Raking his hands through his hair, he tried to sort out the jumble of thoughts racing through his brain.
"And then your mom said you want to get married. You forgot to mention that when you were telling me about your non-existent love life."
"Well, the thing is?I am kind of looking for a wife." Before she could interrupt, he said, "But I'd never marry you, so you don't have to worry."
"How can you be kind of looking for a wife? You either are or you aren't." A frown crossed her face. "And what's so bad about me that you'd never marry me? Not that I'd marry you anyway."
Pulling a chair out from the kitchen table, he sat down. "I'd better tell you everything before you see mom again."
"I'm really looking forward to hearing this." She glared across the room at him. "But you'd better make it quick. Your mom's due back soon."
He shot out of his chair. "She's coming here? Tonight?" He struggled to lower the volume of his voice. Panicking wouldn't get him out of trouble, especially if his mom turned up with her granny bag. Gracie would think the whole family was loopy if she saw the baby clothes his mom insisted on knitting.
"After she's seen Jordan she's calling in to see you. And scowling at me isn't going to get you very far, Trent McKenzie. You started the rumors by smooching up to me in Walmart. If you didn't want the world thinking there was something going on out here you should have kept your hands to yourself."
"I didn't smooch anything. I put my arm around you to save you from the shopping cart. Anyone would think I'd gotten down on one knee and begged you to marry me."
Gracie's face flushed crimson. She turned her back on him and started opening every drawer until she found a tablecloth. She dropped it in front of him and walked back toward the oven. "I didn't come here to find a husband. I've come to find my father. If he lives in Bozeman and hears any gossip, he's going to think I'm a weirdo who jumps into bed with total strangers."
Trent didn't think there was anything weird about having sex with a stranger. Well, maybe not a complete stranger. And knowing how quickly gossip flew through the town, someone that wasn't from this part of the country would help. Especially if they didn't plan on hanging around for more than a few weeks. He glanced at Gracie.
"You can get that hopeful look off your face, Trent McKenzie. Whatever's going through your brain isn't going to happen."
He threw the cloth over the table, then headed across to the cutlery drawer. "You can't blame a man for trying."
Gracie stuck her hands on her hips, looking ferocious and cute at the same time. "If you'd tried a little harder with someone else we wouldn't be in this awful mess."
"You've missed the whole point, Gracie. I didn't want to try a little harder. Not until a few months ago, anyway."
"So put an ad in the paper."
"Clever, Gracie. Real clever. The talk from that piece of advertising would keep the gossip mill running for years."
"Well it's better than doing nothing."
He cleared his throat. The next couple of weeks should be interesting. "I've got a few other ideas I'm working on."
He saw the frown on Gracie's face. She opened her mouth to ask the question he knew would be coming next. "And no, I'm not telling you what I plan on doing."
Technically he didn't have one girlfriend in mind. He had four. And if everything worked out the way he wanted it to, the best of the bunch would become his wife.
***
"Hello? I'm back."
Gracie turned the oven off and headed into the hallway. Karen sounded as chirpy as a spring breeze. Her strictly single son had disappeared upstairs half an hour ago and Gracie hadn't seen him since. "Hi, Karen. Come on through to the kitchen."
"Has Trent come home yet?"
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. "I'm right here, mom." He walked through the doorway looking clean and shiny from a session under the shower. As far as Gracie was concerned, no amount of scrubbing would ever get him out of the black hole he'd dug himself into.
She watched him from across the kitchen. If you didn't scratch too far below the surface, a girl could be forgiven for thinking Trent McKenzie was the biggest catch of the century. Pioneer men had nothing on the rugged determination of the cowboy making his mom a mug of coffee.
"Mom, I need to clear something up."
Karen smiled at her son. "It's okay. You don't need to explain anything. I've already called Doris. She's going to spread the word that Gracie's here for a vacation and not your fianc?e."
The relief on Trent's face was more than a little disturbing. Gracie definitely didn't want anyone thinking they were a couple, but still, a girl liked to feel as though the possibility wasn't totally unpleasant.
"How did you think I'd found a fianc?e from New Zealand when I haven't been out of the country in years?"
"It's not unheard of." Karen frowned. "I thought you must have gone onto one of those online dating sites and met each other that way."
Gracie tried not to laugh at the surprised look on Trent's face.
"I didn't know you knew about them."
Karen grinned at her son. "I did a computer class for single women at the library. Erin showed us how to set up our profile and upload photos. It's not all that difficult once you know how."
"You shouldn't be going on those sites. You're not single, you're a widow." Trent's voice hitched a few degrees higher. He didn't look too pleased at the prospect of his mom taking an interest in any man that wasn't related to her. "It's dangerous. There are people out there waiting to take advantage of you."
"You're as bad as your brother. I'm sixty years old, Trent. If a nice man wants to take advantage of me, then I might listen to him." Karen ignored the shocked look on Trent's face and smiled at Gracie. "I've got my first date lined up for this Saturday."
"You've what?" Trent's coffee sloshed all over the table.
Karen stared at Trent over the rim of her mug. She took a small sip, then grinned across at her son. "A date. Something you haven't been on in months."
