Mara McBain Page 16

  “It’s something your mother would’ve shared with you if she had been here. I didn’t want you to go into your wedding night completely blind. I had no idea how much experience your groom had or if he knew his way around a woman. He’s lucky I didn’t insist on being there.”

  Gen snorted, biting her lip and shaking her head desperately. Laughter bubbled forth and she half-heartedly threw her dishtowel at Adrienne. She backed away from the stove as tears started to roll down her cheeks and she held her ribs.

  “I can just imagine the look on Trey’s face if you’d tried that,” she howled, still shaking her head.

  Adri fanned her with the towel, laughing with her.

  “Are you two okay in here?” Cole asked, staring from one to the other from the mudroom door.

  The harder they tried to pull it together, the harder they laughed until both were sitting on the kitchen floor. Shaking his head, Cole stepped over to the stove to rescue the sausage. Turning off the burner, he looked back at them, bemusement twisting his handsome features. He backed toward the door, still shaking his head.

  “Anyway, there’re the eggs if you need them. Try not to hurt yourselves while we finish the chores.”

  The cling of green silk on Adrienne’s delectable curves haunted Cole as he strode for the barn. He’d all but convinced himself that he’d exaggerated her beauty in his head, but when he’d stepped into the kitchen she’d taken his breath away. If anything, she was even more beautiful slightly mussed and still in her robe. He was so screwed. He had no idea what they’d been laughing at, but he knew he’d do about anything to keep that joy on her face. Trey was going to have a field day.

  “I was wondering if you were coming back.”

  Ignoring his brother’s dry sarcasm, Cole grabbed the milk pail. Trey’s words from the night before looped in his head. City girls will break your heart. He’d never forget the pain Catherine had caused his brother. While Trey would never allow others to see it, that faithless bitch had brought the big man to his knees. He liked Gen, but it actually worried him that Trey seemed to be getting quite enamored with his new wife. As pretty as Genevieve was, that Trey put her above Adrienne said that his brother had it bad. Adrienne was stunning, an absolute angel. He groaned and leaned his forehead against the cow’s flank. Enamored didn’t even begin to cover his obsession.

  “Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”

  “It was a rough night. Blue balls will do that do you,” Cole growled.

  “Boy, I’m telling you, take her for a ride if she’ll let you and get her out of your system.”

  “Would taking Gen for a ride have gotten her out of your system?”

  “I told you last night why she works and the songbird won’t. Gen and I ain’t a love thing.”

  “So that wasn’t worry on your face when she ran off from Wade or when she decided to play tag with the cars on Main Street?”

  “Of course it was worry. She’s my wife and my responsibility.”

  “And that’s all it is, huh, big man? She’s just a pretty little responsibility with a convenient hole?”

  Trey moved faster than he’d anticipated, catching the back of his collar and hurling him off the milking stool and against the stall wall. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs as his brother’s authoritative forefinger jabbed in front of his face.

  “Watch your mouth, boy. Show some damn respect.”

  Cole nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face.

  “Yep, I was mistaken. You obviously don’t care a whit about her,” he drawled.

  A growl rumbled from Trey that sounded like it originated in hell. Cole closed his eyes. As fun as goading his brother could be, this was going to hurt. He was jerked up and off his feet by the lapels of his work coat. He only had a moment to brace himself before Trey drove him into the nearest post. The rough hewn oak shuddered under their combined weight and his back complained at the violent treatment. The man was a bull.

  “I think you dost protest too much, big man,” he groaned.

  “Why do you prod me until I want to kill you?” Trey ground out between clenched teeth.

  “Because now that Mama is gone, no one else will do it,” Cole said softly. “Mama would sit there and look at you until you poured your heart out or admitted the truth. Now everyone is afraid of pissing you off. They just nod and go along with whatever bullshit you feed them and yourself. You need at least one person that isn’t afraid to tell you when you’re full of shit.”

