Wedding Planner Tames Rancher!

“I’m sorry, Wade, I didn’t—”

“Don’t worry about it.” He stepped outside the pump house with her and retrieved his shirt. “Much to Myra Jo’s disappointment, I try hard not to look the part of the landed gentry.”

Now there was the unvarnished truth. If there was one thing Wade Mackey looked like, it was a dyed-in-the-wool cowboy. Make that Cowboy, with a capital C, she amended as she watched him slip the blue chambray shirt over his muscular arms and broad chest. Her mouth went dry as she watched his long fingers work the buttons, slowly hiding the enticing view from her.

“I take it you’re ready to set up for the wingding.”

Leah nodded, then cleared her throat before adding, “I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

“No bother at all. I was getting the hot tub running before Myra Jo calls in the National Guard to contain the disaster.”

She tried not to chuckle, but she couldn’t help it. “So is it safe to stand down from red alert?”

“Yeah, I think so. I was just about to fire things up and make sure. Did you need my help?”

“Oh, no, I just wanted to be sure it was all right for me to get started. We’ve got a lot to do before the girls arrive.”

“Help yourself to anything you need. I can call some of the boys up from the bunkhouse if you’d like.”

“Heavens, no, but thanks for the offer. I wouldn’t dream of taking the men away from their duties.”

“Their duties are to do whatever I tell them to do.”

Leah focused sharply on his words. In a second’s span, the good ol’ boy had been replaced by the boss. And she strongly doubted the warning she’d heard had been her imagination.

“Be that as it may, I have things under control,” she said in a polite tone. There was always some jockeying for position at the start of any job, and Leah had to be careful to establish her inability to be intimidated. Her fleeting hope that Wade’s tenseness at the convention center had been a momentary thing faded as fast as the dew under the sweltering Texas sun.

“Then I’ll leave you to your work. By the way,” he said over his shoulder as he headed back to his repairs, “get with me before you leave. We need to talk without Myra Jo around.”

“Fine. I’ll see you early this afternoon and we can visit.”

Leah walked toward the house to start her crew at their tasks, replaying the last few moments in her head. There was no doubt she had just been ordered—politely, of course—to be available to receive her instructions. Leah had never dreamed she would be working exclusively with Myra Jo. Since the girl’s mother was living in Dallas, it was easy to extrapolate Daddy Wade would be the PIC, otherwise known as the parent in charge.

Leah found that during the course of the morning she could hardly keep her mind off her coming meeting with him. She directed the luncheon on autopilot, and, thank goodness, everything went off flawlessly. But by the time the last cup of coffee had been served, and Myra Jo and her sorority sisters were lounging by the pool, Leah’s nerves were stretched thin.

With a trepidation she rarely felt, she went to the house to find Wade. The only person she found inside was a young woman who spoke little English. Leah caught uno momento, por favor and then Señor Mackey. The girl pointed down the hall so Leah smiled and said, “Gracias,” then headed in that direction.

Instead of finding Wade’s office, however, she walked straight into his bedroom. The decor was unabashedly masculine. From the cream-and-blue curtains to the massive wooden furniture, it emanated strength. The faint smell of toothpaste and aftershave hung in the air. She felt like a fool for blushing as she stared at the rumpled sheets and comforter on the king-size bed, only to have her uneasiness increase when the image of him standing at the sink, shaving, filled her mind.

She quickly returned to the center of the house, ill at ease with her unintentional snooping, to find an office also carrying Wade’s unmistakable stamp. Although the smell of leather and rich mahogany furniture weren’t uniquely male, in this case she had little doubt who usually sat behind the large desk, his dark head bent over papers stacked in seemingly haphazard piles.

Her inspection was interrupted by the excited yips of a beautiful border collie. The dog came into the office and danced around Leah’s legs on dainty feet. Leah couldn’t help but grin.

“Some guard dog you are!” she scolded. The dog was clearly unimpressed, for her hind end only wagged harder as Leah read the metal tag shaped like the state of Texas attached to the collar.

“Where’s the boss man, Spoiled Rotten? Where’s Daddy?”

Rotten’s black-tipped ears perked up, and she raced around the desk to jump into the chair.

