Travis. The last thing you could possibly want is to get married. You need a wife like you need another hole in your head. And even if you’ve suddenly decided that marriage appeals to you, you certainly don’t want to be married to me, of all people!”
He fidgeted. There was no other word for it. He pulled his earlobe, scratched his nose, fussed with his collar, then shoved his hair off his forehead. Finally he muttered, “Don’t underestimate yourself, Megan.”
Seeing his nervousness gave her some comfort, but not much. “Are you saying you’re in love with me?”
He straightened in his chair. “Umm—well, would you believe me if I told you I was?”
“Absolutely not,” she immediately responded.
He flexed his shoulders in another restless movement. “Then I’m not in love with you.”
She gave him an approving nod. “Well, at least you’re being honest.”
He cleared his throat and took a long drink from his glass without meeting her gaze.
She studied him for several minutes in silence. “You can’t be serious,” she finally said.
“I am,” he argued. “Try me.”
“Try you?” she repeated suspiciously. “Would you care to explain what you mean by that remark?”
“It’s just a figure of speech and you know it. I’m willing to prove to you that I’m serious, that I’m making an offer in good faith. I want to help you. That’s what friends are for—to help each other.”
“You make it sound like some kind of a game!” She leaned back in her chair and deliberately deepened her voice. “Hey, there’s not much going on in my life these days. Maybe I should get married!” In her normal voice she added, “Life is always a joke to you. Admit it!”
“Well, what about you? You always look at life so blasted seriously all the time. Can’t you lighten up a little, once in a while, have some fun?”
“Of course you would see things that way. Life’s always been easy for you. You’ve never had to be responsible about anything or for anyone. You’ve never been serious about anything in your entire life.”
“A few things,” he murmured.
“Such as?”
“I’ve taken my rodeoing serious. I’ve won some good prize money. I take that serious enough. It’s the money I’m willing to offer to you, money that I’ve worked hard to earn. You don’t hear me joking about that, do you?”
Grudgingly she said, “Okay, I’ll go along with that one.”
“I take my friendships seriously, as well. I know I haven’t been home much these past few years but whenever I’m in town, I’ve always made a point of checking on you, to make sure you and the girls were okay. As I recall, a couple of years ago I actually asked you to go to the movies with me. As also I recall, you were quick enough about turning me down.”
“Going to a movie would have meant an hour’s drive to the next town.”
“Is that why you turned me down?”
She stared at him. “I get up early. I can’t stay out late at night. I didn’t figure you meant it, anyway. You were just trying to get a reaction out of me, like always. You’ve always been the biggest tease I’ve ever known, Travis, bar none.”
“You don’t date at all, do you?”
She looked down at her shirt and coveralls, then at him. “Of course I do. Why, I’ve got men lined up outside the door, impatiently waiting their turn to take me out. A stunning creature like me has to fight ’em off.”
Travis frowned. “Don’t, Megan.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t make fun of yourself that way. You’re a very attractive woman. Just as important, you’re a very warm and loving woman, protective of your family, willing to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.”
She narrowed her eyes and peered at him. “Did you by any chance get kicked in the head by one of those bulls you ride or something, Travis? I can’t believe what I’m hearing coming out of your mouth. Are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else?”
“What I think is that we haven’t spent much time together in. the past several years and that there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Obviously what you do know doesn’t impress you much. So how about giving me a chance to prove to you that I can make a good husband?”
A shiver ran over her at the word husband. Travis Kane? She would have to be out of her mind to consider marrying him, of all people. For any reason.
Even if it means saving the ranch? a little voice whispered inside her head.
For the first time in her life she finally understood what the preacher was talking about when he chose the subject of temptation for his Sunday sermons.
Temptation was a mighty insidious thing. It teased and tantalized, making all her beliefs dance and jump around, stand on tiptoe and fall over.
Travis Kane had been a pest as a kid, and his constant need to tease her had come close to breaking her heart in high school. Of course he’d never known the crush she’d developed on him back then. She had no intention of ever letting him know.
What would the star-struck girl back then have done if she’d known that someday in the future the ever-popular Travis Kane would actually come to her and propose marriage.
As a friend.
He didn’t love her, of course. Hadn’t he just said so?
But then, she didn’t love him, either. She knew better.
So. It would be a business deal, that’s all. It would have an expiration date.
“A year, you said?”
“It can be longer, if you want.”
“Oh, no. A year would be fine. It would give me some breathing space, like you said. I’d have some time to make plans, decide whether I should try to sell the place. After that, I could—” She paused, her thoughts finally leading her to ask, “I, uh—I guess you’d expect to live here, then?” She laughed nervously and answered her own question. “Well, of course you would. We’d be married and it would look strange to everybody if you continued to live at home with your folks.” She knew she sounded rattled because she was. This was the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to her. Even more bizarre was the fact that she was actually considering accepting his outlandish offer… because the alternative was too painful for her to face. She’d been praying for a miracle, hadn’t she? She just hadn’t realized before God’s strange sense of humor.
“I’m not home all that much, anyway, Megan,” Travis was saying, quietly. “I’m still following the rodeo circuit.”
“Oh, that’s right!” she replied, unable to hide her obvious relief. “Well, that would work out okay.” She went on, hopping up from the table. She began to pace. “I mean, we’ve got plenty of room,” she said with an expansive wave of her arm. “Why, this old house rambles in all directions. There’s several bedrooms…” She came to an abrupt halt, her voice trailing off. She eyed him uncertainly. “Would you expect to share my room?”
He took a deep breath and held it, his gaze never leaving hers. When he finally exhaled, he gave her a lopsided smile. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, Megan.”
“Oh.” She thought about the idea of sharing a bedroom with Travis Kane and shivered. “Well, I’m certainly not comfortable with the thought of sharing my room with you…or anybody…really.”
“I see.”
She