The Rancher and the Event Planner

Chapter Ten



JC fought desperately against her rising emotions as she headed down the dusty road, the scenery blurring in a wash of tears. She swallowed against the knot in her throat and heaved a choking breath. With trembling hands, she pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the road and shoved the gear into park. Unable to hold back any longer, she let her emotions rip free. After a good cry, she dug into her purse and repaired as much damage as she could to her makeup, then she pulled out onto the road.

The hurt heaped on her by Rafe, turned to anger and frustration. A few minutes later, she slammed a hand against the steering wheel as she drove in the Bluebonnet’s parking lot. “Stubborn man,” she mumbled to herself.

She remembered the seven layer chocolate cake she’d seen on the menu. Normally, she would never indulge in something so rich and calorie laden but chocolate was good therapy for everything, particularly a broken heart.

When she stepped inside, a tall, slender woman she’d never seen before placed a fresh cloth on a table and laid out bunches of silver. The scent of food filled the air. “Hi, I’m Ryn,” she said walking toward JC, her white tiered skirt swishing around her ankles and sandal covered feet. “Would you like a table?” Her aqua tank top accented her dark hair and eyes.

“No, the counter’s okay.”

Ryn grabbed a menu and cocked her head to the side. “You must be JC. Grace told me all about you. Welcome to Salvation.”

“Thank you.”

Her wide mouth and straight white teeth beamed a smile. “I’ve been away with my daughter on a little vacation. Just got back in last night. Grace’s taking the afternoon and evening off so she and her husband can have some alone time.”

Ryn studied her for a moment. “I saw you at the barbecue the other day. I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to talk, but the baked goods were disappearing as fast as I could replenish them.”

A slight frown appeared between Ryn’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve had better days.”

Ryn nodded. “I can spot a woman who needs chocolate from fifty paces. Come with me.”

JC settled on a stool at the front counter and Ryn handed her a laminated dessert menu featuring a variety of goodies. She pointed to the picture of the seven layer cake. “My favorite too. But we’ve just added something new. You game?”

“Sure, why not?” JC said. She didn’t see how anything worse could happen to her today. Ryn filled a dessert plate with something chocolate and handed it to JC. “This is a new recipe. It’s called Chocolate Caramel Margarita, guaranteed to brighten your day. Have a taste while I get us something cold to drink.”

JC dug into the square-shaped treat iced with a thick coating of caramel. She closed her eyes as the chocolate, caramel and a hint of strawberry melted on her tongue.

“Here you go,” Ryn said, as she settled on a stool next to her and handed JC a glass of cold water. “What do you think?”

JC swallowed and licked her lips. “Fabulous. Nothing like chocolate and caramel to melt your troubles.”

“I’m glad. If you feel like talking, I’m all ears. And I never betray a confidence.”

Ryn was a sweetheart to offer but most of the news filtered through the café. She didn’t want to talk to Linc. JC considered herself a pretty good judge of character. Ryn’s guileless, honest gaze told her she truly cared and locked the door on spreading JC’s story all over town. She decided to take a chance. “Thanks, I could use someone to talk to.” She told her about Rafe, Molly, and what transpired at the barbecue.

“I don’t know Rafe very well. He and Molly come in the Bluebonnet fairly often, but then everybody knows about what happened with his wife. I’m sorry you found yourself in the middle of it.” She leaned over and laid her hand on JC’s. “Want some advice from a total stranger?”

“Go for it.”

“Don’t let what happened ruin the rest of your time here in Salvation because it’s a great place with wonderful people. They opened their arms and their hearts to me and my daughter and we’ve never looked back. And there are a lot of other eligible bachelors around besides Rafe McCord.”

The bell tingled on the shop door. When she looked up at the sound, her eyes sparkled with more than the prospect of a customer coming in the door. “Hi, Cade the new dessert is gone, I’m afraid. JC took the last one.”

“Thought you were checking fence lines today?” JC said.

“Got done early.” He turned his attention back to Ryn. “My mouth is hankering for a taste of carrot cake.”

Cade took off his hat and gave Ryn one of his killer grins. “I hung up my saddle for the evening so I figured I’d drop in and see how you’re doing.”

JC rose from the stool. Well, well, well, what’s going on here? She’d tease Cade about it later. “Thanks for the treat, Ryn. And the conversation.”

Ryn smiled. “My pleasure.”

“Don’t run off on my account, JC. Take pity on a man who’s been sweating around ornery cattle all day. I’d love to entertain you and Ryn for a while.”

“You poor man,” she said giving him a hug. “But I have work to do myself.”

