The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(20)

Rory walked to the stairs and hurried up. She could hear the knock on a door and then voices before he returned. “They’ll be down in a minute. Want me to check on Fisher?”

Gina shook her head. “He never wakes up once he’s down.” She mixed the vegetables again before pouring them into a bowl. “Put these on the table please.” Rory took them and did as she bid. The steaks were cooking well and Gina looked at the color changing before turning them over. “Right, two minutes and then five for resting and we’re done.”

Rory collected the salt and pepper and hot sauce from the pantry, placed them on the table, and then leaned on the counter, watching her.





Chapter Seven





When she’d finished her meal he could see her eyelids getting heavy and insisted she leave the cleaning of the kitchen to him.

“I’ll gladly wash up every night if you cook like this.” Callie chewed the last morsel of meat from the T-bone steak and dropped it on her plate, sucking her fingers clean.

“That was divine. I’ll second my dear wife’s idea. Keep her away from the stove and we’ll clean up.” Chance ducked the swing Callie playfully sent his way. She squealed when he grabbed her, trapping her hand in his.

“Let me walk you up. You look all in, Gina.” Rory had held her chair out when she stood up, swaying slightly on her feet. “It’s been a big few days for you.”

“Yes, it has but I expected a certain amount of upheaval. Thank you all for being so welcoming. I really do appreciate it more than I can say.” She smiled and then looked at Rory who held his hand out to her.

When she took it, he smiled and gripped her fingers. “Let’s get you tucked in.” Her eyes widened and he kicked himself. “I didn’t mean I was going to tuck you in. I mean you can do that.” He gave up and pulled her out of the kitchen and up the stairs, ignoring the roar of laughter behind him.

“It’s okay, I know what you meant.” She held on tight as he helped her upstairs. They stopped outside her bedroom door which was slightly ajar. Gina pushed it open and glanced at her baby, fast asleep on his back, hands over his head and blankets kicked off. His little mouth worked as he talked in his dreams.

“He is the sweetest little thing.” Rory couldn’t believe how attached he already was to the chubby little boy.

“Yeah he is. But I’m biased.” She wiped a hand over her eyes and yawned. “Sorry, it’s been a tough couple of days and I’m bushed.”

Rory rested a hand on her shoulder and glanced into her eyes. “Go to bed and don’t worry about anything. I have to go to work in the morning but you can sleep in as long as you like. I should be home just after three o’clock. If you need anything call me or drive down to town. The sheriff’s office is easy to find.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before stepping back.

“But I want to go over to the cottage and do some work.”

“You don’t have to keep proving yourself, Gina. Take tomorrow off to catch your breath, and when I get home I’ll chat to you about what needs to be done and we’ll take it from there. Deal?”

“Okay, deal.”

“Sleep tight.”

“Thanks, Rory, for everything.”

He shut the door behind him and thought about going downstairs again but changed his mind. His room was bathed in darkness when he opened the door. He flicked on the light and looked at the large empty bed. He’d slept alone for far too long. Today had been hectic to say the least. Finding out his intended bride had a child had thrown him for a six. If he was honest with himself, it had the potential to be a good thing regardless of his initial reaction. He warmed to her faster than he thought possible. It was the guilt nipping at his heels that would keep him awake for nights to come. He knew the signs.

He wandered in and kicked off his shoes. Chance had blown him away with his admission. Rory wondered if the others knew what his brother had gone through to make their lives easier. His father had never said a thing about it. Catching up with the old man had been on his list of things to do. Now it was nearer the top of the list. It was time for the truth and he intended to get it.

He headed into the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and left them on the floor before turning off the light and sliding between the sheets. Sleep evaded him for hours as he knew it would. Was it the woman sleeping in the bed next door who could be his with the right word, or was it the thoughts of a happy home he had yet to make running through his head? Perhaps it was the guilt of finally saying goodbye to Cindy’s memory that kept him tossing in his bed.

It was almost dawn before he dozed off. When the alarm on his watch jolted him out of sleep the following morning, he groaned and rubbed his face. It was going to be a very long day.

Chance was at the table sipping coffee when he got down to the kitchen. He looked up at Rory and laughed. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Don’t know what you mean.” He poured himself a coffee and drank it standing at the counter staring out the window at the snow on the mountain. Rory wondered how on earth he’d managed to stay away for so long.

“Maybe you should just give in and admit you want to marry her and get over it. Having a woman in your bed makes sleeping so much more fun. Look at me, rested and fresh compared to you.”