The Bride Said, Finally! (The Lockharts of Texas)

by Thacker, Cathy Gillen

  Clara comforted Jenna with a look. “You weren’t a fool for loving him,” she said softly.

  Wasn’t she? Jenna sure felt like one. She shoved her hands through her hair and began to pace as she continued to explain, “This time it was Melinda and his parents causing trouble for us. Okay, so he solved the problem with Melinda—possibly permanently. But his parents are still around and they still think we are all wrong for each other, particularly his mother. It’s naive to think their dislike of me won’t continue to be a problem for us.”

  Clara sighed. “I’d be the first to agree Mr. and Mrs. Remington can be very difficult people. But their disapproval and distrust of you is something you and Jake could overcome, given time.”

  Jenna knew there was a chance that was true. But there was also a chance it wasn’t. Angry with herself as well as him, she sighed wearily. “For all their flaws, Jake loves his parents. Just the way I loved mine.” If there was one thing Jenna honored with all her heart, it was family. She shook her head determinedly. “I won’t be responsible for causing a permanent rift between him and his folks, Clara.” She knew how much that hurt, and she wouldn’t be responsible for it happening to someone else. Nor did she want Jake blaming her for it later.

  Clara sighed, abruptly looking as frustrated as Jenna felt. “Have you ever thought it wouldn’t be you causing the rift, but them, if it comes to that?”

  Clara was making this situation sound so simple to resolve and it wasn’t! “We’ve got to consider Alex, too. She’s had a hard enough life as it is. You saw how sad she was just now because Jake and I have decided not to see each other anymore. I was only in her life a week! Imagine how hurt she’d be if Jake and I got back together, only to break up again!”

  Clara sent Jenna a pleading look—one Buster promptly mirrored. “Which shows just how much you mean to her.”

  And she to me. Jenna swallowed around the growing knot in her throat. “I don’t want to put her in the middle of a family fight between Jake and me and his parents.”

  “And yet,” Clara said archly, “you’d deprive her the loving mother she wants and needs so desperately?”

  Jenna flushed. This was not her problem, no matter how much others were trying to convince her it was. There was no reason she should feel guilty. “Alex has you and Jake and her grandparents, Clara. Now she even has Buster and Miss Kitty.”

  “There’s a difference between having a housekeeper and a father, and a housekeeper and a father and a mother.”

  Guilt hit Jenna anew. She pushed it away. “Jake will find someone else. Someone his parents will approve of, someone he won’t be ashamed to be with.” And when he did, life would be so much better for all of them.

  Clara shook her head and said disparagingly, “If you believe that, you really are fooling yourself. He has loved one woman in his life, Jenna Lockhart, and that’s you.”

  Jenna studied Clara tensely. “He told you that?”

  “He didn’t have to tell me that. I know him and I love that boy like my own son.” Crossing the distance between them, she took Jenna’s hands in hers. “Forget about the mistakes Jake has made in the past and stop using Alex and his parents as an excuse. If Jake is really what you want, then for heaven’s sake, go after him.”

  The tears Jenna had been withholding streamed down her face. “I’d fail.”

  Clara teared up, too. “Not if you really had your heart set on being with him, you wouldn’t,” she said in a low, trembling voice. Getting hold of herself, she swallowed hard and pressed on, “I’ve only known you for a short while, Jenna, but I see what you have built here, with this shop. I see the success you’ve made for yourself, and I’d wager there were dozens of people, from the bankers to the suppliers to your family and friends, who stood in your way, who told you it was too risky, you might get hurt, but you charged on ahead and prevailed anyway. Why? Because this shop—this dream of owning and operating your own business—meant something to you. So you didn’t give up. You hung in there, weathered the bad times as well as the good, and made your business the success it is.” Clara looked at her seriously. “Well, families are the same, Jenna. They’re hard to build, and even more difficult to maintain. But bottom line, they’re worth the effort. Because at the end of the day, your family is what is going to be important to you. Not how many dresses you sold or what you achieved that day in the business world.” Clara paused, shook her head, dropped her hold on Jenna and stepped back. “No business deal ever kept you warm at night, or comforted you when you were sick, or gave you the kind of love and tender loving care all of us need.”

