The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(38)
“Really, do tell me more.” The Australian drawl held more than a hint of laughter.
“Don’t you dare tell everyone my secrets, Layla, or I’ll have to fire you.” Chance rode into the barn on his horse, guided it to the stall, and slid down to the ground. With deft movements, he leaned down and undid the saddle, swinging it over the side of the stall where he picked up a brush and rubbed the horse down. Tiny pushed the gate open and walked into his stall, dropping his head into the feed bucket.
“You can’t go keeping secrets from your wife, pal. Time you spilled the beans, I’m thinking.” Gina loved Callie’s pushy nature and wished that one day she would have the guts to tackle anything and everything the way she did.
He walked over and hugged Layla before turning and planting a kiss on his wife’s lips. “I’ll tell you later if you behave.”
She laughed hysterically and winked at the others. “Game on.”
“Now you’ve met my crazy family, how about we head indoors and see what you’ve got planned to save this situation?”
Chapter Fourteen
Rory groaned when he recognized the truck coming up the hill toward the house. “Not now, Tyson.”
“Well, lookie here, another spunky cowboy and this one looks like he’s single, no little cowgirl hanging onto his arm. Please correct me if I’m wrong.” Layla glanced at the family and when they didn’t say anything, she whistled and sauntered toward him, her hips sashaying seductively. Tyson got out and looked at her. She reached out her hand when she got to the truck. “Hi, I’m Layla.”
Tyson stood with his mouth half open, dumbstruck at the sight of the blonde beauty in front of him.
“Never seen him without a word to say before. I think I kinda like it.” Chance spoke over his shoulder to Rory as they all stood together and watched the scene unfold.
“Chance, you want to introduce me to this lovely young man. Seems he’s a little awestruck and lost his tongue.” Layla looked over her shoulder, her eyes beckoning him to help her.
Rory snorted. “This I gotta see. Should be worth a laugh and a half.” He stood with his arm around Gina and watched as his elder brother made the introductions.
“What will we do if he wants to stay and won’t go home?” She turned to Rory, fear in her eyes. “I don’t know if I want to talk about everything with Layla while he’s here. You know what his attitude is like.”
“He’ll be fine, don’t worry so much. I promise not to leave you alone with him.”
Gina tried to relax but with Tyson here and the impending conversation with the lawyer, he could feel she was far too tense. Even watching Layla try to charm her future brother-in-law didn’t seem to calm Gina down any.
“You’ll have to show me your ranch soon. I just adore horses. Never had the chance to own one growing up and now I live in the city, it’s just not possible. I don’t suppose you happen to know a cowboy who’s good at teaching a green city girl like me to ride, do you?” She ran her hand down his arm, resting her fingers on his wrist.
Tyson’s face turned beet red as they watched him struggling to cope with the gorgeous woman weaving her web around him.
“Don’t think he knows what to do with her, do you?” Rory heard Chance whispering to Callie who stood transfixed by the exchange and sniggered.
“This is hilarious. Just you wait until I get him alone, he’s not going to live this one down.”
Just then Fisher started to get restless in Callie’s arms, so Gina took him inside to feed him dinner. Rory offered to help bath him and ready him for bed after Fisher had been fed, but for now he wanted to stay and watch the show. Chance sidled over and punched him on the arm. “Bet you a hundred bucks she has a ring on her finger within the month.”
“No way. She’s a city girl, look at her. All flash clothes and high-powered legal stuff. She doesn’t fit in here. Tyson would never move to the city and give up his ranch.”
“You might be proven wrong there, brother. I wouldn’t be surprised if Layla already has it planned out. Nothing if not determined and focused, that one, just you wait and see.”
“And just how do you know her?” Callie looked up at him. “You seem to be pretty close, so come clean, pal.”
Chance laughed. “She took care of any legal business I had. Contracts and the like plus a couple of, um how shall we say, paternity suits that got thrown my way from women I hardly even knew.”
Callie’s face dropped and her mouth went wide in shock. “You mean as in you took them to bed without getting to know them, or they were just crazed fans who were pulling a fast one on you?”
“Crazed fans. Although I did date one of the questionable ladies who filed against me. Never quite got her to bed though. Little bit on the unbalanced side as I found out when we were halfway through dessert.”
“Hmm, it took you that long. What can I say?” She shook her head. “I thought you were faster than that.”
“You know I am, baby. I prove it to you every night, don’t I?”
Rory watched the byplay between the two of them and hoped this latest hiccup would be cleared up soon so he could marry Gina and get on with their lives. He hated to see her struggling with everything being thrown at her the way it was. It seemed very unfair. He knew how life went some days. You just had to roll with it and do the best you could. He knew that from experience.