“I know this is his office, silly.”

But the collie merely circled in the chair and barked.

“All right, all right.” Refusing to believe she was conversing with a dog, Leah sat on one of the two matching wingbacks facing the large desk. After five minutes, she thought about finding the maid again, but decided that would be futile. After five more minutes of crossing and uncrossing her legs, she finally gave Wade’s stand-in a glare.

“Look, he may be the boss, but that doesn’t give him the right to keep me cooling my heels.”

Rotten just wagged her tail.

With a frustrated sigh, she wrote Wade a note and tore the page from her day planner. She included a business card before placing them in a relatively clear space on his blotter. With a final pat on Rotten’s silky head, she went home.

Her drive was uneventful, but as she neared Austin, Leah began to regret leaving without finding Wade. She couldn’t afford to mess up this opportunity to redeem her reputation, but at the same time, she wasn’t a servant at Wade’s beck and call. She had things to do, and waiting on an autocratic cowboy wasn’t one of them—even if that stubborn cowboy held her career in his hands.

The phone was ringing when she unlocked the door to her office. She glanced at her neat, black-lacquer desk and her floral print couch and armchairs. Elegantly draped white tiebacks muted the bright sunshine, creating an exquisite decor. Oddly, she couldn’t stop the image of dark wood and stacked papers from flashing across her mind.

She almost didn’t answer the persistent ringing—she had planned to use this rare weekend with no events scheduled to catch up on her paperwork, but her conscience prevailed.

“Leah Houston.”

“I thought I told you I wanted to talk with you.”

So much for chitchat.

“You did, and I tried to find you. When I couldn’t, I left a note on your desk.”

“I know, I smelled your perfume.”

Leah couldn’t stop the thrill that ran up her spine.

“I was in the barn,” he continued. “Someone should have told you.”

“The only person I found was your maid, and we had a little trouble communicating.”

“That would be Amalia, my foreman’s daughter. We’re working on her English since she wants to go to college next year.” He paused. “We have a ways to go.”

She was surprised by the dryly affectionate tone in his voice. He already had a habit of doing that...surprising her. She didn’t like it.

“Yes, well, my Spanish is exceptionally rusty, and I’m not psychic, so I apologize for missing you.” Feeling a little silly, she crossed her fingers before saying, “I can come back later this afternoon, if you’d like.”

“No, I’d rather meet without Myra Jo around, and her friends have left.”

She released a silent breath and uncrossed her fingers.

“How about dinner this evening instead?”

She frowned at the phone. So much for luck....

“I don’t—”

“If you’ll give me directions to your place, I can pick you up about eight.”

Leah took a deep breath and held it. As she slowly exhaled, she reminded herself that she had worked with difficult clients before. Sometimes she had to compromise to get what she wanted. Reluctantly, she gave him instructions to her condo.

Although she tried to work, it soon became clear she wasn’t going to get anything accomplished. Her mind wouldn’t stay on task. Visions of Wade—his naked chest bathed in the morning sun, a sardonic twist curving his lips—kept appearing before her eyes. Forty-two-year-old men were supposed to have the beginnings of a paunch and receding hairlines. They certainly weren’t supposed to look as though they could pose for fitness magazines.

With a frustrated sigh, she repacked her briefcase and headed home.

It wasn’t until she was sitting on her bed some hours later, gathering one leg of her panty hose in her fingers and mourning the loss of her lazy evening of air-popped popcorn and channel surfing, that Leah realized how tense she was.

Bra, hose, slip, low-heeled pumps, jewelry—the works—when she could be in old sweats and her favorite holey red socks. She tugged on a rayon coatdress and artfully tucked a silk scarf into the deep neckline. She had no idea what Mr. Mackey had in mind, but this was a dinner meeting, not a dinner date.

She had just clasped her watch around her wrist when the doorbell rang. She checked her appearance in the mirror and smiled wryly at her reflection. He was punctual, she could say that for him.

She opened the door to find her breath taken away once again. Half-naked, he had been nearly indescribable. In creased black jeans, a white dress shirt open at the neck, a sports jacket and boots, Wade was nothing short of yummy. The black Stetson he reached up to remove from his head made him the quintessential cowboy.