  Trey let go of his lapels and stepped back, adjusting his Stetson and flexing his fingers. As always, the thought of their mother sobered him, and Cole could see the wheels turning. Straightening against the post, Cole rolled his shoulders, wincing. His brother was a good man, and a smart one, but the wounds Catherine had left behind still festered. He’d hoped that time would heal things, because he had no idea what to do to help Trey move on. All he knew was that this bitterness toward women wasn’t the Trey he’d grown up with. His brother loved women. He’d championed every damn girl in the school at one time or another, even taking on a teacher when he’d felt the man was wrong.

  “Look, I don’t know that there could ever be something between Adrienne and me. You might be completely right, but you need to quit putting restrictions on what your marriage is or isn’t and what you’re allowed to feel just because you might get hurt again. You decided to take this chance with Gen. You owe it to her to let her try and be a real wife to you. Otherwise you could very well lose her.”

  Trey’s eyes hardened and his big hands curled into fists. He leaned close. The low timber of his voice made the hair on Cole’s nape stand on end.

  “Let’s get one thing straight. That ain’t happening again. Wade was a free pass because I know the type of predator he is. The next man that touches my wife is a dead man and she better pray she can convince me of her innocence or I’ll make her life hell.”

  Gen turned from the stove with a smile as Trey entered the kitchen, but he walked straight to the head of the table and took a seat. She hesitated for a moment then hurried to pour him a cup of coffee and set it in front of him. Adrienne caught her eye and arched a raven brow in question, but she shook her head. She swallowed hard, glad it had been Cole that walked in on their silliness earlier and not her taciturn husband. Heaping a plate with sausage and French toast, she gingerly picked up the small pitcher of hot syrup and served him. Nodding to Adrienne, she encouraged her to take her seat as Cole came in the back door.

  Breakfast was a silent affair. Trey shoveled food in without seeming to taste it. Cole didn’t meet his brother’s gaze, let alone engage him. When he was finished, Trey stood and left without a backward glance. Gen opened her mouth as Cole stood with a sigh, but he shook his head and followed his brother from the house. She let out a slow breath and stood to refill their cups.

  “That was pleasant,” Adri murmured around a sip.

  “I’m so sorry,” Gen whispered, starting the dishwater.

  “What’re you apologizing for? Men will be men. Who knows what crawled up his ass and died?”

  “Adrienne!” Gen chided, her eyes darting nervously to the backdoor. Her friend threw her hands in the air in innocence. Swirling her hand in the running water, she whipped the dish soap into suds. Cole’s silence led her to believe that he had something to do with her husband’s ill temper. The wind rattled the window over the sink and she studied the clouds, suddenly dreading the idea of a storm that would trap Trey indoors.

  “When they’re in this type of mood, it’s best to just leave them to their sulk. I’m sure he will get over whatever it is by dinner,” Adri said, picking up a dishtowel.

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” Gen said fervently.

  “You know, whatever it is, you didn’t do it.”

  “Oh, I know. I just hate to see him upset.”

  “Is he upset often?”

  “Truthfully, Trey’s moods are dizzying,” Gen admitted softly.

  �
�That has to be hard. Is Cole the same way?”

  Gen looked up from the dishes in surprise, her head already shaking in denial. “No. Cole is generally even tempered and has a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, he takes great delight in tormenting his brother.”

  “In my experience with brothers, that’s to be expected,” Adrienne said with a smile. “It’s too bad the good father didn’t connect you with the younger brother, or is he already spoken for?”

  “Trey is a very good man, Adrienne,” Gen said, her tone disapproving and a little hurt.

  “And little brother is extremely handsome, closer to your age, and reportedly even tempered with a great sense of humor. You can’t blame me for wishing for you.”

  “Please stop. Cole is a sweetheart, but I wouldn’t trade Trey for anyone.”

  “No one?”

  “No one,” Gen confirmed with a firm shake of her head.

  “Okay. You made your choice,” Adri said with a little sniff. “But if he is free, I wouldn’t pass him up.”

  “To my knowledge you don’t have any competition,” Gen said, muttering under her breath, “as if any woman could compete.”

