The Texan's Wedding Escape

From friendship to passion...to forever?

Only if she doesn’t marry the wrong man first...

Lauren never got over her childhood crush on Cooper, but she’s grown up now and ready to settle down. She even agrees to plan her upcoming wedding at his ranch, but in close quarters, she’s second-guessing her groom and yearning for Cooper’s forbidden embrace... Then she discovers the rancher’s ulterior motive. Will she walk down the aisle with the wrong man?

CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. She writes sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, write to her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308 USA, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

Also by Charlene Sands

Her Forbidden Cowboy

The Billionaire’s Daddy Test

One Secret Night, One Secret Baby

Twins for the Texan

Sunset Surrender

Sunset Seduction

The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

Redeeming the CEO Cowboy

The Texan’s Wedding Escape

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Texan’s Wedding Escape

Charlene Sands

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07636-4

THE TEXAN’S WEDDING ESCAPE

© 2018 Charlene Swink

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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This book is dedicated to my friends and terrific authors Leanne Banks, Lynne Marshall and Robin Bielman, who all had a hand in helping me plot the delicate balance of this story.

I love you all to pieces!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Extract

One

He hit Delete on his laptop, wiping out names and phone numbers of the women he’d dated, wanted to date or just plain thought were freaking gorgeous. Instantly, Cooper Stone’s fun-loving, party-till-you-drop days were over, ended by a finger stroke on the keyboard. It was equivalent to burning his little black book, only nobody carried a little black book anymore. Things had gotten too damn sophisticated, but the end result was the same. Cooper Stone was out of the running. It was a long time coming, six months to be exact.

He wouldn’t miss those names.

Not like he missed his buddy, Tony Abbott.

One minute he was laughing alongside him in the car, their heads thrown back, enjoying life to the fullest, and the next, he was silenced by the stony sound of death. The quiet in that moment still rang in Cooper’s head, still tormented him. Everything had stopped, everything had gone numbingly cold. Tony had died instantly and the drunken driver behind the wheel of the car that had plowed into them had escaped without injury. So had Cooper. And he’d never forgiven himself for that.

Deleting those names was only a formality. He hadn’t been a party animal since that night. And he never would be again. Some things just left a mark and the imprint of that horrible crash brought him full circle. He now lived quietly on his ranch at Stone Ridge and poured himself into his entrepreneurial businesses.

“Hey, Coop, you need some company today? I’m willing to drive out with you.”

“Thanks, bro. But you don’t have to do that. I’ve got this.”

Cooper rose from his desk in the study and put on a lightweight tan jacket. It was late spring, the sunshine giving way to gray clouds that were moving in fast. Texas weather could never be counted on and it was fitting, he supposed, that this day was as glum as his mood. These bad-weather days made it easy for him to stay inside and work, giving him an excuse not to visit friends or to go to parties. Ole Coop wasn’t fun anymore. And that was fine with him.

“I’ll be back in a few hours.”

His brother, Jared, slapped him on the back but had a look of concern on his face. “Take care and I’ll see you later, okay?” That was code for “Drive safely and I love you.” Jared was his baby brother who, at twenty-eight, wasn’t such a baby anymore. But he worried. Just about everyone worried about him. “Okay.”

It took Cooper five minutes to drive off Stone land on the outskirts of Dallas and another twenty to get to the suburb of Providence. He made a stop at the bakery and as soon as the woman behind the counter spotted him, she said, “A dozen raspberry-jelly doughnuts coming right up.”

He gave her a nod. “Thank you kindly.”

And within a few minutes Cooper was back on the road, the bakery box on the passenger seat beside him. He drove down the highway, leaving Providence in the dust, and eventually arrived at the Eternal Peace cemetery. When he turned into the driveway, passing a new grave covered by a hill of fresh flowers, a punch of pain attacked his stomach. A fresh grave meant loss. People were hurting: fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, wives and children. He’d never given mortality much thought until Tony died in the prime of his life.

