CHAPTER 5
MORGAN WAITED until Misty looked at him, then snagged her gaze and refused to let her look away. There was a soft blush to her cheeks that about drove him crazy. He had a gut feeling that blush was a combination of anger, embarrassment and excitement.
He understood the anger and wished for some way to spare her the embarrassment. The excitement he relished.
“It’s a good plan, Malone.”
“For me to pretend to…to be your…” Her stammering ceased, and she stared at him blankly.
“My woman. Yeah, that’s the plan.” He wanted to walk closer to her, to touch her again, but he didn’t dare. She looked skittish enough to jump out of her skin if he even breathed deeply. “Here’s how I see it,” he said, trying to sound reasonable. “You do need a job, but it won’t be easy to find one without employers knowing you were convicted of stealing from the last place you worked. And once they know that, they’ll be reluctant to hire you, right?”
“Maybe.”
“And you’re still on probation?”
She nodded hesitantly. “For a few more months.”
“That’s what I figured.”
She gulped, and her hands fisted. In shame? In regret? He just didn’t know, but he hated to see her feel either emotion. He intended to do what he could about her conviction as soon as possible. But for now, he had other things to contend with. “The job I’m offering gives county wages, which aren’t great but neither are they piddling. And the fact you worked for a sheriff’s office will have to look good on your résumé, and to your probation officer.”
She didn’t appear quite convinced. She stared at her feet in deep concentration.
A niggling sense of panic seeped in. Misty had been very clear about her feelings on involvement of any kind. The only way Morgan could see around that was to wrangle his way into her life. Keeping her here, hiring her on, showing her she could trust him and rely on him was part of a great plan. He’d just have to make damn sure it worked. “As I said, it’s not a hard job—”
Her head shot up and she glared at him. “I’m not afraid of hard work.”
“I didn’t mean that.” Sometimes Morgan wished he was as good at soothing frazzled nerves as his brother Jordan. Jordan could talk the orneriness out of a mule, whisper a baby bird to sleep. He was one hell of a vet, but his talents carried over to people, as well. Morgan, on the other hand, usually relied on rigid control to get his way. He managed things, taking on other people’s problems and resolving them so they didn’t have to worry. Most people appreciated that.
Only it didn’t work with Misty. She bucked him at every turn, refusing to accept what he was best at offering.
“All I meant,” he continued, “is that you could easily do the job. You don’t need any special training or skills. And by accepting it, you can stay here indefinitely, which rids you of the cost of room and board.”
She was already shaking her head before he’d finished. “I can’t just stay here free, Morgan.”
He straightened. “Why the hell not? You hadn’t been in a hurry to leave until I prodded you along.”
“That’s not entirely true.” She looked flabbergasted by his persistence, but he’d be damned if he’d back off. “Sure, I had hoped to hang out for a week or two more while I figured out what to do next, but then I’d have left. I never intended to stay here any longer than that.”
He scowled at her. Everything had changed the moment she’d dropped to her knees in front of those bushes. She should stay, which meant he no longer had to fight himself for wanting her to stick around.
She’d said she wasn’t as outgoing as she’d pretended. He wasn’t buying that for a single second. She might not be such a real flirt, only using that as a way to cover her worries. But she was brazen and outrageous and beautiful. She was also strong and proud, qualities he’d always admired in men and women alike. But for right now, he wished she wasn’t quite so proud.
“Honey wants you to stay.” That was the only argument he could think of that might convince her. Telling her he wanted her to stay didn’t seem to be such a great idea. She’d ask him why, and beyond telling her he wanted to ravish her senseless, he’d have no excuse. Even knowing she was pregnant by another man, now that she’d admitted she wouldn’t be marrying that man, hadn’t dampened his lust. In fact, he admired her courage, which seemed to add a keen edge to his feelings.
In a mumble totally unlike her usual decisive tone, Misty said, “My sister is new here. This is Sawyer’s house and—”
“Honey is new, but permanent. She can invite anyone here that she wants.” Misty had a lot to learn about them, first and foremost what family meant. When Honey became Sawyer’s wife, she became an equal member of that family.
Actually, Morgan thought, smiling a little inside, she’d been an accepted member of their family as soon as they’d all realized Sawyer loved her.
