by Jillian Hart
"I want to see!" Stella abandoned mixing her dry ingredients, pushed away from the counter and marched Jada's way. "Oh, I can see it sparkle from here."
"Be sure and wear it tonight." Mindy waggled her eyebrows again. "This makes tonight even more serious."
"I agree! And I'm wagering she'll be engaged in no time."
"Agreed!" Mindy laughed.
"What is wrong with you two?" Jada feigned puzzlement, fighting both laughter and buoyant happiness. It was funny how much one good man could change a woman's life. She just couldn't stop grinning, it was so easy to smile and laugh, but she could not let that carry her away. She refused to let herself dream.
Sensible, she shook her head at her sisters and lifted the delicate gold chain bracelet from its velvet bed. "Not one more comment, you two. This is just Frisco's generosity, that's all, for my not pressing charges when the pony brought the boys into our store. And let's change the topic."
"Unlikely." Stella leaned over Jada's shoulder to examine and admire the delicate link chain and the gold pie tin charm, so quality, sweetly dangling from it. "I know exactly what's going on here, and I can't wait to watch it all unfold."
"That's my thought, too, and it's nice. Very nice." Mindy sighed. "That bracelet is pricy. This 'not-a-beau' of yours must really want you to love him."
"That looks beautiful on your wrist." Stella nodded approval. "You look nervous about tonight."
"I'm going to look at this as if it's not a big deal. Besides, it's not just me and him. His twin boys are coming, too." Jada's vision blurred as she studied the dainty, expensive gold bracelet encircling her wrist. How did she say that she was terrified and thrilled, expected doom and yet was optimistic all at once? If this was the way Frisco wanted to show her that he intended to go, then she was overwhelmed. Just beyond words. She made the mistake, the lucky and fortunate choice, of raising her eyes and looking out the window.
Frisco.
18
Jada's heart forgot to beat. She stood as if one big hope, soft and sweet, until someone bumped her shoulder.
"Here, put this on and go out and thank him." Stella scooted her away from the counter.
Mindy opened the door. "Hurry up, or he'll never know how excited you are to see him."
Whatever Stella said faded into the background. Everything and everyone else did too as Jada took a step and wondered if her heart would ever beat normally again, captivated by the man pacing leisurely toward her.
"I see you found my gift," his familiar voice rumbled deep and tender. "What do you think of it?"
"I love it. You surprised me once again." My, didn't he look fine? His black Stetson sat handsomely, tipped at an angle, shading his sculpted masterpiece of a face. Dimples bracketed his kissable smile.
Why did she melt inside? What was it about him, just him, that made her blood heat and tingle? If she let herself, she could be consumed by him, just want to let him melt into her forever.
"I'm glad you're happy with it. It looks gorgeous on you." He came to a stop in front of her, towering over her, the center of everything she saw and felt, the heart of her world. "I intend to swing by this evening at six o'clock sharp with the boys in tow. Come prepared, because around those two anything can and will happen."
"I can't imagine that." She tipped her head back to look up at him, mesmerized, breathless, suffused with heat and sweetness too. She set her chin, determined to ignore the lightning hot jolts of feeling that bolted through her. "Watch. They will be perfect tonight, everything will go fine, and you've got me expecting the worst for no reason at all."
"I like your optimism. It would be a first, but there's a first time for everything. We can only hope. At least we haven't been banned from the hotel. Yet. So, we'll see how tonight goes."
Humor danced in his eyes and his dimples framed his smile, and her heart pitter-pattered far too tenderly. Do not be fooled by the man's good looks and charm, she warned herself. Don't fall too easily. Women who do get hurt every time.
Did that mean she should hold back? She had no notion how to do that. Her heart was leading her, already falling.
"That's fine with me," she told him. "What happens, happens. I like to live dangerously."
His chuckle rumbled on the morning air, warming it, warming her, leaving her breathless and leaning ever so obviously toward him. His magnetism pulled her. He shook his head. "I do, too. Dangerous. That's been my motto for decades. Which means tonight, I'd better be on my best behavior."
