“I’d like to run over to the hotel real quick and freshen up first,” she said. “Is that all right?”
“Sure, Sugar,” Meg said.
“Thank you all for taking the time to show me this. I really appreciate it.”
“It was our pleasure, Jenna,” Hank said sincerely. They watched as she hurried down the stairs, her long dark red ponytail swinging behind her.
“You heard, didn’t you?” Meg asked her men.
“Of course,” Hank said. “She’s gonna fit in here very well if she decides to stay.”
“I think she will,” Meg said. “I hope she will. I know how much this town needs women, but the truth is, I think she needs us even more.”
“Yeah, I have the strongest urge to protect her, and I don’t even know why,” Hank said.
“She’s so beautiful that she’ll have the men lining up just to look at her, and she doesn’t even seem to know it,” Jack said. “She’s also got the biggest, saddest damn eyes I’ve ever seen. I’m almost afraid to find out why.”
“Yeah, me too, but it’s gotta be done,” Hank said. “We can’t let anyone open a business here without a full background check. I’d like to know why she goes by James instead of her father’s name. That bothers me, I gotta admit.”
“I’ve already sent what little information we’ve got to Rob Lane over in Billings,” Jack said. “We’ll have a preliminary report in two days.”
“Whatever you find out, don’t tell me,” Meg said. Jack and Hank both stared at her in surprise. She shrugged. “I know, I’m generally nosier than I should be about people, but I don’t wanna know Jenna’s secrets unless she decides to share them with me. I like that little girl a great deal even if we did just meet her. I wanna be her friend, and if I spy on her first I’ll always feel guilty about it.”
“All right, we’ll keep a lid on whatever we learn,” Hank said, wrapping his arms around Meg and pulling her close. “Don’t worry, love. Unless she turns out to be a murderess or a kleptomaniac, I’m sure she’ll be approved. And I don’t think she’ll need too much convincing to stay here, either.”
Meg smiled as she hugged him tightly, sighing happily when Jack joined their hug.
Chapter 2
Later that night Jenna read all the information that Hank had given her while sitting in the center of the chenille bedspread in her pajamas. He’d also given her a copy of her grandmother’s will and a few other documents which she went over quickly before going back to the town brochure and charter.
She learned that the entire town of Pikes had gone bankrupt just over thirteen years earlier. Hank and Jack had bought it, renamed it, updated all the buildings, and set up laws and rules designed specifically for people who lived alternative lifestyles. She’d never heard of anything like it, but reading through them made her smile. She understood that if she had a problem accepting the charter she would not be granted a license to do business in the town of Sparx even though she apparently owned a building. In that event the town itself would buy the building from her at fair market value.
She didn’t object. Not at all. In fact, she thought it was fantastic. A town full of people who actually chose to be here because they wanted to live in a safe, friendly, close knit community without discrimination or judgement sounded like a dream come true to her. It certainly beat the hell out of a town ruled over by a family of wealthy, selfish, arrogant, self-entitled murderers. Besides, she’d never been the judgmental type, preferring to live and let live so long as those involved were happy, adult, and no one got hurt.
She was excited to think that Sparx really could be just what she’d been looking for. Safety was critical to her, and while the number of men who stared at her all the time was disconcerting, she felt no danger or threat from any of them. Acceptance was also important. She was tired of being alone and lonely. She wanted so much to have friends again. If Flo and Meg were any indication, she thought she might be able to have that, too.
The only concern she had was the rather startling realization that a lot of the men were probably going to want to ask her out. She’d been introduced to so many of them during dinner that it’d made her head swim. Every one of them had been unfailingly polite, and most were big, strong and ruggedly handsome, but she couldn’t remember a fraction of their names. All she knew for certain was that the Howards weren’t among them.
The experience had given her a good idea of how much a new, single woman meant to the men of Sparx. While she was a little flattered at all the attention, she was also worried that there’d be pressure on her to date, if not outright pick a man, or men, from the crowd for a more permanent relationship. Despite her attraction to the Howards, she wasn’t ready for anything like that.
She went over the charter very carefully with that in mind, but there was nothing that said she couldn’t remain single and alone if she wanted to. Nor was she required to engage in any of the alternative lifestyles that most, if not all, of the people of Sparx preferred. She just had to accept them without judgement or discrimination.
She was still worrying about whether she’d be expected to date when she went to bed. She couldn’t help but think that some of the men would resent her, or think she was being a deliberate tease if she remained single. If that happened, it could be a big problem. If she was going to stay in Sparx, the last thing she wanted to do was make enemies.
She slept well, better than she had in a long time, but she woke up worrying about the same issues she’d gone to bed worrying about. She showered, dressed casually in a pair of khaki cargo shorts, sneakers and a short sleeved white cotton top, then slapped on a little powder, some mascara and lip balm. She started to put her hair up in her usual pony tail but it was still damp so she left it down. She slipped her wallet into one pocket, her cell into another, grabbed her keys and left her room, looking forward to a caffeine fix in the form of two or three cups of Meg’s coffee.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs she turned left and was crossing the lobby to the front door when a tall, mouth wateringly handsome man with dark eyes and neatly styled blonde hair approached her with a friendly smile. “Good morning, Ms. James,” he said. “I’m Stephan Cord, owner of the Sparx Hotel and Jester’s, the restaurant here. I trust you had a good night’s sleep?”
