Three Reasons To Wed

“Why?”

Grady’s expression suddenly looked like thunder and she winced. “Who the hell knows!”

Then he took off back to his truck and reversed out of the driveway as if he had the devil on his tail.

Chapter Four (#ulink_96b13580-860f-57ce-b39d-859b03013f4a)

“You got somethin’ on your mind you want to talk about?”

Grady hauled another hay bale from the truck and twisted around. Rex Travers was standing behind him, arms crossed, his weathered face wrinkled in a scowl. He liked Rex—the other man was a good foreman and had become an important part of the running of the ranch. Grady also considered him a friend. The girls adored him and he was genuinely kind and patient with them. But he wasn’t about to get drawn into a conversation about his bad mood.

“Not a thing,” Grady replied and tossed the bale onto the stack in the feed shed.

“You took off from Miss Violet’s place in a real hurry this morning.”

I took off from Marissa...

Grady grabbed another bale. “And?”

“And you yelled at Miss Ellis.”

Miss Violet. Miss Ellis. When it came to women, Rex was a stickler for formality. He still referred to Grady’s mom as Mrs. Parker even though she’d been insisting the other man call her Colleen for many years.

“I didn’t yell,” Grady shot back, irritated.

Rex’s thick brows came up. “Yeah, you did. She didn’t like it.”

Grady stopped what he was doing and straightened. “She said that?”

Rex shrugged. “She didn’t say anything. I just got a look at her face, that’s all. I don’t think she likes yelling.”

“I didn’t yell,” Grady said again and wiped his hands down his jeans. “Can we get back to work now? I want you to take Pete and head down to Flat Rock this afternoon. There’s a length of fence that needs repairing down by the riverbed, where we butt the McCord place.”

“Sure,” Rex said. “Anything else?”

“Stop dishing out advice.”

Rex’s craggy face creased in a wide smile. “Can’t promise anything.”

“Try harder,” Grady said and grabbed another hay bale.

The older man chuckled as he walked off, and when he was out of sight Grady stopped what he was doing, straightened and rolled his shoulders. Damn...he hated it when Rex was right. It felt as bad as being told off by his mother. And he really hated that, thinking it made him feel about fifteen years old.

He finished stacking the hay and headed back to the house. His mother was in the kitchen making lunch for Tina. Since his housekeeper had left, his mom had been helping out with the girls. Once he’d washed up in the mudroom, he headed for the kitchen.

“Thanks for coming over today,” he said, swiping a slice of cheese off the plate and popping it in his mouth. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” his mother replied. “You know the girls mean the world to me. But you remember that I’m heading out of town on Thursday and won’t be back for five days.”

His mother went to visit her brother in Denver, Colorado, once a year.

“I remember,” he said and moved around the counter. “Brant said he’d help out if I needed him. Plus, Tanner and Cassie always love having the girls. And Brooke will always help out if I need a sitter.”

Brooke Laughton was his cousin and owned a small horse ranch not far out of town.

“Any luck looking for a new housekeeper?”

He shrugged. “I have two interviews next week, so we’ll see what happens.”

His mother nodded and continued slicing cheese. “You know...what you really need isn’t a housekeeper,” she said and smiled. “It’s a wife.”

“Mom, let up, will you?”

“It’s the truth,” she said, as relentless as always. “I know you don’t want to hear it and you can scowl at me all you like, but I—”

“I’m not scowling,” he said, cutting her off.

His mother grinned. “Oh, yes, you are. But you know, the best thing for the girls would be for you to be happy.”

“I am happy. And I don’t want to have this conversation today.”

“Or any day,” Colleen said. “Liz wouldn’t want you to—”

“Mom,” Grady said, all out of patience. “I know you’re trying to help, but I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m not going to get married again just so I can have a babysitter on hand.”

“I’m not suggesting that you should do that,” his mother replied. “This isn’t about the girls. I’m talking about you, what it would mean to you to share your life with someone. All I’m saying is that maybe it’s time you opened yourself up to the possibility.”

“Like you did after Dad died?”

Colleen frowned. “I didn’t have three children under the age of seven,” she reminded him. “And we aren’t talking about me at the moment. I know you don’t want to hear it and I know you think I’m interfering, but I only say this out of concern for you. Being with someone else doesn’t mean you love Liz any less. It doesn’t mean she’ll be replaced or forgotten.”

Grady swallowed the thickness in his throat. As usual, his mom was getting into his head. “I know... I just don’t think I’m ready.”

“To love again?”

“To feel again.”

Colleen smiled and patted his arm. “But that’s what makes us human, son.”

“Maybe. And I hear what you’re saying. But I have to do this in my own way.”

She tutted. “The slow way. You’re so much like your father. He also overthought everything. Did you know it took him eight months to ask me out on a date?”

Grady glanced at his mother and groaned. “Is there a point to this conversation?”

“Of course,” she replied and grinned. “You’re a cowboy and it’s time you got back in the saddle.”

“The saddle?”