Agent's Admirer (Culpepper Cowboys Book 13) Read online

  “You can call me King Bob!”

  “Um…I don’t think so. Bad Bob maybe.”

  “She’s going to be a pain in the neck little sister, isn’t she?” he asked Megan, his eyes twinkling.

  Megan shrugged. “Some of the time. I kinda like her though, so let’s keep her around.”

  “I guess we can do that.” He winked at Erin to make sure she knew he was kidding.

  When Kari came to the table a minute later to get their orders, she looked very excited. “We’re all pretty happy for our boss around here,” she told them. “He and Megan have had this flirtation thing going since the place opened up.”

  Megan looked at Bob. “We have?” she whispered.

  “All my employees thought so, but I didn’t!”

  She smiled at him, so happy they would be man and wife in just twenty-four hours. She may not love him yet, but she was definitely attracted, and she knew they stood a good chance of being happy together. Well, if they could figure out the money thing, but she wasn’t going to worry about that.

  Once their orders were given, Bob rested his arm around Megan’s shoulders, trying to look like a loving fiancé. He didn’t want her parents to realize they weren’t in love. What would her dad say if he knew they were marrying because they didn’t want to wait anymore for sex? Of course, he didn’t think that was his whole reason for wanting her as his wife, but he hadn’t yet worked out what the whole reason was, so he couldn’t tell them.

  Her dad focused on him. “Are you wearing jeans and a hat tomorrow?”

  Bob nodded. “I am. Unless you don’t think I should. Megan said she thought it was a great idea.”

  “I think it’s a fine idea. I just wanted to know if I could get away with dressing that casually.”

  Megan grinned at her dad. “You absolutely can. I doubt if Erin would go for it, but I don’t mind a tiny bit.”

  John smiled. “Erin’s going to have me in a tuxedo with a flower in my lapel.”

  Erin nodded emphatically. “This is your easy wedding, Dad. Your rehearsal for mine, because Meg won’t be nearly as big of a pain about it as I will. Make your mistakes now.”

  They all laughed, knowing that she meant every word. Erin wasn’t nearly as easy going about mistakes as Megan was.

  “Does that mean I can say something stupid, and you won’t hate me?” Bob asked, surprised. “I can mess up the wedding vows?”

  Megan shrugged. “That kind of thing has never really bothered me.”

  “But if you are walking Megan down the aisle for whatever reason at my wedding, you’ll be wearing a tux, and you’d better not trip over your own big feet.” Erin’s voice left no doubt as to her sincerity.

  Bob looked back and forth between the two sisters. “I got the laid-back sister then?”

  Both Meg's parents laughed while her sister nodded emphatically. “You really lucked out with the one you chose,” her dad said. “Erin is something else with having things just right.”

  “I’d blame it on all the theater classes she took in college, but she’s been this way since she could walk. If you read her a book one way, it had better be read the same way every time after that, with the emphasis on the same words.” Their mother shook her head. “It was hard to get used to her after having such an

  easy-going child.”

  “Just so I’m not getting the uptight one, all is good,” Bob said emphatically.

  Erin stuck her tongue out at Megan. “Everyone always picks you.”

  “Not true!” Megan protested. “You’re just harder to deal with than I am. It’s not my fault at all.”

  Bob sighed. “Are they competitive with each other?” he asked his future in-laws.

  “No more than most siblings,” their mother answered.

  Their food came then, with both Amy and Kari carrying large trays. As burgers were passed around, Bob smiled, pleased that all of the orders had been plated well. He’d never been so nervous about a meal. Her parents were nice, but he still didn’t want anything to be wrong.

  Erin flipped the top of her burger and looked to see what was on it. “Looks like they got it just right,” she said, sounding surprised.

  “Erin sends everything back,” Megan said, rolling her eyes. “I pick stuff I don’t like off, but Erin hasn’t figured out how to do that yet.”

  “If it’s something like lettuce I pick it off. Just not pickles or tomatoes. The pickle pee stays on the bun.” She gave a delicate shudder.