  “Are you really going to get in a snit because I’m not panting after your man, Mrs. McCade?”

  “Good point,” Gen said with a giggle. “Please direct your femme fatale skills to the younger one. I’ll settle for not ugly.”

  “He deserves smacked for that one. If he thought the last shot hurt, his ears will be ringing for a week.”

  “Be nice.”

  “Husband or not, I won’t let him degrade you. You deserve better than that, Genevieve, and if you won’t stand up for yourself, I will.”

  “Why?” Gen asked, her soapy hand wavering between them. “Why do I deserve better and why do you care? I’ve never understood that. Why would someone like you give a tinker’s damn about me?”

  "Someone like me? What does that even mean, Gen? I'm nothing special. Most people would just think of me as a whore in a fancy petticoat. I stand up for you and I give a damn about you because you're special to me. I care. What's so wrong about that?"

  Genevieve’s mouth fell open in surprise, and she shook her head in bewilderment. “You are not a whore! My God, Adrienne, you’re classy, beautiful and so talented. You have no idea how I look up to you. You take care of yourself. You’re so strong, have the voice of an angel, a beautiful apartment—”

  A harsh bark of laughter cut her off and it was Adrienne’s turn to shake her head. “I’m strong? Oh, Gen, baby. You are the strongest woman I know. Sometimes your faith and your heart make me feel so inadequate. Clark paid for that beautiful apartment and pretty much everything in it. How does that not make me a whore? I spent the last four years stupidly sleeping with a man that had no intention of marrying me,” she choked out, tears starting to roll down her face. A sob bubbled from her lips, and her composure shattered. “I have nothing to go back to. What the hell am I going to do?”

  Gen grabbed her friend’s arm as Adrienne’s knees threatened to fold. Leaving the dishes, she ushered her to the living room and urged her onto the couch before running to the bathroom for tissues.

  “I’m so sorry, Adri. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she whispered, hugging her crying friend awkwardly. “Aww, honey, you’re going to be okay. It’s his loss. There are men lining up around the block to sweep you up!” she said, holding her close and stroking her blue-black tresses. She felt helpless. Adri had always seemed so strong and self-sufficient. Could that really have all been a sham? Kissing the beauty’s temple, she rocked her softly. Adrienne had always been there for her; she would do whatever it took to return that favor now.

  Adrienne finally pulled back and tried to smile, wiping at her tears. “I’m sorry. It’s silly. It’s not like I’m destitute, and a lot of people aren’t getting married at all these days. They just can’t afford it. I’ll be in good company.”

  “Don’t count yourself out yet. You could always end up going for a marriage of convenience like I did. And you definitely have the benefit of not being ugly,” Gen said with a little giggle.

  Adri giggled with her and blew her nose daintily before she shrugged, her green eyes sparkling mischievously. “It hasn’t worked out too bad for you. You didn’t end up with that filthy, toothless hillbilly in the one bedroom shack I kept warning you about.”

  “No. Trey has a beautiful smile, and he bathes daily,” Gen said smacking her friend’s leg with the tissue box. “And for your information, I think his accent is sexy.”

  “I would have to agree with you. The way they talk is quite attractive, but I think it’s that deep baritone of your husband’s that gets your panties in a knot.”

  Color flooded Gen’s pale skin, but she tried valiantly to continue her friend’s risqué game. “There are quite a few things about my husband that get my panties in a knot, but you’re going to have to seduce Cole if you want a taste of a good southern man.”

  Adri ran her tongue over her lips with a seductive smile. “As happy as you seem with that part of your marriage, maybe I should see what a southern boy tastes like.”

  Gen’s blush darkened, and she choked on an embarrassed giggle. “I surrender,” she said, fleeing back to the kitchen sink.

