A Match Made In Texas

A Match Made In Texas

by

Anne Marie Novark

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KINDLE EDITION

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Book Three: The Diamondback Ranch Series

When Austin McCade’s wife dies, a vital part of him dies, too. The sexy single dad devotes himself to his motherless daughter and his work on the Diamondback Ranch. For twelve years, he ignores life and women . . . until a new pretty schoolteacher moves to town.

From the moment Theresa Rogers arrives in Salt Fork, Texas, people warn her about the lonely widower. He’s a hopeless case, a lost cause. But Theresa sees beneath the crusty exterior of the man to the deep emotions and his enduring loyalty. Can she pierce the impenetrable wall surrounding his broken heart? Will she be able to vanquish the ghost who keeps him from loving again?

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A Match Made In Texas

Copyright © 2011 by Anne Marie Novark

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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Dedication

To Judy, Angele, Aunt Louise, Julie and Belinda.

Thanks for the continued support and encouragement.

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PROLOGUE

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kelsey McCade watched as her Uncle Dallas kissed his new bride. She let out a big sigh and tried to be happy. Hey, it wasn't everyday you got another aunt. She liked her new Aunt Gillian, just like she adored Aunt Jessie. Her Uncle Cameron had married Aunt Jessie last year. And Aunt Tori was cool, but she was away at college.

Kelsey sighed again and glanced around the church. Aunts were nice, but what she really wanted was a mother. It wasn't fair that hers had died in childbirth and she never got the chance to know her.

Looking at the bridal party, Kelsey caught her Uncle Tyler's eye. He winked, and she grinned back. Uncle Tyler was her favorite uncle. He was good-looking and fun to be with. He stood next to her dad, who looked extremely uncomfortable in his black tuxedo.

Kelsey thought her dad looked very handsome. He also looked sad. He always looked sad. That was another reason she wanted a mother. Her dad needed a wife. Someone to love him and take care of him.

At the ripe age of twelve, Kelsey knew she wouldn't always be there for her father. Soon, she would be in high school. Then she would go away to college. She didn't want her dad to be alone. Oh sure, Grams would take care of him. And Grams certainly loved her dad. But it wasn't the same.

Her dad had been sad and lonely for a long time. Kelsey knew he had loved her mother desperately. They had been high school sweethearts. They had married while still in college because they couldn't wait to start their life together. After graduation, they came back to the Diamondback Ranch, built a house on the north farm, and should have lived happily ever after.

But they only had one happy year together. Her mother had died while giving birth to Kelsey. And Dad had never been the same after that.

Kelsey tried not to feel guilty about causing her mother's death. Dad said it wasn't her fault. Sometimes, things like that just happened, he said. She wished with all her heart, she could do something to make up for it all. She wanted to do something to make her dad happy again. That was the main reason she wanted a new mother. For her dad.

Kelsey was also a little selfish and wanted a mother for herself. All the girls at school had mothers. Some of the time, they pretended not to like them. But Kelsey noticed how special the relationships were. How the girls could always talk to their mothers about stuff.
Girl stuff
.

Now that she was getting older, Kelsey wanted and needed a mother. Dad was a great father. A good friend, as well. But he was a man. And Grams was a dear, but she was getting old.

Kelsey realized there would be advantages and disadvantages to having another woman in the house. First of all, she would have to share her father. But surely the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages. Best of all, Kelsey already had someone picked out. Someone, she liked and admired.

The trouble would be getting her dad to cooperate. The few times Kelsey had managed to throw the couple together, her dad had acted like a total jerk. There was no other way to describe it.

Grams always said her sons were stubborn as mules. And Kelsey's dad was the most stubborn of them all.

Watching her Uncle Dallas and Aunt Gillian walk down the aisle after the ceremony, Kelsey figured it was time for action. If she didn't do something soon, her dad would be sad and lonely for the rest of his life. And that was something Kelsey was determined to prevent.

CHAPTER ONE

Austin McCade sat in his daughter's classroom, waiting for the teacher to arrive. He squirmed in the small seat, his long legs cramped beneath the desk. Glancing at his watch, then toward the large clock on the wall, he drummed his fingers on the smooth surface of the desk. He was a busy man. He had a farm to run. Land to cultivate. Crops to rotate.

What in the world was Kelsey up to? His daughter was an excellent student. She always received high marks on all of her papers and report cards. She behaved in school. Well, most of the time anyway. She got along with the other kids as far as he knew. He was proud of his baby girl.

Austin took a deep breath. He didn't like to admit it to himself, but Kelsey wasn't a baby any longer. Hadn't been for a long time. It didn't seem like twelve years had passed since she was born. Twelve years since Deborah had died and left him alone with their child.

Ignoring the faint wash of anger and pain at that thought, Austin ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at the clock again. If Kelsey's teacher didn't come soon, he was out of here.

