brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy (12 page)

J
AKE CALLED
for Brett and hurried to the living room. He hoped Pete’s news was good. He wanted his brothers married—but he also wanted them happy.

Chad had married Megan with everyone’s approval. And all the Randalls loved Janie, too. But if she didn’t want to be married to Pete, everyone would be unhappy.

“Janie and I have a couple of things to tell you,” Pete began once everyone had arrived.

By the grin on his face and the fact that his arm was wrapped around Janie’s shoulders, Jake assumed the news was good, that Pete and Janie had resolved their difficulties. Pete certainly looked happy, but Jake wasn’t so sure about Janie.

“Janie has accepted my proposal. We’re going to be married right away.”

There was a lot of whooping and hollering from Brett and Chad, and Jake grinned. Chad was probably hoping his problems with Megan would be at an end.

Suddenly Jake remembered that Pete had said they had two announcements to make. “Pete, what’s the second bit of news?”

Pete’s grin widened even more, and Jake sighed in relief.

“The second announcement will really bowl you over, Jake. We’re getting two for the price of one. Janie’s having twins.”

The celebration for his second announcement was even louder than the first. Jake let the others gather around Janie and Pete. He sat still, taking in the news, happiness bubbling up inside him. Two new Randalls. Two sets of little feet running around the house. And both of them before next Christmas.

Santa was coming to the Randalls. Yee-haw!

J
ANIE SUCKED IN
her stomach as Megan tugged on the zipper. “I think we should’ve gotten a larger size. My waist is already starting to go.”

“Nope. This one is perfect,” Megan assured her as the zipper reached the top. “You’re going to knock Pete off his feet.”

“Didn’t I already do that by having twins?” Janie asked ruefully.

B.J., her second bridesmaid, answered in place of Megan. “Maybe. But this will be a different kind of blow. You don’t look anything like a cowgirl, Janie. More like a movie star.”

Janie turned to look in the mirror. Her dark hair wasn’t in its traditional braid. Instead, it flowed over her shoulders in shiny curls. The antique satin wedding gown with its matching veil gave her the look of a princess in a fairy tale, waiting for her prince to. rescue her.

“I think I’m jealous,” Megan suddenly said, gaining the attention of the other two.

“What are you talking about?” Janie asked anxiously. After all, she and Megan were about to become family.

“Chad and I got married on our own. I wore a blue suit. He wanted to come back home and have a traditional wedding, but I didn’t want to wait. But you’re so beautiful, and everyone’s so excited, I think maybe I made the wrong choice.”

Since Megan was grinning, neither of the other ladies took her seriously.

“It’s how you feel when you wake the next morning that matters,” B.J. said softly, her eyes clouding with memories.

Janie hoped the other two ladies couldn’t read her mind, because her morning would be the same as all the other mornings without Pete, even if they were married.

By her choice.

I must be crazy, putting myself through such torture.

Jake had suggested she and Pete take the two-bedroom suite near Megan and Chad. Since Pete didn’t want anyone to know they weren’t a normal married couple, one room had been designated the babies’ room, but Janie had suggested a daybed be rigged up like a sofa, filled with pillows, in case she had to spend nights with the babies after they were born.

Megan, who was in charge of redoing the house, agreed. While the room didn’t have cribs yet, it had a sofa bed.

“It’s time,” Lavinia said, sticking her head in the door. “Brett’s going to seat me now. Everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine, Mom.” Janie gave her mother her best smile, a little tremulous but warm. Her mother had worked nonstop the past four days to create the perfect wedding for her only daughter.

“Your father’s waiting out here,” Lavinia whispered before disappearing.

“Ready, Janie?” B.J. asked.

She nodded and faced the mirror one more time. Was she making a mistake? Could she ever make Pete love her?

Megan opened the door and waited for Janie to go to her father. Then Megan and B.J., dressed in amber taffeta, took their places. Janie stared after them as each marched down the aisle in the small church. Though it was cold outside, the sun was streaming through the stained-glass windows, filling the church with rich colors.

The organ music swelled, and Janie realized her friends had reached the altar. Now it was her turn. She placed her hand on her father’s arm and raised her gaze to his.