  Taking a long drag on her cigarette, Adrienne closed her eyes and let the familiar feeling wrap around her tattered nerves. Her conversation with Gen had been a doozy. She’d always suspected the kid had a bit of hero worship going, but the thought of herself as classy was beyond laughable. Stepping off the porch, she idly followed a worn path around the house, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar landscape. Pasture gave away to forest and in the distance, mountains rose toward the heavens. Patches of reds, oranges, and yellows still clung to the trees. Horses and cattle dotted the browning grass. It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York City. It was beautiful.

  Leaves fluttered around her as she strolled under a canopy of trees. Everything was so crisp and clean. After the filth of the shantytown, she could see where this valley would seem like a little slice of heaven to Gen. She paused at a flash of white near the barn. Trey had stripped off his coat and was stacking wood in his jeans and thermal shirt. Watching the way his muscles played under the tight shirt, she worried her bottom lip. He was an imposing man with his height and natural bulk. Even with the number of men she’d met or seen, she couldn’t remember any that matched this giant. The mercurial mood swings Gen had mentioned concerned her.

  “You going to hide over there in the trees or are you going to ask me what you want to know?”

  Adri started at his voice. When she didn’t answer right away, Trey turned to regard her.

  “I told you this morning that I appreciate a person that is direct and honest, no matter the gender. I meant that. If you have something to say, say it. I’ll either answer it, or I won’t.”

  Stepping out of the stand of trees, Adrienne crossed the drive. She glanced back at where she’d been standing and then raised an eyebrow at the big man. “How did you know I was there?”

  “Your cigarette smoke carried.”

  “And you guessed it was me?”

  “Cole went into town. Gen doesn’t smoke. Brute didn’t growl so it wasn’t a stranger.”

  “You’re a lot smarter than you look.”

  “I get that a lot,” Trey said dryly and started stacking wood again.

  Pulling her fur tighter, Adrienne studied the lean-to, the rows of firewood, and the man working. He moved effortlessly, every motion compact and precise to accomplish his task. Leather gloves protected his hands. He had big mitts. She’d noticed that on Main Street when he’d straightened from the blackjack’s blow with clenched fists and fury in his eyes. Cole said that his brother would never hurt a woman. Gen had said that no matter how she’d tried his patience, he hadn’t so much as cuffed her yet. Those endorsements were a start, but she needed to be a lot surer before she left her best and only friend in this giant’s hands. She bit
the inside of her cheek and took a deep breath.

  “Why did you agree to marry Gen?”

  “I was tired of hiring the housekeeping and cooking done, and I crave a warm body in my bed at night.”

  She blinked. He wasn’t kidding about saying what he meant. She wet her lips, eyes narrowing on him.

  “Why not a local girl?”

  “The local girls either want love or think I should be locked in a bell tower. It’s pretty even.”

  “She told me that she admitted to you that she loves you, and that your response was ‘love isn’t part of the deal,’” Adrienne said with a snort of anger. “I don’t know why I would be surprised by that type of callus response from a man whose first words to her were to tell her she wasn’t ugly, but she’d do.”

  Trey straightened, taking off his hat. Running his hand over the top of his head, he flipped his ponytail over his shoulder, blue eyes boring into her.

  “Did she tell you that she described herself in her letters to me as being plain and a big girl?”

  Adri winced, cursing Gen’s lack of confidence under her breath. She should have insisted on reading the letters before they were sent. She sighed. That was in the past. She was here now, and she was going to straighten this man out before she left.

  “What in the hell is wrong with you? What man wants an ugly wife, and what is so wrong with loving a woman who loves you back? Do you even care that Gen would do anything, anything, to make you happy?”

  “Love takes time. It’s possible down the road. I won’t lie just to make her, or you, happy,” he said shortly.

  “Contrary to popular opinion, Quasimodo you are not. Gen said your first wife was beautiful. Why would you want an ugly woman?” Adri pressed.

  “Gen hasn’t met Catherine so she has nothing to base that on.”

  “Answer the question.”

  “It’s none of your damn business,” Trey snarled.

  “You said that Gen hasn’t met your first wife, indicating there is a possibility that could happen. She’s not deceased?” Adri asked intently.