by Gloria Doty
He sat there with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds, trying to absorb the dating site information while feeling a bit hot and bothered by Maggie’s sensual touch.
The guys at the front table were enjoying his discomfort way too much while he knew his face was turning all shades of red.
“Okay, okay, joke time is over. Maggie, get my name off that site. I’d prefer to choose my own women, thank you.”
“That’s the beauty of it, Jace. You can choose who you want to contact. Read through all their profiles and answer one. They don’t know your address so they aren’t going to show up here at the bar.”
She turned back to him. “Speaking of showing up at the bar, some young woman in jeans and boots was asking for you this morning. She said something about a ride to Colorado for your horse. I thought you needed to get your horse to Texas, not Colorado.”
Jace shrugged his shoulders, indicating he knew nothing about going to Colorado.
Ken volunteered, “She was pretty darned cute, Jace. Maybe you won’t need that dating site.” He slapped his knee and laughed at his own words.
Turning his attention back to Maggie, Jace asked, “Did she leave a number where I can reach her?”
“No but she said she had some errands in town and would be back in a few hours.”
“Did she at least give you her name?”
“If I remember correctly, I believe she introduced herself as Danielle.”
CHAPTER 9
JACE DIDN’T HAVE any idea who she was or how she knew about his horse needing a ride back to Texas, but if this was the answer he didn’t pray about but thought about praying about, he was more than interested and willing to hear what she had to say.
The lunch customers were nearly all gone and most of the men at the front ‘regulars’ table had left to cause a bit of mischief somewhere else. They were all good men who for one reason or another, had very little to do each day. Several of them were retired ranchers which in this part of the country usually meant their sons or daughters or some other member of the family was now responsible for the day-to-day workings of the ranch. They were native Montanans and couldn’t even conceive of leaving the state they loved. Harry sold his barber shop to a nephew but continued to live in the upstairs apartment because he didn’t want to leave either. Ken was the most vocal of the bunch. His daddy and granddaddy had lived on the outskirts of Bozeman since it was just a blip on the map. They didn’t have a large parcel of land but they made a living. When Ken’s wife left him many years ago, he stayed put. He never discussed what happened and he never mentioned her name. They had no children so he had the entire house and land to himself. He let a foreman run it and he didn’t do too much of anything that anyone could tell except drink coffee all morning at The Branding Iron and harass Jace and Maggie and anyone else he took a liking to.
In the early afternoon, a young woman entered the bar. She paused for a minute to allow her eyes to adjust to the cool, dim interior. She glanced around until she spotted Maggie and recognized her as the woman she spoke with in the morning.
“Hi, again,” she said with a grin. “I don’t suppose, umm,” she fished a piece of paper out of her shirt pocket and read the name, “Jace Matthews …is back yet, is he?”
Jace heard his name and came from the other side of the room. He held out his hand and said, simply, “Yep, he is.” Then he smiled and continued, “I’m Jace and I heard someone was looking for me earlier.”
This startlingly pretty young woman took his hand and shook it firmly…not in the wimpy way most girls did. “Hi Jace. I’m Danielle and I believe we have a mutual acquaintance and perhaps a mutual problem. I hope we can also find a mutual solution.”
They both chuckled at the overuse of the word, mutual. He motioned for her to sit at one of the tables, even pulling out her chair for her. She accepted the offer graciously although he believed she would have been more than capable of seating herself.
“Can I get you something to drink? We have a full bar or soda, also. There’s water, iced tea and lemonade but I’m afraid the coffee pot gets unplugged after the group of men known as the regulars, leaves each day.”
She waved her hand and answered, “I’m not much of an alcohol drinker and especially not in the middle of the day, but I could use a glass of cold water if it’s not too much trouble.”
Mitch appeared almost instantly, like a magic elf, with a frosty mug of water for each of them and a plate of fresh fruit, cut into bite-sized segments, all delivered on a tray, which he sat down on the table with a flourish.
Jace almost fell off his chair in an effort not to laugh out loud at this gesture of hospitality. “Thanks, Mitch,” was all he could manage.
Danielle’s eyes followed Mitch back to the bar and then she said, “Wow. Do all your customers get this treatment…even when all they order is water?”
She was grinning, quite aware of some subtle undercurrents of something. She just didn’t know what it was. She brought her focus back to Jace and started the conversation. “Okay, let me begin by making sure we are on the same page as to our mutual acquaintance. I assume you know Calvin Frasier from Magnolia, Texas and his son, Ben?”
“Yes, I do. In fact, I spoke to Cal just a few days ago.”
“Okay. Well, I recently lost a mare that was going to be the foundation of my herd. Cal has graciously offered me a mare from their herd which he insisted was too closely bred to their stallion and …never mind. The whole thing comes down to this: he and his wife, Lucy, are attending a wedding in the Denver area. He wants to bring the mare that far if I can meet him there. He also said he is getting a horse from you, so he thought we could make the trip advantageous to all parties concerned.”
Jace was nodding as he was processing the proposal. “So, you’re offering to take my horse with you to Colorado and then bring your new mare back?”
