The Ultimate Texas Bachelor. Cathy Gillen Thacker

more than she was asking their permission to work as a reporter. “I just wanted you to know where you could contact us.”

      Bunny glanced at Bart. He looked troubled, too, but not necessarily in agreement with his wife. Obviously, Bunny wanted Bart to say something.

      Finally, the tall gangly man with the perpetually defeated expression on his face, cleared his throat. “I think what Bunny is trying to say here is that some changes may need to be made.”

      A chill ran down Lainey’s spine. No one had to remind her that thanks to the terms of the trust Chip had set up for Petey, which Bunny oversaw, all of Lainey’s finances were controlled by her sister-in-law. Which was another reason why it was so important she start making some money of her own—soon. “What kind of changes?” Lainey asked suspiciously.

      “Bunny thinks that it’s impractical for you to be incurring such steep mortgage payments every month.”

      It hadn’t been Lainey’s idea to have a ridiculously high mortgage payment every month. Chip was the one who had insisted they purchase a home in Highland Park. Lainey began to relax, ever so slightly. “I’m glad you brought this up,” she said, relieved. “I’ve been wanting to sell the house. It is much too big for just Petey and me.”

      Not only was it an unnecessary expense, but also the home had too many memories of her and Chip. Lainey was finding it impossible to move on, when everywhere she went she saw and felt her late husband’s presence. Lainey had loved her husband terribly. She saw Chip’s good qualities in Petey every day. But now that she and Petey had gone through the mourning process, it was time to build a new life.

      Lainey smiled at her in-laws. “Petey and I would be happy with something much smaller and less expensive. Which is why I’ve been thinking about relocating back to my hometown of Laramie, Texas.”

      Lainey had no family ties there any longer, since both her parents had passed on years ago, but Laramie was still as friendly and laid-back as ever. When she had driven out there earlier this morning, she had been surprised to discover how much it had felt like home.

      Bunny and Bart regarded each other tensely.

      “You misunderstand us,” Bunny said finally. “Bart and I want you and Petey to move in here with us.”

      BRAD WAS ON HIS WAY OUT to the barn to begin unloading bundles of PVC pipe from his pickup when a familiar dark green SUV turned into the lane leading to the Lazy M ranch house. The vehicle zipped toward the parking area and stopped just short of the guest house. Seconds later, Lainey Carrington was stepping out of the driver’s side.

      She was wearing an open-necked hot-pink silk shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a trim black skirt that failed to reach her knees, and open-toed sandals that, like the rest of her outfit, were hardly suited for life on a working cattle ranch. Despite the eye-catching hue of her blouse, her outfit was conservative enough to be worn in a corporate setting. The way it hugged her slender curves was another matter indeed…. Just looking at her made Brad’s mouth water.

      The knowledge of his own desire made him frown. He had promised himself at the end of the TV show that he was swearing off all women for at least a year. It hadn’t been a problem—until now. Unbeknownst to the producers who had hired him for Bachelor Bliss, his rep as a bed-hopping ladies’ man was a hell of a lot more fiction than fact.

      She went up to the ranch house door, rang the bell, pressed it again and again. Finally, she came back down the steps and looked toward the barn, where he was busy unloading the back of his pickup truck.

      She got back in her vehicle, drove the short distance to where he was, and got out of her SUV again.

      Apparently remembering all too well the way they had parted, Lainey gave Brad a cool glance. “Lewis around?” she asked, stepping nearer in a drift of remarkably alluring perfume.

      “Nope.” Brad lifted one bundle onto his shoulder, then another.

      She marched closer yet, her sexy shoes tapping across the blacktopped ranch driveway. She seemed to be spoiling for a fight. Although, not necessarily with him, Brad noted.

      “Care to elaborate?” Lainey asked tightly.

      “Nope.” Carrying the bundles of pipe, Brad headed for the newly painted beige barn.

      She skipped to keep up with his long strides. “Don’t be such a—”

      Curious as to what she would call him, Brad prompted, “What?”

      “Donkey’s rear end!”

      He grinned. Somehow, he hadn’t seen her cussing. At least not out loud. Not that her verbal imagery hadn’t done the trick in getting her message across.

      Lainey danced across his path, forcing him to detour around her. “Just tell me where he is and I’ll leave you alone,” she said.

      Grimacing, Brad set the bundles down on the cement floor of the barn with a loud clank. Then he straightened to face her. “He went to Laramie, to work at his facility there.”

      Her expression fell and she took a step back. Sunlight poured down from the blue Texas sky, illuminating the honey-gold strands of her hair. “How long is he going to be gone?” she asked.

      Brad shrugged, noting the flush of color across her cheeks, the mist of perspiration at her temples. “You’d have to ask Lewis, but he usually puts in a twelve-hour day, if not more.” So did Brad.

      Frustrated, Lainey raked her teeth across her lower lip. “I really need him here, to tell me where he wants me to get started.”

      Determined to be as ornery as possible, in hopes she would get ticked off and leave, Brad tipped back the brim of his hat and regarded her with an indifferent gaze. “You’ll have to take that up with him.”

      To his disappointment, Lainey looked undeterred. “I guess I could go ahead and move my stuff into the guest house.”

      Brad looked back at the SUV. The rear seat was down and it looked packed to the gills with stuff. Even the front passenger seat was heaped with belongings. Brad frowned. “Where’s your son?” Not that it mattered to him, but the other day, Lainey had sounded like her son Petey was a very important part of her life.

      “Obviously, he’s not with me today.”

      She didn’t look happy about that. Which made Brad ask before he could stop himself, “Everything okay?”

      Lainey folded her arms in front of her. “You really care?” she asked.

      He shouldn’t, Brad knew. Not if he was going to keep his distance from the lovely blonde.

      “That’s what I thought.”

      Suddenly, she looked near tears. Brad, who had never been much good in the comforting-others department, had an insane urge to take her in his arms. Instead, he remarked, even more matter-of-factly, “If you want to go around looking like you lost your best friend, that’s your business.”

      Lainey swallowed hard, her eyes moistening. “How about if I go around looking like I am losing my only child, then?”

      “What are you talking about?”

      “Nothing.” Lainey sighed and shoved her hands through her hair. “It’s none of your business anyway.”

      “True enough.” Brad was silent. What was going on here? It wasn’t like him to get involved in anyone else’s private business. He had enough trouble managing his own. “Still, if you want to talk…” he found himself saying.

      Lainey’s voice grew turbulent. “He’s at the theme parks in central Florida with his two cousins, aunt and uncle.”

      “Why didn’t you go?”

      “Because I wasn’t invited.”

      Ouch. “That was rude.”

      Lainey’s slender shoulders stiffened. “I’m