A Cowboy to Marry. Cathy Gillen Thacker

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      “Unwittingly being someone else’s rebound person is what makes me right for the task. I know you still love Percy and always will. It’s not going to be easy for you to move on.”

      Guilt threatened to overwhelm Libby. She and Percy hadn’t been in love at the end. But no one knew that…. “Don’t put me up for sainthood,” she said quietly. She had enough of that from the community every single day. “Because I’m not the perfect woman and I was never the perfect wife.”

      “Percy sure thought otherwise.”

      More guilt flooded her heart.

      “He’d never met a woman who was more accommodating.”

      Libby pushed back her chair and carried her plate to the dishwasher. “Which is one reason I’m so unhappy,” she remarked lightly. “I’ve spent too much of my life trying to please everyone else.”

      Holden put his dish and fork in the machine, too. Then he leaned against the counter, watching her. “Your aunt Ida?”

      Libby could feel him sizing her up, trying to figure out how to convince her to stay where he could keep an eye on her, and hence, continue to fulfill his deathbed promise to her late husband.

      Wishing she weren’t so aware of Holden’s presence, Libby retreated into scrupulous politeness. “I was only seven when my parents died. Even though my aunt was in her fifties at the time, she took on the responsibility of raising me.” She sighed. “I loved her dearly and will always be grateful to her for taking me in. But … because I was her only remaining family and she mine … she was paranoid about potential dangers and kept me on a very tight leash.”

      “I remember you had to live at home with her while you were attending UT.”

      Promising herself she was not going to fall prey to the attraction between them, Libby nodded. “Part of it was that she needed someone to take care of her by then, but the other part was that she didn’t want me doing anything the least bit reckless.”

      “Which is where Percy came in,” Holden guessed.

      Libby made a face. In retrospect she could hardly believe her recklessness. “After Aunt Ida passed, that was all I wanted to do. Percy took me skydiving and hiking and taught me how to water-ski.” More than anything, the diversion had helped her survive her mourning.

      Holden moved closer, holding her gaze in an increasingly intimate way. “You don’t do any of that stuff anymore.”

      Hanging on to her composure by a thread, she rubbed a nick on the counter with her fingertip. “I guess I had more of my aunt in me than I realized because I never really liked it.”

       Any more than I like selling tractors and ranch equipment now.

      “But … at the same time—” Libby lifted her chin, drew a deep breath “—I had something to prove. Once that was accomplished, my total freedom to finally do as I pleased verified that I actually wanted a more sedate lifestyle.” She flashed him a rueful smile, aware that what had comforted her had eventually ended up nearly doing him in. “Which was where you entered the picture….”

      “I went back to doing those things with Percy when you stopped.”

      “And—contrary to what you might have thought—I really was appreciative.”

      “That I took your place?”

      “I knew Percy wasn’t going to stop indulging in physically challenging activities. He was too much of a daredevil for that. I was glad he had someone trustworthy and levelheaded to go with him.”

      Holden’s expression radiated guilt, and silence fell between them.

      Compassion for his plight forced her to go on. “So you see, Holden,” Libby continued gently, “you have already done more than enough for both Percy and for me. You really don’t have to squire me around, the way you did tonight.”

      “Suppose I want to,” Holden said. “What then?”

      She blinked. “Why would you want to do that?” she demanded.

      Merriment turned up the corners of his lips. “Because it occurs to me now that I need a rebound woman as much as you need a rebound man.”

      HER HEARTBEAT KICKING UP a notch, Libby studied him. “You’re serious.”

      Holden lounged against the counter opposite her, his arms folded against his chest. He stared at her with a steely resolve that matched her own. “Think about it. I’ll always view you as Percy’s wife.”

      Trying not to think what his steady appraisal and deep voice did to her, Libby appraised him right back. “And I’ll always regard you as his best friend.”

      Cynicism twisted a corner of his mouth. “So there’s no chance either of us will take a dating arrangement to heart.”

      Libby began to see where he was going with this. His proposal could be the solution to both their problems, as well as a bridge to the future. “It’ll just be part of the process we both need to go through to get back out there.”

      “Right,” he said casually. “Kind of like riding a bike …”

      Stubbornly, she kept her eyes locked with his, even as her heart raced like a wild thing in her chest. “We’re going to need ground rules,” she warned.

      He accepted her condition with a matter-of-fact nod. “The more specific, the better.”

      “How long should we do this?”

      He shrugged, considering. “Through New Year’s?”

      Libby drummed her fingers on the countertop. “That would get us all the way through the holidays.”

      His big body began to relax. “It’s always good not to be alone this time of year.”

      She nodded and took a deep breath. “Invites too much pity. Which—” she leaned in close “—is something I think we can agree neither of us needs.”

      A companionable silence fell between them. Searching for other pitfalls, Libby said, “What about our friends and your family?”

      Holden grimaced, suddenly looking like a knight charged with protecting his queen. “I don’t see any need to make a big announcement. They’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

      She appreciated his desire to shield her from hurt. And while she didn’t need his chivalry, in this one instance she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to accept it. “That would lessen the pressure.”

      “And perhaps the scrutiny, as well.”

      He was right in that respect. There was nothing worse than having everyone tracking the progress of a new romance, and then broadcasting the “latest developments” to everyone they knew.

      “What about sex?” Libby pressed, perfectly willing to keep their process of renewal private. “Because if you’re expecting to go to bed with me as part of our bargain …”

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