The Cowboy

you at least have waited until we got back?"
    "Sorry, Dad, Rafe was in a hurry. Hello, Bev. How was Sedona?"
    "Just lovely." Bev gave her a quick hug and then stood back to look at her new daughter-in-law. "Did that son of mine really marry you while we were gone?"
    "It was real cheap and tacky, Bev. A Vegas wedding, no less. But it was for real." Margaret smiled warmly at the older woman but a part of her was waiting to make certain Bev approved.
You'd make him a better mistress than a wife
.
    "My dear, I couldn't be more delighted," Bev said gently. "You'll make him a wonderful wife. And Rafe knew it all along. We'll have to give him credit for that, won't we? Don't worry about the cheap and tacky wedding. We'll make up for it with a lovely reception. I can't wait to start planning it."
    "Well, there's no rush," Margaret assured her dryly. "The groom isn't even in town."
    Connor plucked a suitcase out of the trunk. "Where the devil is he?"
    "Took off this morning with hardly a goodbye kiss. Just announced at breakfast he was catching a plane to California. I haven't seen him since. Can you imagine? And after all those promises he made about not letting his business dominate his life anymore, he no sooner gets my name on a marriage certificate than he takes off. I guess the honeymoon is over."
    Bev frowned. "Is that true, dear? He's gone off on business? I can't believe he'd do such a thing."
    "I can." Margaret grinned. "But in this case I'm going to let him get away with it. I think I know where he went."
    "Yeah?" Connor turned his head at the sound of a familiar car coming up the long, sweeping drive. "Where was that?"
    Margaret watched the Mercedes come toward them, a sense of deep satisfaction welling up within her. "He had to take care of some unfinished business in San Diego."
    The Mercedes came to a halt and Rafe got out. Margaret raced toward him and threw herself into his arms. "It's about time you got here," she whispered against his chest as she hugged him fiercely.
    Rafe sucked in his breath and winced slightly. "Easy, honey."
    Margaret looked up in alarm. "Rafe, are you all right?"
    "Never better." He was grinning again as he bent his head to kiss her soundly.
    "I was afraid you wouldn't get home this evening."
    "Hey, I'm a married man now. I've got responsibilities here at home." He looked at Connor and Bev and nodded a friendly greeting. "Looks like we're going to be one big happy family again tonight. Damn. I was hoping for a little privacy. This is supposed to be a honeymoon, you know."
    "Don't worry, Cassidy, your Mom and I won't be staying long," Connor assured him. "We're on our way to California. Just wanted to check up on you two and make sure you hadn't throttled each other while we were out of town."
    "As you can see, Maggie and I have worked out our little differences. Hang on a second."
    Rafe released Margaret to open the rear door of the Mercedes. He reached inside to remove a large, flat parcel.
    "What's that?" Margaret asked curiously.
    "A wedding present."
    Margaret quickly dragged the package into the house and ripped off the protective wrapping while everyone stood around and watched. She laughed up at Rafe with sheer delight as she stood back to admire Sean Winters's
Canyon
.
    "It's beautiful, Rafe. Thank you."
    "I still think it looks like a bunch of squiggly lines but I'll try to think of it as an investment in my future brother-in-law's career."
     
     
    M uch later that night Margaret snuggled up beside her husband, drew an interesting circle on his bare chest and smiled in the shadows. "You went to see Jack Moorcroft today, didn't you?"
    Rafe caught her teasing fingers and kissed them. "Uh-huh."
    "You told him he was off the hook? That you aren't going to ruin him?"
    "That's what I told him, all right."
    Margaret levered herself up on her elbow to look down at him. "Rafe, I'm so proud of you for being able to handle that situation in a mature, reasonable, civilized fashion."
    "That's me," he agreed, his lips on the inside of her wrist, "a mature, reasonable, civilized man."
    Margaret studied his bent head and experienced a sudden jolt of unworthy suspicion. "You did behave in a mature, reasonable, civilized way when you went to see him, didn't you, Rafe?"
    "Sure." He was kissing her shoulder now, pushing her gently back down onto the pillows.
    "No Code of the West stuff or anything?" she persisted as she felt herself slipping under his sensual spell. "Rafe, you didn't do