Pumpkins, Cowboys & Guitars

by Patti Ann Colt

  His mom hugged Jess, too, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “We’re a lucky family.”

  “Yes, we are, Mom. Thanks for everything.” Jess kissed her cheek.

  Shane reached in his pocket and turned off the sound on his cell phone and checked for messages. He had a text from Kendra which he couldn’t answer at the moment and guilt pressed on him.

  “Let’s go.” Jess grabbed his arm and propelled him forward. Shane dropped his phone back in his pocket.

  Jess, Shane and the minister walked through the now empty family room. The temperature outside was still sweltering, but a slight breeze had come up. The end of “Keeper of the Stars” was playing as they made their way around the edge of the patio to the gazebo.

  Reba McEntire’s “I’ll Be” began as his parents walked down the aisle to their seats in the front, greeting and thanking friends and family as they went. For a flash of a moment, Shane missed his grandparents, wishing for their solid presence, too.

  Diana stepped from the back door. She took her time, in no hurry to traverse the twenty-five feet to the gazebo. She gave a thumbs up to Jess and found her place on the opposite side.

  “Never Alone” started and Nick stepped out of the doorway. He surveyed the crowd for a minute. Amy Rose stood behind him in the dimness of the house. Finally, Nick moved aside and took her hand, guiding her from the darkness into the sunlight.

  The strapless, white satin gown hugged her curves. The bodice and gown were overlaid with embroidered lace and sequin rhinestones in a delicate pattern Shane couldn’t even begin to describe. She’d swept her hair up in some kind of braid and centered a tiara in the mass. Her veil draped down her back. Her grandmother’s teardrop diamond earrings had been in Jess’s safe, thank God, and not gobbled by the beastly fire. The diamond heart necklace Jess had given her just days before glittered in the sunlight. She juggled the bouquet of orange and yellow roses and Nick reached to steady her.

  She gave him a tremulous smile. He whispered something to her and she smiled. He took her hand and entwined their arms and started down the aisle.

  Jess had tears in his eyes and the same stunned expression on his face that he’d had in tenth grade. Shane reached out a hand to steady him. He was oblivious to everyone except Amy Rose, who moved toward Jess with tears in her own eyes.

  Nick took his time, leading her one step at a time toward Jess. He reached Jess and leaned to kiss Amy Rose’s temple. “Be good to her, Jess.”

  Jess swallowed hard. “Always.”

  Jess cupped her face and put his forehead to hers. “Let’s do this.”

  Amy Rose nodded. They moved to the minister.

  “Dearly beloved…”

  Shane listened to the two of say their vows and took a deep breath to hear the modified “in truth and in trust” they had added to the words. It was like taking a knife in the heart. He forced himself to shove his situation to the back of his mind and handed off the ring at the right moment.

  When the minister pronounced them man and wife and asked Jess to kiss the bride, he did so with pure loving enthusiasm.

  When they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, the celebration started with hooting and hollering that must have been heard five ranches over.

  They ate and danced, they hugged and teased. They cut cake and toasted, they told stories and pampered Amy Rose. When the photographer arranged all twenty-three O’Hares and Delaneys around Jess and Amy Rose for a family portrait, Shane wished like hell Kendra was there.

  Truth and trust.

  He’d betrayed one and had no confidence the other would be forthcoming.

  He didn’t deserve it.

  But when you loved someone – and he loved Kendra – you had to believe there was a way to work it out.

  Flaws, lies and the past couldn’t stand up against truth, trust and love.

  Jess and Amy Rose made their getaway. Shane stayed behind to help clean up. By two a.m., he wanted to get home to Kendra and fall in bed beside her.

  He got a fire call for backup instead.

  ∞∞∞ ∞∞∞

  CHAPTER NINE

  Kendra hadn’t seen Shane for three days and it was starting to rile her a tad. Not his fault. The sex need hammered at her. The getting used to having a man around and then he wasn’t around punched at her. Oh, she knew he was on a fire, had in fact been loaned over to Palo Pinto county for a major wildfire. She’d had text messages. She’d had two phone calls, one she’d missed to her complete and utter devastation. She’d played that voicemail over and over like a love crazy woman. Still did.

