Читать книгу The SEAL's Holiday Babies - Tina Leonard - Страница 8

Chapter Two

“Hello, Ty,” Jade said, astonishing him because she’d arrived at his booth with something on her mind, judging by the compelling grip she had on his sleeve. “Could I speak to you privately for a moment? Outside?”

Ty glanced at Squint and Frog. “Fellows, I’m being called to duty.”

They raised mugs of root beer to Jade. “When duty calls, a gentleman always answers,” Frog said.

“If there was a gentleman around,” Jade replied, and Ty thought he heard a bit of an edge in the darling little lady’s voice. He followed her outside into the bright sunlight, having no choice, really, because she’d let go of him only once he’d left his booth.

Following her was no hardship, since he got to surreptitiously watch that sweet, heart-shaped fanny of hers move ahead of him in a determined locomotion of female-on-a-mission.

Sam must have dropped the ball somehow and upset his conquest. Ty couldn’t remember seeing Jade so steamed before, the results of her temper obvious by the lack of a smile on her face and the light frown pulling her brows together. Poor Sam. Nice guy, but a bit too beta male—gentle, sweet, bearlike—for a heart-stopper like Jade.

It was known that women went for the alpha male, the bad boy in boots, which was something Justin Morant, Squint Mathison and sometimes Frog had in abundance. Okay, maybe not Frog; he was pretty beta as beta males went, somehow mellowing after life in the navy. Ty had worried about bringing Sam Barr along for The Plan, fearing he was too easygoing and nice and free-spirited—almost hippielike in his approach to life—then figured maybe BC had a librarian or a kindergarten teacher who might be looking for a plainspoken, existential bear of a man who wouldn’t raise her blood pressure.

“Ty Spurlock,” Jade said, stopping so fast in the middle of the pavement that he had to reach out and grab her to keep from knocking her down, “who do you think you are?”

He registered soft female and sweet perfume in his arms before he reluctantly released Jade. “What do you mean?”

“I know all about your stupid Plan. And it really is stupid!”

He grinned. “Sam has a big mouth.”

“And you have a big head!”

Ty laughed. “Aw, Red. Don’t worry.” He tugged her back into his arms for a hug disguised as brotherly, but which was just an excuse for him to hold her again. “I didn’t leave you out. There are plenty of men to go around.” He hesitated, lost for a moment in the scent of peachy shampoo, and the feel of soft curves wriggling against him, before he started to give her a good, brotherly knuckle-rubbing on her scalp. Then his hand suddenly arrested as he realized the knuckle-rub wasn’t as satisfying as he’d thought it would be.

Holy crap, she felt good. And sexy as hell.

Jade kicked his ankle, a smart blow he felt even through his jeans and boots. He released her, surprised. “What was that for?”

“You think you’re so smart.”

“Look, Jade. There aren’t enough men in this town, you know that. The ladies outnumber us four to one or something. Or ten to one. I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

She gazed at him, and he could see disgust heavy in her eyes. “I don’t want you doing the right thing for me. Your right thing. Leave me out of The Plan.”

He shrugged. “Sweetcake, if you don’t like the goods, don’t buy them. But it looked like you might like Sam a little bit, from where I was sitting. Pretty cozy lunch the two of you were having.”

“So I should fall in with your plan and marry Sam? Is that how this is supposed to work?”

A streak of pain lanced Ty’s heart, but just for a moment, and he ignored it for the greater good. “If you fall in love with one of the fine gentlemen I’ve brought to BC, I would call that a happy ending.”

“You’re an ass, Ty Spurlock.”

He was honestly mystified. “It’s no different than a blind date, if you think about it. You’ve been on a blind date before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“You’d participate in a bachelorette auction for charity, right? We do those events here every year. The Best Man’s Fork run, the Bridesmaids Creek swim—”

“Am I going to the highest bidder?” she asked, and Ty recognized a warning tone in her voice, which he actually didn’t want to hear. He moved quickly to soothe her and ameliorate any damage.

