by Kari August
Dickie shook his head. “Charlena, you don’t owe Ned anything. You never did. It was a simple mistake. One that was not the end of the world. In fact, it probably helped him in more ways than you know. Stop taking everything that can go wrong as your personal burden.”
Caroline nodded. “He’s right, Charlena.”
Charlena said earnestly, “But I still would like to do this for Ned. . . . Let’s just say that some lessons are harder than others to learn.” She paused. “I know I can handle it.”
Dickie hesitated a moment, then shrugged. “Perhaps we should give feminine persuasion a try first.” He pointed at her. “But you call me if you get into any trouble. I’ll be right down there.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The following morning Caroline drove the RV to Omaha International Airport, and Charlena boarded a jet bound for Florida. She took her seat and looked out the window as the plane taxied the runway. Her thoughts wandered. She hoped Lindsey understood her reasons for doing this. She didn’t want the other woman to think she had any other motive. She certainly had no romantic interest in Neddie at this point.
She supposed she never really had. Oh, she had been intrigued when she had first met him. He was more intelligent than all of her previous boyfriends combined. And he was handsome, though perhaps she preferred a man with a little more bulk. And, of course, he was kind, and . . . and he had a good sense of humor. So what was it? Why hadn’t she ever really developed a strong attraction to Neddie? He was perfect, but he lacked . . . pizazz. That was it. He lacked some devilishness. He lacked snap.
As the jet took off, Charlena laid her head back for a nap. She wanted to be well rested for her important mission in Florida.
There was knock on Clarence’s office door. His assistant stuck his head in. “Visitor, boss.”
Shit! Clarence had forgotten to tell his man to screen any visitors first and make up an excuse for him if those Estonians showed up again. “Who is it?”
“Some blond.”
“Tall?”
“Yeah.”
Crap! Taina the Terror. He had sent the syndicate a check. What more could Taina want—or threaten, more like? Well, it was too late now. He couldn’t imagine her taking no, he wasn’t there, for an answer. “Oh, hell. Send her in.”
Clarence stood and walked around his desk, preparing himself for battle. A drop-dead gorgeous, Holy Jesus!, willowy tall babe strutted in. She looked kind of familiar, but Clarence couldn’t quite place her. He snapped his fingers and grooved his head. “Are you here to interview for a waitressing job, doll face?”
She looked horrified. “How dare you? I’m not that kind of woman! And it’s degrading for women to have to wear such obscene outfits. Those poor girls must be freezing.”
Clarence opened his mouth to speak, but she wasn’t finished. “I walked into your club, impressed with how stylish and luxurious the decor was, and then I saw them. It ruins the whole effect. They should dress decently.”
“Uh, who are you?”
“Charlena Haute.”
“Cousin Ned’s girlfriend?”
She frowned slightly. “Ex. Not that we ever really were together.”
Clarence wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt a need to impress her. It shocked him to realize he actually wanted to be on his best behavior. He motioned to one of the leather chairs. “Would you like to have a seat?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
He leaned against his desk and stretched his shoulders. Her eyes widened slightly. Uh-huh. That’s right. You noticed. I’m built. “I saw you modeling on TBN.”
She relaxed a little and smiled shyly. “You did? It was my first official job. I was a little nervous.”
Clarence was beyond charmed. “You did great. I almost bought a pants-and-blouse outfit for myself.”
Her smile widened. “Clarence, uh . . . can I call you Clarence?” He nodded. “I need to ask a favor of you.”
And just like that, Clarence knew that no matter what she was going to ask, he was going to do it. That no matter what she wanted from him for the rest of his life, he was going to do it. “Sure, go ahead,” he answered.
“You can’t cut any more brake lines. You can’t harm Ned’s business in any way.” She shook her head reproachfully.
At once, he felt extreme guilt and embarrassment. God, this woman had to pardon his bad behavior. It was supremely important to him. He quickly answered, “I won’t; I promise. Do you forgive me?”