Looking around the room, he noted that the building hadn't changed much since he had attended school. Still the same white walls, green doors, and tile floors. The desks looked new and the computers certainly hadn't been there in his days as a student.

The door opened. Austin's attention turned to the woman entering the classroom. He stood and watched her walk toward him. Miss Theresa Rogers was another reason he was so edgy this afternoon. She had been Kelsey's teacher a couple of years ago. He had had some contact with her then. She always made him edgy. He didn't like it.

"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting," she said with an apologetic smile.

"No problem." Austin tried not to stare. She was wearing a light blue dress that showed her legs to advantage. Long, gorgeous legs. He swallowed hard, waiting until she sat down, before resuming his seat.

Miss Rogers arranged a stack of papers on her desk. She bit her bottom lip, before folding her hands and clearing her throat. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." She cleared her throat again.

Austin realized she was stalling for time. Anxiety crept up his spine. Was Kelsey having trouble in one of her classes? Had she done something really bad?

Wouldn't he know if something was really wrong? He and his daughter had a good relationship. Except some days were busy. Chaotic, as a matter of fact. Sometimes, they saw each other only in passing. Not really talking. Barely interacting. On the other hand, on the days she had soccer practice they had some time together. He drove her to practice and usually made a point to stay and watch.

Had he been neglecting Kelsey? Was she in trouble?

"Look," Austin said, "give it to me straight. What's wrong with Kelsey? You didn't say much over the phone."

"I didn't want to discuss this over the phone," Miss Rogers said. "You know I enjoyed having Kelsey in the fourth grade. And I'm really happy to have a chance to teach her again in the sixth. This is a good class; a great group of students. It's interesting to see how the children have grown and developed."

"I'm sure you didn't call this meeting to tell me how thrilled you are with your new teaching assignment. What's going on, Miss Rogers?" Austin asked. He was having a hard time concentrating on the subject at hand. Theresa Rogers was too attractive for his piece of mind. No teacher had a right to be that pretty. The teachers certainly hadn't looked like her when he'd been in school.

"Please, call me Theresa. We've known each other for two years now." She smiled a kilowatt smile.

"I'd prefer to keep this on a professional level,
Miss Rogers
. Now, what has Kelsey done?"

He knew he was being abrupt, almost rude. That was probably because he was almost tempted to accept her invitation for a friendlier relationship. Almost, but not quite. Fact was, he didn't
do
relationships. As attracted as he was to the woman sitting across from him, he still didn't want any kind of involvement.

So he tried to ignore the way her smooth creamy skin, with a hint of color on the high cheekbones, beckoned his touch. Tried to ignore those expressive green eyes and the small upturned nose set in the oval-shaped face. The chin-length hair, the color of mahogany, flipping at the ends. He ignored the urge to run his fingers through the silky tresses, untucking it from behind her ears. And most of all, he tried to ignore her made-for-kissing lips.

Yes, he was tempted. A man had physical needs that couldn't be completely repressed, no matter how hard he tried.

Austin watched the kilowatt smile flicker, then fade. He told himself it didn't matter.

"All right,
Mr. McCade
," she said, lifting her chin. "If that's what you prefer. I called you because I'm deeply concerned about Kelsey. Her behavior has taken a one hundred and eighty degree swing from two years ago. I know we've only been in school a few weeks, but Kelsey seems different. Is there something going on at home I need to know about?"

Austin stared into the dark green eyes. Bewitching eyes. Mesmerizing eyes. He refused to submit to their power. He was here because of his daughter. He shouldn't even be thinking about her teacher in any other capacity.

He dragged his attention away from her eyes. "Nothing out of the ordinary is happening at home," he said. "I don't understand what you mean. Has Kelsey been getting into trouble? I haven't received any conduct notices or anything."

"We don't send conduct notes home in junior high," she said, moistening her lips with her tongue. "Although, I have sent a couple of messages home. She obviously hasn't given them to you. That's why I called this meeting today."

Austin nearly groaned out loud at the sight of that pink tongue. The woman was driving him crazy, and she didn't even know it. "What has Kelsey been doing? She hasn't acted any differently at home. Except for developing a certain attitude. I thought that was normal behavior for a pre-teen."

Miss Rogers smiled. "Yes, that's normal. And junior high can be difficult for some kids. Kelsey's behavior could be the result of new pressures, social situations, or maybe it's hormones. They start to run rampant at this age."

"So, what exactly has she done?" Austin tried to find a more comfortable position in the tiny chair. His legs were going to sleep from the cramped conditions, and he was growing hard from the close proximity of the woman in front of him. Hormones could run rampant at any age, he thought, clenching his jaw in painful frustration.

"Kelsey is a good girl. An excellent student," said Miss Rogers. "It's just little things, really. Like talking in class, not raising her hand before being called on, ignoring me when I'm speaking . . . passing notes." She picked up a crumpled piece of paper from her desk and handed it to him.