The Shy Cowgirl (Bear Creek Rodeo) Read online

  “It’s the prettiest wedding dress in the whole wide world.” Olivia slipped her hand into Stephanie’s while Brittany paid for the pajamas.

  They had a quiet dinner—well, as quiet as you could get in Vegas—before walking back to the hotel, stopping along the way to take pictures with different characters.

  After the others had left their room that night and Olivia was ready for sleep, she whispered, “I hope you have the happiest marriage ever, Aunt Stephanie.”

  Stephanie smiled. “I hope so, too.”

  Early Saturday morning, Stephanie and her sisters carefully dressed, getting Olivia ready as well. They were all ready for the wedding an hour early, and they waited outside with the men for the limo that was slated to pick them up.

  Immediately after climbing in the backseat, Stephanie noticed a surprise in the limousine. “Dr. Lachele!” She flew across the car and hugged the older woman, thrilled that she was there. She hadn’t been sure she was going to be able to make it, because her husband had been ill. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you, too. I never turn down a boobie bump.” Dr. Lachele looked at Stephanie’s sisters. “I’m Dr. Lachele.”

  “I’m Emily.”

  “I’m Brittany.”

  “You three put on an incredible concert last night. I really enjoyed myself.” Dr. Lachele plumped up her purple hair as her eyes traveled to the different men in the limo. “What are you doing here?” she asked James.

  “I’m friends with Matt and Chris, so they invited me to come along.” James hoped Dr. Lachele knew better than letting on that he was the groom.

  Dr. Lachele narrowed her eyes at him. “All right. I’m Dr. Lachele.”

  “I’m James Nixon. I’m in Vegas for the rodeo.”

  “Good to meet you.”

  Stephanie wasn’t sure what was going on between Dr. Lachele and James, but she knew it was something. They were both acting strangely. “Did you set up the Elvis wedding like I asked?”

  “I sure did,” Dr. Lachele said. “I can’t wait to get to the chapel and see what’s going on.”

  When the limo had pulled up in front of the Elvis Chapel, the three sisters got out with Olivia, but the men stayed behind.

  Stephanie looked at Brittany and Emily. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

  Emily’s eyes widened. “I think James is your groom. It’s just a guess, but I’ve felt like the men were hiding something since that night we all went to supper together.”

  “That would make sense,” Brittany said, looking over at Stephanie. “How would you feel about that?”

  “I’m not sure. I wish he’d have told me, but I guess I should just be happy I’m marrying a man I know I can love.” Stephanie frowned. “You will need to say something to your men later, if that turns out to be the case.”

  Brittany shook her head. “No, if Emily is right, then they did the absolute right thing. They know that we can’t keep secrets from you. We’ve never been able to.”

  “Well, that’s true.” Stephanie sighed. “I do want to say something to them for deceiving us, though.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Emily walked to the chapel and opened the door, letting Olivia go in first.

  The chapel was tiny . . . so much smaller than they’d expected. It was certainly enough for their group, but it wouldn’t have been enough for many more people. The band was already there, waiting for them, and Stephanie took deep breaths in the back of the room while she waited for James—or whoever her groom was—to come inside.

  She kept her eyes on the door as James walked in and straight to her. “You know, don’t you?”

  Stephanie nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He sighed. “The guys said you’d have an easier time getting to know me if you weren’t aware that I was the man you’d come to meet.”

  “I see.” She looked up at the man she’d been slowly falling for all week, happy that he was marrying her. “I guess I won’t complain too much.” She felt lighter than air as they walked to the front of the church and waited. She was marrying James. How strange that events had fallen the way they did.

  The wedding went quickly, full of cheesy jokes and Elvis making faces for their photos. She wasn’t sure who had come up with the idea of an Elvis wedding, but she loved it. It was definitely something for her.

  When Elvis said, “You may kiss the bride,” Stephanie readily turned her lips up to James’s. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to spend forever with him. How was it possible she’d just married the man of her dreams instead of a random stranger?

  Six

  After the brief ceremony, the seven of them all went to a late lunch together. Olivia was still skeptical of James, and it showed.

  “You have to be nice to my aunt Stephanie,” she said after watching him for a good long while.

  “I do? What happens if I’m not nice to her?” James was curious about the kind of threat a small girl could come up with.

  “I will kick you and hit you and pull your hair, and then I’ll have Aunt Brittany and Uncle Matt do the same. I love my aunt Stephanie.”

  “That sounds really scary. I guess I’ll have to be nice to her. I can do it if I try hard enough, right?”

  Olivia nodded gravely. “You can.”

  Stephanie was more than a little surprised by the fierce loyalty the little girl was showing. “What day do you ride?” she asked softly, trying to change the subject.

  “I’d have to check my schedule. Monday, I think.”

  “Will you be disappointed in me if I can’t make myself watch it? The idea of seeing you try to ride a bull sends cold chills down my spine.”

  He reached over and covered her hand with his. “I’d like to see you in the stands if you can do it, but I completely understand if you can’t.” He was glad she already felt strongly enough for him that it would bother her.

