by Tina Leonard
“You’re going to enjoy the holidays this year, even if the fellas and I have to tape a smile on your face,” Jacey predicted.
Ironically, Rafferty already was. He just hadn’t admitted it. But to admit it would be to willingly put an end to their bet, and hence, Jacey’s constant attention. And he wasn’t ready for that. “I’m not sure you can get that holiday spirit back once you lose it,” he fibbed.
“We’ve got seven more days before Christmas is here.” Jacey winked. “And believe me, miracles have happened in less.”
Soon after, they arrived in Fort Stockton. They had barely started shopping when Jacey’s cell phone went off. Her voice lit up at whatever she was hearing on the other end of the line. “That’s great.” Her smile broadened. “Yes, that would be fine. Just a minute, please.” She put the caller on hold with a push of a button then looked at Rafferty. “Would you mind taking charge of Caitlin for a few minutes? I really need to step outside and take this call while you continue shopping.”
“No problem.”
She unhooked her BabyBjörn and shifted the wide-awake Caitlin to his waiting arms. Taking her phone, she stepped outside the store. He could see her through the plate-glass windows, talking energetically and smiling.
Caitlin gurgled and grabbed at his shirt with her fingertips.
Rafferty stared down into long-lashed eyes so much like her momma’s. “Who is she talking to?” he asked.
Caitlin made a soft cooing sound in reply.
Enjoying the feel of the baby in his arms, Rafferty shifted her a little higher on his chest and patted her gently on the back. He didn’t know what it was about this infant. He’d held a few babies over the years, but this child was something special. He felt a bond with her much like, he supposed, he would have felt for his own child…
It was going to be hard to say goodbye to her when Jacey did leave.
If she left…
That hadn’t been decided yet.
Jacey came back into the store, beaming. “Good news, I take it?” Rafferty watched while she slid her cell phone into her purse and zipped it shut.
“Pretty good. That was the friend of Cash’s family who owns the apartment complexes in Austin. They got my résumé, and they’re interested in doing an interview at one of the properties next to the University of Texas.” She smiled up at him. “They want me to come to Austin right away, but I told them it was impossible until after Christmas, so we set up an appointment for late on the twenty-sixth. I can drive there from here, and then fly to El Paso to spend a belated holiday with my sister there.”
Rafferty struggled to contain his disappointment. This was her life, her decision. “Sounds like you have it all worked out.”
Her cheeks took on a happy flush. “I don’t have the job yet, but it would be a good one. It comes with a furnished two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the high-rise, next to the leasing office, and a paid parking place in the underground garage. Full benefits. As well as the ability to have Caitlin with me at all times, since the clientele of that residence is not as demanding as the residents in the luxury adults-only complex I am used to.” She took a breath. “The downside is the residents are university students. And with that group, you’re going to have a lot more move-ins and move-outs to monitor and process, as well as noise violations and the like.”
“I can see where wild parties and babies wouldn’t mix.”
“It could be a problem. Then again, if—like they said—]it’s mostly grad students staying there, it may not be a problem at all. I’ll be able to tell what the situation is when I go up to scope things out.”
“Well, congrats on the interview. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.” Jacey blew out a sigh of relief. “Now, back to our shopping.”
Rafferty glanced around the small department store. “I’m not really seeing anything here that I think the fellas would like.”
“Me, neither.”
They paused, thinking. “Think we might have more luck at a western-wear store?” Jacey reached for the baby.
Rafferty reluctantly handed the infant back over to her mother. Until Caitlin had come along, he had never realized how much comfort there was to be had in simply cuddling a baby in your arms. “Couldn’t hurt,” he said.
They drove the short distance to the biggest western-wear store in Fort Stockton. Going up and down the aisles, they considered and rejected many an item on the men’s side. “There has to be something here for the guys,” Jacey said.
This, Rafferty thought, was what he hated about Christmas. Trying to find the perfect gift for someone and finding yourself completely at a loss. “I don’t know what,” he said, bypassing a display of saddle canteens that weren’t as nice as the ones the cowboys already owned.
Jacey paused next to a pair of red cowgirl boots with black leather scrolling up the sides. She peered inside. “I’d heard about these,” she murmured.
“What?” He edged closer, his shoulder pressing hers as he attempted to look inside.
She handed Caitlin to him again. “Western boots with the cushioned sole of an athletic shoe inside.”
“You didn’t know they made those?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m a city girl. The only pair of cowgirl boots I have I got when I was back in high school, to go kicker dancing. They didn’t have these then. At least I don’t think they did.”
“Why don’t you try them on.”
Jacey looked at the six-hundred-dollar price tag. “A little out of my price range.”
“I bet they’d look cute on.”
She laughed and put them back on the display. “Stop tempting me. You know I’m not going to have any use for these once I leave the ranch.”
True, Rafferty thought.
The real question was, would it be possible to convince her to stay, in the short time they had left?
Chapter Eleven
“How did the Christmas shopping go?” Eli asked that evening when they walked into the ranch house, laden with bags.
