by Julie Benson
The soft peach tones were a vast improvement over the dark colors they currently had. Below the shelter’s logo were the page buttons. Beneath that, a banner contained an idyllic picture of a family gazing lovingly at the family dog. The animal snuggled up against the young son and daughter. Beside the photo on the left was the phrase “Celebrating pets and the people who love them.” To the right were adoption and donation icons.
Jess scrolled down the site. “Stuff like the Pennies for Paws and the Pet Walk were scattered all over the page before. Putting them all here makes it easier for users to find what they need.” She pointed to the left side of the screen. “All they have to do is scroll down.”
“I agree. I can’t wait to show this to the board. And you did this all on your own? You’ve got some skills, girl.”
Beside her, Jess tensed ever so slightly. “I’m glad you like it.”
The words were right, but Jess’s tone was wrong. What had happened? Avery thought about what she’d said. “Are you worried about me taking this to the board for approval?”
“Not too much.”
If it wasn’t the board, then what had caused the change? And you did this all on your own?
Reed had been a computer whiz. In high school he and his dad had fought over him wanting to computerize the ranch’s finances and breeding records. His father had insisted he didn’t need a “damned machine” to do the brain work for him. Now Reed owned a large computer semiconductor company. Avery pegged him as the kind of owner who kept a close eye on every aspect of his business, including the company’s website.
Jess is worried I’ll be mad if I find out Reed helped her.
But that didn’t make sense. Mr. Workaholic wouldn’t take time away from his business to revamp the shelter website. She was imagining things.
“Do you want to present this to the board?”
Jess shook her head. “Ms. Stinson will have a cow if she finds out I was the one who created this.”
“Come on. Seeing that would be worth it right there.”
Jess giggled. “Definitely, but it’s more important that the shelter gets a good website. Hopefully the new site will help with the fund-raising.”
The tightness in Avery’s chest loosened. She’d been right with her first instincts. Jess was worried the board would reject the design if they knew a teenager had created it. Reed had had nothing to do with this.
Good thing, because if he had, she might have to rethink the whole he-was-a-complete-ass thing.
* * *
WHEN JESS TOLD REED she needed a dress for the Fall Social, his first instinct was to give her his credit card. Then common sense kicked in. Giving a teenage girl his credit card, even with a strict spending limit, sounded as smart as asking a coyote to watch Thor. But that wasn’t his biggest worry. After seeing Jess’s fashion choices, his worst nightmare was that she’d come back with a skintight dress made out of cellophane wrap.
While he hadn’t wanted the guardian role, he’d taken it on and he wasn’t about to slough it off. He could handle shopping with Jess now that their relationship had improved. He was a man who knew what looked good on a woman. That didn’t mean he’d enjoy the task. In fact, sitting in the dad/husband chair in a small women’s boutique waiting while Jess tried on dresses felt as if he’d died and gone to hell.
After ten minutes, she strolled out of the dressing room, a scrap of red fabric tossed over her arm. “This one’s perfect.”
“What? I sat here all this time, and I don’t get to see it on you?”
“I told you it’s great. Don’t you trust me?”
He bit his tongue to keep from blurting out hell no, she was a teenager. “My footing the bill entitles me to see the dress on you.”
“Like you know what’s fashionable.”
“I live in California, and I date a lot.”
He thought about his previous relationships. Whenever a woman hinted about getting serious, he moved on. He stopped calling, ignored her texts and let her calls go to voice mail. If she failed to get the hint, he tossed out his standard excuse that work had gotten demanding. Then he’d suggest they take a break, and that ended things.
Remembering his anger-management class, he focused on his breathing, counted to ten and then replied in a calm voice, “If I don’t see the dress on you, I don’t buy it. That’s the deal.”
She stood there glaring at him. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
She whirled around and stormed back into the dressing room, only to emerge a minute later.
His jaw dropped, and for a moment he had no idea what to say other than she looked as if she belonged in a singles bar or on an episode of Jersey Shore.
How did she get the skintight red thing on? Nonstick cooking spray had to be involved. He bit his tongue and counted to ten. While he might not know what was suitable for a fourteen-year-old girl, he sure knew what wasn’t when he saw it. “Keep looking. That one’s a no. It’s not appropriate.”
So much for their improved relationship. The teenage defiance he’d become so familiar with returned to her gaze full force. This was not going the way he imagined. Okay, maybe his idea that she’d try on a couple of dresses and buy something modest and longer hadn’t been realistic, but this was insane.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. Everyone’s wearing dresses like this.”
Right. Every twentysomething woman who was out trolling for a man. He doubted any parent of a teenage girl would let her out of the house in the dress. “Maybe so, but I know when a woman looks desperate for attention, and that dress screams it.”
Pain filled Jess’s eyes. Reed cringed. How could he be such an ass? He was his father’s son. That was how. The man had never cared who he crushed as long as he won the argument.
Why the hell do you want to study business? You think you can be one of those big-shot CEOs? Not hardly. You were raised on a ranch. You might leave, but you’ll never get the smell of manure out of your nose.