“Now, Jade, as one of Bridesmaids Creek’s most generous supporters, you deserve nothing but the best. And I’ve brought my very best to BC. That being said, if you don’t like the fellows, don’t go out with them. Sam, Squint and Frog will find other ladies to chat with.” Ty tipped his hat, hoped he’d moved off the hot seat, and headed toward his truck with a sigh of relief.

Jade got in the passenger side before he’d even situated himself in the driver’s seat. “And what about you? I noticed you left your name off the bachelor offerings.”

“I’m not eligible.” He started his truck, backing up. “If you’re riding with me, buckle up. If not, advise me where I may drop you off. You wouldn’t want to keep Sam waiting, I would presume.”

She gave him a decidedly annoyed eyeing. “You really are a jackass, aren’t you?”

“So they say. You coming?”

Jade leaned back, buckled her seat belt. “I’m not done telling you off.”

“Fine by me. We ride together, but you may not like the destination.” He glanced at her, ridiculously happy to have Jade in his truck—and happy as hell that she wasn’t back at The Wedding Diner being romanced by Sam.

Which was kind of bad, because Sam had only been doing what he’d come to BC to do: find a wife. Or at least that’s what Ty had told Sam and the guys they wanted: a wife, and a chance to have a family, become dads. Ty had promised them that BC was ripe, full-to-bursting ripe, with ladies who would leap at the chance to run to the altar.

He sighed. “So what’s the topic?”

“Topic?”

He looked at her long, slim legs in Wranglers, the dangerous look in her eyes. Curves in all the right places. Was pretty certain his libido was starting to smoke. “The topic you’re in my truck to discuss.”

“Let’s start with your Plan.”

“Everybody has to have one, little lady. Otherwise nothing ever gets done.” He rolled down his window, happy to smell fresh country air, be driving a truck in the greatest little town on earth, and have the most dynamite sexy redhead he knew glaring at him from the safety of her seat belt. “You have a problem with plans?”

“The Plan. The Plan that seems to start with you bringing bachelors to town, getting them married, and then you skittering off like a cockroach.”

“I see no problem with that plan. Sounds like all the holes are filled.” He frowned. “Maybe a slight quibble with the cockroach part. Don’t think I ever saw myself in that role.” Ty brightened. “You could rephrase it as Ty rides off into the sunset, leaving behind a grateful town. A veritable hero, and the townspeople cheered their thanks.”

“Ass,” she murmured under her breath.

“Hero.”

“Okay, but say someone decides you’re the catch of the day before you go—”

“Riding off like a hero.”

“Skittering off like—”

“It is understood by all,” he interrupted quickly, before she could bring up the roach bit again, because in the mood she apparently was in, she was going to get around to saying something about how roaches got squished under female boots, “that I’ve never been a marrying man. This has never even been questioned.”

“Ah, the happy, footloose, untamed cowboy.”

“Exactly,” he said, pleased now that they understood each other perfectly.

“Which is why you interrupted my lunch with Sam.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t think Sam’s the man for me. Obviously.”

“Well,” Ty said, uncomfortably acknowledging that what she’d said held the ring of truth, “there are better options.”

“And who would those better options be? Because quite frankly, Sam suits me.”

“How?”

“He’s nice. He’s gentle. He says what he means. Unlike some people, who are full of baloney.”

Ty supposed she meant him. She certainly had that you’re-the-guy-full-of-baloney tone in her voice. “I take it you’re not happy I interrupted your lunch.”

“Face it, Ty, you’ve always been something of a showboat.”

“You mean I live life large.” He sneaked another glance at her shapely body, red-hot from the flaming topknot of hair to her boots. “I remember when you and I used to play with our friends all day in the fields. Ball, chase, Red Rover—if it was a game, we knew it.” He sighed. “I miss those days sometimes.” He didn’t understand how his best friend had grown up to be such a siren. Jade had him tied in knots he wasn’t sure could be undone, except maybe by some kind of spell. Or his absence. “I’ll be leaving soon,” he said, reaching for the easiest knot to untie.

“Good,” she said pleasantly.

His lips twisted of their own accord. “Guess that means no going-away party.” Or kiss, for that matter.

“I wish you the best of luck. I hope you make it through BUD/S. You’ve worked hard enough to get there.”

He turned his head at the soft, earnest note to her voice, surprised. “I believe you mean that.”

