One Hot Daddy-To-Be?

by Christenberry, Judy

  He almost had her outside when Mac stopped them.

  “Cal, you comin’ tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow? In spite of the fact that he’d been attending the informal rodeos in the spring and fall for several years, it took a minute for Cal to comprehend what Mac was asking. “Yeah, I’ll be there, same as usual.”

  “Good. And we’ll finish our day at The Old Cantina, okay, Jess?”

  “Of course it’s okay. My profits would dip considerably if you guys switched to the Dairy Queen for your Saturday nights,” she said with a smile.

  Mac kissed her on the cheek before he headed toward his hostess to say goodbye.

  As they stepped outdoors, Spence joined them.

  “Going home alone?” Cal asked, frowning. “There were a lot of ladies here tonight.”

  “Yeah, and most of them are in love with you,” Spence returned, a grin on his face.

  “Not likely, Spence. See you tomorrow?”

  “Sure.” He leaned over to kiss Jessica’s cheek. “And we’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” he added.

  She smiled and nodded.

  After Cal joined her in the cab of his pickup, he complained. “My friends are awful free and easy with their kisses.”

  “Surely you’re not complaining about that, too?” she asked, laughing. “Next thing I know you’ll want to lock me in a glass case.”

  “Not wearing those clothes. I think you’d better burn them after you get home.”

  She frowned at him. “You really don’t like them?”

  “It’s not a question of liking. Any man would like them, but they send the wrong kind of message.”

  He felt her stare and turned to meet her gaze. Instead of compliance, she raised her eyebrows and murmured, “I think I should buy some more just like them.”

  “What?” he roared. “You can’t mean that.”

  “Cal, I’m twenty-seven, soon to be twenty-eight. I want to marry and have a family. Immaculate conception isn’t likely, so I need to find a man.” She turned and stared out the truck window.

  Cal sat dumbfounded. She’d mentioned something about getting on with her life, but he hadn’t really believed she meant to find a man. Another man in her life. “Maybe you need to give this idea some thought. You know, be sure you want to make these changes.”

  “I’ve thought. A long time. But it’s hard to find a man who isn’t intimidated by Cal Baxter, Sheriff.”

  “I said I’d set you up with some guys,” he said, noting that he sounded defensive. But he didn’t want everything to change. He didn’t want Jessica belonging to some other man. Nor did he want his friends married. His world seemed to be spinning out of control.

  “I think I have to make the choice myself, Cal,” she whispered.

  And risk making a big mistake, Cal thought. He’d been called out to more than a few domestic disturbances in Cactus.

  He sought desperately for something to distract Jessica. He didn’t want her to tell him to get lost. “Say, what did you want to tell me on the way home?”

  She stared at him, her eyes wide.

  “Don’t you remember? While we were dancing you said for me to remind you to tell me something.”

  “Uh, yes. It’s about your mother.”

  When she said nothing else, Cal, after coming to a stop in her driveway, shut off his engine and turned to look at her. “Well?”

  “Your mother has decided it’s time for you to marry.”

  “That stupid bet,” he muttered.

  “You know?” she asked in surprise.

  “Yeah, I know. Tuck’s mom told him. Actually, I think she tried to bribe him,” Cal said with a laugh. “Anyway, he told all of us. Don’t worry. We’re not going to cooperate.” He grinned at Jessica, sure he’d relieved her anxiety. But she was still staring at him, her eyes wide. “What? Is there something else?”

  She ran her tongue over her full lips, and his temperature rose as his gaze followed its movement.

  “Uh, yes, there’s more.”

  “What is it, baby?”

  “Me.”

  He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “You? You mean. Mom is trying to marry you off, too?”

  She sank her teeth into her full bottom lip and he leaned closer.

  “Don’t worry, Jess, I’ll tell her you’re not ready.”

  Her chin rose. “But I am, Cal. The problem is that I think you should know she’s trying to many you to me.”

  “You? Me? That’s ridiculous!”

