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crazy. Obviously, he hadn’t thought things through. With a patient smile, she said, “You’re wrong, Rick. They have no need to matchmake. We’re getting married, remember? They were kind enough to suggest you when we explained our problem. But we’ve come to an agreement, so there’s no difficulty.”
    He rubbed the back of his neck again.
    Which was beginning to drive her crazy. “Well? I’m right, aren’t I?”
    After a minute, he said, “Sure. Yeah, sure. Um, do you want me to follow you back into Cactus? To make sure you get home all right?”
    “No. You’re just saying that, aren’t you? You don’t think I’m right.” She leaned forward, determination in every bone. “Explain, please.”
    He looked like a cornered bear, big, powerful and irritated. “I agreed with you.”
    “But you didn’t mean it.”
    “How do you know? We just met Saturday. You don’t know me that well.”
    Strangely enough, she wondered if his words were true. She thought she was beginning to know him, to feel comfortable with him. At least most of the time. Not when he was naked, of course, but that wasn’t even a consideration. Just an accident.
    “Maybe I know you better than you think.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “So,” she said, drawing the word out slowly, “I should believe you’re upset that I thought logically and you didn’t?”
    The immediate spark of irritation in his eyes brought a smile to her lips. Yes, she was getting to know him.
    “What are you smiling about?”
    Her smile widened. “I’m trying to be a pleasant companion, Rick. Hadn’t you rather I smile than be an old sourpuss?”
    He ignored her teasing. Leaning forward, he covered her clasped hands, resting on the table in front of her, with his. Immediately, her hands were surrounded with warm flesh, reminding her of when she’d fallen against him in the hallway.
    “It’s not a question of logic. These ladies are romantics,” he explained.
    “So they should be happy. We’re getting married.” She was beginning to get an inkling of what he was trying to explain and she wanted to deny it.
    “We’re cementing a business agreement.”
    Her chin rose and her smile disappeared. “So?”
    “So, they want romance.”
    “But surely they wouldn’t—why, it would be wrong to break my car. Against the law.” She frowned more deeply. “I’m sure they wouldn’t do that.”
    “Cal’s mother put holes in condoms when she was trying to get Cal married.”
    Megan’s eyes widened in horror and she gasped, “No!”
    “It’s true.”
    “How do you know? Cal wouldn’t tell anyone that. Why, he and Jessica have the prettiest little boy. He wouldn’t—”
    “We were sitting in The Last Roundup around Christmastime. The ladies were scheming against some guy named Joe Chamblee. I said I didn’t think there was much they could do to get someone married if they didn’t want to marry. Cal told me what his mother had done as a warning.”
    Megan was floored. To think that his mother would do something like that to Cal. Her own son. Messing up Megan’s car, in a way that was easily fixed, didn’t seem nearly as bad.
    “But why?” As he opened his mouth, Megan interrupted. “I know you said for romance, but why would my having car trouble do anything?”
    Both their gazes immediately flew to the clasped hands in the middle of the table. Then they both jerked away, as if by touching they were endangering themselves.
    “Look, if I’m right, they may try other things,” Rick said, his voice rough. “I want to be honest with you. I’m not interested in any real marriage. I don’t believe in it anymore. And nothing they can do will induce me to submit myself to that kind of misery again.”
    Megan hurried to reassure him even as she felt a twinge in her chest at the desolation on his face. “Me, neither. After all, marriage killed my sister. I have no intention of marrying. For real, I mean.”
    Rick stood, towering over her. “I