“Yes, I did, thank you Mr. Cord,” she said, automatically returning his smile. “You have a lovely hotel.”
“That’s very kind of you,” he said, his eyes heating as they ran over her body appreciatively.
Jenna paled and stepped back nervously, the mildly sexual look causing her to react before she thought. She nearly cursed aloud when she realized what she’d done, but there was no way to take it back. Instead she planted her feet and forced a smile back onto her face.
“Please, call me Stephan,” he said, still smiling, though the sexual interest had vanished. “If there’s anything you need, Ms. James, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Jenna, please, and I will,” Jenna said, determined not to let fear rule her.
“All right, Jenna it is,” he said. “Would you like some breakfast? We’ve just started serving a limited menu to guests of the hotel.”
“No, but again, thank you,” Jenna replied. “I told Meg I’d be over for breakfast this morning.”
“In that case, I’m satisfied you’ll be well taken care of,” Stephan said, opening the door for her. Jenna walked through, trying not to flinch away from the man as she passed him, her face heating with embarrassment at her own reactions. She was so annoyed with herself that she didn’t notice when Stephan pushed the door all the way open to allow the fresh morning air inside, then stepped out onto the sidewalk to watch her walk toward the corner.
“She’s a stunner,” his friend and owner of the business next door, Chev Langly said, joining him as they watched the new woman walk away, her petite figure moving gracefully along the sidewalk without a hint of artifice, the morning sun shimmering on the long, wine red curls that hung f
reely to her hips.
“She certainly is,” Stephan said thoughtfully. “She’s also...I’m not sure...wounded I think.”
“Wounded?” Chev asked, his smile fading as his expression turned grim. “In what way?”
“No idea,” Stephan replied. “I only talked to her for a few seconds. She seems sweet, polite, friendly, and gives every indication of being relaxed, but there’s something about her eyes. They’re…,” Stephan hesitated as he searched for the right word. “Haunted,” he said finally, nodding to himself. “She hides it well, but the moment I looked at her as though I were interested, she shut down fast.”
“Shut down?”
“Turned pale, backed away and hunched up her shoulders,” Stephan said. “It was a reflex reaction and she fought it as soon as she caught herself, but her fear was bone deep. Pass the word, would you? I know every unattached man in Sparx will wanna get a look at her, but they need to keep the sexual innuendo reined in or I’m afraid she’ll run like a rabbit.”
“Good call,” Hank said, overhearing most of what Stephan said as he joined them in watching Jenna cross the street. “I want this young woman to stay here, and not just because she’s a James, or because her mother and I grew up together. I think she needs this town at least as much as we need her. I want her to feel safe and protected, not hunted.”
“Of course, Hank,” Stephan said, frowning. “Consider it done. Do you know her story?”
“Not yet, but Jack’s working on it.”
Stephan nodded. “What if she has a problem with our rules?”
“She doesn’t,” Hank said, smiling. “Her reaction to Jack, Meg, and I was more accepting than any I’ve seen in years. More than that, she was moved to tears by the love she saw between us.”
“Excellent,” Stephan said, sharing a grin with Chev before they both turned their attention back to Jenna.
***
Jenna stepped into the diner, unsurprised this time by the stares she got from the dozen or so men sitting around eating breakfast or drinking coffee. She offered a carefully friendly smile to the room at large, then headed for the counter and took the same stool she’d used the day before. A few moments later Meg came through the swinging door from the kitchen and smiled as though she were genuinely glad to see her. She grabbed a coffee pot and a mug on her way to where Jenna sat.
“Good morning, Sugar,” she said, filling the cup. “How’d you sleep last night?”
“Great,” Jenna replied. “Better than I have in a very long time, actually.”
“Good,” Meg said. “Then I won’t start pushing you to come stay with us.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but thank you so much for the thought,” Jenna said, touched. She reached for the coffee and sipped. “I do love your coffee, Meg.”
“I see that,” Meg said with a laugh. “What would you like for breakfast?”
Jenna thought a moment, ordered scrambled eggs and toast, then drank her coffee while Meg worked her tables. She returned a few minutes later and topped off her cup. “Did you get a chance to go over the information Hank gave you last night?”
“I did,” Jenna said. “A couple of times, actually.”
“What did you think?” Meg asked.
“I think it’s incredible,” Jenna said with a touch of wistfulness that tugged at Meg’s heart. “I really want to stay here, Meg. But, there are a couple of things I need to think about.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“Maybe,” Jenna replied. When the cook hit the bell summoning Meg for an order pick up, Jenna suddenly realized that the entire diner had fallen quiet. She stiffened nervously as she replayed their conversation in her mind, her face heating as she realized what the men had been listening for. They wanted to know how she felt about their town. She could hardly blame them for being curious, and tried to shake off her discomfort at being the center of attention.
