Love Under Two Extroverts [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Cara Covington

  “I can’t imagine how tough that must have been. No one can answer why that happened, except your dad. But I will play devil’s advocate here, and point out that Monica hasn’t visited you, either.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t have expected her to. She has a busy life, and she lives all the way away in California! Anyway, what I was trying to tell you, in my own somewhat clumsy fashion, was that I think I may have been using those two Kendalls as targets for my pent up feelings about my father—and not because they really remind me of him, although they do know how to ‘handle’ people, the same way he does.” She sighed. “And on top of that, they make me nervous.”

  “Hmm. There is a wealth of things I could say to you right now, but I think I’ll just ask if you would like some advice.”

  Jacqui knew Nancy well enough to answer that question cautiously. “Sure. Advice is always welcome.”

  “Don’t tell those two hard bodies on your date tonight that you’re having daughterly feelings toward them. That, I promise you, will end badly for everyone.”

  Jacqui giggled even as she shook her head. “I am not having daughterly feelings for them! You are bad, Nancy Winthrop-Barton.”

  “True, but you laughed, which means, I hope, that at least a part of you understands how silly it would be for you to compare Will and Norm to your dad. It’s a comparison that is completely invalid.”

  “Not to mention that they’ve already hinted that there was a big enough age difference between us as it is.” Jacqui sighed. “I get it, Nance.”

  “No, I don’t think you really do, Jack, at least, not yet.” Nancy smiled. “But that’s all right. Why don’t I go and grab us a couple of sandwiches? We’re making good time here and I’d like to keep working, well, at least until four.”

  Since Jacqui quite often worked through her “lunch hour,” that sounded like a plan. “All right, thank you. I’ll have a ham and Swiss, please.”

  “Oh, that sounds like what I want, too, so I’ll get one for each of us. Do you want sweet tea to drink?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Jacqui turned her attention back to the job at hand. Because most of these books were from estate sales, and bought as a single lot either at auction, or for a set fee, they each had to be inspected. There inevitably would be a few that weren’t saleable, either because of missing pages, or other damage to the book not easily seen from an outward perusal.

  Jacqui felt a true bibliophile’s pain when she found a damaged book. As far back as she could remember, books had been her best friends. She had an e-reader now, but she still liked to hold a physical book in her hands. She didn’t care if it was a mass-market paperback or a hardcover. There was something very calming and centering about spending an afternoon, or even an evening, curled up in a big chair with one of her favorite novels. To revisit a favorite passage, to appreciate anew the balance of the words and the rhythm of the narrative was one of her truest joys. The best-written stories flowed like a brook on a lazy summer Sunday, the cadence of the words both exciting and familiar. In short, spending time between the pages of a book grounded her.

  Jacqui knew her love of books and reading was the biggest thing that had drawn her and Holly together, from the time she’d been small and her aunt had read to her on quiet Sunday afternoon visits. She looked up as Nancy reentered the store from the restaurant with two plates in her hands.

  The love of books and reading was the first tie between them, too.

  “Here you go.” Each dinner-sized plate held a sandwich, some chips, a tiny bowl of salsa, and a glass of sweet tea. Jacqui recalled in those first couple of days in Lusty, thinking how strange it was that the town had only one restaurant.

  Now she was of the same opinion as everyone else. Lusty didn’t need another restaurant.

  “The food is always so fresh,” Nancy said. “I thought, when I left D.C. behind, that I would miss the cosmopolitan cuisine—but you know what? I don’t.” She grinned. “Of course, it helps having a husband who loves to cook.”

  “I’m sure it does. Now that I’m living on my own, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen myself. I like cooking.”

  “Trust me, having at least one husband who can cook is a godsend. Of my fathers, only Craig likes to cook.” Nancy laughed. “He used to tease Jackson that his idea of cooking was picking up the phone and ordering in pizza.”

  “I have an aunt who’s just like that.”

  “Holly’s sister, Becky Lynn,” Nancy said.

  Jacqui knew that Nancy had only met Becky Lynn once, at Holly’s commitment ceremony.

  But with Becky Lynn, once was usually quite enough.

  Jacqui’s conscience pinged with the uncharitable thought. Becky wasn’t mean spirited—well, not completely at any rate. She was only a year and a half older than Jacqui, so had still been a child herself when Jacqui and her dad had moved in to the Bethune household.

  “Yes, Becky Lynn.” The jealousy her younger aunt had exhibited toward her had been a normal reaction, she was sure, to having another young girl move in, making a claim on parental attention. Jacqui might have felt that same jealousy herself, except by the time she landed at her grandmother’s house, she’d had enough of tumultuous emotions. Her parents had fought, a lot, even though they’d been separated, and she’d lived with her mother. Then her mother had dated several men, married again, divorced, dated some more. None of Monica’s relationships had been without drama. She’d finally left her with her father and headed to California. Jacqui never dwelled on that part of the past—it just made her feel tense and anxious when she thought about that period of her life. So as usual, she set away her emotions and focused on the moment.

