The Cowboy Imports a Bride(The Cowboys Of Chance Creek #3) (12 page)

"I know you could have used help, and I'm sorry I left you in the lurch," he said.

Ned gaped at him. Jake's brow smoothed. "Well, I don't blame you for being in a rush to get hitched, under the circumstances."

"You don't mind I beat you to the punch?" Rob said. Hell, this was practically turning into a conversation. When was the last time he'd had one with his brothers? Usually it was all orders and snide remarks.

"I didn't say that," Jake tilted his hat back and scratched his forehead. "I thought about it, but I couldn't come up with anyone I wanted to get hitched to that bad."

Ned sneered. "Rob's not really getting hitched. He and Morgan have some kind of a deal."

"That right?" Jake straightened and looked Rob in the eye.

"No. That ain't right. We're getting married and staying married. There's just one thing."

"What's that?" Jake asked.

"I promised Morgan I'd help her start her business, so I need more cash. I gotta find a job, quick. Dad says I need to keep working the ranch, though – even after I'm married. How am I supposed to work full time for him and get another job, too? And what's the point of getting that land if I'm never there to work it?"

"See, he's slacking off again," Ned said to Jake, scowling. "He was going to go off and get some job and leave us in the lurch."

"Stow it," Jake told him. He turned back to Rob. "How much you need?"

"Twelve grand."

"In one month?" Jake's eyebrows rose.

Rob tried to shove his hands in his pockets and remembered he was wearing a suit. "Yeah. I know. It's hard enough without Dad acting like a slave driver."

"What kind of business does Morgan want to start?"

Looking from one brother to the other, Rob realized he was about to have a whole new problem on his hands. When his father had said he wouldn't meddle once he'd turned over the 200 acres, Rob had taken him at his word. Now he saw what a fool he'd been.

"A winery," he mumbled.

"A winery?" Ned repeated, loudly. "What the hell does that mean?"

Jake stared him, comprehension dawning. "You're going to turn that pasture-land into a vineyard? Are you crazy?"

"Not all of it. Just Morgan's half."

"You're going to grow grapes?" Ned said. More guests were turning their way.

"Shut up. We'll talk about it later. I'm going to open up a rodeo training school, too. Maybe I'll partner up with Jamie, raising horses. It's no big deal."

"That Matheson land has been used for raising cattle for over 100 years," Jake said, leaning forward to emphasize his point. "It's not meant for cultivation. You better change your mind about that winery right now."

"Dad's going to blow his stack," Ned said. He seemed pretty happy about the idea.

"You keep your mouths shut," Rob said. "This is Claire and Jamie's wedding. Don't you turn it into a family feud."

Jake pressed his lips together. "Fine. We'll keep it under wraps. For today. But tomorrow I'm letting Dad know your plans for that land. We'll see what he has to say about it."

"And he'll have plenty to say," Ned said.

* * * * *

"I haven't forgotten, you know," Claire said several hours later, when darkness had fallen and couples swayed to the music on the lawn lit by fairy lights and candles on the tables. The effect was beautiful, and Morgan was bursting with happiness that she wouldn't have to fly back to Canada when the weekend was over. This was her home now; right here in Chance Creek, the most beautiful place in the world.

"What do you mean?"

"About the dates my mother was with you in Canada. You promised you'd write them down."

Morgan had, reluctantly. She had a typed up list in her luggage at the Matheson ranch, the dates as close as she'd been able to reconstruct from memory.

"Do we really need to do this?" she asked, trying to keep the pain from her voice. Couldn't Claire accept her existence and work with her to build the friendship that was growing between them? Why did she have to pursue a line of questioning that may well bring them both more heartache?

"Yes. I'm sorry," Claire looked frustrated, "I know you don't agree with me, but I have to know what Aria was doing. I can't…rest until I know all her secrets."

"Do you really think we'll ever know them all?" Morgan asked. They were sitting in two of the folding chairs dropped off by the rental company this morning. Jamie had excused himself for a moment. Apparently Claire had been waiting for the opportunity to confront her.

