The Marriage Season

She laughed and shook her head as she put a foot on the running board. “You and Tripp. He says stuff like that all the time. You do realize I’m going to get your car seat all wet.”

Tate looked at the boys in the backseat, equally soaked and laughing loudly about something or other, Ben leaning over to punch Adam in the arm. Tate said, “I suspect the vehicle in general might need to dry out, so don’t worry about it. Do we still have a date tonight or will you be too worn out?”

She sat down and reached for the seat belt, clicking it in place. “I believe I owe you. I’ll be fine tonight. Who’s watching the boys or are they coming along?”

He loved his sons, but no way.

Tate went around and got into the car. “Can you picture them selecting bathroom tile or kitchen countertops? Hadleigh offered to watch them. I accepted. She said she’d be happy to have Josh, too.”

“You do know she’s matchmaking.”

He almost didn’t hear what she’d said because the boys were getting rowdy and he’d just flipped the ignition switch. Bex sat there, dripping, looking straight at him, as if life was like the marathon she’d just run, something to be met head-on and conquered.

Tate conceded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” What else could he say?

* * *

THE RED SILK DRESS was too much for what was essentially a trip to the hardware store, so Bex changed again. Black pencil skirt and white camisole with a pale gold sweater. Okay, that was better. Besides, after 26.2 miles, heels weren’t an option, so plain black flats were, at any rate, comfortable. Her toes needed some TLC.

Bex had no idea where they were going for dinner, so for Mustang Creek, this outfit was middle ground. A little upscale for Bad Billie’s, but dressy enough for O’Henry’s on a Saturday night. There weren’t a lot of other decent choices.

Tara was watching television again, but at least she was with Josh. She’d readily agreed to the idea of his spending the evening with Hadleigh and Tripp, which wasn’t entirely reassuring. Bex felt almost guilty for going out.

Almost, she told herself firmly. Josh would have fun at the ranch, as he always did, and she deserved a night out.

“You look nice.” Tara stirred, finally showing some animation. “Tate Calder must be worth the mascara and lip gloss.”

She thought about Tate’s wavy chestnut hair and those magnetic dark eyes. He was worth the effort, no question about it. “He saw me sopping wet earlier. It seems like the only time I see him is when I’ve been running. I thought I might try to make a better impression.”

“You’re always pretty, Bex.” Her sister’s eyes were glassy with tears. “Thanks for everything you’ve been doing for Josh. Thank Tate for me, too, will you? I can’t deal with it right now.”

Bex had to admit she wished Josh hadn’t heard that. “I love Josh, so everything’s okay. We’re going to meet Tate at the ranch. You ready to go, buddy?”

He grabbed his backpack. “Yep.”

“Maybe give your mom a hug before we head out?” She suggested it gently. It was their relationship, Josh and Tara’s, and they didn’t need her interference, but she couldn’t figure out how to deal with her sister at the moment, so he was probably even more confused.

Tara held her little boy close and murmured against his hair, “Have fun with Aunt Hadleigh and Uncle Tripp.”

They made a quick exit and Bex debated again about asking him how he was feeling as she pulled out of the driveway, but decided to take Tate’s advice and wait.

If Josh himself mentioned it, that would be different. At his age, she, Hadleigh and Mel hadn’t had any secrets from each other, but she wouldn’t have shared them with an aunt, either, so that was something to keep in mind. Maybe Ben and Adam were the key; Josh might talk to them.

Tate’s truck was already parked by the house when they pulled in, and all three dogs swarmed out to meet them. It was heartwarming to see Josh jump out and laugh as they greeted him, tugging at his backpack and leaping up to lick his face. He loved it and he needed it. She’d get him a puppy—she’d thought about getting a dog more than once—but for all she knew, Tara would move out tomorrow, and dogs needed to be walked and trained, and her own schedule didn’t permit it. So far, Tara had no place to go, since Greg was still living at their rental, so with everything up in the air, a puppy was the worst decision in the world. In theory it sounded great, but if Josh had to leave his new dog behind, and she had to find someone else to take care of it... Good intentions, sure. But a really, really impractical idea.

She could swear her life had been simple at one time.

Tate came out to greet her, that unforgettable smile firmly in place. She was relieved to see that whatever he had in mind, he’d dressed like her to the extent that he wore khaki slacks and a button-up blue shirt, but no tie.

