Jenny

by Bobbi Smith

  "I'll see you first thing in the morning," Dan told her, regretting that he had to leave her, regretting that they would be apart for even a few hours.

  "I'll be ready and waiting for you," she answered.

  "Good night, ladies," he said to the others and then took his leave of Rose.

  "Good night, Dan." Rose watched him go, thinking him the most handsome man in the world.

  "Aren't you being a little too eager, dear?" Tillie asked.

  Rose smiled at her. "Not with Dan no."

  "Is he as nice as he seems?" Tillie had watched her niece and Dan for most of the evening and wondered at Rose's reaction to him. She'd never known her to be so excited about or interested in anyone before.

  "He's nicer," Rose sighed.

  "But he's a bartender, isn't he?"

  "Yes. So?"

  "I'm sure your father would have a few things to say about his daughter spending time with someone of that caliber," she cautioned her.

  "If my father got to know Dan, he'd like him," Rose said, coming quickly to Dan's defense.

  "That could be, but since nothing's going to come of this flirtation of yours, I guess we don't have to worry too much about your father approving or disapproving." Tillie deliberately tried to provoke Rose, wanting to see how she would react.

  Rose went quiet at her words.

  Nothing's going to come of it-

  Was nothing going to come of the feelings she had for Dan? Rose was so drawn to him, so enthralled by him Was it because they were so different? From such different backgrounds?

  Rose found it hard to believe that in just a few days she would leave Durango and never see him again.

  "Maybe and maybe not," she finally responded.

  "Are you planning to continue a relationship of some sort with that young man?" Tillie asked astutely.

  "I don't know," Rose said slowly. "I only know that I've never met anyone quite like him before. I like him, Aunt Tillie. I really like him, and I enjoy spending time with him."

  "Well, enjoy what time you have with him, but remember we will be going home soon.

  "I know. The time has passed far too quickly." And especially tonight, Rose added in her thoughts.

  "It does seem to have gone by fast for us, yes, but I'm not so sure about Richard and Aubrey," Tillie said.

  "Didn't you hear about what happened tonight between Richard and Cole?"

  "No, what?" Rose had been so wrapped up in Dan that she hadn't paid any attention to what was going on around them.

  "I can't believe you missed it." Quickly, Tillie told her about Cole and Richard fighting over Jenny.

  "Oh, my," Rose breathed. "Where are they now?"

  "Cole took Jenny back to the hotel a while ago."

  "Should we check on her and make sure she's all right? I wonder what she's going to do about Richard."

  "I don't know, but I'm sure he's a very unhappy man right now. You're right about checking on Jenny. Let me get Evelyn and Melanie, and we can all go back to the hotel together."

  A short time later, they were on their way. They reached the hotel and went upstairs and stopped at Jenny's room.

  Evelyn knocked quietly, not wanting to disturb the other guests. When there was no answer, she knocked a little harder, but there still was no response.

  "I guess she's asleep," Evelyn told the others.

  "We'll have to wait and see how she is in the morning," Rose said, but she was a little concerned. It wasn't like Jenny to sleep so soundly.

  Jenny had listened in silence as her aunt and Rose tried to rouse her. She waited, not responding, until they gave up for the night. She was glad when the women finally went away and left her alone. She didn't want to talk to anyone about what had happened that night not yet.

  Jenny was deeply upset. She had hoped to win Cole's love, but she'd failed miserably. She'd made a complete and utter fool out of herself. She had thrown herself at him. She had had him right there in that very bed with her, and he had simply walked away from her without a backward glance.

  Jenny groaned in humiliation at the memory. She wondered how she was ever going to face Cole again. No matter when it happened, it was going to be very embarrassing. She couldn't wait to get back to the Lazy S.

  Sleep was long in coming that night.

  Rose undressed and got ready for bed, but she wasn't sleepy. Feeling restless, she went to stand at the window and gaze down at the street below. She couldn't see the High Time from there and was sorry. If she'd been able to see the building, she would have felt closer to Dan.