  She parked her car in the Low Down parking lot, twisted the air conditioning vent to blow on her face and took a deep breath. Sully Johnson had told her Tuesday to check on whether he’d take more of her desserts and she had her fingers crossed. Getting in with a few restaurants would steady her income considerably. She’d picked three of the closest to try. The Low Down, of the three, did the most business as far as she could tell. If this didn’t pan out, she was going to have to branch out and go further into the metroplex area of Dallas-Fort Worth, which meant more driving and less baking.

  She got out of her car with her briefcase and battled back her nervous stomach. It was a little before lunch hour, so she was hoping it was a good time to have a business discussion. She had the bottom line figures she could afford to sell for and was hoping at the least he’d be willing to display her business advertisement.

  She squared her shoulders, adjusted her white tailored blouse, wiped her hands on her navy blue slacks and walked through the doors. Only a few tables were occupied and Sully was sitting at a back table with a man and woman. The man seemed vaguely familiar, but Kendra couldn’t figure out why. She’d certainly never met him.

  Not wanting to barge in on their conversation, Kendra went to the bar and asked the bartender if she could speak with Sully. The woman went from behind the bar to the table and whispered to him.

  Sully waved at Kendra and had her come to the table. “Thanks, Fancy. Hi, Kendra.”

  “I came to see what you thought.”

  “I’m sold out. People loved them, especially knucklehead here.”

  The dark-haired man grinned. “Are your referring to me?”

  The woman’s eyes glanced from one man to the other and then shoved away an almost full salad plate. “Did I miss something?”

  Sully took the woman’s hand. “No. We had Kendra’s desserts for the bachelor party.”

  The man paused in his next bite. “Kendra?”

  “Yes, Kendra Dawson. Getaway Cakes.” She offered her hand, not sure what was going on, but if more business was involved, she was going to put her best manners forward.

  The man rose and shook her hand. “I’m Jess, and this is Amy Rose, and yes, I enjoyed your desserts.”

  “Thank you. Glad you liked it.” Jess’s handshake reminded her of Shane, same callused hands, same courtly, gentle handling of her hand.

  Sully rose to his feet. “Well, your desserts were such a hit that I think you and I should have a business conversation in my office. Do you think you could supply a daily range of desserts?”

  Kendra wanted to cartwheel across the restaurant. “Yes, I would be thrilled to arrange that.”

  “Let’s go to my office then.” He pointed the way to hallway past the kitchen.

  “It was nice meeting you, Jess, Amy Rose. I hope I’ll see you again.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we will.”

  Sully gave Jess a puzzled look, one that was similar to what she was thinking and couldn’t show. Why did he seem so familiar?

  She forgot the feeling immediately upon being handed Sully’s estimate of what he’d need to supply the restaurant with her desserts. “Five desserts every night?”

  “Yes. Can you give me an estimate?”

  She lifted her briefcase and removed her calculator. “What time would delivery be?

  Sully leaned back in his chair. “I’d need them by nine a.m. We op
en for lunch at 10:30. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, most will be fresh, baked that morning.” She’d have to move back her timing and get up at three instead. Her fingers flew across the calculator, but her head had already done the math. She could pay most of her bills with this one contract.

  She wrote down the figure and handed the sheet back to Sully, hoping like hell she hadn’t overpriced herself.

  He glanced at the figures, did his own math and smiled. “I think this is doable.”

  “Can I throw a dessert in every now and then as an experiment, a special if you will?”

  “Sure, give me a heads up.”

  He handed her a clipboard. “I need a bit of information for my records. Where’s your business located?”

  Her hopes sagged. “I work out of my house right now. Don’t worry. I have a business license and my food handler’s license.”

  “I’ll need copies of those.”

  Fortunately, she’d anticipated such a request. She pulled a folder from her briefcase and pulled out the documents and handed them to Sully with her business card. Hope soared again until she was almost giddy.

