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  She touched his hand, and a spear of fire shot right up his arm. Sweet words, but not exactly the ones he’d ever expected to hear on the eve of his wedding. Let’s face it, he’d never expected to even have a wedding, let alone the eve of one. Right now, his thoughts were so tangled he couldn’t put a sentence together. He never expected Faith to be climbing into his bed, either. Even if he wasn’t going to share it with her. The whole scenario was unreal. Fantasy time. Imagination overload.

  Had to be a full moon or something equally disrupting, to cause such an uproar in his life.

  “It’ll be all right, Faith.” Oh sure, Walker, like you know. He wanted to reassure her somehow. Needed to tell her he would take care of everything. But other than wanting to cause Royce some serious bodily harm, he didn’t know what exactly it was he was supposed to take care of.

  Then her bottom lip trembled, and he came undone for want of a taste of that luscious mouth. For the need to touch her, to protect her. To love her.

  He all but leaped around her, setting her aside and rushing for the door. “Uh, just yell if you need anything.”

  In his haste to escape before he lost all good sense, he smacked his shin against the doorframe. He bit back an oath and welcomed the needles of pain in his leg. They diverted his attention from the other pain—the one carving holes in his heart.

  Later, lying motionless on the lumpy sofa, he sorted through his thoughts. Or tried to. Faith was in the next room, his room, tucked cozily between his sheets and wearing nothing more than a pair of his dark blue boxers and his Texas Raceway T-shirt. What kept his jaw in a teeth-grinding clinch was his envy of those sheets, of his shirt. And, dammit, he was waaaay jealous of his boxers right then. How pathetic was that?

  He counted the cracks in the ceiling where the paint peeled in the corners. Tried visualizing the remaining restoration work needed on his Mustang, locked safely away at the shop. But that was a bad idea because it stirred up fantasies of Faith and him tangled in a heated, back seat body lock.

  What was he getting himself into? Marrying Faith strictly as an act of friendship, especially knowing that Royce had been her lover, was about to become the challenge of his lifetime. Even though she’d hinted at a less than satisfactory experience with Royce, the fact was, it had happened. And didn’t that just open up a whole slew of mental images vivid enough to win an Oscar?

  Aw, man, at this rate his eyes were never going to shut. He shot off the couch and stomped down the hall. He really hated cold showers.

  Faith crawled into the unfamiliar bed, wrapped her arms around the extra pillow and pulled it close to her chest. A whiff of something warm, comforting, and extremely male reminded her of Buddy Lee. She sank further down into his scent, snugging the sheet over her body like a reassuring caress.

  Secure. That’s how he made her feel. Always had. She’d never even hesitated about running to him for help tonight. Reflecting on the circumstances now, she realized there wasn’t anyone else she could turn to. Not even her family. She’d made a mess of things again and expected him to make it better. Old habits die hard, but this time, she’d make it up to him. She only needed to be married long enough to convince her family and Royce that the baby was Buddy Lee’s. She wouldn’t hold him to a lifetime commitment. That wouldn’t be fair.

  She sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe if she concentrated real hard, the awful events of the past few weeks would slip into the realm of dark oblivion and she’d be able to sleep. Morning was soon enough to face whatever lay ahead. Buddy Lee, what on Earth have I gotten us into now?

  Just then, the thud of bare feet tromping down the hall broke through her half-sleep. The sound couldn’t have been any louder if Buddy Lee had been wearing boots. Lying perfectly still, she listened as he marched toward the bathroom. Was he having trouble sleeping, too? The rumble of the water pipes and the sound of the shower splattering against the cubicle wall said “Yes.”

  She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the window. Nothing moved on the quiet street except for a stray yellow cat darting under the porch of the house across the way.

  Liberty never had been much of a town for nightlife. How could it be, with only a population of fifteen-hundred, give or take a few, depending on the day and who’d gone fishing?