And she’d purged cowboys from her fantasy list a long time ago, she reminded herself. She wanted a nineties man, an urbane one, one who treated her as an equal, a partner. Cowboys weren’t known for their modern mind-sets.

It took a stern mental rap to get her hand off the knob and welcome him inside. Her fortitude returned when his gaze raked over her dress and she had the distinct impression she’d lost marks on his tally stick.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thanks. Nice place.”

“But not your style,” she offered helpfully.

“No, I reckon not.”

“Let me grab my purse, then, and we’ll get going.”

Once outside, she was ready to find a pickup truck waiting. What she hadn’t expected was a bright yellow Mustang. She hadn’t taken Wade for the sports car type, but maybe she’d misjudged him. Could her perceptions be that far off?

He laughed when he saw her expression. “Not exactly a limousine, I admit. I had to bring my truck into town for some work so I borrowed a friend’s car. Or rather, I ended up with my friend’s son’s car.”

Leah blushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was just caught off guard.”

His manners were flawless as he helped her into the car, but that was no surprise. Country boy or not, he was a gentleman. And she wasn’t surprised when he pulled into the crowded parking lot at the Broken Spoke. She’d hardly expected him to take her to the country club, considering the man she was coming to know, and she had no doubt she was being tested again. Well, she’d eaten her share of chicken-fried steak, and she could probably remember how to dance the schottische in a pinch.

As soon as the waitress had taken their orders, Leah got down to business. “What would you like to talk about first?”

Wade folded his hands on the table in front of him. “I don’t like Pennington Bradford, and I don’t like his daddy even more. But I do love my daughter, and I want her to be happy.”

He paused. Leah waited.

“Myra Jo doesn’t think so, but I was young once, and I remember what it was like to be impulsive, to believe love was enough to solve any problem. I don’t think she has a clue what she’s facing if she goes through with this marriage, and I’d do anything to keep her from getting hurt.”

Warning bells went off in Leah’s head. “I think most fathers feel as you do,” she said, treading softly.

He raised one eyebrow. “Even in this day and age, I don’t think most fathers raise their daughters by themselves.”

Despite her earlier vow to be cautious, Leah decided to go ahead and say what was on her mind. If Wade was as up-front as he claimed, he’d respect her. If he wasn’t, it would be better to lose the contract now instead of risking a second disaster.

“Wade, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and one thing I’m sure of is that it’s a mistake to play God. I’ve seen couples I was certain were doomed become inseparable, and vice versa. So if you’re asking me to help you to keep Myra Jo from marrying Pennington, I’m afraid I can’t oblige you.”

Wade cast her an amused glance. “I’m not asking you to. I know the quickest way to get a child to do something is to forbid it, so my goal hasn’t been to stop her. I’ve dragged things out as long as I could to see if she’d open her eyes.”

“Start seeing things your way, you mean,” she said, unable to stop herself.

His look turned mocking. “No, I meant it the way I said it. If I thought she had any inkling of what marrying Pennington really means, I’d feel more at ease. The way it stands, I’m not convinced. The long and short of it is, I’m going to give Myra Jo the biggest wedding money can buy. And I’m also going to do my best to ensure her a chance at a happy future.”

“And if things don’t work out that way?” Leah asked quietly.

“Then my little girl can come home, and her daddy’ll do his damnedest to heal her broken heart.”

Hot tears sprang into Leah’s eyes despite her most valiant effort to contain them. It was clear that Wade would gladly play the bad guy, even risk his daughter’s rejection, to assure her happiness. Considering her “I’ll do it on my own” philosophy, Leah should have been scornful, convinced Myra Jo would never stand on her own two feet as long as she knew she had her daddy to fall back on. Instead, all she felt was a pang of envy.

“Maybe someday Myra Jo will know how lucky she is to have you for a father,” she finally managed to say.

“Maybe,” Wade echoed in a lighter tone, “but I’m still not wearing a tuxedo.”

Leah had to roll her eyes, but was grateful that Wade had lightened the mood.

“Come on, Wade. Surely that’s just another delaying tactic?”

“Maybe.”

