The Ultimate Texas Bachelor

Brad braced his hands on his waist. “I can see that.”

“I hope that’s all of them, anyway!” Lainey shuddered again. She didn’t know what she would do if she found other creatures in the guest house, as well. The four baby armadillos, weighing about five or six pounds each, were backed into the corner of the U-shaped kitchen, toward the sink. The mama—a behemoth the size of a terrier and a lot less friendly—was guarding the only way out.

Brad flashed her a bad-boy smile that was enough to make her stomach drop. “It is.”

“How do you know? You just got here!” She was the one who had been crouching uncomfortably on the kitchen countertop, her skirt hiked up around her thighs, for what seemed like an eternity as she screamed for help.

Brad’s glance slid from the floor, to her legs, and then to her face. “Because armadillos always have four identical offspring—every time,” he told her in a husky voice that soon had her tingling all over. “They all come from the same egg, hence they are the same sex.”

She couldn’t believe she was talking reproduction with one of the sexiest bachelors alive. “Well then, let’s hope Papa Armadillo isn’t around here somewhere, too,” she declared.

He shrugged his broad shoulders, unconcerned. “Oh, they never hang around for the birth. He probably took off months ago, shortly after, uh, getting her in the family way.”

She felt herself flush. “Do we really need to be talking about the mating habits of armadillos right now?” she muttered, trying to no avail to bring the hem of her skirt down, just a little. Unfortunately, the fabric was too tight and she lacked maneuvering room.

“You brought it up. What did you do to rile Big Mama up, anyway?”

Telling herself Brad’s scrutiny was not sexual in nature, Lainey explained, “I walked in and almost tripped over one of her babies. Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by scurrying…screeching…beasts.” She shuddered again, recalling the panic that had ensued.

He reached over and gave her bare knee a warm, companionable squeeze. “Given the way you were screaming and leaped up here, they probably think the same thing about you.”

Trying not to think about the way her skin was tingling from just that brief casual contact, Lainey frowned at him. “Very funny.”

He folded his arms in front of him. “I suppose you want me to remove them.”

Lainey rolled her eyes. He was enjoying her discomfiture and dragging this out on purpose! “Duh.”

“Okay.” Brad pivoted on his heel. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait!” She reached out for his shirt, missed. “You can’t leave me here!”

But of course he already had.

She looked back at the armadillos nervously. She hadn’t seen one of them since she was a kid and living in rural Laramie. And she’d never viewed one this close. The mother had a pointed face and large pointy ears that stuck straight up. A hard brown shield covered the mama’s shoulders, another her rump. Between the two were nine bands, hence the name. Her tail was long and tapering, sort of like a rat’s tail, only this was completely covered with disgustingly bony rings. She had scattered yellowish hairs across her body, particularly around her face, and wicked-looking claws on all four of her feet. Lainey had no doubt Big Mama would fight to the death to protect her young—Lainey would, too.

She did not want to tangle with the animal.

What seemed like an eternity later, but was really only a couple of minutes, Brad strode back in, carrying a large metal animal cage and wearing heavy-duty elbow-length leather ranch gloves. “Just so you know,” he warned her, eyes twinkling, “this probably isn’t going to be pretty. Or quiet.”

Unsure whether it was excitement or annoyance speeding up her heartbeat, Lainey said in a strangled voice, “Just get them out of here!”

Brad moved a couple of boxes to block any exit attempt the five armadillos might make, then waded into the kitchen, trap in hand. When the baby armadillos scattered, Big Mama ambled away from Brad and then broke out into an awkward run, slamming into the side of one cupboard, then another. For a while it was kind of like trying to catch a greased pig. As soon as Brad would get near Big Mama, she would head off in the other direction. Unperturbed, Brad stalked the mother armadillo calmly, until he finally had Big Mama cornered, then reached down and grabbed her swiftly by the base of the tail. Big Mama squawked in terror and spun wildly, but Brad held on and somehow managed to drop her into the metal trap and shut it again without getting scratched or bit. The other four babies were caught in the same manner. Once all five were in the trap, Brad locked the lid.

Lainey breathed a huge sigh of relief. She hadn’t realized until that moment how glad she was to have Brad there, saving the day. “Now what?” she demanded.

“Depends.” Brad gave her an assessing look. “You like armadillo meat?”

“You’re kidding.”

The corners of Brad’s lips twitched as he said drolly, “Guess that’s a no.” Brad picked up the cage of animals and swaggered for the door.

“Tell me what you’re going to do with them!” Lainey called after him, belatedly feeling just a tad sorry for the cornered creatures. She was sure, after thinking about it a moment, that they hadn’t meant to intrude or scare her to death.

“You want to know?” Brad’s dark brown eyes held a dare. “Come along and see!”

LAINEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT for a minute, then declined his invitation with a shake of her head. Accepting dares was what had always gotten her into trouble. It was enough of a risk just accepting a job here without disclosing what she hoped to gain for herself, and do for Brad in the end. “Thanks, anyway,” she said.

“Suit yourself.” He headed amiably out the door.

Lainey heard the sound of metal on metal as he put the cage into the back of his pickup, then he climbed behind the wheel and drove off.

When she was sure he and the “uninvited guests” were gone, she climbed down from her perch and started to explore. But no sooner had she cleared the kitchen than a sound near the door had her spooked again…and climbing right back up onto the kitchen counter. Surely Brad McCabe wouldn’t be gone that long, she told herself.

Fifteen long minutes later, he returned. He pushed back the brim of his Stetson. “Any particular reason you’re still sitting up there?” he asked with a curious lift of his brow.

Lainey was beginning to feel pretty darn foolish, but better safe than sorry…. “I thought I heard something over there.”

Brad frowned. He seemed to know instinctively that she wasn’t joking around. “Where?”

Lainey pointed toward the living room window she had opened soon after she arrived. She could handle just about anything except wild animals. Those scared the heck out of her.

Looking more bored than scared, Brad strode over to investigate. He reached the antique sideboard that blocked Lainey’s view, stopped dead in his tracks. “Well, I see the problem,” he said eventually, backing up slightly and rubbing his chin.

“What is it?” she demanded, feeling even more alarmed.

He leaned over. When he straightened he held a half-burned pillar candle in his hand. “What do you think? Look dangerous to you?”

Lainey regarded Brad skeptically, aware her knees were still shaking a little. “That’s all it was?”

He glanced around, looking puzzled. “I don’t see anything else over here. This, however, was on the floor, lying on its side.”

“Why would it just fall off like that?” she asked suspiciously.

“The wind?” He set the candle on top of the sideboard and lazily made his way toward her.

Lainey’s heartbeat kicked up a notch. “You’re sure there are no more wild animals in here?”

“Well, I don’t see or smell anything else,” Brad drawled as he walked through the combination living room and dining room, past the kitchen and half bath, and through the back hall, where the two bedrooms and full bath were located. He returned to stand in front of her, grinning wickedly. “Now, are you going to continue sitting up there or are you going to get down so we both can get back to work?”

Swallowing hard around the sudden dryness in her throat, Lainey moved toward the edge of the counter. “First tell me what you did with the party of five,” she countered curiously.

“I drove them to a distant pasture and turned them loose next to a stream.”

Sounded good to her. “Are they going to come back?” she asked nervously.

He taunted her with an impudent smile. “After the way you were carrying on?”

She tossed her hair—something she hadn’t done since high school. Maybe college. “I’m serious.”