by Dylann Crush
“Thank you.” Delilah met Lacey’s gaze in the reflection of the mirror. “I’m going to run to the camper and grab a dry set of clothes. I’ll be there in five.”
* * *
* * *
Jasper ran his palms over his denim-clad thighs. Delilah Stone had been in town for less than five minutes and he’d already screwed up. How the hell would he explain to his dad that he’d managed to ruin Ido’s run for the title before the judge even made it up the steps of city hall?
“What in the world happened?” Lacey entered her office, her cheeks flushed.
He jumped to his feet. “I don’t know. I was cleaning the pigeon shit off the sidewalk and all of a sudden there she was.”
“You didn’t hear her? See her heading your way?”
Jasper shook his head. “I came around the corner and before I knew what was happening she was soaked through.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll fix this.” Lacey crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth set in a determined line.
“Me?” His stomach dipped. “How do you expect me to do that?”
“I need a hospitality host, and you owe me.”
“Wait a sec. I said I was sorry and I meant it. But I don’t think—”
The office door creaked open. Delilah Stone entered. She’d changed into dry clothes, but her hair still hung in damp curls, framing her heart-shaped face. He’d expected the beauty queen to be, well, beautiful. But beautiful was too dull a word to do justice to the gorgeous woman who’d just entered the mayor’s office.
Lacey rounded the desk and moved toward the door. “Ms. Stone, welcome.”
Jasper rose to his full height and drew in a breath. Then he forced what he hoped looked like a reassuring grin and turned it on Miss Lovin’ Texas herself.
She might have been drenched from head to toe a few minutes ago, but she handled herself with the composure of a queen. Her spine ramrod straight, her face scrubbed free of any trace of makeup, she entered the office like she owned the place.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting you as part of the Most Romantic Small Town in Texas competition.” Lacey glanced toward him and he braced himself for the inevitable introduction. “I’d like you to meet Jasper Taylor, our hospitality host. He’ll be your main point of contact while you’re here in town.”
Jasper shot a look to Lacey, who lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. Great. He didn’t want to undermine the mayor, even if she’d made an incorrect assumption that he’d changed his mind about taking on the role. He’d let it go for now. But once Ms. Stone left the office, he’d have to set Lacey straight.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Stone. I’m sorry about getting you all wet. Although I’ve gotta say, you look just as pretty soaked right through as you did when you won your title.” He had to give major props to the beauty queen; she didn’t flinch as she slid her hand against his.
Delilah glanced over to Lacey. What the heck was wrong with him? Based on how he was handling his interaction with Delilah, she’d probably never believe he actually held a degree in business and had aced his professional communications courses. For some reason his tongue seemed to get all hog-tied when facing the woman with the smoky green eyes who held the fate of Ido in her soft, delicate hands.
She slipped her fingers out of his grip and followed Lacey toward the desk. “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Taylor.”
“Oh, you can call me Jasper.”
“It’s my pleasure then, Jasper.” The tight smile she gave him held more than a hint of frustration, making him think she’d rather slap him than have to rely on him for anything during her time in Ido. She probably thought Lacey was crazy for putting her trust in him. At least they were on the same page with regard to that.
“Jasper told me he was trying to get the square ready for our kickoff celebration tonight. It seems you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We hope you won’t hold that against us.”
“Of course not.” Delilah’s perfect pink lips split into a smile she directed at Lacey.
“Fantastic. Jasper, could you run through the schedule for tonight to make sure Ms. Stone knows what to expect?” Lacey clasped her hands in front of her and settled against the back of her chair.
“Sure.” He pulled a small spiral notebook out of his back pocket. When he’d offered to help, he and Lacey had come up with a timeline for the kickoff celebration. “We plan on starting with the high school band. They’ve got a new number they’ve been working on for the homecoming game. Then we’ll have Mayor Cherish say a few words to welcome you to town. Do you have something prepared that you’d like to say to the townspeople?”
“I’d love to thank everyone for their hospitality.” Delilah crossed her left leg over her right, putting her slim ankle and hot-pink high heel directly in his line of vision.
His gaze snaked up her leg from her heel to a shapely calf. He tilted his head to the side, trying to shake off the uncomfortable warmth that suddenly flushed across his chest.
“Jasper?” Lacey prompted.
“Right.” He dragged his attention away from Delilah’s leg and skimmed his chicken-scratched notes. “Then we have time for a meet and greet. Just a chance for the townspeople to get to know you and for you to know them. We’ll have cupcakes and cookies and maybe a little more music. Whole thing should only last about an hour. We figured you’d be tired after just getting to town so we didn’t want to wear you out on your first night.”
“That sounds just fine.” Delilah graced him with a superficial smile. “Where would you like me to set up camp? I was told there would be a place for me to hook up my trailer to water and electricity?”
Lacey had put him in charge of that. Problem was, they didn’t have any public campgrounds in the general vicinity. Not unless they wanted to put her up out at the state park forty-five minutes away.
“I’ve got two options for you. Either you can park in the lot of one of our local establishments, or my family would be happy to host you out at Taylor Farms.”
