The Texan's Wedding Escape

“I meant why didn’t you ever marry,” she said quietly, gazing at him with those pale green eyes.

The impact of her question shook him to the core. He had no right touching her this way. He dropped his hand from her face and looked out at the driving rain. “I had some serious relationships in the past. They didn’t work out. There’s time for me.”

“So you do want to marry eventually?”

“Yeah. One day. In the very, very distant future.” Right now, women were off the table for him. He’d purged his “little black book.” He was officially taking a break.

“And you? Did you ever imagine yourself getting married so young?”

“Young? I’m twenty-six. In the olden days, I’d be considered a spinster.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the olden days.”

“I know, Coop. It’s just that I’ve been kinda boy-crazy all my life. No one ever stuck. Maybe it runs in our DNA. Maybe Tony and I weren’t very different from my father,” she said quietly. “I’ve always worried about that. My father never seemed satisfied with what he had. You know his history, four marriages and divorces.”

“Nah, you’re not like him.”

“I’d crush on one boy and then another, and I never wanted to settle.”

“You shouldn’t settle. Ever. You should be dead sure.”

“My friends tease me about it, but Mama says it’s just that my heart is big and it takes a whole lot to fill it.”

“And Roger does that for you?”

Lauren bit her lip, hesitating for a fraction of a second too long. “Yeah, he does.”

He wasn’t convinced and, when she trembled, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in tight, warming them both up.

He hoped like hell Kelsey was true blue.

Otherwise he’d have to punch the guy’s lights out and send him packing.

Three (#u3cdd52d6-6a6f-5425-81a3-cb4b2ca8c146)

After dinner that night Cooper sat facing Loretta in the dining room while Lauren was in the kitchen, cleaning up. “That was about the best darn chicken soup I’ve ever had,” he said. “But don’t tell Marie I said so.”

“I won’t,” Loretta answered, beaming. Apparently after her rest, Lauren’s mom had decided soup and homemade biscuits would be perfect on a rainy day. And she’d been right.

“Thanks for cooking tonight.”

“Of course. It’s my pleasure and the least I can do. What do you do when Marie isn’t here to cook for you?”

“I scrounge around for leftovers. Marie’s pretty good about making extra for the nights she’s not here. Or I order in or scramble an egg or something.”

“An egg? I can’t imagine that would fill you up at all, Cooper.”

“Well, I don’t do that often. I’ve been known to meet up with a friend for dinner.”

“A female friend?” Loretta asked coyly.

He grinned. “Don’t have too many females in my life right now. Aside from you and Lauren.”

“I think we’re probably all you can handle right now. Don’t you?”

He grinned. “Absolutely. Listen, while I have you alone, I need to tell you something. Come into the study with me. I don’t want Lauren to overhear.”

“Fine. I’ll follow you.”

He led Loretta down the hall and into his study and promptly closed the door. He didn’t have much time, and he’d rehearsed how he was going to put this to cause her the least amount of grief.

“Loretta, I have a confession to make. Please sit down.”

She stared at him curiously for a moment and then settled on the sofa. He took a seat on the opposite end.

“What is it?”

“It’s just that when you approached me about Lauren and her decision to marry so quickly, it made me think of something Tony had told me just prior to the accident. I didn’t want to bring it up at the time because it could be painful, but now that we’re in this full speed, I need to tell you the truth.”

“And that is?”

“Tony told me that he didn’t trust Roger Kelsey. He thought his partner was cheating him and up to no good with the company. Tony was trying to get proof and confront him.”

“You mean Roger was stealing from my son?”

“Yeah, that’s what Tony seemed to think when he confided in me. Of course, he would’ve never approved of Lauren marrying the guy. It was the deciding factor in me helping to break up this wedding. Tony had good instincts and I trust that he was going to get that proof, but then the accident happened.”

“Well, now...that makes it all the more important that Lauren break up with him.”

“Yeah, that’s how I see it.”

“What if we told Lauren about Tony’s suspicions?” Loretta asked. “Surely she’d take Tony’s word over his.”

“We have no proof. If we tell Lauren now about Tony’s suspicions and she confronted Kelsey, it would give him time to cover his tracks and then we may never find out the truth. If the guy is that cagey, he’ll win Lauren over and prove that he’s straight as an arrow. Then she’ll...”

“Blame us for interfering.”

“Exactly. I’m sorry, Loretta.”

She took his hand and squeezed. “No, I’m glad you told me. I only wish Tony would’ve shared this with me.”

“I’m sure he didn’t want to burden you and, of course, at the time, Lauren wasn’t involved with Kelsey.”

“That’s true. And I was always saying that I didn’t know a thing about real estate.” Tears dripped from her eyes. “I never showed much interest in my Tony’s business.”

“He loved you, Loretta. And was so proud of you. He’d tell everyone you were the best nurse in the Lone Star State.”

“Thanks, Cooper. I appreciate that, and I know that’s how Tony felt. He would tell me that often.” She straightened in her seat, no longer sorrowful. Instead a protective glint filled her eyes. “Now this sudden engagement makes all the more sense to me.”