  She turned away, staring out the passenger window again.

  Cal felt nausea rise in his stomach. “Listen, baby, I’ll talk to her. She’ll understand. And...and I’ll help you look for a good man. I’ll take care of everything.”

  Of course he would. He’d promised Jessica’s mother as she lay dying that he’d take care of Jessica. He loved taking care of Jessica. So why did he feel as if he was about to lose his supper?

  She turned to face him again, her look grim. “You do that, Cal Baxter! You take care of everything!” Then she yanked open the door and ran to her front door.

  He opened his door to go after her, but by the time his boots hit the ground, she’d already entered the house and slammed the door behind her.

  Something was wrong.

  After an enjoyable evening, Jessica was angry with him, and be didn’t know why. His mother was messing up, if Jessica was to be believed, trying to force Jessica to marry him. And he was feeling worse than he had when that old bull kicked him in the shin two years ago.

  What should he do now?

  JESSICA’S MOOD hadn’t improved when she got up the next morning.

  “It’s your own fault,” she muttered over a steaming cup of coffee.

  She’d actually believed Mabel when she’d told her to seduce Cal and everything would be all right. Dancing in his arms, her body plastered to his, all evening, she’d begun to believe he might have finally realized how perfect they were for each other.

  For three hours she’d been living in a fool’s paradise. Until the drive home, when he promised to find her a man. What was he? Chopped liver?

  No. He was an incredible man, sexy, tender, loving—but not interested in her.

  It was about time she accepted what she’d known all along. He thought of her as his little sister and that wasn’t going to change.

  The phone rang.

  “Jess? Wasn’t last night perfect?” Mabel crooned as soon as Jessica answered.

  “It was a nice party, Mabel,” she replied, struggling to keep her voice even.

  “Party? Who cares about the party? I’m talking about you and Cal. Those clothes were perfect. He couldn’t keep his hands off of you.”

  “Mabel, he was keeping me from Johnny, that’s all. If you hadn’t invited Johnny, he wouldn’t have danced with me at all.”

  Silence.

  “But he kissed you before you came in.”

  “Yes, but—I don’t know why, but I think he was trying to show me what could happen if I tempted a man.”

  “He thinks you don’t know? At twenty-seven? Lord have mercy, the boy is dumber than I thought he was!” Mabel rasped, irritation filling her voice.

  Jessica gave a watery chuckle. “It’s okay, Mabel. At least I’ve finally accepted that he doesn’t want me.” She swallowed back tears. She wasn’t going to lose control. She’d had other bad things happen in her life and had learned to move on.

  “Well, I haven’t! I’ve just begun my campaign. Now, you’re going to need some more sexy clothes, something that shows off your figure. Where did you buy those?”

  Jessica thought about arguing with her, but in the end she gave up and told her the name of the store. It was a large store in Lubbock, about fifty miles away.

  It wasn’t that Jessica believed Mabel could pull off her plans. But if she, Jessica, intended to marry and have children, she’d need to find a man somewhere. And sexy clothes seemed to catch their attention.

  “Great. I’ll
pick you up in twenty minutes and we’re heading for Lubbock. My treat.”

  “I can pay for—”

  “Of course you can. But this is my plan, so I’ll pay. Besides, you’re my daughter, sweetheart. At least in my heart. And eventually you’re going to be my daughter by marriage.”

  “Mabel—”

  “Twenty minutes.” She hung up the phone.

  Jessica stood there, the phone in her hand and a small smile on her face. Cal and his mom were a lot alike. Big hearts and stubborn minds. She loved them both.

  How was she going to survive without them?

  CAL PERCHED on the top rail of the chute pen, preparing to settle onto the rambunctious bull. But his heart wasn’t into the spirit of the occasion.

  The more he thought about last night, and the way the evening ended, the more depressed he became. Jessica wanted to get married. Apparently to any man but him.

  Not that he wanted to marry Jessica, he hurriedly assured himself, because marriage wasn’t something he was ready for. And Jessica was like a sister.