Cooper drove on until he reached the gravesite nestled under a tall oak. He parked the car, took a deep breath and got out. With box in hand and head down, he made his way over to Tony’s resting place. The wind kicked up, the air chilly as he began speaking.

“Hi, Tone. It’s me again. Been a month. Got you your favorite doughnuts.” He sat on perfectly mowed grass. “You remember, the ones we never did get to eat t-that night.”

He opened the box and took out one of the powdery confections. “They’re your favorite, pal.” He bit into it and chewed. One bite was all he could ever muster before putting the doughnut back in the box. “Wow. That was good.”

At the sound of leaves crunching behind him, he turned around. It was Loretta Abbott, Tony’s mother. Cooper rose immediately. “Hello, Loretta.”

“Am I interrupting?”

“Gosh, no. Just having a little chat with Tony.” He didn’t know what else to say.

She gave him a sad smile. “You’re a wonderful friend.”

He wasn’t. He was alive and Tony was gone. Cooper should’ve seen that car coming. He should’ve been more alert. Instead of relaxing at the wheel, joking with his friend, getting him killed.

He strode over to her and put out his arms. She walked into them and they embraced. “I’m glad to see you,” she whispered.

He nodded. “Same here.”

“I knew you’d be here. That’s why I’ve come.”

He backed away enough to really look at her. “Did you want to talk to me?”

She nodded, tears filling her eyes. “Yes. I’m sorry for interrupting, but I knew you’d be here on the anniversary of my Tony’s accident.”

He took a big swallow. “You could’ve called me or come to the house. You know you’re welcome anytime.”

The wind howled, blowing her soft brown hair out of the knot at the top of her head. “I’m afraid, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to come. But something drew me here today. Somehow this way, it wouldn’t be too hard to ask you what I’m about to ask you. I’m sorry to say, I’m a bit desperate and I need a favor.”

“Of course. Anything. I told you if you ever needed anything to come to me.”

Another sad smile graced Loretta’s face. “I’m counting on that. It’s about Lauren.”

Tony’s younger sister? She’d been working in Dallas, following in the footsteps of her mother as a nurse. Cooper hadn’t seen much of her until the funeral.

Back in the day, when he and Tony were kids, they’d played travel football together for the Texas Tridents. Their friendship had only grown over the years. Often they’d spend time at each other’s houses for days on end and throughout the summer months. As they got older whenever Loretta’d had to take a double shift at the hospital, he and Tony would watch Lauren until Mrs. Abbott got home. Seemed like eons ago. “What about Lauren?”

“She just got engaged to Roger Kelsey on a whim and it’s all so terribly wrong. Now, she’s planning to get married in less than a month. All because Roger’s putting pressure on her.” Loretta wiped at her tears with a tissue. “What’s wrong with my girl waiting a little longer, to make sure of her feelings? We’ve all had a terrible shock when we lost Tony, and Lauren getting engaged—to Tony’s business partner, no less—makes no sense. Roger never paid any attention to her while Tony was alive, but as soon as my son dies, he turns on the charm and proposes marriage?

“Lauren thinks she knows best, and she won’t listen to me on this. She says I’m being overprotective. It doesn’t add up, Cooper. Not at all.”

Cooper didn’t like what he was hearing. Normally he’d chalk Lauren’s engagement up to falling hard when you’re at your most vulnerable. After all, this happened immediately after Tony’s death. Granted, some people married after only knowing each other a few weeks and found marital bliss that way but not that often.

But Lauren marrying Roger Kelsey?

Roger was a charmer and a playboy who went through women with the stealth of a panther. Tony would have seen red and never approved.

A deep sigh rose from Cooper’s chest. One of the last conversations he’d had with Tony pounded in his head.

“I think Kelsey’s siphoning money from my profits. Things aren’t adding up,” Tony had said. “I don’t have solid proof yet, but I’m working on it. If my suspicions are correct, he’s breaking the law and cheating me blind.” Tony had vowed to get to the bottom of it.