“But Sawyer might not care for—”
“Sawyer will love having you here. But truth is, the house belongs to all of us. My father built it back when he and my mother were married. When she and Gabe’s father retired, they decided to move to Florida, and we took over the upkeep of the house. Since grown men need some privacy, Gabe converted the basement into an apartment, and Jordan did the same with the rooms over the garage.”
She looked him over as if trying to figure him out. “But you still live in the house.”
“Yeah.” He could see the questions in her eyes and grinned. “I don’t, however, bring women here for overnight, if that’s what you’re asking. Casey is almost sixteen now, and he thinks he’s all grown up, but I still wouldn’t flaunt lovers in front of him. I remember being sixteen. Guys that age don’t need any help in the raging hormone department.”
She looked startled for a moment, then frowned. “Being raised in a house full of males must be ideal for a boy his age.”
Morgan shrugged. “We’ve done the best we could. But I know Casey loves the idea of having Honey around. Just as he’ll love the idea of you sticking close, too.”
“I don’t know, Morgan. I mean, the others…”
“It won’t be a problem. The only problem would be if I let you get away.”
She still didn’t look convinced, then she harked back to what he’d said earlier. “Gabe is your half brother?”
Morgan grinned, suddenly knowing how he’d reassure her. “Come here, Malone. I have a nice long tale to tell you.”
She snorted at that, but she did go ahead and seat herself—in a chair so he couldn’t sit beside her. He chose the couch, and realized they’d switched positions from earlier. He couldn’t remember ever grinning so much, but damn, she amused him with her constant advance and retreat. She was a mix of bravado and prudence, and he realized it was a potent combination, guaranteed to drive any man crazy.
“My father died when I was just a baby.” Her eyes widened and he laughed. “I know. Tough to imagine me as a squalling infant, huh?”
“The squalling part I can believe, but the idea of you ever being little boggles the mind. You’re just so—” her gaze skimmed his chest, his shoulders, then down to his thighs “—massive now.”
Because he had her attention, Morgan settled back and stretched out his long legs, then laced his fingers together on his stomach. Misty swallowed and slowly closed her eyes, so she didn’t see his grin. “I was still little when my mom remarried and had Jordan. But things didn’t work out and she divorced him.”
Her eyes snapped open. Looking more fascinated by the moment, Misty said, “After she had Gabe, you mean?”
“Nope.” He laughed outright at her confusion. “My father died in the war. He was my mother’s first real love, and she had a hard time getting over him. Then she met Jordan’s father. She was lonely and she had two sons to raise. She thought she loved him and married again. But not long after that he lost his job and started to drink. Things went from bad to worse. It wasn’t easy for her to work a job, care for three kids and put up with the small-town stigma of being a divorced widow with three sons.”
“I don’t imagine it would be.” Misty picked at a thread on her shorts, then admitted, “Even in this day and age, being a single mother has its problems. Not to mention being a mother of three. She must have a lot of courage.”
He said softly, “You have your own share of courage, sweetheart. Deciding to have the baby shows a lot of guts and determination.”
She changed the subject, or rather got it back on track. “Do you remember much of Jordan’s father?”
“Not really. I was only two when she married him, and I’ve never heard my mother complain much about those times. All she says is that he gave her Jordan, so she doesn’t regret a moment of it. But I’ve lived here my whole life and lots of people talk, mostly about how strong she was and how she’d gone off men completely after losing one and divorcing another.” He watched her closely. “I guess sort of like you claiming you don’t want anything to do with men now. A woman gets hurt like that, and it’s hard to ever trust again.”
He stared at her until she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his.
“I’m not hurt, Morgan. I keep telling you that. I’m just a little wiser, is all. My priorities right now are a job and security for the baby. I don’t need a man for that.”
But he wasn’t just any man, and he damn well wanted her to realize it. He went on with his story as if he hadn’t been sidetracked. “You know what I do remember? Sitting with her in the evening and reading books, coloring pictures or sometimes making cookies. She worked damn hard, but she was never too tired to talk with us or to give us hell if she caught us fighting.”
Misty gave him a pointed look. “Us, meaning you most likely. Somehow I don’t see the others getting into as much mischief as you likely did.”
Morgan shrugged. “True. I’ve always been a bit of a hell-raiser—something Mom claims I inherited from my father’s side of the family, though I’ve seen her riled a few times so I’m not buying it. As to the others, Sawyer’s always been serious and a bona fide overachiever. There aren’t too many men I know who could have cared for a baby and finished up med school without missing a beat. Even with our help, he had his hands full, but he never complained.”
