Page 9 of The Texas Cowboy's Proposal
Whatever had they gotten themselves into? What had her grandmother done to her even now?
*
Have I lostevery ounce of common sense I ever had?Beaudry’s brain kept repeating that sentiment as he drove Lacy and himself home after the dinner. True that the dinner had gone better than he had expected—the first part of it, at least. Then she put up a prickly wall again and decided to spite him when he was trying to help her out of a situation with Lacy that maybe she might have felt pressed into. Or so he told himself. And darn it if she had managed to have him doubting his decisions as easily as that. The woman could be a challenge in sanity. Why couldn’t the whole evening have been civil, cordial even? He had almost felt more relaxed than he would have believed a meal between himself and Sammi Jo Burkitt could ever be described.Almostwas the kicker.
Lacy had been quiet since they parted from Sammi Jo at her truck fifteen minutes ago, leaving a drifting silence inside their vehicle. His daughter’s closed eyes would remain so until they pulled into the driveway at home. The sweet innocent smile curved her small mouth and never ceased to tug at his heartstrings as he gazed upon his little girl’s sleeping face in the rearview mirror. If he were able to manage it, she might remain in her blissful state even after he had carried her upstairs to her bed.
But the quiet darkness gave his mind time to go over each aspect of the evening and weigh it out again.
Sammi Jo’s hair had surprised him first. It wasn’t in its usual ponytail state. It hung loose around her shoulders. Its vibrant reddish-gold color seemed to shine even more so under the lights of the restaurant than it did in the sunlight. His gaze had singled her out as they exited the truck and stepped onto the sidewalk. It was evident she had not seen their arrival.
She was wearing not one of her staple ranch articles of clothing but had an emerald-green blouse of some shiny fabric, with short sleeves and a soft bow of fabric at the shoulder. Instead of jeans, she had cream-colored slacks on her long legs. And there were sandals on her feet instead of work boots. He had stopped for a moment or two before opening the front door and stepping inside, to allow his mind to adjust to this Sammi Jo. He was trying to equate the two versions of the same female into one. His brain needed to stay sharp. He couldn’t be off balance in any way.
But it was as if Lacy and Sammi Jo weren’t really strangers at all. Lacy had a streak of shyness that could be a Mississippi-mile wide at times. But there seemed to be very little of that in evidence with Sammi Jo. That should be a plus.Should be...
But in the back of his mind at all times was the simple fact that this wasn’t a long-term deal. There would be no “until death do us part” in any vows they might make. Three years, and forever would be done—and that sobering thought sank with the speed of a lead balloon to the pit of his stomach. They were adults and they would walk away... she with her ranch intact, and he with a secure future for Lacy and money enough to make their ranch into what they dreamed it could be. But what about Lacy? No pot of gold at the end of any rainbow would be worth harm to his daughter. He could only hope that as the days progressed, there would be some sign that he was headed in the right direction or something that would make him pull the plug totally without a backward glance.
For all he knew, Sammi Jo could up and change her mind. She was hard to keep in a box given the way she had reacted over dinner to the whole subject of attending the school fair. He had given her an easy out of the situation. Sammi Jo Burkitt would be as out of her sphere as he would be at a fancy dress party in her mansion. But it was plain she had decided to be stubborn and not take the lifeline. She couldn’t say he didn’t try to help her out. But then, she was more than stubborn when it came to the Aces High. She would never consider waving that flag of surrender.
When donkeys fly,to quote his housekeeper’s favorite saying. If there were ever a female totally attached to a place, to a land and the way of life it served up, it was Sammi Jo Burkitt. He had only to be around her for five minutes to figure that one out. She lived and breathed the Aces High. She had a double dose of Burkitt blood in her veins, reinforced by hardheaded, hot-tempered tenacity. He doubted the wordquithad ever been uttered from her lips.
His thought flashed straight to her face as she had sat at the table earlier. His mind had wandered a time or two to the delicate bow shape of pale, pink-tinted lips. Funny, he had never paid that much attention to her features before, them being neighbors and all. But their worlds were just that—worlds apart. His family worked hard to maintain what they had. The Burkitts might work hard, building onto their empire with all the money to buy the help they needed—the equipment, animals, you name it—but just a snap of their fingers and bank vaults opened wide. His first impressions of Sammi Jo Burkitt couldn’t be so easily discarded. Sandy Lou had also pointed out many things to him about who she called “the spoiled heiress” during their time together.