  “I have my sisters,” Jenna said fiercely, self-consciously wiping her tears away.

  “And you’re lucky to have them.” Clara agreed as Jenna knelt to pet an increasingly concerned Buster. “But you need to ask yourself, Jenna, are they enough? Or are you still wanting more out of life? Like a husband and children?”

  “You think if Jake meant something to me I’d be going after him with the same kind of energy I’ve applied to my business, don’t you?”

  “I only know if my husband were still alive, bless his soul, that nothing, and no one, would keep us apart. I thought—hoped—you and Jake shared the same kind of love.” Clara looked at Jenna steadily. Drew a breath. “Now I’ve said what I had to, I’d better go.”

  Clara picked up Buster. “I want you to know I’ve never interfered like this before and I won’t interfere like this ever again. But as I said, I love Jake like a son, and for both your sakes this had to be said.” Clara cuddled Buster with one arm, squeezed Jenna’s hand, and exited the fitting room.

  Somehow, Jenna made it through the last fitting for Wendy Smith and helped Wendy select yet another veil that “went even better” with her wedding dress. Then Jenna paced and thought, and thought some more. By three-thirty, she knew what she had to do. Find time to talk to Jake, alone. So she called the ranch. There was no answer.

  She got out the business card he had given her. Surely his secretary at his Dallas headquarters would know how to get hold of him. Mustering up her courage, Jenna dialed and got through to Jake’s personal secretary immediately. “This is Jenna Lockhart. I’d like to speak to Jake.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Lockhart, he’s not in today. He called a while ago and said he was going out to his parents’ summer ranch, to spend some time with his folks.”

  Jenna’s heart dropped. Don’t give up. Don’t assume just because he is with his folks today that he doesn’t want to be with you, too. “I wanted to meet with him as soon as possible.”

  “Jake was very firm when he telephoned this morning. He said absolutely nothing else on his calendar until he tells me different.” His secretary sighed. “He does still have you down for a meeting Wednesday afternoon.”

  “Is that with a department store?”

  “It says here it’s personal, and is supposed to take place at your shop in Laramie.”

  Disappointment surged through Jenna as she realized he was probably coming by to sever their business relationship, once and for all. “I see.” Though her heart was breaking, Jenna worked to keep every ounce of emotion out of her voice.

  “Would you like me to page him?”

  “No,” Jenna replied swiftly. She did not want to get the brush-off over the phone. Or worse, no return call at all. The least she could do in this situation was maintain her pride. “I’m going to see him Wednesday.” Jenna injected the most cheery, carefree note into her voice she could manage. “That’ll be soon enough.”

  Jake’s secretary hesitated. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.” Jenna said. “Wednesday is plenty soon enough for what the two of us have to do.”

  ADDING INSULT to injury, all that day and the next, Jenna’s sisters completely blew her off. Instead of throwing her a pity party, which Jenna felt was the very least she could have expected under the circumstances, Meg, Dani, and Kelsey all avoided her like the plague. There were no I-told-you-so’s when sh
e did manage to see them. Just absent hugs and vague reassurances that everything would be all right. It was almost like something was up. And yet nothing was up. Meg was very busy trying to avoid the new chief of family medicine—for reasons she never did satisfactorily explain. Kelsey and Brady Anderson had run out of start-up money already and were scrambling, trying to get additional financing for the revitalization of the just-repurchased family ranch. The very happy and newly married Dani was busy settling into her new life with Beau Chamberlain.

  Only Jenna was at loose ends, and so lonely, miserable, and full of regret she didn’t know what to do with herself. Which was why she spent so much time preparing for her meeting with Jake on Wednesday afternoon. Maybe it was silly, she thought as she spent an inordinate amount of time on her hair and makeup, and dressed herself to the nines, but this time she wanted him to know what he was giving up, and lament it with all his heart and soul!