Misty sighed. “Sawyer is the exception. Most men would run from that kind of responsibility.”
For some reason that observation irritated Morgan beyond all reason. “You haven’t known enough good men to make that judgment.”
Her laugh was a little sad. “That’s true enough, I suppose.” Then she smiled at him, a real smile that affected him like a stroke in just the right place. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re all so close. My father isn’t that way at all. If it wasn’t for Honey…”
“I know. She’s told me a lot about him, and about how close you both are because of it.” Morgan wished she’d open up a little with him, but her smile was gone and she now had that closed look on her face that he recognized all too well. He said carefully, “Being that you are so close, aren’t you just a bit pleased by the idea of having her nearby?”
She ignored his question to ask one of her own. “So what about Gabe? I gather he wasn’t found under a rock?”
“Sometimes I wonder. But my mother is still married to Brett Kasper, and he’s Gabe’s father.”
She studied him closely. “You all look different, but I never realized…. I mean, well, you and Sawyer do have similar looks, except that you’re an imposing hulk and he’s not.”
“Gee thanks.”
She waved that away. “You have the same dark hair, and there’s something about the shape of your jaws. Stubborn, you know?”
“I’ve heard that, yes.”
“But now Gabe, with that blond hair and those incredible electric blue eyes—”
“Malone,” he said in warning.
“And Jordan has brown hair and green eyes and his voice is so—” she shivered “—seductive.”
“You’re pushing me again, Malone.”
Misty started laughing, and Morgan realized she’d been deliberately baiting him. He smiled with her. “Do I need to start worrying about my brothers’ virtue again?”
“Ha! None of you have any virtue left, and you know it.”
“Not true. Virtue and chastity are not the same thing at all.”
She chuckled again, shaking her head in feigned disbelief. Whether she realized it yet or not, she liked him, and she’d like being with him. Morgan spoke his thoughts aloud without even thinking about it. “Hearing you laugh is much nicer than hearing you cry.”
Just like that, she stiffened up on him. Color darkened her cheeks, and her eyes narrowed. “If you hadn’t been sneaking around this morning, you wouldn’t have been subjected to hearing me cry.”
Embarrassing her hadn’t been his intent. He lowered his voice to a soothing growl. “I wasn’t complaining, Malone, except that I don’t like seeing you unhappy.”
She sat forward, her brows lifted in mock surprise. “Oh, I see. That’s why you announced to everyone that I’m pregnant, because you thought it would somehow make me happy?”
“No. But I knew going off on your own wouldn’t make you happy, either. If anything, it would’ve made you more miserable.”
“I am not miserable.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I stand corrected. And before you run away in a huff, do you want me to tell you the happy ending to my mother’s story?”
“With your idea of happy, I’m not at all sure.”
In a persuasive tone, he suggested, “Try trusting me just a little, Malone.”
“No, never.”
She was determined not to give an inch, and it frustrated him beyond measure. “You’re awfully fond of that particular saying.”
“Only when I’m around you.”
He gave a drawn-out sigh at her stubbornness, then went on. “It took a long time, and Brett Kasper had to work real hard to get around my mother’s resolve after losing one man and divorcing another, but he finally won her over. You never saw a more dedicated man than Brett. When my mom gave him the cold shoulder, he cozied up to us boys instead. Mom didn’t stand a chance.”
“You mean he manipulated events like you’re trying to do with me?”
“Whatever works, Malone.” When she growled, he gave her a small smile. His mother had supposedly been as against involvement as Misty, but she’d gotten turned around by the right man. He liked to think the same could be true of Misty. “I’ll have you know, they’ve been married for some time now. You’d have met them at the wedding except Brett had a few health problems and couldn’t travel, and my mom wouldn’t leave him. He’s okay now, nothing serious, but the doc still wants him to rest and Sawyer seconded that, so they missed the wedding. As soon as they can, though, they’ll come for a visit.”
“She sounds…incredible.”
“She’s as stubborn as a pit bull when you get her nettled, which luckily doesn’t happen often. But for the most part, she’s a woman who likes to laugh and isn’t afraid to show how much she cares. She’s going to love Honey. She’s been waiting for one of us to give her a daughter by marriage. I think she’s hoping for lots of granddaughters, too.” He grinned. “She says I was such a trial, she’s ready for something easier—like girls.”
