Two in the Saddle

She wasn’t breathing so easy herself, and her agitation stirred up the erotic, cinnamon-flavored perfume she wore, which excited him even more. By the time they reached the back of the church and moved through the doors into the vestibule where Matty and Sebastian stood waiting, Travis had decided it might be worth his time to cut through the barbed wire Gwen had strung around herself to keep him out.

So what if he wasn’t husband material? He’d taught several women that good sex didn’t have to lead to everlasting love. Mutual enjoyment was justification enough for climbing between the sheets, in his opinion. Gwen needed to expand her options, and he was the guy to help her. If Lizzie hadn’t been twisting his ear during the entire walk down the aisle, it would have been an outstanding interlude.

If he’d had any doubt about Gwen’s reaction to him, she erased it once they passed through the main chapel doors. She wrenched away from him as if she’d been cuddled up to a hot stove. An indifferent woman wouldn’t have made such a big production out of escaping.

Avoiding his gaze, she abandoned the buggy and rushed over to hug Matty. “I’m so happy for you!” she said.

Travis knew Gwen’s sentiments were sincere, but there was a quivery edge to her voice, as if she might not be in complete control of herself. That pleased him. After their walk down the aisle, he’d had to take a few deep breaths, himself. He caught Matty looking at him over Gwen’s shoulder, and he shrugged.

Then he pried Lizzie’s fingers from his ear before walking over and holding out his hand to Sebastian. “Well, it’s too late to turn back now, buddy.”

Sebastian was grinning all over as he clasped Travis’s hand. “We really did it, didn’t we?”

“I do believe you did. Congratulations. You roped yourself a keeper.” He turned to Matty, who looked happier than he’d ever seen her. He’d been her head wrangler at the Leaning L through the bad years with Butch, and the lonely years after Butch crashed his plane into a mountain. Technically she was his boss, but he loved her like a sister, and he was pleased as punch that she and Sebastian had finally figured out they were meant to be more than good neighbors.

Continuing to balance Lizzie in one arm, he leaned down and gave Matty a kiss on the cheek. “I hope you know you’ve hitched up with the stubbornest cow-poke in the valley,” he murmured. “If he gives you any problems, let me know and I’ll kick his butt for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Matty said, her blue eyes twinkling.

“Nice going, Travis.” Sebastian clapped him on the back. “I had Matty convinced I was perfect, but you had to open your yap and ruin my image.”

“My pleasure.” Travis smiled, then winced as Lizzie crowed happily, grabbed his nose and pinched hard. “The kid’s got the instincts of a steer wrestler,” he said as he peeled her fingers away.

Matty laughed. “I’ve taught her all she knows. I’m hoping she’ll have that nose thing perfected by the time she’s eighteen.”

Travis figured now wasn’t the time to mention there was a chance Lizzie wouldn’t grow up on the Rocking D. Matty was more attached to this baby than she knew. “She’s got the nose thing perfected now,” he said, grabbing Lizzie’s hand before she could latch on again.

Matty held out her arms. “Let me hold her while we take care of this reception line business. You’ve been tortured enough.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Gwen said.

Travis shot her a look. The old defiance was back in her dark eyes, but he wasn’t intimidated by it anymore. Underneath all her bluster was a woman aching to be kissed, and kissed well. He wondered if he might find the opportunity to take care of that before the night was out.

“Lizzie’s okay with me,” Travis said. “She’ll be fine, now that we got rid of that bow apparatus.”

“I knew that bow was a bad idea,” Matty said, glancing at her new husband, “but Sebastian insisted on making her look like a girl.”

“I liked the bow,” Sebastian said, a stubborn gleam in his eye.

“Well, she didn’t,” Matty said. “And I’m proud of her for sticking to her guns.” She turned back to Travis. “Hand over that little dickens. I miss her already.”

Travis eyed Matty’s white dress. He had a rough idea what the dress cost, and he’d heard some talk about keeping it for the next generation of brides in the Daniels family. He didn’t think Lizzie’s baby drool would improve the dress any. “I’ll hang on to her. That outfit of yours is a keepsake, and this tux is only rented. Might as well keep the mess concentrated in one spot.”

Matty looked down at her dress. “You have a point. I’m not used to being dolled up like this, and I keep forgetting I have to be careful.” She smiled at Travis. “Thank you for your sacrifice. You saved the day.”

“Sacrifice?” Gwen said. “Ha. He eats this stuff with a spoon. He—”

“Maybe we’d better set up our reception line,” Matty said quickly. “People are heading this way. Gwen, you’ll be first, then Travis, then Sebastian, then—”

“There’s that adorable baby!” shrieked Donna Rathbone, kindergarten teacher and one of Travis’s former girlfriends.

Donna had called him her teacher’s pet, he remembered. He had fond memories of hot summer nights about two years ago. Donna hurried through the double doors of the main chapel and headed straight for him, followed by half the congregation, all female, and all jabbering about the baby.