"We're not talking about me. You can't go on a date, mom. It's?it's?"
"Exciting, terrifying and scary all at once?" Karen added softly. "I haven't been out with a man since before I married your dad. I might be a little rusty, but I'm ready to meet some new people."
"But dad?"
Karen clamped her lips tight. "Your dad died three years ago, Trent. I loved him like no one else on the planet. But it's time to push my comfort zone. I want to have fun and be happy, and maybe stay out all night and wait for a lecture from you."
Trent sank lower in his chair, rubbing his hand across his face. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"I seem to recall saying the same thing to you and your brother, but it didn't make any difference." Karen stood up and moved behind Trent, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and giving him a big hug. "Thank you for caring. I'll keep your number on speed dial."
"I guess there's no point asking who he is?"
"No." Karen grinned. "Otherwise, I'd have you and Jordan playing watchdog."
Gracie watched the smile that passed between Trent and his mom. She caught her breath on the knot of sadness that settled in her chest. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes until all that was left was an empty hole of longing. Sometimes grief snuck up on her so fast that she didn't see it coming.
She missed her mom more than the day she'd died. Ever since Gracie had left home, they'd called each other most nights, catching up on what had happened during the day. When her mom had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, they'd spent more time together, making the most of every minute to balance out the ones that wouldn't be theirs.
For the last six months she'd missed those phone calls and knowing her mom wasn't far away.
Trent laughed at something his mom said, and Gracie wondered if he knew how lucky he was.
***
Gracie curled her legs beneath her and settled back in the couch. Tonight had been fun. Karen had stayed f
or dinner and Jordan had turned up with an empty plate in his hand. Gracie couldn't resist a man with a mischievous pout, so he'd joined them all for dinner. Between stories about Trent's childhood and his mom's attempts to throw him in the path of true love, she hadn't laughed so much in months.
She closed her eyes and listened to the music Trent had put on.
"If I offered you a hot chocolate, would you say yes?"
Gracie sniffed the rich, sweet brew that wasn't far away. She opened one eye. "If this is your idea of a peace offering, it works for me." She dropped her legs off the couch and reached for the mug.
"Not so fast. How desperate are you?"
Gracie dropped her hand. "I believe that should be my line, considering your need for marital bliss."
He held the chocolate out again, wafting it under her nose. "Double blend, made with a frothy cap of fresh cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon."
"Okay. You've exploited my one weakness in life. Hand it over and I'll listen to anything you say as long as it doesn't involve a ring or a marriage license."
He passed the chocolate to her and disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later he reappeared with another steaming mug in his hands.
Gracie raised her eyebrows.
"I didn't know if I'd be pushing my luck, so I only made one at a time."
"You should be scared you know. Before your mom came out to the ranch, she had us paired off and married quicker than you can ride your horse."
Trent sat down, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "Don't take mom too seriously. She's a matchmaker from way back. For the last few years, she's dedicated her life to finding me the perfect woman."
"All I can say is either your standards are too high or your mom's looking in the wrong places." As she sipped her hot chocolate, Gracie enjoyed the sugary sweetness hitting her taste buds. "Are you going to tell me why you're so desperate to get married?"
"I'm not desperate," he growled. "I've got options."
Gracie frowned. The last thing she'd heard, those options included a girlfriend, not a wife. Trent stared into his mug of chocolate for so long she thought he was trying to uncover the mysteries of the universe. He looked up. Every trace of laughter had left his face.
She put her drink on the table. Her gaze traveled from Trent's hands woven tightly around his mug, to the despair clouding his eyes.
"I didn't date much after Susan left. I guess I didn't want to fool myself into thinking another woman would want to live out here with me. Especially after the person I thought was perfect couldn't stand it. When dad died?" He cleared his throat. "I had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't around anymore. Last year mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I guess that put everything into perspective quicker than anything else that happened. I want a family. I want to raise my children on the ranch and watch them grow to love the land as much as I do."
Gracie bit her bottom lip. "Is your mom okay?"
Trent nodded. "They removed a lump from her breast, and then she had six weeks of radiation therapy. She goes back to the hospital to have regular scans to make sure everything's okay."
Gracie picked her mug up, her hands shaking as she took a sip. After all the heartache of the last few years, Trent wanted a future he could count on. She understood that need better than most. "I'm glad your mom's better. I guess we should be thankful she didn't have a priest with her."
"Or the women from her craft group. I'd prefer Father Michael over Doris, Jenny, and Kristina any day. As soon as I told mom I wanted to get married again she started making a wedding ring quilt. Heaven help me if I haven't found the perfect woman before it's finished."
"There must be lots of females only too happy to trot the light fantastic with a handsome cowboy."
"Not that I've found," he muttered. A slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You think I'm handsome?"
Gracie frowned. "That doesn't mean I want to marry you." She tapped her fingers against the side of her mug. "So what qualifications would the future Mrs. Trent McKenzie need to have?"
"It's not a job," he muttered. "This is my future we're talking about. I want to share my life with a woman I like. And I want children so that Jordan doesn't end up managing the ranch once I've gone. He'll turn it into a haven for stressed executives and city-slickers who want to play cowboy for the weekend."