If anything came first, it was the fact she was a Burkitt. There might have been a bit of a feud going on over a poker game played some couple of hundred years ago between the Hawkes and the Burkitts, but that was water under the bridge by this generation. It was a waste of time and effort as far as he was concerned. His beef with Sarah Burkitt had centered on how she lorded it over all her neighbors and even those who worked the ranch. She never let anyone forget she was the mistress of all they surveyed, and her word was law.
Her husband had been the only saving grace between that family and others. Ranch hands stayed because of him and loyalty to him. And he had to admit that loyalty looked to have seeped over into Sammi Jo’s favor. He had his own reasons for not feeling all that kindly to the spitfire of the granddaughter. And he would have to deal with those in short order. He didn’t want anything to taint what Lacy thought. As to what Sammi Jo thought about him? Well, he had no idea how Sammi Jo and her sister might feel about it. Couldn’t be too bad, given she was willing to trade her name for his, if only for three years... thirty-six months. And he had to admit that it sounded better to use the thirty-six-month calendar term.
One step at a time—it was a blinking yellow caution sign in the back of his brain. There were twenty-nine days to go before any vows had to be said. A lot could happen in that timeframe.
Chapter Five
“The good newsis that you two haven’t killed each other yet.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. I’m so glad you called to offer your support in this craziness.”
“What else is a big sister for?”
“That’s what I have asked myself for the last thirty years. And I still haven’t figured it out.” Sammi Jo was quick with the comeback, shaking her head in the process. Some things never changed. But it did feel good to hear her sibling’s voice, even long distance.
“So, you met Lacy. And you two seem to have hit it off, which is a big check mark in the plus column. You three are making your public appearances to get the gossip fodder under some sort of control before the main event is sprung on everyone. And you had a civilized dinner with an invitation to get into deeper water by joining in a true rite of passage: being seen at the local school fair. Good on you.”
“I realize you are probably channeling your best rendition from your cheerleading days, but I’m not feeling it just yet. This could all come to a crashing halt any moment. Beaudry could come to his senses, or Lacy could take a dislike to me for some reason. He and I both agree that no matter what, Lacy is our first consideration. Her life will be the most impacted if we do this and then end it in three years.”
“Hmm...” Laurel paused to think a moment or two. “Yes, I see the point, and it is very valid. But what if you and Beaudry decide not to end it in three years? What if by some miracle of miracles, you find that the two of you just might be a perfect match along the way? Stranger things have happened when that pesky little thing called love sneaks in to disrupt the best-intentioned plans... or so I hear.”
“Have you been out in the California sun too long?” Sammi Jo’s tone went up a few decibels. It was an absurd thought. “We are pushing the envelope as it is just trying to maintain a civility in this charade, given our past histories. It’s like we both know we are on the same tightrope and one wrong move and we go crashing down. At least that’s what it feels like. I can’t even let my brain go to how long this has to be the ‘norm’ in our lives. I just keep telling myself the end will justify the means. It has to, right?”
“Don’t ask me that. This was your decision, remember? You want to hold on to that ranch so badly, you agreed to this pact with the devil.”
“Beaudry could easily become the devil if he chooses.”
“I wasn’t talking about him. I had our grandmother in mind. This whole plan was her concocted way to remain in control of our lives and have people still do her bidding. You just remember that you might have a streak of stubborn Burkitt pride a mile wide inside you, but no one will fault you if you decide at any time to chuck it all, take a big payoff, and ride off into the sunset to anyplace your heart might desire.”
“That’s not an option. I will fight for this land as long as I breathe. This is the only place in this world where I want to be.”
“It’s your Alamo, then.” Laurel’s tone was a solemn statement of fact. “If I were casting this movie, your heroine part would have to be a mix of a female Davy Crockett and a fiery Scarlett O’Hara.” She finished on a laugh.
“Now that is a movie of yours, I might pay to see. And on that note, I have to get busy. We’re clearing more pasture to the north of Sandy Creek. I could use your help on a bulldozer if you want a fun week away from the beach.”