“I’m Gordon Pawling,” he said as he slid his arm around her waist and guided her onto the dance floor.
“Dovie Boyd,” she said.
“I know.”
She looked at him in surprise. “How?”
“I asked your friends the first night of the cruise.”
Dovie remembered Mary mentioning a tall handsome man who’d questioned her about Dovie. While it had salved her ego to know that someone had asked to meet her, Dovie wasn’t interested in a holiday romance. The only man she’d ever loved other than her husband was Frank Hennessey. She still did love Frank. She wasn’t a woman who loved lightly or gave her heart easily.
The crowded floor forced Dovie and her partner to dance more closely than she would have liked. Gordon, too, seemed uncomfortable with the way they were shoved together, but as the dance went on, they both relaxed.
She liked him. He didn’t talk her ear off with tales of how successful or well-known he was. He simply held her close. It surprised her how good it felt to be in a man’s arms again, even if the man was little more than a stranger.
When the number was finished, Gordon escorted her back to the table. “Thank you, Dovie.”
“Thank you.”
Mary and Phil approached.
“He’s a lucky man, whoever he is,” Gordon said.
Dovie frowned, wondering how he knew she was in love with someone else. Mary must have said something.
“I see you’ve met your admirer,” Mary said, dabbing her handkerchief on her damp brow. “Won’t you join us—Gordon, isn’t it?”
Gordon looked to Dovie to second the invitation.
She could see no harm in it. “Please,” she said and gestured toward the empty chair next to her own.
“Thank you.”
Gordon bought a round of drinks.
“Phil Patterson,” Phil said, stretching his hand across the table for Gordon to shake.
“Gordon Pawling.”
“Where are you from, Gordon?” Mary asked.
“Toronto, Canada.”
Phil nodded. “I understand that’s a beautiful city.”
“It is,” Gordon agreed.
“We’re from Texas,” Mary said, and Dovie nearly laughed out loud. No one listening to their accent would have guessed anywhere else.
“A little town in the hill country called Promise,” Phil put in.
“Promise,” Gordon repeated.
“Dovie owns an antique store there.” Mary’s voice held a note of pride.
“And we have the bed-and-break fast,” Phil added.
“I’m a retired judge,” Gordon said.
“A judge.” Mary’s eyebrows rose slightly as she glanced at Dovie. She seemed to be saying that Gordon was a catch she shouldn’t let slip through her fingers.
“Retired,” Gordon was quick to remind them. “I haven’t served on the bench for three years now.”
“Do you travel much?” Mary asked. “Is that how you’re spending your retirement?”
“Let’s dance, Mary,” her husband said pointedly. He got up and didn’t give his wife much of an option.
Mary’s reluctance showed as she rose to her feet.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Dovie felt she should apologize for Mary’s questions. “You’ll have to forgive my friend,” Dovie said. “It’s just that Mary’s encouraging me to see other men.” Once the words left her lips, she realized more explanation was required. “I’ve been seeing someone…in Promise…for quite a few years. We had a difference of opinion and now he’s dating another woman.” It hurt to say the words even to someone she wasn’t likely to see after tonight.
Gordon reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I need to revise my opinion of your male friend. He didn’t know a treasure when he found it.”
Dovie smiled. “Have you been talking to Mary?”
Gordon’s smile was gentle. “No.”
Dovie looked toward the dance floor and smiled, too. “Shall we?” she asked, prefer ring that they dance rather than discuss her relationship with Frank.
“It’d be my pleasure.” Gordon stood and offered Dovie his hand.
They danced every dance for the rest of the night. At midnight they attended the buffet. Dovie’s appetite had been lacking; even the lavish display of pastries and other goodies hadn’t tempted her. Not once during the three days had she stayed awake long enough to partake of the midnight buffet.
Tonight, however, she was famished. Gordon Pawling filled his plate, and Dovie wasn’t shy about helping herself, either. Mary and Phil were right behind them in the buffet line.
“I’m going to have to diet for a month after this,” Mary complained.
“Make that two,” Phil teased, and Mary elbowed him in the ribs.
Too full to think about sleeping, Dovie gladly accepted Gordon’s invitation for a stroll on the deck when they’d finished eating.
The night was beautiful. Out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, miles from land and the lights of the city, the stars blazed, filling the sky.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars,” Dovie said, leaning against the ship’s railing.
“In Northern Ontario,” Gordon said, “in the dead of winter when it seems like spring is only a distant promise, the stars look like this. When a fresh snowfall reflects the moon light and star light, it’s almost as bright as day.”
“It sounds lovely,” Dovie said wistfully. “I’ve never been to Canada,” she confessed. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a traveler. This is my first cruise.”
“Mine, too.”
“I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t for Mary and Phil. Mary thought it was what I needed—to get away for a time.”
“Was it?”
“Yes,” she admitted after a moment. “I think it was exactly the right thing to do.”
“I came because of my son.”
Dovie heard the smile in his voice.
“Bill seemed to think that two years was enough time for me to grieve the loss of his mother. He insisted I take a cruise, and when I balked, he purchased the ticket himself and presented it to me on my birthday.”