  “Ready, Cal?” Tuck asked.

  He snapped his head up, staring at his friend. “Uh, year.”

  When he didn’t move, Tuck asked, “What are you waiting for?”

  He didn’t know. Except that Jessica wasn’t really his sister. He couldn’t continue to believe that old standby after their kiss in his truck yesterday. Or their close dancing last night.

  But she seemed intent on finding someone else.

  “Come on, Cal,” another cowboy called. “We can’t hold this animal much longer.”

  Okay, he’d get this over with. If he could ride this bull, maybe he could convince Jessica that—What? She didn’t want to marry? That she might be interested in him?

  That thought distracted him completely. The bull barely got outside the gate before he dumped Cal on the soft dirt. To add insult to injury, he stepped over Cal and trotted to the other end of the arena.

  Cal limped to the side of the corral.

  “Man, I don’t think you were focused,” Mac said as he reached out a helping hand to pull Cal over the fence before the bull could take another run at him.

  “Probably not. I’m not feeling so well.”

  “Something you ate?”

  “I guess,” Cal conceded, but he knew better. His sickness had come upon him last night as he’d promised to find a husband for Jessica.

  “You don’t need to be crawling on the back of another stupid bull if your head’s somewhere else. Hey, Tuck!” Mac called. “Cal’s through, and I don’t want to break any bones today. How about you and Spence?”

  “We’re both finished. I’ll tell Leroy we’re headin’ on in to The Old Cantina.”

  Mac frowned. “Tuck doesn’t sound any more enthusiastic than you do. Maybe there’s a virus going around.”

  Cal would like to blame his sickness on a virus, but he didn’t think he could. But he also didn’t want to examine why he didn’t feel well. How could he explain his stupid conclusion about riding the bull?

  Half an hour later, after washing the dust off their hands and faces, the foursome took their usual table at Jessica’s restaurant in Cactus.

  “A round of beers, darlin’,” Tuck ordered as Nita reached their table. “And nachos.”

  “Surprise, surprise,” she drawled, teasing since that was always their order on Saturdays.

  Mac put his Stetson on the table and stared at his three friends. “What’s going on here? Everyone seems a little strange today.”

  “Guess we partied too hard last night,” Tuck offered.

  “It’s a cloudy day,” Spence added. “No sunshine. Downright depressing.”

  “Yeah,” was all Cal could come up with.

  “That’s it?” Mac demanded, his voice rising. “Tuck, I’ve seen you party till sunup and still put in a day’s work. Spence, the sun is back out now. And, Cal? ‘Yeah’? That’s all you can say?”

  “Who are you? The sunshine fairy?” Tuck growled.

  Cal ignored Tuck’s sarcasm. “It’s this damned bet our mothers have made. It’s upsetting everything.”

  “You just have to ignore them,” Mac assured him. “I am.”

  “You don’t understand,” Cal protested, about to inform them of Jessica’s involvement in the situation.

  Spence, however, spoke up. “Say, Cal, if you’re wanting to win for your mother, you sure had a lot of chances last night.”

  Panic filled Cal. Had anyone noticed how much he’d enjoyed dancing with Jessica? She’d kill him. “What do you mean?”

  “There were several ladies there last night drooling over you.” That fact didn’t seem to make Spence happy.

  And it did absolutely nothing for Cal. He wasn’t looking for a wife. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Tuck asked, one eyebrow rising.

  “There were several, but Melanie Rule definitely had her eyes glued to Cal and Jessica. You remember her? She’s the cute brunette who works at the drugstore. The entire time I danced with her, she watched you. And she’d didn’t appear to be happy about it.”

  “Kind of like the three of you,” Mac interjected. Then his eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. “That’s it! You three are acting like you’re lovesick!”

  “No way!” Tuck shouted.

  “Forget it,” Spence snarled.

  “You’re crazy,” Cal returned.

  “I hope you’re right. Women will mess you up faster than anything.” It wasn’t the first time Mac had warned them about women problems. He figured he knew best since he’d already tried marriage.

