Texas Brides: The Rancher and the Runaway Bride & The Bluest Eyes in Texas: The Rancher & The Runaway Bride. Joan Johnston

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      “Buck asked me to go dancing at Knippa on Saturday night, and I thought it might be fun.”

      Adam couldn’t very well forbid her going. As Tate had so pointedly noted, he wasn’t related to her in the least. But he couldn’t help having misgivings, either. There was no telling what Buck Magnesson’s reaction would be if Tate subjected him to the same teasing sensuality that Adam had endured for the past three weeks. If Tate said “Please” Buck was damned likely to say “Thank you” and take what she offered.

      Adam suddenly heard himself forbidding his sister Melanie from going out on a date with a boy he had thought a little wild. Heard himself telling Melanie that he knew better than she what was best for her. And remembered the awful consequences of his high-handedness. Adam didn’t have to like the fact that Tate had decided to go out with Buck Magnesson. But if he didn’t want to repeat the mistakes he had made with his younger sister, he had to put up with it.

      “Have a good time with Buck tomorrow night,” he said. Then he turned and walked out the door.

      Tate frowned at Adam’s back. That wasn’t exactly the reaction she had been hoping for. Where was the jealousy? Where was the demand that she spend her time with him instead? Suddenly Tate wished she had thought things through a little more carefully. Agreeing to date Buck simply to make Adam realize what he was missing wasn’t turning out at all as she had hoped.

      She felt a little guilty that she had even considered using Buck to make Adam jealous. But since her plan had failed—quite miserably—she could at least enjoy the evening with Buck with a clear conscience.

      Tate had gotten the broken water hose fixed on her ’51 Chevy, and she used the pickup to drive the ninety miles east to San Antonio that afternoon to go shopping. She could have worn jeans to go dancing, but had decided that she owed it to Buck to show up for their date looking her best.

      She found a pretty halter sundress that tied around the neck and had an almost nonexistent back. The bodice fit her like a glove and showed just a hint of décolletage. The bright yellow and white floral print contrasted with her dark hair and picked up the gold in her eyes. The midcalf-length skirt was gathered at the waist and flared at the hem. She whirled once in front of the mirror and saw that the dress was going to reveal a great deal of her legs if Buck was the kind of dancer who liked to twirl his partner a lot.

      Buck’s smile when she opened the door on Saturday night was well worth the effort spent shopping. She couldn’t help feeling a stab of disappointment that Adam wasn’t around to see her off. Apparently he had made plans of his own for the evening.

      Tate found Buck surprisingly entertaining company. The cowboy had older brothers of his own, and Tate was quick to agree, “Nothing is harder to put up with than a good example!” He and Tate shared older brother horror stories that kept them both laughing through dinner.

      The country and western band was in full swing when they crossed the threshold of the Grange Hall in Knippa. The room was fogged with cigarette smoke that battled with the overwhelming odor of sweat and cologne. The sawdusted dance floor was crowded, elbow to elbow, with men in cowboy hats partnered by ladies wearing flounced Western skirts and boots.

      Just as they made their way to the dance floor, a two-step ended and the band began playing a waltz.

      “Shall we?” Buck asked, making a dance frame with his arms.

      “Absolutely!” Tate said, stepping into his embrace.

      Tate got another welcome surprise when she and Buck began to waltz around the room. The lean cowboy was graceful on his feet. He led her into several intricate variations of the dance that left her breathless and feeling like a prima ballerina by the time the song ended.

      “That was wonderful!” she exclaimed.

      “Would you like something to drink?” Buck asked.

      “Just a soda, please.”

      Buck found a seat for Tate at one of the small tables that surrounded the dance floor and forced his way through the crowd toward the bar.

      Tate was tapping her foot to another two-step tune and enjoying watching the couples maneuver around the dance floor when she thought she saw someone she recognized. She followed the couple until they turned at the corner of the room.

      Tate gasped aloud. It was Adam! He was dancing the two-step with a buxom redheaded woman.

      As he passed by her table, Adam smiled and called out, “Hi, there! Having fun?”

      Before she could answer, they had danced on past her, and she was left with the trill of the woman’s laughter in her ears.

      Tate felt sick. Who was she? The Redheaded Woman in Adam’s arms was absolutely beautiful. No wonder Adam hadn’t been interested in pursuing her when he was acquainted with such a gorgeous female.

      “What’s caught your eye?” Buck asked as he set a soda in front of Tate.

      “Adam’s here.” She pointed him out. “See there. With that redhead.”

      To Tate’s amazement, Buck scowled and swore under his breath.

      “What’s wrong?” she asked.

      “Nothing I can do anything about.”

      “That’s the sort of statement that’s guaranteed to get a nosy female’s attention,” Tate said. “Out with it.”

      Buck grinned sheepishly and admitted, “All right. Here goes.” He took a deep breath and said, “That woman dancing with Adam is my ex-wife.”

      “You’re kidding!”

      “’Fraid not.”

      Tate watched Buck watching the Redheaded Woman. His feelings were painfully transparent. “You’re still in love with her.”

      Buck grimaced. “Much good it’ll do me.”

      “I assume Adam knows how you feel.”

      “He asked my permission before he took Velma out the first time.”

      “And you gave it to him?” Tate asked incredulously.

      “She isn’t my wife anymore. She can see whoever she pleases.”

      Tate snorted in disgust. “While you suffer in noble silence. Men!”

      Tate had been so involved with talking to Buck that she hadn’t realized the song was ending. She was less than pleased when Adam and Velma arrived at their table.

      “Mind if we join you?” Adam asked.

      Tate bit her lip to keep from saying something censorable. She slipped her arm through Buck’s, put a gigantic smile on her face, and said, “Why sure! We’d love to have the company, wouldn’t we, Buck?”

      It was hard to say who was the more surprised by her performance, Buck or Adam. What she hadn’t expected was the militant light that rose in Velma’s green eyes when Tate claimed Buck’s arm. Well, well, well. Maybe there was more here than met the eye.

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