Wanted: Texas Daddy. Cathy Thacker Gillen

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       Chapter Three

      Sage snuggled against Nick, luxuriating in the safe, warm feel of his big strong body. “It’s a good thing we’re not getting married today for real, otherwise seeing each other like this would be bad luck.”

      “How can seeing each other ever be bad luck?” Nick regarded her with a devilish glint in his blue eyes.

      Sage inhaled the unique masculine scent of him. On impulse, she kissed his cheek, found her way to his mouth. “You know what I mean.”

      “I do.” He studied her as if he found her as endlessly fascinating as she found him. Stroking a lazy hand down her spine, he confessed huskily, “It’s been a crazy three days.”

      “No kidding.” She sighed, her cheek brushing delectably against the sandpapery roughness of his morning beard. She so loved having him in her bed, even though his six-foot-four frame took up so much room they barely fit on the queen-sized mattress.

      A problem that, now that she’d entered her second trimester, sometimes left her with a tiny backache. “So many decisions...”

      He turned toward her so they had full body contact. Lower still, his hardness pressed against her. “So little time.”

      A spark of arousal unfurled deep inside her. “We saved some headaches by delegating a lot of them out.”

      MR had arranged for a justice of the peace friend to preside over the civil ceremony. She’d also provided the caterer, tent and chair setup crew—all within the budget Nick and Sage had set. Assembling the guest list and sending out last minute e-invites had gone to the sisters-in-law, Hope and Adelaide, and the seating chart delegated to Chance’s fiancée, Molly. Lucille had been in charge of the flowers and the menu for the reception. While Nick and Sage had selected the DJ and the songs.

      This morning, she was going to have the final fitting for her dress—a gown from her cousin Jenna Lockhart’s bridal salon—at her mother’s ranch while Nick picked up his tuxedo. Her brother Wyatt’s wife, Adelaide, was her maid of honor. Nick’s brother, Gavin, was best man.

      Nick reached for Sage playfully as the first light of dawn fell through the window blinds of her second-floor apartment. “I think we have time to make love one more time...” He kissed her shoulder.

      Sage wished. She eased away and went to find a thick fluffy robe to ward off the chill of the late-January morning. “Actually, we don’t.” Computer tablet in hand, she climbed back into bed. “We haven’t written our vows yet.”

      Reluctant, Nick scowled. “Sure you want to do that?” he asked, practical as ever. “Instead of going with the tried and true?”

      The thought of promising to love him until death do them part seemed like tempting fate. Sage swallowed. “Given the fact that we’re not...” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t know how to finish without insulting him. Or the connection they shared, which she had to admit pretty much defied description.

      He studied her, as determined to understand her as she was him. “In love?”

      Sage caught his hand in hers, and pressed it against the center of her chest. “Maybe not in the traditional way, but I do love you, Nick. As a friend. A best friend.”

      His expression was as veiled as hers was open. “I adore you, too,” he said softly.

      She sensed there was more. Unsure, however, as to whether or not she wanted to hear it, she murmured, “Okay, then, that’s what we need to say.” She settled a pillow across her lap, to use as a desk. Opened up the leather computer tablet case, turned on the attached mini keyboard and logged on.

      While she got comfortable, Nick folded his arms behind his head. He lounged against the pillows, his gaze drifting over her lazily. “There’s no way I can memorize anything this late in the game. I mean, I’m the kid who always flunked the English class assignments where we had to get up and recite a poem.”

      Although she was wearing an old-fashioned button-front nightshirt that concealed her baby bump, he was clad only in his boxer briefs. Hence, with the sheet draped low across his abdomen, she had a very nice view of his broad, masculine chest.

      Too nice, if she were to remain on task.

      “Public speaking pressure?” she teased, turning her gaze away from the sinewy muscle and crisp dark hair that arrowed across his pecs, and narrowed, on the way to the goody trail...

      “Procrastinating, and making up excuses, are we?” she taunted.

      “Mmm-hmm.”

      “Not going to cut it, cowboy,” she retorted sternly. “We have to get this done. Right now.”

      His sensual lips compressed as he ran a hand through the tousled layers of his dark hair. “Maybe you should tell me yours.”

      “I would. Except I haven’t written mine yet, either.”

      His low laughter filled the bedroom. He rubbed a hand beneath the sexy-rough stubble on his jaw. “Aha.”

      “But I will now.” Cuddled up in bed, beside him, sitting against the headboard.

      He rested his chin on her shoulder. “This should be interesting.”

      “I take thee, Nick, for my parent-in-arms?”

      He shook his head. “Sounds like we’re forming a club.”

      Sage used the mini keyboard to type in some more. “May the joy that brought us together hold us in good stead through the days ahead.”

      Nick wrinkled his brow, sexy as ever. “That’s going to have people scratching their heads and saying huh.”

      Sage opened a new document window on the screen. “Okay, Smarty-pants. You try.”

      He thought a moment. “I don’t know what I did to get you to look my way,” he drawled finally, “but I’m sure grateful you did.”

      Sage snickered. “Aren’t those song lyrics?”

      He grinned back, allowing, “Maybe.”

      Only able to imagine the grief she’d get from her brothers if they went that route, Sage decreed, “I think we should be a little more original.”

      Nick’s brow rose in annoyance. “Then we should have started this weeks ago.”

      “Okay,” Sage said hastily. “There’s no need to get testy. How about I say, ‘There are no words to describe how I feel about you. I just know this feels right, and I want to be with you,’ or something like that.”

      Nick tilted his head. “Pretty good. Vague. But truthful.”

      Sage grinned, glad an argument—which would have been their first—had been averted. “Now all we have to do is add СКАЧАТЬ