Free brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy by judy christenberry Page A

who’d partied with the best of them that night at the steak house when she’d seen the Randall group from a distance hadn’t impressed her.
    The other decorator, an attractive young woman dressed in a classic fashion, had been clinging to Pete’s hand. At least she wouldn’t be there. Janie didn’t want any competition for Pete’s attention, much less competition that made her feel unattractive.
    “Are you ready?” her father called up the stairs. “We don’t want to be late.”
    He could speak for himself.
    Janie joined her parents downstairs and apologized for keeping them waiting. On the drive over to the Randalls’, she firmly kept the conversation on the running of the ranch. Her father loved to talk about business. According to him, the Dawson operation was the best in the state. He would allow the Randall spread, almost twice the size of theirs, to be secondbest, but no better.
    Light streamed out from the windows of the Randall homestead, welcoming them. The house was enormous, but it had become run-down over the years, under the care of only men. Janie hoped Chad’s new wife did a better job with the house than she did with her own appearance.
    The thought of Jake Randall facing chrome and glass at breakfast each morning, or relaxing in front of the fireplace in a lime green plastic beanbag chair, brought a chuckle to her lips. It might serve him right for his stupid matchmaking. Everyone in the county had heard the tale of his machinations.
    And he’d intended for Pete to be the first married.
    She drew a deep breath at such a scary thought.
    “Everything okay?” Lavinia asked as Janie hesitated before getting out of the truck.
    “Sure. I was just wondering how much Chad’s wife would change the house.”
    Lavinia turned and stared at the stately home. “I hope not too much. It’s always been beautiful.”
    “Come on, ladies. It’s cold out here,” Hank urged, placing a hand on each of their backs.
    They allowed him to steer them toward the back door.
    “Maybe we should go to the front door,” Janie suggested. “After all, we’re dinner guests.”
    Hank snorted but didn’t change direction.
    “I think we’re okay at the back door. We’ve known them a long time,” Lavinia said with a grin.
    Since Pete emerged just then, they all knew they’d chosen the right door. He bounded off the porch and met them halfway.
    “Hi. We’re glad you could make it.” He hugged Lavinia and shook Hank’s hand. When he turned to Janie, she took a step back, but her hesitation didn’t stop him. He hugged her close and brushed his lips across hers.
    “Pete!” she protested.
    “I was just saying hello. Come meet Megan. I think you’ll like her.”
    Janie said nothing, but she wondered how men could be so blind. The bleached blonde she remembered, with her tight, suggestive clothing, might impress a room full of men, but Janie didn’t think she’d appeal to either her or her mother.
    When they entered the kitchen, only Red was there, busy at the stove. He turned to greet them, then quickly urged them into the living room.
    “We’re not eating in the kitchen?” Hank asked.
    “Nope, we’re formal tonight in Megan’s honor,” Red assured them. “We invited the vet and her aunt and little boy, too. That’s too many to get around the table in here.”
    “The vet? I like B.J. I’ll be glad of the chance to talk with her,” Hank said.
    “Her?” Lavinia asked, startled.
    “Didn’t I tell you she’s a woman? Nice lady, very knowledgeable.”
    Janie looked at Pete. “Isn’t she living on the ranch?”
    “Yeah” was his brief answer.
    “So the Randall ranch, after having no women for a quarter of a century, suddenly has two?”
    Red was the one who answered her question. “More’n that if you count Mildred—I mean, Miss Bates—and I think you should.”
    Pete nodded but had nothing to say as he led them toward the living room.
    When they entered the large room, the family was