A Texas-Made Match. Noelle Marchand

of his that set every female heart in a fifty-mile radius beating wildly. He stepped back to survey her. “Look who’s talking. You sure have changed in the last few months.”

      She laughed. “Last few months? Are you crazy? It’s been a year and no less! Of course I’ve changed. Did you get my letters?”

      “I did.”

      “You only wrote back twice.”

      “I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “I was on assignment most of the time so it wasn’t easy to keep up with mail.”

      She lifted her chin. “Well, how is a person to know whether you fell off your saddle and broke your head or got laid up sick for a week if you don’t write?”

      He dipped his head to send her a suspicious look. “Were you worrying about me, Ellie?”

      “Not me. Just...certain other people.”

      “I see.” His eyes continued to tease her.

      She pushed away from his arms, only belatedly remembering the reason she’d run into him in the first place. She glanced over her shoulder to look for Donovan Turner. He’d stopped to speak to someone and they pointed in the direction she’d dashed. She winced. It would only be a matter of time before he found her. Lawson’s voice drew her attention.

      “I just got into town. I came here first since I figured everyone would be at the celebration. I wanted to surprise my parents, but I wasn’t counting on not being able to find them in this crowd.” He scanned the flurry of activity around the churchyard. “Have you seen them recently?”

      “No.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Donovan had gotten closer but still hadn’t spotted her. She tugged Lawson’s arm in the opposite direction. “Let’s try this way and hurry up. I’m on the run.”

      “From the law?”

      “No, silly, a man.”

      His gaze sharply honed in on hers. “What did you do—hit him with a mud pie?”

      “No. I’m twenty-one, not twelve.”

      He snorted. She jostled him lightly with her shoulder and he jostled her right back then caught her around the waist to keep her from stumbling. She rolled her eyes. Well, that was mature. Sometimes with Lawson, she couldn’t help reverting back to the mischievous ten-year-old she’d been when he’d come into her life.

      Lawson glanced around at the crowded churchyard. “This event has gotten larger since I left.”

      “More people have started coming from outside of Peppin to celebrate with us. Not much else has changed.” Satisfied they’d completely lost Donovan, she turned her attention to finding Lawson’s parents—or her family since they were probably close together. “Oh, actually, Sean started a new tradition last year when he got up on the podium and proposed to Lorelei in front of everyone. We’ve all been wondering who’ll continue it.”

      “Naturally, it should be you.”

      She stopped to stare at him. “Me?”

      “Well, sure.” He tipped his hat up to stare right back at her. “You should try to keep it in the family. Besides, you have men chasing you all the time. That isn’t good. You need to pick one and settle down.”

      “I do not have men chasing me. There is one man and I don’t want him. Everyone else thinks I’m their little sister.”

      His hazel eyes sparkled with laughter as he stepped a bit closer and lowered his voice. “I bet all those men are just waiting for you to pick one of them so they can declare their feelings.”

      She tilted her head. “Don’t you have that backward?”

      “They just need a little encouragement.” At her scoff, he narrowed his eyes. “Oh, come on. Show me a little of that charm.”

      “No.”

      “I know you have it in you.”

      “I do not.”

      “Sure, you do.”

      She narrowed her eyes at him. He gave her an encouraging little nod then took a step back as though giving her room to work. Her hand went to her hip. A quick glance around told her no one was watching. She stepped close to him and placed a hand on his chest before throwing her head back to stare at him. She batted her eyelashes as fast as she could. “Lawson, honey, it’s been you all this time. Tell me how you really feel.”

      “Well, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a long time, Ellie O’Brien.” His gaze traveled solemnly over her features. Without warning, he sank to one knee and stared up at her. “Will you marry me?”

      Chapter Two

      Ellie stared at Lawson, speechless. Her brain seemed to stop working. She had to repeat his words in her mind to make sure she’d understood them correctly. Finally, she gasped and punched him in the shoulder. “Get up before someone sees you!”

      Her punch knocked him off balance and he put a hand on the ground to stabilize himself. He was laughing too hard to stand. She shook her head even as her lips curved. “You think you’re so funny. I can’t believe you did that!”

      He staggered to his feet but continued laughing. “You should have seen your face.”

      “I hope it looked as appalled as I felt.” She glanced around noting a few curious stares, including a few she recognized. “Don’t you know this town is match happy right now? You can’t pull a stunt like that. It’s dangerous. What if someone thought you were serious?”

      That ought to put some real fear into him. Not that it was all that likely since everyone in town knew his taste in women tended to run toward beautiful, sophisticated women like Lorelei. Ellie was more likely to catch a fish than an eligible bachelor like Lawson. He didn’t seem concerned as he tried to hide a grin. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? I thought you were Peppin’s matchmaking queen.”

      She pierced him with a glare. “I refuse to discuss it. In fact, I think I’d better walk away from you now.”

      “Aw, don’t leave.” He easily kept time with her faster steps. “You promised to help me find my parents. Besides, it was funny. That’s why you’re trying so hard not to smile.”

      She rolled her eyes. Of course Lawson would know she was trying not to smile. He’d practically grown up with her and Sean so he had her pegged. That didn’t mean she had to like it. “Oh, all right. I’ll help you find your parents.”

      * * *

      He’d almost forgotten how easy it was to read Ellie’s face. Her every thought was written right there for him to see...and what a beautiful face it was. Had he ever taken the time to appreciate the way her full lips were almost always lifted into a smile? Had he ever noticed the faint freckles that danced across her pert nose? Or the way her large green eyes sparkled as if she was laughing at some private joke?

      No, he hadn’t and he sure as shooting shouldn’t be doing it now. Ellie was and always had been his surrogate little sister. Nothing more and nothing less would do. That’s the way it would stay. He wasn’t about to jeopardize his close relationship with her or the O’Briens by changing things now. No matter how appealing her willowy figure appeared in that green dress. He shook away his odd thoughts to search the crowd for some glimpse of his family.

      Ellie stopped and waved a sweeping hand toward the left. He followed her gesture to find his ma standing nearby. He cleared away the emotion in his throat, prompting Ellie to send him a knowing look. As they neared, Lettie turned away to signal to someone. He followed her signal to see Doc wave back. Neither of them had seen him yet.

      “Ms. Lettie,” Ellie’s soft voice called.

      The woman turned toward the sound. Her gaze rested on Ellie for an instant before it traveled