The dogs and Josh raced into the house. He took her elbow and guided her toward his car. “Let’s get the hell out of here while it’s calm. I brought over every game system we have. Tripp will be as riveted as the boys. He’s hooking it all up now. Hadleigh’s already figured out she can watch a movie in another room with her feet up and toss a frozen pizza in their direction. You can say hello when we pick them up. Let’s go select the paint, the appliances and whatever else goes into a kitchen and be done with it.”

“I know Hadleigh, and she won’t feed children a frozen pizza.” Bex climbed in the truck and he closed her door then got in on the driver’s side.

“I was joking. She did say something about roasted chicken and broccoli. I wish her luck with the latter, but anything’s possible. They’re now sold on her spinach lasagna, although I have to take some credit, since I told all three boys the spinach was a wild plant cowboys used to eat.”

“Clever.”

“It seemed to work.” He backed out of the drive. “Ben was probably on to me, but Adam bought it and he’s the picky eater. Speaking of which, if you are, tell me now, because I was thinking Thai food for dinner.”

There was certainly no Thai restaurant in Mustang Creek, so Bex sent him a quizzical look. “I love Thai. Mel, Hadleigh and I used to eat it all the time in college, but the closest place I know of is pretty far away.”

“Not if you fly.”

“Oh.” That hadn’t occurred to her. “You have a plane?”

“Sort of.”

“How do you sort of have a plane?”

He shrugged. “Technically it belongs to my father. He doesn’t like flying commercial, which means we have an arrangement. He bought the plane, he pays for the hangar and if he wants to go somewhere—business or pleasure—I man the cockpit. My aunt gets to keep the boys while I’m gone, which she loves. So everybody wins.”

Bex felt a certain amount of curiosity about the kind of business that allowed a person to buy a plane, but she didn’t ask. It sounded as though Tate came from a well-to-do family, but she was lucky that money wasn’t actually one of her problems. “Sounds like it,” she said. “What are you going to do with the horses if you have to pick up and leave?”

He pulled out onto the road and headed in the direction of the municipal airport. “Tripp introduced me to the local vet. Nice guy and he wants to go in with me. We’ve met a couple of times and I trust Tripp’s judgment. Another win-win, since I’d obviously have to hire him, anyway. I know horses, since I was raised with them, but I don’t know a lot about breeding them yet. Nate Cameron has that part down, so I’m on board with taking care of the day-to-day and building the stables, and he’s willing to come and stay at the house if I have to fly out. We’re still hashing out the business details, but it looks good.”

It did sound good and Bex also knew Dr. Cameron; he was pleasant, reliable and competent. He’d gone to high school with Tripp and Will. His practice was mostly large animal, but he did have a clinic for small animals open several days a week with an older veterinarian who was close to retirement.

That brought her thoughts back to Tara. She’d dated Nate Cameron for about six months during her senior year. Why couldn’t she have married him instead of Greg?

Tate distracted her from that thought, which was just as well, since it was going nowhere. “My boys want to go fishing,” he said, “and I have a friend with a cabin on a nearby lake. Do you suppose Josh would like to go? I don’t know Greg, but if he’s inclined to join us, that would be fine with me. The place is rustic, outdoor facilities, woodstove, and there’s nothing to do but hike and fish. If Greg’s the outdoor type and wants to come along, he’s invited.”

That was generous. Very.

Score another point for Mr. Calder.

“I’ll ask my sister to have that conversation with Josh. I’m sure he’d love it. And I’ll tell her to mention it to Greg.” Who probably wouldn’t love it. Not one bit...

CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_92453260-c908-55bd-9158-464d3d86fd82)

HE SUSPECTED IT was unfair not to prepare her for his family, but then again, it was impossible to be prepared, so Tate had made an executive decision just to hope for the best. As the plane touched down sweetly on the landing strip, he thought it might be prudent to say something.

“You’re probably about to meet my aunt and my father. Unless they’re out, in which case we’re in luck, but my aunt’s usually there. After my mother died, she moved in and took over, sort of like a certified dictator at large. She’s terrifyingly efficient.”

Bex looked startled, and he didn’t blame her. Her gold-green eyes widened.

He pointed at the house. It was far away but there was a Jeep parked near the airstrip to get back and forth. “There’ll be a lot more decorating choices around here than in Mustang Creek. The builder suggested I go to a more cosmopolitan area to pick out what I wanted and have it shipped. I’m hoping this will be a forever house for me, so why skimp at this point, right?”

“Right,” she said, but the word wasn’t loaded with enthusiasm. She was gorgeous in a slim skirt and a sweater that set off her eyes, and he knew his family would embrace the idea that he might be seeing someone. Meeting them so early on, though—that was asking a little much. He figured the run together didn’t count, so this was their first date.