brides for brothers 04 - cowboy surrender (8 page)

He cleared his throat, wondering if she’d intentionally forgotten to fasten the last two buttons on the dress. “Hi, B.J. You look nice.”

“Thank you.” She came down the hall and knelt down next to Toby and Jake. “Give me a goodbye hug, sweetie. And be good for Aunt Mildred.”

Toby slung his arm around his mother’s neck and hugged her, leaving Jake an unobstructed view of the top of B.J.’s dress, too. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, as he eyed the shadowy V formed by the valley between her breasts.

B.J. stood and called down the hall, “We’re leaving, Mildred.”

Jake stood and stepped toward the door.

“Bye, Mr. Jake,” Toby said.

The touch of sadness in the little boy’s voice had Jake flashing a look of alarm at B.J. “We could change our plans, go somewhere—”

“I already tried. Besides, I can’t let Toby con me. He wouldn’t have any respect for me. Right, Toby?”

“Aw, Mommy,” the little boy protested, but he grinned.

Mildred joined them. “You two get along, now. You don’t want to miss your reservation.”

Jake stepped aside for B.J. to precede him out the door. Then he followed to open her truck door, receiving a raised eyebrow but no comment from her. Once he got behind the wheel, however, she had a question.

“Reservations? I didn’t know there was a restaurant around here that took reservations.”

“There’s a new restaurant in Wyndom.”

“Wyndom? That’s fifty miles away.”

“I know.” He hadn’t meant to sound irritated, but he’d already put in a long day. To drive almost an hour just to eat made him weary.

She stared at him, her face expressionless, before saying, “This evening wasn’t your idea, was it?”

“Did you think it was? You’re the one who asked that we continue the charade. I figured you planned the evening.” A quick glance at her had him adding, “Not that I object to spending an evening with a beautiful woman, but…”

B.J. bit down on her bottom lip. “I think I’ve been had.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think Mildred believed our story.”

Jake shrugged. “It was kind of sudden.”

“It was your idea. I guess it wasn’t such a good one.”

“You didn’t think it was at the time. I didn’t expect you to want to continue with it.” If she was going to criticize him, he wanted to remind her that they were together tonight because of her, not him.

It was dark in the truck, but he could feel her embarrassment. “I didn’t know what else to do,” she explained stiffly.

He felt like a heel. “Hey, it’s no big deal. Relax and enjoy the evening. I owe you one for Friday night, anyway. It would’ve been a miserable evening with Ceci in pursuit”

B.J. said nothing.

It was going to be a long drive.

B
Y THE TIME THEY REACHED
the restaurant, B.J.’s stomach was tied in knots. A combination of worry about Mildred and worry about resisting Jake’s charm made conversation almost impossible with the incredibly handsome man next to her.

“We’re here. Let’s see if this dinner is worth the drive,” Jake drawled, smiling at her, inviting her to share his amusement.

“Yes,” she agreed, clearing her throat. She didn’t wait for him to come around and open her door. Sliding down from the pickup, she straightened her skirt and turned toward the restaurant door.

“I’ve never seen you dressed so, uh, nice,” Jake said, placing his hand in the small of her back to guide her.

She pulled away.

“B.J., you’re going to have to stop acting like I’m poison. Otherwise, people will never believe we’re dating.”

“I’m not sure that’s what we should be doing,” she whispered.

He clutched her waist and pulled her to a halt. “Now, wait a minute. Is this the same woman who drove all the way out to the pasture to ask me to cooperate? Isn’t that why we’re here tonight?”

“I don’t know, Jake,” B.J. wailed softly. “I’m confused. I think Mildred doesn’t believe our story. But should we try to convince her? Or should we give up? I don’t know what to do.”

Jake tipped up her chin. “We should go inside and enjoy a nice dinner. That’s what we should do. We’ll decide how to proceed after we eat.” He brushed her lips with his. “I’m no good making decisions on an empty stomach.”

As if he were sure of her agreement, Jake took her arm and led her toward the door.

Maybe he was right. All this stewing would do her no good. And why waste a good evening? After all, ever since arriving at the ranch, she’d dreamed of a date with Jake Randall.

Not that this was really a date. But she could enjoy it, even so if she’d relax. With a deep breath, she stepped into the restaurant. This far from the ranch, they’d be truly alone, and she planned to enjoy the evening.

Jake echoed her thoughts as he whispered, “We probably won’t see anyone we know, anyway.”

