mall. He’d been afraid things would be awkward this morning, but Melissa was easy to talk to. He was going to have to watch himself.

“Okay,” he said with a sigh, “how do we do this? Do I take them for ice cream at once? Or—”

Both Terri and Melissa looked at him as if he’d offered to run them over to Mars.

“No. We have an entire list of things to buy,” Melissa assured him. “This is an all-day project.”

“All day?” Rob gasped in surprise. He figured he’d get in an afternoon’s work when they got back home. “Surely no more than a couple of hours.” He must’ve misunderstood.

“I’m sorry. I thought you realized we probably wouldn’t go back home until suppertime.”

“Yeah, Dad, it takes a while to shop,” Terri added, glaring at him.

“Okay,” he said in resignation. “What do I do?”

Melissa seemed more understanding than Terri. She smiled. “The first thing we’re going to buy are two umbrella strollers.”

“I think Terri’s too old for a stroller,” he said, hoping to put a smile on his daughter’s face.

“Dad!” she protested.

Melissa said, “I think your dad is teasing you, sweetie. He knows I meant them for Jessica and Mary Ann.”

“Even they seem a little old for strollers,” he pointed out. After all, they walked just fine.

“If we were only going to be a few minutes, you’d be right. But in an hour, they’ll both be tired and want to be carried. It will be easier with a stroller.”

He bowed to her greater knowledge. And discovered she was right. An added benefit was that they were belted in and couldn’t run away. Or get lost.

After an hour of shopping, he carried quite a few packages and Melissa and Terri pushed the little girls.

“Maybe I should go make a run to the car and dump these packages?”

“Oh, Rob, that would be great,” Melissa said, her smile approving.

The pleasure that filled him at doing something she appreciated almost took control before he realized the danger. He frowned. “Where do I meet you?”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m sure.”

“We’ll go into housewares and see if Terri can find some place mats she likes. Unless you want to pick them out?”

“No. Whatever she likes.” And he hurried away.

“Your father doesn’t seem happy,” Melissa said, watching him weave his way between the few shoppers. The mall was always crowded on the weekends, but during the week it didn’t do that much business.

“He’s been grumpy lately. I think he hated having to sell the ranch.” Terri spoke as she walked toward the store.

Melissa told herself not to pump the child for information, but one question didn’t seem so awful. “You had to sell your ranch? I didn’t know you had one.”

“Yeah. It was Grandpa’s. Dad said the taxes were too much, so we had to sell.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” A lot of farm and ranch families had that problem, but there were ways to avoid it if a good lawyer set up a trust. “Where was your ranch?”

“In south Texas near the border.”

“Oh. That’s a long way away.”

“Yeah. But I like it here a lot better. We didn’t have anyone else on the ranch but one cowboy. I got lonesome.”

“I’m glad you’re here, too. Let’s go see what they have here for your new home, and then we’ll break for lunch. Maybe that will cheer your father up.”

He did appear a lot happier as he wolfed down a big thick hamburger with all the trimmings. The little girls stared at him, seemingly fascinated with his appetite.

“What’s the matter?” he asked abruptly, putting down his hamburger and leaning toward Melissa, speaking in a whisper.

Melissa looked up. “What?”

“I don’t know. They keep staring at me.”

She probably should’ve filled Rob in on what she suspected about the children, but there really hadn’t been an opportunity. Keeping her voice low, where the children wouldn’t overhear, she said, “Um, I think their father wasn’t…wasn’t like you.”

“In what way?”

“I don’t think he liked children.”

“His own children?” Rob asked in quiet horror. Melissa didn’t want him to alarm the children, but she loved his reaction.

“Some men are that way,” she said, shrugging off her answer.

“None that I know,” he returned, glaring at her.

“It would probably be good if you smiled some,” she whispered, nodding toward Jessica and Mary Ann.

He turned to look at the girls and actually gave them a charming smile, one that had Melissa’s attention, too. Then he picked up a French fry and handed it to Jessica. “Want to try one? They’re good.”

Shock registered on Jessica’s face. Then she cautiously reached for the fry, as if she expected him to snatch it back. Once she’d accepted it, he repeated the process to Mary Ann.

“We should’ve ordered them fries,” he said with a frown.

“Smile,” she reminded him.

Both girls had finished their fries by then and were again solemnly watching him.

Without consulting Melissa, he flagged down their waiter and asked for another order of fries and two saucers. Then he gave the girls each another piece of potato. “He’s going to bring you some fries,” he assured them, “but I’ll share until yours arrive.”

“Dad’s good with kids,” Terri said under her breath to Melissa.

“Yes, he is,” she agreed. She’d already decided he was a good parent. His kindness to Jessica and Mary Ann meant a lot to Melissa. The girls needed to know that all men were not like their father.

Lunch was a big success until the waiter brought the bill. Melissa reached for it, but Rob was faster. “What are you doing?” she asked. “This is my treat.”

“You paid for the gasoline,” he said calmly, taking out several bills and leaving them on the table with the tab.

“But you can’t—”

“Ready, girls?” he asked, standing, ignoring her protest.

“Rob, this isn’t necessary. I’ll—”

He took her arm, as if he were escorting her out of the restaurant, and leaned close to her ear. “Melissa, I’m trying to be reasonable about today, but I do not eat and let a lady pay. You’ll just have to accept that.”

Then he buckled the two girls into their strollers, indicated Terri should take one, and he pushed the other out of the restaurant.

Melissa, still rooted by the table, stared after him.

“Is everything all right, miss?” the waiter asked.

“Oh! Yes, everything is fine.” She hurried after the others.

But she was going to have to be on her toes. This man was too sweet…and too macho. Her few experiences with men had not been happy ones. They weren’t interested in raising someone else’s children.

And she had no intention of letting anyone, even a sexy, caring cowboy, take away her dream.

Because she worried about the little girls being left alone with Rob, Melissa decided they should all go to the ice-cream store. Then, once the girls were eating their ice cream, she and Terri would slip away.

The plan worked beautifully. Jessica and Mary Ann loved ice cream. Rob left them in their strollers and fed both of them from a big cup.

“We’ll hurry,” Melissa assured them.

“No problem. We’ve got things under control. Terri, here’s some extra money if you need it,” he said, handing his daughter some folded dollars.

“I have my birthday money, Dad,” she told him.

“Birthday money should be spent on something fun, not for, uh, things you need.”

They started to walk away, but he called Melissa back. “If she sees some jeans, shirts, things like that, you might help her choose some. She’s outgrown those jeans she’s wearing.”

Melissa smiled. Terri’s jeans were skintight. Rob was apparently getting into the spirit of shopping. With a nod, she and Terri set out to shop till they dropped.

When she realized how long they’d been gone, a little over an hour later, she hurried them back to the ice-cream store, feeling very guilty. Their hands were full of packages, having found the proper underwear and five outfits, most of them on sale.

She was amazed at the patience on Rob’s face. He was still sitting at the corner table. The little girls, strapped in their strollers, were sound asleep.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she sat down beside him. “I didn’t intend to stay gone so long, but we—”

“Oh, Dad, wait until you see what I bought!” Terri said eagerly, starting to open some of the packages.