by June Faver
Cami pushed back from the table and took her cup to the sink. She fought the tightness in her chest by rinsing the cup under the running water. She knew that Breck would value her opinion, but at the moment, she felt like screaming.
Breck brought his cup to the sink, and Cami rinsed it, putting both in the top rack of the dishwasher. He kissed her temple and her jaw tightened.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just needed your input.”
She turned and reached up to embrace him. “I know, and I’m sorry to be so irritable about it, but this community must keep that airport open. It’s important for locals to have that medevac chopper ready to go.” She gazed up at him earnestly. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
Breck kissed her and caressed her cheek with his fingers. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. I promise you that I will do my best to research any prospective buyers and try to guide Cade and Jennifer to make a decision that will not be detrimental to the community of Langston.”
Cami gave a mock pout. “You better.”
* * *
Cade had driven to his ranch and jumped right into his usual chores. He made sure every living thing on his ranch had feed and water. Then he released his three horses into the corral and set about mucking out the horse stalls. Not one of the most pleasant tasks, but nonetheless, he found himself grinning for no reason.
Well, okay. There was a reason.
The image of Jennifer LaChance as he’d last seen her rose in his mind. As he shoveled horse manure and pushed a broom through the stable, his brain was entertaining the beautiful woman who had invited him to stay over last night.
He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such a gorgeous and talented woman, but he wasn’t going to question his great good luck.
Cade had remained a bachelor when most of his cohorts were happily married—most with children. Somehow, he had been focused on the ranch and kept his head down for the most part.
Sure, he had slicked up and gone to town to dance at the Eagles Hall when they hosted a country band. He had joined his friends and relatives, sipping a beer and dancing to a few songs, but at the end of the night, he had gone home alone. Well, most of the time. The women he’d bedded had never been more than a momentary fling.
But that was before he’d met Miss Jennifer LaChance.
He had shoveled the manure into a wheelbarrow and now he wheeled it to the mulch pile. A rivulet of sweat rolled down his brow, and he wiped it away on his sleeve. He shoveled the contents of the wheelbarrow onto the pile and worked to turn it under the vegetation and other elements. Good rich mulch.
He removed his hat and gazed up at the beautiful, clear blue sky. “I’m a farmer. I’m a rancher. And I’m in love with Jennifer LaChance.”
* * *
Jenn spent the day with the children, playing games, reading stories, changing diapers, and thinking about Cade Garrett.
Every time Cade’s image had appeared in her mind, she had felt a rush of heat, and an involuntary grin had graced her face.
Damn! Hottest man on the planet.
Well, here she was, living the good life in a small town, surrounded by good-hearted people, playing mama to two adorable children, and her heart was going pitty-pat over the long, lean cowboy with the bluest eyes in Texas.
“I am so totally a goner.”
Leo looked at her curiously.
“Nothing, sweetie.” She placed a kiss on his forehead.
Minnie wagged her tail, looking as though she too deserved a treat. Jenn scruffled the dog’s ears.
Funny how life takes a turn.
She had spent years preparing for a professional career, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree and another master’s in education. She was extremely qualified to be an art teacher, but she was sure there was one art teacher at the high school and that that person would die with his or her boots on, so to speak. Jenn could wait for years for an art job to open up. Other than that, there were no other employment opportunities in the Langston area that she was qualified for. She was pretty sure she would make a really awful waitress.
She knew there was money in the bank that Jason had earned, but it would run out at some point in time, and she would have to find a way to support the children.
Jenn heaved a deep sigh. Of course, there was the airstrip. Jason’s passion. The passion that had gotten him murdered. She presumed that a competent person could pick up the reins and make a go of it. Too bad neither she nor Cade were that person.
Still…
She had to wonder what it would take to run the airstrip. In her heart, she thought that Jason would not have wanted his beloved business to pass out of the family. Maybe he would have visualized Leo and Lissy working by his side, maybe eventually taking over.
She heaved a sigh. She knew she was flipping and flopping back and forth about whether the airstrip should be sold or kept in the family.
Jenn’s chest felt tight. My poor brother.
The doorbell chimed, startling Jenn out of her reverie.
When she opened it, Ollie was on the porch bearing a glass baking dish covered with aluminum foil and a wide smile. “I missed you, girl.”
“Oh, Ollie! I’ve missed you too. There is just so much to do with the children and all.” She opened the screen and ushered her friend inside.
“I’m taking a break from the inn. My only boarder is some woman who seems to be more interested in driving around the countryside, checking out property, than sitting down for a good gossip.” She shook her head. “I swear, this Dallas lady has more money than brains.”
“Come on in the kitchen and let me pour you a cup of coffee to go with whatever is under that tinfoil. I haven’t smelled anything that scrumptious in a long time.” Jenn led the way to the kitchen with Ollie, Leo, and Minnie trailing behind.
