Free The Great Texas Wedding Bargain by Judy Christenberry Page B

and she directed them on cutting the first piece.
    “Now, you each feed the other a bite. And I don’t want anyone smushing cake on the other’s face. That’s a barbarian thing to do,” Florence instructed.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Rick agreed, smiling at Megan. He broke off a small bite of the cake and offered it to Megan.
    With an embarrassed look, she leaned forward and took the cake into her mouth, along with his fingers. Rick thought he’d died and gone to heaven as her tongue flicked his skin.
    When she picked up a slightly larger piece of cake and lifted it to him, he reached out and clasped her wrist. After taking in the cake, he licked her fingers. Her cheeks flushed and their guests cheered. Then he followed up that display with another kiss. A sweet, sensual tasting of her and the wedding cake that was ambrosia.
    When he lifted his head, his gaze caught a flick of icing on her upper lip and he couldn’t resist touching her lips with his tongue.
    “Rick!” she protested, her cheeks red.
    “Icing,” he assured her even as he stared at her face, hoping for another reason.
    “Nicely done,” Florence said, interrupting their concentration on each other. “Now, go fill your plates at the buffet while everyone else eats cake.”
    “She is definitely a mother…or a general,” Rick muttered with a grin as they followed her directions.
    “She and the others have been so helpful since we moved back here. It’s meant a lot to Mom.”
    “Yeah,” he agreed, but he hadn’t forgotten the disconnected battery cable. They needed to be on their toes.
    “Oh! I forgot to tell you. I asked Samantha if you could participate in the roundups so they’d come help you with yours. I mean, Tuck and Spence and—”
    “I’d already made that arrangement,” he told her, surprised that she’d interfere in his ranch work.
    “Oh. I…I wanted to help you. You’ve done so much for us.”
    “It’s a mutual thing, Megan. You and your mom are doing a lot for me, too. Here, have some brisket.”
    Distractedly, she let him fill her plate. “How did you know about the roundups? You haven’t been here that long.”
    “I moved here as they were starting the fall roundups. I offered to help out, even though I wasn’t ready for one. I figured it would help me meet folks, get to know the area.”
    “Oh. That was very smart of you.”
    “I appreciate you thinking of me, though,” he said and leaned over to kiss her again. He’d planned just a brief kiss, a thank-you kiss. But the second his lips touched hers, he lost control.
    “Watch out! You’re going to spill your plates!” someone warned and he jerked back.
    “Uh, yeah, thanks.” It was a good thing the reception wouldn’t last much longer, because he was becoming addicted to kissing Megan Ford. Megan Astin. Her name was Megan Astin. At least that was real.
    “Come on, let’s sit down,” he suggested.
    While they ate, the cake was served to the guests and the noise of the gathering simmered to a low level as everyone consumed the cake.
    Before the evening ended, however, the band returned to the stand and played a riff of announcement music and Mabel Baxter walked to the microphone.
    Rick frowned. He’d thought the evening was winding down. He’d figured he and Megan would take their family home and go to their separate bedrooms, leaving him unsatisfied but safe.
    Separate from her.
    “Ladies and gentlemen!” Mabel said, gathering everyone’s attention. Then she said, “Rick and Megan. Usually, everyone arrives at a wedding with gifts. But since you both already have house things, we decided to do something different for your wedding.”
    He and Megan exchanged wary glances before turning their attention back to Mabel.
    “What you don’t have is a honeymoon.” Before they could say anything, Mabel held up her hands to stop them. “I know, I know. Megan is supposed to work and there’s the children. So, Marybelle has agreed to work for you tomorrow,