by Dylann Crush
Jasper thought back to the year his high school football team lost the division title to Swynton. Some of the guys wanted to head across the river and interfere with their parade. Coach had pretty much told them the same thing. Winning was great, but showing that you could handle a loss said more about a person’s character.
“I think you’re right.” He lifted his hand from her waist and twirled her around before nestling her against his chest.
“Where did you learn how to dance so well?”
“You’ll laugh if I tell you.”
“No, I won’t. I promise.” She crossed her heart with her fingertip.
He had to tear his gaze away from the spot where her finger connected with her chest. “My aunt Suzy used to make me take her to the Friday night fish fry down at the VFW. They always had music playing after dinner and my uncle Gus refused to dance with her, so she paid me.”
Delilah’s eyes widened and her lips quirked up. “How old were you?”
“Middle school. Probably thirteen or fourteen. Dancing with Aunt Suzy paid better than helping my dad around the orchard. Plus, it got me out of the house for a little while. Gave me something to do besides go looking for trouble.”
“You don’t seem like much of a troublemaker.” Her hand tightened on his shoulder.
He hadn’t been much of a troublemaker at all. Not like his older brother. Thinking about Colin was one way to wring the fun out of a night.
“You okay?” Delilah’s voice drew him back to the present.
“Yeah. It’s getting late though. You ready to turn in for the night? Tomorrow’s a big day . . . your first day in town.”
She let her hand fall from his shoulder. He immediately missed her touch. He offered his elbow and she wrapped her hand around it as he led her back to the table, where Adeline and Lacey were caught in some kind of a glare-down.
Lacey looked up as they approached. “Jasper, would you like to walk Adeline to her truck? I want to make sure she doesn’t have any trouble finding her way out of town.”
“I was just leaving.” Adeline pushed the chair back from the table. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Stone.”
Delilah’s lips curved into a tight smile. “It was nice to meet you, too, and I can assure you, I’m quite comfortable here in Ido.”
Score one for the beauty queen. Jasper gestured for Adeline to walk ahead of him. He didn’t dare touch her. Men had been turned to stone in her presence for far less. “Shall we?”
“We wouldn’t make you park in the back of a greasy burger joint if you were our guest.” Adeline backed away, her cheeks flushing.
Jasper wondered how Adeline knew where Delilah’s trailer had been set up. He didn’t know what she was up to, but he was concerned about her next move. Adeline wasn’t a woman who liked to lose. He’d heard stories about her recent rivalry with Mayor Cherish. She’d even started up her own wedding-planning business across the river in an effort to beat out Lacey when she’d transformed the town. She wouldn’t let anything stand in her way of besting her old rival, even if it meant trashing Swynton in the process.
“Does your dad know you’re out here causing trouble?” Jasper muttered as the two of them walked away from the crowd.
“Who do you think told me what was going on over here?” She turned on him, her hands clamped to her hips. “Y’all don’t deserve this title. You don’t even deserve to be in the running, and I’m going to see to it that you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of bringing home the win.”
“Snowball’s chance in hell, huh?” Jasper gritted his teeth.
“That’s right. You disagree?”
“I’d say if anyone has a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this title it would be the town who managed to create a whole winter wonderland wedding last summer, wouldn’t you?”
Adeline let out a huff. “We’ll see about that. I’d suggest you keep your eyes and ears open, Jasper.”
“And why’s that?” He could handle a little friendly across-the-river competition, but if Adeline wanted to start slinging threats, she’d best be prepared for the fallout.
“Because I’m going to be waiting for you to screw up. And when you do, I’ll be there to turn Miss Lovin’ Texas’s eye where it belongs—on Swynton.”
Jasper waited until he was sure Adeline had gotten in her truck and was well on her way to hauling ass back across the river before he rejoined Delilah. He wouldn’t put it past Adeline to stoop to low levels to turn things her way. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d tried to derail him. He was already unsure enough about his involvement in this crazy competition. Knowing Adeline would be waiting for him to slip up put an extra heaping helping of pressure on his already overburdened shoulders.
“Sorry about that.” He stepped to the table where Lacey had engaged Delilah in what appeared to be some lighthearted conversation.
“Did Ms. Monroe-Hawk make it to her truck okay?” Lacey smiled, her halfhearted grin barely covering her disdain for Adeline’s antics.
“Seems so. Ms. Stone, I know you’ve had a long day. Are you ready to go?”
“I would like to turn in early. What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Delilah glanced back and forth between him and Lacey.
Hell, he had no idea what her schedule entailed. All he knew was that he was the one who’d be ferrying her around and making sure she got the most picture-perfect impressions of life in their little town.
Lacey pulled a thick binder out of her diaper bag. “I’ve taken the liberty of putting it all in here. I’m hosting an intimate brunch with the ladies’ group tomorrow morning to let you settle in and get your bearings. Then Jasper will take you on a tour of town in the afternoon. Ortega’s has planned a special dinner tomorrow night.”
“That sounds lovely.” Delilah stood and pushed her chair back in. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
Lacey held baby P’s hand in hers and waved. “Have a good night.”
