Page 99 of Texas Honor

“She’s a writer!”

“Just a person,” he emphasized, “with a marvelous talent and a lot of sensitivity. Writing is what she does, not what she is. You’ll see what I mean when you meet her.” He pursed his lips. “She threw a pie at John and dumped spaghetti on him. She stranded him on a country road with a broken-down car—my God, he was lucky to have survived until she agreed to marry him.”

“Sounds like a rough courtship,” she remarked.

“It was. He made her pregnant,” he said softly. “And she tried to run, thinking that he’d only want her out of misplaced responsibility.”

Her eyes searched his. “And did he?”

Gabe smiled. “He’d loved her for years. She didn’t know, until then.”

“What a nice ending.”

“They thought so. John’s brother, Donald, was sweet on her, but he gave up with good grace, went off to France and married a pretty young artist. They have a daughter now.” He brushed back her hair with a gentle hand. “Stay out of the sun. You’re getting blistered.”

Maggie made a face at him. “Look at yourself.”

He grinned. “Like leather,” he murmured. “My skin doesn’t burn anymore.”

She wanted to reach up and kiss him, but then she remembered that he didn’t want her love. It wasn’t going to be a love match. She had to keep that in mind.

He ruffled her hair affectionately. “See you later.” And he moved off the porch to light a cigarette, every step vibrant and sure. She loved to watch him walk. He was so graceful. He looked all man, delicious.

She turned with a hard sigh. She had to stop making love to him with her eyes. God forbid he should notice. That wasn’t what he wanted from her, after all.

And in the days that followed, it did seem that he wanted nothing more than companionship. The night before they were to be married in a quiet ceremony at the small country church nearby, Maggie was living on her nerves. Gabe hadn’t even touched her since the morning he’d taken her and Becky fishing. He’d been roughly affectionate and polite, but nothing more.

“When do the Durangos get here?” she asked him after supper, when Janet had taken Becky upstairs to read her a story and Jennie had left.

“In the morning,” he told her. “They’ll fly up and back the same day. John’s in the middle of some financial manipulating. Oil’s about hit rock bottom, you know. He’s had to diversify pretty quickly.”

“Too bad,” she murmured. She sipped her coffee, oblivious to the quiet, steady look he was giving her.

“Suppose I lose everything one day,” he asked suddenly, leaning back in his chair. “What would you do?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Get a job, of course.”

He burst out laughing. “Always the unexpected.” He shook his head. “Get a job. Would you leave me?”

“No, I wouldn’t leave you,” she said reasonably. “Why should I?”

“Forget it. I suppose I’m thinking out loud.” He drained his coffee cup and stood up. “You’d better get some rest. Tomorrow’s the big day. Got the rings?”

He’d given them to her the day before, a small diamond and a matching gold band. Nothing fancy at all, and she’d been a little disappointed because he’d only given her the box and walked off without bothering to put the engagement ring on for her.

“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding hollow. “I have them.”

“You aren’t going to back out on me, are you, Maggie?” he asked suddenly, pausing at her chair.

“No.” She looked up. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Not at all. Why?”

“I just wondered,” she said, staring at her mauve slacks. “You don’t seem to...” She hesitated, glancing up at him. “Well, to want me anymore.”

“Not want you!” The words were half amused, half angry. “Why?”

She was embarrassed now, shy of him when he looked at her with that vaguely superior, very adult expression on his hard face. What was she supposed to tell him? That since he never made any advances, she’d decided he was regretting his decision? She couldn’t!