One Hot Cowboy Wedding (20 page)

“To begin with, the wedding is three weeks away and you’ll have plenty by then. And I want you to come work for the ranch so you have a job. Creed moved out of his bedroom yesterday. He’d planned to stay all week and maybe part of next week but Rye needs him over in Terral. The new stock came in faster than he planned, and anyway, that’s another story. What I’m getting at is there’s a spare bedroom at the ranch house.” Jasmine swallowed hard. That was supposed to be her bedroom as soon as Creed moved out.

“It’s just one room and not an apartment like you had, but we might work out something bigger later on.

Remember I asked you one time if you’d leave Pearl and cook for me? Well, I promise I didn’t set fire to the motel to get you, but I really do need your help. We’ve got a full crew running this summer. Four men out in the OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 169

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bunkhouse. Three in the house now that Creed has left.

We need someone to cook breakfast. They take their lunch with them but then we need supper on the table at seven thirty in the summer and maybe six in the wintertime when it gets dark quicker. I was going to ask you next week if you had a stray in need of a job.” Jasmine was lying big- time about that, but Lucy wouldn’t ever know.

“You can bring Delilah with you and she can have run of the whole house. In between breakfast and supper if you could do some cleaning and laundry in the ranch house that would be good.”

“Kind of like Wilma does for Liz and Raylen,” Lucy asked.

“Except that it’s seven old cranky cowboys instead of just two people. It’s a bigger job than what Wilma does, and for a while you’ll only have one room and not a whole big house of your own like Wilma has. But if you like the job, we could maybe talk about putting a trailer out near the bunkhouse next spring for you so you could have more privacy.” Jasmine made plans as she talked.

“I can have Sunday afternoons off for my meetings?” Lucy asked.

“After Saturday breakfast, the rest of the weekend is totally yours. The guys take care of themselves on Saturday night and Sunday. They usually only work until noon on Saturday if things are going well, but after breakfast is done you don’t have any responsibilities other than maybe shopping for food for the next week.”

“Yes,” Lucy said. “My truck blew up with the garage.

You got something out there I can drive to my meetings?” OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 170

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“You use the ranch work truck to go wherever you want to go, or you can use mine when I’m not using it,” Jasmine said.

Lucy brushed away a tear. “Thank you.”

Jasmine reached across the seat and hugged her.

“Don’t thank me. You’re going to have to work around seven old grouchy men.”

Lucy managed a weak smile. “I can do it. Pearl taught me that I can do anything. I reckon we’d best make a stop at the Dollar Store on the way, though. I’ll need to buy a few things. I didn’t even get out with a toothbrush or a pair of clean underbritches. And poor little Delilah will need her fancy canned food.”

Q

Later that night, Ace wrapped his arms around Jasmine and pulled her close. “You really do fix things, don’t you? You ever thought of being a mediator?” She wiggled until she was comfortable lying next to him, sharing the same pillow, their noses and lips just inches apart. “No, thank you. I think Lucy is going to be an asset to the ranch. Getting used to so many men will be a chore for her, but it’s what she needs.”

“Didn’t Wil tell me she was dating a fellow?”

“Luke got transferred to Kansas. They went out to dinner and parted with a hug. She says he was good for her because he taught her all men weren’t like that bastard who beat her. But that she didn’t love him.”

“Dexter showed Lucy all around the kitchen and handed over the ranch credit card so she can do the grocery shopping. You think she’ll do all right starting out Monday morning? That only gives her tomorrow to OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 171

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work with Dexter and the weekend to get settled in.” Ace yawned.

Jasmine reached up and pushed a blond curl off his forehead. “You like my chicken fried steak at the café?”

“Hell, yeah.”

“Well, it’s her secret recipe.”

“About last night,” he said, abruptly changing the subject.

“I was going to bring that up next,” she said.

“And?” he asked.

“Did you seduce me because you wanted the marriage to be consummated before the final minute was up?” She asked.