Cooper faced Loretta, certain now he had to intervene. Not only for Loretta and Lauren, but because Tony would’ve wanted him to. “I’m sorry, but what can I do? Just name it.”

“Oh, Cooper, I was hoping you would say that,” she said, relieved. Her face relaxed and she looked at him with the tiniest hint of a smile. He was glad he could comfort her. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to help Tony’s mother.

“I need you to stop the wedding.”

* * *

As soon as her mama opened the front door and Cooper walked in, something warm and fuzzy ran through Lauren’s veins. At twenty-six, she thought she’d be over her fascination. But that rugged face, that sharp profile, the amazing sky blue in his eyes—all spoke of happy times during her childhood when the boys, Tony and Cooper, would include her in their antics. She’d loved being with them, even if they were both six years older and dreadfully overprotective of her.

When she’d turned twelve, barely old enough to understand crazy, out-of-whack hormones, she’d developed the worst crush on Cooper Stone. It had lasted two long and lean years until she’d graduated middle school. Then, in high school, she’d fallen hopelessly in love with Brendan Marsh. Her crush on Brendan ended after five weeks when she’d discovered Toby Strickland, Providence High’s premiere quarterback. Shortly after, there was Gregory Bell, pitcher for the Providence High Pirates.

Her list of crushes was long. She was forever falling in and out of love. Katy, her bestie, and the rest of her friends would tease her, saying she wasn’t a flake, just a hopeless romantic. But she’d matured while in college. She’d only fallen for one boy at UCLA. Unfortunately he wasn’t the One and as soon as they’d come to that mutual conclusion, they’d parted ways.

This time, her love for Roger was the real deal. He’d been there for her during that trying, heartbreaking time right after Tony passed away. He’d been her rock. Her support. Lord knows she’d needed that so much during that time. Roger had made her laugh and given her hope. And they’d cried together, comforted each other.

She knew it deep down in her heart. He was Tony’s partner, friend and a wonderful man. How could she not love him?

Yet tonight, seeing Cooper in her mother’s house brought a measure of familiarity and comfort. She had a favor to ask him and she hoped it wasn’t asking too much. “I’m so glad you came for dinner,” she said, walking over to him.

He put out his arms and she flowed into them. Being in his strong embrace cushioned her heart and made her feel closer to the brother she’d lost. Cooper had blamed himself for the accident, but everyone knew it hadn’t been his fault. He hadn’t been the one drinking and driving. He couldn’t possibly have known the other driver was going to careen off his side of the road and slam into them. So hugging Cooper was a way for her to comfort him, too. A way to tell him she didn’t hold him responsible for her brother’s death.

“I’m glad, too, Laurie Loo.”

She chuckled. “You haven’t called me that for at least a decade.”

“Yeah, I know. You used to hate it.”

“I’ll let you in on my secret. I only pretended to hate it.” She’d actually thought his nickname for her was kind of sweet. It was the way he’d say it, with deep affection rather than mockery, that kept her crush for him alive.

“Come in, Cooper,” her mother said. “Dinner’s almost ready. Why don’t you and Lauren have a seat in the family room while I go check on things?”

“You need a hand, Loretta?” Cooper asked.

“No, no, no. You two go on and catch up. I’ll be fine,” she said, stepping out of the room.

“Mama likes doing it all herself. That’s never going to change. Even though she retired from nursing, she can’t seem to keep still. I suppose it’s a good thing.” Except when she was meddling in her life.

Her mother meant well, but her irrational arguments against her marrying Roger weren’t fair. Yes, her mama married her father after dating only two months and, yes, their marriage had gotten off to a rocky start. But Mama hadn’t really known him, not the way Lauren knew Roger. David Abbott’d had a wandering eye and her mother had been too blinded by love not to see it. Until her father had picked up and left his family.

