could be, and the cuddling afterward was even better. She fell asleep snuggled up to his side with the quilt thrown over both of them.
He awoke sometime after midnight to find her still sleeping in his arms. He’d been with a lot of women, spent the night with more than a few, but he’d never felt like this afterward. He couldn’t put it into words, but being with her was like completing something in his life. Light from the television lit up the room enough that he could see every eyelash resting on her high cheekbones.
Her eyes opened slowly, and she smiled at him. “No regrets?”
“Nope, not a single one. That was amazing.” He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. “But I reckon maybe I should go home. It’s only a few hours until I pick you up for church. We really should go together, don’t you think?”
“I’d rather stay here the rest of the night and all day tomorrow.” She yawned.
“Me too, but Trudy would think that you had morning sickness for sure, if we did that,” he chuckled as he pushed back the quilt.
She sat up and reached for her shirt. “You’re right. I suppose we shouldn’t make a habit of this, either, should we?”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Friends with benefits, huh?” She slipped her shirt on over her head.
“Doesn’t have to have a title.” He started getting dressed.
She laced her hands around his neck and hugged him. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“I wish we could stay right here all day.” He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply.
“We’d have to face a thousand questions from my dad and your family if we did,” she teased as she pressed even closer to him.
“You’re so right.” He gave her a steamy hot kiss.
“The devil is telling me to see where this goes, but I think I’d better tell him to get behind me and leave me alone,” she giggled as she wiggled her naked butt into her shorts. “I’ll be ready by ten forty-five. I’m going to wear bright red so no one can miss seeing that I’m with the sexiest cowboy in the state.”
“I’ll get my best swagger on when I walk you into the church on my arm.” He kissed her once more on his way out the door.
Chapter Eight
The preacher started off his sermon that Sunday morning with an old saying—“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” he said. “That comes from Sir Walter Scott, and in a shorter form, straight from the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not lie.”
Alana squeezed Pax’s hand hard.
“That doesn’t simply mean lying as we think of it,” the preacher went on, and Alana could swear that he was staring straight at her. “It also includes lying to ourselves. If we aren’t truly honest with ourselves, then we’re living a lie.”
“Do you think he knows?” Alana whispered.
“No way,” he answered. “It’s our secret. We didn’t even tell God.”
“God knows everything.” She sat up straight and tried to listen, but she kept visualizing a gray casket up there in front of the altar. Finally, she bowed her head, closed her eyes, and sent up a silent prayer for God to help her. When she opened her eyes, the weight had left her heart. Her thoughts went back to the night before. Had she opened a big can of worms by having sex with Pax?
“Oh, shit,” she murmured and then clamped a hand over her mouth.
“What did you say?” Pax asked.
“Protection,” she muttered.
“What?” Pax frowned.
“Later,” she said.
The preacher finally closed his Bible and tucked his notes down onto the shelf under the lectern and smiled at the congregation. “Before I ask Matt Carey to deliver the benediction, I’d like to congratulate Paxton Callahan and Alana Carey on their engagement. Matt has given me permission this morning to invite everyone in our church to the wedding, which will be held on the Bar C ranch on June sixth, and to the reception afterward. Time is seven o’clock, so save the date. Alana and Paxton, we want y’all to be happy and have a long and happy marriage. And one more thing, I’d like to take a moment to say happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers, grandmothers, and expectant mothers in church this morning. Now, God bless all y’all.”
He stepped away from the lectern, and Matt stood up. He thanked God for everything that had happened or been done since the day that dirt