“You’re beautiful, Janie, just like your mother,” he whispered, and led her down the aisle.

P
ETE HAD FACED
some dangerous situations in his life. The first time he’d ridden a bull, his insides had been all scrambled up
before
he’d gotten on the bull. But getting married was tougher.

Just when he thought he wouldn’t last much longer, Janie, her hand tucked into her father’s arm, appeared at the door to the chapel and took his breath away. He was suddenly glad Jake had insisted on a professional photographer. He didn’t ever want to forget how beautiful Janie looked today.

There were a lot of things to worry about in this marriage, but today wasn’t the time to concern himself with them. Now was the time to celebrate their union…and to celebrate the babies growing inside of Janie.

His babies.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy wedlock.”

When Hank surrendered Janie’s hand to Pete, he grasped it tightly, hoping Janie wouldn’t realize how nervous he was. Then he looked into her bright blue eyes, and the fear that had been growing the past few hours left him. Everything would be all right.

Janie whispered her vows, her gaze pinned to Pete’s strong features. He was a good man, even if he did have trouble loving her. She promised herself, even as she made her promises to Pete aloud, that she would find a way to make him love her.

When the pastor pronounced them husband and wife and suggested Pete kiss the bride, he did so with enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm, and so effectively, that Janie forgot they were in front of an audience. After all, he hadn’t touched her since that kiss in front of the drugstore.

It occurred to Janie, as she enjoyed Pete’s touch, she didn’t have to hold back this once. She could kiss the boots off Pete if she wanted to, and he couldn’t do much about it because they had an audience. With pleasure, she pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pretending, if only for a little while, that he loved her.

Pretending he loved her as much as she loved him.

Pretending happily-ever-after.

Only Jake’s voice, reminding them they had a reception to go to, brought Janie back to reality. That and Pete’s withdrawal. But she did feel some satisfaction when she saw the reluctance in his eyes.

Her cheeks bright red, she turned to face family and friends.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jake announced, “it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Peter Randall. I hope you’ll all join us at the ranch for the reception.”

Lavinia had wanted to have the reception at their house, but the Randalls’ was so much larger, she’d agreed to Jake’s offer. After all, most of the county would show up in spite of the short notice. She and Red, along with Mildred’s help, had been baking nonstop.

Pete and Janie walked down the aisle, smiling at the well-wishers. Janie dreaded the drive to the ranch. She would be alone with Pete for the first time since they’d decided to marry. Life had been so hectic the past few days, she’d only seen him a few times, and always surrounded by people.

The photographer was waiting outside. “Give her a kiss, Pete, so I can get a good picture.”

With a grin, Pete swept her to him, his lips covering hers. The man was incredible. Here they were in broad daylight, surrounded by a lot of people, and a warning that she wouldn’t sleep with him, and she was longing for a double bed.

Thank goodness for the daybed in the babies’ room.

“Janie,” her mother called to her just as they started down the steps to Pete’s truck.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Honey, I’m sorry, but we ran out of bedrooms. I hope you don’t mind, but Great-Aunt Henrietta decided to make the trip after all, and there was nothing left.”

A sense of foreboding came over Janie.

“Jake said she could sleep on that daybed you had put in your extra bedroom. It will just be for one night.” Her mother looked at Pete, standing beside her. “I’m sorry, Pete. I know you’d prefer to be alone, but we don’t have anywhere else to put her. You should have planned a real honeymoon.”

“Remember? Janie didn’t want one. But don’t worry about Aunt Henrietta. We Randalls are a hospitable lot.” His grin was wide enough to cover Wyoming, and Janie wanted to punch him in his breadbasket.

“Well, there’s one good thing,” Lavinia added with a wink. “Aunt Henrietta is as deaf as a fence post. She won’t hear a thing.”

Chapter Nine

“Wipe that grin off your face, Pete Randall,” Janie ordered in frustration as soon as the two of them were in his truck.

“I’m not supposed to be happy on my wedding day?” he asked, his brown eyes wide with innocence.

