McKettricks of Texas: Austin by Linda Lael Miller

niece and the new baby, Esperanza had cooked up and frozen enough grub to last for weeks.
    He was in no danger of starvation.
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    T HE TEENAGE ACTORS WERE ON A BREAK, and Paige sat with Julie and Calvin in the front row of the small auditorium, the three of them sharing a submarine sandwich from the supermarket deli.
    Paige wanted to tell her sister all about the little mare, Molly, and how gentle Austin had been with the animal, but with Calvin right there and some of the drama club kids within earshot, that didn’t seem like a good idea.
    â€œDid you decide whether or not you’ll take the job?” Julie asked, finishing her part of the sandwich, crumpling the wrapper and stuffing it into the bag.
    â€œWhat job?” Paige asked, momentarily confused.
    Of course, the moment the words left her mouth, she remembered Garrett’s offer, made that morning in the ranch-house kitchen. Basically, he and Tate wanted her to play nursemaid to Austin.
    â€œYou knew Garrett and Tate were planning to ask me to serve as Austin’s nurse?” Paige wondered aloud.
    Of course she had, and Libby, too. Most likely, her sisters had set her up, hoping she would fall for Austin the way they had for his brothers and make the wedding a triple.
    Even after a long day of teaching, Julie’s smile wasbrilliant. She seemed to have boundless energy, and it took a lot to catch her off guard.
    â€œSure I did,” she replied, unfazed. “Garrett and I talked about it last night.”
    Paige sighed. “I see.”
    Julie elbowed her lightly. “Answer my question,” she said.
    â€œRight now, I’m inclined to refuse,” Paige replied, taking the sandwich bag from Julie and dropping in what remained of her supper and a couple of wadded paper napkins. “Austin didn’t exactly take kindly to the idea.”
    â€œThat’s just his pride,” Julie said with a dismissive wave of one hand. “This is serious, Paige. If Austin isn’t careful, he’ll have to have surgery, and that’s always a risk.”
    Paige widened her eyes at Julie. “Yes,” she said pointedly, “as an RN, I’m familiar with the risks.”
    Julie smiled angelically. Since she’d fallen in love with Garrett McKettrick and the two of them had decided to get married, she seemed to float through life, unconcerned with the moods of ordinary mortals like her younger sister. “It’s not as if you’re terribly busy or anything,” she reasoned cheerfully. “You probably won’t have to do anything more strenuous than make sure Austin doesn’t sneak off to enter some rodeo. How bad could it be?”
    In her mind’s eye, Paige saw Austin tending the ailing mare, recalled the way he’d touched the animal, the gentle, rumbling tone of his voice. And she felt new emotions, things that had little or nothing to do with the girl she’d been so long ago, and the boy that girl had loved.
    She was a woman now.
    Austin was most definitely a man.
    And watching him that afternoon, sitting on his haunches in that stall, next to Molly, Paige had come to the startling realization that this was a whole new ball game.
    â€œPaige?” Julie prompted in a happy whisper. “Since you seem to have something—or some one —else on your mind, I’ll repeat my question. How bad could it be, taking care of a hunk like Austin McKettrick?”
    It could be really, really bad, Paige figured, but again, this wasn’t the time or place to talk about such things.
    Paige shook her head, but she was smiling. “I think Calvin and I ought to get back to the ranch. Harry will be wanting his kibble, for one thing.”
    â€œGarrett will feed Harry,” Julie said. But she stood up, and Calvin stood, too, and Julie slipped an arm around her little boy. Bending, she kissed the top of his head and then ruffled his hair. “I won’t be late,” she told the