  “Pickle pee?” Bob asked, looking at their parents. He’d never heard the expression before Megan, and now Erin was using it too.

  Their mother shrugged helplessly. “We just raised them. They were born that way.”

  “Are you against pickle pee too?” Bob asked Erin.

  She nodded emphatically. “That nasty taste works its way through your food. It’s disgusting.”

  “Enough talk of pickle pee!” John shook his head. “The burgers look great, Bob. I never would have thought of putting avocado and egg on a burger, but it looks good.”

  “You’ll have to let me know if you like it, sir.” Bob picked up his own burger, a pizza burger with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and pepperoni, and took a big bite.

  Silence descended over the table as everyone ate their meals. When Erin had eaten her last bite, she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I’ll say one thing for you, Bob.”

  “What’s that?” Bob asked, afraid there would be more talk of pickle pee.

  “That’s the best burger I’ve ever eaten. You really are good at what you do.”

  “Wait til he’s perfected the taco burger!” Megan said enthusiastically. “I think it’ll be my favorite if he can get the bun right.”

  Erin smiled. “Sounds delicious. I’ll need to drive into Culpepper more often to see my big sister and eat burgers.”

  “You know you’re always welcome to see your big sister without eating a burger.”

  “I know, but now that I’ve discovered Bob’s burgers, why would I?”

  Bob was relieved when their dad announced they needed to head back into Laramie a short while later. “It was very nice meeting you both, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” Bob knew he sounded very formal, but he couldn’t help it. These were his future in-laws. They had the key to his happiness in their hands.

  Megan hugged them both. “Drive safe.”

  “Always,” her dad answered, hugging his daughters in turn. “Back tomorrow.”

  Erin transferred her things from the back of her parents’ car to the back of Megan’s SUV. She waved at Bob. “See you later. We need to make an emergency trip to the grocery store so Megan can cook for you.”

  He looked back and forth between the sisters for a moment. “I didn’t hear Megan say that.”

  “I just know my sister.”

  Megan rolled her eyes as Erin got into her vehicle, moving to kiss Bob quickly. “Is seven good?”

  “Yeah, seven is fine. You don’t have to cook though.”

  “Oh, I do now. My sister has laid down the gauntlet, brat that she is.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll see you soon then. I hope you two have fun.”

  “We always do!”

  Megan got into the car and glared at her sister. “Did you have to make it so obvious that I never cook? Doesn’t he deserve time to discover his future wife’s failings on his own?”

  “I would think a chef would consider a wife who didn’t cook a good thing. Then he can make whatever he wants without interference.”

  “You’d think. But I don’t even know for sure! So be more careful with what you say. How does homemade chicken soup and grilled cheese sound for supper?”

  Erin grinned. “Like the only thing you can cook.”

  “Hush up. He doesn’t need to know that yet!”

  “He’s going to figure it out soon enough. Like when you don’t cook at all the first week you’re married, he’ll kind of have a clue.”

  “He’s a chef. I�
��ll just eat with him at the restaurant every night.”

  “You know…come to think of it, that’s probably his first clue you never cook.” Erin unbuckled as they pulled into the only grocery store in Culpepper.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just help me shop!” Megan grabbed a cart and walked up and down each aisle, buying a few things. She grabbed some fruit, a can of mixed vegetables, chicken breasts strips, barley, and chicken stock. “I already have the stuff for grilled cheese at home. I should make a dessert.” She was a bit better at baking than she was at cooking.

  “I’ll make a pineapple upside down cake. How’s that?”

  “Sounds like you’re the best sister I’ve got!” They grabbed the last few things they needed and rushed to the checkout. Megan cooked so seldom there was no guarantee she wouldn’t burn everything and need to start over three or four times, so there was no time to lose.

  When they got to her house, Erin helped carry in the groceries and then disappeared into one of the spare rooms, knowing it’s where her sister would put her for the night.