Before he’d died, he’d been married and divorced three other times. So, of course, her mother would think that Lauren wasn’t thinking this through. Sadly, her mother had scars that hadn’t healed and she didn’t want her only daughter to end up that way too. And that was part of the reason Lauren needed to see Cooper. For backup. Her mama trusted Cooper. If he could give her the approval she needed, she was sure her mama would back off.

Cooper nodded. “No doubt. Keeping busy is healthy for the soul.”

“Well, then, Mama’s soul is in ridiculously good shape.”

Lauren led him to the brushed-suede sofa in the family room and gestured for him to sit. The cushions sank a bit as they both took a seat. Lauren crossing her legs and garnering an appreciative look from Cooper. She’d dressed up for the occasion, a soft, cocoa, lacy dress and heels, a far cry from the scrubs she usually wore. Suddenly her nerves started bouncing like a Ping-Pong ball. This was an important night. She needed an ally.

Cooper gave her a megawatt smile. “You look great. How’ve you been?”

“I am great,” she said. “I have news and I wanted to share it with you right away.”

“Okay,” he said, leaning back against the sofa, giving her his full attention. “Sounds important.”

She put out her left hand and her square-cut, two-carat diamond ring sparkled under his nose. “I’m engaged to Roger Kelsey. Isn’t it wonderful?”

Cooper held her hand to peer at the ring on her finger. A little zing flittered through her system. She may not have completely gotten over her little crush on him from ages ago, but that wasn’t love or anything close. Nope, Cooper was a dear family friend and...well, he was like a big brother to her.

“What it is,” he said, his eyes softening to hers, “is a little sudden, isn’t it, Lauren?”

“I know, Cooper. Mama said the same thing, but she doesn’t know how glorious Roger makes me feel. So what if we haven’t been dating long. They say, when it’s right, it’s right.”

“Who’s ‘they’?” he asked.

She gave her head a tilt. Not Cooper, too. Her mama hadn’t been overjoyed about her quick engagement and now Cooper, Tony’s brother from another mother, was giving her a hard time. “You’re big-brothering me again.”

“Tony’s not here to do it.”

“I know.” She put her head down. It hurt terribly to think Tony wasn’t going to be at her wedding. They’d been close all their lives, until that fateful accident. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, Cooper. I know you’re just looking out for my welfare, but this time, I’ve got it.”

“Got what?”

“It. You know, love, marriage, everything that goes with it. It’s under control and time for me to settle down. I’m twenty-six years old and I want more out of life. The one thing Tony’s death taught me is to not take life for granted. I’m ready, Cooper.”

His gaze roamed over her face as she waited breathlessly for his approval. More than anything, she wanted his blessing. Finally his lips parted in a small, encouraging smile. “Okay. Well, then, I’m happy for you.”

“Oh, Cooper. Thank you!” She lunged for him and squeezed his neck, hugging him tight. Whiffs of his manly cologne surrounded her, but she was too happy to dwell on how much that appealed to her. “This means so much to me...you’ll never know.” Tears welled in her eyes. She had his blessing. It would be easier for her mama to accept her marriage to Roger now. “There’s one thing, though...a favor I need to ask you. You’re not like family to us, you are family, and...well, since my dad is gone, and now Tony, too, I was hoping that on my wedding day, you’d do me the honor of walking me down the aisle.”

* * *

Cooper paced inside Loretta’s kitchen. He’d come in here the second Lauren had excused herself to take a phone call and now he was realizing how hard this mission would be. If he spoke negatively about Kelsey without any proof of his bad intentions, Lauren would shut him down. He’d seen it happen before. Lauren was strong-willed, stubborn and independent. Through the years, Tony had learned how to rein her in. He’d gained her trust and had actually gotten her to listen to him at times. But he wasn’t Tony. Cooper only had a brother and was the first to admit he had no skills understanding the female mind. Not when it came to stopping a young woman from possibly making a big mistake.

A little voice in his head told him to back off and let Lauren find out about Kelsey on her own. A leopard always revealed his spots...or some such notion. But Lauren had been hurt enough and so had Loretta, for that matter. He’d given Tony’s mother his word.