  “Holly said her sister made quite an impression at the fall cotillion.” Then Nancy snickered. “I’m being bad, I know, but I did consider that evaluation—which your grandmother said exactly like that to Holly—to be the very best example of ambivalence, ever.”

  “I had the same thought.” Jacqui shook her head. “I guess I should try thinking kinder thoughts about Becky Lynn. I mean, I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be her. Maybe I should consider that, and see what I can do about that little thing.”

  “Are you feeling the need to be saintly? Because, Jacqui? While giving the benefit of the doubt, and being kind in your thoughts about everyone is a wonderful thing, it can blind you to the very real fact that some people are just no damn good. So, think good thoughts if you must, and speak only kind words if you must—just don’t believe them one hundred per cent.”

  Jacqui understood that Nancy’s advice came tempered by more than a decade of living among and dealing with politicians and those who curried their favor on a daily basis.

  “I’ll make a note of that.”

  “Good, now let’s talk about more important matters. Just what are you planning to wear tonight? And I don’t want to hear about just the outer clothes. Remember, I was with you last night when you dropped that obscene amount of money at the lingerie boutique.”

  Jacqui grinned. Thinking about what she’d have on under her denim and silk was definitely a happier place for her mind to go to than into the past, where she couldn’t change anything, no matter how much she wanted to.

  * * * *

  “The woman is going to be work.” William Kendall stopped just shy of the front door and turned to see how his cousin took that.

  Norm continued walking toward him. “Didn’t your dad tell you, growing up, that nothing worthwhile came easy?”

  Will nodded. “That must be it, then.”

  They’d wanted to pick her up, but of course Jacqui—being Jacqui—insisted on driving over to their place.

  We’ll take her to the dance and bring her back here. Whether she then got into her car and headed home, well, they’d see about that later.

  He met Norm’s gaze for just a moment, and then he opened the door.

  “Hello, Miss Jacqui.” Norm reached for her hand, his movements slow and smooth. Will guessed he ha
d good instincts. Despite having given her more than twenty-four hours—they’d both been nearly certain she was going to call and cancel their date—she still looked as if she was waging that fight-or-flight battle within.

  Yep, she was definitely going to be work.

  The fight part of that equation might be interesting, but the flight part of it would be a real bummer.

  “Just Jacqui. You don’t have to call me ‘Miss Jacqui.’ Y’all aren’t from the south, after all.”

  Hearing that sting in her words actually began to set him at ease. “Oh, sweetheart, you are many things, but ‘just Jacqui’ certainly isn’t one of them.” The words rolled off Will’s tongue without thought. The flash of annoyance that made her dark eyes seem even deeper further settled Will’s nerves.

  He should have known she wouldn’t flee. Jacqui Bethune was no coward.

  “Is it any wonder that I call you ‘slicker?’” she said.

  Norm drew her into the house, and Will closed the door behind her. “Slicker as in rain gear?”

  “No,” Jacqui said. “We’ve been through this, but let me refresh your memories.” She pointed to Norm. “Slick.” Then she pointed to him. “Slicker.”

  “Ah, I see. You think I have a smoother tongue than my cousin. Thank you for the compliment, sweetheart.”

  “And that confuses me and seems a totally unfair judgment for you to make, as we haven’t even kissed you yet,” Norm said.

  Jacqui looked like she might give them both a blast, but then something remarkable happened. She drew in a deep breath, and then she laughed. Her eyes sparkled, her lips formed the most luscious grin, and Will felt a strange sensation that he knew instantly was the feeling of falling in love.

  Will liked the sound of her laugher. “Come on back to the kitchen. Dinner’s almost ready.”

  “I was wondering what you were going to feed me for supper. Do I smell Italian food?”

  “You do, indeed.” Norm grinned. “One of my Grandmother Wright’s recipes.”

  “I didn’t think ‘Wright’ was an Italian name.”

  Will laughed. “No, it’s not. But Aunt Sabrina’s mother was born Maria Donati.”

  “Grandma taught her daughter, and she taught me.” Norm nodded. “Actually she taught us both as we’ve been best friends as far back as we can remember.”

  “We’re having Caesar salad, followed by chicken parmigiana with fettuccini.”

  Jacqui was grinning, which immediately triggered his caution. Though he thought it entirely possible he might regret it, he said, “What?”

  “Chicken. It’s common knowledge among women that men generally have two things they know how to cook—chicken and steak.”

  Will raised one eyebrow, and then looked at Norm. Then he shook his head. “We shouldn’t admit it, but our other go-to dish when we have someone to dinner is sirloin steak pizzaiola, served with a marinara sauce, red peppers, and mushrooms.”

  “I probably shouldn’t say anything, because I’m only learning to cook myself.”

  They reached the kitchen, and Will kissed her hand as he seated her at the table. “We have a nice, crisp Chablis to compliment the chicken. Would you like some?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Will poured out the wine while Norm brought the food to the table.

  “I parked by the curb so as not to block in either of your vehicles. I thought it made more sense if we went to the dance in one car.”

  Now that’s promising.

  “Good idea. I’ve heard these dances are very well attended.”

  “So have I, though I have to confess, this will be my first time—going to the monthly dance here in Lusty, that is.”