She frowned. “And one more thing. You need to call Neddie and apologize.”
He nodded. “On one condition.”
She looked at him warily. “What’s that?”
“You start by coming to dinner with me tonight, and then you end . . . by marrying me.”
She looked taken aback, but then she smiled sweetly. “Well, I’ll think about it.”
Three days later, Charlena placed a call from Vegas. “Daddy, I need to talk to you.”
“What is it, sugar?”
“I want to marry Ned’s cousin, Clarence.”
“Do you love him?”
“Like crazy, Daddy.”
“Does he love you?”
Clarence spoke into the speaker. “Yes! I promise I’ll do anything for her, sir. I can’t be without her.”
“Wait. A. Minute. Hold on a big second. I have something to say, Hoyt.”
Charlena smiled widely. “Connie? Is that you?”
“Yes, dear. It’s me.”
“What are you doing there?”
“We’ll get back to that in a moment. First off, I hope you’re not even considering tying the knot without a prenup. You’ve got to protect yourself. Second, I want to know just how long you’ve known Clarence.”
“Uh, three days.”
“Good God almighty. I’ve got to sit down. You keep talking, Hoyt. I need a minute.”
Clarence spoke up. “Mr. Haute, I realize this sounds kind of sudden, but we don’t want to wait. Send over any contract. I’ll sign it. I don’t want her money. I want her.”
“Daddy, is that all right?”
There was a long pause. “You’re sure you love him. This is the one?”
“Yes, Daddy, I’m sure.”
“I’ll contact my lawyers and we’ll get something over to you tomorrow. Surely you can wait that long.”
“Okay, Daddy. But, Connie, what are you doing there?”
“Your daddy called me up out of nowhere and told me that if I would cook him a couple homemade dinners—nothing fancy, mind you—he would take me to the beach. Can you imagine anything so silly? But I splurged and bought a new bathing suit and cover-up from Walling’s discount and now here I am. It was on sale for fifty dollars. I haven’t spent so much money on myself at one time in years. But I decided to treat myself with some of my modeling money. What’s that, Hoyt?”
Pause.
“Your daddy’s making a drink for himself across the room. He just told me he’d buy me a whole new beach wardrobe. You can’t do that. I’d look like a kept woman. What’s that?” Pause. “Now, how could I pay back a loan?” Pause. “You mean bacon and eggs for breakfast, hamburgers for lunch, spaghetti for dinner. Meals like that?” Pause. “You’re on! I don’t know how your daddy acquired so much money. He just made one fool bargain.”
“What beach are you going to, Connie?”
“He told me he wanted to surprise me. Hoyt, if you tell me now, I’ll make chocolate cake for dessert.”
Pause.
“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Girl, you can’t see me, but I’m dancing up a storm. Your daddy’s taking me to the Caribbean. Can you imagine?! I’ve never been there before. I’m so excited I think I’m going to faint.”
“You enjoy yourself, Connie. We’ll talk to you soon.”
They disconnected and Charlena immediately burst into tears.
Clarence hugged her. “You’re killing me, babe. What’s wrong?” Clarence looked so worried.
“I’m j
ust so happy.”
“You’re happy?”
“I think I finally have a new mom. Daddy always told me that if he could just find a woman who could make him an honest to goodness home-cooked meal and truly appreciated everything he could offer her, he would marry her.”
“Hell, I would have sported an apron if that was all it took to catch a billionaire.”
Charlena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Oh, Clarence. I love you.”
Ned pulled up in front of the cabin and got out of his car. Where was everybody? Charlena’s sports car was there, but where was the RV? He strode through the front door and called for Dickie. No answer. Lindsey? Caroline? They didn’t answer either. He walked back outside, sat on the front porch steps, and shook his head.
He had called Lindsey a couple mornings ago because he missed her and wanted to know whether she had tried to get a loan. Once he found out she was waiting for the bank’s answer, he had purposely made the phone conversation brief, not wanting to give away what he had been doing. Lindsey and he had agreed that they would have a long talk once he returned home this afternoon.