"And watch for frogs in the boy's shirt pockets?"
"Thank goodness the frogs are all safely in the pond, that I know of. I can't be responsible if they are newly acquired by the boys." He held up his wide, capable hands in a helpless gesture and shrugged his wide shoulders. "I'm just worried about losing your good opinion. It happens with everyone eventually except family, and my folks have come close. You saw it with the baseball and bat."
"I was a witness, I can attest to it and that I'm up for the challenge of being kicked out of the hotel along with you and your boys."
"Bold decision." His dimples dug deeper. "I admire a lady with such brazen disregard for convention. And it's good to know that you might still speak to me after the dust settles from whatever goes wrong at the hotel."
"I am no fair weather friend."
"Well, neither am I." When he met her gaze, it felt deep and then deeper, like it came to a rest in her heart and anchored there. He took a step back when he could have reached out for her. He looked away when he could have leaned forward, bridged the distance between them and (she wished) kissed her. "I'm glad you like the bracelet."
"More than words can say. Thank you."
"You're welcome, and because dining with the twins is a unique experience, don't forget your promise to me."
"I won't." Her promise felt right as he opened the door for her, tipped his hat and for that long moment when their gazes met again, She saw that loneliness in her and felt the match of it in her own heart. When he walked away, leaving her breathless, she couldn't help betting that the boys would be flawless at the hotel. She had a feeling that everything was going to be right. Finally.
* * *
"You look as pretty as a picture." Stella fussed with the bonnet's ribbon tied up in a bow beneath Jada's chin. "Doesn't she, Mindy?"
"Absolutely," their little sister agreed, standing back to get a better view of the entire outfit in the shop's full length mirror. "Perfect. You can hold a candle to any other lady in that fancy hotel dining room."
"I do not! Oh, stop!" Laughing, Jada waved away the compliment, squinting at herself in the looking glass. She loved her sisters, but if only she felt satisfied with herself. Her reflection always felt disappointing. She may have to admit that her awkwardness and shyness inside might not show on the outside, but it didn't feel that way when she looked at herself, a woman past her youth, past her prime and yet tonight, she felt younger again, full of possibilities, full of first-star-of-the-night wishes.
The bell over the door jingled and awesome walked in, in the form of a six foot tall cowboy, wide brimmed hat angled to give depth to the sculpted angles of his pleasant face. His one-sided grin held a look of amusement as his gaze traveled from the top of her bonnet to the tips of her polished shoes and he nodded with a wink and a dimpled grin of approval.
"Much improved over the man's pants I saw you in the other evening," he quipped, his deep-noted voice rumbling with warmth and amusement and a man's desire. "You look lovely, Jada."
"You look dashing yourself. I'm not fit to be seen with you in this old dress." She blushed.
"I don't see an old dress, I see lovely. You could be a storybook princess in that gown, and I'm not fit to escort you. You'll have to accept that, and I'm sorry I can't measure up and that I'm so shoddy." Humor, good-natured and full of warmth and caring rang deep within him and that caring was more than he could measure, more than he could find a way to say.
He nodded, hoping to reassure h
er, and it was easy to read the worry in her eyes, that she would not measure up or might disappoint him. Not a chance, he thought, beautiful lady. He loved the way her hair was a soft cloud, just a lustrous hint of a loosened bun, giving that soft rich hair of hers the hint that it would feel like silk when he got his hands on it. He had to stop himself from imagining lifting off her bonnet, tugging out her hairpins and watching that soft satiny perfection tumble down, cascading a little uncontrolled, a little wild, just like he needed her to be once he got her into his bed.
Whoa, boy, he told himself, feeling a hot kick of desire, of pure want and lust in his groin.
"You look quite fine, cowboy." Her voice came as smooth as polished glass, but the vulnerability in her eyes and the shine of appreciation for his words stymied him. "I suppose the boys are quite dapper too, dressed up in their fine suits?"