Jacey beamed and stowed the unwrapped presents in the broom closet for now. “We found the perfect gift for the guys.”
As well as a number of other things for her daughter and friends. The only two people she hadn’t yet shopped for were Mindy—because she hadn’t yet decided what she wanted to buy her—and Rafferty.
And it would have been hard to do that with the latter standing right beside her. Although she had no idea what would be an appropriate gift for him, either. What did you give a man you’d made love to once?
It wasn’t as if they were lovers.
More like friends who had once tumbled into bed.
That was a pretty big difference.
Eli looked at Rafferty.
“We got all the business gifts taken care of,” Rafferty stated in the matter-of-fact tone he always used to discuss business transactions. “Jacey was a big help.”
Eli nodded affectionately at Jacey. “As she always is.” He held out his hands to Caitlin. The baby’s eyes lit up as Rafferty handed her over to his father for a cuddle.
“How’s your arthritis?” Rafferty asked his dad gently.
Eli pressed a kiss on the top of Caitlin’s head, looking as proud as any grandfather. “Better, since I spent most of the day doing heat treatments and resting the joints.”
He was moving around a lot easier, Jacey noted happily. Although even when he was visibly hurting, she had never known Eli to turn down a chance to snuggle with the baby, anymore than his son had in recent days.
Knowing everyone must be getting hungry, Jacey told Eli, “About dinner…since I was running so late, we brought a special treat for you and the guys.”
Rafferty headed for the door. “If you want to nurse the baby,” he said over his shoulder, “I’ll go ahead and put the catering trays in the oven to warm.”
Thirty minutes later, Jacey entered the bunkhouse.
The cowboys were gathered in the main room, their ha
ir still damp from their after-work showers. “Heard you brought us something special for supper,” Stretch said.
“Chinese food.” Jacey smiled.
Faces fell.
“I figured it would be a nice change of pace.”
The men nodded, less than enthused.
Rafferty looked at Jacey. He’d told her this was a mistake. She’d refused to believe it. “Listen, guys, you’re going to love it.”
“Hope so,” Gabby said.
“I’m starved,” Hoss added.
Jacey settled the drowsy Caitlin into her infant swing, facing the table, and brought all the steaming-hot dishes to the table. There were spring rolls with spicy-sweet orange dipping sauce. Crab wontons. Pork dumplings. Entrées included chicken and broccoli, Mandarin beef with spring onions and sweet-and-sour shrimp. Heaping platters of brown and white rice, and two-gallon jugs of orange tea completed the spread. Something, she thought, for everyone.
The cowboys loaded their plates with a little bit of everything.
“Not too bad,” Hoss said eventually, “if you discount that Oriental-tasting spice.”
Gabby munched on a spring roll. “Odd way to cook vegetables if you ask me, but sort of tasty.”
Red grinned. “I think it’s pretty good.”
“Me, too.” Curly concurred.
Jacey looked at Stretch. “It’s different,” he noted affably at last, “which is probably good, given all the traditional Texas food we’re going to be eating tomorrow.”
“What’s tomorrow?” Jacey asked curiously.
“The Christmas rodeo, put on by the Cattleman’s Association.”
There went their previous plans to spend some time together, just hanging out, Jacey thought. She could tell by the newly disappointed look in Rafferty’s eyes he was just now realizing the same thing.
“We rotate locations,” Stretch continued. “This year it’s being held at the Martin ranch, about twenty miles from here.”
“You’re going, aren’t you?” Curly asked.
Hoss added, “It’d be a shame for you to have to do all that cooking and then not get to attend.”
All that cooking…? Jacey jumped to attention. No one had said anything to her about cooking for a Christmas rodeo.
Eli shot a sharp look at Rafferty. “You did tell her, didn’t you?”
Rafferty scrunched his handsome features into an expression of regret. “I, uh, might have forgotten to mention it,” he mumbled at last.
A low whistle echoed throughout the bunkhouse.
“Whoa, are you in trouble,” Stretch said.
“No kidding,” murmured several others.
Suddenly the Chinese food she had brought them for dinner was the least of Jacey’s worries. “What am I supposed to cook?” she asked.
“Potato salad,” Rafferty said.
“Yeah, we’ve been bragging about how good it is to all the other hands in the area,” Stretch said.
“That doesn’t sound too difficult,” Jacey said.
“For two hundred,” Eli added, with an annoyed look at his son.
“People?” Jacey echoed, stunned.
“Yeah,” Hoss added. “And the servings should be on the large side because the cowboys get pretty hungry by evening when the barbecue is served.”
Long accustomed to handling whatever challenges life threw her way, Jacey told herself she could do this. “Okay.”
“And a dessert,” Eli said, glaring at Rafferty as if he was unable to believe how badly his son had messed up.
Now it was getting ridiculously hard. Jacey gulped, working to keep her face expressionless. “Also for two hundred?”
Eli nodded. “But you know what,” he soothed quickly, “we’ll just go into town tomorrow morning and buy packaged cookies at the supermarket.”
Even the cowboys knew that wasn’t a good idea.