“Taylor Farms?” Delilah asked. She turned her attention on him, her eyes sparking with just a hint of heat. “Didn’t you say your last name was Taylor?”
“Yes.” He fidgeted with the edge of the spiral notebook paper. “Unfortunately we don’t have a public campground within city limits. But Helmut, the proprietor of the Burger Bonanza, offered up a spot in his back parking lot. Said he’d be willing to run water and power out so you’d be set. Otherwise my family owns land just outside of town, and I expect you’d be quite comfortable there as well.”
Lacey must have sensed the need to intervene. “Either way, your comfort is our main concern.”
Delilah glanced back and forth between them. “I’d love to get a real feel for the town. Perhaps somewhere more centrally located would be best.”
“Absolutely.” Jasper’s chest loosened. Having her hunker down in the Burger Bonanza lot would be more than fine with him. After his rocky first impression, there was no telling how bad he might botch things if she parked her trailer on his land.
“Is there anything else we need to go over today?” Delilah asked.
“No, ma’am.” As Jasper stood, he wiped his clammy palm across his jeans. “I can show you over to the Burger Bonanza and introduce you to the owner, Helmut Schmidt, if you’d like.”
“Thank you, I’d appreciate it.” Delilah got to her feet.
In heels she stood just a few inches shorter than him. He hadn’t had a chance to fully appreciate Miss Lovin’ Texas’s physique between hosing her down and tracking her into city hall. She was slim, but not downright skinny. She’d changed into a different skirt that showed off her legs. Her shirt tucked in at her narrow waist and he couldn’t help but notice the way her hips flared. Damn, that’s all he needed was to have to spend the next thirty days with the blond bombshell. He’d probably end up with a
chronic case of blue balls.
Lacey stood behind the desk. “I trust Jasper can take it from here. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything during your stay. We’re thrilled to be considered for the title of most romantic small town in Texas. It would be a huge boost to our economy.”
Delilah nodded. Jasper knew how important this was to Mayor Cherish—how important it was to the whole town, including his family’s business. Even though they’d gotten off on a rather rocky foot, he’d do his best to ensure he got her settled without any further screwups. Then he’d come back to set Lacey straight. She had to find someone else to take the lead on this, at least if she wanted any chance of pulling it off.
“Right this way, Ms. Stone.” Jasper gestured for her to walk ahead of him toward the door. As she moved past, he turned to give Mayor Cherish a look that begged her to let him off the hook.
But Lacey didn’t flinch. She stood behind her desk, her arms crossed, a confident smile on her lips, as if to prove they were now in this together.
He wanted to shake some sense into her, but that would have to wait until later. So he pulled his baseball cap down over his brow and caught up to Delilah. The only way he was going to survive the next few hours was by catering to her every need.
four
Delilah held herself together as she followed Jasper through the small downtown area. She’d already seen enough to convince her there was no way Ido would be able to compete with the likes of Hartwood. They may as well call the contest and award the title now. For a moment she let herself think back to her arrival. Even if the dense hospitality host hadn’t soaked her through with a hose, it still wouldn’t change her opinion of the tiny southeast Texas town.
He slowed and turned on his blinker as a big neon sign reading burger bonanza came into view on her left. Thank goodness Stella wasn’t with her now. Her mother would blow her top at the thought of living in a local dive’s parking lot. Jasper pulled into a parking spot and directed her to the back corner of the empty lot. She brought the truck to a stop and killed the engine.
He met her as she climbed down from the truck. “How’s it handle?”
“Excuse me?”
“The truck. Looks like it’s got a Hemi under the hood.” He patted the front side panel of the truck.
She moved toward the rear of the truck so she could disconnect the trailer. “I suppose it’s all right.”
“Here, let me help you with that.” Jasper reached for the hitch.
Glad to have someone else willing to get their hands dirty, she stepped back and watched while he quickly unhitched the trailer and got it leveled. She hadn’t given the man much more than a quick glance when they first met. Granted, he’d been standing behind the hose that drenched her, and then lying on the ground almost getting a good glimpse at her panties.
But now, as he knelt in front of her, she couldn’t help but appreciate the way his muscles bulged under his T-shirt with the effort of getting her trailer situated. Strong hands made quick business of the lock. A well-worn baseball cap tried to tame his hair. It must have been a bit too long based on the way it curled up under the edges. Strong jaw, just a hint of scruff. Obviously he was the kind of man who didn’t shy away from working with his hands.
She pulled her shirt away from her skin in an effort to get some air moving. The past two towns she’d worked with had assigned a slick public relations rep and a matronly mayor’s wife as her contacts. In both cases, they’d been women. But man, Jasper was all man. He bent down in front of her to unhook the electrical, and she couldn’t help but notice the formfitting jeans that clung to his assets.
“Do you think I can grab a glass of tea or something inside?” she asked. Even though it was already the last day of September, the heat hadn’t let up its grip.
“I’ll be done with this in just a minute.” He stood, wiping his hands on a bandanna he’d pulled out of one of his pockets. “Why don’t I take you inside and introduce you to Helmut? I want to make sure I’ve got you all hooked up before I leave.”
