A Cowboy in Paradise

by Shana Gray

  She sighed, fascinated by the way the water and sky merged on the distant horizon. It only made her think of the first night at the camp, before the storm, at the ridge watching the sunset. And...their first kiss, passionate, demanding, breathtakingly glorious. Jimi shivered, and a sense of longing for him filled her. Which led into remembering their passion in the tent. She hugged herself as desire ran hot and thick in her blood.

  Everything circles back to him. Every thought and memory.

  Would she ever see him again? Would she ever stop reliving their passion? They hadn’t exchanged phone numbers or made any future plans. It had finished as quickly as it had begun. A fling. A wonderful, sexy, shiver-inducing fling.

  Not used to the feeling of desperation growing deep inside her, she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. It was like something had been cut out of her, leaving a gaping, raw-edged wound that would never heal. Maybe it was best it had ended like it had. Without any goodbyes or promises that would be broken.

  She turned her back to the sea, and somehow that seemed to symbolize turning her back on the glorious time with Dallas. She had to let him go. Being with him had been so great. Easy and wonderful. And she hadn’t thought of her business once.

  She stood up and processed that. Not good. If he could be so distracting, it was concerning. It didn’t mean she had to forget him. If anything, she had to give him thanks for accepting her as she was and still liking her. He’d cracked open her shell enough for her to see the light on the other side. The opportunities. The possibilities. It was up to her if she was going to sink or swim.

  And right now she had to get her house in order. Make sure the dress was perfection, and reach out to the home office and ensure everything for the photo shoot was on point. Once she did this, and made sure it was all on track, only then could she relax for a well-earned vacation.

  * * *

  BY THE TIME Dallas got back down to the big house all the guests had been shuttled away. He was in a foul, angry mood that he’d missed the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to Jimi. He hadn’t really wanted to say goodbye at all, more of an aloha until he saw her again. She hadn’t left any notes for him, or a phone number, or which hotel she was staying at. How was he supposed to interpret that? Was she done with him? Was that it—just a holiday fling? He let out a sigh. It hurt and he felt a little bit burned by it. The wedding was to be over the next few days and they’d both be there. He could find out then.

  There’s too much to do at this point to go gallivanting off in search of her. They had a whole lot of repair to do after the storm. Plus, he wanted to make sure he could help Matt and Diana in any way possible.

  Samantha had handled it all pretty well, in his opinion. She’d kept her calm. The wedding guests had been entertained to the best of her ability under the circumstances. He was thankful everybody had come out of the situation unharmed.

  He smiled thinking of how they’d all been pretty good sports. Especially Jimi. Once the storm had subsided, she’d seemed to relax even more, and he’d enjoyed being around her. It almost had him thinking they could have dinner or something before she went home. Home. He frowned. He’d gotten caught up and forgotten she was a mainlander. A vacationer.

  Dallas kicked off his boots outside the door to the mudroom. He could hear voices and slapped his hands on his jeans to get rid of any extra dust before going into the house proper.

  “Dallas!” A female voice hollered for him. “Get your butt in here.”

  Larson could really be demanding when she wanted to. His sister was a spitfire challenge that would give any man a run for his money.

  “I’m coming. Hold your horses.” He stopped in the kitchen, opened the stainless-steel fridge and pulled out a beer. “Anyone want a brew?” he called out.

  “Yeah, I’ll take one.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Just bring five and one for yourself,” Larson shouted from the great room.

  Dallas grabbed five bottles in one hand and pulled out a bag of chips from the pantry. He’d had the kitchen redone a few years ago. A chef’s dream. He couldn’t cook, which made him wonder why he’d had such a fantastic kitchen put in here.

  I wonder if Jimi likes to cook. He sighed, wondering how many times she would pop into his head.

  The great room was just beyond the kitchen. The vast windows ran two stories high and gave a spectacular view of the ranch and the rolling landscape down to the sea beyond. It was one of the rare sightings of the ocean on the property.

