late at night. I didn’t figure you meant it, anyway. You were just trying to get a reaction out of me, like always. You’ve always been the biggest tease I’ve ever known, Travis, bar none.”
“You don’t date at all, do you?”
She looked down at her shirt and coveralls, then at him. “Of course I do. Why, I’ve got men lined up outside the door, impatiently waiting their turn to take me out. A stunning creature like me has to fight ’em off.”
Travis frowned. “Don’t, Megan.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t make fun of yourself that way. You’re a very attractive woman. Just as important, you’re a very warm and loving woman, protective of your family, willing to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.”
She narrowed her eyes and peered at him. “Did you by any chance get kicked in the head by one of those bulls you ride or something, Travis? I can’t believe what I’m hearing coming out of your mouth. Are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else?”
“What I think is that we haven’t spent much time together in. the past several years and that there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Obviously what you do know doesn’t impress you much. So how about giving me a chance to prove to you that I can make a good husband?”
A shiver ran over her at the word husband. Travis Kane? She would have to be out of her mind to consider marrying him, of all people. For any reason.
Even if it means saving the ranch? a little voice whispered inside her head.
For the first time in her life she finally understood what the preacher was talking about when he chose the subject of temptation for his Sunday sermons.
Temptation was a mighty insidious thing. It teased and tantalized, making all her beliefs dance and jump around, stand on tiptoe and fall over.
Travis Kane had been a pest as a kid, and his constant need to tease her had come close to breaking her heart in high school. Of course he’d never known the crush she’d developed on him back then. She had no intention of ever letting him know.
What would the star-struck girl back then have done if she’d known that someday in the future the ever-popular Travis Kane would actually come to her and propose marriage.
As a friend.
He didn’t love her, of course. Hadn’t he just said so?
But then, she didn’t love him, either. She knew better.
So. It would be a business deal, that’s all. It would have an expiration date.
“A year, you said?”
“It can be longer, if you want.”
“Oh, no. A year would be fine. It would give me some breathing space, like you said. I’d have some time to make plans, decide whether I should try to sell the place. After that, I could—” She paused, her thoughts finally leading her to ask, “I, uh—I guess you’d expect to live here, then?” She laughed nervously and answered her own question. “Well, of course you would. We’d be married and it would look strange to everybody if you continued to live at home with your folks.” She knew she sounded rattled because she was. This was the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to her. Even more bizarre was the fact that she was actually considering accepting his outlandish offer… because the alternative was too painful for her to face. She’d been praying for a miracle, hadn’t she? She just hadn’t realized before God’s strange sense of humor.
“I’m not home all that much, anyway, Megan,” Travis was saying, quietly. “I’m still following the rodeo circuit.”
“Oh, that’s right!” she replied, unable to hide her obvious relief. “Well, that would work out okay.” She went on, hopping up from the table. She began to pace. “I mean, we’ve got plenty of room,” she said with an expansive wave of her arm. “Why, this old house rambles in all directions. There’s several bedrooms…” She came to an abrupt halt, her voice trailing off. She eyed him uncertainly. “Would you expect to share my room?”
He took a deep breath and held it, his gaze never leaving hers. When he finally exhaled, he gave her a lopsided smile. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, Megan.”
“Oh.” She thought about the idea of sharing a bedroom with Travis Kane and shivered. “Well, I’m certainly not comfortable with the thought of sharing my room with you…or anybody…really.”
“I see.”
She began to pace once again. “Well, I mean, the whole idea takes some getting used to, you’ve got to admit. I never expected to get married so I’ve never given it much thought.”
“Why?”
She’d reached the window and was looking outside, wondering when the girls would be getting back from town, wondering how she could possibly explain to them what she was thinking about doing. She whirled around to face him, vaguely recalling his question. “Why what?” she repeated. “Why give it much thought? Because I’ve had other more important things to think about.”
Travis stretched his long legs out straight, then tipped his chair back and crossed his ankles. “No, I want to know why you never thought you’d get married.”
She threw her arms wide and grinned. “Who would be interested in marrying somebody like me who’s trying to keep a run-down ranch going as well as raise a couple of sisters? Nobody in his right mind is going to be interested in getting involved in a situation like that.” She eyed him speculatively.
“I am,” he said mildly.
She continued to study him. Had she found the fly in this particular ointment? Had he fallen off a bull onto his head one too many times and scattered his brain cells? He appeared rational enough, but his suggestion had all the earmarks of a crazy man. However, he’d been smart enough to place a time condition on the agreement. She smiled at him as she reminded him. “Yes, but only for a year. Believe me, after a year you’ll be more than ready to get away from this place.” She nodded, seeing more and more advantages to his wild suggestion. “By that time Mollie will have graduated from high school. Who knows? Maybe both of them will want to move into town. Or maybe to Austin or San Antonio.”
Suddenly feeling more lighthearted than she’d felt in weeks—no, more like months—Megan realized that she was starved. She went over to the refrigerator and opened the door. “Speaking of the girls, both of them stayed in town last night with friends. I don’t know when they’ll get home tonight, but I don’t intend to hold supper for them. I’m hungry.” She peered over her shoulder at him. “Do you want to stay and eat with me?”
He smiled and in a gentle voice, said, “I’d like that, Megan.”
She began to rummage around inside the refrigerator. “It won’t be anything fancy. Mollie’s the real cook around here. I just throw together some of the basics and—”
She straightened and backed away from the refrigerator with her hands full, then turned to find Travis immediately behind her. He took the dishes out of her hands and placed them on the nearby counter, then reached behind her and closed the refrigerator door.
“I
