The Bride Said, 'I Did?'

Dani regarded Beau uneasily. Why would he even suggest this, she wondered, restlessly shifting her weight from one bare foot to the other, unless it was true? Once again, Dani searched for hidden cameras, saw none. Still clinging to the hope this was all a bad dream she’d soon wake up from, Dani regarded Beau calmly. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” he volleyed back, in a low rich voice that practically oozed testosterone.

With effort Dani ignored the tremors of sexual awareness gathering deep inside her. This evening was beginning to feel too much like a date, with a kiss or two or three in the making. And it wasn’t. She would do well to remember that.

Dani went over to get his hat, which he’d left on a shelf next to the back door. Marching to his side, she pressed it into his hands. “Laramie is a small town. If I went in and purchased one, the news would be all over town in an instant.”

To her dismay, he merely put his hat aside, grabbed one of her hands, then leaned a shoulder against the door frame and made himself all the more at home. She tried without success to unobtrusively wrest her fingers from the strong warm tantalizing grip of his.

Beau lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, sending another tingle of awareness arrowing through her. Still holding her eyes with provoking gallantry, he murmured, “Then I’ll buy it for you. Especially if it’ll make you feel better to run a second test—one you’ve supervised yourself.”

Dani swung away from him, not sure why he got under her skin this way, just knowing he did. “If you went into a store to purchase a pregnancy test, you’d definitely attract attention—even in a town like Laramie, which does a pretty good job of respecting your privacy. Then, before you know it, the story would be all over the tabloids.” Miserably Dani closed her eyes. “I can see the headlines now. Desperate for Child, Beau Chamberlain Buys Home Pregnancy Kit.” She opened her eyes and regarded Beau stoically. “No thanks.”

Beau rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb and sent her a taunting grin. “You know, you seem to have a real talent for that.” He winked. “Maybe you should give up reviewing movies and consider writing for the tabloids.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “You’re killing me, cowboy.”

Beau lifted his hands in an amiable fashion. “I’m glad you have a sense of humor about this,” he drawled, still regarding her appreciatively. “The way things are going, we’re both going to need one.”

Dani glared at him and said nothing.

Beau pushed away from the door and straightened his tall broad-shouldered frame. “You still don’t believe we’re married and you’re pregnant, do you?” he said, closing the distance between them once again.

If she was only going on the possessive protective way he was behaving, she probably would believe it. But she knew better, she reminded herself firmly, backing up until she reached the counter. Things this crazy and romantic did not happen to her. “No reason I should,” she retorted.

The doorbell rang.

Beau seemed irritated by the interruption. He looked at her impatiently. “Expecting anyone?”

“No,” Dani said. “You?”

“No.”

The doorbell rang again, more insistently.

She locked eyes with him deliberately. “I suppose you want me to get it?” she asked drolly.

Beau made his way through the stacked boxes to the living room, where he plopped down on the sofa and stretched his long legs out in front of him, continuing to make himself completely at home. “It is your house.”

Shaking her head, Dani headed past him for the front door. She opened the door, half hoping to see a TV camera crew yelling “Surprise!” Or better yet, Dr. Lacey Buchanon McCabe, there to tell her the hospital lab had made a terrible mistake.

Instead, she found Billy Carter, the young man she’d been trying to gently discourage. His tall gangly frame was pitched forward with a determined eagerness that had Dani instantly on her guard. A liberal amount of styling gel tamed his rusty-brown hair. Round spectacles framed his intelligent brown eyes. Instead of his usual movie-slogan T-shirt and jeans, he was dressed in baggy khaki pants, a deep-purple dress shirt and vividly flowered tie, and clutched a fistful of flowers. The goatee he had grown to make him look older than eighteen was neatly trimmed, and he reeked of a seductive-smelling aftershave.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” Billy said breathlessly.

“You are,” Dani said dryly.

Billy nodded. “Can I speak to you inside?”

“Sure.” Dani let Billy into the front hallway.

“I was hoping we could go out tonight,” Billy continued hurriedly, transferring the flowers from his sweaty palm to hers.

“Out?” Dani repeated, not sure where this was going.

“Just the two of us,” Billy clarified seriously.

Dani decided if this pass was on the level, Beau did not need to hear it. Firmly she put the flowers back in Billy’s damp hands, took his arm and directed him back to the door. Naturally, Billy dug in his heels and refused to budge. “Not here in Laramie, of course,” he continued in a voice loud enough for Beau to hear every word.

Doing her best not to cringe, Dani tilted her head to the side and continued to regard her protégé warily. Behind Billy, Dani could see Beau watching with unveiled interest. Was it her imagination or did he suddenly look a little jealous, as well as disapproving? “Why not Laramie?” Dani asked Billy.

“Because.” Billy shrugged and leaned forward urgently, pushing the flowers back at her. “People would see us together. No offense.” He colored slightly. “I mean you seem really young to me, but—”

“I’m a decade older.”

“Right. And people would, well, you know—”

“Think it inappropriate?” Deciding they’d wrestled with the flowers enough, Dani put the bouquet aside.

“But it wouldn’t be,” Billy rushed to assure her.

Then why was he suggesting they hide whatever they wanted to do?

Dani wondered. She sighed, shoving a hand through her hair. “Billy—”

Billy took her hand eagerly in his. “I just want us to be friends, Dani. I mean, really good friends.”

As gently as possible, Dani extricated her fingers from his clammy palm. In the background she could see Beau unfolding himself from the sofa, frowning and coming toward them.

“We’re going to be working together, starting tomorrow,” she told Billy firmly, then spoke as if underlining every word, letting him know this couldn’t—wouldn’t—happen. “I’m not going to be just a mentor and a friend to you, Billy. I’m going to be your employer.”

“So?” Billy shrugged again, not the least bit upset or discouraged as, unbeknownst to him, Beau was coming up right behind him. “I know plenty of people who work together who also date,” Billy told her practically.

“Not Dani,” Beau said as he swaggered forward and deliberately inserted himself between them.

Billy blinked and pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. He stepped back, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. “I didn’t know you were here,” he stammered nervously.

What you need is a man, her sisters had said. Someone to discourage Billy. And clearly Billy needed to be discouraged. Big time, Dani thought. On the other hand, she didn’t want to encourage Beau in the process. “Beau’s here, all right, but he’s not supposed to be here,” Dani said sweetly, giving Beau a drop-dead look only he could see.

“But I am here,” Beau corrected with a debonair assurance that made Dani grit her teeth.

“Unfortunately,” Dani muttered. She did not like his possessive attitude one bit. Like everything else he’d done in the past few hours, it was a bit too convincing for her liking. Much more of his Academy Award-winning performance, she thought, willing her pounding heart to slow, and Beau’d have her believing he really was staking a permanent claim on her.

“Is he giving you any trouble?” Billy demanded, scowling and stepping between them. “Because if he is…” Billy continued, the threat in his low tone obvious.

The last thing Dani wanted was a fistfight taking place in her hallway. “No, no,” she told Billy hastily as she stepped between the two males. She pushed all romantic thoughts from her mind. “It’s okay.”

Beau, taking advantage of the moment, placed his hands on her shoulders. He tugged her against him, so her spine was against his chest. “Actually,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head with husbandly affection, “it’s very okay, isn’t it, Dani?”