To their surprise, the lobby of the restaurant was filled with prospective diners. Jake stepped forward and gave his name to the maître d’.

“Of course, Mr. Randall, your table will be ready in just a moment.”

Before Jake could turn away, another man approached the maître d’. “Look, we’ve been waiting for forty-five minutes. Are you sure you don’t have anything?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“Ben?” Jake recognized his neighbor and long-time friend.

“Oh, Jake, I didn’t see you.” It was Ben Turnbull, a rancher from near the Randall spread.

“You waiting for a table?”

“Yeah. I hope you don’t have much of an appetite, ’cause we’ve been waiting more than three-quarters of an hour.”

“Your table is ready, Mr. Randall,” the maître d’ said, interrupting them.

Ben shrugged and turned back to join his wife.

“I’m glad Red made a reservation for us,” Jake muttered, taking B.J.’s arm as they followed in the wake of their guide.

“That was Ben Turnbull, wasn’t it?” B.J. asked. She’d met the man once before, but not his wife.

“Yeah. They’ve been waiting for a table for forty-five minutes.”

They reached a secluded table for four.

Jake’s gaze met B.J.’s, a question in it.

She frowned, sure it wouldn’t be a good idea to offer to share their table, but like Jake, she couldn’t refuse. “Of course.”

Jake smiled and turned to the maître d’. “Would you ask Mr. Turnbull if he and his wife would like to join us?”

The man nodded and hurried back to the front of the restaurant. Almost immediately the Turnbulls joined them.

“Jake, are you sure we’re not intruding?”

“Not at all. Hello, Lucy. Have you met B. J. Anderson?”

The two women exchanged greetings and sat down. B.J. liked the friendliness of the other woman. Though she’d met most of the men in the county, she hadn’t come into contact with many of the women.

“We’re celebrating our wedding anniversary,” Lucy confessed shyly after their orders had been taken. “We’ve been married three years.”

There was a glow on her face that told B.J. the romance certainly hadn’t gone out of her marriage. It gave B.J. an unexpected hunger for that contentment. Her own marriage had been a good one, the short time it had lasted. But she and Darrell had been friends more than passionate lovers.

Ben reached out and took Lucy’s hand. “We’re celebratin’ something else, too. Can I tell ’em, sweetheart?” She nodded, and Ben added, “We’re going to have a baby. We just found out today.”

“Congratulations,” Jake offered, a big smile on his face. B.J. added hers, also.

“I guess you know a lot about babies now, Jake, don’t you? What with all your brothers’ doings.”

“Well, Ben, I know a lot more than I did last year at this time. We’ve got the twins, you know, and then Megan’s expecting in about six weeks.”

“How exciting,” Lucy said softly.

“Yes, ma’am, it’s exciting, all right. The next generation of Randalls. Our ranch has been passed down from father to son for four generations. I didn’t want that to stop.”

“That’s why Jake set out to matchmake,” Ben added, a grin on his face. “Right, Jake?”

B.J. watched Jake, fascinated with the man beside her. She hadn’t seen him interact with others much, just his brothers.

Now his cheeks reddened, and he looked hurriedly at B.J. before turning back to Ben. “I don’t know that I’d call it matchmaking, Ben. Just a little nudge in the right direction. And Pete managed on his own.”

“Yeah, with Janie’s help,” Ben agreed with a laugh.

“Are you and B.J. celebrating something?” Lucy asked.

B.J., thinking about the Randall brothers, froze, almost choking on the drink of water she’d just taken. “No!” she protested.

“Yeah,” Jake contradicted. “We’re celebrating getting away from the family.” With a grin, he added, “They’re a great bunch, but at the rate we’re growing, they’re a real crowd.”

“Ah. You two wanted to be alone, and here we are horning in,” Ben concluded.

“No, no, that’s not a problem,” B.J. hurriedly said. “It was the lure of real tablecloths that got me.” She offered a smile and desperately tried to think of a change of subject.

Ben roared with laughter. “Yeah, I bet! I can just see Jake Randall yearning for real tablecloths.”

“Now, Ben, stop teasing. These two should be able to enjoy a night out without having to offer an explanation. I’m just glad you decided to share your table. I get tired so quickly these days,” she said, smiling at B.J.

Seizing the topic of pregnancy, B.J. talked to Lucy about the difficulties of having a baby, and the two men dealt with ranch topics.