As JC left the restaurant, she realized how much Salvation and its people had changed since she’d moved away or maybe she was the one who had done the most changing. When she left town, the idea of ever spending time in, much less living here again, never entered her mind. She wasn’t the only person who ever had life troubles or shed a tear and she wouldn’t be the last. Linc had ordered her to stay and she had no choice but to stay and help Rafe. She had been so certain she was beginning to make him see how right they were for one another until what happened at the barbecue. She climbed in the car, cranked the engine and headed back to the ranch.

A few minutes later, she exited the car as a myriad of ideas sprang to her mind. While she whittled away the rest of her community service hours, she would do everything in her power to regain Rafe’s respect and help Salvation win the contest. The new resort would help stimulate the economy and bring in new business, but her other ideas would help as well.

Rafe McCord would realize what happened with Molly wasn’t her fault by the time she was done.

***

“Sure, sweet pea, I’ll see you and Uncle Linc in a few minutes,” Rafe said into his cell phone. He’d placed a work table beneath the shade of a large maple, while the crew tore down some walls in the main house. Construction noise echoed over the landscape and mirrored the anxiety bouncing around in his stomach.

He checked his watch. Jennifer’s voice drifted in the breeze as she chatted with some of the workers and then laughed at something one of them said. Right on time.

The sound of her laughter caused a crazy mix of I’m-in-cowboy-heaven and anxiety to frolic through his veins. When Jennifer stepped under the branches of the maple with Linc at her side, his heart bucked like a bronc trying to shake its rider. Excitement zipped through him. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d missed her, even though it had only been a few days since she’d moved out of the house. He’d caught a glimpse or two of her around the ranch and in town, but glimpses didn’t put a shine on a man’s hankering. Every time she was near, he’d drunk in the site of her. And now here she was, close enough to touch. And he wanted to touch her. Nothing in her expression indicated their conversation at the ranch had ever happened. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Shouldn’t he be happy?

She set her purse on the table, curled a lock of hair around her ear. White shorts displayed her gorgeous legs, a pale pink sleeveless top and her hair twisted into a messy knot, showed off her graceful neck. “Hi Rafe, how are you”?

“Fine, and you?” He was surprised his voice sounded normal and unaffected.

“I’m terrific. You know, I’ve really enjoyed living in Salvation again.” She smiled. “Never thought I’d say that. How’s Molly?”

Enjoyed living in Salvation, huh? He believed it. The woman glowed like she had a light inside her. Longing socked him in the gut. He was still attracted to her, very attracted to her and he didn’t want to be. But at the same time an odd sense of pride where she was concerned rose inside him. “Happy.”

Her gaze softened. “Glad to hear it. I have a lot to do this afternoon, so if we could get started checking out the site, that would be great.”

What a fine how-do-you-do. He wasn’t an acquaintance. He’d bared his soul to her and they’d shared more than one kiss. But that’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? Why did her indifferent attitude burrow under his hide? “Sure, no problem.”

They started with the first partially completed cabin viewing the open, airy interior with distressed wood floors and beamed ceilings.

Jennifer’s eyes widened and a grin spread over her mouth. “Wow, this is looking great.” She moved from the den into the bathroom. “Hi, Frank,” she said greeting one of the hard hats laying tile on the floor.

Frank, a man in his late thirties, tanned, sandy hair with bulging biceps gestured to the surrounding room. “Hey, JC, what do you think?”

“Everything looks wonderful. You and the rest of the guys have done such a great job.”

Frank nodded with a proud expression. “Thanks.”

“How is your family? You mentioned the other day Tommy was sick. How’s he doing?”

He stopped his work looking at Jennifer as if they were old friends. “Family’s great. And Tommy is almost well. Thanks for asking.”

“I’m so glad he’s feeling better.”

“Hey, we’re having a block party this weekend and you’re welcome to come.”

“I’d love to, thanks.”

Now she was invited to a freaking block party. Jennifer had worked her way back into the community, but in a good way, Rafe had to admit.

Jennifer stopped to chat up several of the hard hats and even shared a private joke or two with a couple of them. She obviously had been at the site quite a bit when he wasn’t here and had been getting friendly with the guys. She belonged here. She always had. But she couldn’t stay in Salvation not after what happened, no matter how much he wanted her to.

When they returned to the temporary office set up under the maple, Linc was on his lap top. He looked up at Jennifer and said, “Hey, the woman you hired to work on the web site sent some ideas for us to check out.”

“Great.” Zipping over to the chair beside Linc, she plopped down beside him resting her hand on his shoulder and scooting in close. Their heads almost met as they oohed and aahed over the images on the computer screen. Rafe’s irritation pawed the ground and hopped like a mischievous horse. “I love the graphics she used. It’s sophisticated but welcoming at the same time.”

Linc turned to Jennifer and grinned. “I figured you’d like them.”

Jennifer tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. “You’ve been talking to the web lady.”

