Two in the Saddle. Vicki Lewis Thompson

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СКАЧАТЬ had never encountered something this strange, but maybe Jessica knew what she was doing. Elizabeth was safe and surrounded by people who loved her, including Gwen, although she was trying not to get too attached.

      She’d learned detachment during a childhood of constant moving, losing both friends and familiar surroundings. So she’d kept in mind that Jessica could appear at any time and take the baby away, although she might have a fight on her hands at this point. Even from Travis. And he was good with the baby, Gwen admitted grudgingly. Still, he couldn’t be counted on. Not in the long run.

      “I give you Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Daniels,” Pete McDowell said in his deep, booming voice.

      The congregation broke into applause and Sarah Jane launched into the recessional.

      Gwen blinked back tears as Matty and Sebastian walked back down the aisle, arm in arm. She was so happy for her friend. And maybe a little sorry for herself, but she’d get over it.

      Then she looked across at Travis. With sentiment running high at this moment, she was in no shape to deal with him, but deal with him she must.

      It wouldn’t be for long. A walk down the aisle, a dance at the reception, and she’d be free of her obligation to fraternize with him. And it would be good riddance.

      She pushed the buggy toward the center aisle. As Travis met her there with Elizabeth, Gwen inclined her head toward the buggy, indicating Travis could put Elizabeth back inside.

      “I don’t want to risk it,” he murmured.

      “Suit yourself.” Pushing the buggy required two hands. During rehearsal they’d linked arms and each put a hand on the wooden handle to push the buggy back down the aisle.

      But that wouldn’t work now. Travis couldn’t hold the baby, link arms with Gwen, and lend a hand pushing the buggy, so Gwen decided they could forego linking arms. Just as well.

      She used both hands to push the buggy, expecting Travis to simply fall in step beside her. Instead he shifted Elizabeth to his outside arm and slipped his free arm around Gwen’s waist. Instantly her heart started chugging like a freight train.

      “That’s not necessary,” she said, a smile pasted on her face for the benefit of the congregation. Looks of envy came shooting at her from all sides.

      “Yes, it is.”

      “No, it’s not.” She tried to ease away. She was entirely too close to him and his spicy aftershave, especially after she’d just witnessed the emotional joining of her two best friends.

      “Yes, it is.” His grip tightened at her waist, sending shock waves all through her body. “We’re supposed to look as if we’re together.”

      “Casually together, not plastered together.” Oh, but his hand felt good right there. She registered the imprint of each of his fingers through the soft material of her dress.

      “Take it easy, sweetheart.”

      “I am most definitely not your sweetheart.” And if her nerves jumped at his words, that was only because nobody had spoken an endearment to her in a while.

      “Too bad for both of us. Listen, I know you hate me and this is torture for you, but we’re almost done.”

      Oh, it was torture, all right. Torture of the highest order. And how she wished that hate was the emotion she was feeling for this man.

      2

      TRAVIS HAD ACTED on impulse, tucking Gwen against him as they proceeded up the aisle. Pure devilment had made him do it, probably, knowing how much she loathed him. Funny, though, once they were hip to hip, he felt her tremble.

      He recognized that tremble. Women tended to do that when he touched them, but he wouldn’t have expected that reaction from Gwen, who’d let him know she wasn’t even slightly interested.

      So when she started squawking about his behavior he held her tighter, to test her reaction to increased contact. Sure enough, that quiver got worse, and her skin flushed pink.

      He noticed the color in her cheeks, and because he was a healthy male animal, he also noticed the color spread to the swell of her breasts above the green material of her dress. The way he figured it, if a woman chose to wear a neckline like that, she could expect a man to look his fill. He indulged for as long as he dared, which was only a few seconds, considering he and Gwen were in a very public place.

      When he forced himself to look away, he was trembling a bit himself. Fantasies of unzipping her dress and sampling those generous breasts swirled through his mind, affecting his breathing.

      She wasn’t breathing so easy herself, and her agitation stirred up the erotic, cinnamon-flavored perfume she wore, which excited him even more. By the time they reached the back of the church and moved through the doors into the vestibule where Matty and Sebastian stood waiting, Travis had decided it might be worth his time to cut through the barbed wire Gwen had strung around herself to keep him out.

      So what if he wasn’t husband material? He’d taught several women that good sex didn’t have to lead to everlasting love. Mutual enjoyment was justification enough for climbing between the sheets, in his opinion. Gwen needed to expand her options, and he was the guy to help her. If Lizzie hadn’t been twisting his ear during the entire walk down the aisle, it would have been an outstanding interlude.

      If he’d had any doubt about Gwen’s reaction to him, she erased it once they passed through the main chapel doors. She wrenched away from him as if she’d been cuddled up to a hot stove. An indifferent woman wouldn’t have made such a big production out of escaping.

      Avoiding his gaze, she abandoned the buggy and rushed over to hug Matty. “I’m so happy for you!” she said.

      Travis knew Gwen’s sentiments were sincere, but there was a quivery edge to her voice, as if she might not be in complete control of herself. That pleased him. After their walk down the aisle, he’d had to take a few deep breaths, himself. He caught Matty looking at him over Gwen’s shoulder, and he shrugged.

      Then he pried Lizzie’s fingers from his ear before walking over and holding out his hand to Sebastian. “Well, it’s too late to turn back now, buddy.”

      Sebastian was grinning all over as he clasped Travis’s hand. “We really did it, didn’t we?”

      “I do believe you did. Congratulations. You roped yourself a keeper.” He turned to Matty, who looked happier than he’d ever seen her. He’d been her head wrangler at the Leaning L through the bad years with Butch, and the lonely years after Butch crashed his plane into a mountain. Technically she was his boss, but he loved her like a sister, and he was pleased as punch that she and Sebastian had finally figured out they were meant to be more than good neighbors.

      Continuing to balance Lizzie in one arm, he leaned down and gave Matty a kiss on the cheek. “I hope you know you’ve hitched up with the stubbornest cow-poke in the valley,” he murmured. “If he gives you any problems, let me know and I’ll kick his butt for you.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind,” Matty said, her blue eyes twinkling.

      “Nice going, Travis.” Sebastian clapped him on the back. “I had Matty convinced I was perfect, but you had to СКАЧАТЬ