  Sully took the documents and turned around to the copy machine. “Don’t suppose you could deliver any today for dinner.”

  Kendra did a quick calculation. If she stopped at the grocery store on the way home and baked like a demon, she could be back here by three. “Sure. I can deliver right before the dinner hour.”

  Sully grinned and held out a hand. “Excellent. We have a deal, Ms. Dawson.”

  Kendra rose. “Kendra, please. Thank you, so much.”

  They discussed the payment arrangements and then Sully walked her to the door of the restaurant. “We’ll see you around three-thirty then?”

  “Yes, I’ll be back.” She contained a skip all the way to her car, but nothing could stop the big hoot she gave when closed in her car and no one could see.

  ∞∞∞∞

  Jess bit into his hamburger and worried. Amy Rose was ignoring her chicken sandwich in favor of crackers. She was pale with blue circles under her eyes and damned if he didn’t wish he’d been able to talk her out of going to the burned out shell of her house today.

  “Quit worrying. I’m fine.” She crumbled another cracker to dust.

  “You are not fine. Gorgeous, but not fine.” He reached for her, rubbing her neck. “I’m sorry. I know you were hoping there would be something left.”

  Tears hovered and she took a deep breath. She reached for his hand. “I was hoping, but it was not to be. So, we look forward. Doctor appointment this afternoon, and if she doesn’t do something about this morning sickness, I’m going to blame you until this child is at least forty.”

  Jess raised her fingers to kiss them. “Only forty years? That’s not too bad.”

  “You’ll think so, mister.” She took another cracker and closed her eyes.

  Jess glanced around the restaurant and noted Kendra and Sully walking to the door. He guessed Sully must have hired her to supply the desserts for the restaurant judging by the smile on her face. Jess eyed the woman. Great figure, long legs, and beautiful eyes, in a “she’s not the love of my life” impartial assessment.

  Amy Rose followed the direction of his gaze. “You want to tell me what your comments to her were all about?”

  He debated for a millisecond, then caved. Amy Rose needed a distraction. “That, my love, is Shane’s girlfriend.”

  “What?” Amy Rose stared back at the doorway, catching a final glimpse of the woman before she went out the door. “I didn’t know Shane had a girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, for over two months now. Doesn’t want anyone to know.”

  Amy huffed and shifted to look at him directly. “Why in the world not?”

  “Not sure.”

  Sully came to the table, sipping on a drink. “What was all that weird “I’m sure I will” stuff earlier?”

  Jess struggled hard against keeping Shane’s confidence. Telling his wife was one thing, but telling one cousin usually resulted in the whole damn family knowing. “You have to swear to not tell a soul.”

  Sully screwed up his face. “Can’t swear unless I know what I’m swearing.”

  Jess sighed. “That’s Shane’s girlfriend.”

  Confusion crossed his face, and he turned back to look at the doorway where Kendra had been, too. He swiveled back around to Jess. “Kendra Dawson is Shane’s girlfriend? Are you sure?”

  “I’ve known her first name for quite a while and I know she’s a pastry chef. Two plus two generally equals four.” Jess reached for Amy Rose’s hand.

  Suspicion clouded Sully’s face. “Then you haven’t met her?”

  Jess tamped down the irritation at Shane and the whole conversation. “No and you can’t say anything to her or anyone else. It’s Shane’s job to break the news. And take the consequences.”

  Sully leaned closer to Jess and lowered his voice. “Is he digging himself a hole here or what?”

  Amy Rose took a drink of her tea. “Your mother is going to kill him.”

  “Two things I totally agree with. He asked to talk to me Saturday before the wedding, but then he got sent to this damn fire.”

  Sully slid into the booth. “What exactly is the deal with him? He hasn’t been himself for quite some time.”

  “This I know. I was hoping to find out, but we’re going to have to wait until he gets back. Promise me, both of you, to quiet on this. He must have a reason.”

  Amy Rose broke a cracker and nibbled. “Well, I’m not likely to see her again to chit chat. God, have you known all this time?”