  Nevertheless, nothing prepared her for the sight of Jake coming in through the doors of her shop, wearing a tuxedo and looking more handsome and debonair and mouthwateringly sexy than she had ever seen him.

  Suddenly feeling woefully under-dressed in her sage-green ultrasuede business suit and matching pumps, and very glad that Raelynn—who had unexpectedly asked for the afternoon off—wasn’t there to see this, Jenna folded her arms in front of her. She didn’t know what he was trying to prove by showing up here, but she didn’t like it. Jenna planted her pumps firmly in the carpet and said contentiously, “If this is a joke, Jake, I am not finding it very funny.”

  Jake gave her a maddeningly lazy look that indicated he still felt the world was theirs for the taking. “We have business to do today, remember?”

  Abruptly, Jenna was more wary of him than ever. She could have sworn Jake Remington was up to something, though she had no idea what. She narrowed her eyes at him. Then said in a low, disbelieving tone, “With the department store reps?”

  “Actually—” Jake threw her a casual glance over his shoulder as he ambled over to the rack of wedding dresses against the wall “—they’re all at the warehouse waiting for us.”

  “Representatives from all three stores?” Jenna said, surprised.

  “Yep.” Jake nodded, looking distracted as he began thumbing through the various gowns with more interest than she would have expected. “As a personal favor to me—and you, I might add. The only thing is—” Jake slanted Jenna a deliberate glance as he went back to the storeroom where the rest of Jenna’s inventory of evening and wedding gowns were hanging “—you can’t wear that dress.”

  Beginning to feel more than a little irritated and very impatient, Jenna stormed after him. “What’s wrong with this dress?”

  Jake turned to face her. “Everyone is expecting to see you in a wedding gown of your own design. So pick out your favorite one and slip into it.”

  Jenna stared at him, not sure whether to laugh or slug him. “You’re joking.”

  “Not in the least,” Jake countered smoothly. “Come on. Time’s a-wasting.” Jake consulted his watch. “We are due out at the warehouse site in forty minutes. Even with the limo I’ve got waiting for us out front, we’re going to be cutting it close.”

  “Have you lost your mind?”

  “Not yet,” Jake grinned, “but I will soon if you don’t get into one of those dresses.”

  Jenna didn’t know what Jake was up to, but whatever game he was playing, she was not joining in. “I am selling a line of children’s clothing to the department stores,” she reminded him, furiously. “Not wedding dresses.”

  “But you’re famous for wedding dresses,” Jake pointed out just as determinedly. “And since we don’t have any children’s dresses made—except Alex’s alphabet dress, which is being washed because she now insists on wearing it every single day—and we didn’t have time to get any models to wear your famous wedding dresses…well, we’re just going to have to make do.”

  Jenna regarded Jake with mounting exasperation. “Let’s just say I buy all that.” She didn’t. “That doesn’t explain why you’re in a tuxedo in the middle of a summer afternoon.”

  Jake shrugged, as if that were certainly no cause for pique. “I have a pressing social engagement later that can’t wait.”

  The man was triple-booking her with business appointments without asking her, demanding she get into a wedding dress, and back to dating other society belles already! Not sure whether she wanted to deck him or grab him and kiss him, Jenna glared at him. Deciding anger was easier to act on than either love or lust, she grumbled, “It didn’t take you long to get back in the saddle, did it?” And here she had been going to apologize to him! Ask his forgiveness. Ask him to take her back, to let them start over, start dating again. And here he was, already doing just that. With someone else!

  Jake leaned down and leered at her sexily. “You ought to get back in the saddle as soon as possible, too.”

  Jenna ignored the mesmerizing twinkle in his eyes. “Thanks for the advice, but no thanks,” she said sourly.

  Jake straightened, looking no less determined to have his way. “Suit yourself.” His hot-blooded glance scanned her from head to toe. “Need help picking out a gown?’ he asked thoughtfully.

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “Forget about me modeling a gown. No way am I doing that.”

  “You’re going to have to if you want this afternoon to work out,” Jake told her flatly, looking absolutely determined to have his way on this. “I’ve already promised everyone you’ll be wearing one of your wedding gowns when you get there.”