“I can believe that!”
Morgan leaned forward and caught her hand. “Do you see the point, Malone? You aren’t the first person to make a mistake, but in time, you’ll forget your reservations about men.”
She started to speak, but he cut her off, already knowing what she would say. Her insistence that she wanted nothing to do with men was almost more than he could take. “So what do you say we join the others?”
She closed her eyes and groaned. “I don’t know. The thought of facing your brothers again is enough to make my stomach jumpy.”
Morgan considered that, then shrugged. “So don’t face them. At least, not for long, and not today. Tell me you’ll take the job, then we can go into town and get things set up for you. It’s a good excuse and you can have a few hours to get used to the idea before sitting down with them all at dinner tonight. I can show you around town, and all in all, we can waste most of the day.”
She bit her lip while scrutinizing him. “You don’t have anything else you need to do?”
“Nope. Sunday is my day off. If anything comes up, someone will call, otherwise I’m free.”
She still hesitated. “I don’t know. It seems pretty fishy to me that this job just suddenly came available.”
He still held her hand, and now he smoothed her knuckles with his thumb, marveling at how such a stubborn and defensive woman could feel so soft and delicate. He could just imagine those small hands on his body, and it made him crazy. He cleared his throat. “The job was always there, only I didn’t want to hire anyone for it.”
“Why?”
“Too many women were applying just to get close to me.” She laughed hilariously and he waited, pretending to be affronted. When she finally quieted, he cocked a brow. “It’s true. I’m considered something of a catch, only I’d rather do the catching for myself.”
“That’s right. You said you’re looking for a wife.”
Her bald statement gave him pause. She didn’t seem particularly bothered by the idea. “Not actively,” he muttered, “just giving it some thought.” The idea of a wife wasn’t something he wanted to discuss with Misty, especially since he’d all but forgotten that plan since meeting her. She kept him far too preoccupied for rational contemplation of the future. “And the last thing I need while I’m trying to work is a woman who’s set on seducing me.”
“I suppose if she breathes, you’d consider it a come-on?”
“Ah, you have no faith in me, Malone. I told you, the effect you have is totally unique. Contrary to your dirty little mind, I don’t run around jumping every woman in the area. Hell, I have to live here, and I’m the sheriff—a respected position, you know. I have to set an example.” He squeezed her hand. “Unfortunately I can’t seem to remember that around you.”
His honesty had her pink-cheeked again. He loved how she blushed, how her eyes turned bluer and her lips pressed together in a prim line. She was bold, and she gave as good as she got, but any talk of intimacy flustered her.
Damn, but he wanted to kiss her silly.
“If all that’s true, Morgan,” she fairly sputtered, “if I really affect you like that, why in the world would you want me around the office?”
“Because it solves a dilemma for both of us.” He used his in-command tone, the one that made people sit up and take notice of his official position as sheriff. “You need a job, and I need a worker who won’t be jumping my bones, interfering with my schedule and causing a scandal. You’ve made it pretty clear you plan to resist my bones, so…” He didn’t admit his hope that her resistance wouldn’t last long. “It’s an ideal trade-off.”
She considered that for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Okay. I can try the job, I suppose. On one condition.”
The restriction in his chest immediately lightened, though he hadn’t even noticed how tight it felt until she said she’d stay. “Let’s hear it.”
“I want you to fix my car. I will not be left here without transportation.”
She stared at him defiantly until he nodded. “I can do that, but I have a condition of my own.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
He tugged her slightly closer, holding her gaze. “I want your promise that if you decide to leave, you’ll tell me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You can’t keep me here against my will, Morgan.”
“I’m all too aware of that unfortunate fact. And I won’t even try. But if you decide to leave I want to know it.”
“I wasn’t really sneaking this time—”
“Malone.”
“Oh, all right. I promise. But fix my car today.”
He nodded. “And my other suggestion?”
“What other suggestion?”
He looked at her mouth, so sweetly lush and very kissable, then at her full breasts pressing against the pale yellow camisole—just as kissable. He saw how she tucked her long slender legs beneath her, how smooth her thighs were, lightly tanned. Even her shoulders were sexy, making his tongue nearly stick to the roof of his mouth. “I’ll stake a claim for all to see, and that’ll keep interested males at bay.”
Dark lashes swept down over her eyes to avoid his gaze. She subtly tugged her hand away from his and stood. “I don’t know, Morgan.”