"Maybe not, but I have to try. There are dates she was missing and money that's still gone. I need to know where it went." She glanced sideways at Morgan. "And if you know anything you're not telling me – even if it's something you think I won't want to hear – please tell me now. I'm going to keep digging until I find out, anyway."

Morgan frowned. "You think I'm holding something back?" Well, she was, wasn't she? She could have written down those dates weeks ago and sent them to her sister.

Claire looked at the hands clasped in her lap. "I don't want to think that, but I've barely known you a month. You came out of nowhere and you're one of the secrets my mother kept." Her voice wobbled a little, but then she steadied it again. "My mother is on my mind all the time these days. She should be here, you know? But since she isn't, I want to know everything I can about her – about what she was up to before she died."

She lifted a pleading gaze to Morgan, and Morgan had to relent. "Okay, I'll do whatever I can to help. I'll drop the list by your house tomorrow, and when you come back from your honeymoon, we can work on the mystery together, okay?"

"Thanks." Claire reached out and hugged her. "I'm glad you're here."

Morgan hugged her back, but she couldn't help feeling a flicker of dread.

* * * * *

As the night's shadows deepened and the stars winked overhead, Rob decided he'd had enough socializing. All around him, couples swayed together on the lawn, or stole kisses from each other, and the whole atmosphere seemed charged with lust and possibilities.

He found Morgan chatting with Autumn, and made an excuse to separate her from her friend. Then he took her hand and led her toward the lane where his truck was parked.

"What are we doing? I don't want to miss it when Claire and Jamie leave," Morgan said, but she clung to his hand, a little unsteady from all the champagne he'd plied her with over the course of the evening.

"I want to show you something," he said.

"Now? In your truck?"

"We could walk, but driving is faster. And you said you wanted to be back in time to see the happy couple off." He nuzzled her neck and slipped a kiss behind her ear, then helped her into the passenger seat. Her long dress made her clumsy, and Rob took every opportunity to slide his hands over her body as he settled her in his seat. By the time he fastened her seatbelt and closed the door on her, his own body was thrumming with desire.

The ride out past Jamie and Claire's house only took a few minutes. Where the dirt track petered out, he parked the truck and went to help Morgan out again. She slid off the seat into his arms, and it was all he could do not to lean her against the truck and take her right then and there, but first he wanted to show her their land.

"You do realize I'm wearing high heels," she said a few minutes later as she wobbled over the range grass. He kept an arm firmly around her waist and made sure she didn't fall. The land sloped down to Chance Creek, the boundary between the Cruz and Matheson ranches. On the other side of the water was the 200 acres his father would give them. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Morgan said a few moments later when they'd negotiated their way down the slope. She giggled after nearly taking another spill. Bending down, she took off first one shoe, then the other and tossed them away.

"I want to show you our land."

Morgan held back, gazing at the creek. "We can't cross that; I'm wearing a bridesmaid's dress."

"It's shallow here," Rob said. "This is the shortcut Ethan and I used when we were kids to get to each other's houses. It took far too long to go around by the road. Trust me; you'll be fine." He took off his shoes and rolled up his pant legs.

"Oh, it's cold!" Morgan shrieked when she stepped in.

"Come on, city girl, you can handle it." He supported her carefully as they picked their way across the water, and then swung her into his arms as he climbed up the opposite bank. He strode up the hill on the other side and deposited her at the top. "See?"

Morgan looked around. "No, actually I don't. It's pretty dark."

"It's beautiful, trust me. People will be in awe when they come to the tasting room."

"Do you think there ever will be a tasting room?" Morgan asked wistfully. "It's hard to believe everything could work out so well."

"I guarantee you there will be a tasting room," he said, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her, cradling her head with his hand and taking the opportunity to hold every inch of her pressed against every inch of him. When he couldn't wait any longer, he released her, shrugged off his coat, lay it carefully on the ground, and began to unbutton his dress shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"As much as you'll let me," he said with a grin.