Linc shrugged. “She wanted an opinion on the graphics before she showed them to you and I was available. Hope you don’t mind.”

Jennifer shook her head. “Not at all. It’s amazing you seem to know my preferences.”

“We’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’ve gotten to know my right hand girl’s likes and dislikes.”

“So I’m your right hand girl, huh?”

He winked. “You bet.”

Well, wasn’t that cozy. Rafe sat down on the other side of the table while they cooed at each other. What the hell was going on here? Since when had Jennifer and his brother gotten so snug? Rafe wasn’t interested in Jennifer, so why should it bother him?

“JC!”

Molly ran across the field toward Jennifer, her long, dark braids flying out behind her. “Hey, darling girl,” Jennifer said as her arms folded around Molly for a hug. “I’ve missed you.”

Molly pulled back from her arms and kissed Jennifer soundly on the cheek. “Me too. Why haven’t you come to see me?”

Without even looking at Rafe or so much as a blink, she lied through her teeth. “I’ve been super busy, and I figured you were busy too.”

Molly said a quick, “Hi, Dad,” before turning her attention back to Jennifer. “Not really.”

Jennifer rubbed a hand over Molly’s head. “Well, I’m sorry we haven’t been able to visit.”

“Me too.”

“I tried out for the Salvation Road Runners,” Jennifer said.

“Uncle Linc told me,” Molly said. The Salvation Road Runners was a local female softball team.

“It turns out I’m a great pitcher.” Jennifer held up her right arm and made a fist displaying her muscle. “It’s whipped my arms into shape.”

Not only her arms. Even her eye lashes were in shape. She sported a nice tan, her legs were even more toned than he remembered and worst of all she looked as contented as a mare seeing her new foal for the first time. How could she look happy when he had been so miserable?

“I caught the game against the Davis Coyotes,” Linc said. “Pitching a no hitter was really something, Jennifer. You were amazing.”

Damn it, he was an outsider in his own family. Everybody seemed to know what Jennifer had been up to except him.

“Congratulations, Jennifer.”

“Thanks, we went to the Roundup to celebrate and I’ve never danced so much in my life.”

Did she dance with that cowboy again? But why shouldn’t she go out and have a good time and dance with as many men as she wanted to? There was nothing between him and Jennifer, and he didn’t want there to be anything more between them. Right?

She paused for a moment looking at Linc with a kind of dreamy look in her eyes. “I’ve got some great ideas for the main part of town.” She chatted about her ideas. “I’ve realized how much I’ve missed this town and believe me, I never thought I’d say that.”

“With the resort opening,” Linc said, “there will be new businesses and families settling here and I’m sure someone is going to need the help of an event planner. Who knows, maybe you’ll decide to stay.”

Whose side was his brother on?

In the midst of the excitement, Molly tugged on the hem of Jennifer’s shorts. “Will you do the dog show with me? It’s for pet adoption and Daddy promised I could get a dog.” She looked over at Rafe. “Remember, Daddy?”

Yeah, he remembered. But he wanted to do the dog show with Molly.

“I would love to, but you’ll have to ask your dad first,” Jennifer said.

Molly turned toward her father. “Can we, Daddy? Please?”

How could he say no to that face? “Sure, why not.”

***

“Hey, everything is looking good. One guy had to leave early, but I think we’ll be able to stay on schedule.”

The sound of Linc’s voice brought Rafe’s attention back to the present and balancing the ranch’s checking account. “Great, thanks for keeping an eye on things.”

Linc sauntered across the ranch house study and parked his butt in a chair in front of the desk. Stretching his legs out, he crossed them at the ankles and propped his hands behind his head.

“Spoke to Jennifer a while ago. She was headed to a hen party over at Ryn’s place.” He tilted his head. “Jennifer’s quite a woman. Since Barb and I broke up, I haven’t dated very many ladies, at least not more than a couple of times. I wouldn’t mind escorting Jennifer out on the town a time or three so I can get to know her. She’s damn pretty to look at and she’s funny too. You have a problem with that?”

Jealousy clawed inside Rafe and he hated the feeling, fighting against it, but despite his efforts, the green monster cleanly jumped the fence. He leaned back in his chair. “I can’t believe you’d be interested in dating Jennifer, she’s more like a sister to you.”

Linc shook his head. “Jennifer is nice and she cares about people. But she’s as far from being our little sister as we are from the moon. Wake up and smell the sweet feed, brother. Since you obviously don’t have any interest in taking her out on a date, I will tonight if she’s free.”

Everything Linc said was true. Sure as calves born in the spring, Jennifer was a kind, loving person with a heart as big as all outdoors. He’d witnessed it himself. Maybe he should ride that trail one more time. “If you don’t mind, stay clear of Jennifer because I haven’t made up my mind yet.”