“With all my heart.” She opened the door when he stopped at the last crosshatch of road at the town’s edge. “See you around, Ty.”

“You can’t get out here.” They were a good two miles from the main drag. He didn’t want her to leave, anyway. He’d been enjoying having her in his truck, even though he sensed she had something urgent on her mind.

“I’ll be fine. Sam followed us.”

She waved, closed the door, and as she headed to the truck behind his, which was indeed Sam Barr’s vehicle, Ty’s last glimpse of Jade was her sweet fanny as she got on the running board and scooted up into the passenger seat. He blinked, stunned by how fast he’d lost her. Damn Sam for being such a resourceful fellow, Ty thought, recognizing at the same time that Sam had many fine qualities, resourcefulness notwithstanding, or Ty would never have brought him here as an outstanding, trustworthy candidate to be won by the ladies of BC.

But he didn’t have to be so darn resourceful.

* * *

“IT WAS LIKE taking candy from a baby,” Sam observed to his two friends as they perched in the bunkhouse at the Hanging H ranch. Their friend—and project—Justin Morant had married Mackenzie Hawthorne here not so many months ago, making himself the proud father of four little girls. Justin had kept the three amigos—as he called Squint, Sam and Frog—on at the Hanging H, saying he had big plans to expand the spread and operations. They would also need a lot of help when they put the Haunted H into full swing, the renaissance of Bridesmaids Creek’s beloved “haunted” house and amusement place for kiddies and families. This October, they’d be putting the haunted back in the Hanging H, and BC was buzzing with the return of one of their most profitable and renowned projects.

“Candy from a baby?” Squint said. “Even a baby has better sense than Ty.”

Frog grinned. “I figure putting you up to following Ty around was a stroke of genius. There you were, the proverbial white knight, when Jade decided she needed a ride away from temptation.”

Sam sank into the leather sectional sofa in the comfortable bunkhouse, sighing with pleasure. “They say a man doesn’t know what he’s lost until it’s gone. And the only way to capture Ty in his own snare is to make him think the bait is about to be stolen.”

They all crowed about that, lifting beer bottles to each other in victory.

“What we need is a real challenge,” Frog said.

The room went silent.

“I don’t believe there’s anything more challenging than getting Ty Spurlock to pull his head out of his butt,” Sam offered. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, let’s see.” Frog gazed at the ceiling. “The haunted house will start by the end of this month, for nine glorious months of family fun. Then BC kicks off Christmas Wonderland all over town, and Santa Claus takes over right after Thanksgiving. What do you say,” Frog said, warming to his idea, “if we give ourselves a two-week deadline to get Ty and Jade engaged?”

Squint looked at him doubtfully. “What you’re really aiming for is to get Ty off the dime before he leaves for BUD/S. That’s just not going to happen. You know as well as anyone, since you were by my side in Afghanistan, that a BUD/S candidate is encouraged to take care of any detail that might be a distraction before he gets to training. Along that topic, a candidate is also discouraged from taking on new decisions, such as a wife. I say hold your horses, there, son. BUD/S is serious stuff.”

“Then why are we doing this? Why are we trying to pull the rug out from under Ty?” Sam shook his head. “It’d be unfair to Jade if we’re all going to wave goodbye to Ty in a couple of weeks, and her heart is broken.”

“That’s why an engagement is even more important.” Frog nodded wisely. “No questions left unanswered.”

“There are too many questions,” Squint said direly. “You forget there was a murder here years ago that was never solved. Ty hasn’t forgotten that the lack of an arrest was put down to his father’s bungling of the investigation. He’s not going to pop any questions until his dad’s name is cleared. And the only way to clear it is to reopen the Haunted H, and let everyone see that the past is the past. Whatever happened then no longer matters.”

They considered that.

“I guess so,” Sam said. “We’re not being fair to Jade, then. She doesn’t want a man who’s all hung up in his head.”

“No,” Frog agreed. “She’d be better off with you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to settle down,” Sam declared. “I want to see Ty caught in his own trap!”