He got up and stood very close behind her. “We will be involved, Malone, in an arrangement.” She stiffened and he caught her shoulders before she could move away. “The type of arrangement is nobody’s business but our own. I’m not coercing you into bed.”
“As if you could.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“No!”
He smiled at her anxious tone. “We’ll be partners of a sort. You said you were through with men.”
“Completely.”
“Well, pretending to be mine ought to take care of other men hitting on you, and I’ll have some much needed help at the office.”
She shook her head while he stared at her nape, exposed by her upswept hair. He imagined kissing her there, watching her tremble. He couldn’t push her now or she’d walk out the door, and she was right, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop her.
“That attitude is archaic, Morgan.”
His newfound possessive streak was archaic, but he was dealing with it. Barely.
He rubbed her shoulders, relishing the warmth of her skin. His thumbs brushed the back of her neck to the base of her skull, lulling her, soothing her. “Look at it this way, Malone,” he added in a whisper, “all your problems will be temporarily solved. And if you think this would be hard on you, just think of what it’ll do to me.”
“What?”
She sounded intrigued, and he hid his smile. “I want you, so you can figure it out, I’m sure. Given that you seem to take sadistic delight in making me miserable, the idea ought to appeal to you.”
The torment would be worthwhile, he thought. He could spend a good deal of his time shoring up their ruse by getting closer to her. He knew, even if she didn’t, that they’d eventually end up in bed. The chemistry between them was just too strong, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.
And he was tired of even trying.
With a wide, impish smile, she turned to face him. “Well, since you put it that way…” She patted his chest. “Making you miserable does hold a certain attraction.”
He caught her hand and flattened it against his body. “So you agree?”
“You’ve convinced me.”
Morgan stared at her, his heart thumping so heavily in his chest he thought for sure she’d felt it. He leaned toward her and saw her eyes widen. “Why don’t we seal it with a kiss?”
* * *
MISTY BRACED HERSELF for a sensual assault. The memory of his last kiss in the gazebo was still fresh in her mind. But instead of being overwhelmed, she felt Morgan’s mouth, warm and dry, brush very lightly over her own. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. His dark blue eyes were filled with heat, but also with tenderness, and she almost melted.
For a man of his size, he could sometimes be so remarkably gentle. She gave him a slight smile that he returned.
“Am I interrupting?”
They both jumped apart, she in guilty surprise, Morgan with a curse. He turned to face Jordan, leaning in the doorway with a contented smile.
Jordan tipped his head. “Breakfast is getting cold.”
“Did you ever hear of knocking?”
“What fun would that be?”
Morgan turned his back on his brother and faced Misty. His wide shoulders completely blocked her from Jordan’s view. Using the edge of his hand, he tipped up her chin, then asked, “What’s it to be, Malone? Breakfast with the family, or do you want to go into town?”
“I’m not really hungry.” She saw Morgan’s understanding and quickly added, “I’m not being a coward. I really just don’t have an appetite. I’ll go in with you, though. No reason you should do without food, and I have to face them all sooner or later. It might as well be now.”
“Get it over and out of the way, huh?”
His frown was back, but she had no idea why. “Something like that.”
He glanced at Jordan over his shoulder. “We’ll be right there.”
Accepting the dismissal, Jordan chuckled and ambled off. The moment he was gone, Morgan framed her face and kissed her again. Before she could say much about it, if indeed she could have gathered her scattered wits to offer a protest, he took her hand and hustled her from the room.
Everyone was in the kitchen when they strolled in, still hand in hand. Like the audience at a Ping-Pong match, all eyes moved in unison to their entwined hands, to their faces, then to each other. Brows climbed high.
Morgan shook his head. “The lot of you remind me of monkeys in a zoo—not you, Honey. The masculine lot.”
Honey frowned. “Is everything okay, Misty?”
“Everything is fine.” She tried subtly to take her hand from Morgan, but he wasn’t letting go, and shaking him off might bring on more speculation. She knew he intended to announce their involvement, but did he mean to do it right now? At this rate, no announcement would be necessary!
There was no way she could continue to stand there and let everyone stare at her with concern. She had to get hold of herself and the situation. She glanced at Sawyer, then Jordan and Gabe. “Morgan insists it’ll be all right if I stay here for a little while longer—”
“Absolutely.”
“Of course!”
“You know you’re welcome here.”
