Shotgun Vows. Teresa Southwick

going to have indigestion if you don’t slow down.”

      “No worries. I’ve got the constitution of an elephant.”

      Not exactly the way he would describe her, Dawson thought ruefully. Those legs. He would bet every last penny of his considerable annual bonus that her gams were not thick and wrinkled and gray. If they were, he was sure the knot in his gut would disappear. Considering the size of that knot, he had a heck of a nerve warning her about indigestion. Or anything else for that matter.

      He wished he’d never agreed to keep an eye on her. Even Ryan had questioned his excuse for dropping over tonight, but it was the best he could come up with. He had to be here to watch her. Long-distance baby-sitting wouldn’t cut it—Dawson didn’t do anything halfway. Besides, just before he’d left, Griff had reminded him that Clint Lockhart was still loose. He had escaped from prison and eluded all law enforcement efforts. The man had sworn revenge on the Fortunes, and was slippery as an eel. He’d already killed Ryan’s second wife Sophia—who knew what he might do next?

      Dawson knew that being a Fortune made Mattie vulnerable to Clint. If anything happened to her because Dawson slacked off, he wouldn’t want to face her brother. But more important, he would never forgive himself.

      Suddenly Mattie put her fork down, apparently finished. She stared at him. “Are you one of those anal-retentive people who chew each bite of food twenty-seven times?”

      “No,” he said, staring at her. “But I don’t swallow it whole, either.”

      “Wouldn’t have figured you for a slow eater. You strike me as the kind of man who has places to go, women to meet etcetera, etcetera.”

      “Nope.”

      “Really?” She nervously tapped her fingers on the table. “So no one is waiting for you at home?”

      “Nope. I’m all yours.”

      “Until you finish your dinner.” She rolled her eyes and heaved a huge sigh before glancing at the clock on the stove. She frowned. “You want to hurry it up?”

      He looked at his watch. Eight o’clock. He got the feeling she was in a rush. “You going somewhere?”

      “No,” she said with a breezy nonchalance that screamed liar. “But it’s getting late. I’ve heard if you eat too much too late at night, you’ll have nightmares. Your body can turn on you if you make it digest all that food when it’s supposed to be resting. Especially when you’re advanced in years. So if I were you, I’d quit eating before you regret it.”

      Since when did she care about his digestion? Not only that, but she was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. What the heck was she up to? “Come clean, Mattie. Tell me what’s going on.”

      Before she could answer, Lily Fortune walked into the kitchen.

      Dawson envied Ryan. Lily was a lovely woman, and Dawson was glad the two had rekindled their love, which had begun when they were teenagers.

      “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said.

      “No worries,” Mattie answered.

      “You’re not interrupting,” Dawson said at the same time.

      The older woman smiled at him, then Mattie. “I just wanted to let you know that Willa’s already gone upstairs, and Ryan and I are going to make an early night of it, too. But please make yourselves at home.”

      Dawson nodded. “Thanks.”

      “One more thing.” Lily looked from Dawson to his fidgety dinner companion. “Mattie, I just remembered something.”

      “Yes?”

      “Tomorrow a group of schoolchildren are coming to the ranch on a field trip. I think the principal said they were eleven or twelve years old. They won a contest, and their prize is a day of horseback riding on the Double Crown.”

      “Can’t think of a better reward,” Mattie answered enthusiastically.

      “I have a favor to ask you. Would you supervise choosing horses for the children? You have such a way with the animals, and the kids couldn’t be in better hands than yours.”

      A sweet smile transformed Mattie’s face, making her eyes glow. “I would be happy to, Aunt Lily.”

      The older woman nodded approvingly. “I understand there will be four or five children. It might be best if you have one of the ranch hands assist you.”

      The glow in Mattie’s eyes turned to a gleam that Dawson didn’t trust. He remembered Griff’s warning that she was looking to run off with one of the cowboys. Although she’d been working with them on the ranch for some time, Lily had just reminded him how closely. Because of his promise, it was now his problem. He could only think of one solution.

      Before opening his mouth, his last thought was that this must be what it felt like to jump out of a skydiving plane. Then he said, “I would be happy to help her.”

      Mattie, just sipping water, started to cough. Lily patted her on the back. “Are you all right, dear?”

      Still coughing, Mattie nodded. Then she stared at him and asked, “You?”

      “No, Mel Gibson,” he said, hoping to pull this off with humor. “Of course me.”

      He would have to take the day off. But he’d been working a lot of hours lately, bringing Brody up to snuff on Fortune financial affairs. Dawson had earned himself a comp day. He was meeting Brody at the office in the afternoon. But he could use the morning for baby-sitting detail. To keep her away from the cowboys, he would stick to her like lint to tape.

      “Really, that’s awfully nice of you.” Mattie shot him a look that made a lie of her words. It told him she wished the earth would open and swallow him up. “But one of the ranch hands would probably be more helpful.”

      “Not necessarily. I’ve spent a lot of time riding with Zane. I can handle horseback riding basics for kids.”

      “You don’t need me to work that out,” Lily said. “I’ll say good-night now.” She smiled at each of them. “Sleep well, you two.”

      When they were alone again, Mattie said too sweetly, “Don’t you have some numbers to crunch tomorrow? Some minutiae to commit to memory?”

      “It can wait.”

      “You’re very generous to offer assistance. But I was thinking of asking Ethan McKenzie.”

      She’d sure picked someone quick. Maybe she’d had him on her mind all along. For something of a romantic nature? Or an elopement? He couldn’t help wondering if Griff was right about her determination to run off with a cowboy. Had she already culled one from the herd, so to speak? All the more reason for Dawson to hang around. Although he had a sneaking suspicion that if he tried to cut the cowboy out completely, she would become even more determined to have him. Not only that, but it could push Dawson into a situation that would tip his hand, and she would figure out that he had promised Griff he’d guard her.

      As long as Dawson was around to supervise, he didn’t much care who the unfortunate cowboy helper was. “Okay, ask Ethan. But with that many kids, you can probably use more help.”

      “Probably.” She nodded. “Kids can try your patience. They’re pretty unpredictable.”

      “Then you won’t mind if I hang around, too.”

      She looked at him as if he had just said he planned to walk naked from San Antonio to Houston. “Very sporting of you. But I think Ethan and I can handle them. After all, we’re both still limber, and practically children ourselves.”

      “True. An oldtimer like myself has brittle bones. I have to be careful not to break anything. But hasn’t anyone ever told you there’s no substitute for wisdom and experience?”

      “I’ve heard that. I’ve