“He wants a woman,” Corinne said. “He wants you.”
Seton blinked at her aunt’s frankness. “He doesn’t know me.”
“What’s to know? You like him, he likes you. There’s no perfect rubric for love, Seton.”
She sighed. “He wanted me to visit him tonight.”
Aunt Corinne gazed at her. “What can it hurt?”
She didn’t know. Nothing, except her heart, of course. But maybe she was worrying too much. Seton got up, began to put her dress back on. “I’ll go. But I feel stupid.”
“Why? Because he wants you to come over, and you want to go?” Corinne shook her head this time. “If you like the man, show up. You’ve practically got a steel cage wrapped around you, Seton.” Her aunt smiled to take the sting out of her words. “Sam’s a very nice, eligible bachelor. He likes you. What does it hurt to go find out if you like him?”
Seton hesitated, not certain she was doing the right thing. She was a little intimidated by Sam and his potent, blatant allure. But if her aunt thought paying a man a call at his bunkhouse was a good idea, then what
could
go wrong?
T
HIRTY
MINUTES
LATER
, when she finally got up the courage to knock on the bunkhouse door, what Seton most feared came to pass.
Lacey MacIntyre opened the door, and Seton could see Wendy Collins, the town’s much-married-and-on-the-hunt-again librarian in the background. “Hi, Seton. What are you doing here?” Lacey asked without much enthusiasm.
Cold wind seemed to whip through her. “I think I’ve made a mis—”
“Hi, Seton. You made it.” Sam peered around Lacey with a big grin on his face. “I knew you would.”
“I don’t think you did know I’d come by,” Seton said, staring doubtfully at Lacey and Wendy. Wendy was a sultry brunette who loved men, and Lacey was a petite, built blonde who adored men like kids loved candy. “Even I didn’t know I would.” She wished she hadn’t.
“Well, you’re here now. She’s picking me up,” Sam said conversationally to Wendy and Lacey. “It was good seeing you ladies, but I must be off.”
“Must you?” Lacey asked with a glare for Seton.
“Yes,” Sam said, putting his arm around Seton’s waist. “But I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Seton stiffened like a porcupine. She tried to dislodge Sam’s arm from her waist, but he hung on, guiding her away from his friends and out to her car.
“You rascal!” Seton said. “How could you sweet-talk me and my aunt and have company waiting on you?”
He kissed her temple. “You have a jealous streak, Miss McKinley.”
“I do not!” Seton pulled away and put a hand against a chest that felt very firm and warm. She resisted the urge to splay her fingers to feel more. “You’re a louse with your harebrained proposal.”
He grinned at her. “Let’s go for a drive.”
“Let’s not.” She was too annoyed to consider being stuck in a vehicle with him. “Have you proposed to them, too?”
“No,” Sam said, “you were first on my list.”
She knew he was teasing her but couldn’t help her outraged response. “First!”
“It’s a short list.” He tugged her toward his truck. “We’ll go in my ride. That way I know you won’t drive me out and drop me off somewhere far from home, considering your current mood.” He didn’t sound too worried about it, though.
“It’s a thought,” Seton said. “Why did you have those women there?”
Sam pulled out of the driveway. “They weren’t there to see me. They came to see Jonas.”
“Jonas!” A sense of panic fluttered through Seton. “Those two man-hunters are after your brother?”
“I’m not certain if they’re after him in the way you mean—”
“They most certainly are!” Seton thought about cute, curvy Lacey in her tight pink dress, and statuesque, exotically brunette Wendy alone with Jonas. “I thought you wanted us to have a fake engagement so Sabrina would come home to an engagement party, and then she and Jonas would bump into each other. Or some scatterbrained plan like that.”
“Yeah, we may not have time for all that, considering the look of things,” Sam said.
“The look of what things?” Seton was worried about her sister. If Jonas was entertaining experienced man magnets, Sabrina was going to end up with a fatherless child.
“Jonas is so mopey that the ladies are anxious to try to cheer him up. He could fall under some woman’s spell. It happens to men who have broken hearts.”
“Broken heart?” Seton frowned. “You seem convinced that Jonas liked Sabrina.”
“It’s just a hunch. But now that the ladies have come calling, could you blame him for finding comfort where he can?”
Sam glanced at her, but Seton didn’t notice. Lost in worry, she watched the headlights passing occasionally on the country road. It didn’t really matter whether Jonas was pining after Sabrina or not. What mattered was that there was an unborn child who needed its parents to find their way to each other again. Sabrina and Jonas needed to
talk,
at the minimum.
