Read brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy for Free Online Page A
Authors: judy christenberry
else, but the baby is mine. ”
“She’s not still seeing him?” Jake asked quickly, a frown on his face.
“I don’t know. He showed up today and—and he proposed marriage. Told Hank the baby was his,” Pete hissed, anger filling his voice.
“Oh, my,” B.J. said with a sigh. “Wyoming is a lot more interesting than my old stomping grounds in Kansas City. This sounds like a plot line on one of the soaps my aunt watches.”
“So tell me what to do,” Pete ordered.
B.J. looked first at Pete and then Jake. “About what?”
“How do I get her to marry me? I’ve told her she’s going to, but Janie’s as stubborn as a mule.”
B.J.’s lips curved into a slow smile. “You told her she was going to marry you?”
“Yeah. And she is.” Pete had to keep believing his words because if he didn’t, he’d go crazy.
B.J. chuckled. “Pete, haven’t you ever heard you catch more bears with honey?”
“What do you mean?”
“She means,” Jake began, his voice laden with sarcasm, “you should waltz around Janie with flowers and candy in your hands.”
B.J. shot a cool look at Jake before she spoke. “Flowers and candy are a start. But a woman agrees to marry a man when she believes that she matters to him more than any other woman in the world. Have you convinced her you love her?”
Pete’s face turned red, and he looked away. Jake moved closer to his brother and muttered, “That’s a useless emotion.”
B.J. appeared even more stunned by that pronouncement than by Pete’s imminent fatherhood. “I beg your pardon?”
“Look, B.J.,” Pete said, desperate to explain things before Jake exploded. “Our experiences with females have left the Randall brothers a little scarred. I told Janie I’d take care of her and the baby. That’s all she needs to know.”
B.J. gave both of them a considering look that had Pete squirming before she smiled at him. “Then, Pete, I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time convincing Janie to marry you. Women don’t want to be taken care of—they want emotional commitment.”
Pete didn’t like the way this conversation was going.
“The woman isn’t the only one who wants commitment,” Jake intervened, his voice harsh with emotion.
Pete knew his brother was thinking of his own failed marriage. They had all suffered through the breakup. Since Chloe, Jake’s ex-wife, had been the first female on the ranch since their mother’s death at Chad’s birth, twenty-six years ago, their exposure to life with a female had been an unhappy one.
To Pete’s surprise, B.J. smiled at Jake. “Once bitten, twice shy?”
“You’re damn right,” Jake returned, for once appearing to agree with the vet.
“Well, then, boys, I have one bit of advice for you—you’d better get your snake-bite kit ready, because Pete here is going to have to stick his neck out if he’s going to convince his woman to marry him.” With a smile and a wave of her hand, she strode out of the barn.
Chapter Four
Lavinia insisted Janie take it easy the next day. After the high drama she’d experienced, Janie didn’t argue. It was a relief to wake up without losing her breakfast. That was a start in the right direction.
She spent most of the day in her father’s office. Though she participated in the actual running of the ranch, she also did a lot of the paperwork, using her computer skills to update the files.
After college, she’d considered moving to Casper to find a job, but her father had offered her a paid position with him. After all, he’d pointed out, it was her heritage. Who better to help him?
She’d agreed. Her heart was on the ranch. She loved the life-style. And it had kept her close to Pete Randall. That thought brought a big sigh.
“Janie?” Lavinia called just before she appeared in the doorway. “There’s a flower delivery for you.”
Janie was surprised. The florist in the nearest town charged a fortune to deliver to the ranches, so the thrifty ranchers seldom
“She’s not still seeing him?” Jake asked quickly, a frown on his face.
“I don’t know. He showed up today and—and he proposed marriage. Told Hank the baby was his,” Pete hissed, anger filling his voice.
“Oh, my,” B.J. said with a sigh. “Wyoming is a lot more interesting than my old stomping grounds in Kansas City. This sounds like a plot line on one of the soaps my aunt watches.”
“So tell me what to do,” Pete ordered.
B.J. looked first at Pete and then Jake. “About what?”
“How do I get her to marry me? I’ve told her she’s going to, but Janie’s as stubborn as a mule.”
B.J.’s lips curved into a slow smile. “You told her she was going to marry you?”
“Yeah. And she is.” Pete had to keep believing his words because if he didn’t, he’d go crazy.
B.J. chuckled. “Pete, haven’t you ever heard you catch more bears with honey?”
“What do you mean?”
“She means,” Jake began, his voice laden with sarcasm, “you should waltz around Janie with flowers and candy in your hands.”
B.J. shot a cool look at Jake before she spoke. “Flowers and candy are a start. But a woman agrees to marry a man when she believes that she matters to him more than any other woman in the world. Have you convinced her you love her?”
Pete’s face turned red, and he looked away. Jake moved closer to his brother and muttered, “That’s a useless emotion.”
B.J. appeared even more stunned by that pronouncement than by Pete’s imminent fatherhood. “I beg your pardon?”
“Look, B.J.,” Pete said, desperate to explain things before Jake exploded. “Our experiences with females have left the Randall brothers a little scarred. I told Janie I’d take care of her and the baby. That’s all she needs to know.”
B.J. gave both of them a considering look that had Pete squirming before she smiled at him. “Then, Pete, I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time convincing Janie to marry you. Women don’t want to be taken care of—they want emotional commitment.”
Pete didn’t like the way this conversation was going.
“The woman isn’t the only one who wants commitment,” Jake intervened, his voice harsh with emotion.
Pete knew his brother was thinking of his own failed marriage. They had all suffered through the breakup. Since Chloe, Jake’s ex-wife, had been the first female on the ranch since their mother’s death at Chad’s birth, twenty-six years ago, their exposure to life with a female had been an unhappy one.
To Pete’s surprise, B.J. smiled at Jake. “Once bitten, twice shy?”
“You’re damn right,” Jake returned, for once appearing to agree with the vet.
“Well, then, boys, I have one bit of advice for you—you’d better get your snake-bite kit ready, because Pete here is going to have to stick his neck out if he’s going to convince his woman to marry him.” With a smile and a wave of her hand, she strode out of the barn.
Chapter Four
Lavinia insisted Janie take it easy the next day. After the high drama she’d experienced, Janie didn’t argue. It was a relief to wake up without losing her breakfast. That was a start in the right direction.
She spent most of the day in her father’s office. Though she participated in the actual running of the ranch, she also did a lot of the paperwork, using her computer skills to update the files.
After college, she’d considered moving to Casper to find a job, but her father had offered her a paid position with him. After all, he’d pointed out, it was her heritage. Who better to help him?
She’d agreed. Her heart was on the ranch. She loved the life-style. And it had kept her close to Pete Randall. That thought brought a big sigh.
“Janie?” Lavinia called just before she appeared in the doorway. “There’s a flower delivery for you.”
Janie was surprised. The florist in the nearest town charged a fortune to deliver to the ranches, so the thrifty ranchers seldom