His mind raced, trying to figure out a way to salvage the situation. His confidence faded. He was out of his league. When he encountered resistance in business he stated the facts, relied on research and pointed out past trends. But this? He had nothing. No experience. No facts, and he knew squat about teenage fashion trends.
“I don’t need you to pay for it. Dad gave me a credit card to use for emergencies.”
“Good try, but no.”
“I knew I should’ve asked Avery to go shopping with me. I never should’ve told you about the dance.” Jess stormed back into the dressing room.
Reed sat there, his fingers digging into the upholstered arms of the chair, clueless as to what to do. He needed help. Avery would’ve done a much better job.
That’s what he needed. An expert. At least Avery had once been a fourteen-year-old girl. She couldn’t be as clueless as he was. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed. When Avery answered he blurted out, “Don’t hang up. I need to talk to you about Jess.”
“Is she okay?” Concern laced Avery’s voice.
He explained the situation, and how things had disintegrated. “The dress Jess wants to buy looks like it belongs on a twenty-five-year-old who’s out to hook a husband the old-fashioned way. Come convince her that I’m right and she needs to pick out a more appropriate dress.”
“I can’t. I’m on my way to John Sampson’s to examine his new foal.”
“That’s perfect. Stop by the store on your way to his place. It’ll take five minutes, tops. You’ll come in, tell Jess the dress is awful and then you’re done.” When Avery didn’t jump at his suggestion, he added, “All I’ve done so far is make her mad. Help me out here. Please?”
Her sigh radiated over the phone lines. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for Jess, so she doesn’t get m
ade fun of at the dance.”
He didn’t care why Avery agreed, as long as she did.
* * *
AS AVERY DROVE ACROSS TOWN she imagined Reed’s response if he thought Jess’s choice inappropriate. Reed, always strong-minded and sure of himself. He’d probably made things worse with some stupid comment like the one he’d made to her on the phone about the dress being one a woman would wear to “hook a husband the old-fashioned way.” Everything Jess did lately screamed of her need for attention, but he couldn’t seem to understand that. Instead his responses fueled the teenager’s natural inclination to prove she knew better.
They were two stubborn mules who’d die of starvation rather than share the feed trough.
When Avery walked into the small boutique she found Reed sulking in a chair, Jess’s red backpack at his feet. He nodded toward the dressing rooms. “She’s in there.”
Avery grabbed a shirt off the closest rack and headed inside. “Jess?”
The teenager poked her head out from behind a red curtain in the middle room. “What are you doing here?”
“I stopped in to do a little shopping. When I went to try on this top, I saw your uncle outside the dressing room. I hear you’re looking for a dress for the dance. Have you found one?”
“I did, but Uncle Stick-in-the-Mud says he won’t pay for it.” Jess reached behind her, grabbed the garment and showed the dress to Avery. Then she bit her lip and her eyes teared up. “He said it makes me look like I’m desperate for attention.”
Yup. The situation had played out pretty much as she’d expected. “Like he knows about women’s fashion. Try the dress on and let me see. Maybe we can work on him together and change his mind.”
“You’d do that?”
“We women have to stick together against the chauvinistic, arrogant men of the world.” Avery pulled back the curtain on the dressing room next to Jess’s and placed the shirt on the hook inside while Jess smiled and ducked back into her room. A minute later she waltzed out. On top of being bright red and skintight, the thing was short enough that Avery wouldn’t have had the nerve to wear it. After plastering a smile on her face, she motioned for Jess to follow her.
When they met Reed, Avery knew immediately what he wanted—for her to blast Jess with how tacky she looked and tell her to find something else. Didn’t he realize that tactic wouldn’t work any better for her than it had for him?
As Jess preened in front of the three-way mirror, Avery pretended to critically study the dress from all angles. “That dress is so cute.” She forced out the words, thankful when she didn’t choke on them.
Then she caught Reed’s expression in the mirror. His eyes bulged at her words and he looked as if he’d jump out of his chair any minute. The man had the patience of a four-month-old puppy. She was willing to back him up, mainly because he was right about the dress, but not in the approach he expected. Her way would get the job done while smoothing Jess’s ruffled feathers, but it would take time. Her gaze locked with his and she smiled, hoping to calm his rising temper.
“I’m not sure about the color, though.” Avery paused. Finesse. That’s what the situation required. “Have I ever told you how much I learned about fashion, especially what colors look good on people, when my sister-in-law shot Rory’s commercial at the ranch?”
“That’s right. Your brother’s a model,” Jess said, her gaze softening.
“Elizabeth spent a lot of time picking out the shirt he wore for the commercial. She had to make sure the color was right for him.”
The teenager smoothed her hand over the red dress, uncertainty flashing in her eyes. “What’s wrong with the color?”
“You’ve got such a great complexion, perfect really, but the color of the dress has an orange cast. It makes your skin look a little yellow.”
The teenager stared at her reflection. “Really?”
Avery turned to Reed. “You see what I mean, don’t you, Reed? This dress does nothing for her beautiful coloring.”