Seton had promised to keep Sabrina’s secret. Yet she had the responsibility to try to make the best happen for her niece or nephew. The only way to do that was to get Sabrina back to Diablo—or get Jonas to D.C.
Seton slid her gaze to Sam. He glanced at her again at just that moment, and their eyes met, only to ricochet away.
“You seem upset,” he said. “I promise you those ladies didn’t come by to see me. They brought Jonas a peach pie because he loves pie so much. Wendy had some frozen peaches from last summer and she thought one of her special desserts would perk Jonas up.”
“I’ll just bet she did.” Seton simmered at the thought. “That means Lacey has her sights on you.”
“Nah,” Sam said, reaching over to pat her leg. “All she brought me was a chocolate cake.”
Seton whipped her head around to stare at him. “It’s a wonder you don’t weigh three hundred pounds with all the ladies in this town feeding you, including my aunt.”
Sam smiled. “It’s good to be a guy in a town with lots of appreciative females.”
He was so smug and so full of himself that Seton wanted to ignore him. She couldn’t do that. There was a higher issue to deal with than what she thought of Sam. “You’re not really worried that your brother would fall for one of those women.”
“Look. Jonas is a weird bird. He gave up his successful practice in Dallas to come here and molder like month-old bread. He stayed busy around the ranch, and I’m pretty sure he had a thing for your sister. I don’t know that for a fact, but I live by my hunches and I’m usually not too far off.” He glanced over to see if Seton was listening. When he realized he had her complete attention, he continued. “Not to be telling tales on my bro, but when she left, it was like all the air went out of him. Who knows what he might do next? It’s Jonas. That’s all I can say.”
Seton closed her eyes for a moment, then looked out the passenger window. “Sam, I don’t think it will work.”
“What won’t?”
“I don’t think Sabrina would come back to Diablo for an engagement party.”
“She doesn’t want to see Jonas that badly?”
“I didn’t say that,” Seton said carefully. “I just think it would take a more serious reason to bring her back.” Yet Seton knew Sabrina really had to come to Diablo.
“Could you tell her your aunt needs her?”
“I could, but she’d just wonder why I couldn’t handle whatever it was. And I’m not going to lie and tell her Aunt Corinne is sick, because then she’d come home and know I’d lied.”
“It’s almost a straight shot to Las Vegas,” Sam said cheerfully. “Just about nine hours, as the crow flies.”
Seton took a deep breath. “A quickie marriage would defeat the purpose of getting Sabrina home, wouldn’t it?”
“True. We’d have to get married at Rancho Diablo for it to work. And sooner rather than later, I suppose.”
Seton glanced at Sam. “Are you proposing again?”
He laughed. “It would solve my situation, get your sister home to Jonas before he’s snagged by an overeager female—and in his current state, that could happen—and it would get you off the egg timer.”
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
What if she said yes? Could it work?
Would they later on regret getting married?
She didn’t have time to find out. “I guess it might be worth a try.”
Sam reached over and patted her leg again. “You’re an excitable female, I can tell.”
Seton shook her head. “When are we doing this?”
“Takes three days to get a marriage license, I bet. Blood work, find a priest…oh, shoot.”
“What?” Seton’s gaze snapped to him.
“Aunt Fiona and Uncle Burke will want to be here for the wedding.”
“Were they at Rancho Diablo for Rafe’s and Julie’s?”
“No,” Sam said, “and that’s why I don’t think they’ll miss another one. Bode’s lying low, and life is quite different from when they left. We’ve got to give them enough time to book flights, and that’ll be just enough time for you to get cold feet.” Sam glanced her way. “I don’t think I can risk it.”
“Trust me,” Seton said grimly, “I will not back out of marrying you.”
“Really?” he asked. “Finally realize my offer is a winner?”
She moved his hand off her leg. “That’s right, cowboy.”
“Works for me,” Sam said. “I don’t care how I get you there, just so long as I do. You find a dress, and I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Lovely,” Seton said, and felt a secret shiver that the cowboy she’d always wanted was finally going to be hers.
At least for a little while.
Chapter Five
“So I’d love for you to be my maid of honor,” Seton told Sabrina the next day. “Would you?”
“Oh, Seton,” she replied. “I’m so happy that you’re getting married. I always knew you had a thing for Sam, but—”
Seton jumped in before her sister could say no. “Who else would I want to be my maid of honor but you?”
“All right,” Sabrina said. “Of course I will.”
