From beneath thick, black lashes, Jossy Jansen studied the interloper seated across from her at her grandmother’s dinner table. Despite her best efforts to be gracious and welcoming to Nathaniel Knight, everything about the attorney annoyed her.
Everything.
From his perfectly styled hair to the tips of his shiny shoes, he looked like he belonged in a courtroom or posing in an advertisement for a men’s magazine, not at her family’s ranch. His polished manners, high-end clothes, and easy charm left her irritated. His unwelcome presence during a family dinner to celebrate her lone sibling’s engagement only served to further invoke her ire.
Sure, the guy was handsome, in an urban, rarely-sees-sunshine kind of way. That salon-cut hair was a fantastic shade of light brown and full of finger-tempting waves. Warm green eyes made her think of all the things she loved most about spring. His nose was straight, and his jaw firm. A pair of tantalizing lips that could have been sculpted by a master artist made her absently consider if he was a good kisser.
The expensive tailored suit he wore stretched across broad shoulders, but one glance at his hands removed any doubts about the man being accustomed to hard labor. Beneath the suit, she envisioned soft, lax muscles that were rarely used for more than typing notes and packing around a briefcase. For reasons she couldn’t possibly begin to understand let alone explain, the thought of him allowing what would otherwise be an impressive physique to go to waste made her angry.
A bump against her leg beneath the table drew her gaze from the unwanted guest to the man sitting beside her. She gave Parker Princeton, her brother’s best friend, a questioning glance as his leg knocked against hers a second time.
“Isn’t that right, Jossy?” Parker asked, staring at her in question.
“Um…” Jossy had no idea what Parker had said. She’d been so involved in scavenging for Nathaniel Knight’s flaws, she hadn’t paid attention to the conversation taking place around her.
“Aunt Jossy, you’ll still take me to see your new babies, won’t you?” Cricket Cole asked, giving Jossy an imploring look that never failed to melt her heart. Her niece was the single most precious thing in Jossy’s world.
“Of course I’ll take you to see the new babies.” Jossy cupped the girl’s little chin in her hand and kissed her forehead.
“Babies?” Nathaniel looked from Jossy to Parker then over to where Hudson Cole, Jossy’s brother, sat making moony eyes at Emery Brighton, the woman who’d agreed to marry him when he proposed earlier that afternoon.
“Three foals were born this week,” Jossy said, forcing herself to be polite to their guest. “A foal is a…”
“Baby horse. Are they colts or fillies?” Nathaniel asked, glancing at her with what appeared to be genuine interest.
Surprised he’d know the difference, Jossy focused on the bite she’d been slicing off a thick, juicy steak. She needed a moment to get over the shock of discovering that Nathaniel wasn’t entirely clueless.
“Two fillies and one colt,” she finally answered.
“Aunt Jossy named him Diamond.” Cricket offered Nathaniel a gap-toothed smile.
To his credit, the man smiled back at her instead of ignoring the precocious child.
“Aunt Jossy is gonna take me over to see them after dinner.” Cricket turned to her again. “Right?”
“You betcha, baby girl.” Jossy tweaked her niece’s nose. “In fact, if your daddy doesn’t care, maybe you’d could spend the night at my house.”
“Oh, yes!” Cricket turned a pleading gaze to her father. “Please, Daddy? Please? Can I stay at Aunt Jossy’s house?”
Hud tossed a questioning glance in Jossy’s direction. She could count on one hand the number of times Cricket had spent the night at her house, even though they lived across the road from one another. For the most part, Jossy was so busy and exhausted, she just didn’t have many spare moments to indulge in things like sleepovers for her sweet niece. Although she regretted how little time she spent with Cricket, it couldn’t be helped. Not when Jossy had a ranch to run alone, and there were never enough hours in the day to see to all the tasks demanding her attention.
“Are you sure, Joss?” Hud asked, continuing to study her.
“I’m sure. If Cricket brings along a dress, we can meet you at church in the morning.”
Hud glanced at the love of his life sitting close to his side. Emery smiled and nodded in agreement before Hud looked back at Jossy. “If you have any trouble, call. I’ll come get her, or you can bring her home regardless of the time.”