  Then he could un-promise it, Jenna thought, since he hadn’t checked with her first. “I understand why they’d want to see one of my gowns on a model instead of a hanger,” Jenna allowed, forcing her mind off her failed romance and back to business. “And since there’s no time to get a model, I’ll call one of my sisters and ask them to do it.” This deal was too important to blow. The success of her business might be all she had left.

  Jake didn’t look happy, but he waited patiently for her to make the calls nonetheless. “Well?” Jake asked when Jenna finally hung up the phone minutes later.

  Jenna frowned, perplexed. “None of them are around, which is odd. I was sure Meg had to work today, but they said she had taken the day off from the hospital. Dani’s off with Beau somewhere and Kelsey isn’t answering her phone.”

  Jake went back to the rack and selected a long-sleeved beaded gown with a chapel train. “I think you ought to wear this one.”

  Aware time was running out on them—she had roughly five minutes to get into a gown if they weren’t going to be late to their meeting—Jenna picked up a white silk-chiffon gown with a fitted bodice and full tulle skirt. “I look best in off-the-shoulder gowns.”

  Jake smiled in a way that said he remembered. “Don’t forget a veil. Shoes.” He looked pointedly at Jenna’s display of sexy lace-and-satin garters. “All that girly stuff.”

  Jenna ducked back out of the dressing room to snatch up the necessary undergarments, including a form-fitting bustier, bikini panties, garter belt and hose. She passed on the lacy garter. “Forget it, cowboy! I’m not showing anyone my leg.”

  Jake grinned mischievously, as if he hoped to somehow convince her otherwise. “Then I’ll just take one for show.”

  Jenna ducked back in the dressing room and closed the curtain with a snap. “This better be absolutely necessary.”

  “I am sure you’ll think so afterward,” Jake soothed from the other side of the curtain.

  Jenna shucked her clothes and began struggling in to the appropriate undergarments. “You’d better hope I think so or you are dead meat.”

  Jake’s chuckle was low and sexy and sent ripples of awareness ghosting over her skin. “I like it when you talk rough.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes and continued dressing. Short minutes and much muttering later, she stalked back out and stepped up on the pedestal in front of the three-way mirror. Flushing with frustration, and holding the off-t
he-shoulder dress firmly to her front, lest he get a bird’s-eye view of her breasts, she turned her back to him. “You’re going to have to help me with these buttons.”

  Jake grinned and got right to work. “My pleasure.”

  Still clutching her dress to her breasts, Jenna turned around and glared at him. “Just keep buttoning.”

  Jake shrugged as sexy mischief sparkled in his eyes. “I’d rather be unbuttoning, but—okay.” He did his best to quell a smile.

  Jenna scowled at his reflection in the mirror. “You are living dangerously, cowboy.” And acting, to her chagrin, like someone who was much more interested in being her lover than her business partner.

  Finished, Jake straightened. “Ready to go?”

  Jenna slipped on her white satin shoes, grabbed her veil and picked up her portfolio of sketches of children’s clothing. “I guess.” Handing Jake the veil and sketches, she concentrated on lifting her skirts up off the ground. She didn’t want them dragging on the concrete, lest the hem get dirty. Jenna hung the Closed sign on the door locked up and out they went.

  “Looking good,” the limo driver said, giving Jenna a thumbs-up when she climbed in and carefully arranged her skirt. He seemed not the least bit surprised to see her in a wedding dress, or Jake in a tux. “Thanks,” Jenna said as Jake climbed in after her.

  The driver put up the glass window between them and they were off, driving through the streets of Laramie, which were surprisingly deserted for that time of day, and toward the warehouse just outside the city.

  Minutes later, they arrived at the old building. To Jenna’s amazement, it had been painted white, just the way she had wanted. A beautiful white canopy shaded the entrance, which had been fitted with double doors more suited to a chapel than a warehouse entrance. And the building was surrounded by hundreds of neatly parked cars, many of which were luxury vehicles and limousines.