“He sounds like a determined young man.”
“Very much so,” Gordon said. “He’s a younger version of me, I fear. He followed in my foot steps and seems headed for the bench.”
“Your wife’s been gone two years, then?”
“Yes,” he said, and sadness weighted his words. “I loved her for forty years and I don’t know if it’s possible for me to love anyone else.”
“It is possible,” Dovie told him. Her own experience had taught her that. “I’m beginning to think you’re right,” he said.
They turned away from the railing and Gordon tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. They walked together in silence, their pace lei surely, and they spoke of their lives and marriages and dreams.
An hour later she still wasn’t tired, but they’d be disembarking the next morning and things would be hectic. She knew she should get some sleep.
Gordon escorted Dovie to her cabin. “Thank you,” she murmured. The night had been perfect in every way.
“All the appreciation is mine,” Gordon said, then very slowly leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
Dovie blinked back sudden tears.
Gordon reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a business card. “My home phone number is listed here,” he said. “In case things don’t work out with your friend….”
Dovie accepted the card.
“Will you call?” he asked.
“I…I don’t know.” She didn’t want to lead him into believing something might come of this one night.
“I’m very grateful to you, Dovie Boyd,” he said. “For this evening. And for showing me that my son might possibly be right.”
But Dovie was the one who needed to thank him. She’d learned something, too.
Her life could go on without Frank. And in time, she might fa
ll in love again….
CAL WAS AWARE of Jane’s presence the minute he escorted Savannah Smith down the church aisle. Grady’s sister was serving as matron of honor to Caroline Daniels, and he was best man.
Every pew in Promise Christian Church was filled. It seemed as if half the town—and half the county—had come to Caroline and Grady’s wedding. Being the postmistress, Caroline knew just about everyone, and they knew and liked her. Grady, too. The integrity with which he’d handled Richard’s debts was no small thing, and the merchants of Promise felt both gratitude and respect. This was a chance for the towns-people and ranchers to show how much Grady and Caroline meant to their community.
Cal didn’t see Jane, but he knew she was in the church. He felt her there, and as hard as he tried to ignore her, he found it impossible. After walking with Savannah down the aisle, Cal joined Grady, who stood next to the altar. The organ music swelled through the sanctuary as Caroline appeared at the back of the church.
Cal heard Grady’s soft intake of breath as he gazed at his bride. Caroline looked lovely in her dress, complete with veil and a long train. Cal smiled as he glanced at Maggie, wearing a green velvet dress for her role as flower girl.
Then his eyes sought out Jane. She sat on the bride’s side, wearing a pearl-white suit with big gold buttons. Accustomed to seeing her in jeans and a Western shirt, he didn’t recognize her for a moment. Damn, but she was beautiful.
Cal forced his attention away from her and looked at Caroline, whom Frank Hennessey was walking down the aisle. He soon found his gaze wandering back to Jane. Her eyes refused to meet his, which was just as well.
He regretted the way they’d parted. Both of them had been angry, saying hurtful things, things they didn’t mean. He’d told himself that some times it was necessary to be cruel to be kind—only in this case he was the one who’d suffered. He’d been miserable and lonely since that day. He knew their confrontation hadn’t been easy for her, either, but she certainly seemed to be faring better than he was.
She might still be angry, but after a while she’d see that this was for the best. When the time came, she’d return to the life she’d always known in California. Her career plans were already in place—and they didn’t include practicing medicine in rural America. They didn’t include falling in love with a rancher.
The organ music faded, and Caroline joined Grady at the front of the church. Wade McMillen stepped forward to preside over the ceremony, smiling at the happy couple.
Before Caroline and Grady exchanged their vows, Wade had a few words to say about love and marriage.
Since he intended never to fall in love again, Cal only listened with half an ear. It wasn’t until Wade said, “Love doesn’t come with any guar an tees,” that Cal paid attention.
That was what he’d wanted. A guar an tee. He wanted Jane to promise she’d never leave him. He’d been waiting for her to assure him that her future would always include him.
Without that guarantee, he hadn’t been willing to take the risk.
The remainder of the ceremony was a blur in Cal’s mind. He handed Grady the wedding band at the appropriate moment and escorted Savannah back down the center aisle following the ceremony.
Later, at the reception, he stood in the receiving line and exchanged chitchat with the guests as they paused to greet the newlyweds and other members of the wedding party.
Grady and Caroline were ecstatic. Maggie was with them and proudly referred to Grady as her daddy. As Cal watched he felt a sharp emptiness in the pit of his stomach. Over night Grady had a wife and a daughter, and he’d pledged his life to them with nothing to safe guard the future. He’d stood before his family, friends and God and promised to love Caroline for the rest of his life. Without knowing what the next day held, or the next year. Whatever the future might bring, he was willing to love Caroline and Maggie.
The emptiness inside Cal in creased. He loved Jane, but unless he was offered a money-back guar an tee, he hadn’t been willing to risk his heart by telling her how he felt.