Seton smiled. “Thank you, Sabrina.”
“No need for thanks. I wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world. Have you told Mom and Dad?”
“I’m going to. I wanted to talk to you first. Do they know about the bab—”
“No,” Sabrina said. “So your wedding will have lots of surprises.”
“Mom’s going to flip when she finds out you’re pregnant.” Seton glanced out the window of her office, seeing Sam striding across the street toward the courthouse. She caught herself staring at him, admiring his long legs and loping walk.
I hope I’m not getting in over my head with this con we’re pulling.
She realized Sabrina had been speaking while she’d been thinking about Sam. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Sabrina?”
“I just said that she’ll be excited about her first grandbaby, once the shock wears off. At least I hope she will be. So what color am I wearing?”
“I haven’t decided.” Seton thought the style of the gown was probably more important than the color, considering Sabrina’s predicament. “How far along are you?”
Sam came into her office, and Seton felt the familiar jolt of attraction. She motioned for him to sit down.
“Five months,” Sabrina said.
“What?” Seton exclaimed.
“I’m five months pregnant,” her sister said, “so I think something with an empire waist might be best, and perhaps as dark a color as you can manage, maybe? I’m pretty petite, so there isn’t a lot of space for baby. I already look like I’m carrying a prize-winning pumpkin.”
Seton stared at Sam, swallowing past the sudden tightness in her throat. Diablo was going to be all atwitter when Sabrina returned. Jonas was going to be shocked, and Aunt Corinne… “How do you feel?” she asked.
“Like a house,” Sabrina said cheerfully. “But I’m very fortunate. The doctor says I escaped the Callahan curse.”
“What curse?” Seton thought she better know up front about any curse she might be bringing on herself. Sam grinned at her, and she held up a finger to let him know she’d be off the phone in one moment. He shrugged, then reached over to take the hand she was resting on her desk in his big warm one.
Why did she feel so safe and yet so electric whenever he touched her?
“The baby bingo curse.” Sabrina laughed. “Didn’t you notice that almost all the Callahan pregnancies have been multiples? I think Fiona put something in the water out there.”
Sam was stroking Seton’s palm and driving her nuts. She could hardly concentrate on local legend when he was making her think about things she shouldn’t be thinking about. “So…just one?” she asked carefully, not wanting Sam to guess what they were talking about, though he seemed much more interested in her body than her conversation. He made his way up her wrist, and Seton tried not to melt into a pool of languid
yes, whatever you want, Sam.
If he wasn’t so darn sexy—
“Yes, just one,” Sabrina said, snapping her back, “but I don’t know the sex, so don’t ask. I’m going to be as surprised as everyone else on the big day.”
“It’s going to be so wonderful....” Seton let her voice trail off before she could say, “wonderful to have a baby in the family.” “Sabrina, listen, I’ve got to run, but I’ll pick out a wonderful gown for you.”
“You’d better.” She laughed again. “I don’t want to look like I’m wearing a tent when I’m standing next to the most beautiful bride Diablo has ever seen.”
“You won’t, I promise. I love you, sis,” Seton said. “Goodbye.”
“Love you, too. Say hello to handsome for me.”
They hung up and Seton freed her hand from Sam’s. “It’s lunchtime. Your routine is usually to appear when I’m closing up shop at night. What brings you by?”
Sam leaned back in the chair, a teasing expression on his face. “How about a wedding in five days at the ranch?”
“That fast?” Married in five days! That made Seton start thinking about wedding nights and making love… She practically shivered at the thought of being in Sam’s arms.
“Cold?” Sam asked, and she quickly said, “No, no. I’m fine.”
He smiled. “I’ve got a caterer lined up, the town grapevine ready to roll as soon as we give the signal, and I made sure my tux fits.” He put a jeweler’s box on her desk, and Seton’s gaze jumped to his.
“What is it?” she asked, knowing but not sure she wanted to know.
“What every man gets the woman he’s marrying,” Sam said. “Open it.”
“I— Sam, we really don’t need to be super-fancy,” Seton protested. “It’s a fake wedding. It would feel wrong to wear a ring—”
Sam raised his brows and smiled. “In Diablo, you wear a ring or lots of gossip gets started.”
“I guess so. You’re right.” Reluctantly, she opened the box and smiled at the sparkling diamond band. “I love it,” she said. “Sam, it’s perfect. It’s feminine and beautiful, but not flashy. Thank you.”
He nodded. “Glad you like it. Slip it on.”
She hesitated. “I hadn’t given any thought to rings. What about yours?”