Ollie made herself comfortable at the table and busied herself uncovering the baking dish. She revealed a cakelike creation with peaches. The aroma was divine. “This is my grandmother’s recipe for peach kuchen. It’s an old German recipe handed down in my family.”
Jenn selected plates for the dessert and cups for coffee. As she placed the dishes on the table, she gave Ollie a knife to cut the cake. “That is really a lovely dessert, Ollie.”
“I picked these peaches off my very own trees,” she said proudly. “They’re so sweet.”
Leo was trying to climb up in his chair, so Jenn lifted him in and scooted the chair close to the table. Lissy was looking at her high chair too, since she expected that food would be forthcoming. Jenn settled her in her chair, securing her in place with both belt and tray.
Jenn turned around and found that Minnie was standing on her hind legs, looking particularly attentive. “I suppose you want to be seated too?”
Ollie threw her head back and laughed. “I swear, I would never have figured that you would just settle right in here like a little hen on your nest. You look happy, Jennifer. Really happy.”
Jenn brought the coffeepot to the table, a slight frown on her face as she considered Ollie’s words. “Yes, I really am happy. Happier than I ever thought I could be…unless you serve me up a slice of kuchen.” She filled Ollie’s cup and one for herself. Then brought milk to the table in two sippy cups.
“Here you go.” Ollie pushed a saucer across the table toward Jenn.
“Looks great,” Jenn said. “Thanks for sharing this treat with me.” She looked at the children. “Do you think maybe we can share a little with the kids?”
“Oh, of course,” Ollie said. “How much?”
“Just a spoonful for Lissy and a little more for Leo. We’ll see how they like it.” Jenn fastened a bib around Lissy and another for Leo, while Ollie placed a dab of the kuchen on each saucer. Lissy did not hesitate to sink her fingers into the goodies in front of her and immediately suck it off.
Finally, Jenn picked up her fork and scooped a bite into her mouth. “Yum. This is heaven. It’s a peachy, custardy orgasm on a plate.”
Ollie appeared to be enormously pleased. “I knew you would love it. I’m known for my cooking.”
“Well, this is fabulous.”
Ollie leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “I’ve never shared this recipe since it’s a family thing, but I don’t have any children to pass it on to, so I’ll share it with you.”
Jenn tried to envision herself baking. Couldn’t. “That would be wonderful, Ollie. I’m honored.”
Ollie beamed with pleasure. “I wrote it out for you.” She pushed a piece of paper across the table to Jennifer.
Chapter 20
After their snack, Jenn led Ollie back to the living room and they enjoyed a nice long chat. When Ollie left, she seemed to be in a very happy state.
Jenn had re-covered the peach kuchen with the aluminum foil and stored it in the refrigerator, promising to return the glass baking dish when it was empty.
She felt oddly elated that the treat was safely stored in her refrigerator and she might be able to share it with Cade. She carefully folded the recipe and put it in a cookbook in Sara’s collection.
Maybe she would learn how to cook. Jenn hummed a little tune, thinking that she might become a great cook, given the chance. Surely she could follow written instructions?
* * *
Cade had worked and worked. Then he had saddled one of his horses and taken a ride out to the creek and back. He tried to ride one of his horses each day so they would get exercise and so they would retain their relationship with him.
When he went back to the ranch house, he took a quick shower and toweled off. He wanted to see Jennifer again, but he didn’t want to crowd her. She might not be willing to see him two nights in a row. And he didn’t want to assume that she would want a repeat performance of their stellar night of lovemaking. He had to take it easy and let her call the shots. Don’t want to spook her.
He thought he might call her and see how she had spent her day.
Taking care of kids, dumb ass! He shook his head. What else could he say to her?
He had his phone in hand but couldn’t quite come up with any good reason to call her.
He wished they could be together at that moment. And for many days and nights to follow. Serious courtship. That was what it would take.
Cade selected Jennifer’s number on his phone and waited for her to answer. When he heard her voice, he groped for something to say.
“Hello?”
“Um, uh…I mean…” he stammered.
“Cade, is that you?”
“Uh, yes. It’s me.” He wanted to smack himself on the head. She must think I’m a total idiot.
“I’m so glad you called.” She sounded genuinely pleased.
“Oh, well, uh…”
“I was thinking about the airstrip. Do you really think we should sell it?” She paused to heave an audible sigh. “I mean, Jason worked so hard to make it successful, and I hate to just throw away his dreams.”
Cade could tell she was really wound up about it. “Well, I never said we should sell.” He swallowed hard. “I was just worried that we might not be capable of running the business. I mean, I’m not a businessman. I know about running my ranch, but I grew up learning about ranching every single day.”
“I just thought maybe Jason would want his children to inherit his business eventually.”
“I’m sure he did, but he didn’t know he and my sister were going to die in a plane crash.”
“They were murdered, Cade. Don’t you ever forget that.” Her voice took on a hard edge.
“Um, no. I didn’t forget.”
