Liz Fielding - A Deal at the Altar - Hired by the Cowboy / SOS - Convenient Husband Required

“Once they start to set a little, then you keep pushing them around,” he explained, and handed her the spatula.

She stuck it in the pan but splashed a little egg batter over the side. “Like this,” he explained, and moved in behind her, covering her hand with his own on the spatula.

Alex’s breath caught. Connor had showered last night and now, at the start of day, the scent of his soap was mingled with the smell of man in the morning. His body was warm and firm, close behind her, and the intimacy of the moment curled through her. OK, maybe this marriage wouldn’t be as enjoyable as she thought. Not if she had to spend the next several months hiding the fact that he made her pulse race every time he was close. Last night’s tender caress was only the tip of the iceberg.

His voice was oddly thick as he pulled away. “You’re getting it now,” he mumbled, and moved to put slices of bread in the toaster.

She pushed the eggs to one side and managed to fry the ham slices without incident. Silently they sat at the table to eat, while the light around them grew brighter.

“I called my grandmother last night.”

She nearly choked on her toast. “You did?”

“I explained I was getting married.” His smile was grim. “I think she’ll probably come up here today to check you out.”

She hadn’t counted on grandmothers. And his had to know that this wasn’t a regular marriage. This had been a real, functioning family, she was sure. And that meant that his grandmother would likely be outraged at the fact that he was marrying a relative stranger for money.

“Why did you do that? I didn’t sign up for irate grandmothers!” Her voice rose in panic. Not only was she a stranger, but an inept one. She didn’t know much about being domestic and less about farming. Surely his grandmother would find her completely unsuitable? Alex wasn’t ready for that type of criticism to be heaped on her head. After the ridiculous sexual thoughts she’d had about him lately, she couldn’t seem to keep up with all the emotions he inspired in her. Last night had been sympathy, tenderness. Then carnality, embarrassment. And right now she was seeing the red cape of anger. If this was going to be a rollercoaster, she wanted off.

Connor didn’t see the huge problem in telling his grandmother anything at all. After all, Gram had told him to get courting. Perhaps she hadn’t meant quite this quickly, but Johanna Madsen was a practical woman. She’d figure out the truth very quickly. She was the one who had put him in this position, so she could say nothing about how he handled it.

Thankfully, he knew that Gram wasn’t too hung up on conventionalities. But, more than that, Gram was the only family he had left. His honor, his family loyalty, demanded he be honest and upfront about it.

“She’s all I have, Alex.” He studied the ornery set of Alex’s chin and smiled at her stubbornness. In the light of early morning she was beautiful, without artifice. All that was amplified when her eyes snapped with anger and her cheeks flushed. Perhaps it was the pregnancy, but her skin had a luminescence—and he’d caught sight of lots of it when she’d arrived in her pjs.

Yet she wasn’t soft. There was a strength, a resolution about her that he admired. Alex Grayson was no pushover…and Gram would respect that if nothing else.

“Gram’s pretty gruff, but she loves me and understands what’s going on. Not only that, but if we’re going to move ahead with this then it only makes sense that you meet my family right away. The most important thing to remember is she hates deception. She’s way too smart for that, and will see through you like anything.”

Alex put down her fork, her lips contorted grimly. “So you automatically think I’ll lie to her? Thanks a lot.”

“Of course not. That’s not what I meant!”

“It sounded pretty clear to me.” She gave up all pretence of eating. “Do you want me to tell her exactly why I’m here? Because I got knocked up by a low-life, have no prospects, and latched on to you for your money?”

“That’s not exactly how I’d put it, no. Besides, I asked you.”

“Like that’ll matter. Does she even know I’m pregnant?”

“No.” Surprising Gram with a fiancée last night had been enough, Connor thought. They’d get to the baby in time. After the wedding would be time enough to tell Gram that there would be a third Madsen in the household before long.

He swallowed roughly. Only the baby wouldn’t be a Madsen. How could he have forgotten that?

“She’s naturally going to think I’m a gold-digger. Thanks a lot, Connor.”

She took her plate to the sink, nausea suddenly battling with her anger. At this rate she wouldn’t have to worry about baby weight gain. She was always in such a tumult that she never seemed to finish a meal!

Bracing one hand on the counter, she closed her eyes, willing away the sickness. When she spoke, her words were soft and accusing.

“Isn’t not telling her a form of deception?”

“I’m going to tell her, of course,” he countered. “It’s not exactly something we can keep hidden. I thought I’d give her a little time to get used to the marriage idea first.”

“Coward,” she mumbled.

“I beg your pardon?”

Alex scraped her plate into the garbage. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of your granny,” she accused.

“I’m not a coward for not hitting her with all the details at once,” he defended. “I did nothing wrong by letting my grandmother know we’re getting married.”

He frowned as he looked at her lips, thinned into a condemning line. Great. If she were this upset about meeting his grandmother, she was going to go ballistic when he told her the rest of the news.

“Unfortunately, I have an association meeting in Red Deer this morning. I’ll be gone most of the day. Remember what I told you and you’ll be fine. Just be yourself, Alex, and be honest, and I’m sure she’ll love you.” It was paltry pacification and it failed miserably.

“So you’re lighting the fire and leaving me to put it out? Last night you said for me to trust you. Then you pull something like this. You didn’t even consult me. Did you seriously think I’d be OK with this?”

“I honestly didn’t think it’d be this big of a deal. I’m still not completely sure why it is.”

“Oh, it’s a big deal. Huge. Today I get to be judged. Alone.”

For a moment he considered skipping the meeting. He hadn’t considered how upset she might be over it, and in hindsight he probably should have talked to her first before calling Gram. But he’d been disconcerted after their talk last night, and he hadn’t considered all the ramifications. And he’d learned something new—something that surprised him. Going toe-to-toe with Alex was invigorating. When they argued they left all pretence and awkwardness behind. They were honest. It was liberating.

Alex sighed, a mixture of frustration and resignation. “I’d better get started tidying this place up, then.”

He took his empty plate to the sink. She was furious. It was in the way her eyes refused to even glance in his direction, in the icy set of her cheek. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. Despite how alive she looked when she was wound up, he didn’t like being at outs with her.

“I’m sorry, Alex. I certainly didn’t intend to upset you. With any luck I’ll be back by lunch, and she won’t be here yet. Or I can make a few phone calls. Maybe I can reschedule the meeting, and then we can face her together.”

She turned, raised her chin defiantly.

“I can handle your grandmother,” she retorted. “It’s the fact that I have to that I don’t like.”

“Point taken.”

“If you want me to stay, don’t let it happen again.”