“Then again, maybe we should put Travis first in line,” Matty said as the women enveloped him in a sea of pastels and perfume.

MATTY AND Sebastian had decided to hold the reception inside a large tent on the Rocking D, and from Gwen’s vantage point at the head table, the whole town seemed to be packed inside the tent’s white canvas walls. Tiny clear lights strung from the tent poles sparkled in celebration and centerpieces of spring flowers bloomed on each linen-covered table. The bar was open and the buffet table was crowded with food.

Sensual pleasures teased Gwen from all sides—succulent barbecued beef and rich red wine, the seductive beat of a country tune, the scent of juniper every time the breeze lifted a tent flap a few inches. And then there was Travis in his rumpled tux, an attraction more compelling than the bride and groom, apparently.

Women surrounded him constantly, whether he happened to be holding Elizabeth or not. He was a very busy man as he tended to his many admirers, and yet every few minutes he’d pause, find Gwen in the throng, and send her a smile or a wink.

She tried to be unaffected…and failed. It was heady stuff to be singled out by the man who was clearly adored by every woman in the room. But the dinner part of the reception had nearly ended, and soon the dancing would begin, which meant she’d be expected to dance with Travis. And no matter how seductive the atmosphere, no matter how appealing the man, she must not give in to his considerable charms.

She’d known Travis would be trouble the first day she’d laid eyes on him while paying a visit to Matty’s ranch. About four years earlier, she and Matty had met over the yarn counter at Coogan’s Department Store and discovered they both had a passion for weaving. Their friendship had blossomed.

Gwen had taken up the craft as a way to heal after her divorce from Derek. Eventually she discovered that Matty used her floor loom as therapy while she dealt with an unhappy marriage, which gave the two women even more in common.

They enjoyed each other’s company tremendously, and the only fly in the ointment had been Gwen’s occasional forced interaction with Matty’s head wrangler. Travis reminded her way too much of Derek. He pushed all the same buttons Derek had, making her pulse race with a look, her breath catch with a devilish grin. But Gwen had no intention of losing her heart to another rascal too handsome for his own good.

Fortunately Travis spent winters at his place in Utah, which meant Gwen only had to deal with him during the summer. Because summer was high season at Hawthorne House, she was usually too busy to socialize much. She’d been so subtle about avoiding Travis that even Matty hadn’t known of her vulnerability until recently…until Elizabeth had turned all their lives topsy-turvy.

The baby was presently sitting on Sebastian’s lap while Matty played patty-cake with her. Gwen smiled at the picture they made. No doubt about it, Elizabeth had totally changed Matty and Sebastian’s life, fortunately for the better. But Matty and Sebastian belonged together. Gwen and Travis did not, and she’d be wise to keep that firmly in mind.

Travis returned to his place at the head table just as the band finished a tune. He signaled to the band, picked up his wineglass and raised it. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?”

That would be no problem for the ladies, Gwen thought. At the sound of Travis’s rich baritone, they’d all turned toward him like daisies to sunlight.

“I’d like to propose a toast to the bride and groom.” He grinned. “You know, this is gonna be like shooting fish in a barrel, Sebastian.”

“Roast him, Travis!” called one of the ranchers from a table in the back of the room.

Gwen rolled her eyes. Travis would make a joke of this, the way he made a joke of everything.

“Well, you folks ain’t heard nothin’ until you’ve heard Sebastian Daniels croon Ghost Riders in the Sky,” Travis said. “If I’d been writing your vows, buddy, I would’ve made Matty promise to love, cherish, and put up with a round of Ghost Riders every blessed morning in the shower. Oh, and I don’t want to forget the yodeling. Did you tell her about that, yet?”

Gwen laughed along with everyone else, including Matty and Sebastian.

Travis cleared his throat and Gwen prepared herself for more jokes.

But Travis was no longer smiling, and his tone had changed. “Yodeling aside, I’ve known Sebastian Daniels for a lot of years, and he’s one hell of a friend. If you’re in trouble, this is the man to call. His heart’s bigger than the whole Sangre de Cristo range.”

Gwen stared at Travis. Just when she thought she knew what to expect from him, he did the exact opposite.

“Sebastian loves this land,” Travis said. “Until recently, I didn’t think he could love anything, or anyone, more than this paradise he calls the Rocking D. But I was wrong. His fondness for this ranch is a drop in the bucket compared to the way he feels about the woman sitting next to him.”

Emotion clogged Gwen’s throat. She could take anything from Travis except heartfelt sincerity.

“And he’s found his soul mate in Matty,” Travis continued. “Matty is true-blue, the straightest shooter I’ve ever known. If there is such a thing as a match made in heaven, you’re looking at it. God bless, Matty and Sebastian. I’m proud to be here.”