Destiny's Last Bachelor?

by Christyne Butler

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk in the last week,” he said.

  This was actually the first time they’d been alone together since that morning she’d woken up hungover in his office. She’d missed talking to him, missed having him this close. “No, we haven’t. I thought perhaps you skipped out on the rehearsal today because you had to go to Cheyenne again.”

  “No, I think my patient is finally in a good place, but you never know. Sometimes all it takes is a look, a word...or a kiss to knock a guy right on his ass.”

  The tingling vanished and her heart dropped to her stomach like a lead weight. The intensity of his stare told her that the guy he was talking about at this moment was him.

  She owed him an explanation for her behavior that morning, that and more. “I’d hoped we could found some time to talk because I wanted to apologize for what happened...between us...down at the lake.”

  Dean’s shoulders stiffened. “Apologize?”

  “Yes. I know we were very much alone at the camp and the chances of anyone overhearing me asking for a kiss...of seeing you...seeing us....” Priscilla stopped to draw in a deep breath and realized her mistake as the move filled her head with the very masculine and outdoorsy scent of this man. Now she wanted to be the one to grab him and kiss him! “I never should’ve put you in that kind of situation. It was very unfair.”

  Dean moved forward and Priscilla instinctively backed up, deeper into the shadows, but the wall was there and before she could take another step, Dean flattened his hand on the surface next to her head. “Wait a minute. You were upset that morning because you were worried about me?”

  “As you know, I had a lot to drink that night. Not that I planned it that way. I was just having so much fun. Something I haven’t done in years on the chance that someone with a camera would be around if I said the wrong thing. Or did the wrong thing. I didn’t want you to get caught up in that kind of madness.” She was babbling and instinctively reached out, laying a hand on the center of Dean’s chest. “Not that I think the kiss was wrong.”

  One corner of Dean’s mouth rose into a slow smile. “No?”

  “No!” Oh, she was saying this all wrong. “It’s just that I’ve lived my life in the tabloids and it...sucks, for lack of a better word. Even the smallest thing can get blown out of proportion. Like that kiss. I know you thought it was no big deal, but—”

  Dean lowered his head to nuzzle the side of her face. His lips, warm and soft at her hairline, moved to her cheek and then the spot where her ear and jaw met. “I lied. Kissing you was a very big deal.”

  Closing her eyes, Priscilla tilted her head, allowing him access to the curve of her neck. Her body hummed, his mouth on her skin causing her insides to awaken with a longing she’d never felt before. She pressed her fingers hard into his chest and his answering groan made her want to pull him close until the heat and hardness of his body was tight against hers.

  “And I don’t give a damn if anyone saw us, then or right now.” His words were hypnotic and sinfully smooth, so much so that she hadn’t realized he’d stopped kissing her until she felt the cool air on her skin. “But I know you do, so I’ll behave. For now. How about you let me take you out for dinner tonight?”

  She blinked and then opened her eyes, finding it hard to see past the intimate haze he’d just created around them. “Dinner? You mean like a date?”

  Dean grinned and took a step back. “Yeah, a date. How about it?”

  Before Priscilla could answer with a resounding yes, Leeann appeared, peeking around the swinging door. “Ah, I hate to interrupt you two, but, Priscilla, I think you have a visitor out front.”

  Confused, Priscilla brushed past Dean when he took a step away from her. They walked back out into the bar, her gaze moving over several people milling around until one person caused her to do a double take. “Priscilla, darling!” A stunning brunette, poised with her arms flung wide in greeting, showed off her toned midriff in a cropped purple silk top. Completing the outfit were a pair of sleek black pants, strappy heels, a number of gold and beaded necklaces hanging around her neck and an oversize handbag that cost more than what one of Racy’s waitresses could earn in a year of tips.

