Page 51 of Seaside Cowboy's Fairy Tale

“It’s okay.” She moved an orange circle of sliced carrot around her plate. “It was bad timing to ask. And... sorry that happened to you.”

But it wasn’t okay. Far from it. He nursed a wound she’d poured salt in. And that erected an invisible barrier between them she hadn’t realized existed. She winced. She’d have reached for his hand or hugged him, but as impulsive as she could be, she wasn’t comfortable with such a public display of affection.

His expression softened. “Not your fault. Thank you for your compassion, though.”

She looked around at the people who now studied the food on their plates without eating it. Her stomach sank deeper. Leave it to her to ruin the mood. She’d probably ruined Mrs. Lawrence and Darius’s first impression of her, and they’d tell the rest of Tex’s brothers.

“Well, how about I bring more iced tea? And the biscuit basket is nearly empty.” Tex plastered a smile on his face. He was still clearly hurting, but he made an effort to cheer up for everyone else’s sake.

He disappeared into the kitchen without waiting for a reply as if he needed to recompose himself.

“Well.” Austin slapped his hands together. “Nothing like a fresh basket of biscuits to make someone happy—or some critter. I had a box of doggy biscuits tucked up on a shelf in my office. I assumed no pets could get into them, but I’ve since learned to keep them in plastic tubs with sealed lids. You see, this agile iguana who was supposed to be recuperating escaped his cage, made it up there no problem, and tipped it over. Well, my next patient happened to be a labradoodle with a sick tummy, and what do I do but bring her into a room carpeted in doggy biscuits! As you can imagine, the poor thing scarfed some up quick and then barfed them up almost as quick.”

“Austin!” Mrs. Lawrence scolded, her eyes aglow. “I’m not sure picturingthatis what our guest wants to think of as she eats.”

“Well–ell”—Kennedy dragged the word out—“those reptilian antics are nothing compared to having a hotel guest find someone else’s pet baby alligator in their bathtub.”

Austin clasped his wife’s hand. “I suppose an alligator or iguana could have disrupted our wedding reception even more than I did. Having one running along the tables or even under the tables would have been worse than a clumsy groom knocking over the cake, right?”

“Yes.” Love in her eyes, Kennedy cupped a hand to his cheek. Then she patted it. “But I’m not sure that it would have been worse than how you ripped off part of my wedding gown when you stepped on it and I moved forward. If that had ripped higher...” Spreading her hands to draw the rest of them in, she mock shivered. “I would have been a ‘blushing bride’—and not for good reasons!”

But she laughed it off with the others instead of being upset with him. That was love, and Austin clearly returned it. Rachel’s heart squeezed in her chest as she yearned to have what her friend and her husband had, but more than a random yearning, she yearned to have it with Tex.

Soon, the mood she’d ruined was restored. It would be so easy to fall in love not only with Tex but also with his family and this place. She couldn’t imagine them wishing him ill, but she hadn’t met the rest of the family yet.

She cleaned her plate, but she was starved for more than hearty homemade food. She was starved for the affection she’d never received. While Irene had helped Rachel a lot, Irene wasn’t the affectionate type and also had to keep her distance because of their supervisor-subordinate relationship. Rachel swallowed hard, remembering her other suspicions about Irene. She still didn’t want to believe them.

When everyone was done eating, they lingered, still chatting. Every bit of her relaxed, though she did her best to stay on guard. Something shifted in her, though. She didn’t want to leave. But she didn’t belong here, and she’d best remember it.

Then Mrs. Lawrence got up. “I’ll get dessert. Thank you so much for bringing the cheesecake, Rachel.”

“Truly, my pleasure. But I don’t think I can fit in any dessert.” She patted her stomach.

Tex leaned to her, giving her the whiff of his intoxicating cologne. “I don’t believe it was a question.”

She chuckled. “Okay, I’d love some.”

Everyone worked together to secure the leftovers, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and set the table for dessert. Tex’s interaction with his family was tender and caring, leaving its imprint on her heart.

For these sweet moments, she could forget her worries and feel a part of something much larger than herself, and she enjoyed the feeling. Especially when Tex sneaked a quick kiss on her cheek while they were alone in the kitchen, awakening everything in her. She laughed, truly happy, even if the danger he was in somewhat overshadowed that happiness.

Then she realized the simple truth as she looked into his baby blues. She wasn’t just falling for him. She was in love with him already. And she didn’t know what to do with this feeling.

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