"Here?" She looked around them. "We can't…"

"Sure we can. No one will see us – they're all at the wedding. Let's consecrate this ground right now." He stripped the shirt off and tossed it aside, then got to work on his pants. "You going to join me, or stand there staring?" He could just make out the contours of her face in the dim light of the stars. She was smiling, but still unsure.

"I think I'll watch for now."

"For now," he agreed. He took his time unzipping his pants and stepping out of them. Then he stripped off his boxers and stood naked, except for his hat, to accept her inspection.

"I think I need to take a closer look," she said, and moved toward him.

Rob waited as patiently as he could, and was rewarded with a stroke of her hand over his shoulder, his chest and down to his waist. She followed this with a series of kisses, moving feather-light over his skin. Up to his chin, down his neck and chest, over to one nipple, then to the other. When she finally dipped lower, he stifled a groan and laced his fingers together behind his head to keep from taking her face in them and guiding her to where he wanted her to go.

She went there on her own, caressing him with her mouth, taking him deep inside and moving him in and out until he could barely breathe anymore. She knelt before him, her beautiful dress puddled around her like the petals of a flower. As she tended to him, love for her swelled until he thought his heart would burst.

As Morgan slid her hands around him, cupped his ass and drew him deeper, he had to steady himself by holding her shoulders. He allowed one hand to tangle in her thick, dark curls and she moaned as he gently guided her, taking more of him into her mouth.

When he was so close he could hardly stand it, he withdrew from her despite her protests. It was her turn now. He wanted her as ready as he was; he wanted them to go over the edge together.

He pulled her to her feet, turned her around and undid the fastenings of her dress. Sliding it off of her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him, slipping his hands under her bra to squeeze her breasts. Morgan moaned again and he tilted her forward to undo the clasp. She flung the bra away and pulled his hands back to cup her again, pressing against him as he played with her nipples.

To his delight, he realized she had been hiding a garter, sheer stockings and a thong under that dress. The garter straps framed her ass nicely and he decided she could keep that particular item of clothing on. The thong had to go, and he took care of it with a single, strong tug, then he pulled her back close, slid his hands to her thighs and ground her against him.

This time he was the one who moaned, although Morgan's breath hitched and he knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He wished he could make love to her the good old-fashioned way, but he was determined not to cross her boundaries. Sliding one hand down her body, he found her as lush and ready for him as he was for her. He half-led, half-nudged her over to an old fallen log, all that was left of an enormous pine that stood sentinel here when he was a child. Guiding her to bend forward, he placed her hands on the horizontal trunk, nudged her legs apart with his own, and crouched behind her, tipping back his head and tasting her delicious warmth.

Morgan expelled a rush of air that told him he'd done the right thing. He loved the look of her ass high above him, loved the taste of her on his tongue. His hands on her spread thighs, he felt her begin to quiver as he continued his ministrations.

When she was wet and gasping, he reached under her to take one breast in his hand, kneading it and pinching her nipple until she was whimpering above him. Still he kept up his sensual attack, so turned on by the taste of her he ached with wanting a more intimate touch.

"Rob," Morgan said, her voice ragged.

With one last caress, he stood up behind her, positioned himself between her legs and began to slide back and forth, letting his hardness caress her slick folds. She let out another breath as she realized he wasn't going to try to cross the boundary she'd set. He placed his hands on her hips and she moaned aloud as he slid between her thighs.

A moment later, she lifted one of her own hands between her legs and cradled the length of him against her, adding another layer of friction to what was already becoming unbearably sensual. He sped up, sliding against her core and her hand, becoming so hard he thought he couldn't hang on.

Reaching around again to cup her breast, he rolled her nipple between his fingertips. Morgan cried aloud and shuddered into her release, calling out again and again as he bucked against her, going over the edge with her.

When they were done, they collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs against the side of the fallen log. Rob pulled Morgan onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her softly.