Hope quickened in her breast only to fade as she realized he was serious about not wearing a tuxedo. The wedding was only a month away; now was not the time for him to be unreasonable.

“I’m no weekend cowboy, Leah, living in Westlake and thinking I’m a rancher because I own a few acres and run a few head. I work my land and my herds. My hands get dirty and my boots aren’t for show.”

He took a breath and continued. “I can still remember the year we got indoor plumbing. I remember the year we didn’t eat meat until fall and we butchered a hog. I remember skipping school because I had to help my dad. Those things mold a man.”

He studied his clean, square nails.

“My Daddy’s word has always been worth more than gold, so if my family wasn’t good enough for people like the Bradfords then, we’re sure the hell not good enough now.”

“I can understand how you feel, but in the end this is your only child’s wedding.”

“I’ve told you that I’ll give Myra Jo the full three-ring circus, but I won’t play the trained bear for anybody.”

Wade suddenly looked weary, and Leah felt her heart pull. She had to believe growing up poor was not the only reason Wade was so firmly set in his ways. She wondered if Myra Jo’s mother was to blame for him putting up such high walls, or if some other woman had turned him so self-contained.

Whatever the reason—sheer cussedness or deep conviction—it was clear a battle would wage to put some shine on a man who wore his humble beginnings like a badge of honor.

“So,” he said, drawing her attention again, “have I scared you off?”

Leah loved a challenge, but she doubted Wade knew how reasonable it was for her to be afraid. Her reputation was at stake. Wade might not think she understood pride, but she did. Just like him, she knew the desire to be judged for who she was, not what she could do or how much money she made. Oh, how she knew the desire for people to see past the trappings and accept her for the woman she was on the inside.

She gave her head a little shake to stop her wandering thoughts. She could take comfort in the fact that Wade would play fair. Tough, but fair. That she could handle.

“Nope,” she finally said, holding out her hand. “You may have met your match, Wade Mackey.”

He paused a long moment before a smile slowly grew and he took her offered palm. “That would be a rare treat, Leah Houston.”

They sat back and let the waitress serve their dinners, and Leah discovered her appetite had returned.

“So what’s the next shindig on the list?” Wade asked between bites of steak.

“Myra Jo wants a barbecue as a combination graduation party and official announcement.”

“That’s right, I’d forgotten. I still think it’s pretty silly to ‘announce’ a year-old engagement.”

“I’ve seen the guest list,” Leah said carefully. “It’s going to be quite an affair.”

His lips tightened. “Bradford’s up for reelection and I guess he saw an opportunity to slap backs at my expense. But hell, I don’t care.”

Leah wasn’t sure that was entirely true, but she was sure this wasn’t a financial issue. She’d already been given the okay to hire the best caterers in Texas and one of the hottest up-and-coming bands. The decorations alone were no small cost, but the agreement she’d sent him had come back to her desk without a mark on it except his bold signature on the approval line.

“At least attire won’t be a fight,” she said, trying for some levity. “Denim will be de rigueur.”

“You think so?” he said, lifting an eyebrow. “We’ve already had three fights that my brand of denim isn’t good enough. Myra Jo wants to buy me some highfalutin designer jeans and have boots custom-made for the occasion. My Tony Lama’s will be just fine with a little spit and polish.”

Since they were back to square one, Leah decided to let things go for now. She only had a week until the barbecue, but then she would have another two until the rehearsal. Surely she could find a way to make him change his mind in three weeks. After all, she’d gotten the governor to dress up as The Beast so his daughter could be Belle at a costume party, hadn’t she?

The conversation drifted into the mundane for the rest of the meal, and the evening took on a delightful air. It wasn’t until the check arrived that they once again squared off.

Wade reached for it at the same time she did. His face took on that stubborn expression Leah decided she’d better get used to, so she finally let go. The test of wills had only taken a matter of seconds, but the battle had been real.

How foolish of her even to think of picking up the tab, even though the meal was a business deduction for her. He might only be seven years her senior, but feminism seemed to have passed this cowboy by without even ruffling his hair.

Leah noted Wade’s generous tip with absurd pleasure. She might have scratched cowboys off her fantasy list, but selfish men had never even been a consideration.