  After a long moment, Rose turned away and sought the comfort of her bed. She hugged a pillow to her breast as she remembered the glory of Dan's kisses. The evening had been wonderful, and she could hardly wait for the morning so she could have breakfast with him.

  Rose sighed as she closed her eyes. She invited sleep eagerly, wanting the night to hurry by, and she hoped all her dreams would be of Dan.

  Jenny was not in the best of moods as she got up and dressed early the next morning. She had tossed and turned all night, thinking of Cole.

  Jenny had never been one to handle rejection well. She'd allowed herself the night to be upset, but now with the dawn of the new day, she was determined to start planning again. She was not going to give up. She would find a way to claim Cole's love.

  Descending the stairs, Jenny planned to rendezvous with the others in the lobby and then go on to break fast together. She thought she'd have a few minutes of peace and quiet before everyone came down to join her, but just as she reached the lobby, Richard and Aubrey entered the hotel.

  "Richard-" She stopped at the foot of the staircase, startled to find that he and Aubrey were only now returning to their rooms. She'd thought the two men would be breakfasting with them.

  "Ah, my dear Jenny. What a pleasant surprise," Richard drawled sarcastically.

  Jenny couldn't believe how bad Richard looked. One eye was swollen shut and discolored. His clothes were disheveled. He reeked of liquor and was obviously very drunk. Though Aubrey hadn't been injured, he didn't look much better. It was plain that he, too, had been drinking heavily all night.

  "Richard good morning. Are you just now returning to your rooms?"

  "Oh, yes, my dear. Aubrey and I wanted to sample the real night life of your town, and it seems the night life turned into morning at some time." He laughed at his own witticism.

  "I thought you would be joining us for breakfast this morning before we ride back to the ranch."

  "As you can see, breakfast is not what I have in mind right now. However, I did want to speak with you. It's fortunate that you're here. Do you have a moment?"

  Jenny felt a bit uneasy about talking to him alone, considering the way they'd parted the night before, but it was daylight and they were in a public place.

  "Of course, Richard. What did you want to talk about?"

  "If you two will excuse me, I'm going up to my room." Aubrey quickly took his leave of them. He wanted to give Richard some time alone with Jenny, for he knew that what he wanted to say to her had to be said in private.

  Richard was glad when Aubrey had gone. He wanted Jenny all to himself There was a small, rather private sitting area off to the side of the lobby, and he gestured in a gentlemanly fashion for Jenny to precede him. He followed her, and they sat down across from each other in two wing chairs.

  "I wanted to let you know that Aubrey and I won't be returning to the ranch with you today," Richard announced. "We'll be spending the rest of our time here in town until the departure date."

  Jenny was at once relieved and saddened. She had been dreading seeing Richard again. It would definitely be easier if he stayed in Durango, but she regretted the necessity. "Are you sure, Richard?"

  He turned a cold look on her. "I'm very sure, my dear. I'll ride out with Aubrey later this afternoon so we can pick up our luggage."

  "I'm sorry things turned out this way. I've always considered you to be a good friend, Richa
rd."

  At her words, his expression hardened. Her rejection had not sat well with him, and it would take him quite a while to come to grips with it. "I have never wanted to be your friend, Jenny."

  "I hate for us to part on these terms." She was sincere.

  He shrugged indifferently. "I have never been one to fantasize about living in the wilds like some kind of savage. I prefer civilization. Philadelphia is far more to my taste than Durango. Its women are far more to my taste, too."

  Though he had just passed a wild night in drunken revelry, sampling a number of bar girls at one of the saloons in town, he looked forward to returning home. He couldn't get to Philadelphia fast enough to suit him.

  "Is your eye going to be all right?" Jenny asked, ignoring the sting of his words.

  "Actually, I am seeing far more clearly today with one eye than I previously had with two." He stood up. "I think we've said all that needs to be said, my dear."

  "We'll have your bags ready for you when you come out to the ranch today."