Just as B.J. was beginning to feel comfortable, Lucy leaned closer and asked, “How long have you two been dating?”

“N-not long,” B.J. stammered. “We’re really just friends.”

Lucy smiled. “That may be true, but I haven’t seen Jake out with a woman since—why, I guess, since his divorce, five years ago.”

“I’m sure he’s, uh, dated some since then. Probably in Casper or—or somewhere.”

“Jake?” Lucy asked, leaning toward the men and interrupting their conversation. B.J. wanted to shush her, but she couldn’t figure how to do it without calling more attention to the topic.

“Yeah, Lucy?”

“I don’t recall you dating anyone since your divorce. Until tonight, that is. Am I right?”

B.J. wanted to die of embarrassment as Jake stared at her. She knew he must be wondering what she was doing.

“I think you’re right, Lucy. I was kind of snakebitten after Chloe.”

“I don’t blame you,” Ben said with a shudder. “Beautiful woman, but not our kind.”

“Nope. Not our kind,” Jake agreed, his gaze still on B.J. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to tell him she hadn’t intended to put him on the spot.

“You’ve made a better choice this time around. B.J. is a great lady,” Ben added with a grin.

“She’s no slouch in the looks department, either,” Jake said. He, too, was grinning, and B.J. wanted to strangle him.

She murmured a thank-you and said a silent prayer of gratitude that their orders arrived to end the conversation. Perhaps if she ate in a hurry, the evening could end before any more damage was done.

After a few minutes, Lucy brought the conversation around to Anna, Jake’s sister-in-law. “Do you think Anna will take me on as a patient?”

“I’m sure she will.”

“I heard she was cutting back since her marriage to Brett.”

Jake answered. “You’re close by. I’m sure she’ll want to help you out. Unless she’s expecting herself.”

“Oh? You wanting more babies, Jake?” Ben asked.

“You can’t have too many babies. We want the Randalls to continue for generations to come.”

“Good thing the first two were boys, then. What if you had all girls? I hope ours is a boy.”

B.J. wondered what Jake’s response would be. Not that it mattered, but she hated the way some men only wanted sons.

“Same blood, whether it’s a boy or a girl, Ben. It’s your family. That’s what counts.” With a sigh, Jake added, “In fact, I think I might like a little girl. They’re awful sweet.”

“Maybe you should have one yourself,” Lucy suggested, with a sly look at B.J.

Though his gaze settled on B.J.’s red cheeks, Jake said, “Nah. I’m not suited to marriage. We’ve already proved that the hard way.”

“Jake, you just made the wrong choice,” Ben insisted. “B.J.’s not like Chloe.”

“The weather has certainly been nice this fall,” B.J. said in strangled tones. Her attempt to steer the conversation in another direction was a total failure.

Ben grinned at her. “Sorry, B.J. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but this guy deserves happiness like the rest of us.”

She was at a loss as to how to respond.

“B.J.’s a little shy,” Jake said, grinning. “I don’t think she’s dated much since her husband died.”

B.J. almost groaned out loud. Jake had managed to shift the conversation from himself to her, but the topic remained the same.

“When did your husband die?” Lucy asked.

B.J. couldn’t refuse to answer, not with the sympathetic smile Lucy offered her. “Four years ago. About six months after our son was born.”

“You have a little boy? I didn’t know that. So he’s four?”

B.J. nodded.

Jake joined in. “Yeah, Toby’s a neat kid. And growing like a weed. Did you notice, B.J.? I think he’s grown almost a foot since you moved in.”

She nodded again.

“I gave Toby one of Molly’s pups, and you never see one without the other except for the hours he’s at school.”

“It’s hard being an only child,” Lucy said. “I was so lonely until I started school. We don’t want our baby to be an only.”

B.J. hadn’t wanted Toby to be an only child, either, but sometimes life had other plans than the ones you made. She looked up and realized Jake’s gaze was on her. She looked back down at her food.

“It’s not too late for B.J. to have more children, either,” Ben offered, as if that idea had just occurred to him. “After all, you’re not exactly over the hill, B.J.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. “This food is certainly delicious. Jake, I hope you think it was worth the drive. He was questioning the wisdom of driving this far for a dinner just before we got here.” This conversational gambit was more successful than the weather had been earlier. But B.J. was beginning to wonder if their dinner companions would discuss anything but weddings and babies.