brides for brothers 02 - cowboy daddy by judy christenberry Read Free Book Online Page B

them. Janie thought it must be the slowest checkout in history. The package boy, bagging the groceries, had to wait on the checker several times.
    When Elizabeth pushed the empty cart past her toward the package boy, both men jumped into action, each grabbing a bag of groceries and stowing it in the cart. When the seven sacks were in place, Pete won the tussle over the cart.
    Bryan immediately took advantage by taking Janie’s arm. “I’ll help you to your truck.”
    She couldn’t meet Pete’s hostile gaze. They both knew she didn’t need any help getting to her truck. But she acquiesced to Bryan’s offer, allowing him to draw her hand through his arm.
    When they reached the truck, she pulled away from Bryan, who’d been filling her ears with compliments, to open the back of the vehicle.
    Pete immediately began putting the paper bags in the truck, and Bryan joined in. As if they were in a race, they each grabbed a sack and then immediately wheeled around to grab the next. When there was only one sack left, she should’ve known what would happen next.
    “I’ll get it,” Pete announced as he reached for the last sack.
    “No, I’ll get it!” Bryan said, trying to reach over Pete’s strong arms. He managed to grasp a corner of the bag and pulled it in his direction. Pete, of course, had no intention of surrendering his hold. The rip of the paper announced the latest disaster.
    Suddenly, canned goods were rolling across the parking lot. Potatoes landed with a plop in the unmelted mounds of snow surrounding the truck. The lettuce rolled over several times before coming to rest against the muddy tire of another vehicle.
    She heard the laughter of those watching from the grocery store and covered her eyes. With both men apologizing, she picked up her groceries with a sigh. They weren’t a parade. They were a freak show.
    The package boy came out to help them retrieve the groceries, along with several other people in the parking lot. Mortified, Janie took their offerings with thanks and shoved them into the truck.
    “Do you want me to go back in and get some more lettuce and potatoes? These got kind of dirty,” Pete said.
    “No, they’ll wash. Just put them in the truck. They’ll be fine.” Anything to get out of there.
    “I’m sorry,” Bryan said again.
    “It was an accident. And I appreciate your help.” She paused and then shot a look at Pete, glowering beside her. “And yours, too, Pete.”
    “Yeah, I bet,” Pete muttered, surveying their audience, still in place. “We made a spectacle of ourselves.”
    “Yeah, we were more exciting than the coming storm,” she teased, breaking into a grin. It wasn’t often she saw Pete Randall feeling sheepish. It was almost worth the embarrassment.
    When he caught her smile, he returned it, and her spirits brightened. The man could bring sunshine to the gloomiest day ever. At least, he could for her.
    “Come on. You’d better be on your way. I’ll be right behind you.”
    She nodded and turned to tell Bryan goodbye.
    “When will I see you?”
    “I don’t know. I’ll—I’ll call you in a few days.”
    Pete stiffened beside her, losing his endearing grin.
    Bryan leaned toward her as if he would kiss her goodbye, but Janie ducked away. When they’d dated, she’d allowed him to kiss her good-night, but nothing more. And she had to admit that she hadn’t particularly liked his kisses. She’d told herself to give their relationship time, but she had felt more than a hint of relief when the baby gave her a reason to stop seeing Bryan.
    Now she had to tell him that.
    But not today. She’d been through enough today. And she couldn’t tell him the truth in front of Pete and all the other citizens of Rawhide who’d been drawn to the little trio’s shopping trip.
    All the way home, the sight of Pete in her rearview mirror was both a comfort and an ache. He’d always looked out for her, even when they’d been lovers. She corrected herself. Especially when