The Texan's Baby Proposal. Sara Orwig

are quick. I’ll remember that.”

      “So will I,” he said in a deeper voice. They looked at each other and both laughed.

      When they did, he hugged her lightly again. “I’m liking this deal better by the minute.”

      “Don’t get excited. You’re accustomed to me being your secretary and doing whatever you ask. That isn’t necessarily going to happen when I become your wife.”

      He leaned closer, tilting her chin up with his forefinger and gazing at her. “Then I’ll just have to butter you up so I get my way.”

      She smiled when he did and they turned to continue walking. “Does your mom still work for him?” Lara asked.

      “No. She quit to open a small tamale stand and tiny café—I mean, really small. This was before I was born, so I know little about it. My mom met my dad and I think it must have been love at first sight. They were married three weeks after they met and they loved each other deeply. He was a good dad, too. He had immigrated to the US earlier, gotten his citizenship and had a job. He worked in construction. He really wasn’t a strong man and shouldn’t have been doing that.”

      “You don’t take after him there,” she said without thinking about it.

      “I didn’t know I’d exhibited any great stamina in the office,” Marc said, sounding amused and looking down at her.

      “You carry things around sometimes. I’ve seen you do things. I’m observant,” she said, aware her cheeks were suddenly hot.

      “Oh, yeah?” He touched her arm as he stepped in front of her again. “Maybe I should ask what else you know about me from observation.”

      She thought a moment. “You send roses to women you’ve been out with, and if it’s someone a little more special, you send a big mixed bouquet. Right?”

      “Damn. I must be as predictable as hell. How did you figure that out?” He stared at her.

      “That’s a guess. The mixed bouquet has roses. The lady who gets the mixed bouquet gets roses plus other flowers.”

      “Well, you’re right.” He nodded and they continued walking.

      “Go on about your family,” she urged him. “I don’t know anything about them.”

      “When my family moved to Texas, they didn’t have money, but they were successful. Mom’s little café grew and when my dad’s health began to fail, as long as he could, he helped in the café. By that time, my grandfather was doing better and he put some money into her café. Then my dad’s health got worse and he had heart problems. I had wonderful parents and wonderful grandparents and I’m sorry you lost your family so early in life. It hurt to lose my dad and it’s going to hurt like hell to lose Grandpa.”

      She grasped Marc’s hand and squeezed lightly, releasing him swiftly and trying to ignore the inevitable tingles. “I know, Marc. I was so close to my mother.”

      “When I lost my dad, I got closer to my grandfather on Mom’s side. He was the father figure in my life after Dad was gone.”

      “You had a lot of family.”

      “My mom’s dad worked for a successful rancher and moved up to become foreman. On that side of the family I come from people who are driven and work hard. My mom put work first in her life always. So did Grandpa. Sometimes I think they both worked too much. The man who owned the ranch didn’t have children. When the rancher’s wife died, he willed the ranch to my grandfather and four years later, when the rancher died, Grandpa inherited it. I was seven years old then and already loved to visit my grandparents. It’s a great ranch.”

      She noticed his voice changed and she wondered how much he liked ranching versus working in Dallas in an office.

      That question and others would have to wait. She was getting tired of walking and her feet were killing her in her heels. She looked at her surroundings. “I’m not familiar with where we are now and we’ve walked quite a way.”

      He swung her around and they headed back as she laughed. “Oooh, I get what I want the minute I ask. I’m going to like my new role.”

      He stopped and faced her. Surprised, she looked up at him as wind caught locks of his dark, curly hair.

      “I’m beginning to look forward to our deal. And we better get on with it. So, we’re on for dinner tomorrow night?”

      “Yes, thank you. We need to make wedding plans if you want to move so fast.”

      He stepped beside her again and they continued walking. “Think of the secretaries in the office. Is there anyone who’d be a good replacement? If we can find someone who’s already working there, it’ll be easier for you to train them before you leave.”

      “You have two who should be perfect. They’re quiet about their work and I don’t think most people realize how much they get done. Let me think about that tonight before I give you names. But you should know you’ve got good employees.”

      “That’s what I like to hear.”

      By the time they walked back to his car and drove to her house, the sun was setting in the western sky. When they walked up onto her porch, Marc stepped between her and the door. Surprised, she looked up at him, suddenly feeling caught in the depths of his brown eyes.

      “Definitely, I’ve made a good choice here,” he said in husky tones that gave her a tingle.

      “And I know I made a good decision in accepting your offer. You’ve solved so many problems in my life. My world will change, thanks to you. The thing we need to remember is you have plans and I have plans. I’ve had my goals since the first six months of my mom’s illness. I don’t intend to give them up. I got engaged and we thought we could work it out, but we didn’t plan on a baby. This baby is part of me and my mom and my family, and I’m not giving it up. Now I’ll be free to get my education. I feel I owe that to my mom.”

      “That’s one reason you were such a good choice. You have an agenda. You won’t want to stay married. Even if we get along great, you’ll want to go to med school and I won’t want a wife who is wrapped up in school and becoming a doctor. Besides,you know, Lara, that I still love my wife and I’m not over that loss.”

      “I understand that. You know you have to let go, but part of you can’t ever let go when it’s someone you love,” she said solemnly.

      He nodded. “How about seven tomorrow night?”

      “Excellent. Tonight I’ll have my own little celebration all by myself. Tomorrow night we’ll make wedding plans.”

      “Are you taking charge of my life?” he asked, looking amused.

      “I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re capable of taking care of yourself.”

      “I’m glad to hear you think so,” he said, smiling at her.

      “I’m going in and celebrate.”

      “Save some celebration for tomorrow night. When I leave here, I’ll go see my mom. I want to tell her and my grandfather about you. My grandfather’s days are really limited. He’s a sick old man.”

      Marc caught her lightly beneath her chin, making her heart flutter. “You’re absolutely sure, Lara? You can take tonight to think—”

      She stifled his words with a finger to his lips. “I’m absolutely sure I want to marry you on a temporary basis.”

      He smiled and she pulled her hand away. “Good. You’ve made me happy, and you’ve solved a big dilemma for me. I want to keep Grandpa happy in his last days. I don’t want him to worry about his family.”

      “That’s good, Marc. You’re a good guy.”

      “Maybe not quite so good,” he said as he shook his head. “I am going to inherit a lot if