Misty smiled at their combined assurance and even felt a little teary over it. “That’s very generous of all of you.”
Sawyer, with his arm draped over the back of Honey’s chair, said, “You’re family now, Misty. Family is always welcome for as long as they want to be here. Remember that, okay?”
Honey squeezed him in a tight hug. “Didn’t I tell you they were all incredible?”
Gabe laughed. “Nothing incredible about welcoming beautiful women into your home.” He eyed their clasped hands and added, “In fact, if you want some privacy, Misty, I have extra room in the basement.” He bobbed his eyebrows at her.
Jordan looked mildly affronted. “I was going to offer to share my apartment with her. With Morgan always looming over her, it’s for certain she won’t get any peace and quiet around here.”
Casey, looking like an imp, turned to the side to face his uncles and said, “Hey, if you guys have extra room, I’ll move in with you.”
Sawyer reached over and clapped his laughing son on the back. “They’ll both strangle you for that, Case.” Then to Morgan: “Stop letting them bait you. You look ready to do bodily harm, and then what will Misty think of you?”
“She’ll think I’m possessive.”
“And you have the right to be?”
“Damn right.” Morgan released her hand and put his arm around her, hauling her up so close she felt her ribs protesting. “We’ve come to an agreement.”
She gave Honey a helpless look, but Honey just rolled her eyes, as if she’d expected nothing less from Morgan.
In between bites of pancake, Gabe asked, “Is the baby’s father aware of this agreement, or is he likely to show up here any time soon, demanding to know what’s going on?”
Jordan scoffed. “If he has any sense, he’ll show up. I know I would. ‘Course, I wouldn’t have let her get away in the first place.” Then he eyed Morgan, and added, “Not that it’s likely to do him any good if he does come here.”
Misty had never felt so overwhelmed in her life. Not only did they seem to accept her pregnancy without hesitation or condemnation, but they also championed her and complimented her and apparently welcomed her involvement with their brother. There were no prying questions.
She was totally speechless.
Morgan was not. “He’s out of the picture, and I say good riddance. But if he does ever show his face here, believe me, I’d love to have a minute or two alone with him.”
“He doesn’t know where I am,” Misty pointed out.
Morgan gave her a level look. “Perhaps you could tell him.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Honey shook her finger at Morgan. “You’re always looking for a reason to pound on somebody.”
“Sometimes you don’t have to look for a reason.”
Honey turned to Misty. “Don’t pay any attention to his threats. It’s like a dog growling, all for show. He’s actually very sweet.”
A round of masculine grunts disputed Honey’s description. Obviously nobody else thought Morgan to be sweet.
“He is!” Honey protested. “At least, once you get to know him better—” She stopped and laughed. “But I guess you know him well enough already, huh?”
Morgan paid them no mind. “I think I do a pretty good job of not pounding on people most of the time, which is why I was elected sheriff.” He grinned. “Total control of my temper.”
“As I remember it,” Jordan said, “it was your ability to take control of everyone else that gave the townsfolk assurance you could handle just about any situation.”
“I don’t seem to have control over your mouth, brother.”
“No.” Jordan chuckled. “But then, I’ve been fighting with you all of my life and lived to tell about it.”
“Can we get back to the subject at hand?” Gabe asked. “What’s this agreement you two have? I’m dying of curiosity.”
Misty held her breath, uncertain as to what Morgan might come up with by way of explanation. None of them seemed particularly surprised that they were supposedly involved, which to her was no less than amazing. All they’d done since they first met was antagonize each other. Or at least that’s all any of his family had seen. If anything, they should have believed that they despised each other. But of course, his brothers knew Morgan better than she did, and maybe grousing and growling was part of his normal temperament.
Heaven knew, he seemed to wear a perpetual frown when he wasn’t laughing with her or trying to kiss her. She glanced at him and saw that indeed, his brows were pulled down and his expression was dark. It irritated her. She moved away from his side and gave him a look to let him know that if he spelled out their agreement completely, there’d be hell to pay.
To her surprise, he laughed, then kissed her loudly, right there in front of everyone. “Quit scowling, Malone. You’re going to get wrinkles.”
“Yeah. Or worse, you’ll start looking so forbidding, we’ll confuse you with Morgan.” Gabe ducked when Morgan reached for him, then laughed as he resettled himself in his seat and went back to work on his pancakes.
“Misty is going to help me out around the station.”
