Page 17 of The Cowboy's Temporary Solution

My steps falter.

Thing is, there's a difference in my mind between tellin' a tale and outright lying and I feel like Archer Dean's direct question puts my toes right up against that line.

"You know how Mom is with her trying to get me and Bern together, man." I stop, run my hand through my hair while Ihold my hat in one hand. I put the hat back in place and sigh as I look Archer in the eye. "With Dad's service, and me making arrangements to move back here and all--" I look out toward the barns with a scowl. "I needed some way to keep her from pushing so hard to decide my life for me. Without hurting her feelings. You know?"

Archer considers what I've told him seriously and gives me a nod.

"Is it working?" He asks after a long pause stretches between us.

"I mean," Archer shuffles nervously. "You know how Mom gets, and with Dad gone, now-- I get that she's lonely and none of us have married up and she doesn't have grandkids to keep her busy but..."

My brother shoves his hands in his pockets and kicks at the dirt, then gives me a shrug and half a smirk.

"Ever since Gun and Clem got together, it's like Mom's on a mission to get the rest of us hitched too. And you know I can't be with Cal."

My eyebrows shoot up before I have the mind to keep my reaction under control.

"Mom's pushing Callie at you?" I ask, picking up my pace again. "Damn, man, and I thought I had it bad with her expecting me to settle down with Bernie."

8

SERENITY

"Honestly, I can't believe my boy didn't tell you to pack a few pairs of jeans."

Kim O'Leary fusses as she hands me another pair of blue jeans and a couple of simple tops.

"These should fit, based on that last pair."

Another stack of clothing gets passed over the door of the changing room where I already have several outfits hanging on hooks, waiting to be tried on.

Ranger's mom insisted we go shopping as soon as she saw me walk into the kitchen this morning in another skirt.

"Thanks, Kim," I say-- again-- taking the new bundle of decidedlycountry chicclothes from her waiting hands, "but honestly, I don't really have jeans."

Kim tsks outside the door.

"She really did a number on him."

I hear the words plainly even though they are definitely not meant for my ears.

"Who?" I don't think before I ask through a layer of cotton t-shirt as I pull it over my curves.

"Oh, sorry. I was just saying that Bernie really did a number on Ranger. Makes sense why he'd have found himself a girl who's so opposite of the one he left behind, you know?"

Shimmying a pair of stretchy jeans over my hips, I arrange the tags hanging off so they aren't poking me in the stomach and frown at my reflection in the full-length mirror.

For the record, the woman in this mirror doesn't look nearly as gullible as the one in the bathroom mirror last night. This woman looks like she's finally putting together the pieces of the puzzle that maybe she hasn't wanted to look at.

"Um, not really, no. Ranger hasn't talked much about Bernie." I go for casually curious, trying to coax more information out of Kimberly.

"How does that last pair fit? Come out and let me see."

I unlatch the door and let Kim assess the way the skin tight denim hugs my curvy body, feeling increasingly self-conscious as a variety of expressions cross her features.

"Okay, try the shorts. I'll find a more flattering blouse to go with those jeans."

Back behind the closed door of the changing room I run my hand down the front of the t-shirt, trying to smooth not just the places where the fabric bunches at the seams, but also the places where my body bunches as well.

---