"What's wrong with that? Look at me, I'm here aren't I? And I don't know one end of a cow from the other."
"Precisely. And look where that's got me."
Gracie stuck her nose in the air. "So this is all about your future and having children to inherit the ranch? What about love?"
Trent gave her a level stare that chilled her heart. "I'm not letting my heart rule my head this time around. As long as we like each other and she wants a family, that's good enough for me."
Gracie's mouth dropped open. "You'd marry someone just to have children?"
He nodded, clamping his mouth together so tight that she wondered what else he was keeping to himself. His eyes narrowed, watching the expression on her face. Gracie tried to look as though a loveless marriage didn't bother her, but it did and he knew it.
Marriage and children had never featured highly on Gracie's list of things to do. She had to be the worst candidate for any male wanting a wife and two-point-five kids. But she knew all about love and how it could change a person's life. "I'm going to forget you're aiming for the bottom of the barrel and hope you find someone you love." She left her empty mug on the table in case she was tempted to try and knock some common sense into his thick head. "So what's the minimum experience a woman would need to marry you?"
"The rate I'm going, if she was single and willing, I'd take her."
Gracie had no doubt about that. "Let me rephrase the question. You and I both know there's no way I'm ever going to do the deed with you." Heat scorched her face. "I mean?I'd never marry you."
"Don't worry. I never took your comment any other way."
Gracie ignored the amused gleam in his eyes. "So, what is it about me that makes you realize I'm the worst possible candidate for the job? Desperate as you obviously are."
"Well, let's see." He put his mug down and began ticking points off on his fingers. "You have absolutely no experience of ranch life, you don't know the first thing about Montana winters, you don't know how to shoot a gun or shoe a horse, you're bossy, and I've got heifers that are taller than you."
Gracie stared at him in amazement. "Don't hold back on account of me sitting here."
"The way I see it, the woman I marry has to have lived and breathed ranch life since the day she was born."
"It's no wonder your pool of potential applicants is severely restricted." She scowled. "Why don't you marry one of those tall heifers you're bragging about? They meet just about all of your criteria. You don't even need to talk to them, so they won't notice you're a bit intellectually deficient."
"You know, Gracie. That cutting comment would have hurt so much more if your face wasn't covered in a cinnamon and chocolate mustache."
A ball of heat rushed to her cheeks. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she gave him another glare for good measure. "What if I said I'd help you find a wife?"
"I'd get mighty suspicious."
He should be. Gracie wasn't about to let any unsuspecting female fall for a man who didn't believe in love. "My offer comes with a condition or two."
Trent dropped his feet off the table and grinned. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Gracie cleared her throat. A woman could be forgiven for overlooking certain character flaws in a man when he smiled at her like she was the best-kept secret he'd ever found. It was just as well she wasn't one of those women.
"You need a plan," she said, "A strategy for finding yourself a wife. What do you do for company?"
"Talk to the cows?"
Gracie rolled her eyes. "You need to get a whole bunch of people out here so that you can start making a l
ist of potential candidates."
"I'm one step ahead of you, short-stuff." Puffing out his chest, he looked incredibly pleased with himself. "I've already got a list."
"You have?"
"Yep." He hauled himself upright, disappearing through the door. He came back a few minutes later, waving a piece of paper in the air. "Top five candidates."
Gracie snatched the paper out of his fingers as he settled back in his chair. "I can't believe there are five women who qualify."
"Scoff all you like. That's the best I could come up with. Diane Pitman got engaged last week, so you can cross her name off."
"I can see how that would eliminate her running appeal," Gracie muttered. "So what have you done about wooing the final four?"
"I'm not into wooing. I want a wife, not a love-sick puppy to keep amused."
Gracie slouched in her seat, a groan of despair hovering on her lips. "Do you really think a woman will simply turn up and tell you she's ready to be your wife? You have to market yourself." She tried to think of a suitable ranch like analogy. "Put yourself out in the cattle yard for sale to the highest bidder. One of them must be desperate enough to take home a bull of unknown pedigree with enough brawn to keep a girl happy." She ignored the snort coming from the chair opposite her. Tapping the list with her finger, she searched her brain for inspiration. "What you need is a barn dance. Music, food, dancing, lots of single women. What do you think?"
"About being called a bull, or the dance thing?"
"Pay attention, Trent. I'll call your mom tomorrow. She'll know all the ins and outs of a barn dance. How about we aim for a week on Saturday? That should give us enough time to get things organized."
"It depends on those conditions you were talking about."
"They're nothing really. Just itsy-bitsy details."
"The only itsy-bitsy thing in here is you. You'd better tell me before I put my life in your hands."
Gracie pulled herself a little taller. He wouldn't have much of a life left if he'd sat on her side of the coffee table. "You have to promise that you'll try and choose someone you love."
"I don't need to love someone to have children with them."
"But your children need to know their parents love each other."
Trent slouched in his chair. He took a deep breath and searched her face with eyes that were far too knowing. "I'll do my best."