Pretend Mom (23 page)

"Pineapples?" Dixie looked
perplexed.

He chuckled at her confusion. "Yes, she
and her Aunt decided to take a trip to Hawaii once the cold weather
set in. I think Mrs. Butie wanted Janet to meet some new, younger
men."

"Doesn't Janet have a say in
anything?"

"No, not if Mrs. Butie can help it."
Mike laughed—a sound that Dixie loved. "I think she's mellowing
some. Janet finally put her foot down and announced she's doing
things her way. One thing she always wanted was to go to
Hawaii."

"I guess that's great then."

After finishing their meal, Dixie
gathered the dirty dishes and took them to the sink. She ran water
over them while Mike went into the living room. He seemed perfectly
at home, as though he'd been here every night.

"Are you going to tell me what brings
you to New York? I mean besides the announcement that you're
getting … married." The word stuck in her throat.

"You don't like to waste time, do you?"
He flashed a broad grin. "Okay, since I'm getting married I want to
buy your house, because it's much bigger."

Dixie's face fell and her mouth dropped
open. She quickly worked to mask her true feelings until she could
get them under control. His words were like a stomach-punch. Mike
wanted to buy her house so he could live there with his new wife?
Dixie didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You mean you and Janet, of course."
There, she managed to say it aloud—without laughing or
crying.

"No, not Janet."

That took Dixie by surprise. It was
turning into a day of surprises, that's for sure. "Not Janet? Then
who?" she had to ask, had to know.

Mike sat back leisurely, fluffing a
small pillow on her couch. "I guess you'll just have to come home
sometime and meet her, won't you?"

How could he have met someone so
quickly and decided to marry her? And live with her in Dixie's
house! Love at first sight? Mike didn't seem that shallow. He'd
never been so frivolous before. Or … had loneliness taken a toll on
him, too?

"I guess I will," she said dully. "Mom
invited me for the Octoberfest, but I couldn't make it."

"Yes, I know, I was there."

"Then Mom's met her?"

"Oh, yes, she has, and she loves her
dearly."

Mike's face mirrored his obvious
happiness. For the first time he looked really relaxed. Dixie tried
to take it all in. And Mom loved her too? The whole thing was
making her head spin.

"I couldn't make it Thanksgiving,
either," she finally said.

"I know, I was there then,
too."

Dixie came into the living room slowly
and sat at the very edge of the couch, a safe distance from Mike.
"I'm very happy for you Mike. I can hardly wait to meet her. She's
obviously someone very special, able to cope with the hardships of
being a rancher's wife."

"Hardships? I didn't know there were
any since they invented the dishwasher, freezer, and microwave." He
laughed heartily.

"Well, you…you know what I mean," she
stammered. Open mouth, and insert foot, Dixie, she chided
herself.

"Yeah, well, we don't birth calves
every day, Dixie, if that's what you mean."

"Oh, of course, I know that. And I'll
never forget it. It was beautiful. It was such a memorable
experience for me." She looked away from his probing gaze. "So,
does she work?"

Dixie got up and went into the kitchen
once more, aware that the closeness was closing in on her. She ran
water in the sink, and began washing the two dishes that were
there. She scrubbed them hard, as if she could scrub away the
horrible fact that she was losing the man she loved

She could never go home now. How could
she cope watching someone else loving Mike and Mandy? Watching
someone else teaching Mandy how to dress, and combing her beautiful
long hair—and baking cookies with her. No, she couldn't be there to
watch someone else touching that handsome face of Mike's, and
accepting his kisses. Dixie heaved a sigh and scrubbed even
harder.

"Yes, she works. Has a career as a
matter of fact. Very dedicated, I'm afraid." He stood up and came
around the corner to the kitchen. His eyes searched hers
momentarily. "I don't know how we're going to work all those kids
in there, but I'm sure we'll figure something out,
soon."