  “I’ll try. I really will.” Stephanie looked over at Emily, knowing her sisters understood what was going through her mind. “I’m sure it would help me write another song.”

  He laughed. “Is everything song writing-fodder for you?”

  “Absolutely! Why else do you think I came to Vegas?”

  “To sing?” he asked. He brought her hand to his lips, not caring they had an audience. “And to marry me.”

  “I still can’t believe it was you I’ve been feeling panicked about marrying all week. You really could have told me.” She shook her head at him, wondering if he had really not said anything because of her brothers-in-law.

  Matt shook his head. “That was my decision. Well, mine and Chris’s. We thought it would be harder for you to get to know him if you knew he was the guy at the end of the aisle.”

  Stephanie frowned. “I wish you’d just told me, but I guess it’s fine. I did have a lovely week getting to know James.”

  “Did you think to pack up all your stuff so you can move rooms tonight?” James asked.

  “I did. I have a few things out but not much. What you really need to know is every night I have to join my sisters in serenading Olivia. She needs ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ and we try to always give it to her.”

  James looked down at the little girl, who simply wasn’t warming up to him. “Have you listened to ‘Lipstick on my Jeans’? I think that’s a better song than Puff.”

  Olivia glared at the man. “Aunt Brittany, would you make James go away?”

  “He’s Uncle James now,” Brittany reminded the little girl. “I can’t make him go away, because he’s married to Aunt Stephanie.”

  “You wouldn’t let me object,” Olivia said sadly.

  “No, and I still won’t. They’re married, and they’re going to be very happy. Just like Cinderella and the prince.”

  Olivia sighed dramatically and picked up her fork. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  When everyone laughed, she simply continued eating. Obviously, she didn’t want to be a party to her aunt’s life being ruined.

  After lunch, Stephanie and James moved her things into his room. He’d gotten a large suite that was a great deal nicer than the room she’d been sharing with Olivia.

  “This is nice,” she said, glancing nervously at the bed. She already had feelings for the man, but she just wasn’t sure she was ready to do that with him.

  He caught her glance and took her hand, leading her to the sofa in the other room. “If you’re not ready to consummate yet, we’ll wait. I want to throw you on the bed now and just have my way with you, but if that’s not what you want, you just need to tell me.” Please tell me you want it as much as I do!

  “I don’t think I’m ready yet,” she said softly. “Can you give me a little time?”

  “Why don’t we wait until we get back to Texas? Emotions are so high here, and I think we could simply enjoy being around each other rather than worrying about the little things.” He was disappointed, but he could truly understand her nervousness. They’d only known one another for a few days.

  “Little things? Sex isn’t important to you?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, honey, sex is very important. But it’s not important enough to have you nervous the whole time we’re here. When I get home, it’s going to be back to work all the time, and I want it to be easy for you to be around my parents and get to know them.”

  “Do you live with your parents?” It hadn’t been anything she’d thought about before then. Now she had to.

  “I do. We have a huge ranch house, and I believe my dad will be moving Mom into town soon. He’s ready to retire and only set foot on the ranch for special occasions. That’s why I’m done with rodeo.” Whether he wanted to be or not. Of course, now he had a wife’s feelings to consider as well.


  “I see.” Stephanie looked down at her hands for a minute. “If you’re really willing to wait until we get back to Texas, I would greatly appreciate it.”

  He caught her chin and tipped her face up to meet his gaze. “I am more than willing. As long as I get to keep kissing you and trying to convince you that you want to be in my arms forever.”

  She laughed softly. “I think that’s a good arrangement.” She leaned toward him, raising her lips to his, and he wasn’t about to refuse that offer.

  His mouth lowered on hers, and he put his hands at her waist, pulling her toward him. “Will you always be an obedient wife?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Probably not. And I’m going to be on the road some.”

  “I’m sure you will. I heard you sing last night. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be there, keeping the AC on for you.”

  Stephanie grinned. “Instead of the fire burning?”

  “Who wants a fire in Texas?” He winked at her. “Well, maybe we do. It is December, and we do have the chance to sit in front of that fire together . . .”

  “I like that idea!” She genuinely liked the man beside her, and she wasn’t terribly nervous around him. It was a miracle to her way of thinking. “What are we doing this evening?”

  “Do you want to take in a show? I would love to see the Blue Man Group.”

  “That actually sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to do Coney Island on New York, New York. That could be fun.”

  “Oh! You want to go full tourist. Well, let’s do that. I’ll make reservations for dinner, but we’ll spend the rest of our time wandering around, seeing the sites. I’m surprised you and your sisters haven’t done that yet.”

  Stephanie shrugged. “It was hard, because we had to stay focused on the concert. Now that it’s over, I feel a lot freer. I’m sure we’ll both feel that way after your ride.” She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder. “How important is it to you to win?”

  He shook his head. “I needed to make it here this year, but I truly don’t care if I win or lose. I want that one last ride, and I’d like to do my full eight seconds, but if I don’t, the world doesn’t end.”

  “That’s a good thing. I don’t want you stressing about winning it.” She looked down, realizing just then she was still sitting there in her wedding dress. “I need to get out of this thing so I can wear tourist clothes.”