  “Jacqueline.” Her sister’s name fell from her lips in an astounded whisper. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

  Chapter Ten

  “You barely let me say anything more than hello to your new friends before you dragged me out of there.” Jacqueline pouted, tossed her purse aside and then threw herself down on the love seat in Priscilla’s room at the inn. “But I must say, finding you in this little town, in the middle of Nowheresville, sitting on a barstool in a real country-and-western saloon—ohmigosh, too funny!”

  Still in shock over the fact her sister was in Destiny, Priscilla followed Jacqueline into the room, placed her tote on the bed and then grabbed Snake’s leash. The little guy was dancing around her feet, having barely given his true owner anything but a quick glance. Explanations would have to wait a few more minutes. “I need to take the dog outside. When I come back, I want some answers.”

  “I should’ve known you’d have Snaky with you.” Jacqueline leaned down and wiggled her fingers, with their sparkly purple nails, at the dog, her voice suddenly child-like. “Come here, Snaky-poo, come see Mama.”

  Snake didn’t budge an inch.

  Priscilla rolled her eyes and attached the leash to the dog’s collar. “Of course I have Snake with me. Did you think I would just leave him behind?”

  “No, not you.” Jacqueline’s obstinate tone returned as she flopped back against the cushions. “Not the responsible Lennox daughter.”

  Priscilla had to bite down on her bottom lip to refrain from shooting back a retort of her own, but first things first. She’d take care of Snake and then get some answers from her sister.

  The introductions back at the bar had been hasty, but the last thing she’d expected a few minutes after hearing Jacqueline was missing, not to mention moments away from making plans for the evening, was to see her sister walk into the Blue Creek Saloon as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  And Dean...

  She’d wanted to tell him how she’d intended to say yes, but he’d waved off his invitation with a whispered promise they’d do it another time. After that, Priscilla had hustled her sister out to the parking lot. On the ride back to the inn, with Jacqueline following close behind in a rented BMW, Priscilla had called her father to let him know Jacqueline had turned up.

  Here. In Destiny.

  Once downstairs, Priscilla stopped by the front desk to pick up a small trash bag and then took the pup to a wooded area out back to do his business. As much as she wanted to take the familiar walk through town that she and Snake did almost on a daily basis, Priscilla had to get back upstairs.

  “Sorry, buddy.” Priscilla entered the inn through the side door, depositing the bag in the designated receptacle and heading for the elevator. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  Minutes later they were back in the room, with Snake giving a wide berth to Jacqueline as he made his way to his pillow near the fireplace. Slipping off her heels and her sweater, Priscilla sat in the chair opposite her sister, tucking her legs underneath her.

  “Let’s start with something simple. How did you get here?”

  “A plane to New York and then another to Denver.” Jacqueline crossed her legs, her foot bouncing madly. “Then I typed Destiny, Wyoming—great name for a town, by the way—into the navigation system of my rental and voilà, here I am.”

  “How did you know where to find me?”

  “Daddy’s secretary.”

  That answer shouldn’t have surprised Priscilla. If her father knew her whereabouts, then Elizabeth would, too, and the woman had always had a soft spot for her sister. Jacqueline could always turn on the charm w
hen needed, especially since making sure the transfer from Jacqueline’s trust fund to her bank account every month was one of Elizabeth’s jobs. “That’s not exactly what I meant. How did you find me in town?”

  “When I saw the choices for places to stay in town, I went with the B and B. I was heading here when I spotted your Mercedes in the saloon’s parking lot.”

  “Do you know father is in Paris right now looking for you?”

  Surprise crossed her sister’s flawless complexion for a moment, before her sullen expression returned.

  “Yes, the hotel staff called him,” Priscilla continued. “They became concerned when they hadn’t seen you—”

  “And I bet you’ve already called him as well to tell him I’m here. We need to know where little Jacqueline is at all times, don’t we?”

  “Constant supervision wouldn’t be needed if you would learn to—”

  “I don’t believe you!” Jacqueline jumped to her feet. “How can you sit there so cool and calm, like an ice princess? Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing here instead of lounging on the beaches of the French Riviera? Or roaming the streets of Paris? Aren’t you going to ask me about Jonathan?”