“Yes, that’s the basics but there are a few other parts to it.” She traced one of the water droplets down the side of the glass mug with a finger while seeming to decide how to proceed. “I don’t trust my truck to make it that far but I have a decent stock trailer. So I thought perhaps we can make this a joint effort. Your truck, my trailer, we split all costs and we can take turns driving. That way, there’s no need to get a hotel and we can make the trip quickly.”
Jace wasn’t sure if her face was suddenly pink from the warmth in the bar or if it was from talking about getting a hotel…or not getting one. Either way, it made her smooth, tanned complexion even prettier.
He cleared his throat and nodded his head. “It sounds like a great idea to me. I was wondering how I was going to get Jasper all the way back to his original home in Texas, but it seems as though you have just solved that problem.”
She shook her head slightly. “It really is Mr. Frasier who had the idea. I’m just the messenger.”
“Well, I will be certain to thank him for his ideas. Do you know exactly when this wedding is taking place?”
“Yes, it will be in two weeks. If we leave early on Friday morning, I figure we should arrive in time to do the switching before the wedding and then we can be on our way back.”
“Okay. It’s a deal, Danielle. Here’s my phone number so we can stay in touch until then,” Jace mumbled as he scribbled the information on an old receipt.
“Should I have your email address too or maybe you don’t want anyone to have that.”
Jace cast a ‘look that shot daggers’ in Maggie’s direction and answered her, “Oh no. It’s perfectly fine. It seems that every female in the state of Montana now has my email address.”
Danielle didn’t know what that meant but it was time to leave. She stood, thanked him for the water and shook hands again. “I’ll stay in touch.”
As she walked to her pick-up, she was thinking, ‘Jeepers, Cal Frasier, you could have warned me this Jace guy was as handsome as all get out.’
CHAPTER 10
CAMILLE STAYED HOME and tried to sort through a
ll the arrangements that would need to be made if she was truly going to be gone for six months. Six months…she asked herself what kind of stupidity or desperation makes someone go to an area they know nothing about and where they know absolutely no one…not one single soul…and stay in a house that is probably not comfortable?
At this point, those were moot questions. The die was cast or whatever that saying was. She was going. She had spoken to her mother and asked permission to stay at her home. At first, Barbara was hesitant but Camille assured her it would be just her, no friend or friends coming along and she would pay rent.
Barbara’s curt answer was to be belligerent about the idea. “That’s not necessary, Camille. Don’t insult me by insinuating I would need your money.”
Of course she didn’t. The property was paid for and it was a shame it sat empty all the time. Initially, Barbara purchased it as an investment and thought she might like to spend some time there during the ski season, but she could never drag herself away from her social life in Paris long enough to do that. At least that’s the story she told Camille.
She did question why Camille needed to stay there. She told her it was a six-month project that she needed time alone and solitude with no distractions to accomplish. Barbara didn’t ask any further questions, obviously accepting her daughter’s explanation, if she even heard it.
Convincing Will had been a bit more difficult. She gave him the same story she had given her mother, only he had a thousand questions.
“Why can’t you stay here and pretend you’re away from your work environment and alone? I’ll even make meals for you and deliver them to your office upstairs if you really want to be reclusive. I’ll slide the tray under your door.”
She laughed at that suggestion, picturing it in her mind. She reminded him that she wouldn’t be alone if he was still there.
“Thanks, Camille. Thanks a lot. Do you really believe I would bother you if this was an important project? You don’t give me much credit.”
Exasperated at his childishness, she nearly shouted, “Will…think about this…I’m not talking about holing up in my home office for six days or six weeks. This is a frickin’ six months’ time frame. As in, half a year! Are you not hearing me?”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, don’t get so testy. Go. Leave…I don’t care. What am I supposed to be doing in these six months?”
“Looking for gainful employment, hopefully,” she retorted.
“Funny, very funny. You never miss an opportunity to jab me with the monetary side of everything. You know you’re going to miss me, Camille. Who are you going to say nasty things to, if I’m not around?”
“I’ll try to bear up under the strain of not being nasty, Will.”
“Are you at least going to give me your address and the phone number of the place you’re staying?”
She’d asked herself what she should do about that but decided to be completely off the radar. “No, I’m not. There won’t be any need to reach me. If the townhouse catches fire, call 911 and then the insurance company.” She handed him a packet of papers. “All the insurance papers and the numbers of the maintenance companies I use are in there. That’s all you need.”
Will seemed truly bewildered and hurt that she would give him no information.
***
It had been agreed upon at the work meeting that she would have a new email of course, and a new phone and number that only Allie would know. If there were truly an emergency, Allie could reach her plus they might need to converse about any number of things in the course of six months. This entire little adventure was so unlike her. It was definitely not her style but she convinced herself it might be a blessing in disguise. With no love interest, no spouse, no children and basically, no parents, she worked way too many hours. Even her friends were somehow work-related so when she did have dinner with them, it was always work topics that were discussed. She chastised herself that she didn’t even have a hobby or any outside interests.
