Forever Dreams (Montana Brides) (6 page)

A frown creased Karen’s face. “You’re Gracie Donnelly?”

Gracie nodded.

“Oh dear,” Karen sighed, “I was hoping you were…not to worry. I’m glad you’ve made it to Bozeman. I thought you weren’t coming out to the ranch for another couple of weeks?”
 

“Gerald’s mom broke her leg, so Trent met me at the airport. I’m staying at the ranch until Gerald gets back. Would you like to come through to the kitchen? I’m about to put the kettle on for a cup of tea.”

“I’d love a hot drink, but I can’t stay long. I promised Jordan I’d stop by and see him before dinner.”
 

Gracie filled the kettle with water and fussed around in the pantry, looking for something they could eat. She opened a biscuit tin and glanced at the clock for the second time. “Trent shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Karen said as she sat on a kitchen stool. “At this time of the year the boys can be out on the ranch until all hours. If I’d known Gerald wasn’t in Bozeman I would have met you at the airport myself.”

“It worked out okay,” Gracie said as she looked for the teabags.
 

“Over here,” Karen said. She walked around the counter and reached for an old jar at the back of the pantry.
 

“My luggage went missing so Trent took me to Wal-mart. I’m just pleased I didn’t lose my carry-on.”

“You went to Wal-mart?”
 

Gracie poured boiling water into two mugs, hoping the confused look on Karen’s face had nothing to do with Caitlin.

A soft blush warmed Karen’s cheeks. “Everything’s beginning to make sense now. My friend Doris heard from her granddaughter that Caitlin had seen Trent’s fiancée with him…”

Gracie’s hand hovered over one of the mugs.
Engaged.
She couldn’t look after a house plant without it dying a slow and painful death. She wouldn’t know what to do with a fiancé. She’d never even managed to date someone for more than two months. As soon as any relationship turned serious, she got a serious case of cold feet and ran in the opposite direction.
 

“Don’t worry. I’ll give Doris a call as soon as I get home and let her know there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Thank you,” Gracie mumbled as she passed Karen a mug of tea.
 

“It’s the least I can do. If I hadn’t made such a fuss of finding Trent a wife, Doris wouldn’t have thought anything of her granddaughter’s story.”

Gracie almost felt sorry for Trent. Until she remembered the way her body lit up like a Christmas tree whenever they were within touching distance. Then she felt sorry for the female half of Bozeman. Any man that had that effect on women should be quarantined as a threat to humanity. And common sense. And lots of other things Gracie hadn’t thought about in a long time.

“But I’m not meddling in his life anymore. When he told me he wanted to get married I couldn’t have been happier. That’s why I thought he’d brought his girlfriend out to the ranch. To see if she could make the Triple L her home. It’s a lovely place to raise a family.”
 

Good Lord. Babies? Trent was still working on finding a girlfriend and his mom was thinking about grandchildren?
 

“I really am sorry for confusing you for someone else. You must think I’m one of those desperate mothers who want to see their son happily married.”

“I think Trent’s lucky that you care,” Gracie said carefully. No wonder he didn’t have a girlfriend. As soon as he went out on a date half of Bozeman would be planning their wedding.
 

Karen’s cell phone chirped. “That’ll be Jordan. He said he’d text me when he got home.” She stood up and gave Gracie a hug. “Everything will work out just fine. I’ll call in and say hello to Trent before I head back into town.” Karen left her mug in the sink and waved goodbye.

Gracie sank down into a chair and rested her head in her hands. She’d managed to dodge matrimonial bliss for thirty-one years, but within hours of arriving in Montana a sizeable chunk of the population thought she was engaged. To a man whose mom thought he needed a wife.
 

At least her friends back home wouldn’t hear about her near miss with a handsome cowboy. Unless town gossip or Caitlin Jones traveled at lightning speed.

Trent pulled his boots off in the mudroom. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mrs. Davies had cooked some kind of beef dish for dinner. The smell of hot meat with loads of garlic and herbs made his mouth water.
 

The sound of pots and pans banging against each other filled the house. Someone was in the kitchen, and there was only one little someone at home. “Is that you, Gracie?”

