The Borrowed Groom. Judy Christenberry

sorry. I thought you realized we probably wouldn’t go back home until suppertime.”

      “Yeah, Dad, it takes a while to shop,” Terri added, glaring at him.

      “Okay,” he said in resignation. “What do I do?”

      Melissa seemed more understanding than Terri. She smiled. “The first thing we’re going to buy are two umbrella strollers.”

      “I think Terri’s too old for a stroller,” he said, hoping to put a smile on his daughter’s face.

      “Dad!” she protested.

      Melissa said, “I think your dad is teasing you, sweetie. He knows I meant them for Jessica and Mary Ann.”

      “Even they seem a little old for strollers,” he pointed out. After all, they walked just fine.

      “If we were only going to be a few minutes, you’d be right. But in an hour, they’ll both be tired and want to be carried. It will be easier with a stroller.”

      He bowed to her greater knowledge. And discovered she was right. An added benefit was that they were belted in and couldn’t run away. Or get lost.

      After an hour of shopping, he carried quite a few packages and Melissa and Terri pushed the little girls.

      “Maybe I should go make a run to the car and dump these packages?”

      “Oh, Rob, that would be great,” Melissa said, her smile approving.

      The pleasure that filled him at doing something she appreciated almost took control before he realized the danger. He frowned. “Where do I meet you?”

      “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

      “I’m sure.”

      “We’ll go into housewares and see if Terri can find some place mats she likes. Unless you want to pick them out?”

      “No. Whatever she likes.” And he hurried away.

      “Your father doesn’t seem happy,” Melissa said, watching him weave his way between the few shoppers. The mall was always crowded on the weekends, but during the week it didn’t do that much business.

      “He’s been grumpy lately. I think he hated having to sell the ranch.” Terri spoke as she walked toward the store.

      Melissa told herself not to pump the child for information, but one question didn’t seem so awful. “You had to sell your ranch? I didn’t know you had one.”

      “Yeah. It was Grandpa’s. Dad said the taxes were too much, so we had to sell.”

      “Oh, I’m sorry.” A lot of farm and ranch families had that problem, but there were ways to avoid it if a good lawyer set up a trust. “Where was your ranch?”

      “In south Texas near the border.”

      “Oh. That’s a long way away.”

      “Yeah. But I like it here a lot better. We didn’t have anyone else on the ranch but one cowboy. I got lonesome.”

      “I’m glad you’re here, too. Let’s go see what they have here for your new home, and then we’ll break for lunch. Maybe that will cheer your father up.”

      He did appear a lot happier as he wolfed down a big thick hamburger with all the trimmings. The little girls stared at him, seemingly fascinated with his appetite.

      “What’s the matter?” he asked abruptly, putting down his hamburger and leaning toward Melissa, speaking in a whisper.

      Melissa looked up. “What?”

      “I don’t know. They keep staring at me.”

      She probably should’ve filled Rob in on what she suspected about the children, but there really hadn’t been an opportunity. Keeping her voice low, where the children wouldn’t overhear, she said, “Um, I think their father wasn’t…wasn’t like you.”

      “In what way?”

      “I don’t think he liked children.”

      “His own children?” Rob asked in quiet horror. Melissa didn’t want him to alarm the children, but she loved his reaction.

      “Some men are that way,” she said, shrugging off her answer.

      “None that I know,” he returned, glaring at her.

      “It would probably be good if you smiled some,” she whispered, nodding toward Jessica and Mary Ann.

      He turned to look at the girls and actually gave them a charming smile, one that had Melissa’s attention, too. Then he picked up a French fry and handed it to Jessica. “Want to try one? They’re good.”

      Shock registered on Jessica’s face. Then she cautiously reached for the fry, as if she expected him to snatch it back. Once she’d accepted it, he repeated the process to Mary Ann.

      “We should’ve ordered them fries,” he said with a frown.

      “Smile,” she reminded him.

      Both girls had finished their fries by then and were again solemnly watching him.

      Without consulting Melissa, he flagged down their waiter and asked for another order of fries and two saucers. Then he gave the girls each another piece of potato. “He’s going to bring you some fries,” he assured them, “but I’ll share until yours arrive.”

      “Dad’s good with kids,” Terri said under her breath to Melissa.

      “Yes, he is,” she agreed. She’d already decided he was a good parent. His kindness to Jessica and Mary Ann meant a lot to Melissa. The girls needed to know that all men were not like their father.

      Lunch was a big success until the waiter brought the bill. Melissa reached for it, but Rob was faster. “What are you doing?” she asked. “This is my treat.”

      “You paid for the gasoline,” he said calmly, taking out several bills and leaving them on the table with the tab.

      “But you can’t—”

      “Ready, girls?” he asked, standing, ignoring her protest.

      “Rob, this isn’t necessary. I’ll—”

      He took her arm, as if he were escorting her out of the restaurant, and leaned close to her ear. “Melissa, I’m trying to be reasonable about today, but I do not eat and let a lady pay. You’ll just have to accept that.”

      Then he buckled the two girls into their strollers, indicated Terri should take one, and he pushed the other out of the restaurant.

      Melissa, still rooted by the table, stared after him.

      “Is everything all right, miss?” the waiter asked.

      “Oh! Yes, everything is fine.” She hurried after the others.

      But she was going to have to be on her toes. This man was too sweet…and too macho. Her few experiences with men had not been happy ones. They weren’t interested in raising someone else’s children.

      And she had no intention of letting anyone, even a sexy, caring cowboy, take away her dream.

      Because she worried about the little girls being left alone with Rob, Melissa decided they should all go to the ice-cream store. Then, once the girls were eating their ice cream, she and Terri would slip away.

      The plan worked beautifully. Jessica and Mary Ann loved ice cream. Rob left them in their strollers and fed both of them from a big cup.

      “We’ll hurry,” Melissa assured them.

      “No problem. We’ve got things under control. Terri, here’s some extra money if you need it,” he said, handing his daughter some folded dollars.

      “I have my birthday money, Dad,” she told