  She smiled, recalling her teenage goal to remedy Liberty’s simple lifestyle by providing a few unorthodox and often disorderly events for the community’s enjoyment. Buddy Lee had been relentless in his own goal to keep her from achieving her objective and save her from her daddy’s wrath. She’d accused him of being a stick-in-the-mud on more than one occasion, but he’d remained her constant defender. Why he’d put up with her shenanigans back then puzzled her, but she’d accepted it without looking for reasons. Had she really been that shallow?

  The unwavering support he offered her now simply reinforced her fondness for him. If she could choose a big brother, she’d pick one exactly like Buddy Lee. She’d be sure to make a point of telling him how much she treasured his friendship.

  Water pipes banged again. Unidentifiable bumps and squeaks joined the sound. But it was the total silence that sent her scurrying back to bed. Her heart did a little dance when heavy footsteps paused in front of her door.

  He thought he’d heard her moving around in there. That was the only reason he’d stopped in front of the bedroom door and listened. Yeah, right. And when he convinced himself of that, he’d work on believing Lionel Morgan was gonna welcome him as a son-in-law, too. Uh-huh. He could almost hear the ‘gators belly-laughing.

  What would it matter if he just peeked in to see if she was asleep? Wouldn’t make any difference at all, unless she heard him. Then he’d have to explain why he was lurking outside her door. He’d already said “good-night.”

  Dammit, he didn’t want to admit that the idea of being a married man and a daddy-to-be all in the space of a few hours had him scared spitless. Married, for cryin’ out loud. To Faith! Just the thought of sharing space with her on a permanent basis had his insides twisted in a knot.

  He wiped sweaty palms across his clean T-shirt and felt a flush sneak up his neck to warm his face. So much for the cold shower. Cautiously, he nudged the door open a crack and leaned forward just far enough to see into the room.

  Shadow puppets created by the streetlight danced across the wall. His gaze tracked them to the bed and the phantom-like outline of Faith sitting there. Watching him. Aw, shoot.

  “Hey, Faith,” he whispered, for lack of a better comment. In spite of all the childish experiences they’d shared years ago, seeing a grown-up Faith in his bed tonight gave a whole new interpretation of the word friendship.

  “Hey, Buddy Lee,” came her soft response.

  He couldn’t see her face clearly, but he was certain he heard a smile in her voice. He took one step inside the room. Shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. Exhaled when he realized he’d been holding his breath.

  “You couldn’t sleep, either?” Another step toward the bed brought him close enough to see her face illuminated by the silvery light. Her burnished curls shone bright as a new penny, and her green eyes sparkled with tiny lights. That lush mouth curved up in a familiar smile, and his good intentions had a meltdown.

  “Huh-uh. Too wound up, I guess.” She scooted over, patting a place on the bed next to her. “Come sit by me. If we can’t sleep, we might as well talk about tomorrow’s plan of action. I mean, besides getting married and all.”

  Sitting down on that bed next to her was the last thing he ought to be doing. Still, she was right about needing to make plans for tomorrow. Hell, he didn’t have a clue how to go about getting married. Especially the “and all” stuff.

  “There’s a waiting period, isn’t there? And what about the license you and Royce already have?”

  “Royce doesn’t have it, I do. When we applied in Allen County, the clerk told us the license would expire if we didn’t use it within thirty days, so there shouldn’t be a problem. You and I will apply in Gra
nite City. That’s in Newcomb County. Don’t worry, I’ve got it figured out.”

  That didn’t surprise him, since she’d already been through the process with Royce-the-Jackass. Besides, when had Faith ever not had her plans organized. Even when she was fixin’ to pull some stupid stunt as a kid, she’d had a plan. She always had a plan.

  So, how could she have forgotten to plan for this baby? That just wasn’t like her. And how the heck was he supposed to deal with a hot-tempered ex-fiancé who, when he found out what they’d done, would probably like nothing better than to see Buddy Lee swinging from the nearest tree? Or shot and field-dressed.

  He sat next to her anyway. What the heck. There’d be plenty of time to deal with Royce later. Besides, he was making a few plans of his own about that. “So what’s your plan?”

  Faith smoothed out the sheet she pulled over her legs and folded her hands in her lap. “I thought we could leave for Granite City early, right after breakfast,” she said, all details and business now. “We’ll get the license tomorrow, get married Friday, then tell Daddy afterwards.”