Her face went pale. Kids! Mike's kids.
Oh she couldn't take much more of this.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Oh sure. My heart's just been torn out
and trampled, but other than that, I'm just fine, she thought. "Oh,
sure, I'm fine," she said. "Does Mandy like her?"

"Adores her. Can't wait until she can
officially call her Mommy. Gee, Dixie, you don't look too well. Are
you feeling ill?" His gaze swept over her with lazy
appreciation.

She threw her wet hands into the air in
an exasperated gesture. "That's unkind, Mike. So far you've told me
I'm skin and bones, and now I look bad, too."

"Sorry. It's just you looked so
surprised … shocked even." He studied her reaction as she
squirmed.

"Is Reverend Lewis performing the
wedding?"

"I'd like him to. But we haven't
discussed the particulars. In fact, I haven't even popped the
question yet. You know, on second thought, I don't think we'll wait
a minute longer than necessary to get married. I can't stand being
away from her."

Dixie bristled. "You're very sure of
yourself," she scolded in a teasing manner, wishing she could run
somewhere and cry, maybe even scream.

"Yes, I guess I am, sweetheart." Mike
picked up a dishtowel. "Uh … are you going to wash that same dish
all night?"

"Oh." She looked down at the squeaky
clean dish and laughed a little. "I … um …I guess I'm a bit
preoccupied."

"Yes, I can see that. Well, getting
back to the woman I love .." He rubbed his hands briskly. Dixie
couldn't help rolling her eyes when she saw how eager Mike was to
discuss ... that woman ... again. "Actually," he said, "I love the
woman I'm going to marry so much that I'd give up everything for
her—even the ranch—if she asked me to. Not that she'd ever ask me
to, but I want to let her know I would. We might not live in good
ole Wide Awake Wylie anymore. I don't care where we live, as long
as it's together," Mike happily declared, brushing gently against
her as he reached for the plate she wouldn't release.

"I hope it doesn't come to that, Mike.
I'd hate to see you sell your ranch and move. What would you do?
Our families have been so close for so long. And your place is a
showplace. It would be sad to see it go. It just wouldn't be the
same."

"Wouldn't it?"

"No." She barely managed to squeeze out
the words. He was standing too close, affecting her heartbeat, her
thoughts, and her actions.

He smiled brightly at her when she took
the liberty of looking straight at him. He was almost flirting.
What in heaven's name was wrong with him? This was agony—sheer
torture!

Suddenly his eyes went dark, and he
leaned into her. "You're even more beautiful than the last time I
saw you, if that's possible."

He definitely shouldn't be saying these
things to her, Dixie thought. She became flustered and
squirmed.

"Mike, I'll sell the house to you if
Uncle Paul doesn't want it at the selling price. Of course, you'll
need to approach him on that. If he's willing, then there's no
problem. Just have a real estate agent give you a quote. I'll sign
the papers as soon as you send them to me." She wanted him out of
there before she did something really stupid. Like fly into his
arms, kiss him silly, and beg him not to marry someone
else.

"Great. I've taken the liberty of
talking to Paul about it, and we came to an agreement. And I'm not
trying to flatter you, Dixie. You are beautiful, in every way
possible."

What was he saying? She had to get away
from him. She tried escaping into the living room, but he caught
her hand and pulled her easily into his arms. She immediately
melted against him. She was hungry for him. She should pull
away—but maybe just a minute in the arms of the man she loved
wouldn't hurt.

Mike's head bent just enough to brush
his lips across hers. "Do you realize you've cooked, and I helped
with the dishes, and I still haven't heard you say hello, or thank
you?"

"I…I'm sorry, Mike …" she barely
managed to say before a tear ran recklessly down one cheek. God,
the last thing she wanted to do was to cry in front of him. What
would he think?