  "On second thought," he added, deciding that he would prefer never to see her again, "why don't you have them brought into town for us? There's really no reason for Aubrey and me to make the trip out there if we don't have to."

  "I can arrange that."

  "Fine. Well, good-bye, Jenny." Richard gave her a mocking half bow and left her sitting there.

  "It will be better this way, trust me. Especially when Cole comes out to the ranch to see you," Rose assured Jenny, relieved upon hearing of Richard's decision to stay in town.

  Rose had come down early, passing Richard on the stairs, and had hurried over to find out what had happened.

  "I'm just sorry there was a fight," Jenny said.

  "Are you really?" Rose asked, a twinkle shining in her eyes. "Look at the reaction you got out of Cole! You won a major battle in your war."

  "You are so optimistic. I'd love to think you're right, but I don't. Cole's hitting Richard didn't mean anything."

  "Of course it did," Rose insisted. "Cole strikes me as a very controlled man. Someone like your Cole doesn't just hit another man for no reason."

  "My Cole?" Jenny repeated.

  "That's right," Rose said with great satisfaction. She was very pleased with the way things were going.

  "You don't understand," Jenny argued. "Cole told me on the walk back to the hotel that the only reason he'd been watching over me was because you had reminded him that I was his responsibility."

  "Don't believe that for a minute. If Cole thought of you merely as a responsibility, he might have tried to interrupt Richard as he tried to kiss you, but he would never have assaulted him that way. Cole was angry when he hit Richard-very angry."

  "I'd like to think you're right, but he certainly didn't act like it when we were alone together."

  "What happened?" Rose sensed there was a lot more to the story than Jenny was revealing.

  Jenny was glad that no one else was around so she could confide in Rose. "Cole insisted on making sure my room was safe for me before he left."

  "Yes. So?"

  "Well, we did kiss, but..."

  "But what?" Rose was excited.

  "Well, I thought it was time for the truth between us. So I told him I loved him."

  "And?"

  "He walked out on me."

  Rose frowned thoughtfully. "Cole didn't say anything?"

  "Only something like `I have to go,' and that was it."

  "Ah, but he did kiss you," she pointed out, taking some satisfaction in that knowledge.

  "Yes."

  "And he did insist on coming inside and checking the room for you."

  "Yes."

  "He was worrying about you, that's for sure. What are you going to do now?"

  "I'm not sure what I should do." Jenny's expression saddened. "After last night, I understand exactly how Cole felt when I walked out on him at the altar. I hurt him badly, Rose, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life making it up to him if he'll give me the chance."

  "He will. You just shocked him last night, that's all. He has a lot to deal with - a lot to think about where you're concerned. He'll come around,"

  "I hope you're right," she said. "But enough about me, what about Dan? How did things work out for you last night?"

  "Great, and he's supposed to be coming to breakfast with us this morning."

  "That's wonderful." Jenny was truly happy for her friend. "So, what do you plan to do about your Dan?"

  "Do about him?"

  "I caught a glimpse of you together last night. You looked very happy."

  "I was."

  "So are you just going to pack up and go home and forget all about him?"

  Rose frowned. She'd been trying not to think about that. "Well, I"

  "How do you feel about him?" Jenny pressed.

  "I'm not sure. He's certainly nothing like any of the other men I've known."

  "What do you mean?"

  "He's not concerned with the things that men like Richard and Aubrey think are important. Dan's more"

  "Down to earth?"

  "I guess that would be a good way to phrase it, and he's very interesting, too. He intrigues me."

  Jenny glanced past Rose just then and saw Dan enter the lobby.

  "Speak of the devil," she teased in a low voice as she nodded in his direction.

  "He's here?" Rose said quickly, excitement evident in her voice. She turned and smiled brightly at the sight of Dan coming their way. "Good morning."

  "Good morning, ladies. Am I late?" he asked, smiling at them both and then turning his full attention to Rose.

  Jenny thought he looked as delighted to see Rose as she did to see him, and she hid a knowing smile as she watched the two of them together.