Ace shook his head emphatically. “No, Jazzy. You are my best friend. I never thought I’d have a best friend that was a girl, but I’ve told you things and whined on your shoulder about things that even Rye and Wil don’t know. You know my heart and my soul better than anyone. So believe me when I say that last night had nothing to do with our marriage. It had to do with the fact that you are so damned hot that I can’t keep my hands off you. It’s like friend and lover all rolled up into one.

I can’t wrap my mind around it so I can’t explain it.” She understood exactly what he was saying. “But how did this happen, Ace? We went into this knowing it was for a year. That’s all I want. I’m happy running my café and with my life. What happens at the end of a year when we have to end it?”

“We’ll shake hands like Lucy and Luke, sign the papers, and go have dinner to celebrate,” he said.

If that’s all she wanted, then that’s what Ace would give her. He never intended it to be anything more than OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 172

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a paper marriage anyway. But the turmoil deep inside him said that he wanted a lot more than empty vows and a few nights of blazing sex.

Jasmine bit the inside of her lip. She would not cry.

It was her day to be the tough one and she would keep the tears at bay, but it had sure enough had been one hell of a day!

First the doubts and worries all day about having sex with Ace. Then seeing her best friend have a meltdown.

Pearl was pure piss and vinegar with a little Kryptonite tossed in. She was stronger than Superman. To see her upset was like watching Armageddon. Talking Lucy into coming to work at the Double Deuce and settling her and Delilah into the spare bedroom and now hearing Ace say the words out loud that they’d shake hands and walk away after a year. A year and a half ago when Jasmine quit her job in Sherman for Texas Instruments and bought the café, she’d had a kickass attitude that entered the room before she did. But lying there on Ace’s arm that night, she feared that she’d lost some of her kickass.

“It’s been a hell of a week,” she said.

Ace didn’t answer.

She looked up at him. He had half a grin on his face and the action behind his eyes said that he was dreaming. She wondered if he was dreaming about her, or if some other woman danced through his dreams as she waited in the wings for the year to be over.

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“You ready for this? You look like you’d rather be tossin’ hay bales into the barn,” Ace said before he pushed the door open into the bridal shop.

“If I had a choice I’d tell you to hand me the hay hooks and gloves,” Jasmine said.

“Tell her no,” Ace said.

“I can fight with her on anything else, but not this wedding. She’s preached about it since I was born. And we’ve only got two hours to find the dress because these shops will close at five.”

Ace removed his Stetson and opened the door. A rush of cool air came out to greet them, and a cute little sales-girl smiled at Jasmine and gave Ace two quick scans before rushing to their side.

“When is the wedding?” the lady asked Jasmine, but her eyes had stalled out on Ace’s silver belt buckle.

“Three weeks,” Jasmine said.

“Oh, my! Well, you look like a perfect size six so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Just how she got Jasmine’s size right by study-ing Ace’s belt buckle was a mystery bordering on the supernatural.

“Would you have a theme in mind? Big bell gown, mer-maid, Grecian goddess?” She finally looked at Jasmine.

“Just need a dress,” Jasmine said.

She pointed at a velvet chair in front of a round OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 174

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platform with mirrors on three sides. “You can sit there while we get her all ready.”

Ace sat down, right boot cocked up on his left knee, hat on his lap. It was going to be a long, long day!

Wedding dress number one: Jasmine’s mother, Kel y, would love it but it was too damn hot. Sweat was flowing down between her boobs like the Red River in flood season, and her hair was sticking to her neck like she’d gotten hold of superglue instead of mousse that morning. If she was sweating inside an air- conditioned store then she’d melt in a church with three hundred people watching her tempt the hand of God a second time. She had to have something she could at least breathe in.

However, if she said this one would do just fine, then the day would be over and she could go home. She turned around to tell the woman she’d buy the damned hot bell gown with a train all the way to Ace, only to see her flirting blatantly with Ace. Actually, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. Jealousy and heat mixed together into a raging blaze that would make a wild prairie fire look like a match flame.