“We’ll be just fine,” Jossy said. She settled an arm around Cricket’s shoulders and gave her a tender squeeze before the child could jump up and race off to pack an overnight bag. “You can get your things after you finish eating.”
“Okay.” Cricket began shoveling in her dinner with enough speed to make Jossy concerned she might choke herself in her haste to finish.
A low, deep chuckle from the other side of the table drew her gaze back to the attorney. Evidently, he found Cricket’s enthusiasm amusing. Under normal circumstances so would Jossy, but the attorney had left her feeling out of sorts.
Jossy knew Nathaniel Knight was a friend of Emery’s family. He’d come to town to … well, Jossy still wasn’t certain why he was there or why he was staying at Summer Creek Ranch.
“What brings you to Summer Creek?” Jossy blurted as Nathaniel helped himself to a second dinner roll. No one made them as light and fluffy as Grammy’s. She bit back a smirk when he slathered it with butter and a heaping spoon of homemade blackberry jam. Jam Jossy had made last summer when she’d happened upon a bunch of wild blackberries growing along the bank of the creek up in the hills.
“I’m assisting Emery and the newly-formed Summer Creek Historical Society with all the necessary paperwork to get the ball rolling for the Walk Through 1910 project.” Nathaniel nodded toward Emery. “My father and hers thought it would be a good idea if I came to Summer Creek to see the town, get a better idea of the buildings included in the tours, that sort of thing.”
Just that morning, Emery and the historical society had hosted a big event to give the people in Summer Creek a sample of what the tours they hoped to soon offer might entail. Weeks of work loomed ahead of them before the buildings could open to the public, but Emery was determined to make it happen.
It seemed far longer than just two months ago that Emery had arrived in Summer Creek after a little dustup with the law. As she glanced over at her future sister-in-law, Jossy found it hard to picture the elegant, caring young woman trying to ride a police horse while under the influence of one mimosa too many, but Emery had done it. In fact, two of Emery’s so-called friends had recorded the whole thing and posted videos online that went viral.
Jossy wasn’t sure if it was an attempt to shield Emery from bad publicity or an effort to keep her out of further trouble that caused her uncle, the judge who presided over her arraignment, to sentence her to community service in Summer Creek.
Although Hud had no idea she was coming to stay at the ranch and did everything short of sending her packing, Emery quickly caught his eye and heart.
The first time Jossy saw Hud and Emery in the same room together, she had no doubts they would fall in love. Sparks snapped between the two of them like live wires exposed to a hurricane. Emery arrived at the ranch every bit as citified as Nathaniel, but she’d been willing to adjust, change, grow, and learn. In the process, she’d fallen in love with Hud, Cricket, the ranch, and the community.
Under other circumstances, Jossy didn’t know if it would have happened, but somewhere along the way, she and Emery had become good friends. Jossy was thrilled Emery would be her sister-in-law. She’d always wanted a sister and now she’d finally get one. She’d never liked Hud’s wife, and the feeling was mutual. If Bethany hadn’t died in an accident when Cricket was a baby, she and Hud would have been divorced anyway.
Jossy couldn’t imagine anyone walking away from a man as good and kind as her bro
ther. And she couldn’t fathom how any woman could give up her child, but Bethany had. She’d wanted nothing to do with Hud or Cricket from the moment Cricket was born. Sad as it was, it had been for the best.
The walls Hud erected around his heart after his experience with Bethany had kept most people out until Emery’s unexpected arrival. She’d not only done the impossible and made Hud feel again, but the woman had also come up with a plan to give the dying town of Summer Creek hope by restoring the old buildings in town and opening them for tours.
Emery was a jewel, one Jossy felt confident Hud would always treasure.
However, she didn’t think the same could be said for Nathaniel Knight. In spite of his nice manners and sophisticated appearance, she got the idea the pretty city boy was probably quite hopeless when it came to anything beyond legal matters.
“So, you’ll be staying a while?” Jossy asked, trying to keep her voice from sounding snide. She couldn’t picture him lasting more than a day or two without a coffee shop on every corner and food delivery available round-the-clock to meet his every whim. “Or are you planning to get the paperwork completed in one weekend.”