Sawyer sat back in his seat. “I thought you didn’t want to hire a woman because she might get ideas.”
“In this case, it’s a moot point. The ideas are mutual.” He looked at each brother in turn. “Any objections?”
Jordan lifted his glass of milk and said mildly, “With the two of you competing for the darkest frown, who would dare?”
Casey stood and took his empty plate and glass to the dishwasher. “I think it’s great. So can I be excused? I want to go into town today.”
Sawyer glanced at his son. “A date?”
“Sorta.”
Morgan snagged Casey and roughed up his hair. “You’re taking after your uncle, boy.”
With a twinkle in his eyes, Casey asked, “Oh, yeah? Which one?”
Gabe held out his arms. “If she’s gorgeous, then obviously me!”
Honey reached over and slapped Gabe’s arm. “Thanks a lot!”
The moment Misty had dreaded seemed to have come and gone without much notice. She was a tad bemused at that.
“No offense, Honey,” Gabe said after blowing her a kiss, “but you’re married into the family now so I can’t make lecherous jokes about you.”
Still holding Casey in a way that made Misty wistful over the easy familiarity, Morgan said, “We can give you a ride. Misty and I are going into town ourselves.”
Misty, a little surprised that he’d even suggest it, thought she’d have a slight reprieve from Morgan’s isolated attentions until Casey shook his head. “Thanks, but I’d rather ride Windstorm. Jordan said she needs the exercise and I was planning on cutting across the field.”
Morgan explained to Misty, “Windstorm is a new horse. Jordan brought her home not too long ago.”
“I’m meeting up with friends, then we’re all going to the lake for a little while.”
“Anybody I know?” Morgan asked.
Casey struggled to hide his grin. “Just some girls, mostly.”
Sawyer took one look at his son’s innocent expression and groaned. “Lord, he is like Gabe.”
At that, Casey laughed. “We’re just going to swim. We won’t get into any trouble.”
Gabe sent mock glares around the room. “I didn’t always get into trouble, you know.”
“Just often enough,” Jordan said with a raised brow, “to keep everyone on their toes.”
Sawyer raised a hand. But before he could interject anything into the conversation, Honey stood and took Casey’s arm.
“Never mind your overbearing, interfering uncles.” She slanted her gaze toward Gabe. “You’re nothing like them, except for the good looks, of course. Go and have a good time, but be careful, okay?”
Casey lifted her off her feet in a bear hug. “I’ll be home by three o’clock.”
“That’s fine.” And once he left the room, she glowered at Sawyer. “Quit comparing him to your disreputable brothers. You’ll put ideas in his head.”
“Would you all quit talking about me like I was the scourge of the area? Disreputable, indeed.”
Honey pointed at Gabe. “And proud of it, from what I can tell.”
To Misty’s surprise, Sawyer didn’t look at all put out by Honey’s audacity toward his son. Instead, he grinned. “You’re turning into a rather ferocious mother hen.”
“Oh, no,” Misty said, “she’s always been that way. Even when she was just a little girl.”
There was a round of laughing comments on that, all teasing Honey until she blushed.
Morgan pulled up a chair next to Misty and propped his head on his fist to stare at her. “You look a little numb, sweetheart. You okay?”
She shook her head, watching Sawyer nuzzle on Honey, then Jordan and Gabe roughhousing. She didn’t know what to think. “The way you all carry on, it amazes me, and now here I am right in the middle of it.”
Honey’s lips curled into a big smile. She said to the brothers, “It takes some getting used to, since we were from such a small family. And all our meals were very formal. No one gathered in the kitchen just to chat, and there was never this much joking around.”
“I wasn’t complaining,” Misty said, not wanting them to misunderstand. “It’s…nice.”
“Of course it is.” Honey cuddled against Sawyer’s side, and he kissed her ear. “You know, you can’t get around it, so now I just chime in, too. You’ll get used to it.”
Misty hadn’t planned on being around long enough to get used to them. But now she was having fun. It had been a while since she’d felt the honest urge to laugh.
Morgan nudged her. “You want some pancakes or do you still want to head straight to town?”
Misty thought about it. Most of her anxiety was gone, and her stomach was starting to rumble. There was still a platter of lightly browned pancakes sitting in the middle of the table, with warmed syrup and soft butter beside it.
She grinned at Morgan, feeling more at ease than she had in ages. “Let’s eat.”