  Jess cringed, waiting for the fallout from his own wife. “Since he met her, yeah. Came to the barn one day with a look on his face much like the one I assume I had when I met you.” Jess leaned over and kissed Amy Rose. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”

  “I’m your wife. Secrets are a no-go, remember?”

  He reached for her hand. “Hmmm, then you want to tell me what the hell was going on between Peyton and Diana at the wedding?”

  “What?” Sully turned to Amy Rose, too.

  She squirmed in her seat. “Uh, that would be a no. I promised.”

  “I’m obviously out of the loop on everything here.” Sully rose and took his glass. “Maybe the kitchen needs me for something.”

  “No blabbing.”

  “I understand how the family rumor mill works as well as you, Jess. But when I see Shane, I am kicking his ass. Just saying.” Sully huffed off.

  “Well, Mrs. O’Hare, should we go visit the doctor and see if we can get Tex to settle down there?”

  “I told you, it’s a girl. And yes. Let’s.”

  Jess left some bills on the table and helped Amy Rose stand. “I would not want to be Shane when Kendra finds out.”

  Amy Rose took his arm. “I might kick him myself.”

  He laid a hand over hers. “That I want to watch.”

  ∞∞∞∞

  Shane stood under the hot water in Kendra’s shower and scrubbed, feeling like soot was embedded in every pore. He’d let himself in with the spare key she had given him. He only had a twelve hour break and he was supposed to be sleeping. But he had to see her. He felt like time was slipping away that he could never get back.

  She wasn’t home.

  The need for sleep was dragging on him. The need to confess tied him in knots and rubbed him raw in places already too sore to survive. Fighting fire he didn’t have time to think. Bone tired exhausted from fighting fire left too many defenses down, defenses he needed to keep things intact until he could explain to Kendra in heartfelt, apologetic words so she’d understand the guilt he felt about Bill and the tragic mistake he made. Words he hadn’t figured out yet.

  He rinsed shampoo out of his hair and let the spray beat on his sore shoulders and back. He had bruises up his legs from shovel work constructing fire lines and the fire was by no means contained.

  He flicked off the water, pulled back
the curtain and grabbed a towel. “Not even a strong cup of coffee is going to keep me awake. Where is she?”

  He hadn’t any more than said the words when the front door opened and banged shut. “Shane?”

  He opened the bathroom door. “In here.” He hurriedly toweled off and slipped into a pair of navy fire department shorts.

  They met in the hallway.

  He reached for her. She jumped into his arms. “You’re home!”

  Indeed. He was home. He kissed her, taking his time to savor the shape of her mouth, the complete open vulnerable taste of her. “God, I missed you.”

  “Are you back for good?” Her mouth cruised from his mouth across to his face to below his ear.

  Need surged. “No, on a break. I’m supposed to be sleeping.”

  Kendra slid to her feet and checked her watch. “God, I wish I had time to lay down with you. But I have the best news.” She led him down the hall to the bedroom.

  “Do tell?” He sat down on the edge of the bed and fell back, pulling her with him.

  “I got my first major contract for my business today. Five desserts every day for lunch and dinner at the Low Down Restaurant and Saloon. It’s going to pay my bills in a major way. Do you know where that is? 407 and Copper Canyon?”

  “Yeah, I play poker there.” And the owner there is my cousin, who could blab my entire life’s history to you. Shit. Shit. Shit. “Congratulations. You deserve it.” He leaned up and kissed her, letting his hands slip to her butt in an effort to distract her.

  She broke away. “God, I want to celebrate with you, but first I have a ton of baking, because I promised Sully – that’s Sully Johnson, the owner – that I’d have the first round of desserts there for the dinner hour.”

  Good God.

  “I have to sleep, honey. I’m due back at the fire in a few hours.”

  “When do you have to leave?”

  “Six.”

  “Well, I told Sully I’d have the desserts there at three-thirty. You sleep and I’ll wake you up after my delivery. How about that?” Her hands slid over his torso in a smooth glide.