Texas Two-Step

Chapter One

“Are you on that bleedin’ computer again? It’s the middle of the night.”

Maryann Morrissy cringed at her fiancé’s obvious annoyance.

“Yes. Sorry, luv. Did I wake you?” She’d been trying to hit the keys as quietly as possible, but in the dead of night, everything sounded horribly loud.

“Your racket didn’t help, but I can’t sleep anyway. I had a dodgy meal today. Not feeling quite up to snuff.” Robert rubbed his belly.

“Really? Where did you eat?” She frowned. “And I thought you had an important meeting. That’s why you couldn’t have lunch with me.”

“Uh, right.” He hesitated just a beat. “It was a working lunch. Probably the sandwiches we ordered in were a little past their time. I’ll have to remember not to order from there again.”

“Yes, do that. You should call to complain. Let them know. Which shop was it? You never did say.”

“Um, some new place. I’m not sure. The secretary ordered for us.”

“Well you be sure to ask her the name tomorrow. I don’t want to go there either. Not if they can’t be trusted.”

“Maryann. Honestly, what is this, an inquisition? I’m tired, I don’t feel well, and I don’t know the damn name of the shop. All right?”

“All right. Sorry.” Maryann’s brows rose. Robert always did get extra cranky when he hadn’t had enough sleep.

“Who in the bloody hell are you talking to on there at this hour?” He stumbled through the bedroom doorway and across the flat, scratching his willy through his boxers most of the way.

She dragged her attention away from his display of poor manners and back to his face. “My friends in the States. It’s still early there.”

“Your friends. Ha.” Robert let out a snort. “They’re not your friends, luv. They’ve never met you, never will and probably wouldn’t want to anyway.”

“That’s not true.” She scowled. It never ceased to amaze Maryann how he could call her “luv” and still say the most hurtful things to her, all in the same breath.

The people she talked to online were nicer than Robert in recent days. Why was she with him again? Lately she’d been having trouble remembering. It must have been the side effect of an extended engagement.

Robert paused next to the computer and frowned at the long stream of messages on the screen. “TXCowgirl? Luv2Ride? Who are these people?”

“They’re rodeo fans.”

“Rodeo?” His deep frown elaborated further upon his one word exclamation. Guess that showed her his opinion of her most recent interest. “What in the bloody hell do you know about the rodeo?”

“I’m learning.” Torn between hurt and anger, Maryann felt a pout coming on and quickly tried to erase the expression before Robert saw it. He’d only make fun of her for acting like a child. He’d done so before.

“Why? We live in a flat in London, not in effing Wyoming or wherever there are cowboys and rodeo. Leave it to you to find another way to waste time.”

I’m sure cowboys would be much nicer to me than you.

If only she had the nerve to say that out loud. “It’s not a waste. It’s interesting. And fun.”
Apparently a response to that eluded Robert. All Maryann got from him was a snort followed by, “I’m going back to bed.” He disappeared into the other room.
Maryann noted with not much regret that he didn’t inquire as to whether or not she was coming to bed or when.

They hadn’t had sex in what seemed like forever. That was fine with her. At the moment sitting in front of her computer, in spite of the chill in the air, seemed far preferable to being in bed with Robert in this mood.

Just pre-wedding jitters, for both of them, even though they didn’t have a date yet. That had to be it. They’d been fine when they’d simply dated for the past two years. It was probably just the change of choosing to move in together before setting a date and getting married. Change was stressful.

A soft chime from the computer startled Maryann out of her reverie. She glanced down and saw a new message.

TXCowgirl: BritChick, you there?

A bittersweet feeling struck Maryann. Robert was wrong. These people were her friends. They cared about her. It didn’t matter if they were across the ocean and that they’d never met. She shoved the sleeves of her pajamas up and placed her hands on the keyboard.

Yes. Sorry. I’m here. Maryann sent that message and then, after an idea struck her, she began typing again. What’s the exact date of that Texas event? I think I want to come.

TXCowgirl: OMG Really? Could you come? You can stay with me!

She wanted to see a rodeo, live and in person, and she wanted to meet her new friend. Maryann had a bad feeling if she didn’t do both before she married Robert, she’d never get to. With newfound determination, she responded, Yes. Definitely, yes!

As the sounds of Robert’s snores filtered out to her—apparently he could sleep with all of her racket—Maryann decided she wouldn’t mind meeting a few cowboys either.