careful. We won’t do anything that’s not in our mutual best interests.”
Sebastian nodded. “Good. And one other thing. If Jessica comes back while Matty and I are in Denver, you make her stay at the ranch until we can get home, okay?”
“Damn right I will. Jessica has some explaining to do, to all of us.” And telling them who was Lizzie’s father was the first thing, Travis thought. But he knew in his heart the little girl was his. Looks aside, Lizzie had his temperament. She was smart, easygoing and loved everybody.
“If I’m not convinced Jessica’s in a position to take care of Elizabeth,” Sebastian said, “I’m going to see what I can do about keeping the baby with us. I’ve checked into it, and abandoning your kid puts you on shaky legal ground.”
Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “I still can’t figure why she’d do that. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing the Jessica we know would even think of. Hell, it was her grit that saved Nat’s life after the avalanche. Something pretty nasty must have scared the daylights out of her, to make her leave her kid like this.”
“Yeah, and I want to find out what.” Sebastian took another swig of his beer. “I’ve decided to hire a private investigator while we’re in Denver.”
“Good. I’ll go halves with you on the fee. This is dragging out way too long.”
“And it damned near made me lose Matty.” Sebastian cocked an ear toward the tent. “And speaking of Matty, we’d better get back in. I think the bouquet and garter-throwing is about to start.”
“Hey, you go ahead. I’d sooner catch a rattlesnake with my bare hands than that garter.”
Sebastian laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know what your problem is, Evans. You’re twenty-eight, for crying out loud. The carefree single life must be getting old by now.”
“Nah. It’s terrific.”
“So’s marriage. Or at least I plan on it being terrific, this time around.”
“For you, maybe. Not for this cowboy.” Travis tipped the bottle back for a deep swallow of beer.
“Well, you gotta come back in and pretend to try for the garter. You’re the best man, which means you should act like you’re part of the proceedings. It’ll look bad if you’re not there.”
“I’ll be in shortly.” Travis lifted his bottle. “And thanks for the beer.”
“It’ll come out of your paycheck. Don’t forget—now that Matty and I are combining our spreads, you’ll be working for me.”
Travis clutched his chest and staggered backward in mock horror. “Don’t tell me I have to start calling you boss?”
“Or Your Royal Highness. Whichever comes easier.”
“How about Your Royal Pain in the Ass?” Travis grinned. “That comes real easy.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “When I throw the garter, I’m aiming for you, hotshot. You need a woman to trim your wick. Now get your butt in there.”
“Shortly.”
“Insubordination already.” Sebastian sighed and went back inside the tent.
Travis figured he’d stall around outside and appear at the tail end of the garter-throwing. He wasn’t overly superstitious, but a guy couldn’t be too careful.
He’d thought about marriage, more than he’d ever admit to Sebastian, and he’d reasoned out that it was too complicated given his present circumstances. A promise was a promise, and he’d made a huge one to his dad before the old man died six years ago. Travis intended to honor that promise and take care of his mother, who depended on him something fierce.
She managed okay during the summer months, when she could walk to the little country store down the road from their place. In the winter, though, when the snow was up to her armpits, she needed Travis there to shovel the walkways and drive her where she had to go.
No one in this valley knew anything about his life in Utah, and that’s the way he liked it. If folks around here thought he was a devil-may-care playboy, that was fine with him. But the truth was that keeping his mother healthy and happy took all of his resources. He couldn’t imagine having enough energy left for a wife.
GWEN HADN’T PLANNED to take part in the bouquet tossing, but Matty had informed her it was obligatory. So she moved to the back of the crowd of women, figuring Matty wouldn’t heave the thing that far.
As the women stood there laughing and joking, Matty turned her back and sent the flowers sailing…right over everybody’s head. Gwen was forced to leap up and snag it or the beautiful bouquet would have landed on the floor. For a split second she considered letting that happen, but that would have created an awkward moment. With skills learned on the volleyball court as a kid, she pulled down the prize.
Everybody in the room cheered, and Gwen stood there holding the bouquet and feeling like a doofus. She was immensely grateful when the attention returned to Matty for the garter removal ceremony.
Amid a chorus of wolf whistles, Matty propped one foot on a chair and pulled back her skirt.
Sebastian quickly and efficiently divested her of the garter. Twirling it neatly around one finger, he turned toward the circle of men. “Show’s over, gents. And let that be the last whistle I hear any of you aim in my wife’s direction. Comprende?”
“Killjoy!” called out one of the cowboys.
“No, husband,” Sebastian replied with a dangerous-looking smile. “Now, where the hell’s Evans?”
Gwen glanced around and realized that Travis hadn’t come back in with Sebastian. She’d seen the two men head outside. Embarrassingly enough, she’d been aware of every move Travis had made that night. None of them had been in her direction.
“Evans?” one of the men said with a laugh. “You’ll never get that ol’ boy within twenty feet of a wedding garter. Toss that thing my way, Daniels. I could use another dance with the Maid of Honor.”
“Not if I get to that lace thingamajig first,” said the cowboy next to him.
“You’ll have to get past me,” said a third man.
Gratifying as it was to have men squabbling over the right to dance with her, Gwen couldn’t work up a smidgen of enthusiasm for any of them. And damn, but she wished she could. They were nice guys, steady guys.
Apparently she hadn’t meditated enough on the dangers of being attracted to a rogue. The only man in the vicinity who held her interest was the last man she should spend time with. Fortunately he was still outside and wasn’t in the running for the garter.
“I guess we’ll have to do this without Evans,” Sebastian said. “And watch those elbows. I’d like to think we’re all gentlemen here,” he added with a grin.
“I’d like to think so, too, but I don’t,” said the first cowboy. “And that garter’s mine.”
“May the best man win.”