Meg slid her breakfast in front of her, arching a brow at Jenna’s blush and tense demeanor. She looked around at her customers with a frown and they immediately returned their attention to their own food. “You sure that’s all you want?”
“Yes, this is plenty, and it looks great.”
“All right then, eat up while it’s hot,” Meg said. “I don’t think you’ll have time before your meeting with Hank and Jack, but after you’re done you might want to check out a few of the local businesses.”
“Any in particular?” Jenna asked, feeling more comfortable now that the diner wasn’t dead silent any more. She picked up her fork and started eating.
“Sue and her sister Shelly have the bookstore and newsstand two doors up,” Meg said. “They’re simply dying to meet you.” She grinned at Jenna’s surprised expression. “Flo said she told you there were only fifty two women in Sparx, but forgot to tell you that there are only eleven of us who either live or work here in town. The rest live out on farms and ranches. They come into town regularly, of course, but we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like.”
“Wow,” Jenna said. “I guess I’d make it an even dozen if I stay.”
“Yep, you sure would,” Meg said happily. “Gimme a sec,” she said before hurrying to answer the bell again. Jenna ate her breakfast and tried to absorb the ratio of women to men. It was mind boggling.
“Now, back to the businesses,” Meg said a couple of minutes later. “The Carmichael brothers own Cow Hands just next door. They sell jeans, boots, hats, shirts, just about anything the cowboys around here need. They don’t have a big selection for women since there aren’t many of us around, but they’ll order anything you want. I doubt the Tack Room will have much to interest you unless you decide to buy yourself a horse.
“Across the street, next door to the hotel, is a clothing store owned by Chev Langly. He carries everything from shoes to hats for women, men, and children, though his stock is mostly for men, of course.”
“What’s the nearest place that actually stocks women’s clothes?” Jenna asked curiously.
“There’s a small dress shop in Jackston, the next town over, and a shoe store, too, but most of us either order online or drive into Missoula, which takes about two hours. We tend to go in small bunches, shop in the morning, have lunch, maybe spend a couple of hours at the spa and make a day of it.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It is, hon,” Meg said, smiling. “Now, let me think. Kendra Simms and her three husbands own the souvenir shop. You might wanna check that out, too. They sell a lot of t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, that sort of thing for the tourists.”
“Tourists?” Jenna asked, not even noticing that all the men in the diner were smiling at her easy acceptance when Meg mentioned Kendra’s three husbands. She hadn’t even paused, let alone questioned it.
“We have three big dude ranches in the area,” Meg said. “They all advertise heavily and are booked a year in advance. They’re open year round, and each one sends a tour bus into town two days a week on a rotating basis excluding Sundays and Thursdays.”
“That’s real good to know,” Jenna said. “What kind of business do you think would do well here, Meg?”
“There are any number of possibilities,” Meg said. “The best advice I can give you is to make sure that you really love whatever you decide on. Owning and running a business isn’t just a full time job. It’s like two or three full time jobs. If you don’t love what you’re doing you’ll be miserable in no time flat.”
“Actually, there is something I’ve had in mind for a long time, but I don’t know if it would go over here. That’s one of my concerns and it’s a big one because it’s something I’ve wanted to do for years.”
“Tell me about it and I’ll tell you what I think.”
“Okay. When I was sixteen or seventeen I went into this little shop in Portland. I fell in love with it. Every single item in the store was aimed at pleasing the senses. They sold a custom line of body creams, lotions, soaps and oils, things like that,
all really good quality. They also had things that smelled good, like incense, potpourri, and scented candles. There were silk robes, velvet pillows, and thick faux fur throws that just begged to be touched. There wasn’t a product in that entire store that didn’t smell, feel, or look good.” She leaned forward, her face pink. “They also had some sensual products like flavored massage oils and lubes, that sort of thing.”
Jenna paused and looked over her shoulder at the sound of a deep groan. She didn’t see anyone who looked hurt, and all of the diners behind her were busily eating their breakfasts. She turned back, surprised to see a frown on Meg’s face before she looked back at her and smiled.
“I think that’s a place I’d like to visit myself,” Meg said.
Jenna smiled, pleased by Meg’s reaction. “Ever since I saw it, it’s been my dream to open a shop just like that. It just spoke to me somehow. When I went to college I majored in business, but I also took every class I could squeeze into my schedule on Organic Chemistry and Cosmetic Science so I could create my own line of body products. Over the past couple of years I’ve done a good deal of experimenting with different formulations and I’ve come up with what I think is a good line of products. My concern is that, with so few women in the area, that kind of a business wouldn’t do well here.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Meg said. “If you were to include products for men, I think you’d do a brisk business.”
“Really?” Jenna asked in surprise. “That’s easy enough since I intended to do that anyway.”
Meg smiled, then bustled off to take care of her customers. Jenna pushed her plate away and wrapped both hands around her coffee mug as she thought about what Meg had said. When she returned a few minutes later, Jenna looked at her thoughtfully.
“Do you really think a shop like that would succeed here?” Jenna asked. “It doesn’t have to do really well, just enough to support itself and keep me in groceries. I’m not greedy, but I’m not wealthy, either.”
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