  Megan carefully cut up the chicken and dumped it into the chicken broth to boil, before walking to the room her sister was in and standing in the doorway, watching as Erin meticulously unpacked her things and put them away, even though she was only staying one night. “Let me see the dress you chose for my wedding.”

  Erin held up a pretty lavender dress. “I thought about doing the whole cowgirl look, but then I thought about how long the pictures would be on display at Mom’s house, and I knew I couldn’t do it. Can you imagine me forever immortalized in denim?”

  “You know, Erin, maybe it’s time to try to lighten up a little. You’re going to really freak out the man Dr. Lachele picks out for you.”

  “Nah. I’ll make sure Dr. Lachele knows I’m a freak, and she’ll pick someone who gets along well with special people like me.”

  “You do that. I’ll just stay here and marry my Bob.”

  Erin grinned at that, hanging up the last of her things in her closet. “Your Bob is pretty darn special. He didn’t even freak out when Dad gave him the whole ‘don’t hurt my baby’ talk. I’m surprised.”

  “He’s a good guy. Persnickety at times, but good.”

  “You said his kisses are absolutely amazing.”

  Megan sank down onto her sister’s bed, shaking her head. “His kisses are earth shattering. Every time he kisses me, I’m surprised the world is still spinning and hasn’t opened up beneath my feet to swallow me whole. They’re that incredible. All he has to do is look at me, and I feel like my universe is rocking.”

  “I could see that. You guys have a really special chemistry. I’m glad you found him.”

  “Me too. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with Bob.”

  “Yes, you are. It’s going to be awesome.” Erin grinned happily, obviously thrilled for her sister. “So what are you doing with your hair tomorrow? Wearing it up?”

  Megan shrugged. “I haven’t even had time to think about it! Do you wanna mess with it and see what we can make happen?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask!” Erin hurried into Megan’s room and grabbed her hairbrush and some bobby pins. “Sit, and I’ll play.”

  “Okay, but the timer’s going to go off in a few minutes, and I’m going to need to be able to check on the soup. I can’t burn it because this is the first time I’ve ever cooked for Bob.”

  If Erin wanted to make a sarcastic remark to her sister about that, she managed to hold it inside. “So we could do half up and half down? That way you still have curly tendrils around your face? Or I could put it all up?”

  Megan knew her sister loved to mess with hair, so she gave her the answer she knew Erin wanted. “Just try three or four different styles. We’ll take pics of each and then decide.”

  “Sounds good!”

  Four hours later, a hairstyle had been decided—all up with a few small tendrils down, framing Megan’s face—and Megan was in the kitchen, making the grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the chicken soup, which had turned out very well, considering who was cooking.

  When Bob knocked on the door, Erin hurried to open it, smiling up at her future brother-in-law. Unlike her sister, Erin was quite short, only about two inches above five feet, so she had to really crank her neck back to see Bob. “Come on in. Megan is still brewing dinner.”

  “Brewing?” Bob asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, you know...like ‘Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.’ From MacBeth.”

  “Are you calling your sister a witch?”

  “Of course not. She’s bigger than me, and I have no way to get anywhere if she kicks me out in the snow!”

  “There isn’t any snow.”

  “Still…” Erin led Bob into the kitchen where Megan was putting three perfect sandwiches on plates.

  Megan shut off the stove and walked over to briefly kiss Bob. She’d never been into public displays of affection, but she wasn’t about to not kiss him. Her sister would have to deal.

  “Sit. I’ve cooked, and I’ll serve. Talk to my sister, but don’t believe anything she says.”

  Bob went to the table and sat down with Erin, frowning at her. “Is it edible?” he asked in a whisper.

  Erin nodded. “I think so. Megan’s pretty good with homemade soup and grilled cheese.”

  Megan carried in a bowl of soup for each of them and went back for sandwiches. Then she got her own bowl and plate, sitting down at the table. “As you can see, I made real food, not plastic. Go ahead and eat before it gets cold.”

  “Erin said you only know how to make plastic food,” Bob said mischievously.

