years gave her some dispensation from the Emily Post crowd. He didn’t condone her behavior, either now or thirty-two years ago, but he didn’t want to see her humiliated, either.
He was trying to figure out a way to ditch the whole dinner plan and head upstairs to bed when Meg walked down the curved staircase looking like a queen at her coronation. He stared, then caught himself and glanced away.
But the image stayed with him. She’d abandoned the cowgirl look for a slinky black dress that showed off cleavage he hadn’t imagined existed when she’d worn a T-shirt. Her curly red hair now fell in soft waves around her face, and dangling earrings caught the light as she moved.
Dressed like this, she could walk into any nightclub in San Francisco and turn heads. She was turning them here, even though every man in the place except Rafe was spoken for. After an hour in the company of these guys, Rafe knew they all adored their wives, or fiancée in Wyatt’s case. But a man would have to be dead not to notice Meg tonight.
The only male who dared say something was thirteen-year-old Lester, a foster kid who would eventually be a part of the Chance family when Nick and Dominique formally adopted him. Lester gazed up at Meg with reverence in his eyes. “Wow. You clean up real good.”
That brought a laugh from everyone, including Meg. “Thanks, Lester.” She touched the lapel of the boy’s new Western shirt. “You’re pretty stylin’ yourself.”
“This is new.” Lester stuck out his skinny chest to show off his shirt. “Boots are new, too. Ropers.”
“Very nice. I’ll bet you and Nick went shopping today.”
Rafe covertly watched the interchange and wished he’d had the presence of mind to compliment her instead of allowing Lester to take the lead. The boy was small for his age, but apparently he had a gift for working with horses. Of the eight boys who’d spent the summer months at the ranch, Lester had been the standout according to Sarah. Nick and Dominique couldn’t stop talking about how much they enjoyed having him as part of their family.
Gazing at Lester, Rafe thought about what Meg had said this afternoon about the Last Chance changing lives. Here was a perfect example and Rafe applauded the effort. The ranch was a lifeline for a boy like Lester, but Rafe didn’t happen to need saving.
Wyatt walked over to stand beside him. “I saw your reaction when Meg came down, bro.” He gestured in her direction with his beer bottle. “It’s the most animated you’ve been since you arrived.”
“She’s a good-looking woman.” Rafe took a sip of his red wine as he watched Meg fuss over Lester.
“She’s also really special to Olivia.”
Rafe glanced at Wyatt. In the two months since Rafe had last seen him, Wyatt had become a cowboy, both in dress and attitude. It suited him. “That sounded like a warning. Are you saying I should keep my hands off Meg?”
“That’s not my place. Meg is a big girl, and she makes her own decisions. I’ve come to respect that about her. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t … Hell, I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“I do.” Rafe usually could tell what his twin was thinking, even if Wyatt couldn’t put it into words. “You’re telling me not to cause a problem for your fiancée’s best friend. I promise not to do that.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Wyatt squeezed Rafe’s shoulder. “Looks like Sarah’s herding us all into the dining room. I think you’ll enjoy the food.”
“I’m sure I will. The ranch is great, Wyatt.”
“Yeah, it is.” Relief shone in Wyatt’s gray eyes. “I’m glad you see that.”
Rafe felt like a first-class jerk. He’d known Wyatt desperately wanted his approval of the place and the family. That had been plain ever since Wyatt had announced his engagement. Yet Rafe had been reserving judgment, holding himself slightly apart. As his twin, Wyatt had sensed Rafe’s attitude and had been troubled by it.
Rafe would rather cut off his arm than hurt Wyatt, and his behavior was doing exactly that. “I’ve been thinking,” he said as they walked down a hallway lined with family photos. “Maybe I should take a shot at riding a horse while I’m here.”
Wyatt laughed. “You don’t have to do that, buddy. I know it’s not your thing.”
“That’s true.” He remembered what Meg had said this afternoon. “But when am I ever going to have a better setup than this?”
“That’s true. I’d take you out tomorrow, except Olivia and I are having a final meeting with the caterers in the morning, and we’re double-checking the flower order in the afternoon, but the next day I could probably—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure there are a million people around here who could teach me the basics.” He immediately thought of Meg, but discarded the idea. She intrigued him far too much, and things could get messy. He’d just promised his brother not to create a problem.
Wyatt nodded. “You’re right. I’ll check with Emmett. He’ll know who has some spare time tomorrow.”
“Great. You know, this house is huge.”
“It is.” He gestured to the large room they’d entered. Although it held four round tables that could each seat eight, they weren’t set for dinner. “They use this area at lunch and all the hands eat here along with whatever family members are available.”
“Sounds like good PR.” On his right, through a set of double doors, was a smaller dining room furnished with one long table, the kind that could be expanded or contracted as needed. Gleaming silverware and faceted goblets sparkled in the light from a hammered metal chandelier.
“It’s more than PR,” Wyatt said. “It’s the way the Chance family does things. There’s not a bit of snobbery in them.”
Guilt pricked Rafe again. “I’m sure that appeals to you.”
“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong. I love Mom. But she’s a terrible snob. And I hate to say it, but so is Dad.”
Rafe sighed. “He is, and damn it, I was acting like a snob when I first got here. I’m sorry about that. It’s just so … different from what I’m used to.”
“I know.” Wyatt grinned at him. “That’s why I like it here.”
Rafe could tell. He was happy for his twin, and he vowed he would do his best to fit in for the short time he was part of Wyatt’s new world. As they all filed into the dining room, he hesitated, unsure of where he was supposed to sit.
Sarah glanced his way. “Rafe, why don’t you—”
“He can sit here, Sarah.” Meg patted a chair next to her. “We’re the two who don’t have kids or spouses, so we might as well hang out together.”
Sarah looked pleased. “That works.”
Rafe took the offered chair. “Thanks.” Sitting next to her at dinner wasn’t the same as making a play for her, so he felt okay with it. He also thought a polite compliment was in order. “You look really nice.”
Her