Jasper gestured for Delilah to go ahead of him. One night down, twenty-nine more to go.
seven
The next morning Delilah woke to an odd smell. She checked to make sure the windows were closed, and flipped the small portable air conditioner on high to circulate the air. It didn’t help.
She peeked through the pink-and-white-gingham curtains toward the back of the Burger Bonanza. The parking lot was full, at least a dozen pickup trucks parked in a giant circle, and Helmut stood in the center of them all, in front of a huge contraption. Smoke poured from the sides as he lifted the lid. What in the world was going on?
She didn’t dare leave the trailer without looking her Miss Lovin’ Texas best. By the time she showered and got herself fixed up, half the trucks had left the lot. Jasper wouldn’t be picking her up for another thirty minutes, so she pulled her sash on over her head and pushed the door open wide.
“Good morning.” Helmut lifted a spatula in a wave. “Fine day we’ve got in store for us.”
Delilah slid her sunglasses on, trying to shield her eyes from the bright sun. “Good morning. Is there a party going on?”
“You could say that.” Helmut gestured to the men who remained. Most of them sat in camping chairs, forming a lopsided circle around him. “Once a month we get together for Smoker Saturdays. Today’s your lucky day, Ms. Stone. Care for some fresh smoked catfish for breakfast?”
Her stomach pitched. “No thank you. I’m headed to a brunch Mayor Cherish organized. Is there somewhere I can grab a quick cup of coffee?”
“Of course. Just head inside and Jojo will help you out.”
“Thank you.” She pressed her hand against her stomach and crossed the parking lot, taking care to give Helmut and his giant smoker a wide berth. By the time she reached the door to the restaurant, the smell of mesquite and fish seemed to coat her in a fine layer. Maybe she should take Jasper up on his
offer to move the trailer outside of town. Otherwise she might put off the good folks of Ido by sheer smell alone.
“There you are.” Jasper smiled as he rose from his perch on a stool at the counter.
The sight of him made her heart beat faster. She’d enjoyed spending time with him the night before, especially learning more about his family and getting a chance to nestle against his chest on the dance floor.
“I came in search of coffee.” She slid onto the stool next to him.
“Jojo, can we get a coffee for Ms. Stone?” he asked.
The waitress nodded and poured her a cup.
“Please call me Delilah. And are you early or am I running late?”
“We’ve got some time before we head over to Lacey’s.” He leaned an elbow on the counter and focused his warm brownish-green eyes on her while Jojo filled a cup. “Everything go okay last night?”
“It was fine.” It usually took her a few nights in a new place before she could sleep through the night. Last night she’d fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but woken up around two to the sound of a couple of dogs getting into it in the lot behind the restaurant.
“Just fine?” Jasper eyed her over the rim of his mug. “Nobody bothered you, did they?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I think there were a couple of stray dogs nosing around. That’s all.”
“You sure you don’t want to move out to the country? It would be a hell of a lot quieter.”
And a hell of a lot closer to him. Not that it would be a problem. Jasper was polite and charismatic and definitely knew his way around a dance floor, but she wasn’t interested in him like that. She didn’t plan to get involved with a man until she and Stella had the new business established. After she got through the contest and her time as Miss Lovin’ Texas was up, of course.
“I think I’ll be fine here. The catfish thing is only one day, right?”
Jasper chuckled as he set down his mug. “Once a month. Sorry about that. I completely forgot to warn you.”
“That’s okay. Hopefully, my hair hasn’t absorbed the smell. It was pretty strong when I woke up this morning.”
Jasper leaned close, invading her personal space, and nudged his nose into her hair. Her skin pebbled at the unexpected gesture, and time seemed to stand still as he took in a long breath.
“I think you’re good.” He sat up, finished his coffee, and pulled out his wallet.
“No fish smell?”
“Not even close.”
She held a hunk of hair to her nose and took in a whiff. “Are you sure?”
He swiveled on his stool to face her and put a hand on her shoulder. An awareness thrummed through her, making her chest tighten. The feeling only increased as his face drew close to hers. She kept her gaze on his lips, bracing herself as the tip of his tongue poked out. Her lips parted and her eyes drifted closed. He was going to kiss her; she could feel it in the marrow of her bones.
But then his nose nudged into her hair again, his breath warm on her ear. “You smell like lemons. And something flowery.”
“Lavender,” she whispered, her hand coming up to circle his wrist.
“Mmm.” He inhaled. “Yeah, lavender.”
“Ahem.” Jojo cleared her throat, and they broke contact. “You need change?”
“No, we’re good.” Jasper’s hand dropped and he faced forward, his eyes on the handwritten tab. “Lacey’s expecting you. Are you ready to get going?”
Delilah nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her reaction to Jasper’s touch had caught her off guard. And she wasn’t a woman who dealt well with surprises. Seemed like he didn’t want to acknowledge the heat that had sparked between them, so neither would she.
“Let me go lock up the trailer. Can I meet you by your truck?”
