Texas Homecoming by Maggie Shayne

Author:Maggie Shayne [Shayne, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cowboy, Texas Brands, Contemporary, Westerns, Romance, Western, Texas, Literature & Fiction
Amazon: B00EBX4TYA
Barnesnoble: B00EBX4TYA
Publisher: Maggie Shayne
Published: 2013-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

* * *

"SO?" GARRETT ASKED. HE WALKED beside Luke, leading the horses the kids had been riding out to the stable.

"So, what?" Luke asked.

Behind him, the other men chuckled. And they were all there, too, following along for no good reason. Obviously this discussion was of interest to every macho Brand male in the county. Wes, the hot-tempered half Comanche. Elliot the redheaded jokester. Adam, the levelheaded GQ cover look-a-like. And Lash, Garrett's deputy, even though he was a Brand by marriage, rather than blood. He'd married the baby sister of the family.

"So, has your houseguest told you anything about herself yet?"

Licking his lips, Luke stopped walking. The horse he'd been leading nickered and stomped a foot at him, impatient for the oats she knew awaited her in the stables, no doubt. Luke looked at the men. "I trust you guys like I've never trusted any man in my life except maybe for my old friend, Buck, whose death sort of led me to you all."

Wes lowered his head and reached up to clap Luke on the shoulder. Elliot grinned and shrugged, then said, "So what's not to trust?"

Luke shook his head. "I need to know you trust me the same way."

Ben bit his lower lip to hide a smile, and the other guys seemed to be battling the same. Garrett said, "You're falling for her already, huh?"

Luke swung his head around so fast he wrenched his neck. "What? No! I mean...not really. I...she..."

Garrett snorted, he was trying so hard not to laugh. Elliot reached up to smack Luke between the shoulder blades. "Just breathe, cuz. It's okay, it's happened to all of us."

Luke rolled his eyes. "There's nothing going on between the two of us."

"But you're attracted to her," Lash said, and it wasn't really even a question.

"Well, of course I'm attracted to her. I mean, have you looked at the woman? Who wouldn't be attracted to her? But that doesn't mean a damn thing. Hell, I'm not even sure I'm ready for a relationship with a woman. And even if I was, I'm not sure she'd be the one. She's sure as hell not what I had in mind."

"Nope. They never are," Elliot said, shaking his head slowly.

"Doesn't matter if he's ready or not, anyway," Lash said. "Jessi made up her mind a good hour ago. She pulled me aside after the meal, said she thought Jasmine was perfect for Luke."

"Yeah, Chelsea thinks Jasmine and little Baxter fit into this family like missing puzzle pieces,'' Garrett said.

Elliot grinned at Luke. "Well, hell, cousin, that just about seals your fate, then. If Jessi and Chelsea want her in, she'll be in, and you're the only single male left to marry off to get her in."

Luke felt the blood drain from his face. "Marry?"

Lash nodded. "Shoot, they're probably picking out flowers by now."

Luke just stood there, feeling his head spin and his stomach lurch. And then they all burst out laughing. It was one big masculine roar, and so many hands slapped his back and shoulders that he figured he'd be bruised the next day.

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