"They won't be dapper for long, but I did an inspection of every single pocket before we left the ranch. I took out a weird piece of moss, who knows why Aiden had it, candy wrappers and a baseball. I would hate to see that go flying through the dining room. The waiter has enough to do besides catch fly balls."
"A sharp eye you've got there, spotting that baseball." She took a step toward him, and her light blue dress swished and swirled around her, clinging to her bosom, hugging those soft globes.
He did his best to keep his gaze from settling there, on her divine breasts, it had been far too long since he'd been a married man indulging in lovemaking, not that his wife at the time had been that eager to participate and let him know it. What he wanted in a woman this time was this hot heat he felt, stronger than anything he'd ever known, and he never wanted this hot, strident need to mate with her to fade, but to build and grow, and he'd do just about anything to get her into his bed. It wasn't easy on him that she made the iron defenses around his heart want to melt.
"The boys thought I wouldn't notice the tell-tale baseball bulge in Aiden's pocket, but I'm sharper than they think." He held out his hand and grabbed the door handle. "Are you ready to find out what happens next?"
"Like if the boys really have another frog in one pocket?"
He chuckled. "I can't deny that could happen despite my best efforts, but I meant between you and me."
"I'm not used to such a direct gentleman, but we'll see how my heart does. It's not easy trusting again."
"I know that feeling." He opened the door, seeing nobody and nothing but his date.
She swept ahead of him in her form-fitting, complimentary, hugging-her-curves-just-right dress. She shrugged into her wool coat and he reached out to grab the shoulders of the garment to help her settle it around her. What a dear feeling it was to have the right to take care of her and to make it seem as if he might always get to.
His chest cinched up tight and he drew the door closed behind them. "The scars someone else puts into your heart stay, don't they?"
"Well put, and I can't deny the truth of that." He read the sorrow in her eyes, but then she pushed it away, making him wonder what she'd been though and if she would ever come to accept him and his sad and, for many women, unfit tale.
Hold back your heart, man, until you know for sure she won't reject you, he thought, because she still hadn't made her mind up about him yet.
But then she smiled and every thought, every caution flew right out of his head. Foolish, that's what he was, already wrapped around her little finger. Her smile was pure sunshine, but he'd been a lawman (and a good man) long enough to recognize she'd been through hardships of her own. He knew she hadn't meant for him to witness it, whatever hurt she hid.
He liked the way she swished to a stop, skirts whispering around her ankles as she turned to smile up at him in the kiss of the sunshine. He held out his hand and she laid her palm to his. Fire kicked through him but he dared to let it show, all this attraction and heart he had for her. "Up you go."
"Why, you have a buckboard, too?"
"And a wagon for hauling things. I have more than a few vehicles. It's handy since I'm a rancher."
"One of the best!" Aiden sang out from the back seat. "Everyone knows it. Our pa is the best horseman in town."
"Well, there are others mighty fine, but also a lot of know nothings, so I look pretty good by comparison." His chest swelled up, making it tight to breathe, when she smiled down at him from the buckboard seat. "Here's a word of advice. Never trust either of those two when they are complimentary. Disaster is sure to follow."
"I'll keep that in mind."
He circled around to the hitching post and untethered the horses. "I don't know how this will go tonight. Who knows what those boys have up their sleeves? I'm wary because they are being so quiet."
"I don't see anything wrong. They are just sitting there, as gentlemanly as can be."
"Maybe they really are on their best behavior." He ambled over to his side of the buckboard and climbed up, filling the passenger compartment with his presence and his good-natured power. He brought with him the scent of wood smoke, the wild Montana Territory air, and pine. He smelled good, and she felt a hard, keen pull of attraction, of desire, deep in her belly.
"They look like it to me. Boys, it's terribly good to see you again. How is Chester doing?"