She was silent, and Cade had no idea how to change the subject. “Listen, Jennifer. I don’t have the answers, but I’m pretty sure Breckenridge Ryan will be able to advise us. He’s pretty smart.”
“I’m sure he is. I’m just frustrated.”
More silence.
“Um, do you like to dance?” He cringed in anticipation of her response.
“Of course,” she said. “Doesn’t everybody?”
He felt the first hint of a smile twitch the corners of his lips. “Well, I’d like to invite you to go with me to the Eagles Hall on Saturday. We can have dinner first, and then go to dance. The Eagles has some great live bands come through.”
“Sure. I love to dance.” He could hear the change in her voice. The terse edge was gone and she sounded happy.
“I can get Mrs. Reynolds to babysit for us.”
“Great. The kids love her. I’ll have to see what I have to wear.”
“Just throw on a pair of jeans and your dancing shoes. We’ll have a great time.” Cade couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. Perhaps she would invite him to stay over again.
“Oh, that is a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Um, you see…I don’t have anything like that. I left things in my house in Dallas. I thought I would just be here a few days…and…and I was so upset over Jason’s death, I just threw things in a suitcase.”
Cade chuckled. “You could always go shopping. I thought you ladies liked to go clothes shopping?”
There was a long pause. He thought perhaps the call had been dropped.
“Well…I don’t have any income at the moment. I don’t want to spend the money in Jason’s account on myself. That rightly belongs to the children, so I’m just out of luck.”
Cade’s face morphed into a frown. He could only admire Jennifer for refusing to spend the inheritance on herself. “Whatever you wear will be fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Aren’t we supposed to go meet with Mr. Ryan tomorrow?”
“You’re right. Want me to pick you up?”
“That would be nice. Ollie is coming to stay with the children while I’m out.”
“Thought she had to stay at the inn to admit new boarders.”
“She told me she only has one woman staying there at the moment and she spends her days driving around looking at property.”
“That’s great. Maybe we can grab lunch somewhere?”
“Lovely. I’ll be ready at ten.”
Cade disconnected, grinning. He would get to spend time with Jennifer the next day, and she would haunt his dreams tonight.
* * *
Jenn was dressed and waiting when Cade pulled up in front of the house. “He’s here,” she called to Ollie and gave a wave as she stepped outside.
Cade left the motor running but got out to help her up into his way-too-high truck.
She figured she would eventually get the rest of her wardrobe from the house in Dallas and would be able to climb up under her own steam without exposing anything. Of course, he had already seen everything. She stifled a grin as Cade lifted her up. Oh, those strong arms…
Cade climbed up and revved the motor. Maybe he was excited to be with her. She knew she was really charged up. Just keep breathing, girl.
They chatted about the children, the beautiful day, and in no time at all, he was pulling into a parking spot in front of Breckenridge Ryan’s office.
When she slid out of the truck and into Cade’s arms, she wanted to embrace him and never let go…but managed to control her primal urges.
Her feet reached the ground and she found herself gazing up at him. She swallowed hard. “Well, we better go inside.”
For his part, Cade was staring at her as though she were the last chocolate doughnut on the plate. He said nothing, but gestured toward the law office.
When they entered, a tiny metal bell clanked against the bevel
ed glass insert in the door, and Misty Garrett looked up and smiled.
“Hi, Jennifer. Hi, Cade.” She motioned them to her desk. “Breck is expecting you. I’ll let him know you’re here.” She punched a button and spoke into an intercom.
“Send ’em in here,” Breck bellowed.
Cade opened the door to Breck’s office for Jenn and followed her inside.
Breck sat behind a big mahogany desk, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat, folks.”
When they were sitting down, Jenn realized she was quite nervous. She had no idea how to manage or take part in the management of the airstrip, yet she was reluctant to let it go.
“Here’s what I’ve found for you.” Breck slid a piece of paper across the desk for them to share. “I contacted a large commercial real estate firm and dealt with the broker. He made some discreet inquiries and thinks he could get you up to this amount for the sale of the airstrip. That’s way more than the Swearingen corporation has offered, and of course, the local man, Edgar Wayne Pell, doesn’t have that kind of money.”
Jenn stared at the paper, her eyes locked on the amount of money the Realtor claimed he could get them for the property. Her mouth felt dry.
“Well, there you go,” Cade said. “This amount of money would sure provide for the kids.”
Breck leaned back in his chair, propping his boots on the edge of his desk. “That’s for sure. In fact, with some wise investment, you could support the next couple of generations.”
Jenn blinked. “Could I please have some water?”
Breck dropped his boots to the hardwood floor and leaned forward to punch the intercom. “Misty, do we have some bottled water in the fridge?”
In a few minutes, Misty brought three bottles of water in and handed them out.
“Thanks a lot.” Jenn uncapped the water and took a long drink. She couldn’t fathom that amount of money. Now she was feeling guilty for her reluctance to let go of the property that Jason had built.
Cade and Breck were staring at her.
“I—I’m just overwhelmed,” she said. “That’s so much money.”