  Tillie, Evelyn, and Melanie came down the stairs then, and it was time to go to eat.

  They made their way to the small restaurant. Once they'd settled in at a table and their orders had been taken, Evelyn spoke up.

  "Where are Richard and Aubrey? Aren't they eating with us this morning?"

  "No," Jenny answered.

  "Why not? Is Richard still upset over what happened last night?" her aunt asked.

  Jenny knew there was no avoiding the truth, so she quickly related her conversation with Richard. "Richard is very upset. He and Aubrey have decided not to return to the ranch. They've requested that I send their luggage to them here at the hotel."

  "Oh, my. He is angry, isn't he?" Evelyn said. "How bad did he look this morning?"

  "It wasn't pretty. He'll probably still have quite a black eye when he heads home."

  "Good for Cole," her aunt said with a small smile. "I always knew he was a gentleman. I'm proud of him for defending your honor that way. If I'd been doing a better job of chaperoning, though, he wouldn't have had anything to worry about. I'm going to keep a closer eye on you."

  How Rose kept from blushing as she thought of her stolen moments with Dan, she never knew. Especially when she looked up to find Dan's gaze warm and knowing upon her. As their eyes met, they shared the unspoken thought that they were glad Aunt Tillie hadn't been too earnest in her chaperoning the night before.

  "What do you have planned for the rest of your stay at the Lazy S?" Dan asked.

  "I think we're just going to stay at the ranch and relax and enjoy ourselves," Rose told him, hoping against hope that he could find a way to see her again.

  "Would you like to come out for a visit, Dan?" Jenny asked. "You could take Rose on a trail ride or a picnic or something."

  "I'd like that," he answered, looking at Rose.

  "I'd like that, too," she agreed.

  As Evelyn and Tillie looked on, they knew their jobs as chaperons were not over yet.

  "I can't wait," Rose said eagerly as they traveled the last few miles to the ranch.

  "Can't wait for what?" Jenny asked glancing over at her friend. "You were so sad before because you didn't want to leave Durango, and now you're excited about getting back to
the ranch?"

  Rose blushed a little bit. "Well, I've been thinking, and as soon as we get there, I can start developing the photographs."

  "Ah, that explains it." Jenny laughed goodnaturedly. "You want to see how your pictures of Dan turned out. What will you do if they aren't right?"

  "I'll be forced to go find him so I can take another one," she answered, ready to use any excuse to see him again.

  "Dan did say he'd try to come out to the ranch to see you this week."

  "If he can make it."

  "Rose-" Jenny began a bit hesitantly, not wanting to pry but feeling curious about her friend. "What's going on between the two of you? I mean, I know you like Dan, but are you getting serious about him?"

  Rose glanced at Jenny, her expression both elated and perplexed. "I do like Dan very much, and there is something special about him."

  "Are you in love with him?"

  Rose looked a bit guilty as she answered, "I think so. But how can that be? I've known him for less than a week, and I've only been with him a few times."

  "How does he feel?"

  "He hasn't said. We've just been enjoying what time we've had together."

  "Well, I hope he can get out here to the ranch and spend some more time with you before you have to go home."

  Rose sighed. "I hate the thought that we'll be leaving so soon."

  "I know. In a few more days, you'll be gone. I'm going to miss you."

  "I'm going to miss you, too. I'll tell you who else is going to be missing somebody," Rose added in a conspiratorial tone.

  "Who?"

  "Melanie," she said with a smile. "Did you notice how quick she was to offer to ride back to the ranch in the buckboard with Tom?"

  Jenny looked over her shoulder toward the buckboard which was following a short distance behind them. She could see that Melanie and Tom were deep in conversation as the young hand drove the team.

  Jenny smiled. "Interesting. I guess it's unanimous: we all like Western men."

  The two women shared a laugh as they pulled to a stop before the ranch house.

  "Why don't you use our extra bedroom to develop your pictures?" Jenny offered.