When she was honest and doing self-evaluation exercises, she knew her lifestyle wasn’t healthy. She took the time to stay in great shape physically but not mentally or emotionally or spiritually. With that frame of mind, she packed what she thought were the essentials. She would purchase anything else she needed when she arrived. After all, her tailored work suits were probably not the haute couture of the typical Bozeman resident.
“Can I at least drive you to the airport?”
“I’ve already made arrangements for a cab. But thank you for the offer. By the way, I forgot to ask, how did your date with Allie work out?”
She was interested in his take on the dinner date. She already knew Allie’s opinion.
“It was all good. She’s an interesting conversationalist, she has a sense of humor, and she doesn’t seem stuck on herself like some of the women I’ve dated. It doesn’t hurt that she’s also quite attractive but not in an over-the-top kind of way. She seemed very natural.”
“Yes, that’s Allie. She is the best. She was impressed with you, too, Will. I’m happy it went well.”
She didn’t tell him that Allie thought he was a gorgeous specimen of manhood with an infectious smile, good manners and was a truly fun date. Camille didn’t want his head to get too big.
She packed and unpacked and packed again over the next few days. Would she need any heavy clothing or jackets? Would she need some western-type garb? What about dressy outfits in case one of her ‘dates’ wanted to go dancing or to a fancy restaurant? She made a final decision…whatever she needed beyond normal clothing, she would purchase when she got there. At the last minute, she grabbed her favorite red stilettos and squeezed them into the bag. They were her ‘comfort’ shoes and maybe she would have a chance to wear them.
Finally it was the day of her flight and although she was a bit apprehensive, she was ready for this journey into the unknown.
Will carried her few bags to the cab. Then he encircled her in his arms, pulled her close and kissed her…long and hard. “I don’t want you to forget me, Camille. You know I love you…always have and always will. Nothing will ever change that. Maybe in six months, you will remember how you felt about me, too, once upon a time.”
She thought about his words as the driver made his way through traffic to the airport. Her thoughts took an unexpected turn. ‘Maybe I should revisit my relationship with Will when I return. The two of us had some good times and we know each other so well.’
Camille ran her tongue over her lips…one thing was certain…Will’s kisses still drove her to distraction. There was no denying that.
CHAPTER 11
“GOOD MORNIN’ BOSS,” Maggie greeted Jace when he walked out of the back office. She paused for a minute, then continued, “You look terrible. What happened? Did you sleep here all night?”
“Thanks, Maggie. Who needs a mirror when they have you around to assess their looks? No, I didn’t sleep here last night. I went home.”
She pursed her lips and cocked her head to one side. “A bit testy this morning, aren’t we? I keep tellin’ you to check out some of the women on the dating site. I think a good roll in the hay would be just what the doctor ordered for you.”
Jace wasn’t smiling at her remarks. “That’s the problem. I did check out some of the ones who contacted me. I was up most of the night, doing just that. Do you have any idea how many females advertise themselves on those sites?”
Mitch joined the conversation. “They’re not all bad, Jace. My friend in Nebraska met his wife on a dating site and they’ve been happily married for 6 years. You have to weed out the scammers and the crazies and then contact some of the ones that are left.”
Jace shook his head in disbelief and frustration. “I can’t believe there are that many individuals out there who are looking for someone. I’m not sure having a date is worth this much trouble.”
“You don’t expect us to feel sorry for you, do you?” asked Ken from the front table. “There’s a who
le slew of lonely women right here in Bozeman. You need to get out of this bar and out of your barn and go looking for them.”
“Is that the voice of experience talking, Ken? How many dates have you had in the last five years?” Jace countered.
Everyone joined in and gave Ken a hard time. In the middle of their exchanges, the door to The Branding Iron opened and a stout man in a perfectly tailored suit walked in.
The room became eerily quiet. Even the regulars didn’t have anything to say.
He headed straight to Jace and sat down at the bar next to him. After ordering a shot of whiskey and downing it immediately, he smiled and said quietly, “Hello Jace. Are you ready to sign the papers yet?”
Jace asked, “Isn’t it a bit early to be downing shots, Blakely? Even for you?”
“I wanted to celebrate early. I knew today was going to be my lucky day. You would come to your senses and accept my offer for this establishment. I even had my attorney draw up the papers and I hired an architect to design the new and improved restaurant I’m going to build on this property…after I tear this one down.” He smiled a toothy grin as he glanced around the room. “Yes, I would say Bozeman could use some new eateries on this side of town. Don’t you agree, Jace?”
It was all Jace could do to keep from picking Blakely up by the seat of his pants and his shirt collar and tossing his carcass into the street. Instead, he told him, “I hate to disappoint you but you’ve made a trip for nothing. I told you the last time you were here The Branding Iron isn’t for sale…not then, not now and not in the future. And even if it was…I wouldn’t sell to you.”
Blakely smiled. “Oh you’re going to sell to me. Maybe not today, but at some point when the creditors get ready to take it out from under you, you’ll be more than happy to take my generous offer. And all that bullshit you spew out about how this is a landmark and it would destroy this part of Bozeman and there’s so much history in this place…I’ll try to shed a few tears as the bulldozers demolish the joint.” With that, he stood up and walked out.