He remembered now that when he had asked her whether everything was okay, she had hesitated before she had answered that things were fine. But now he realized what had struck him as odd during the phone call: It had sounded as if aircraft were taking off in the distance, but he had discounted that as a trick of his ears, since adjacent Rocky Mountain National Park was a federal no-fly zone for touring aviation so that the sounds of nature could be heard. Plane noises just weren’t that common in Estes Park.
So where was she? Hell, the closest major airport was in Denver. That was at least fifty miles away. They wouldn’t have taken the RV that far, would they? They didn’t even know how to drive the thing. He shuddered at the thought that they might have gotten into a serious accident.
He was just reaching for his phone to give Lindsey another call when it rang in his hand. He looked at the screen. Clarence was calling. Ned answered, “Cuz, it’s not a good time to talk, but is everything all right?”
“Ned, uh . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I did something I shouldn’t have done.” Clarence cleared his throat. Ned could hear a woman’s voice in the background.
“What’d you do?”
“Uh . . .”
“It’s that bad? Just tell me, cuz.”
Clarence took a deep breath, then spilled it: “I hired the Estonian syndicate. That was my first mistake. My second was telling the crazy broads to screw with your delivery trucks. Nothing real bad, you know, just enough to mess with your making cookies.”
Ned didn’t know what to say. He was ticked off and hurt that Clarence would have done such a thing. The damn competition! That was what this was about!
A woman’s voice came on the line. “He’s not done, Neddie.”
“Charlena?!” How did she keep popping up unexpectedly?
“Uh, Ned?” It was Clarence again. “I’m really sorry. Do you forgive me? I’m not going to ever do it again.”
Ned briefly closed his eyes. Did he forgive Clarence? He opened his eyes again and peered at the parking space where the RV was supposed to be. The RV that might have gotten into an accident. It suddenly put his issues with Clarence into perspective.
“No more jackass shit, Clarence, but yes . . . I’ll forgive you.”
“Thanks, Ned.”
“Charlena, do you know where everybody is? And what are you doing with Clarence?”
“Neddie? We’re getting married! As soon as Daddy sends over the contract.”
Ned frowned. He didn’t have time to hear more about this absolutely bizarre turn of events, so he merely replied, “Best wishes, Charlena. Phone high five, Clarence.”
Clarence chuckled. “Phone high five, cuz.”
“Thanks, Neddie, you’re so sweet. Hmmm. I would have thought they’d be home by now. It only took a day to get out there.”
Ned was glad he was sitting. Scared by what he might hear next, his hand shook as he asked, “Out where, Charlena? What happened?!”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Charlena explained the events in detail up until she was dropped off at the airport. She finished with, “Will you let me know if there’s any problem?”
“Sure. I’ll try calling Lindsey immediately.” Ned was convinced of some kind of trouble. They should have been back by now.
Ned shakily stood to phone Lindsey when he thought he heard a vehicle in the driveway. Sounds could be deceptive, though, in this mountainous region. Noises bounced off rocks, or the wind carried din from a distance. He listened a few seconds more. When the RV finally appeared around the bend, Ned sighed in relief. He quickly scanned the vehicle as it pulled into the parking space. At least there didn’t appear to be any obvious damage.
Dickie stepped out of the RV first, stretched his arms over his head, and yawned. Caroline jumped out of the driver’s seat and started doing a victory dance, her knees swinging in and out. “Oh, yeah. Who’s the best driver? Who drove this baby back? Yeah. Uh-huh.”
Lindsey finally walked out, holding a pile of what appeared to be brochures in her arms. Ned quickly skimmed her up and down. She looked intact. She smiled widely as she saw him. “Ned! You’re back. I didn’t think I’d see you until tonight.” She started forward quickly, then slowed. “Oh, Ned. I have something to tell you. It’s not good. It’s about your cousin Clarence.”
Ned gave her a kiss and a hard hug. “Thank God you returned safely.”
