The Great Texas Wedding Bargain (17 page)

Rick had lied to her. He had hidden something from her. But he wasn’t Drake Moody. He was a good man, and he loved her. With a sigh, she smiled.

“I choose you, Rick Astin, as long as you understand that I come with some baggage. Namely, Faith, Torie and Drew.”

Almost as she finished her last words, Rick’s lips covered her in a soul-searing kiss, made even more stunning by the promise in his touch.

When he finally raised his head, he whispered, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Megan beamed at him. “You know, I made the best wedding bargain ever when I asked you to marry me.”

Rick frowned. “I’m worried our children will think I’m a wimp when they hear that
you
proposed to
me.
”

“I even seduced you,” she added, a saucy grin on her lips that made him kiss her again.

“Hmm, I’m going to have to think of a way to prove my manhood,” he whispered, his lips traveling to her neck.

“I think—”

The phone rang again.

“Damn it, won’t anybody leave us alone?” Rick exclaimed.

Megan left his embrace and answered the phone, grinning at him over her shoulder.

Mac was calling. “Megan, I have some news for you.”

She flashed a look at Rick that brought him to her side, his arms going around her.

“What is it?”

“Drake Moody is dead.”

She gasped and Rick took the phone from her ear. “What did you say?”

“Rick, Drake Moody is dead.”

“What? How?”

“Apparently he was celebrating his release and got drunk. He hit a tree going ninety miles an hour.”

“So it’s all over?”

“Yeah. I don’t think his parents will sue for custody.”

“No, I don’t, either. Thanks for calling, Mac.”

He repeated the conversation for Megan’s benefit.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She breathed a deep sigh. “So all our worry was for nothing. We didn’t need to move here. I didn’t have to marry you. It was all for nothing.”

Rick’s heart stopped. “Megan—”

Her arms went around his neck and a brilliant smile lit up her face. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world!”

Still worried, he asked, “Because you’ll have custody of the kids?”

“That, of course, but…but I found you. I found my belief in love and marriage. I found happiness. If I hadn’t come here and done those things, I’d still be an angry, bitter woman in Fort Worth.” Something about his stillness must have alarmed her. “You do still want me, don’t you?”

He gave her a kiss that knocked her socks off. “Want you? I’ll always want and love you, sweetheart. And I’m going to prove it to you right now.”

He swept her into his arms and started up the stairs.

“But I should call Mom and let her know she can come home. I mean, here.”

“You had the right word. This is home, for all of us. But we’re going to have a couple of hours of honeymoon first, wife. We’ve earned it. And I can’t wait any longer.”

Megan convinced him of her agreement without speaking a word.

“Megan, Rick called me about the child care program!” Samantha said, as Megan entered her office a month later. “I’m so excited about it.”

Smiling, Megan agreed that it was wonderful.

“And I heard he’s putting computers in the schools. He’s even starting a company right here in Cactus. He’s doing all those things we talked about at dinner that night.”

“I know. He’s wonderful, isn’t he?” Her contented smile told Samantha she believed her words.

“Yes, he is, but don’t tell Mac I said that. He might get jealous,” she warned with a chuckle.

Megan laughed, too.

“Everything’s turned out so well. I’m glad for both of you,” Samantha said. “All you need now is a baby on the way, and you’ll be as happy as me.”

Megan continued to smile. “That’s why I’m early. I think we’d better run a test.”

Samantha sprang to her feet, which wasn’t easy since she was getting bigger every day. “A test? You mean you think you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. I think I’m pregnant.” She was pretty sure, actually. And she suspected she got that way the first night she and Rick made love.

A few minutes later, she was proved right.

“Is Rick going to be happy?” Samantha asked. “After all, you already have your sister’s children.”

“He’ll be thrilled. But meet us at dinner tonight at The Last Roundup and you can ask him yourself. Cal and Jessica, Tuck and Alex and Spence and Melanie are coming. We’re going to celebrate our good fortune and thank all of you for your support.”

“Wonderful! When are you going to tell Rick?”

“As soon as I get home from work.”

A few hours later, she reached the house. Though she’d suspected her pregnancy, she hadn’t said a word to Rick. She wanted to be sure before she told him.

“Where’s Rick?” she asked her mother as she entered.

“I believe he went to the barn to talk to Jose,” Faith said. She was putting dishes in the dishwasher.

“Are the kids down for their naps?”

“Yes, though Torie protested. She thinks she’s getting too old for a nap.” Faith sighed. “The only way I got her to lie down was to tell her Flower was a growing dog and needed her rest. They’re in bed together.”

Megan grinned. When she’d been a child, her mother hadn’t wanted any pets in the house. How things had changed in a glorious, wonderful way.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

She hurried to the barn. Rick had hired Jose as his foreman, upping his pay considerably, so he could quit and manage his own place sooner. Now there were several men to work under Jose.

Rick had combined ranching with a return to business that gave him the best of two worlds. And a lot of time to spend with his family.

And making love to her.

“Rick?” she called as she entered the barn.

“Back here, Meg,” he called and she heard his boots as he hurried to meet her.

Even with Jose behind him, he swept her into his arms for a mind-blowing kiss. “You’re home,” he murmured into her ears. “Hang on a second, and I’ll be free.”

She smiled and he finished giving directions to Jose, his arm wrapped around her.

Jose, after nodding to her, left the barn, and Rick turned his attention completely to her. “Want to go take a nap?” His suggestive grin told her what he had in mind.

“Mmm, yes. Samantha suggested I take a nap.”

“Really? Were you sleepy at the office? I didn’t think we stayed up too late last night.”

“We didn’t, but in my condition—”

She waited for the other shoe to drop. It didn’t take long.

“You’re pregnant? Really?” He whooped and lifted her into his arms, spinning around.

When he finally put her down, she asked, “Why are you surprised? You’ve been working on it ever since that first night.”

His cheeks flamed. “You figured that out?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I know I should’ve protected you, but…but you were giving yourself to me. I figured we were committed to each other, and…and I wanted you to carry my child.” He cleared his throat. “But it was instinctive, not planned. I wasn’t trying to force you into anything. Are you happy about the baby?”

She loved his frown, his loving concern. He was naturally bossy, but she was keeping him on his toes. And she wanted this baby as much as he did.

Their family was going to grow.

But that would only make life better.

“Oh, yes, I’m happy.”

In Rick’s arms, she always would be.