The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brothers #2)(44)

Gina tried to stand up but Rory held her tight on his lap. “Stay here.”

She wiped her eyes again and looked at the lawyer who smiled in her direction.

“Right, the plan is this: I’ll go back to the city tomorrow and do some more legwork on this case. I’ll schedule a meeting with the other side’s lawyers. I want proof you two are married before this gets to court, if it ever does. I’ll also need a copy of the advertisement you placed so we can prove you were already on this path before the papers were served on Gina.” She gave them another smile before proceeding. “The way I see it at this point is this: if we can show your son would be better off here on the ranch growing up with loving family around instead of staff, we stand a good chance of this never going to court. I doubt they’ll want their darling son’s memory tarnished. Especially when the public finds out how far he went to distance himself from his parents. If we knew why it would help as well.” She ticked off another entry on her page. “I’ll do some digging around and see what I can come up with. Far better for them to announce that they’ve managed to track down their grandchild and will give him and his mother their full support.”

“We can do that. I’ll make sure of it, right, babe?” Rory kissed her cheek.

“If it’s the only way, and you’re sure, I’m fine with it.” She sniffed and looked into his eyes. “I love you, you know that, don’t you?”

“Back at you, beautiful. You make me a very happy man. Hungry but happy.”





Chapter Seventeen





“Dinner is already in the oven. I wasn’t sure tonight was going to turn out so I made a huge beef-and-chili casserole earlier. I only need to make a pot of rice and it’s good to go.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Layla put her notebook in her briefcase and stood up, stretching. “I’ve had nothing since a snack on the plane on the way here. Can’t say that was anything to get excited about either.”

“How about a glass of wine instead of coffee, ladies? I think we’ve covered more than I expected tonight anyway and it sounds better than coffee after that session.” Chance stood up and looked around.

“Uh, Chance, can I have a word?” Gina bit her lip and Rory watched as she formulated the words in her head. He’d become fairly adept at reading her face in the last couple of weeks and she was gearing up to thank his brother.

“Sure.”

“I know from Rory that you don’t hold much regard for your father because of what happened when you were young so I just wanted to say thanks. For offering to try at least to put on a happy family front so I don’t lose my son.”

“How can I refuse to help the little guy? We all love both of you already so it’s a given I’ll do my share to help.” He walked over to her and took both of her hands in his. “Not saying we’ll ever be the best of buddies, but I’ll give it my best shot, okay?”

Gina nodded, her face lighting up with relief. “Can’t ask for more than that.”

Rory passed her a glass of wine before dropping a kiss on her lips “Looks like we have a wedding to plan.” Callie tipped her glass to Gina’s. “How much time do you think we have, Layla, to get this done and dusted?”

“Is that an Australian phrase? I think I like it.” She took the glass as Rory handed it to her. “Hmm, let me see. Tomorrow I can do some research, get my guy snooping a little bit more. Anything we can find out about the family will help. Then I need to put a proposal together and contact their lawyers. Give me a week, ten days max. Think you can manage that?”

“We’ll do it. I can go into town tomorrow and see Reverend Davis. See if he’ll marry us.”

“If he says no, tell him you’ll get Elvis to do it in Vegas if he can’t.” Chance slipped his hand around Callie’s waist and rested his head on her shoulder whispering in her ear.

“You didn’t?” Layla glanced at them, a look of horror on her face.

A roar of laughter came from the pair of them and she shut her mouth, lips pressed together.

“Seriously, how is that even legal?” Tyson spoke for the first time since he was put in his place.

“I’ll do it. Just lead me in the right direction.” Rory held his hands up. “If the good reverend says no, I’ll book flights.”

“I suppose so long as you have the correct paperwork it doesn’t really matter who marries you.” Layla shrugged her shoulders. “Never would have thought you’d do that though, Chance. Thought you would have gone down the extravagant route somehow. Big flashy wedding with all the bells and whistles.”

“Not my style and you know that from all the times you helped me get away from them. A girl from the bush answering an ad in the horse-and-cattle magazine for a wife is hardly going to ask for the public spotlight of a huge wedding like that, now is she?”

Callie grinned wildly as Layla looked between her and Chance. Seemed the lawyer had caught onto the fact that Rory’s marriage wasn’t the first one to be organized by way of an advert.

*

When she crawled between the sheets later that night, exhaustion pulled at Gina. Her eyes ached from the tears she’d shed earlier and her head throbbed with a tension that wouldn’t go away. Rory stripped off, climbed into bed, reached for her, slid his hand down her back, and pulled her into his body.