  Even though they were in Hawaii, the room held a very Western appeal. He was useless at decorating, so he’d hired a designer to combine Western and Hawaiian decor. He was happy with the end result. It was a big house, built by his great-grandfather almost two hundred years ago, so it had desperately needed some updating and expansion. He still couldn’t believe that HGTV wanted to do an episode here.

  Larson, Tucker, Diana, Matt and Sam were all looking really comfy on the heavy leather couches.

  “Here.” He tossed the bag of chips to Tucker and handed each one a beer before dropping into the big armchair that he’d claimed as his own. “So. Drama’s all over.”

  Sam sat up and placed her beer bottle on the coffee table. “It sure is. I certainly hope I never have to go through something like that again.”

  “But you did great, babe.” Tucker was quick to compliment her. She tossed him a cheeky smile that Dallas noticed.

  “You did, Sam, you really did. I don’t know what I would’ve done had I been the coordinator. But under the circumstances I think it all went off really well.” Larson was quick to defend her friend and grabbed the bag of chips from Tucker. “Don’t eat them all.”

  “There’s more in the cupboard.” Tucker rebutted her.

  “Then go get some for yourself.” Larson held the chips away from him.

  “Guys, come on. I’m exhausted,” Tucker complained.

  “So.” Dallas turned to Matt and Diana and asked, “What’s going to happen with the wedding now?”

  “We’re still not a hundred percent sure, but we have to make a decision pretty fast,” Matt replied. “I think we’ve actually decided to leave that up to Samantha to iron out. Just keep Thursday night open.”

  Matt turned and smiled at Samantha. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. “All I can say is I’m glad we reserved the venues for the second reception party and we’re just rejuggling a few little things.”

  Diana leaned forward and grabbed a beer, holding it out to Matt while he twisted off the cap. “Agreed, but I don’t think I want to have a buffet on the beach. I’d rather it be served. Everybody’s been making do over the past few days, so it would be nice to go a little more posh.” Diana gave Sam a big smile. “But I’m leaving it all up to you, honey. That’s why we pay you the big bucks.”

  “If you leave it all up to me, just go and enjoy yourself at the resort and stay out of my hair—it’ll be perfect.”

  “So party time is coming, then, I presume,” Tucker asked and grabbed a beer.

  “You bet your ass.” Matt put his arm around Diana’s shoulders and hugged her tight. “I think we’ve had enough of roughing it. Time to spoil my bride.”

  Dallas leaned back in his chair and rested his ankle on his knee. Watching the rest of them banter back and forth was comforting and he felt all the tension seep out of him. Knowing he had no further responsibilities until the next group of guests arrived in a week was heaven. He could focus back on the working side of the ranch and take a few days to chill. Being responsible for all those guests during a hurricane was not his idea of fun—the only fun was the time he’d spent with Jimi.

  “So I guess all of your wedding guests have been deposited at various hotels?” he asked.

  “Yes, most of them are at the Four Seasons Hualalai, where we plan to h
ave our wedding and reception. But some are staying at other hotels and B and Bs,” Diana informed him.

  Dallas tipped his head back and took a swig from the beer bottle, wondering where Jimi was staying. But he wasn’t about to ask. He wasn’t ready to let that cat out of the bag yet. He’d just have to wait and hope to see her at the wedding. Two days away.

  10

  JIMI WAS EXCITED. After having lunch with Diana yesterday and handing over the wedding gown and making last-minute touch-ups, Jimi could barely contain herself. Diana had fallen in love with the gown, gushing over it, and Jimi was so thankful. It meant her design was a hit. She had been able to create what a bride wanted.

  Finally Matt and Diana were getting married! A personalized note had arrived requesting her presence at the Wedding Tree to witness their exchange of wedding vows. Reception to follow later on the Moana Terrace.

  Not only was she psyched about the wedding, she wondered if she’d see Dallas again. He might not have been invited to the wedding. Oh, how she hoped that wasn’t the case.