  Tell Daddy. Now that was something to look forward to. Right up there with root canals and head lice.

  “But I’ll have to stay here for now. My parents don’t expect me in town until time for the rehearsal Friday night.”

  “Here? Right now?” Buddy Lee’s world was dangerously close to becoming an impossible dream. Letting Faith share his home before the wedding wasn’t in the game plan he expected. He figured he’d have three days of getting used to the idea of marrying Faith before they actually lived together.

  “What about Royce?” He would’ve preferred to meet that man privately. He didn’t want an audience when he turned the jerk into a soprano-singing eunuch.

  “Oh, I don’t ever want to see him again. Daddy can tell him.” When she shuddered, Buddy Lee slid his arm around her shoulders.

  “Yeah, okay. So, after we tell your folks, then what?” Seemed like he ought to be having a say here, but he could wait until later to sort out his thoughts. Right now, his brain buzzed like a hive full of confused worker bees whose queen was out of control.

  “I suppose it depends on their reaction, but I can promise you, Daddy will shout up a storm and Mama will disappear into her bedroom, like she always does in a crisis.” Faith turned toward Buddy Lee and scootched her hips closer, curling her legs against him and leaning back against the headboard. “We haven’t talked about where we’ll live after we’re married, you know.”

  Well, hoo-ha! Who’s had time? he wanted to ask, but didn’t. His heart rate was about as rapid as it could get before it stopped completely, so he took a deep breath to settle it. He oughta move. His skin was heating up where Faith’s legs pushed against him from under the sheet. But he stayed right there.

  “I can’t just up and leave here, Faith. I’ve got a business to run.” And money to make, for cryin’ out loud. “If you tell me what you need, I’ll fix up that little room in back for a nursery.” A sobering thought, having a baby’s nursery in his house. But, he’d do whatever he had to...for Faith.

  The area he spoke of was actually a tiny combination laundry room and breezeway connecting the house and garage, but since he didn’t own any laundry appliances, the room stored his extra tools and auto parts. Cluttered, but easily cleaned when the time came. How much space did a baby need, anyway?

  She looked at him dreamily. “Imagine, Buddy Lee. A real baby. The only good thing about this whole mess. And it’ll be yours...mine...uh, well, you know what I mean.”

  She yawned and nestled her head against his chest. So much for serious discussions. Her soft, even breathing mingled provocatively with the not-so-even thud of his own heartbeat. He settled her more comfortably into the crook of his arm and figured he’d stay where he was for a little longer. Only to make sure she was sound asleep. Then he’d move back to the safety of his lumpy sofa.

  When he left her an hour later, he was no closer to having any answers than he had been earlier.

  And he didn’t have any the next day, either, when they headed for Granite City to get a piece of paper that would tie them together legally for however long Faith wanted. All he had to do was make it through the next three days without the damned alligators catching him.

  When Friday finally rolled around, Buddy Lee swore every ‘gator in Louisiana had come across the state line looking for him.

  Chapter Three

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here ...”

  The minister’s voice droned on in a tedious monotone that made it easy for Buddy Lee’s own thoughts to wander.

  Late afternoon shadows played against the walls of the living room in the modestly-furnished parsonage. Even with Faith’s detailed plans, the necessary arrangements for their wedding had taken longer to complete than they had expected.

  Now they stood in front of a very young minister who’d been kind enough to agree to perform the ceremony in his home. The minister’s wife stood as witness to the vows they were about to take, along with a hastily recruited neighbor named Otis something-or-other. Faith had objected to using the services of a Justice of the Peace, and since she’d given up her fancy wedding, Buddy Lee didn’t argue with her.

  He still wasn’t certain how Faith had managed to find the reverend. How many other surprises was she going to spring on him? No doubt, more than he was prepared for.

  He stared, ashamed, at the meager bunch of flowers clutched in her hands. Tied with narrow, white satin ribbon, they were colorful but common as roadside wildflowers. Like him. She deserved better. He’d had to swallow his pride when she paid for the expense of the license and ceremony. That really stuck in his craw. He was short of cash, as usual.