Dickie and Caroline were now at their side. Dickie was frowning. “Ned, it’s bad blood. Clarence has obviously inherited some tendencies from my brother George.”
Ned held up his hand. “I heard. Clarence just called to apologize. But I’ve got some news to tell you.”
Lindsey inquired first. “What’s that?”
Ned chuckled. “I don’t know any of the details, but Charlena and Clarence are getting married.”
Caroline jumped up and down. “You’re kidding! This is so exciting! How romantic! I’m going to call her.” She walked hurriedly back to the RV.
Dickie shook his head. “This isn’t a prudent match, Ned. Clarence isn’t good enough for our Charlena.”
Ned shrugged. “It isn’t our affair. And, Dickie, you’ve only seen Clarence at his worst. He’s really not as bad as he seems.”
Dickie raised a brow. “So you’re not going to drown him in a vat of Malmsey wine?”
Ned half smiled. “No, I pardoned his treasonous act.”
Dickie began walking up the front stairs. “I’ve heard enough. I’m getting something to eat.”
Ned turned to Lindsey. “What took you so long to get back? Charlena said you dropped her off at the airport ages ago.”
Lindsey looked around quickly, then said in a hushed voice, “Okay, she’s back in the RV. First off, Caroline’s not exactly the best driver, if you know what I mean. She tried going sixty-five, but we had to settle on fifty most of the way.”
Ned frowned. “But that still should have brought you back here by at least yesterday.”
Lindsey’s eyes lit up. “Ned, did you know Nebraska has the most fascinating history? I started picking up these tourist brochures and decided we should make a real road trip out of it. I mean, you weren’t expected back until today, and we all decided we needed a break from working so hard. Here, I brought these back for you.” She handed the pile in her arms over to him.
“Nebraska?”
“First we stopped at the Pony Express station in Gothenburg; then we went to Buffalo Bill’s ranch in North Platte; then Dickie caught a trout at the renowned Lake McConaughy. That place also has some of the world’s best birdwatching. Then we detoured a little and saw Chimney Rock, which the Native Americans referred to as the elk penis.” She waved her hand excitedly. “Oh, and the best? Clovis points have been found in Nebraska.” She halted and smiled engagingly, waiting for his response.
“Uh, you me
an those spearheads primitive man used ten thousand years ago?”
She nodded, her eyes even wider, and then she said reverently, “Correct. I mean, can you imagine? Highway Eighty travels along the Platte River, the same route the pioneers in wagon trains traveled on, which, of course, was a Native American trail and a buffalo trace before that—”
“Linds, hold up.”
“What? Do you want to see the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota? I brought back a brochure on that also.”
“Yeah, all right.” He reached for a lock of her hair. He loved that she loved history. He loved that this beautiful, brilliant woman could turn a state such as Nebraska interesting, at least to him. He couldn’t fathom not spending the rest of his life with her. He needed to know whether she felt the same way. He couldn’t wait any longer. “Linds, do you want to go out to dinner tonight? Just the two of us?”
She smiled softly. “Of course, Ned. I really missed you.” She added, “But you haven’t told me yet what you’ve been doing the last few days.”
“It can wait until tonight.”
The waiter had just taken their order. Ned reached across the table and took Lindsey’s hand. He played with her fingers. He was nervous about what he had to say. “Linds, I’ve made a decision about what I want to do with my career.”
She looked at him earnestly. “I thought you were planning on becoming a park ranger.”
“I realize now that I would like to still practice as an attorney, but I want to switch to conservation law. I’m checking into taking some night classes to further my education. I looked around the last few days for an office in Denver, once it’s legal for me to practice in the State of Colorado.”
She frowned. “You’re going to give up your lifelong dream just like that?”
Ned held back a smile. “No, I have some other news. I’ve been accepted as a volunteer for Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s an honor. Many apply, but not everyone is accepted. You have to be knowledgeable and offer special skills. I don’t think I’ve been so proud of an accomplishment in years.”