When he lost Jennifer, he’d simply stepped aside and let her walk out of his life without saying one word to stop her. He’d done the same thing with Jane, only this time he’d loved much more deeply. Because of that, he hadn’t just let her go; he’d pushed her out the door with both hands.
He’d refused to commit himself to the love he felt. Not without reassurances first.
As the wedding guests progressed down the receiving line, Cal saw Jane moving toward him. His heart reacted immediately, leaping with a rush of excitement at the mere sight of her. His mind buzzed with ideas of what he should say. Something pithy, something profound; he couldn’t decide what.
Before he had the opportunity to display his wit and charm, she was there, standing in front of him, her hand in his.
“Hello, Cal,” she said. Her eyes seemed to sear right through him. Then without warning she proceeded to the next person in line.
Cal yearned to call her back, to say he deserved more than a casual greeting, but he couldn’t. The next guests stood directly in front of him and he was obliged to greet them. Cal continued to greet the wedding guests. Whenever he could, he sought out Jane with his eyes. He saw her serve wedding cake and chat with each person, joking and laughing. If she was miserable without him, he’d be hard pressed to prove it.
He recalled the first few months after Jane had moved to Promise and how the people in town had avoided her. The fault had been on both sides. Jane had arrived with her newfangled ideas and big-city attitude, and folks in town hadn’t been too tolerant. There’d been some un war ranted assumptions made by Jane, but also by the people of Promise.
All that had changed in the past two months. Jane had mellowed, made new friends, gained the confidence of people here. He remembered the night Jeremy Bishop had broken his arm and the gentleness she’d displayed to both the boy and his terrified mother.
Little Maggie Daniels had brought her the rag doll because she knew Dr. Jane could be trusted.
Cal had seen for himself her passion for medicine and the way she’d squared off against death, fighting every way she knew how to save Richard Weston’s life.
Damn it all, he was in love with her, and his feelings weren’t likely to change. If he wanted a guar an tee for the future, he wasn’t going to find one. Not with Jane. Not with any woman.
He hadn’t liked it when Jane called him a coward. Even now it wasn’t easy to admit she’d been right.
The cake was almost gone before Cal found the courage to approach the table.
“Is there a piece for me?” he asked.
Jane glanced up and he could tell by the look on her face that she was surprised to see him.
“I believe there are a few pieces left,” she said cordially enough, but she gave herself away when she refused to meet his eyes. She reached for a plate and handed it to him.
He cleared his throat and said, “You look very pretty.”
“Thank you. I bought this suit in downtown Los Angeles.”
Cal let the comment slide. “Something’s wrong with Atta Girl.” He said the first thing that came to mind.
That got her attention. “What?”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” he told her, then grabbed a glass of punch and walked away. That was a dirty trick, but he was willing to use whatever he had to.
Cal found a vacant table at the other end of the hall and sat down. He hadn’t been there a minute when Jane pulled out a chair and joined him.
“What’s wrong with Atta Girl?” she demanded.
“She misses you,” Cal said between bites of cake.
Jane stared at him as if she hadn’t understood a word.
“I miss you, too,” he said, swallowing his pride along with the wedding cake.
“Oh, Cal.”
“Do they have cattle ranches in California?” he asked.
Her brow puckered in a frown. “I don’t know—I’m sure they must.”
“
Good. I was thinking of moving there.”
“To California?” Her voice rose a full octave. “In the name of heaven, why?”
This was where it became difficult, but having made his decision, he wasn’t going to renege now. “Looks like I’m going to have to if I want to be near you.”
Jane was on her feet so fast the chair nearly toppled backward. “You’re taking a lot for granted, Cal Patterson.”
“Perhaps,” he agreed, recognizing his own response the day they’d argued and she told him he loved her. “But the way I figure it, if we’re going to get married and you’ve already agreed to join your uncle’s medical practice, this is the only solution.”
Jane glared at him as though it was all she could do not to slap him.
“You are going to marry me, aren’t you?” he asked.
CHAPTER 11
BACK LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR hours from her cruise, Dovie worked endlessly in the church kitchen, helping the women’s group with Caroline and Grady’s wedding. She had artfully arranged hors d’oeuvres on silver platters and set them on the counter to be picked up.
Actually Dovie was grateful to be in here, away from the reception, although it was considered the least enviable of the jobs the women’s group per formed for weddings and other social events. At least while she was here, she needn’t fear seeing Frank dance with Tammy Lee or flirt with any other women.
She hadn’t seen him since her return, but then, it was still early. She steeled herself for their next confrontation, dreading it already.
Humming softly to herself, Edwina Moor house entered the kitchen. “Pastor McMillen is looking for you.”
“Me?” Dovie couldn’t imagine what he wanted.
“He asked me to send you to his office.”
“Really?” Dovie washed her hands and reached for a towel. “Did he happen to mention what this was about?”
“Not a word,” the older woman said.
But Dovie noticed that Edwina’s eyes were twinkling. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Wade and the Moor house sisters had something up their sleeves.
Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, Dovie left the kitchen. Pastor McMillen’s office was just down the hallway and around the corner. His door was closed and she tapped on it politely.
Heart of Texas Vol. 2 Page 32