She stood by the oven, a wooden spoon clutched in her hand and a gleam in her eye that he hadn’t seen before.

“I hope you’re going to stir something with that thing and not use it on me?” She didn’t even blink at his attempt at humor. If anything, her grip on the spoon tightened.

“I don’t know whether to feel sorry for you or be annoyed.”

He stepped carefully around the kitchen counter and turned the kettle on. “Option one sounds good. What’s wrong?”

“Your mom stopped by before visiting Jordan.”

He froze on the spot. The mug of hot coffee he’d been looking forward to didn’t seem quite so important anymore. “What did she say?”

The microwave beeped. Gracie took out a bowl of gravy and gave it a quick stir. “She thought you’d found the love of your life. Her friends think we’re engaged.”

He gulped. “Engaged?”

“As in almost married. M-a-r-r-i-e-d.” Gracie leaned against the counter, fanning herself with a dishtowel. “I think I’m hyperventilating.”
 

Raking his hands through his hair, he tried to sort out the jumble of thoughts racing through his brain.
 

“And then your mom said you want to get married. You forgot to mention that when you were telling me about your non-existent love life.”

“Well, the thing is…I am kind of looking for a wife.” Before she could interrupt he said, “But I’d never marry you, so you don’t have to worry.”

“How can you be
kind of
looking for a wife? You either are or you aren’t.” A frown crossed her face. “And what’s so bad about me that you’d never marry me? Not that I’d marry you anyway.”

Pulling a chair out from the kitchen table, he sat down. “I’d better tell you everything before you see mom again.”

“I’m really looking forward to hearing this.” She glared across the room at him. “But you’d better make it quick. Your mom’s due back soon.”
 

He shot out of his chair. “She’s coming here? Tonight?” He struggled to lower the volume of his voice. Panicking wouldn’t get him out of trouble, especially if his mom turned up with her granny bag. Gracie would think the whole family was loopy if she saw the baby clothes his mom insisted on knitting.
 

“After she’s seen Jordan she’s calling in to see you. And scowling at me isn’t going to get you very far, Trent McKenzie. You started the rumors by smooching up to me in Wal-mart. If you didn’t want the world thinking there was something going on out here you should have kept your hands to yourself.”

“I didn’t smooch anything. I put my arm around you to save you from the trolley. Anyone would think I’d gotten down on one knee and begged you to marry me.”

Gracie’s face flushed crimson. She turned her back on him and started opening every drawer until she found a tablecloth. She dropped it in front of him and walked back toward the oven. “I didn’t come here to find a husband. I’ve come to find my father. If he lives in Bozeman and hears any gossip he’s going to think I’m a weirdo who jumps into bed with total strangers.”

Trent didn’t think there was anything weird about having sex with a stranger. Well, maybe not a complete stranger. And knowing how quickly gossip flew through the town, someone that wasn’t from this part of the country would help. Especially if they didn’t plan on hanging around for more than a few weeks. He glanced at Gracie.

“You can get that hopeful look off your face, Trent McKenzie. Whatever’s going through your brain isn’t going to happen.”

He threw the cloth over the table, then headed across to the cutlery drawer. “You can’t blame a man for trying.”

Gracie stuck her hands on her hips, looking all ferocious and cute at the same time. “If you’d tried a little harder with someone else we wouldn’t be in this awful mess.”

“You’ve missed the whole point, Gracie. I didn’t want to try a little harder. Not until a few months ago, anyway.”

“So put an ad in the paper.”

“Clever, Gracie. Real clever. The talk from that piece of advertising would keep the gossip mill running for years.”
 

“Well it’s better than doing nothing.”
 

He cleared his throat. The next couple of weeks should be interesting. “I’ve got a few other ideas I’m working on.”

He saw the frown on Gracie’s face. She opened her mouth to ask the question he knew would be coming next. “And no, I’m not telling you what I plan on doing.”
 

Technically he didn’t have one girlfriend in mind. He had four. And if everything worked out the way he wanted it to, the best of the bunch would become his wife.

“Hello? I’m back.”

