Judy Christenberry - The Borrowed Groom

“Of course. I’ll be glad to. And the girls love ice cream, so they’ll be good for you. They haven’t gotten many treats in their little lives.”

He frowned at the sadness of her words, but he still hadn’t dealt with all the plans for tomorrow. “What time will we leave in the morning?”

“I thought we should leave about nine-fifteen. The stores don’t open until ten.”

“Then I’ll have time to talk to Abby in the morning. You’re sure she said it would be okay?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Rob. She knew you started work at once. Sometimes it takes people a little longer to get settled.”

“I can do a few chores before we leave,” he figured aloud. He usually started his day at six.

They’d reached her front porch, its light shining in the night. The smile on her face didn’t look condescending, but he wasn’t sure. “Will you send Terri out?”

“Of course, but you’re welcome to come in to wait for her. I’ll have to go upstairs to get her. We can’t leave the little ones in the bath without someone to watch them.”

“No, I’ll wait here.”

“Then, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, still smiling. He watched until the door closed behind her. Then he sank down onto the porch steps. She had a Mona Lisa smile if he’d ever seen one. But she was a hell of a lot sexier than that Italian lady.

Didn’t mean he could figure her out.

But that didn’t matter. He was getting some help for Terri. He guessed he’d have to admit that she was getting to the age that he couldn’t fix everything for her.

He should be grateful there was a woman nearby who could help her. But he should’ve asked Ellen to help. She was nice, motherly. She didn’t get him all hot and bothered.

He would’ve asked her, if he’d known there was a problem. But Terri had blindsided him tonight. She hadn’t talked to him. She hadn’t asked for help. At least, not from him.

That hurt.

But then, he couldn’t help her pick out a bra. So maybe it was just as well she hadn’t asked him. But if she had, he could’ve asked Ellen.

Oh, hell!

Rob administered the medicine to the two horses in the barn, feeding and watering them, too. Then he checked his list for any last-minute chores to do before he cleaned up. He’d talked to Abby just after breakfast. She’d assured him they could make it one day without him.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned back to the house where he and Terri had moved. It wasn’t a bad place. Ellen had helped them clean it up.

If it made Terri happy to buy a few things, dress it up a little, he’d agree to that. But he needed to get it all done today. He didn’t intend to take another day off just to go shopping.

His daughter was waiting in the kitchen, her dark hair, the same color as his, gleaming, curled under around her heart-shaped face.

“You look pretty, baby.”

“Thanks, Dad. Uh, could you not call me ‘baby’ when we’re out? I’m more grown-up now, and…and I don’t want people to think I’m still in elementary school.”

“Right,” he agreed, though he hated the idea. “I’ll try to remember.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, a sweet smile on her face as she leaned over to kiss him. Then she pulled back. “Hurry. You smell like horses.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, and continued on to the bathroom. He wanted to get this chore over with as soon as possible.

After cleaning up, he gathered his billfold, checkbook and charge cards. He wasn’t sure what he’d need, but from what he’d heard, he’d need something to pay the bills. Women and shopping could get out of hand.

When he returned to the kitchen, Terri was coming in the front door.

“Come on, Dad. Melissa’s outside.”

“Okay, okay. You got everything you need?”

“Yeah,” she threw over her shoulder as she hurried out the door.

Melissa Kennedy was a damned pied piper. If she told Terri to jump off a cliff, he figured his kid would run over him to do just that.

He was frowning when he looked up and saw the Chevy Suburban parked out front. The vehicle was new. Melissa was standing beside the passenger door. Terri had already gotten in the back.

“Do you mind driving?” she asked, smiling again.

“Me?”

“Aren’t you comfortable driving? I thought it would be easier for me to deal with the girls, if they get nervous, if you’re driving.” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “I can drive, though, if—”

“I’ll drive.”

He pulled open the passenger door and waited until she got in. Then he closed it and circled the vehicle to slide behind the wheel. He was comfortable driving. But little girls didn’t bother him, either. After all, he’d raised Terri.

Melissa gave him brief, succinct directions, and he looked at her in surprise. His experience said a woman couldn’t tell you how to go in a straight line without a lot of side trips.

Abby Kennedy had been direct, he had to admit. Maybe Melissa had something in common with her sister, after all.

Which made him wonder about the third sister.

“I haven’t met your other sister,” he said, staring ahead of him as he drove.

“She and her husband have been attending the rodeo in Oklahoma City. They’ll be back on Monday.”

He looked at her. “They follow the rodeos?”

“Not full-time, but Jed’s been training some guys, and he wanted to see how they do.”

“Who’s Jed?”

“Jed Davis, Beth’s husband.”

He almost stopped the truck. “Your sister is married to Jed Davis?”

“Yes, do you know him?”

“We’ve met. He’s the best there is as a trainer.” He’d heard that Davis had settled down somewhere in Texas, but he hadn’t realized it was here.

“Yes, he’s good.”

One of the children claimed her attention at that moment, and Rob didn’t speak again until they reached the mall. He’d been afraid things would be awkward this morning, but Melissa was easy to talk to. He was going to have to watch himself.

“Okay,” he said with a sigh, “how do we do this? Do I take them for ice cream at once? Or—”

Both Terri and Melissa looked at him as if he’d offered to run them over to Mars.

“No. We have an entire list of things to buy,” Melissa assured him. “This is an all-day project.”

“All day?” Rob gasped in surprise. He figured he’d get in an afternoon’s work when they got back home. “Surely no more than a couple of hours.” He must’ve misunderstood.

“I’m sorry. I thought you realized we probably wouldn’t go back home until suppertime.”

“Yeah, Dad, it takes a while to shop,” Terri added, glaring at him.

“Okay,” he said in resignation. “What do I do?”

Melissa seemed more understanding than Terri. She smiled. “The first thing we’re going to buy are two umbrella strollers.”

“I think Terri’s too old for a stroller,” he said, hoping to put a smile on his daughter’s face.

“Dad!” she protested.

Melissa said, “I think your dad is teasing you, sweetie. He knows I meant them for Jessica and Mary Ann.”

“Even they seem a little old for strollers,” he pointed out. After all, they walked just fine.

“If we were only going to be a few minutes, you’d be right. But in an hour, they’ll both be tired and want to be carried. It will be easier with a stroller.”

He bowed to her greater knowledge. And discovered she was right. An added benefit was that they were belted in and couldn’t run away. Or get lost.

After an hour of shopping, he carried quite a few packages and Melissa and Terri pushed the little girls.

“Maybe I should go make a run to the car and dump these packages?”