“Don’t be silly,” Jacey said, rising to the occasion. This was her job, after all. And when she embarked on something, she never gave it less than her full effort. To do otherwise would be, well, unthinkable. “I can whip up some sheet cakes the same time I’m preparing the potato salad this evening. It’ll be fine.” Even if she was up half the night and ended up kicking Rafferty in the shins.
“Are you sure?” Eli asked.
“Positive.” Jacey stood, knowing she had no time to waste. “That is if you fellas wouldn’t mind cleaning up here tonight?”
“No problem,” Rafferty said, flushing guiltily.
“Thanks for dinner, Jacey,” Gabby added hastily.
“Much appreciated,” Eli agreed and the others murmured their assent.
All eyes went from Rafferty to Jacey and back again.
She suppressed her anger with effort.
Curly grinned. “For once in my life, boss, I am really glad I’m not you.”
“I THINK I GOT EVERYTHING you asked for,” Rafferty said nearly two hours later, walking back into the ranch house with grocery bags in hand.
He knew he had screwed up. And in fact had had plenty of experience doing just that when it came to the fairer sex. He did not yet know if Jacey was going to let him make it up to her.
“Just set it on the counter.” Refusing to so much as even look at him, Jacey continued whacking red and white peppermint sticks into decorative bits with a rolling pin.
She already had two delicious-looking chocolate sheet cakes cooling on the counter. Two more in the oven. And, according to her earlier calculations, when she had sent him off with a list of ingredients to purchase before the store closed, half a dozen more to go.
Rafferty came closer.
Damn, but she was beautiful in a temper.
Sensing that was not the thing to tell her, however, he simply said, “I’m sorry.”
She snorted. “I’m sure you are now, cowboy.”
Rafferty moved so she had no choice but to look at him. “Now who’s lost the Christmas spirit?” he teased. Sensing he had struck a nerve, he prodded gently, “Seriously. Why is this such a big deal?”
Her lower lip shot out. “I don’t know. Maybe because if this was important to you, you would have remembered. But because it’s important to me, it’s of little consequence.”
It was his turn to be shocked. “Is that what you think?”
A mixture of hurt and resentment clouded her eyes. “It’s the way it is.”
He grasped her by the shoulders. “It isn’t.”
She stepped back, away. “If you were supposed to take two hundred head of cattle to a ranch up near Laredo tomorrow morning, would you have forgotten to inform the hired hands who were going to help you?”
Touché. “Probably not.”
Her brow lifted. “Not probably,” she corrected.
“Okay,” he admitted, sufficiently chastised. “Definitely not.”
She went back to whacking peppermint into bits. “I rest my case.”
“I meant to tell you.”
“But…?” she prodded.
He shrugged sheepishly. “With everything we’ve had going on around here—” with the way I lose all rational thought whenever I am around you “—it slipped my mind. It’s not too late to let it go…to just go into town first thing tomorrow morning and buy up every bit of potato salad and a whole smattering of desserts.”
Jacey’s cheeks grew pink. “Is anyone else going to be bringing anything other than homemade food to the Christmas rodeo?”
He caught her hand and kept her close to him, where she belonged. “Probably not.”
Once again, she looked as if she wanted to banish him from her life at any second. “Why not?”
“Because,” he said calmly, resisting the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her again, “they all have women who can cook on their ranches.”
Resentment glittered in her green eyes. “Women who were probably given more advance notice than I got.”
Guilt washed through him. “Which is why they would understand if you just did this the easy wa
y.”
“I don’t want to disappoint the fellas. Or anyone else for that matter.”
He understood Jacey took pride in her cooking. And with good reason; she was a fabulous cook.
He also knew she was a new mother. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out.”
“I’m not your problem.”
“You certainly feel like my problem at this moment.”
She glared at him.
He took a gentler approach. “So who else hasn’t paid homage to your priorities?”
“My two previous boyfriends. My sister, Mindy.”
“What about your mother?”
“If anything, she went the complete opposite way, sacrificing way too much of her own life to see that Mindy and I had everything we ever dreamed of. She worked two jobs, sometimes three, to make sure we always had what we needed.” She sighed with regret. “She never had the chance to go to college herself—and she really wanted that for us—]so she saved every penny she could for us, often going several years without buying so much as a new blouse or pair of shoes for herself.”
“You felt guilty?”
Jacey took a bowl of white icing off the counter and carried it over to one of the finished chocolate sheet cakes. “Very. Because we always had what we needed. Although, I did wear a lot of Mindy’s hand-me-downs, too.”
Rafferty watched as she spread vanilla frosting over the top and sides of the cakes with long, smooth strokes of the spatula.
Jacey sprinkled chips of candy cane over the top of the iced cake. “We had a very small house in a so-so neighborhood, but the schools were good there. Mom did everything she could to make our lives comfortable in ways that mattered—you know, by cooking hot, homemade meals, making sure we did our homework and keeping things neat and clean.” She paused, gratitude tempering her low tone. “Our bank account may have been low, but we always felt safe and protected and loved.”