Nathaniel gave her an inquisitive glance as he dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin then draped it over his lap as though he’d been trained in the art by Emily Post. “No. It will take a while to complete all the necessary papers. The main reason for my visit today was to see the old buildings and get a better idea of what Emery wants to do with the tours.”
“And did you?” Jossy snapped at him, uncertain why she felt so maddened by the man when he’d been nothing but good-mannered. “Get an idea?”
“I did,” he said softly.
Conversation died around the table and everyone stared at her. Jossy continued holding Nathaniel’s gaze, noting confusion and a little hurt in his gorgeous green eyes. Beneath the table, Parker bumped her leg again. Ignoring him, she found it impossible to look away from Nathaniel, awash in a flood of unwanted feelings.
“When’s the wedding?” Parker asked in a loud voice, shifting the conversation back to Hud and Emery.
Jossy knew that was her signal to leave the out-of-towner alone.
Emery lifted her hand and stared at the diamond ring on her finger. The stone refracted the evening sunlight shining in the window as a smile played on her lips.
Tugging her attention away from Nathaniel, Jossy shifted her thoughts to her brother and his fiancée. She was glad Hud had given Emery the antique ring that had belonged to their great-grandmother. As the oldest, it had been bequeathed to her, but she hadn’t wanted her husband to get his grubby hands on it and sell it, so she’d left it with her grandmother and told her to give it to Hud. Wisely, Hud hadn’t offered it to Bethany, but he’d asked Jossy for her blessing when he confessed he wanted to marry Emery and give her the ring.
Jossy watched the stone glitter on Emery’s slender finger and knew the ring rested where it was meant to be. Emery adored antiques and would take good care of the ring, right along with Hud.
“The ring looks lovely, Emery.” Jossy smiled at the young woman.
“It’s gorgeous. I’m so pleased Hud gave me a family ring instead of something new. It means the world to me to know your great-grandmother wore it.” Emery leaned over and kissed Hud’s cheek then looked back at Parker. “As for the wedding date, Hud has warned me summer is his busiest season, but we really don’t want to wait long. I’d like to have a small, simple ceremony here in Summer Creek. We were thinking of getting married the first Saturday in June.”
“The first cutting of hay should be in,” Hud said, like a true country-raised man. “By then, I’ll have two high school boys working here part-time. If Grammy doesn’t mind taking charge of them, I think we could swing a few days away for a honeymoon.”
“Of course I’ll help all I can,” Nell Cole said, smiling at her grandson.
Jossy glanced at her grandmother. Nell looked far younger than her seventy-four years, even if she was starting to slow down. But Nell’s slow was faster than most people operated at full speed. Jossy admired her grandmother for her strength, endurance, and for always being so open-hearted to others. Nell was often the first to offer a helping hand, and never failed to provide a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on. Heaven knew Jossy had cried on her grandmother’s shoulder many, many times over the years.
“I’ll be around, too,” Jossy said, hoping Hud would take longer than a few days for a honeymoon. After all he’d been through, he deserved to wring every moment of happiness he could out of life.
Hud raised an expressive eyebrow at her, then shook his head. “You’ve got plenty of your own work to see to, Jossy, but thank you.”
“So, we’re set for a wedding in three weeks?” Nell interrupted.
Jossy and Hud could argue for hours about what he saw as her need for help on her ranch. Their grandmother most likely hoped to divert their attention before a disagreement started. Nell cast a hopeful look from Hud to Emery.
“We need to see if Pastor Markle is available and if anyone else has the church reserved.” Hud lifted Emery’s hand to his mouth and kissed the backs of her fingers, giving her a look so full of love, Jossy experienced a sharp pang of jealousy. Truly, she was happy for Hud, and Emery, too, but it saddened her to think of the lonely years ahead of her. The lonely existence she’d already survived.
“Have you told your family yet?” Nathaniel asked, giving Emery a teasing grin.