  “Good. We’ll have at least one first time in common, then.” Will couldn’t help the line any more than he could have curbed the sexy tone he delivered it in.

  “I certainly hope it’s not going to be the only one we share,” Norm said.

  Jacqui looked at Norm and then met his gaze again.

  “What did I say? Slick and slicker.”

  Will noticed that while the words might have been a challenge, between the tone and the look in Jacqui’s deep brown eyes, he thought she just might be meaning them as terms of endearment. So he decided to let her know what he really thought.

  “Don’t worry, Sugar Plum. You’re definitely woman enough to handle us both.”

  Chapter 5

  Jacqui had attended Holly’s Commitment Ceremony in July, but hadn’t been to the community center since. She’d heard that the dances were split as far as music was concerned. Sometimes a local band called Just Us played, and sometimes they hired a DJ for the event.

  Jacqui had never attended, but she understood the appeal of having a regular night out. After the busyness of the holidays, and the inevitable letdown that followed, it was nice to have the monthly dances to look forward to.

  It didn’t take Jacqui long to realize that she was really living a different lifestyle here than she had in Georgia. There were no bars, pubs, honkytonks or nightclubs in Lusty, Texas. The town wasn’t very big, after all. That was the main reason the Ladies’ Historical Society held the dances. Jacqui didn’t think they made much money when they only charged two dollars for admittance and drinks were a lot cheaper than at the closest bar, which was all the way to Gatesville. Add to the expense the fact that there would be food provided after eleven, and she wouldn’t be surprised if the town was losing money on these events.

  Making money didn’t really seem to be of great importance in Lusty.

  The lighting inside the hall was discrete. There were tables scattered in a haphazard looking pattern around a large dance floor. Each table was covered with a white linen tablecloth, and had a jar candle in the center of it. Most tables would seat four, but there was no rule against putting tables together, to make a larger party. Some people were already doing that.

  On a raised platform along the wall on the opposite side of the main door, a DJ was setting up his equipment. She recognized Gord Jessop giving the man a hand with the wiring. Mr. Jessop, she had learned, was a man of many mechanical and electrical talents.

  The bar was set up along the wall to the right of the dance floor. Later, a buffet would be served, for any craving a bite to eat before heading home. The tables for that were already pushed against the wall to the left of the dance floor—and not far outside the doors to the kitchen.

  Jacqui knew the details because Holly, Alan and Duncan sometimes attended the dances. She couldn’t, off hand, recall if they might come tonight. The monthly dances just weren’t something that had ever entered her conversation—not until these two men had invited her for tonight.

  Huh. I never thought about it until now, but when I told people I was going to be here tonight, not a single one said they’d see me here.

  “Looks like we won’t have to work very hard to find a dark corner,” Norm said. He grinned, then looked at Jacqui. “Do you have any preference of where you’d like to sit?”

  People were arriving at a steady pace. Likely before long there’d be a good crowd filling the large facility and the choice of seating would be diminished.

  “I’ve never come to one of these dances, so I have no idea if one area is better than another.” She knew that some places had unique acoustics, which made one area or another either more or less desirable.

  “Let’s sit over there.” Will pointed toward the edge of the seating on the opposite side of the dance floor from the bar. “We’ll be away from a possible line up at the bar, and not too close to the speakers.”

  “All right, that seems like a good spot.” It didn’t bother her one bit that William took her left hand while Norm held her right. She’d lived in Lusty for seven months, and she’d gotten used to seeing people walking hand-in-hand-in-hand. And she tried, very hard, not to think about how good it felt having them both have her hands in theirs.

  Will held her chair for her, and she could tell the gentlemanly gesture was ingraine
d in him.

  “I’ll grab us some drinks,” Norm said. “Do you want wine? Beer? Soda?”

  “Beer’s good for me,” Jacqui said. “And I don’t need a glass, either. The bottle is fine.”

  “Uh-oh, Miss Jacqui. You might be written up in the Southern Belle Monthly,” Will teased.

  For once, she didn’t get her back up and over react. She was going to do her best to treat these two men on their own merits, and not as stand-ins for her father. So instead of slinging a pointed barb right back at him, she took his words for what they were, teasing words said in fun, and gave him back some in kind. “What the hell. A woman’s got to live on the edge once in a while.”

  “So I’ve always believed.” Norm nodded and headed off to get their drinks.

  As Jacqui looked around the large room, she saw, in her peripheral vision, the way Will was scoping out her. That was all right, because she knew she looked damn good.

  She wasn’t sure why she’d chosen to wear a dress—she had planned on tossing on one of her favorite tee-and-jean combos. She knew from talking to Holly that there was no dress code for these dances. Some women dressed up, some dressed down. Jeans would have been an acceptable option. Jacqui didn’t wear dresses often. She frowned as the thought emerged that she tended to dress in casual clothes because her aunt Becky liked to dress girly all the time.

  Becky hadn’t been on her mind as she’d stood in front of her closet after her shower, with the soft towel wrapped around her. She couldn’t, in fact, say what she’d been thinking when her hand had reached for the red garment.