  Cal took a deep breath. “Actually, my problem is woman-related, but not for me.”

  The other three stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

  “It’s Jessica.”

  The reaction wasn’t what he expected.

  “You mean, you and Jessica?” Spence demanded.

  “Of course he does,” Tuck added

  “You finally woke up?” Mac asked.

  He glared at his friends. “No! I’m saying Jessica wants to get married!”

  “That’s the only wedding I’d dance happily at,” Mac muttered. “Jess is terrific.”

  “Not me!” Cal shouted.

  “Easy, there, or the sheriff will be arrested for disturbing the peace,” Nita said, suddenly appearing at the table.

  Everyone remained silent as she set the beers on the table. Then she put down the large platter of nachos they always ordered. “Anything else right now, boys?”

  “Nope. We’ll order later,” Cal said, wanting her out of the way so he could discuss his problems with his friends. As soon as she left, he leaned forward. “Look, Jess has decided she needs to marry so she can have kids. Something about that maternal clock they’re always writing about.”

  “So, volunteer. You’ll have Jess, and your mom will be ecstatic,” Tuck suggested.

  “She doesn’t want me! I’m like a brother to her!”

  “She didn’t look like your sister when she locked her lips on yours last Saturday,” Spence remarked calmly, staring at Cal.

  Cal knew he was thinking of last night, too, in the truck. But he’d promised not to say anything about that mistake.

  “Or when she was dancing with you last night,” Tuck added. “You know, I’ve never seen Jess dressed that way before.”

  “And you won’t again,” Cal answered. “I told her to burn those clothes. And...and I showed her what could happen if she went around dressed like that.” He stared at Spence, wanting him to know the reason for that embrace in the truck. At least, the reason he’d come up with to explain his behavior. “She’s not very experienced, you know.”

  “So, if she doesn’t want you, what’s the problem?” Mac asked.

  “I’ve got to find her a husband,” Cal replied, his voice filled with sadness.

  “Can’t she find one on her own?” Spence asked. “The way she looked last night, I suspect she’d ha
ve a line all the way to the city limits if she tried.”

  “Of course she could. No man still breathing would turn her down. But she’s special. She can’t marry just anyone. I want her to be happy.”

  Silence fell as they all stared at each other.

  “Don’t look at me,” Mac protested. “I’m not getting married again.”

  “I didn’t mean...” Cal began, the pain he felt in his chest at the thought of one of his friends with Jessica making speech difficult.

  “Hell, Cal, we love Jessica, but she’s almost like a sister to us, too,” Spence added.

  Tuck nodded.

  “So where do I find a good husband for her? And don’t suggest Johnny.”

  “There’s got to be some nice man who’ll be a good husband. Though not as good as you, Cal,” Mac added.

  Cal glared at him again. “For someone who hates the idea of marriage, you sure are saying some stupid things today.”

  “I just think no one could love Jessica and care for her as well as you,” Mac said softly, his gaze focused on Cal.

  Cal hoped he kept the pain he was feeling out of his face. “She doesn’t want me,” he said gruffly. “You should’ve heard her when she told me about Mom.”

  “Your mother? What about your mother?” Tuck asked. “You mean, about the bet?”

  “No. I mean about Mom trying to force Jessica to marry me. She’s decided she’ll win the contest if I marry Jessica. And Jess wasn’t happy about it. I could tell.”

  He could barely face his friends. They all looked sympathetically at him, as if they knew how he felt. He hoped they didn’t.

  With a sigh, he added, “I promised to find her a husband. It’s not going to be easy.”

  Tuck, who was facing the door to the restaurant, appeared to choke. Then he said, “I think maybe it just got easier.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cal demanded.

  “You may have told Jess to burn those clothes from last night, but, buddy, what she’s wearing today is going to set every man in town on fire.”

  Cal whirled around to stare at Jessica as she crossed the room toward them, pausing to greet old customers.

  He felt his temperature rising.