Jossy couldn’t help but note how the boyish smile made the attorney appear unbelievably young and approachable. If she didn’t know better, she would have mistaken him for a college student instead of a man she assumed had to be closer to thirty than twenty.
Emery gave Nathaniel a panicked look. “No, I haven’t. I … um … I think I’ll wait until Monday to let them know. You won’t say anything, will you?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “Not unless I am specifically asked if you got engaged today.”
Emery appeared relieved. “I’m so excited, I could shout it from the rooftops, but you’ve all met my mother. She’ll turn our wedding into a production. An ordeal. A horrific experience.” She sighed and leaned against Hud. “I just want our wedding to be special and low-key.”
A bark of laughter rolled out of Nathaniel before he attempted to cover it with a cough. When everyone stared at him, he grinned at Emery again. “Lisa Brighton does not do low-key.”
“If Em wants low-key, that’s what she’ll get,” Hud said pointedly. His tone made it clear he wouldn’t put up with any nonsense from Lisa or anyone else. Jossy just hoped he and Emery were prepared to fight for what they wanted and each other. From what she’d seen when she met Emery’s mother, the woman would not easily surrender planning her only child’s wedding.
Nathaniel lifted his glass of iced tea up in the air. “Congratulations to Hud and Emery. May they have many, many happy years together.”
“To Hud and Emery,” everyone echoed. Cricket held up her glass of milk and giggled, although she didn’t know what they were doing or why.
The conversation remained on wedding plans, so Jossy took the opportunity to covertly observe Nathaniel, admiring his profile when he turned to speak to Nell while loathing herself for her interest in him. At least he was leaving tomorrow. After that, she’d likely never see him again, and that suited her just fine.
Normally, Jossy liked everyone, until they provided grounds not to. But something about the attorney left her antsy and unsettled — feelings she was not accustomed to experiencing. For that reason alone, she wanted him gone as soon as possible.
The moment they all finished eating, Jossy hopped to her feet and took charge of the dirty dishes. Cricked asked Emery to help her pack a bag to take to Jossy’s while Nell went to the office to call the pastor to see if the church was available for a June wedding.
Parker, who had helped Jossy and Nell set the scene for Hud’s proposal, helped clear the table before taking his leave. He thumped
Hud on the back. “Congrats, man. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“I appreciate that Park. And thanks for your help today. I couldn’t have done it without you and Jossy.”
“We make a good team,” Parker said, slipping his arm around Jossy’s shoulders and kissing her cheek.
Subtly, Jossy eased away from him and returned to loading the dishwasher. Other than her brother, Parker had been one of her closest friends since they were in school. She cared about him, would do most anything for him, loved him like a brother, but that was where it ended. Lately, Parker seemed to be interested in taking their relationship to a new level. The last thing she wanted was another man in her life. Besides, she didn’t want to ruin a great friendship.
It was no secret Parker had carried a crush for her since he was in the sixth grade and she in the eighth. Even when she’d gone temporarily insane and married Richard Jansen right after high school, she sometimes got the idea Parker still carried a torch for her. But she was never, ever going to be romantically interested in Parker. He was like a second brother to her. The very thought of kissing him made her feel slightly nauseated.
“I left Zadie in charge of a fishing tour and promised I’d relieve her before it got dark, so I better get going.” Parker backed toward the door. “I’ll catch you all later.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Hud said, following Parker through the kitchen to the mudroom.
“Night, Parker,” Jossy called over her shoulder then heard the back door open and close.
“Is Zadie his wife?” Nathaniel asked as he leaned against the counter, watching Jossy work.
“No. His assistant. She helps with his guide business when she isn’t teaching kids how to play the piano, or giving ballet lessons. She also offers a rideshare service if someone needs a ride, usually into Burns.” Jossy gave Nathaniel a studying glance. “Think you can dry a few dishes or will that damage your manicure?” She tossed a dish towel at him.
Nathaniel caught the towel and stepped over to the dish drainer where she’d left pots and pans to drip after she’d scrubbed them clean. His voice was quiet as he spoke. “I don’t have a manicure.”
Catching the Cowboy: A Small-Town Clean Romance (Summer Creek Book 1) Page 26