  “Before you do, I need to tell you something . . .” James watched her get to her feet.

  “Oh yeah?” It struck Stephanie that if he was any other man in the world, she’d be a lot more nervous. There was just something about James that set her at ease.

  “You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. I’m so proud to be your husband. I was thinking about backing out of the wedding when I talked to your brothers-in-law. They made the connection and talked me into going through with it.”

  Stephanie sighed. “I feel like I’ve been living in a fog all week. I should have realized something was up.”

  “Maybe you didn’t want to.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Change, and then I’ll change. I’ll make reservations, and then we’ll walk up and down the strip. I bet we could even catch a gondola ride at Venice.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun to me. Do they do that?”

  “You’ve never been to Vegas, have you?”

  She shook her head. “Never. Struggling singer here.”

  He laughed. “You’re not anymore. Change!”

  She opened her suitcase and wished it was already unpacked, but she’d have to do that later. She plucked out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. That would be perfect as soon as she figured out how to get out of her dress.

  As soon as she was dressed, she walked into the bedroom and reached for her socks and shoes. She sat down to put them on, and he watched her for a moment. He was still in his suit from the wedding, and he really wanted to change. But he also wanted to just stand still and watch his beautiful bride.

  He took his turn in the bathroom, putting on clothes very similar to hers but adding his cowboy boots and hat.

  When he stepped out, she looked at his boots with a frown. “Those aren’t going to make your feet sore?”

  “My boots? Never. I wear them for everything.” He grabbed two room keys and handed her one. “There you go. Now we can both get in.”

  “I’ll lose mine in about fifteen minutes. My sisters have always held onto my room keys for me so that I wouldn’t have a chance to lose them. It’s silly, but I can’t seem to keep my hands on anything.”

  “Very silly,” he said with a wink.

  They held hands as they walked toward the elevator bank and through the casino to the front lobby. “You don’t want to gamble?”

  “Sort of. I want to put a dollar in a machine in every casino we go into. I can’t ever spend more, and I have to cash out whatever I win. That sounds like fun gambling to me.”

  He grinned at her. “You have your own way of doing things, don’t you, my sweet Stephanie.”

  “I guess I do.”

  James immediately led her down the street toward Caesars. It would be a good place to start out, as far as he was concerned. Then everything else would have to measure up. All of the hotels there were nice, but he liked Caesars the best.

  He watched her face as they first walked in, noting how she looked at the sky above them and all of the splendor. “I’m told the spa here is amazing, if you want to give that a try while we’re here.”

  “You wouldn’t mind?”

  He shook his head. “If it makes you feel good, I think you should do it.” He said the words with his lips pressed against her ear, and she felt a tingle run through her.

  “I like it when your lips are against my ear,” she told him.

  James smiled. “Well, I’ll have to keep that in mind when we’re not in a crowded casino, now won’t I?”

  “I think that might be wise!” Stephanie knew she probably shouldn’t tell him everything he did that she liked, but he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that for certain. Dr. Lachele had matched her with the only man she’d ever met that she’d have chosen for herself. The woman had done an excellent job, and Stephanie didn’t feel alone for the first time in her memory.

  Seven

  By the end of the evening, they were both worn out, but Stephanie had made a revelation. She’d finally found a man she wasn’t afraid to be alone with. To her, that said it all.

  As they walked back to the room, she asked James something that had been on her mind all day. “Why did you contact Matchrimony? I would think a man who looks like you do would have no problem finding a wife.”

  He shrugged. “It was truly more than that. I’ve been on the rodeo so long that I no longer really have friends at home. I mean, I have Matt and Chris, but I had no idea they had a beautiful sister-in-law they could introduce me to. I was ready to marry, but I knew I didn’t have time to go through all the courtship rituals. Dating would take way too much time when my dad works me for twelve hours a day six days a week.”

  She frowned. “We’ll have some time together, won’t we?”

  “Of course we will. Don’t worry about that.” Though now that she said it, he was a little worried about it himself. His father didn’t expect half as much from the paid help as he did from his own son, or himself for that matter.

  “I’ll trust you.” Stephanie frowned at her full suitcase still sitting on the side of the bed, waiting for her to unpack. She was tired and sore and didn’t want to mess with it. But she would, because she needed to. “If you’ll show me what drawers I can use, I’ll get my stuff unpacked, and then we’ll have more room in here.”

  He pointed out two empty drawers, and she went to work with him watching. When she moved her panties to the drawer, she felt her face burning, and they weren’t even on her body. James really made her aware of how feminine she was because he was her direct opposite. The man was sexy and muscular, but it was obvious his muscles hadn’t been built in a gym. They were from hard work day after day.

  When she’d finally finished, she put the suitcase on the floor and off in one corner, leaving the top of it unzipped. She’d use it as her clothes hamper for the rest of her time there.

  “That’s done.” She walked over and sat beside him on the couch, automatically curling up against him and surprising them both. “I’m not sure if Dr. Lachele told you, but I do want to wait a few years to have children. My sisters and I are still working really hard on our careers.”