"Chester kicked the blacksmith so hard he fell over," Aiden reported full of serious intent. "It was a sad occasion because the blacksmith bent his tongs and Pa had to pay to have them hammered back out."
"That's how we learned Chester doesn't like his feet being touched," Austin explained.
"Hooves," Frisco suggested.
"Feet," Austin corrected.
With a snap of the reins, the horses drew them forward down the street where a few folks out and about turned to watch with curious eyes. She supposed it was a sight to see, a spinster like her, well on the shelf at her age, being beaued through town. Well, she couldn't quite believe it herself. What an occasion this was, and to eat in the fine dining establishment of the area's fanciest hotel! She couldn't keep her mouth from grinning and, oh, how light she felt, as if the sun were shining where her heart should be.
"And then we took Chester for a fun run, I wanted him to go as fast as he could. I wanted to see if he was a champion," Aiden explained. Excitement over the idea vibrated in his little boy voice. "But he stood stock still instead when I kicked him to run with my heels, not hard, but like a real horseman, and he stood in place for an hour."
"We lost the race," Austin reported with sorrow. "We lost a whole nickel."
"Five cents," Aiden added. "That's a lot of penny candy we lost."
"That will teach you boys to race and gamble." Frisco let him voice sound harsh, but he glanced over at her and winked. "That's what you get for bad behavior."
"Next time we'll win," Aiden whispered to his twin, not aware that his whisper carried just enough for Jada, if she leaned backward into the seat, to hear.
She bit her bottom lip, holding in the chuckle. "Frisco, you sure have them well in hand."
"I can't say you're wrong." He chuckled, shaking his head, scattering dark strands of thick, jet-black hair that brushed his coat collar and made her fingers tingle and itch to reach out and touch it.
Far too bold, Jada, she thought, blushing, not knowing where that urge came from. Heavens! The man would be her undoing. She ached inside just looking at him.
"I'm not lenient as a parent, I'm really not, even if I am on my own with them." He deftly avoided saying why he was alone with them, and Jada wondered about his story. She'd never heard any hint of a rumor about his past marriage, assuming he was married. Wouldn't that be a scandal if he hadn't been?
"Anybody can see the twins unite against you," Jada gently kidded as they pulled up to hotel. What a surprise it was, because she'd been wrapped up in him, absorbed in the silence of his eyes, in the caring in his voice and in the manly capability he radiated like heat from a stove, enveloping her, making those sensual tingles ignite and snap harder. She bowed her head, dipping her chin, to hide the trut
h of it, afraid it was right there written on her face, shining in her eyes. "How could that be your fault?"
"That's what I say to everybody." He found himself saying as he pulled the horse to a stop and hopped out into the long rays of sunlight. "There are things that are just not my fault."
"It's unfair that you get blamed anyway," she winked, enjoying the fine way his eyes sparkled with good humor at himself as he tethered the horse. "I've made that mistake and I've since changed my mind. Look at the two of them sitting in the back seat as proper as any two fine boys you would come across. No one would think they had anything up their sleeve or under their hat."
"Hat? I never thought to check beneath there." When he smiled, her world lit up.
Every single bit of the sky, every kiss of the warming breeze, every sound on the street and the people on the boardwalk faded into the background and disappeared completely when he filled her sight, coming to stand next to the buckboard with his gloved hand out. The wind ruffled the thick dark silk of his hair beneath his hat brim, and it felt as if the man could be always the center of her world. What if he fell in real love with her?
Her hand automatically landed on his, and she felt the impact all the way to her heart. Down she went, stepping off the seat and taking that first leaping step into thin air, airborne and yet when she touched the ground, that buoyant, weightless feeling remained. She missed a step when he withdrew his hand from hers.
Two little boys tumbled to the ground, bumping shoulders as they righted themselves, gave each other a grin, and Austin adjusted his hat. Curious. Jada gave them a secret smile. What a wonderful life Frisco had with such funny and interesting, good boys in tow. Tonight was going to be an evening to remember.