  After studying the resort map, she’d had an idea where to go and decided to walk up the beach. For the first time since arriving in Hawaii she’d decided to get herself all dolled up and had spent the last couple of hours getting ready. Picking out just great shoes to go with the perfect dress. Artfully arranging her hair after straightening it ruthlessly. She applied makeup, the first time in days, and hardly recognized the woman reflected in the mirror. This had been her normal routine prior to coming to Hawaii. A morning didn’t pass without Jimi spending it before the mirror. The application had been rather exhausting and not as satisfying as she thought it would be and, she admitted to herself, a waste of time. Maybe it was time to rethink some things.

  The boardwalk that ran the length of the beach would’ve been the best way for her to get to the Wedding Tree, no sand in her Jimmy Choos, but she wanted—no, needed—to feel the sand next to her skin again. Jimi pulled off her shoes and let them dangle from her fingers. She stepped down into the sand with a sigh. It was warm, as was the breeze coming off the ocean. It played with her hair, threatening to pull it from the clips she’d used to set it. If it came down, it came down. Whatever. It felt so right walking barefoot in the sand. It wasn’t a long walk, and there were cute little signs along the way stuck into the sand that had I Do painted on them with an arrow pointing the way to go.

  Jimi followed the crescent-shaped, white-sand beach to an outcropping of black lava rock. Trees atop it arched over a lovely arbor decorated in beautiful tropical flowers. Teak chairs, with colorful throw pillows, fanned in rows from the arbor shrouded with tropical flowers. Pink flower petals had been cast over the sand leading up to the altar. It was just stunning.

  Jimi joined the guests mingling about. Many she recognized from the camp, and she searched all the faces for Dallas. But there was no sign of him. The couple she’d seen the night of the hurricane smiled at her and she walked over to them. A beautiful and graceful hula dancer swayed to the music played by a duo done up in Hawaiian finery. The sweet, musical notes filled the air.

  “Hi. This is a far cry from what we’ve experienced the last few days. This is so lovely,” Jimi commented.

  The woman looked up at her with a puzzled expression on her face. “Have we met?”

  Jimi felt a little embarrassed that the woman didn’t recognize or remember her. “Oh, yes. We were up at the camp together during the hurricane.”

  “Oh, my! I barely recognized you. You look gorgeous. I guess this means you’ve gotten your suitcases back.”

  “Yes, they were waiting for me here when I arrived. It sure does seem odd to get all dressed up after roughing it.”

  “Well, I certainly wouldn’t have recognized you. What a transformation.” The woman smiled, but, rather than making Jimi feel good about her appearance, it almost made her feel phony. But she sensed the woman wasn’t deliberately trying to make her feel that way. “It was an experience, I must say. I don’t think we got the chance to introduce ourselves up there. I’m Lana and this is my fiancé, Grant.”

  “I’m Jimi. Nice to finally know your names. Are you friends of the bride or groom?”

  Grant answered, “The groom. And you?”

  “The bride. We went to college together and our lives took us in different directions. Now, that accent, don’t tell me... South African?”

  Lana laughed and clapped her hands together. “It’s not often people can pick out accents, especially the South African one. Everybody thinks it’s Australian.”

  “Well, one of the companies I used to work for had employees from around the world, so I became familiar with different accents.”

  Lana took Grant’s hand, and Jimi didn’t miss the look of affection he gave her. The love they showed each other was written all over them. Jimi envied the couple.

  “You have a date set?” Jimi inquired.

  “We have a few set aside—it all depends on Sam,” Lana told her.

  “I’ve got to hand it to her after the way she handled everything during the hurricane. And then pulling this off...” Jimi waved her hand around. “This is spectacular.”

  The strangest sound filled the air. A low deep hum that was almost haunting. It sent shivers along Jimi’s spine, and she turned around to find the source of the sound.