“Look, Leah, I’ve had about all the arguing I can stand. I clean up real good, so I can promise you I won’t show up at the barbecue, or even the wedding, in overalls. You just take care of Myra Jo and don’t worry about me.”

Oh, sure. That should be a breeze. Just as it had been a breeze to reserve the country club for the reception on such short notice, and book the caterer who was usually scheduled a year in advance, and cajole the baker into guaranteeing a five-tiered bride’s cake, a groom’s cake and the numerous extras required for an affair this size. What had Myra Jo been thinking to send out her invitations without these details planned? Now she could add getting the world’s most stubborn cowboy into a cutaway.

Any more “easy” tasks and she might just scream.

She calmed her wayward thoughts as Wade led her to the car, keeping a solicitous hand on her elbow. The evening sky was filled with a billion twinkling diamonds, and the quiet wrapped around them, incongruously making the parking lot seem intimate after the music-filled evening.

She wasn’t expecting the thrill that raced through her veins when he stopped and turned to give her an inscrutable look.

“Would you like to go for a walk on Town Lake before I take you home?”

Years of practice allowed Leah to keep her astonishment hidden. No, their meeting hadn’t been a date by the usual definition, but she probed her memory and found many real dates which hadn’t been this enjoyable.

Why did she find Wade’s interest in her companionship so hard to believe? Why was she looking for ulterior motives when the man might simply wish to spend some time with her? They’d had a pleasant evening, and all he wanted was to go for a walk by the lake.

Perhaps most surprising of all, she wanted to accept the impromptu invitation.

“That sounds lovely.”

The short drive down Lamar Boulevard was companionable. Leah congratulated herself on being able to put Wade a bit more at ease, and hoped she was building a good foundation to work from when things got dicey. For now, she decided to follow Wade’s example and enjoy the moment.

She matched his slow pace as they strolled along the Town Lake trail. The moon, pregnant with summer promise, reflected off the Colorado River. Pecan and cypress trees held hands over their heads, flirting with the night wind.

The occasional lap of the water against the bank, the crunch of gravel under the wheels of a passing bicycle, and the muted sound of traffic from the street only made the solitude seem safer, more comfortable. When they reached the rock overlook departing from the trail, it seemed entirely natural to lean her arms on the railing beside Wade’s and watch the lights from the power plant dance on the water. If it were earlier in the day, they’d be visited by the ducks and swans in search of a handout, but they had all found their nests, leaving the humans to enjoy the evening in relative peace and quiet.

Leah shivered when a gust of wind chased down her spine.

“Are you cold?” Wade asked, concern coloring his voice.

“No, just goose bumps. I’ve lived in Texas all my life, so you’d think I’d be used to the scorching hot days and cool nights of early summer in these parts.”

“Or maybe a rabbit hopped over your grave.”

She tilted her head. “Now there’s a pleasant colloquialism!”

Leah looked back out over the water. On the surface, Wade seemed content to stand in companionable silence, but she sensed a controlled hunger in him. It was her business to read people, and her instincts said his confident bearing was hiding something. Maybe she simply recognized a kindred spirit, a soul not yet fulfilled, a yearning for something ineffable.

Those thoughts making her want to reach out to him also awakened the little voice that had served her well over the years. And the voice reminded her to tread carefully. Wade had not invited an intimacy with her, and in fact, the very idea was illogical to contemplate. If anything, Leah knew better than to mix business with...anything else.

“Wade, it’s been a nice evening and all—”

“But...”

“But I’ve had a long day and my nap is wearing off.”

One side of his mouth tipped upward. “That’s an awfully roundabout way of saying you want to go home.”

“In my business, you learn subtlety.”

“Meaning you have to fib to get what you want?”

“Not fibbing, exactly. More like...redirecting.”

“So instead of telling the groom’s mother she looks like a purple sausage in the outfit she’s wearing, you’d do what? Give her a gift certificate to a dress shop?”

Leah was losing the fight against a grin. “I’d probably mention to her how lovely she’d look in peach, with her hair and complexion, and ask her if she’d seen the new collection by a designer I think would flatter her.”