He rubbed a palm across the back of his neck. “Sure. I’ll meet you outside in a few.”
Good. She’d have a few minutes to pull herself together.
“Thanks, Jojo.” Jasper got up from his stool and headed toward the back of the restaurant.
Delilah sat there for a long moment, trying to collect herself.
“You want more coffee?” Jojo cocked a hip against the counter, the pot of coffee in hand.
“No, thank you.” She reached for her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder as she stood.
“He’s a real catch, that one.” Jojo looped her finger through the mugs and lifted them off the counter.
“Who, Jasper?”
“That’s right. Poor guy got dumped pretty hard a couple of years ago. Everyone expected them to get married but then she showed up in town, a new fiancé in tow. If you ask me, I’m surprised he agreed to work on the wedding stuff. But then again, no one asks me anything, so there you go.”
“Who would do such a thing?”
Jojo shrugged. “Someone not in their right mind. But I suppose that’s one way to describe Adeline Monroe.”
Delilah made a career out of keeping her emotions in check. But when Jojo dropped Adeline’s name, her jaw might as well have dropped to the floor. “Jasper used to date Adeline?”
“You didn’t hear it from me.” Jojo disappeared through the swinging doors leading to the kitchen.
Delilah didn’t want to be standing there when Jasper came back, so she made a dash toward the door. The crowd in the parking lot had doubled again. She returned Helmut’s wave as she made her way to the trailer.
By the time Jasper had pulled around to pick her up, she’d freshened up.
“You ready to meet the ladies of Ido?” Jasper rounded the truck to open the door for her.
“Is that what brunch is about?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so. Lacey hosts them once a month in an effort to stay in their good graces. She’d never hear the end of it if she deprived them of being some of the first to welcome you to town.”
Delilah had an inkling of what to expect. She’d been speaking at women’s groups and luncheons since she’d won her first big title. As her mother used to tell her all the time, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” She shouldn’t be surprised that Mayor Cherish was using her visit to impress some of her constituents.
“You ever get tired of it?” Jasper pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Helmut and his giant smoker behind. The air coming into the truck cab changed and the smell of the fresh outdoors tickled her nose.
“Tired of what?”
He glanced over at her before turning his attention back onto the road. “People using you.”
She let out a long breath. “Comes with the territory, I suppose. Besides, isn’t that what we all do?”
“What do you mean by that?” His hands tightened on the steering wheel, and she looked away.
“We all use each other in some way. Call it networking, or mentoring, or collaborating. But I think most people rely on others for a lot of their success.”
“I suppose.”
“Haven’t you ever used someone else to get ahead?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Well then, that makes you different than any man I’ve ever met.” She settled against the back of her seat, taking the tiniest bit of pleasure at the slight shock on his face.
Jasper didn’t say anything else until he brought the truck to a stop in front of a sprawling country home. A narrow porch stretched the entire length of the front, complete with two big rocking chairs and a miniature kid-sized one where Lacey’s son would probably sit someday.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She gave him a smile that was supposed to hold all of the confidence she didn’t feel as she climbed down from the truck and stepped onto the stamped concrete sidewalk.
The front door opened wide and Lacey stood just inside. “There you are. Welc
ome.”
“Thank you so much for having me.”
“My pleasure. Come on in, everyone’s so excited to meet you.” Lacey held out a hand and Delilah took it. “Hey, Jasper. Why don’t you come back in a couple of hours to pick her up?”
“You got it, boss.” He lifted his hand to wave.
Delilah glanced back as the door shut behind her, a small part of her wishing she were spending the morning with Jasper instead of being subjected to the fine ladies of Ido.
* * *
* * *
After Jasper left Delilah in Lacey’s care, he headed into town. He wanted to check on the power and water hookups at Helmut’s to make sure there wouldn’t be any additional issues. So far the generator Bodie provided had been working, but Helmut had someone coming out to take a look at the wiring. As he passed through the square on his way to the Burger Bonanza, his phone rang.
He hadn’t talked to his aunt Suzy since last night when she’d delivered Delilah to the kickoff event in a sidecar. “Hey, did you have fun last night?”
“You heard from your brother lately?”
“Which one?”
“Colin.”
His heart lurched. “No, why?”
As far as he knew, his brother was playing by the rules they’d set up. Rules they both agreed to the last time they’d seen each other in person.
“I’ve got a feeling.” Suzy let out a long-drawn-out breath. “I swear I saw his ghost while I was leaving the feed store over in Swynton.”
“Last I heard he was up in Amarillo. You really think it was him?” That’s all he needed was Colin coming back, especially right now. Nothing good ever came from him showing his face around town.
“I don’t know, but if it wasn’t him, he has one hell of a doppelgänger.”
“Did you try to talk to him?”
“No. I was loading my truck when I saw him drive by. Had to stop and get some of that fox pee they sell. Damn rabbits are eating all of my fall spinach.”
The tightness in his chest eased. “So, you’re not sure it was actually him?”
“Well, no. But it nearly gave me a heart attack. You don’t think he’d actually be stupid enough to come back, do you?”
