The Rancher's Hand-Picked Bride. Elizabeth August

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      The first was Susan O’Rilley…a tall, slender redhead who was not only beautiful, but very clever and highly intelligent. She had a law degree from Harvard. Currently she was an assistant district attorney in Lubbock, and there were a lot of people who believed she would eventually be top dog.

      Next was Mary Beth Lloyd, pretty, medium build, a brunette, also college educated. She taught grade school and had a motherly aura.

      The last was Brenda Jackson, a blonde with curves in all the right places. She was a nurse, and a great many of her male patients said she’d given them a new lease on life just by walking into their rooms and smiling at them. Gwen had even heard her referred to as “that healing angel” and “the angel in white.”

      “This list should please Morning Hawk.” Still, the whole business grated on her nerves. Abruptly, she squared her shoulders. “I can’t stay in here forever.” Opening the door, she stepped out into the hall.

      “So where to now?” she murmured under her breath. Old habits died hard. Without even making a conscious decision, she headed away from the main part of the house, casing out the hall on which her room was located. She’d always felt safer when she knew her surroundings. There were three other bedrooms there. The first two she peered into had a vacant feel to them. Pictures and mementos on the bureaus led her to believe they had belonged to Slade and Boyd Logan, Jess’s older brothers. And she guessed they were kept in readiness for visits from either of them and their wives. The third door was the one next to hers on her side of the hall.

      Opening it, she looked around cautiously. It had a lived-in look. There was a shirt hung over a chair and the mild scent of aftershave lingered in the air. Without any doubt, she knew this was Jess’s room. As if she’d uncovered a rattlesnake’s lair, she took a step back and pulled the door closed.

      “Looking for me?”

      The sound of Jess’s voice startled her. Turning to face him, she ordered herself to appear calm. “No. I was merely checking out my environment. You know, escape routes in case of fire and such.”

      “There’s a window in your bedroom and we’re on the ground level.”

      “So I might be somewhere else.”

      A sarcastic smirk tilted one corner of his mouth. “My room?”

      “I didn’t know it was your room before I opened the door. And I can tell you this will be the one and only time I do that.” With a look that said this was a promise, she strode past him and down the hall.

      In spite of the air of relaxed comfort the decor of the house portrayed, Gwen felt out of place. Deciding to make herself useful, she headed to the kitchen to offer assistance.

      Lilly greeted her with a smile. “Morning Hawk told me why you’re here and swore me to secrecy. I’m supposed to tell everyone that you’re helping her with some sort of genealogy search.”

      “Sounds like a good cover.”

      Lilly shook her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her. It’s not like her to mettle in her great-grandsons’ lives like this. And it’s not like the family was worried Jess would never get married. He’s got nothing against marriage.” Her expression took on a hint of apology. “I’m not saying your services aren’t valuable. In fact, I was telling Jess earlier today how you helped out my niece. But hiring a matchmaker. I can’t believe Jess is going along with it.”

      “He didn’t have a choice.”

      Lilly nodded solemnly with understanding. “When his great-grandma gets a bee in her bonnet, generally humoring her is the best way to handle it. Sometimes, it’s the only way. And she did tell me that he only has to date the women you pick. She’s not actually insisting that he marry any of them.”

      “That’s right,” Gwen confirmed.

      “Well, I guess it’s all right then. I just hate to see her putting Jess through all of this on a whim.” A puzzled expression came over her features. “What’s really peculiar is that I’ve never known her to do anything on a whim.” Again she shook her head. “Never thought I’d see the day when she got senile. But maybe this is the first sign. Some people think she’s always been a bit wacky, but it’s been my experience that there’s generally a good reason behind everything she does.”

      “She did say she wanted to see Jess married before she met her maker. Maybe she’s suddenly gotten worried about her mortality and this crazy idea sprung out of that.” Gwen offered an explanation for Morning Hawk’s behavior. “People can get a bit eccentric when they finally face the fact that they’re not going to live forever.”

      Lilly nodded vigorously. “That’s true.”

      Not wanting to discuss Jess or his great-grandmother any further, Gwen changed the subject to her original purpose. “Can I give you a hand with dinner?”

      Lilly shook her head. “Oh, no. You’re a guest.”

      “I’m an employee just like you,” Gwen corrected. “And right this minute I need to feel useful.”

      For a moment Lilly made no response, then said, “If you really don’t mind, I would like to get home a little early. Bobbie, my grandson, has a baseball game tonight and I told him I’d try to get there to see him pitch.”

      Gwen had hoped that Lilly was live-in help. The more people around, the better. Then chiding herself for this bit of totally unnecessary cowardliness, she forced a smile. “No problem. What do you want me to do?”

      “I’ve cooked a stew.” As she spoke, Lilly lifted the lid of a heavy iron pot on the stove and gave the contents a stir. With a shrug of her shoulder toward the long heavy wooden table in the center of the large kitchen, she added, “And the table is set. All that’s left is to take the corn bread out of the oven. When the timer goes off it should be ready.”

      “I know how to tell if it’s done,” Gwen assured her. “You run along.”

      Lilly hesitated. “Are you sure?”

      “Yes, now go.”

      Lilly was heading for the door when Jess entered.

      “I told her to leave and let me finish putting the meal on the table,” Gwen said hurriedly, uncertain how strict Jess was about his help leaving early and not wanting to be the cause of any anger toward Lilly.

      “I was just coming in to offer the same service,” Jess returned in an easy drawl, giving the housekeeper a friendly smile. “You run along and go see Bobbie pitch.”

      “Thanks.” Lilly grinned back, then hurried on her way.

      Surprised that Jess had been willing to take over kitchen duties, but wanting him to leave, Gwen said, “I can take care of things in here. You go back to whatever you usually do before dinner.”

      “Fixing dinner isn’t your job.”

      The need to feel useful was too strong for Gwen to retreat. “I told Lilly I’d do it. Now, just go away and let me take care of things here.” Suddenly realizing she was trying to order Jess Logan around in his own home, she hid her embarrassment behind a shield of angry impatience.

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