  Priscilla fully expected some sort of visceral reaction to hearing her former beau’s name, but there was nothing. No tightness in her chest, no loss of breath, no sharp pain in her gut. She was over him, truly and for good, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been hurt by what her sister had done.

  “No, I’m not. Jonathan is not my concern anymore.” Priscilla looked intently at her sister, seeing the cracks in her spoiled-little-rich-girl facade for the first time. Something was wrong. “I’m assuming he’s yours now.”

  “But he’s not. Doesn’t my being here make that abundantly clear?” Jacqueline paced around the room, her necklaces jangling as she moved. “We were having such a wonderful time together. Shopping, dining and dancing. He was so attentive, hanging on my every word, treating me like a queen.

  “But then he woke up one morning, rolled over and announced he’d made a mistake—” she paused, a sob catching in her throat “—that being with me was a mistake. I didn’t know what to say. I grabbed my stuff, threw it in a bag and was out of his penthouse before he got out of the shower.”

  Priscilla had no idea how to respond to her sister’s outburst, so she remained silent. Not that her sister was stopping her rant long enough to give Priscilla a chance to speak.

  “Thankfully, I ran into a friend who was heading to Paris, so I tagged along, and, of course, I went to one of our hotels. Drowning my sorrows with the finest champagne didn’t do anything but make me sick. In the end I was still alone.”

  She stopped pacing and stood staring out through the window. “I was so...lost. I had no idea where to go or what to do. The one person that I could always turn to wasn’t there—you. And I had no one to blame for that but myself.”

  Jacqueline turned and raced to Priscilla. Dropping to her knees, she buried her face in the folds of Priscilla’s skirt. “I’m so sorry! What I did to you was terrible. I got so caught up in the moment I wasn’t even thinking about the consequences of my actions. Of how it would affect you.” Her words came out rushed and muffled. “I thought he loved me. I thought for the first time someone wanted to be with me...for me...but none of that matters. Even if any of that was true, it doesn’t make it right. Oh, Sissy, please forgive me.”

  Stunned, Priscilla’s hand hovered over her sister’s dark hair for just a moment before she cupped Jacqueline’s chin and gently lifted. The sight of her tears—real tears—reminded Priscilla of her own just three short weeks ago.

  This was the first time she’d seen her sister cry since the day of their mother’s funeral. In all these years Jacqueline had used many tricks to get out of whatever trouble she’d caused, but she’d never resorted to crying. Priscilla wondered if their father had given Jacqueline the same lecture about how the Lennox women weren’t criers.

  “I hurt you,” Jacqueline whispered, “in a way that you probably can’t forgive, but I want you to know I’m sorry. It’s why I came here. I had to say it in person. I wish it had never happened.”

  “I wish it hadn’t happened, either,” Priscilla said. Her words weren’t exactly the pardon her sister was looking for, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

  Jacqueline wiped away her tears and launched herself into Priscilla’s arms. Before she could even think about it, Priscilla embraced her sister and held her close, surprised to feel the bitter sting of tears behind her closed eyelids.

  After a moment they separated and Jacqueline set back on her heels, a shaky smile on her face. “We haven’t done that—hugged—in a very long time.”

  Priscilla nodded. “Yes, I know. So, what’s next? When is your flight to Los Angeles?”

  “I don’t have a flight. I had no idea what was going to happen between us once we saw each other, but now I’m wondering...I’m thinking...maybe I could stay here with you? I would get my own room, of course, but there’s nothing for me back home right now. And I need to take some time to think.”

  Once again Priscilla was surprised. Her first instinct was to say no, to get on her laptop and book a flight for her sister right now, even drive Jacqueline back to Denver herself. She didn’t want anyone or anything to burst the perfect bubble she’d been living in the past couple of weeks. Working on the fund-raiser with the wonderful people of this town, being involved with Bobby and Leeann’s summer camp, meeting Dean, spending time with him, kissing him...