He nodded obediently. “You’re right. I don’t know how I missed it.”
“Guys never notice subtleties. They just know a dress isn’t right, but they don’t know why.” Avery glanced at Reed and shook her head. “We can find something that has the good features of this dress, but in a color that suits you better.”
As she and Jess walked through the shop, Avery steered Jess to more appropriate dresses. She picked up a couple of garments, mumbling comments about them being too young for such a mature teenager and then replaced them. Biting her lip, she selected a pink dress with a high round neck and a blousy fit, and pointed to Reed. “I bet this is something he’d think you should wear.”
“What’s wrong with it? I think it’s cute,” Reed responded, a glare darkening his features.
She and Jess giggled. Over the teenager’s head, she noticed Reed smiling. Maybe he’d caught on to the game after all.
Next Avery selected a dress with a simple black tank-style top and a flowing skirt with a bold tie-dyed print. “This would be fantastic on you. It would highlight your great skin and make your eyes sparkle.”
“It looks awfully long,” Jess commented.
“We can hem it. That’s no big deal if the rest of the dress works.” She held the dress up to the teenager. “I have the perfect necklace to go with this. One with Swarovski crystals that I could lend you.”
Five minutes later, Jess returned to the dressing room to try on four completely appropriate dresses.
“How about that? The big bad businessman had to call in reinforcements to deal with a teenage girl,” Avery taunted as she stood beside Reed. “You can’t always lay down the law with her. It only makes her dig in her heels and want to get the best of you. She’s strong-willed and knows her own mind. Kind of like someone else I know.” That was a big part of Reed and Jess’s problem. They were too alike. “Sometimes all banging your head against a brick wall gets you is a major headache.”
“I’m smart enough to know when to call in an expert in the field to avoid a bloody battle.”
“For a moment when we first came out of the dressing room, I thought you were going to blow everything.”
“When I heard you say that damned dress was cute, I almost did, but then I realized what you were up to.”
Before he could respond, Jess returned, looking like a beautiful young woman. Avery smiled. “Jess, you look gorgeous. Doesn’t she look amazing, Reed?”
“She looks beautiful.” Jess beamed at her uncle’s genuine praise.
“Do you have some heels that would go with this dress?” Jess shook her head, and Avery asked what size shoe she wore. “I wear a half size bigger, but I might have something you could borrow.”
“And you’ll loan me that great jewelry you told me about?” Avery nodded, and Jess stared into the mirror. “You’re sure we can get this hemmed in time?”
“Absolutely. Have your uncle drop you off at my house tonight. We’ll pin up your dress and you can raid my closet for shoes.” She’d also drop some subtle hints about makeup.
“What time? If you like pizza we could bring dinner.”
“That’s the least I can do,” Reed added. “Is pizza with spinach and fresh tomatoes from McCabe’s still your favorite?”
He remembered what kind of pizza she liked? So what if he did? He’d been an ass at the shelter the other day. Bringing her pizza wouldn’t fix that.
Snarky words about what he could do with that idea sat perched on her tongue. Then she caught the look of excitement and anticipation shining in Jess’s eyes. Eating pizza and hemming her dress were the kind of things she’d done with her mother before big high-school dances. “I’ll see you at Twin Creeks around six.”
“You’re still living at home with your mom?” Reed asked.
“For now.”
After Jess skipped off to the dressing room, Reed said, “The way you managed her was pretty damned amazing.”
“Since my work here is done, I’m off to the Sampson place.”
When she turned to leave, he reached out and placed a hand on her arm. “I know I’m bringing pizza tonight, but let me buy you a nice dinner Friday to thank you for saving my ass. I’ll pick you up after I take Jess to the dance. She was about to deck me when I called you.”
Her regret kicked in as she pulled away from him. “I agreed to you bringing pizza for Jess’s sake and to keep from making a scene, but as far as I’m concerned you’re just somebody that I used to know.”
“Let me make it up to you Friday.”
“You aren’t getting this. I don’t like who you are now, but even if I did, I’m busy Friday night. My friend’s the guidance counselor at the high school, and when they were coming up short on chaperones, she called in a favor. I’ll be at the dance Friday night playing chaperone.”
“Mrs. Palmer said we still need volunteers, Uncle Reed,” Jess said as she strolled out of the dressing room, her selection clutched in her hand. “I told her I’d ask you to help out.”
“I’d be happy to.”
Avery flinched as he flashed her an I’ve-got-you-now grin.
If that’s what he thought, he was so wrong. “We’ve already done the high-school dance thing. Remember? I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to relive those years.”
Chapter Ten
“Call me when I need to pick you up,” Reed said to Jess as he pulled up in front of the sprawling ranch house at Twin Creeks.
“You’re not coming in?”
Avery had made it quite clear this afternoon that he wasn’t welcome. A disturbing sense of loss filled him. When he and Avery had dated, they’d studied at her house after he finished his chores, which often turned into him staying for dinner. Twin Creeks had given him a glimpse into what normal family life could be. “I’ve got work to do.”