“That’s not why you were grinning and you know it. You think we’re going to sleep together tonight because of Aunt Henrietta!”

“I always did like that lady,” Pete returned, still smiling.

“You’ve never even met her!” Janie’s great-aunt Henrietta lived in Cleveland, and Janie had seen her a few times as a child.

His sexy chuckle was the only response.

“Pete,” Janie said in a warning tone.

“Relax, Janie. You know I’m teasing you. I gave you my word, didn’t I? Whatever else you may think of me, you know I keep my promises.”

Janie sighed and sank back against the seat. What Pete said was true. She knew he was a man of his word. In fact, the only thing she’d ever found to complain about him was the fact that he didn’t love her.

She was more worried about her own reaction. Sleeping in the same bed with Pete would be a test of discipline she wasn’t sure she’d pass.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?” Pete asked softly, drawing her from her depressing thoughts.

The rush of warmth that filled her brought a blush to her cheeks. “No. But I don’t think I look as good as you.” Pete had worn a navy suit, a blue-and-gold tie and crisp white shirt. With his broad shoulders and narrow hips, he was every woman’s dream.

“Honey, you’re wrong about that. If we have little girls, I hope they both look like you.”

For the first time since Doc’s revelation, Janie considered the future. “It won’t bother you if we have girls?”

He grinned. “Janie, I’ve been living in an all-man world for a long time. I’m looking forward to having a few women around, even if they’re in diapers.”

“You already have Megan and B.J. and her aunt. Soon the women will outnumber the men.”

“Not likely,” Pete objected with a grin. “B.J. and Mildred really aren’t part of the family. They just live on the place. And since I don’t think Jake will ever marry again, and Brett hasn’t shown any inclination in that direction, either, we’ve got a long way to go before females outnumber males at the Randalls’.”

Pete turned the truck onto the long driveway leading to the ranch, and the proximity of the ranch house reminded Janie of her original concern. “Pete, what are we going to do about this evening?”

“What do you mean?”

She sent him a disgusted look. “I’m talking about the sleeping arrangements, and you know it.”

“We’ve got a king-size bed, Janie. Surely we can both sleep on it one night without any problems.”

Sucking in her breath as she pictured Pete, his broad chest bare, wearing only his briefs as he slid under the covers within her reach, Janie shuddered. Could she keep her hands to herself? Could he?

When she said nothing, Pete pulled the truck to a halt by the house and turned her toward him. “I won’t make love to you, Janie, unless you change your mind. But remember, you have a promise to keep, too.” With those words, he leaned forward to kiss her. “We have an audience,” he added just before his lips covered hers.

He extracted one hell of a down payment.

M
EGAN STARED
at Pete and Janie from the back door of the ranch house, remembering those first few minutes after her own marriage, just a couple of weeks ago. At least
she
had known her husband loved her.

Poor Janie.

“Remind you of us?” Chad whispered in her ear, his arm sliding around her.

“Not lately,” she said coolly, hiding her reaction to his nearness.

Chad pulled her around to face him. “I think it’s time we buried the hatchet, Meggie. I’ve missed you.”

“But I didn’t go anywhere, Chad. You’re the one who withdrew because I didn’t agree with you.” She felt it was important to work out what went wrong, not sweep it under the rug.

“Hell, Meggie, you sided against Pete. What was I supposed to do?”

“Allow me to have my own opinion? I’m not an extension of you, Chad. I’m my own person. I love Pete like a brother, but that doesn’t make him—or you—always right.”

He linked his arms around her waist. “If I promise to do better, will you forgive me?”

How could she resist his smile? With a sigh of agreement, she melted against him and their lips met.

“Hey, you two, get out of the doorway,” Red grumbled. “You’re not the only newlyweds anymore.”

“I don’t know, Red. I’m feeling pretty much like a newlywed right now,” Chad said, still holding Megan against him.

“I can tell, but I need some help.”

Megan pulled from Chad’s embrace. “What can I do?”

Mildred bustled into the kitchen in time to hear Megan’s question. “Lavinia thinks you and B.J. should serve the punch and cake. You both look so pretty in your dresses.”