Hooked up. She had no business thinking about hookups or getting hooked up. Not while she was representing the Texas tourism board. Besides, Jasper Taylor wasn’t her type. She preferred someone who knew how to wear a suit, who shaved at least once a day, who had the polish and professional mannerisms to handle any situation. Not a wall of muscle who seemed to have a penchant for four-letter words and a smile that had probably deprived many local women of their panties.
“Thank you.” Delilah took the keys he handed back to her, and slipped them into her purse.
“Right this way.” Jasper ambled toward the door to the restaurant. “Are you hungry? I wasn’t sure if you’d had lunch yet or might be in the mood for a Banzai Burger.”
“Oh, I’m a vegetarian.” She smiled as he held the door open for her.
“A vegetarian?” His eyebrows lifted. “I wouldn’t necessarily mention that to Helmut.”
“And why’s that?” She stopped at the hostess stand. It was like she’d stepped back to the early seventies. Fake wood paneling covered the walls. The flooring looked like the kind of commercial tile she’d had in her junior high lunchroom, and the light fixtures were a mix of orange and avocado green.
“Helmut doesn’t understand some things.”
“Being a vegetarian isn’t exactly uncommon.”
“Yeah, well, neither is global warming but he hasn’t acknowledged that either.” Jasper picked two menus from the stand. “Where would you like to sit? Best table in the house is in the kitchen.”
“I’m fine, really.” The smell of fried meat had pretty much killed her appetite when she walked in. If she could exchange some pleasantries with the owner, she’d be able to get settled in the trailer and start getting ready for the kickoff party tonight. “Can we see about getting my power and water hooked up? I ate when I stopped for gas and I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Sure.” Jasper put the menus back. “Wait here a sec?”
She nodded, more than willing to stay put.
He moved through the tables toward a set of swinging doors. Delilah used the opportunity to gather her bearings. Not a single customer sat in the dated restaurant. If this was the best they had to offer, there wasn’t anything romantic about it at all.
“Ms. Stone.” A bear of a man strutted toward her from the kitchen, followed by Jasper. “I’m Helmut Schmidt. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine. Thank you so much for hosting me while I’m here in town.” She forced a grin as he handed her a tall glass full of iced tea. She’d barely set it on the counter when he reached two heavily tattooed hands toward hers.
“Of course.” His hands wrapped around hers as a smile spread over his lips. “I’m happy to help.”
“Ms. Stone already pulled up in back. If you can show me where the electrical and water hookups are, I’ll make sure she’s set before I head back to the square. I’ve still got a few things to do before she joins us for the kickoff.” Jasper used his thumb to point toward the parking lot.
Helmut nodded as he let go of her hands. “I’d be happy to. But first, have you eaten? Ido’s known for my Banzai Burgers. I can fix up a platter with fried onions and a side of wings. You look like you could stand to put on a few pounds.”
Delilah bristled. She was used to people making comments about her appearance—it came with the territory. But this was the first time someone had seemed so eager to fatten her up. “Thank you, but I ate on the road, besides, I’m a—”
“Little tired,” Jasper interjected. “She needs to rest up to be ready for tonight.”
She turned her glare on Jasper. “That’s not—”
“The hookups?” Jasper asked.
“Of course.” Helmut walked back through the restaurant to the kitchen.
Delilah grabbed her tea and followed.
She glanced over her shoulder to where Jasper trailed behind them. “What was that about?”
“Can we hold off on telling him you don’t eat meat? Maybe until you leave town again?”
“Are you serious?”
Jasper shrugged. “Unless you have some moral obligation to let everyone in town know. I think it would make things easier with Helmut. He has pretty strong feelings about the beef industry.”
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes. Nothing in Ido seemed to make sense. How did they even place fourth in the contest? So far, compared to the other two towns, they seemed the most backward, the most odd.
Jasper let out a breath. “Thanks. Now let’s see what we need to do to get you a hookup.”
She followed him out the back door and into the sun where Helmut stood, a long orange extension cord in hand.
“Hey, Jasper, we seem to have a problem.”
* * *
* * *
Jasper wiped his bandanna across his forehead. Not even an hour into his unwanted new job as hospitality host, and he was already drowning. There was no way he’d be able to survive the next twenty-nine days as acting yes-man to the beauty queen. She was nice enough on the surface, but he’d already failed twice. First, because of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding their initial meeting. Next, because of his inability to get power rigged to her small camper trailer.
When Helmut said she could park in his lot, he didn’t mention that the electrical on his restaurant hadn’t been updated in over fifty years. As soon as they plugged the trailer in, the fuse blew, and the Burger Bonanza went dark. Now he had a pissed-off restaurant owner plus a bedraggled beauty queen on his hands. And both were looking to him for a fix.
“How about you grab your stuff and I can drive you out to my place so you can get ready for tonight?” Jasper turned to face Delilah. “I’d offer you a room at the Sleep Tight Inn but there’s a big wedding this weekend and Lacey said they’re all booked up.”
