His Virgin Wife: The Wedding in White / Caught in the Crossfire / The Virgin's Secret Marriage. Diana Palmer
him tangle my herd records so that I couldn’t track weight-gain ratios at all?”
She chuckled softly. “I get the picture.”
He took off his gray Stetson and stuck in into the hat carrier above the visor. Impatient fingers raked his thick, straight black hair. “He was lumping the calves with the other cattle,” he muttered. “They have to be done separately, or the data’s no use to me.”
“Had he ever worked on a ranch?”
“He worked on a pig farm,” he said, and looked absolutely disgusted.
She hid a smile. “I see.”
“He said the sort of operation didn’t matter, that he knew enough about spreadsheet programs that it wouldn’t matter.” He glanced at her. “He didn’t know anything.”
“Ah, now I remember,” she teased. “You took the computer programming courses last semester.”
“I passed with honors,” he related. “Something he sure as hell didn’t do!”
“I hope you never take a course in teaching,” she said to herself.
“I heard that,” he shot at her.
“Sorry.”
He paused at the highway to make sure it was clear before he turned onto it. “How did exams go?”
“Much better than I expected,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for helping me with the biology test.”
He smiled. “I enjoyed it.”
She wasn’t sure how to take that, and when he glanced at her with a sensuous smile, she flushed.
“What sort of dress are you going to buy?” he asked.
She gave him a wary look. “I want a simple black one.”
“Velvet’s in this season,” he said carelessly. “You’d look good in green velvet. Emerald green.”
“I don’t know…”
“I like the feel of it in my hands.”
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. “Oh, does Glenna wear it?” she asked before she thought.
“No.” He studied her for as long as he dared take his gaze off the highway. He smiled. “I like that.”
“You like what?” she asked irritably.
“You’re jealous.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She stared out the window, searching for a defense.
“It wasn’t a complaint,” he said after a minute.
“I still don’t want to be anyone’s mistress, in case you were wondering,” she said blatantly, hoping to distract him. She was jealous—she just didn’t want to admit it.
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was a short drive. She told him where she wanted to go, and he pulled the truck into a parking space near the door of the small boutique.
“You don’t have to come in, too,” she protested when he joined her on the sidewalk.
“Left to your own devices, you’ll come out carrying a black sack with shoulder straps. Where you go, I go,” he said imperturbably. “Think of me as a fashion consultant.”
She glared at him, but he didn’t budge. “All right,” she gave in. “But don’t you start handing out advice to the saleslady! If you do, I’m leaving.”
“Fair enough.”
He followed her into the shop, where a young woman and an older one were browsing through dresses on a sale rack.
As Natalie headed in that direction, he caught her hand gently in his and maneuvered her to the designer dresses.
“But I can’t…” she began.
He put his forefinger across her soft mouth. “Come on.”
He gave her a considering look and moved hangers until he found a mid-calf-length velvet dress with cape sleeves and a discreet V neckline. He pulled it out, holding it up to Natalie’s still body. “Yes,” he said quietly. “The color does something for your eyes. It makes them change color.”
“Why, yes, it does,” an elderly saleslady said from behind him. “And that particular model is on sale, too,” she added with a smile. “We ordered it for a young bride who became unexpectedly pregnant and had to bring it back.”
Natalie looked at the dress and then at Mack with uncertainty in her face.
“It’s okay,” he murmured drolly. “Pregnancy isn’t contagious.”
The saleslady had to turn away quickly. The younger woman across the shop couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing.
“Try it on,” he coaxed. “Just for fun.”
She clasped it to her chest, turned and followed the saleslady to the back of the store where the fitting rooms were located.
How Mack had judged the size so correctly, she didn’t want to guess. But it was a perfect fit, and he was absolutely right about the way it changed her eyes. It made her look mysterious, seductive, even sexy. Despite her lack of conventional beauty, it gave her an air of sophistication. She looked pretty, she thought, surprised.
“Well?” he asked from outside the fitting room.
She hesitated. Oh, why not, she asked herself. She opened the stall door and walked into the shop.
Mack didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His whole face seemed to clench as he studied her seductive young body in the exquisite garment that fit her like a custom-made glove.
“Well?” she asked, echoing his former query.
His gaze went up to collide with hers. He didn’t say a word. His hands were in his pockets, and he didn’t remove them. He couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.
“It was made for you, my dear,” the saleslady said with a sigh.
“We’ll take it,” Mack said quietly.
“But, Mack, I’m not sure…” she began. There hadn’t been a price tag on the garment, and even on sale, it might be more than her budget could stand.
“I am.” He turned on his heel and followed the saleslady out of the fitting room.
Natalie looked after them wistfully. She could protest, but Mack and the saleslady had just formed a team that the Dallas Cowboys couldn’t defeat. She gave in.
By the time Natalie changed into her slacks and shirt and tidied her hair with a small brush from her purse, Mack was signing a sales slip. He handed it to the saleslady along with the pen, and turned as Natalie emerged with the dress over her arm.
“Let me have it, dear, and I’ll hang it for you.”
Natalie gave it up, watching blankly as the saleslady put it on a hanger, draped a bag over it and tied the bag at the bottom.
“I hope you enjoy it,” the saleslady said with a smile as she handed the hanger to Mack.
“Thank you,” Natalie said, uncertain if she was thanking the saleslady or her determined escort.
Mack led her out of the store and put her in the truck after he’d hung her new dress on the hook in the back seat.
“Do you need shoes to go with it?” he asked.
“I have some nice black patent leather ones, and a purse to match,” she said. “Mack, how could you pay for it? Everyone will think—”
His hand caught hers and curled into it hungrily. “Nobody will know you didn’t buy it yourself