“My what?” His expression filled with innocence she was certain was a deliberate ploy.
“Your band,” Seton said.
“Oh, I’m not wearing one,” Sam said, and she snapped her box closed.
“I’ll get you one.”
“I’m a cowboy. I can’t wear a ring,” Sam said, and Seton knew he was trying to get her worked up.
He was succeeding admirably.
“All your brothers wear wedding bands.”
“Yeah.” Sam leaned even farther back in the chair, looking completely at ease, a man of the world who made the decisions everyone else lived by. “But they’re pansies.”
Seton’s lips thinned. She wasn’t certain if she should push the ring issue. It was a marriage of convenience, after all. “If you don’t want to wear a ring, it makes no difference to me,” she said nonchalantly. “But I thought the purpose of us getting married was so that you’d get your part of the ranch without having to marry someone your aunt fixed you up with. And if she suspects our marriage isn’t real, she may forfeit your portion.”
“That’s true.” Sam’s brow creased. “‘No tricks’ is in the papers she had drawn up for the ranch. And I suppose not wearing a ring would encourage other ladies to wonder if I was available.”
“Probably,” Seton said sweetly. “If that’s what you want, I’m sure Lacey and Wendy would be happy to figure out that we have a fake marriage.”
He frowned. “Since you want me to wear a ring so badly, I guess I’ll swing by the jeweler’s and pick one up.”
“You do that,” Seton said. “In the spirit of the masquerade, it’s probably best.”
“I just want you to be happy, my dove.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Sam, don’t overdo it.”
He laughed and pulled an identical ring box out of his pocket, putting it next to hers. “I’m into looking one hundred percent legitimate.”
She opened the box and gazed at the plain gold band. “Simple and effective. I approve.” She handed it back to him, thinking he was a rat and she was going to have to keep her wits about her or he’d be deviling her all the time.
“So put yours on.” He indicated the box still sitting on her desk.
“No, thanks.” She handed it back to him. “I’ll wait until the big day. It’ll be more meaningful that way, don’t you think?”
Sam’s lips quirked. “If you say so, bride.”
“I do say so.” She could tell he was disappointed she wouldn’t put the ring on, but after the charade with his ring, it served him right. “Sabrina’s going to be my maid of honor.”
He raised a hand for her to high-five. “We did it!”
They slapped palms briefly, and before she knew what was happening, Sam took her hand and pressed it to his lips. Her eyes went wide. He kissed her fingers, every one, and then he said, “And not a moment too soon.”
She told herself to breathe. “Too soon for what?”
“For my ham-headed brother. Wendy asked Jonas to take her shopping in Santa Fe, and he actually said yes.”
All the joy went out of Seton’s day. “Surely he’s not falling for Wendy!”
Sam shrugged. “It’s too soon for that, I think, but Sabrina better get here and stake her claim if she’s going to.”
Seton shook her head. Five days from now, she’d be married, at least temporarily. And Sabrina’s news would be all over town.
“I hope this is what you want,” Seton said to Sam, and he winked at her and departed as her office phone rang.
Suddenly, she felt a little nervous.
Surely this wedding was the right thing to do.
A
T
THE
M
AGIC
W
EDDING
Dress shop, Seton chose a knee-length ivory suit for herself and a deep emerald suit for Sabrina. The color would be perfect for her sister’s hair and skin tone, the green refreshing and springlike. The shorter style of Seton’s ivory wedding suit was modern. There was no need for long and lacy. She’d been married before, and though she’d never worn the magic wedding dress, she didn’t believe in magic.
Even though she knew every other bride who wore it did become big believers in the tale.
“I have to be practical,” Seton told Darla and Jackie as they checked her suit for fit. “I’m too old for fairy tales.”
“But the gown was your mother’s.” Darla, who was married to Judah Callahan, looked at her in the mirror. “This suit is lovely, it fits you like a glove, but we’ve all worn the gown. Trust me, Seton. You want to, too.”
“I don’t think so.” Seton looked at herself with satisfaction. “This is a very practical choice.”
“Who wants practical on their wedding day?” Jackie asked. She was married to Pete Callahan, and they seemed happier all the time.
“This is exactly what I want. And Sabrina will be here tomorrow to have hers fitted.” That was going to be more of a challenge, and the secret would be out. But there was no hope for it. Seton sighed. “I have an appointment in Santa Fe. Do you mind choosing all the appropriate accessories for me? Shoes, stockings, maybe even some small bouquets?” she asked hopefully.