Page 4 of Marrying a Cowboy

“Eighteen isn’t young. I went to war and came back by the time I was eighteen.” The man waved his hand in theair.

Emma’s smile waivered as she nodded. He could see the frustration written across her face. Knowing what it was like to have people convinced that they had the answer to love’s problems, he moved to saveher.

Just as he approached, a hand shot out and grabbed his elbow. Startled, Austin turned to see the weather-worn face of an older woman. She narrowed her eyes as she studiedhim.

“Well, aren’t you just adorable,” she said, reaching up and patting hischeek.

Austin cleared his throat. “Thankyou.”

She sidled up to him. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you Patsy’s boy?” Her eyeglasses lifted off her nose as shesmiled.

He shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t know who Patsy is.” He started to step away but the woman just held ontighter.

“Oh, then you’re Kim’s boy. I should have known. You have the same caring eyes shedoes.”

Realizing that he wasn’t going to escape this woman’s grasp anytime soon, Austin just nodded. “Yep, that’s who I am.” He really didn’t want to go through the entire list of this woman’s friends just to explain to her again, that she really didn’t know who hewas.

“How’s that new wife ofyours?”

He coughed and shook his head. Was she joking? He was trying to get away from his past. How had it followed him here? “I’m notmarried.”

Her mouth dropped open as she glanced over at him. “A handsome man like you not married? What’s wrong with women these days?” She reached up and squeezed his bicep. “You seem like good breedingmaterial.”

Heat rushed across his skin. He needed to escape. Fast. “You know what, I see Thomas waving me over. Ishould—”

“You know who you should meet. Our Emma. Poor girl.” The woman leaned closer to him, ignoring his attempt to leave. “She’s the only one left of her group. All the other girls are married, but she’salone.”

Austin parted his lips to tell her that he’d already met Emma, but the woman seemed to be on a mission and was dragging him along. Before he could stop her, she tapped Emma on the shoulder. Emma had been mid-bite and the force from the woman’s pat caused the potatoes on her fork to fling across thetable.

“Emma, dear,” the womansaid.

Emma turned and her eyes widened when she glanced up at Austin. “Aunt Miriam, it’s nice to see you.” She stood, wrapping Miriam in ahug.

Miriam nodded. “You too,dear.”

Austin watched them. They were family? “Aunt? This is yourniece?”

Emma glanced over at him. “She owns the bakery on the street where we all grew up. We call heraunt.”

Miriam patted his hand. “You can call me Aunt Miriam,too.”

Austin only had a moment to nod before Miriam began talkingagain.

“Emma, this is Austin. He’s single—which means he’s notmarried.”

Emma’s gaze met his as she nodded. “I know what singlemeans.”

Miriam laughed. “Of course, you do.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and the other arm around Emma’s. “Where I come from, that’s all you need. Two single people.” She grinned up at both ofthem.

Emma cleared her throat as her gaze darted from Austin then back to Miriam. He wanted her to meet his gaze so he could show her that he felt her pain. That he knew what it was like to be constantly set up with everyone’s randomfriends.

“Thanks, Aunt Miriam. I’ll keep that in mind.” She wiggled out of Miriam’s grasp and collapsed back onto herchair.

Miriam turned back to him and steadied her gaze. “Don’t let that girl slip from your grasp. She’s worth thefrustration.”

“Miriam!” Emmascolded.

Austin leaned in. He couldn’t help it. He enjoyed Miriam. “Ipromise.”

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