  “I did not! I said she burned everything she touched. Very different insult indeed.”

  Megan sighed. “Eat up.” How was she ever going to make a good impression on Bob with Erin here, not helping?

  8

  Just before two the following afternoon, Megan paced back and forth in the bride’s room at the back of the church. She stopped in front of her mother. “Am I doing the right thing, Mama?”

  Her mother smiled. “Only you can answer that, Meggy. Does it feel right? Do you feel like you can go without seeing him for the rest of your life?”

  Megan shook her head. “I really don’t. I—I can’t imagine even a day without him, let alone a lifetime. What’s wrong with me?”

  Her mother took Megan’s hand and led her to a chair. “You’re in love with him, which is a good thing! You should love the man you marry. You didn’t know you loved him, did you?”

  Megan’s eyes grew wide, a shock going through her. “Of course, I didn’t. No one ever told me how to know when you’re in love! How was I supposed to know?”

  “It’s different with everyone. No two people feel love the same way. Why are you marrying him if you didn’t know you love him?”

  Certain she couldn’t meet her mother’s eyes, Megan stared at the floor for a moment. “I knew there were feelings, but I thought they were all physical. I like him a lot, and I knew we had the physical stuff going on, so I figured love would grow from there.”

  Her mother put one arm around Megan’s shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. “Well, it looks like you were right. Love has grown.”

  “He doesn’t love me, though. He thinks of me as a friend.”

  “Are you sure about that? Why is he marrying you if there’s no love?”

  “It’s just a physical thing, Mom. He knows I won’t have sex before marriage, so that leaves getting married if he wants to have sex.”

  “If he wants it with you. Without love, sex doesn’t mean a thing. He could get it from someone else without marriage, so try again. There are feelings, and they’re strong if he’s asked you to marry him.”

  Megan shrugged, not really believing her mother. “I guess. I think we’ll be a good team though.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  They both looked up when Erin came in from the hall, hurriedly clo
sing the door behind her. “The pastor’s wife...Lovie? She said it was time to start the wedding, because Brother Anthony is starting to pace, and that’s never a good sign. I don’t know what that means, but I’m passing the message along.”

  Megan grinned. “It means it really is time.” She kissed her mother’s cheek softly. “Go on. I’ll be out there in a minute.”

  While Megan watched, her mother left the small bride’s room and her sister stationed herself at the door. “Stop being nervous. You’re marrying Bob, and he’s pretty terrific. If you don’t want to marry him, I will.”

  “Bob could never stand your little idiosyncrasies. He has a hard enough time with mine,” Megan responded, wrinkling her nose. “Besides, even though I think you like looking at him fine, I can’t see you two married.”

  Erin shrugged. “I could make him love me if I tried. Good thing for you I have Dr. Lachele coming next weekend, and she’ll find my true love for me.”

  “She will, will she?”

  “Yup. No doubt about it.” Erin poked her head out into the hallway. “Oh, music’s starting. Come on. We have to get out there. Bob’s going to think you stood him up!”

  Megan rolled her eyes, but followed her sister into the hall anyway. “Bob knows I wouldn’t stand him up!” she hissed at Erin.

  “I don’t know about that. He looks all nervous at the front of the church. We need to get going. Stop being a nervous ninny and go get married!”

  “A nervous ninny? Did you really just call me a nervous ninny?”

  Erin put her finger over her lips. Lovie was standing at the back of the church, motioning Erin forward with her hand. “That groom looks like he’s about to have a nervous breakdown. Get moving, bridesmaid.”

  Megan stayed just out of sight behind a wall and smiled at Lovie. “How’d you get roped into bridesmaid duty?”

  “Linda Culpepper usually has this job, but one of the girls wasn’t feeling well today, so she stayed with her. She wanted to be there in case of premature labor.”

  “Oh no! Which one?”

  “I think it was Joy. Poor thing. She said it was just something she ate, but Linda’s not about to let one of her daughters-in-law have a baby without her!” Lovie said.