LITMIR.BIZ

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at his reflection in the mirror and wondered what George would think of him now. Pretending to be someone else and wearing this getup. Give him Armani any day. George would likely shake his regal head and make that annoying tsking sound. Since he wasn’t here, Dex didn’t have to worry about that.

      Back in Ty’s room, Dex tugged on the cursed boots. His feet ached even before he stood. The gift on the bureau snagged his attention again.

      Would it be perceived as odd if he didn’t open the present right away? Would his seeming indifference to the act of generosity hurt his grandmother’s feelings? He sighed. He had no choice but to open it.

      Dex placed his hands on either side of the box and hesitated still. His heart thundered in his chest. This was ridiculous. It was just a present. It wasn’t even for him. Not really. The gesture meant nothing to him personally. He removed the lid, the scent of leather filling his nostrils, and studied the gift beneath. Leather chaps. The perfect gift for a cowboy, he supposed ruefully. He picked up the note from inside the box and read it.

      Ty, I knew you needed a new set of chaps but wouldn’t buy any for yourself. Your old ones out in the tack room are being recycled. A welcome-home present seemed like a good enough reason to buy new ones for you.

      Love, Gran.

      Dex closed his eyes and struggled with the emotions suddenly churning inside him. The Montgomerys never did little things like this for each other. He stared at the note once more. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d received a personal note from his grandparents. If either of them wanted to tell him anything they sent a message with a member of the household staff or his personal secretary. They didn’t bother with personal notes.

      But then, the Montgomerys had other assets. Just because he was angry with them at the moment didn’t mean he failed to recognize how much they loved him. Gifts such as this were never necessary. Dex always had everything he wanted given to him well before he needed it.

      The Coopers had nothing on the Montgomerys on that score. Of course, he wasn’t actually keeping score. Was he?

      Twenty minutes and a half dozen false starts later, Dex made his grand entrance into the dining room. Donning the chaps hadn’t been easy, but he was fully garbed now. From the hat to the boots.

      “Good morning,” he said cheerily to the rest of the group assembled around the table.

      Grandfather Cooper choked on his coffee. Grandmother Cooper’s eyes widened in a look of disbelief. The rest of the family burst into laughter. Dex frowned. What was so funny? He looked down at himself and then back at them. He looked exactly like the cowboys he’d seen in the movies.

      What was the problem?

      Maybe they’d all heard about the mouthwash episode. He narrowed his gaze in the direction of the twins.

      “Planning on roping and branding cattle this morning, bro?” Chad suggested, barely restraining a new wave of laughter.

      Dex didn’t get the joke.

      “Sorry to be the one to tell you,” Court added between chuckles. “But today we’re cleaning out the barn and surveying the pastures. You won’t need your chaps today.”

      He was overdressed, he realized then. He opened his mouth to explain, but then thought better of it. What could he say? That he was ignorant to the ways of cowboys?

      Grandmother Cooper gestured to the vacant chair next to her. “Take your hat off, son, and have a seat. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

      Before taking his seat, Dex, determined to save face, leaned down and kissed his grandmother’s lilac-scented cheek. “Thank you for the chaps, Gran. I wanted you to get the full effect,” he told her as if he’d known exactly what he was doing when he put them on.

      Court and Chad still looked amused. Grandfather Cooper had regained his composure with only a hint of a smile lingering about his expression.

      Grandmother Cooper smiled kindly. “Well, you accomplished your mission, son.” She patted his hand. “You look very handsome.”

      The telephone rang before Dex had a chance to sit down.

      “Ty, would you get that since you’re still up?” Grandfather Cooper asked.

      “Then we can get the going effect as well,” Chad teased, sending the younger Coopers into another fit of laughter.

      Dex clenched his jaw long enough to restrain his temper. “Be happy to oblige,” he drawled, doing his best imitation of John Wayne.

      He straightened slowly, allowing the phone to ring once more in order to give him the general direction in which to look. The hall. He sauntered from the room, knowing full well Court and Chad were grinning behind his back. Judging by the way they were dressed, he definitely looked like the circus clown leaving center ring.

      Annoyed more with himself than anyone else, he scooped up the receiver and barked a hello.

      “Dex?”

      “Ty?”

      “Yeah, it’s me.”

      Thank God.

      Dex stretched the cord and got as far away from the dining-room door as possible. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about the investors and the chaps? And Leanne,” he muttered hotly.

      “Me? Why didn’t you tell me about that piranha you’ve got working for you! And I think George is suspicious.”

      “What?” Dex was confused. What piranha?

      “Bridget whatever-her-name-is,” Ty snapped. “She won’t leave me alone.”

      “Oh.” Dex stroked his chin thoughtfully. Bridget could be relentless and territorial. Their physical relationship had always been convenient, nothing else. Not that she hadn’t tried to make it more. “Tell her you want the monthly status reports early. That should keep her busy for a while. My best advice would be to avoid her if you can.”

      “What about George?” Ty demanded. “How do I handle him?”

      “Tell him you’re not in the mood to talk if he starts prying. That usually does the trick.” It sounded as if Ty had the same problems Dex did. “What about your investment meeting?” he prodded.

      “There’s nothing to tell,” Ty related what Dex already knew. “I’m trying to expand the Circle C’s market and improve profit.”

      “I thought as much.”

      “You’ll get an official response in a few days,” Ty went on. “Let me know the moment you receive it. I’m anxious to know which way the wind is going to blow on my proposal.”

      Dex cocked an eyebrow. “All right. And you let me know how it goes there.”

      “Will do. Anything else? I don’t know how much longer I can hide in this bathroom. George may be spying on me as we speak.”

      Dex chuckled. Yes, Ty was feeling the pressure too. “One more thing. About Leanne.”

      “What about her?”

      “I thought you told me you were just friends.”

      “We are,” Ty said flatly. “I guess I forgot to mention that our families would like it otherwise.”

      “I guess you did,” Dex retorted dryly. “And this dance?”

      “The one on Friday night? It’s just a fund-raiser. I take Leanne every year just to keep the peace between the two families. A little bit of square dancing, foot stomping.”

      To keep the peace? Dex didn’t even want to know what that meant. “Okay, I guess I can take her.”

      “You’d better be nice to Leanne and behave around her,” Ty warned. “She’s young and innocent and I don’t want her hurt in all this.”

      “Neither do I,”

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