  “Priscilla?” Jacqueline tapped her on the knee. “What do you think? Maybe I could help with whatever project you’re working on. Not that I have as much experience as you, but fund-raising is in our blood. Didn’t I do an okay job of lining up the musical guest stars at the foundation’s last fund-raiser?”

  “But this is very low-key, just right for a town this size. It’s more of a community event than a moneymaker.”

  “So what are you doing in a place that looks like a cross between Mayberry R. F. D. and the Wild West anyway?” Jacqueline got to her feet and returned to sit down on the love seat, but this time she leaned forward, elbows on her knees. The tears were gone and a genuine smile was on her face. “Having a square dance?”

  Priscilla pulled in a deep breath, sent up a silent prayer she was doing the right thing and said, “We’re doing a bachelor auction featuring local businessmen, cops, firemen, cowboys, et cetera.”

  “A bachelor auction?” Jacqueline’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like an idea I would come up with. Wait! I did come up with that idea! How fun!”

  “Yes, you did.” Priscilla smiled. “I hope you don’t mind I stole it from you.”

  Jacqueline grinned and gave a dismissive wave. “After what I stole—nope, not going there. Don’t worry about it. Just tell me what I can do to help.”

  * * *

  On Monday morning Priscilla took Jacqueline to the auction committee meeting, after insisting her sister change her outfit twice before they left the inn. She’d explained how most in this small town dressed casually, if not a bit conservatively, and while she knew the arrival of her sister was news, Priscilla didn’t want to generate any unnecessary gossip.

  Deep inside, she had to admit she’d been a bit nervous about Jacqueline being around Dean. Was it jealousy? Perhaps. Or maybe it was because he’d never asked about the quip she’d made about her sister and her ex that first day at the camp and so she’d never explained what had happened. She’d told herself it was none of his business, but she now realized that she hadn’t wanted anything from her previous life to invade what she had started to find in Destiny.

  Allowing her sister to stay changed all that. Kissing Dean, wanting to out on a date with him, changed all that. She wasn’t sure how, or if it even mattered, but then Leeann had casually mentioned at the start of
the meeting how Bobby and Dean had gone to Cheyenne to pick up supplies for the camp. Priscilla had tucked her disappointment at the news away, and now that the meeting was over, she was taking Jacqueline to see the camp. Much to their surprise, Snake had conceded to riding shotgun on her sister’s lap.

  When they arrived, Priscilla pulled into a spot behind the dining hall. They got out of her car and left Snake in the office with Leeann, who’d whispered to Priscilla she’d learned what Dean’s date package was and that it would be perfect for Holly. She wanted to ask for details, but her sister was waiting. They spent the next hour or so walking around the camp as Priscilla gave her sister a personal tour. She introduced her to the staff they ran into and Jacqueline turned on the charm, flirting shamelessly when she met two of the camp counselors who were close to her age. The tour ended at the stables, and despite Jacqueline’s inappropriate footwear, they managed a short trail ride with Holly and Alex, one of the counselors who also helped out around the stables.

  “I need a few minutes to talk with someone,” Priscilla said as she, Jacqueline and Holly headed back toward the dining hall. “Holly, would you please show my sister where she can get something to drink? I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

  Holly nodded, and Jacqueline, wiping the sweat from her brow, added, “Take your time. Don’t worry about us. We’ll find a nice shady spot to sit.”

  Moments later, Priscilla walked into the health center and found herself taking a quick peek inside Dean’s office even though she knew he and Bobby still hadn’t returned.

  “Hey there, Priscilla. Are you looking for someone?”

  She spun around. Holly’s mother stood a few feet away. “Yes, you. Do you have a few minutes to talk? It’s about the bachelor auction. Holly said you two plan to attend.”