How to Rope a Real Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

his heels. “Pretty good, actually. Five siblings, plus four spouses and an ex-spouse makes ten different careers. Add to that eight aunts and uncles and eighteen cousins, all in the general Santa Fe area. Yeah, I’d say my family’s got you covered no matter what kind of help you need. Well, except dentistry.”
    “No dentists?” She faked some shock and lightly scraped his forearm with those white-tipped nails. He fought to ignore his body’s response.
    “You’d have to look all the way to my third cousins on my mom’s side to find one, and even then, I wouldn’t trust him with my teeth. He’s a shifty sort.”
    Kellan clapped his hands together, reclaiming their attention. “Let’s do this thing. You and me, Matt, let’s go. Right now.”
    “Not you,” Jenna said. “You’ve got enough on your plate keeping your mom and Amy from worrying. Don’t tell them about this yet. Let them get a good night’s sleep and you can break the news in the morning.”
    Kellan glanced across the room to where Amy and Rachel were fumbling through a two-step together. “You’re right. That’d be the best plan.”
    “Matt and I are going to fix this, Kellan. We’re going to save the wedding.”
    Vaughn chose that moment to enter their circle, chuckling. He hooked his arm around Kellan’s neck. “K, I think our women are tipsy. I like it. How much tequila did you make them drink, Jenna?”
    “Just the right amount.” She snagged Vaughn’s other arm. “Hey, listen, would you and Rachel take Tommy home with you tonight? There’s something I’ve got to do.” She waved dismissively. “Last-minute wedding prep.”
    “No problem.”
    She fished a set of car keys from her pocket and set them in Vaughn’s hand. “For Tommy’s booster seat.”
    Matt handed him the key card to his hotel room. “Room one-twelve, in case you need to grab my tux and meet us at the civic center.”
    Though Amy and Kellan had originally planned to marry at the farm, the ballroom at the Tucumcari Civic Center, thirty miles east of Catcher Creek, had proved to be the only air-conditioned reception hall in the whole of Quay County that could fit the lengthy guest list they’d drummed up. The ceremony would take place in the center’s sprawling atrium.
    “What? Why would you be late?”
    “No time to explain.” Matt tucked Jenna’s hand around his elbow, exhilarated by the idea of spending the night with her—even if it was nowhere near the kind of night he’d fantasized about. “See y’all tomorrow. Wish us luck.”
    Kellan stuck his hand out. “Thank you, man. When you get hitched, you’ll understand how grateful I am for your help.”
    Matt shook his hand and smiled, but his heart sank. There probably wasn’t a man in the free world who wanted to get married as badly as he did, but every year the prospect seemed less and less likely. He simply couldn’t figure out what kind of woman would have a man who wasn’t whole. Certainly none of the women he’d met.
    Except maybe single moms, but that was a beehive he was through kicking.
    He angled Jenna toward Tommy, who was back on the dance floor, this time with his grandma. “You say good night to your son and I’ll bring my car around. Time for you and me to make some wedding magic.”
     
     
    It took Jenna a few minutes to wrangle a kiss from her busy son and explain that he’d be going home with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Vaughn. His eyes lit at the prospect. Sleeping in the big house on the farm with two of his favorite grown-ups—and Mom nowhere in sight—was a rare pleasure indeed for an independent little guy like he was.
    She couldn’t find Amy to say good-bye, but that was probably for the best. Ever since their sister huddle and tequila shots, Amy had looked so happy and distracted from her wedding nerves that Jenna didn’t want to put herself in the position of trying to explain why she was ducking out early.
    On the flip side of the heavy wooden saloon door, she