  That morning, he’d barely had time to do more than flip the “Closed” sign on his shop window and get his one-and-only good pair of pants on before Faith started pulling him out the door. Since the Texas Truckin’ T-shirt he usually wore didn’t seem appropriate, he hoped his plaid shirt was okay. At least, it was clean.

  He stifled a yawn. The past two nights he’d sprawled on the sofa-from-Hell, tossing restlessly until dawn streaked the sky. Thinking. Wondering what the future held and trying to convince himself it didn’t matter if Faith wasn’t marrying him for love. He was pretty sure he had enough for them both. He couldn’t quite decide how he felt about being a daddy yet, but he would soon. Well, as soon as he figured out what a good father really was. What if he turned out like his old man? It wasn’t like Boyd Walker had been a role model of decency. Neither was Faith’s daddy, for that matter. Come to think of it, he and the woman about to become his wife had both missed out on that score.

  The minister’s wife coughed politely, and Buddy Lee forced his attention back to the ceremony and Faith, sweet Faith.

  The last thirty dollars stuffed in his wallet for his Mustang fund had gone to buy the simple bouquet she had chosen. The florist’s raised eyebrows and tsk-tsks had embarrassed him something awful, but Faith had acted like it was the most elegant arrangement in the shop. When she’d picked out a tiny yellow rosebud and pinned it on his collar, his face had burned flash-fire hot, along with other portions of his anatomy. Did roses really go with plaid shirts?

  He shifted his gaze from the plain bouquet to Faith’s glowing face. His heart was smiling. He could feel it, even though marrying her was the last thing he ever thought would happen in his lifetime. Yep, his ol’ ticker was grinning with every excited thump it made, and he couldn’t help feeling like the luckiest person alive. Now, if that luck would just hold out when they told her daddy what they’d gone and done.

  Just then, a corner of Faith’s mouth curved upwards. She tilted her face, and Buddy Lee recognized the slow smile she used to give him when they were kids. The same one that had captured his heart and held it all these years.

  A wave of tenderness swept through him and his eyes grew damp. Just allergies, he thought, because Buddy Lee Walker never cried.

  As small
and fragile as she was, Faith had always been bigger than life to him. Maybe it was because she’d always treated him as an equal, even though she came from the privileged side of town and his home had been a tiny, three-room tract-house. She never referred to him as Boyd’s boy, either, like the rest of the town was inclined to do.

  He remembered when she’d graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in social services or something like that. He’d been the only one in town who wasn’t surprised when she moved away from home. Everyone else expected her to stay in Liberty, get married and settle down. Some folks said her daddy blew a gasket and threatened to cut off her money if she moved. The big shocker came when she told him to go ahead and do it. That sent her mama to bed for a week. Last he’d heard, Faith was working in Granite City for some kind of community service organization. ‘Course, she’d always been a nurturer and champion of the less fortunate. Shoot, hadn’t she befriended him—white trash to the highest power?

  “Do you, Buddy Lee Walker, take Faith Nicole Morgan...”

  The monotone voice was a little stronger and firmer now, and Buddy Lee figured he’d best pay attention to this part.

  Faith stood close enough for him to breathe in the scent of her shampoo—the familiar sweet fragrance that tangled his senses and messed with his mind. She leaned against him, her arm touching his in a closeness that shattered what was left of his composure. The warmth of her touch heated his arm right through his shirtsleeve, and his instant arousal embarrassed him. Then she nudged him in the ribs, hard, and that took care of that.

  The minister cleared his throat. Faith nudged him again.

  Buddy Lee squared his shoulders and flashed a wide smile. “I do.”

  “Do you, Faith Nicole Morgan, take Buddy Lee Walker...”

  Faith looked at the man standing beside her and knew she was making the right decision.

  She’d run straight into Buddy Lee’s arms Monday night, looking for safety but finding a great deal more. The shock of unexpected longing that swept through her still held her in awe. She hadn’t known she was capable of such intense feelings. Certainly hadn’t expected to experience them with Buddy Lee. She wasn’t quite certain how to deal with them, either.