Loretta was busy putting hot rolls into a lined basket. He pulled the aroma into his nostrils, but the garlicky cheese scent did nothing to whet his appetite.

“Say what’s on your mind,” the older woman said quietly.

Cooper ran a hand down his face. “Loretta, she’s asked me to walk her down the aisle. Man, that puts me in a difficult spot. Lauren is so damn happy.”

“What did you say to her?”

“What could I say? I couldn’t hurt her. I told her it would be my honor to take Tony’s place by her side.”

The hand Loretta put on his shoulder was warm and comforting. “She doesn’t know her own heart, Cooper. Trust me on this. She’s thought herself in love half a dozen times in her lifetime. Kelsey is not the man for her. You won’t hurt her, but he will.”

He hadn’t told a soul about Tony’s suspicions about his partner cheating him, but maybe now was the time to broach the subject. “Loretta, what’s going on at Kelsey-Abbott? How often do you go into the office?”

“Me? I’ve been a nurse for thirty-five years. What do I know about real-estate development? I told my Tony years ago not to include me in his will. I’m comfortable and have everything I need.”

“So, you’re saying that Tony’s half of the company—”

“Goes to Lauren. Yes, that’s the way we’d agreed.”

Cooper stared at her. Soon, Loretta’s eyes began blinking almost as fast as his mind was spinning. “Oh, dear. You don’t think that he’s marrying her to gain control of the entire company, do you?”

It wasn’t unheard of and, in fact, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Roger Kelsey was married to Lauren, there would be no need for anyone to check over the books, to reframe the partnership, to find out he’d been cheating Tony. It was likely that Lauren wouldn’t want to get involved in the company at all, not if her new husband had everything under control. She was as dedicated to nursing as her mother had been. “Could be, Loretta,” he murmured.

“Hey!” Lauren came bounding into the room, a big smile on her face. “There you are. I was wondering what happened to you, Cooper. And my ears are burning. Were you both talking about me?”

“Yep, as a matter of fact we were,” Cooper said, giving Loretta a glance. “You told me you haven’t picked a venue for the wedding yet.”

“Yes, that’s right. We’re going to do something simple.”

“But, honey, you’ve always dreamed of a big wedding,” Loretta interjected, disapproval clouding her soft brown eyes. “That’s the least Roger can do for you.”

“I know, Mama. But there isn’t time for that and I’m fine...with it.” The disappointment on her face told a different story.

“You shouldn’t be fine with anything. You should be ecstatic. We’re talking about your wedding day, honey.”

“Problem solved,” Cooper announced and two curious female gazes landed on him.

He hoped like hell he wasn’t making a whopper of a mistake, but the idea taking shape in his mind wasn’t anything short of brilliant. What he needed was time with Lauren to make sure she wasn’t getting in over her head and marrying this guy impulsively. Which seemed likely. Tony hadn’t trusted him, Loretta thought she was being rash and now Cooper was smack-dab in the middle of it all. Keeping Lauren close—and away from Roger—was key. There was only one way he figured he could pull that off.

“You’re getting married at my ranch at Stone Ridge. I insist. You’ll speak your vows at my home. I’ll open the place up to you and you can come and stay with me while you make your plans. Heck, both you and your mama are welcome to stay on the ranch. The two of you can work together and, Lauren, you’ll have the wedding you’ve always dreamed about. I promise not to get in your way.”

A promise he would probably have to break because he planned on protecting Lauren from being hurt no matter what.

Lauren’s pretty, pale green eyes brightened. She opened her mouth to say something but after a split second, she clamped her lips shut again, her shoulders falling. “I can’t let you do that. It’s too much.”

He wasn’t above playing the guilt card to get her to agree. After all, he was an expert at self-imposed guilt trips. Ultimately what he needed was time to convince Lauren not to marry Kelsey and this was his plan A, B and C. He had no other options.