“Then we’ll have to work around the murder angle,” Squint said, “Frog and I’ll focus on Daisy Donovan, since it was her old man who was determined to destroy the Haunted Hanging H and brought this whole house of cards down on Ty. And you try to wrangle Ty to the altar, preferably before he ships out.”

“Great,” Sam said. “You took the easy assignment, and left me to corral the man who brought us here to find brides for ourselves.”

“Thought you just said you don’t want a bride,” Squint pointed out.

“It’s true,” Sam said, downcast. “I just came along for the ride, and to see the two of you suffer. Then you decided to make Ty suffer, and that seemed like even more fun. But it’s not so much fun anymore,” he groused.

“It’ll be worth it when we see Ty heading up the altar path,” Frog said, exhorting his friends to action. “Shake on it, fellows. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

* * *

TY WAS SO annoyed with his friends and a certain sexy redhead that when Daisy Donovan slid up under his arm in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office, all he could do was muster up an unenthusiastic, “Hi, Daze.”

She gave him a friendly enough squeeze, but where Donovans were concerned, it was like being in a boa constrictor’s grip—you knew it wasn’t going to end well unless you could get away fast.

The tempestuous brunette bombshell had no inclination to remove herself from his side. “So much man, Ty Spurlock, and somehow, all I ever feel for you is sisterly emotions.”

“That’s what they tell me. What’s on your mind?”

She laughed, hot allure practically snapping sparks his way—which meant Daisy wanted something.

“You.”

“I’m not available.” His gaze lit on Jade heading into Madame Matchmaker’s comfortable, cheery, pink-fronted shop, and his stomach bottomed out. What could Jade possibly want with Madame Lafleur?

No doubt it was just a simple visit. Madame Matchmaker and Mssr. Unmatchmaker—Cosette and Phillipe Lafleur—had offices right next to each other, connected internally by an arched door that could be locked for privacy when they had clients. Phillipe and Cosette had been married for fifty years, bickered constantly, loved each other like mad and had recently decided they were going to unmake their own marriage. This decision had BC residents in a twist, not certain whether the matchmaking/unmatchmaking services still had good karma. Cosette kept a book of all the matches she’d put together—and of the “mismatches,” only one was recorded in her book: that of Mackenzie Hawthorne’s marriage to Tommy Fields. Tommy had left Mackenzie for a twenty-year-old, and since Ty had been responsible for bringing Tommy to Cosette’s attention to make the match, he’d felt compelled to bring a replacement to BC for Mackenzie: Justin Morant.

It was a match made in heaven. But since Ty knew that Cosette’s matches didn’t always go off as planned, he worried about Jade slipping into the pink shop with the scrolled lettering on the window that read Madame Matchmaker Premiere Matchmaking Service. Where Love Comes True.

He didn’t want love coming true for Jade, at least not with anyone but himself.

“I really am a rat bastard,” he murmured, and Daisy said, “What?”

“Nothing.” He looked down at the brunette attached to his arm. “Did you say you needed something, Daisy? I have to be somewhere.”

“I want you. Remember?” She smiled at him, a veritable temptress with something on her mind.

Stepped right into that, and now he was almost afraid to ask. “You just said you have sisterly emotions for me. Can you be more specific about this ‘want’?”

She glanced at the jail, which was buried deep inside the courthouse, just the way Sheriff Dennis liked it. “Going to see the sheriff about something?”

He’d forgotten all about seeing Sheriff Dennis once he’d spotted Jade. It almost didn’t bear thinking about what pink-haired Cosette and his sassy redheaded darling might be dreaming up between them.

It certainly didn’t bear thinking that Jade might be chatting with Cosette concerning Sam. Sam, my friend, who I brought here, Ty reminded himself. “Nothing set in stone.”

“Good. Because I have a problem. And I need your big, strong muscles and wise mind to help me.”

She beamed up at him, daddy’s little girl, who’d never heard the word no in her life. Ty cleared his throat.

“What, Daisy?” He couldn’t wait to get away and make an unscheduled visit to Phillipe, see if he could figure out what was going on behind the arched doorway of the two shops. Maybe the door would be open, and he could listen to what Cosette and Jade had up their dainty sleeves.

“I need a man,” Daisy said. “And you’ll do just fine.”