  “Aw, that’s so cool,” Lana whispered. “A conch blower.”

  Standing just beyond the trees on an outcrop of black lava, a man dressed in native Hawaiian costume held a conch shell to his mouth, with his head tilted toward the setting sun. The long, low moan coming from the shell filled her with a sense of wonder. She presumed it was a call to ceremony as the rest of the guests began to make their way to the carefully placed chairs.

  Jimi felt a touch on her shoulder and turned. Her heart dropped to see it was Lana. She’d been hoping to see Dallas standing there, so she tried to hide her disappointment.

  “We’ll see you after the ceremony at the reception.”

  “Okay, it was nice chatting with you.” Jimi followed the couple as they walked to their seats. She couldn’t get over how lovely the wedding decor was. The little candles and glass holders were tucked into the stand beside the chair closest to the aisle, and flowers and seashells ringed the base. She was eager to see Diana in her dress. An empty chair under the arch of an overhanging tree was the perfect spot for her. It was out of the way and in the shadows.

  Glancing around, Jimi was enchanted. The sun was slowly setting, and cast a beautiful golden glow tinged with pink across the sand, making the pink flowers pop to life with vibrant color. The black lava rocks couldn’t possibly be any blacker and even the surf seemed to pause in its ebb and flow, as if waiting for the bride and groom to say their vows.

  The music faded away and the Hawaiian conch blower did a long, mournful sound. A very Hawaiian-looking officiant took his place under the flower-covered arbor. Jimi turned in her chair to see Matt approach. He was very handsome in his white pants and tropical shirt, which matched the flowers decorating the venue. She took the opportunity to cast a quick look around, and her heart dropped. There was still no sign of Dallas.

  Oh well. Maybe it was just a fling after all.

  The crowd drew in a collective gasp when Diana emerged from behind a gauzy curtain that had been erected to shield her from the wedding guests. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her hair, pulled back on one side, had a spray of flowers braided into the strands. Her gown sparkled and shimmered as she walked toward the aisle. The fabric of her wedding dress floated around her while, at the same time, it clung to her curves, accentuating her figure and ending in soft scallops just above her ankles. Perfection. Jimi breathed a sigh of relief that it had all ended well. She was barefoot, which was no surprise at all to Jimi. If ever there was a misplaced flower child, it was Diana. Born forty years too late.

&
nbsp; A beautiful song began, and the crowd stood. Jimi recognized the notes as the “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” It was wonderfully haunting, and a shiver rippled along her flesh. She watched Diana walk up the aisle of sand, scattered with flower petals, toward her groom. The simple elegance of the wedding ceremony touched Jimi very deeply. Emotions swelled inside her as they exchanged their vows and, to her surprise, tears spilled from her eyes. Not one to usually cry, she did now. Would she ever be a happy bride full of love? Did she want this? Yes, I think I do.

  The officiant raised his hands as Diana and Matt turned to face the wedding guests.

  “Please stand as I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Scott.”

  Jimi rose with the rest of the group and clapped happily. She was smiling and crying, just like Diana. The couple looked so happy, and Jimi was thrilled for them.

  Just before they started their walk back up the aisle, they stopped and Matt raised his hand.

  “Thank you for experiencing the last few days with us. I’m glad the weather has improved and that you were all able to join us on our special day. No more roughing it, so please make your way over to the Moana Terrace, where you shall be wined and dined and serenaded so you can dance the night away.” He took Diana’s hand and placed it into the crook of his elbow. “My bride and I are going to have the obligatory photographs taken and we will see you in about an hour. Mahalo.”

  As they passed, Diana blew Jimi a kiss and winked at her. Jimi smiled and nodded, swiping a lone tear as it slipped from her eye. She was thunderstruck when the pain in her heart made her realize she wished it was her walking down the aisle. Married. Yes, suddenly she felt the burning urge for a commitment. It was something she’d not ever considered before. Her business was too important, and marriage would only get in the way of that.