Gracie turned the oven off and headed into the hallway. Karen sounded as chirpy as a spring breeze. Her strictly single son had disappeared upstairs half an hour ago and Gracie hadn’t seen him since. “Hi, Karen. Come on through to the kitchen.”

“Has Trent come home yet?”

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. “I’m right here, mom.” He walked through the doorway looking clean and shiny from a session under the shower. As far as Gracie was concerned, no amount of scrubbing would ever get him out of the black hole he’d dug himself into.
 

She watched him from across the kitchen. If you didn’t scratch too far below the surface, a girl could be forgiven for thinking Trent McKenzie was the biggest catch of the century. Pioneer men had nothing on the rugged determination of the cowboy making his mom a mug of coffee.
 

“Mom, I need to clear something up.”

Karen smiled at her son. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain anything. I’ve already called Doris. She’s going to spread the word that Gracie’s here for a vacation and not your fiancée.”

The relief on Trent’s face was more than a little disturbing. Gracie definitely didn’t want anyone thinking they were a couple, but still, a girl liked to feel as though the possibility wasn’t totally unpleasant.

“How did you think I’d found a fiancée from New Zealand when I haven’t been out of the country in years?”

“It’s not unheard of.” Karen frowned. “I thought you must have gone onto one of those online dating sites and met each other that way.”

Gracie tried not to laugh at the surprised look on Trent’s face.

“I didn’t know you knew about them.”

Karen grinned at her son. “I did a computer class for single women at the library. Erin showed us how to set up our profile and upload photos. It’s not all that difficult once you know how.”

“You shouldn’t be going on those sites. You’re not single, you’re a widow.” Trent’s voice hitched a few degrees higher. He didn’t look too pleased at the prospect of his mom taking an interest in any man that wasn’t related to her. “It’s dangerous. There are people out there waiting to take advantage of you.”

“You’re as bad as your brother. I’m sixty-years-old, Trent. If a nice man wants to take advantage of me then I might listen to him.” Karen ignored the shocked look on Trent’s face and smiled at Gracie. “I’ve got my first date lined up for this Saturday.”

“You’ve what?” Trent’s coffee sloshed all over the table.

Karen stared at Trent over the rim of her mug. She took a small sip, then grinned across at her son. “A date. Something you haven’t been on in months.”
 

“We’re not talking about me. You can’t go on a date, mom. It’s…it’s…”

“Exciting, terrifying and scary all at once?” Karen added softly. “I haven’t been out with a man since before I married your dad. I might be a little rusty, but I’m ready to meet some new people.”

“But dad…”

Karen clamped her lips tight. “Your dad died three years ago, Trent. I loved him like no one else on the planet. But it’s time to push my comfort zone. I want to have fun and be happy, and maybe stay out all night and wait for a lecture from you.”

Trent sank lower in his chair, rubbing his hand across his face. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I seem to recall saying the same thing to you and your brother, but it didn’t make any difference.” Karen stood up and moved behind Trent, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and giving him a big hug. “Thank you for caring. I’ll keep your number on speed dial.”

“I guess there’s no point asking who he is?”

“No.” Karen grinned. “Otherwise I’d have you and Jordan playing watchdog.”

 
Gracie watched the smile that passed between Trent and his mom. She caught her breath on the knot of sadness that settled in her chest. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes until all that was left was an empty hole of longing. Sometimes grief snuck up on her so fast that she didn’t see it coming.
 

She missed her mom more than the day she’d died. Ever since Gracie had left home, they’d rung each other most nights, catching up on what had happened during the day. When her mom had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, they’d spent more time together, making the most of every minute to balance out the ones that wouldn’t be theirs.

For the last six months she’d missed those phone calls and knowing her mom wasn’t far away.
 

Trent laughed at something his mom said, and Gracie wondered if he knew how lucky he was.

Gracie sat back with a content sigh. Tonight had been fun. Karen had stayed for dinner and Jordan had turned up with an empty plate in his hand. Gracie couldn’t resist a man with a mischievous pout, so he’d joined them all for dinner. Between stories about Trent’s childhood and his mom’s attempts to throw him in the path of true love, she hadn’t laughed so much in months.