Two in the Saddle. Vicki Thompson Lewis

      4

      TRAVIS DIDN’T TAKE Gwen’s rejection personally. And because he was an expert at reading women, he didn’t even believe it. Other guys might get themselves into trouble with no-means-yes situations and either miss an opportunity or, worse yet, force the issue and get slapped.

      Travis had never missed an opportunity, and he’d never been slapped. He’d been told by some of his drinking buddies that he should give a clinic on how to understand a lady, no matter what words came out of her pretty mouth.

      The secret could be summed up in two words—body language. When he’d propositioned Gwen, and he’d done a damn fine job of it, too, she’d shaken her head no. But he’d be a fool to accept that.

      At the same time she was shaking her head, her skin was flushed and hot, her pupils were dilated, her mouth was parted and her breathing was uneven. She was leaning so far toward him that she was in danger of toppling over. Or into his arms. Gwen might think she was saying no with that shake of her head, but the rest of her was screaming yes.

      But now was not the time to touch her. Now was not the time to challenge her decision, either.

      “Okay,” he murmured. “I’ll respect that.”

      Her eyes widened. “You will?” Disappointment was written all over her face.

      He bit his tongue to keep from laughing. “Of course. What sort of a jerk do you think I am? I gave it my best shot and you’re still not interested. I’m not about to make a fool out of myself.”

      She straightened and moved back a pace. “Uh, that’s good. Because you would have if you’d kept insisting.” She rubbed a hand over the soft green material stretched across her rib cage, as if calming butterflies in her stomach. “It’s good we got that settled.”

      He nodded, taking note of the pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. “Right. I like to know where I stand.”

      Longing shone in her eyes, but she glanced away. “Well, now you do.” She gave him one more quick look. “I’d better check with Matty and see if she needs anything.”

      “You do that.”

      “Travis!” a woman called from across the room. “The next dance is mine!”

      Travis turned, recognizing Donna’s voice. “Absolutely!” he called out in reply. When he turned back, Gwen was gone.

      ABOUT AN HOUR later Gwen lined up with the rest of the guests to pelt Matty and Sebastian with birdseed while the newlyweds made their way over to the ranch house. She headed up a line on one side of the tent entrance and Travis stood across from her in the other line.

      Resisting Travis had been for the best, Gwen told herself. She just wished he hadn’t given up so quickly. And he definitely seemed to have given up. He’d spent the past hour dancing and flirting with his many admirers, not that she’d noticed, or anything. Ha. Her jaw ached from gritting her teeth.

      She watched him joking with Donna, who seemed to have the inside track at the moment. Gwen had to admit that Travis’s pursuit this evening had been one of the more exciting episodes in her life.

      Maybe the most exciting episode, now that she thought about it. She didn’t exactly lead a thrill-packed life. The word dull came to mind. But she hadn’t been able to figure out how to have both stability and excitement, so she’d chosen stability.

      Travis had offered her a chance for a little excitement, and chicken that she was, she’d refused him. Deep down, she was afraid she wasn’t wild enough for Travis. He’d probably tire of her quickly, and then he’d be the one to call it quits. Like Derek. How embarrassing.

      If she could simply enjoy his attentions and then cut off the relationship before he did, she might have considered his offer. But she’d hung on to Derek way too long, and she could easily make the same mistake with Travis. Besides, Travis was no longer extending his offer, so debating the issue in her head was stupid and unproductive.

      “Here they come!” yelled Travis. “Man your birdseed!”

      Gwen poured the contents of her little packet into her hand. Matty and Sebastian, carrying a blanket-covered Elizabeth, emerged from the tent into the light of the full moon. As they hurried through the gauntlet amid cheers and shouts, Gwen tossed the birdseed into the air and silently wished them all the babies they wanted.

      And she would play the role of Auntie Gwen. She would weave blankets for each one, she thought, and offer to baby-sit, and bake them cinnamon rolls. Maybe it was better to spoil someone else’s children instead of having the constant hassle of having your own. Maybe. But she didn’t really think so.

      Once Matty, Sebastian and the baby were inside the ranch house, the guests began their round of goodbyes. Following Matty’s instructions, Gwen gave away the centerpieces and any extra favors. As she moved through the departing crowd, she noticed that several women besides Donna hung around Travis, as if hoping he might pick one to take home with him. Not wanting to know whether he did or not, she went back into the tent to help the caterers pack up and make sure nobody had left any belongings behind.

      Finally the caterers removed all the coffee urns and bagged up all the table linens. At the last moment Gwen snatched up Matty’s bridal bouquet so it wouldn’t accidentally be tossed in one of the large plastic garbage bags by mistake.

      As she listened to the catering truck pull away, she gazed around the silent, empty tent and sighed. Nothing more to do except throw the switch on the small white lights and go home. The party, as they said, was over.

      “You look tired.”

      Gwen whirled to find Travis walking toward her. A night of partying had left him looking appealingly disheveled, and the glow from the tiny white lights overhead added a roguish sparkle to his gaze. But he’d said he’d respect her wishes, so he wasn’t here to try and seduce her.

      Her heart began to pound anyway. “I thought everyone had left by now.”

      “Everyone but me. I thought I’d better stay and find out if there’s anything more to do.”

      “That’s nice of you, but I think we’re fine.” She should get the hell out of here while the getting was good. “All that’s left is turning out the lights.” She stroked the rose petals of the bouquet, needing something to do with her hands. “The rental company will come out tomorrow to pick up the tables and chairs and the tent.”

      He nodded and glanced around at the bare tables. “It looked pretty.”

      “It really did.” Being alone with him was starting to have an effect, making her tremble. She clutched the bouquet more tightly. “Listen, I probably should go—”

      “Yeah, me, too. So that’s it? You’re sure there’s nothing else?”

      She didn’t know how he’d managed to get so close to her, but before she realized it, he was near enough that she could see the gold flecks in his warm brown eyes. And if that wasn’t a seductive look he was giving her, she’d never seen one before.

      Her pulse raced. “Nothing else. It went like clockwork.”

      “Yeah, it did. But I have a nagging feeling we forgot something.” His beautiful mouth curved in a soft smile.

      That mouth. That talented mouth. She wanted to know what his kiss would be like. And he saw through her. She was sure of it. He knew that right this minute, she was imagining the way his lips would taste.

      “You know that feeling?” he said. “That you’ve missed some detail?”

      She struggled to take a breath. “I don’t have that feeling.”

      “I do,” he murmured. His gaze drifted to the bouquet she held like a shield between them. He stroked a rosebud, loosening the pink petals with deft fingers. Then he plucked one free and lifted it to her mouth, slowly brushing it over her bottom lip.