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“Yeah?”
“Um…which room should I sleep in?”
“Stay here for tonight,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist possessively. “We’ll worry about it in the morning.”
“But—”
“Just sleep, Catie.”
“Uh…well…okay. Good night, Chad.”
“Night, rodeo queen.”
* * *
When Chad’s breathing had gone steady and shallow, Catie knew he’d fallen asleep. She moved his arm as gently as she could and disengaged herself from his body. She crept silently along the hallway and found a guest room. She fell onto the bed and cried.
“Night, rodeo queen,” he’d said.
But she was married now. She was no longer the rodeo queen.
Chapter Sixteen
“This is wonderful!” Maria Bay grabbed Catie in a hug. “Oh, but why didn’t you tell us? We could have given you a proper wedding.”
Catie started to speak, but her mother interrupted her. “If only Laurie were alive. She and I so wanted to marry our two families together. It didn’t work out with Zach and Angie, but this is so…so…” Maria clamped her hand to her lips and tear welled up in her eyes.
“Mama,” Catie said.
“Wayne! Harper!” Maria called through the house. “Shoot. They’re out at the barns of course. Or riding with the cattle. You two sit right down, and we’ll plan your reception. How about this Saturday? Do you think that’s enough time to get it ready and give people enough notice to be here?”
“Mama, please.”
“Yes, Catie, what is it?”
Catie inhaled sharply. “Chad and I, that is, this wasn’t exactly planned.”
“Of course it wasn’t planned. You got married in a courthouse without your family. Sometimes young love makes you do strange things. It’s still wonderful news. In fact, I’ll talk to the attorneys. Maybe there’s a way we can combine the properties now. You know, like we tried to do with Zach and Angie. I know Harper’s set to inherit Cha Cha, but we could fiddle with the wills and all—”
“Mama!” Catie interrupted. “Please stop this. It’s not going to work that way.”
“Why not? Laurie and I always dreamed—”
”Maria,” Chad said, “Catie and I really need to talk to you. Would you please sit down?”
“Why, yes, of course, Chad. What is it?”
“Chad, let me,” Catie said. She took her mother’s hand. “Mama, I’m pregnant.”
Maria’s lips formed a perfect oval.
“It’s true. It wasn’t planned.”
“Oh my, what’s your father going to say?”
“He can’t say anything, Mama. I know darn well that you were pregnant with Angie when the two of you got married. You weren’t in love.”
“Caitlyn Anne, that is absolutely not true. I love your father very much.”