"Don't be sorry, and don't cry,
sweetheart," he whispered. "Just say hello, like this …" He smiled
as his lips fastened onto hers in a hungry kiss that sent all
rational thinking out the window. She gave a muffled little cry as
her arms flew to his neck, and her fingers danced through the thick
mass of his hair. She needed to touch him, to feel his heartbeat
against hers. It had been too long, and she was powerless from the
moment their lips met. Gently he urged her lips apart, plundering
the sweet hollow of warmth within. Her tongue did a slow dance with
his. Passion flared to life as his hands moved over her,
appreciating her. Unconsciously she arched herself against him,
arousing a moan from his lips.

Then sanity prevailed and, horrified,
she pushed him away. She was breathless and hurting, wanting it to
go on, but knowing it couldn't. "What in God's name do you think
you're doing, Mike? You come in here, announcing you're going to be
married, and then—"

He looked frustrated, but happily
frustrated. "Uh-huh. And then I seduce you." He grinned. "God,
Dixie, haven't you guessed yet? Don't you know how much I want you?
I want to seduce you, marry you—I don't care which one comes first,
the seduction or the marriage. As long as I have both as soon as
possible."

Dixie gasped.

"Do you honestly think I could make
love to you and marry anyone else?" he continued. "I just couldn't
stand not touching you any longer. You're the one I want, the only
one I've ever wanted. You, Dixie Rose Kincaid, just
you."

"Me! You... you want to marry me?" She
gasped again, her heart rate soaring, her palms sweating, her mind
praying she heard right.

"Sweetheart, I'm crazy in love with you
and have been for a long time, now. Too long, in fact. I'm sorry I
didn't trust you, but it was only temporary. I know a relationship
can't work without trust. I was blinded by jealousy, an emotion I
never even realized I possessed. I was afraid to trust you, afraid
of your rejection. I was so crazy with jealousy I almost didn't
listen to anyone."

"Listen? To whom?" she asked in
wide-eyed wonder and snuggled even closer.

"For starters, my own daughter. She
insisted that she didn't want a mother unless it was you. She's
crazy about you, Dixie. Especially after the two of you made
cookies and got cookie dough all over everything. That cinched it.
She told me she was tired of pretending. She said you didn't once
fuss at her, or make her clean that mess up. And if that weren't
enough, Will and Tom went to work on me, and then your mother let
out a few little remarks, here and there, about how I ought to come
here and get you, after I tried to worm your address out of her. I
think she tricked me. I think she knew I'd come, all along. Forgive
me, Dixie, I'm only human."

Dixie felt her world coming to life
again. She was so happy she thought she'd explode.

Gathering her against him, Mike led her
to the couch, where he planted her on his lap, cradling her in his
arms and thoroughly kissed her again.

Neither seemed able to get enough of
each other.

"Oh Mike, I was so scared for you
…"

He tipped her chin back to look into
her eyes. "I'm sorry. I never realized you blamed yourself for
Audrey's death. But honey, you couldn't control that. No one could.
It was simply her time. God's decision, not ours."

"I'm not afraid anymore," she assured
him. She kissed him hard and long, until they were both
breathless.

He groaned as he pulled away to
explain. "I tried hard to forget you when you left home the first
time, vowing to show me just how independent you could be. I knew
my efforts to forget hadn't worked when I heard you were coming
home. I had to be at that airport to see you. I begged your mother
to let me come get you. I'm afraid Emily knew from the start. And
when I saw you, I knew there'd never be anyone else for me but you.
I knew why no other girl was quite good enough all these years, not
even Connie. No other woman worked for me. Funny," he said, and
then kissed her lips gently, "I've felt somehow married to you all
those years. It was like you were finally coming home to me. And
when Mandy fell in love with you, too, that cinched it. I knew I
wasn't going to rest until we were a family."

She listened contentedly. His words
were like music to her ears. His heartbeat matched her own, and a
slow invading warmth permeated her entire being.

"When you left, I felt as though
someone had stabbed me in the heart," Mike continued. "I really
thought you loved Kevin, and that you hated me for embarrassing you
that night. To tell you the truth, Dixie, it wasn't until I saw you
today at the airport that I knew for sure that you loved me,
too"