“Not this one. I’d be dead of sweat dehydration just walking down the aisle. What else do you have?” Jasmine asked.

Ace liked all that satin, lace, and puffy stuff and imagined how much fun it would be to undo every single one of those little covered buttons down the back.

The saleslady was flirting with him when she asked if he liked white silk, but he’d brushed her off with a shake of the head. She was cute but she wasn’t Jazzy.

Wedding dress number two: Jasmine held her arms up while the saleslady, Kyla, with the wandering eyes, OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 175

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pulled it down over her body and hooked elastic thread over dozens of small buttons up the back. She shook her head in the dressing room, and the dress with all its satin roses on the skirt and scattered on the train went back to the rack.

“Third time is a charm,” she whispered when the woman brought in the third choice, a watered silk strapless, fitted to a long waist with a train that could be fastened up to make a bustle.

She walked out from the fitting room and Ace shook his head. “It’s not you, Jazzy. You look miserable in it.

When the dress makes you look like you did in the Las Vegas one, then you’ve found it.”

She didn’t even step up on the revolving platform.

She and the woman went right back to the dressing room to remove it.

“Is that your brother?” Kyla asked.

“No, ma’am.”

“Your best friend?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is he gay or something?” Kyla asked.

“Hell, no!”

“Then why in the world is he shopping with you for a wedding dress? We never have men come help a lady pick out her dress. Usually it’s the bridesmaids or maid of honor.”

“He’s my husband.” Jasmine was amazed at how that slipped off her tongue so easily.

Husband!

She was married. It didn’t sound strange at al , and that was pretty damn frightening.

“He’s what?” Kyla gasped.

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Jasmine held up her left hand with the wedding band.

“He’s my husband. We got married in Las Vegas a week ago, but my mother insists on a Texas wedding.”

“Wel , that’s a first for me. Never sold a dress to a lady who was already married with her husband watching from the sidelines,” Kyla said.

“Thank you for all your help,” Jasmine said.

“No problem. Come on back if you change your mind,” Kyla said.

“Next store?” Ace asked when they were back outside with hot sunshine bearing down on them.

“Right around the corner. We could walk to it,” Jasmine said.

“Lead the way, darlin’. Sorry that you didn’t find one in there. I don’t know why you couldn’t use that one you wore in Vegas. I liked it and you liked it. Tell your momma she can have the wedding but you already got a dress,” he said.

“It’s complicated, like I said. It’s got to be perfect and she thinks that dress is tacky. Okay, here we go for the second round.” She pointed to the next bridal shop.

“I’d rather have a second round of something a hell of a lot more fun,” he teased.

“Is that a line?” She giggled.

“Damn, Jazzy, you are ruining my ego. That works every time,” he said.

She laughed again and reached to push the door, only to have it swing open and wedding music begin. “Wow, talk about promotion,” she mumbled.

Debra was middle- aged with her dark hair pulled back to the nape of her neck in a tight bun. She wore no jewelry, too much makeup, and glasses perched OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 177

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on the end of her nose. She didn’t even notice Ace’s belt buckle.

Dress number one: an ivory silk with long fitted sleeves, a square neckline, and no train. Kelly would hate it but of the four she’d tried on, Jasmine liked it best.

She looked at Ace who shook his head. “Your eyes aren’t all dreamy.”

Number two: tight- fitting bodice covered with pearls and rhinestones, strapless, flowing skirt with a twelve-inch ruffle around the bottom that matched the bodice, and gold bells on the underskirt that tinkled when she walked. She swished several times in front of the mirror.

“This is a hoot, but I wouldn’t be able to stop giggling. I sound like wind chimes.” She giggled.

Ace laughed with her. “This isn’t working, Jazzy.

We can try again next week if they close before you find one. How about coffee and cheesecake from that Starbucks we passed on the way here?”