The Great Texas Wedding Bargain

The Great Texas Wedding Bargain
Judy Christenberry

She needed a husband–fast. He just wanted a few home-cooked meals. Let the great Texas wedding bargain begin!It was desperation that had Megan Ford proposing to solitary rancher Rick Astin. She promised to pay handsomely for an in-name-only marriage and swore their understanding would end in mere months, while secretly wishing it would last forever.As flattered as he was by the loveless offer, it was the thought of a spick-and-span home that had Rick agreeing to the charade. He told himself he had no interest in his new bride becoming a permanent part of his quiet life. And despite his body's cravings to make Megan truly his, Rick intended to honorably uphold his end of the deal. Until they sealed their bargain with a kiss…

“We’re not talking about a real marriage,” she assured him. “It would be a marriage on paper.”

She was desperate, Rick realized. So desperate she was on the verge of tears. Walking away from Megan Ford would be hard to do. He’d be haunted forever by those big blue eyes.

“What kind of coffee do you make?”

She blinked several times. “What kind? I—I usually grind my own beans. I like—”

“Grind your own beans? Tell me you can cook, too.”

Megan gave him a befuddled stare. “Well, yes. Of course.”

He grinned at her, hoping to chase away those tears that still lingered. “Honey, looks like we got a deal.”

Come back to Cactus, Texas, in Judy Christenberry’s bestselling series TOTS FOR TEXANS! You’re guaranteed to have a grand ole time!

The Great Texas Wedding Bargain

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers. Judy quit teaching French recently to devote her time to writing. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy’s a native Texan, living in Plano, a suburb of Dallas.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

He was the one.

Megan Ford nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at the dusty cowboy leaning against the feed-store counter. She’d heard Mr. James, the store owner, call him by name, confirming his identity.

Richard Astin.

Her mother’s friends had recommended him.

If she weren’t so desperate… But she was. Time was of the essence.

“Well, hello, there, Megan. What can I do for you?” Mr. James called out, having finally seen her in the dim shadows of the store.

“Good afternoon, Mr. James.” She remembered he’d gone to school with her mother and treated her as if she were a favorite niece even though she’d only met him a month ago.

The cowboy turned around to glance at her, and she sucked in a deep breath. He might appear tired, dirty and down-at-the-heels, but he was good-looking. Maybe he wasn’t as perfect for her plans as she’d thought. But she didn’t have any other candidates.

She stepped forward and extended her hand to the stranger. “I don’t think I’ve met you. I’m Megan Ford.”

“Sorry, I should’ve introduced you,” Mr. James said. “This here is Richard Astin. We call him Rick. He’s got a smart little spread outside of town.”

She smiled politely. “How nice.”

His eyebrows raised over his warm brown eyes. “Yeah. Are you ranching in the area?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m a nurse. I work for the doctors.” She didn’t need to give their names. Dr. Greenfield had been the only doctor in the west Texas town of Cactus for a number of years. He’d recently taken in a partner, Samantha Gibbons. She’d married one of the local men last summer.

The cowboy didn’t look terribly interested in her history. Even better.

Turning back to Mr. James, the cowboy finished his business and started to go, tipping his hat at her as he strode past.

She wanted to grab his sleeve, to stop his departure, but she certainly didn’t want to conduct a conversation in front of Mr. James. That would never do.