“Tony often spoke to me about giving you a beautiful wedding when the time came. And, yes, I may have some reservations about how quickly this is all happening, but in my heart I know your brother would’ve wanted it this way.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and she trembled. “Oh, Cooper.”

And then she was in his arms, her supple, firm body plastered against him, her gratitude brimming. When she turned her head slightly, his nose was in her hair, her subtle, fresh, flowery scent teasing him.

“I take that as a yes,” he whispered.

Her head bobbed up and down. “Yes,” she said, raw emotion in her voice.

He glanced over at Loretta hopelessly.

A full-out approving smile graced her face and she gave him a big nod.

Which sort of worried him a bit, he wasn’t gonna lie.

* * *

“I have the best news, Roger,” Lauren said, coming to sit next to him on the den sofa in his penthouse apartment overlooking the Dallas skyline. The view here was amazing, just as amazing as the tall, dark-haired man she was to marry. She admired Roger’s always-groomed look, his sense of style and his abundant confidence. Up until Tony died, she’d only seen Roger as a casual friend. But he’d been magnificent to her ever since the funeral and they’d had a whirlwind love affair. “My brother’s best friend has offered us the use of his ranch to hold our wedding. Stone Ridge is magnificent. There’s no need to have a simple courthouse wedding, after all. And Mama is pretty sure we can get it all together in a month.”

Roger pursed his lips, deep in thought. “A ranch wedding?”

“Not just any ranch, honey. It’s Tony’s best friend Cooper Stone’s ranch. You may have met him at the funeral.” She hated bringing up that sad day. The memory still seared a hole in her heart.

“Sounds like a lot of work,” Roger said. “Can’t we just get married without all the fuss?”

Lauren shrugged, feeling deflated. “Yes, I suppose. But finally Mama is on board and even seems excited about planning the wedding with me. And, well, I’ve always dreamed about having a beautiful wedding.”

Roger stared at her and then leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Can we keep it small, at least?”

“Yes, of course. No more than one hundred people. I promise.”

“A hundred?” His voice hit a high note. “That many?”

“That’s not very many when we consider your employees and our mutual friends, plus my dear friends at the hospital. I’m so excited about this. Please, please, say it’s okay with you.”

He scratched his head. Roger didn’t like to mingle and didn’t like crowds. But a woman only got married once and she was sure he’d come around and be just as happy about the wedding plans as she was.

“Yeah, it’s okay with me.”

She bounded out of her seat, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. “Thanks, Roger. You’ve made me very happy!”

“That’s the plan, isn’t it? Happy wife, happy life.”

“Oh, we’ll sure have that,” she said, smiling. “I’m taking a good chunk of the vacation I’ve stored up to plan the wedding. Oh, Roger, it’s gonna be so much fun.”

“If you say so. But remember, I’ve got that big, new deal coming up this month. I’m going to be extremely busy.”

“But not too busy to help with the wedding plans. I’ve always wanted a June wedding. I can’t wait to start planning.”

She got up from the sofa and grabbed her purse. “I’m off now. Mama and I have a date to start the plans.”

Roger stood and walked her to the door. “Just don’t break the bank on this,” he said.

“Never. If I’m one thing, it’s frugal. Had to be, with my dad leaving us and my mama a nurse. We didn’t have much, but we always managed.” With Tony’s financial help, she’d made it through nursing school without having to take out a huge college loan.

Roger kissed her briefly. As she waved goodbye to him from the elevator, she took one last look at his apartment. With its sleek furniture and state-of-the-art kitchen, everything about the place screamed edgy. It was sure a far cry from the humble home she lived in with her mother on Masefield Avenue.

After Tony died, Lauren had given up an apartment she’d shared with a fellow nurse. Her mama needed her, but in truth, Lauren had probably gotten just as much comfort as her mother had from staying in her childhood home on the outskirts of town.

Pretty soon, though, once she married, she’d be living in the heart of Dallas with Roger.