Free brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy by judy christenberry

Pete’s taking care of the next generation, so there’s no hurry.”
    “But what if she doesn’t marry him?”
    “She will. She’s been in love with him forever.” Then, with a laugh, he added, “Besides, Pete’s got you on his side. You’ll talk her into it.”
    Megan’s eyes widened in panic just before Chad turned off the light and proceeded to distract her.
    J ANIE RODE OUT with her father the next morning, in spite of her mother’s protests. “Mom, I’ll be okay. I asked the doc, and he assured me any normal activities could be continued for a few more months. And Daddy needs me.”
    “I’ll have a word with your father,” Lavinia insisted.
    “No, Mom. I’ll be careful.”
    Lavinia knew her hardheaded daughter and gave up the fight, only saying a silent prayer that Janie was right. But she was relieved to find a like thinker when the phone rang about ten o’clock.
    “Lavinia, may I speak to Janie?” Pete asked.
    “She rode out with her father.”
    “What?” Pete roared. “What did you say?”
    “Janie rode out with her father. She said he needed her help.”
    “Damnation! Crazy woman,” Pete muttered.
    Lavinia felt her regard for Pete rise until he asked his next question.
    “Why didn’t you stop her?”
    “Pete Randall, you know Janie as well as I do. Do you think you could’ve stopped her if she’d made up her mind?”
    “But the baby…”
    “I know. She said the doc okayed it.”
    Pete muttered something else under his breath, but Lavinia didn’t catch the words. And she decided not to ask him to repeat himself.
    “Look, I called to see if all of you could come to dinner tonight,” Pete finally said. “Chad and Megan are back home. I want Janie to meet her.”
    “I’m sure she’ll want to meet Megan. But you don’t have to include me and Hank.”
    “Janie wouldn’t come without you.” As if suddenly realizing how inhospitable his words sounded, Pete hastily added, “And we want you and Hank to meet Megan, too. After all, we’re all going to be family.”
    “I hope so, Pete,” Lavinia replied. “Shall we come about six?”
    “That’ll be great. See you then.”
    When Janie and her father returned for lunch, Lavinia repeated Pete’s invitation.
    “I don’t think I’ll go, thanks anyway,” Janie said, sinking into a chair with a sigh of relief.
    “Why not?” Hank demanded.
    “Because I don’t want to.” She raised her chin and stared at her father.
    “They’re our neighbors, Janie Dawson. We’ll all go. It’s the neighborly thing to do.” He joined her at the table as if the conversation were over.
    “But, Daddy—”
    “Janie, I think it’s the least you can do. We’ve left the choice of marrying Pete up to you, but we shouldn’t have to give up our association with the Randalls.”
    “Of course not, Mom, but I can stay at home, and you two—”
    “We’ll go as a family,” Lavinia said firmly and sat down to dish up the food she’d prepared.
    After a silent lunch, Janie decided not to return to the saddle with her father. Her mother let her help with the dishes and then shooed her upstairs. “You need a nap, young lady, and don’t bother denying it.”
    With a weary smile, Janie shook her head. “I’m not a child, Mom…but you’re right.”
    “I’ve been pregnant before. The most important thing now is your health.”
    “Yes, Mom.”
    As she started up the stairs, her mother added one more thing. “By the way, Pete was very unhappy that you were in the saddle this morning.”
    Janie was tempted to tell her mother what Pete could do with his concern, but she decided to save her words for the person who needed to hear them. Words she would deliver after a good nap.
    H ER AFTERNOON REST DID a lot to restore Janie’s sense of humor. She could face Pete now and handle any arguments he threw at her concerning going about business as usual.
    What she wasn’t looking diding forward to was meeting the newest Randall. The bleached blonde