“Is this the same person who’s been working as a housekeeper on Alex’s ranch?” Trent sounded doubtful.
“I haven’t worked out why she ended up there either, but yeah, that’s her.”
“Does she like living in Bozeman?”
“I think so.”
“So it’s just you she doesn’t like?” If Trent hadn’t been smiling, Jordan would have walked out of the barn. His brother had a warped sense of humor that wasn’t doing his heart much good.
Trent wrapped his arm around Jordan’s shoulders. “It will work out how it’s supposed to work out. Have a little faith.”
“Faith isn’t going to make her stay any longer than she wants to.”
“But it might bring her back,” Trent said gently.
***
“So tell me again how the bride gets to have a bachelorette party, but the groom doesn’t?” Sarah passed Tess a long piece of string to tie a bunch of balloons together. They were in Emily’s boutique, adding streamers and balloons to every shelf and light fitting they could see.
“Don’t be such a worry wart,” Tess said. “The boys understand. It’s a female thing.”
“What if they decide to gate-crash our party?” Sarah wasn’t worried about most of the groomsmen, just one in particular. She’d tried to tell Jordan about what was going on with her business, with her mom and dad. But every time she mentioned Portland he got defensive and started scowling so hard that she gave up.
“Emily can’t complain if Alex turns up,” Sally said from behind a mannequin. “She wiggled her way onto Ben’s guest list and might have to repay the favor.”
Sarah finished knotting a bunch of balloons together then carefully climbed a ladder. “I can’t figure out why Ben and the other guys would want to gate-crash a bachelorette party. It’s not as if we’ve planned anything exciting.”
“A room filled with single and semi-single women are what Ben and Adam dream about.” Sally laughed. “They have basic needs.”
“And speaking about basic needs,” Tess said. “Can someone help me bring the food across to the boutique?”
Sarah backed down the ladder. “I can. I’ll just attach a streamer to this light fitting. How long have we got until everyone arrives?”
Sally looked at her watch. “An hour. Emily and Gracie will be here soon.”
“Okay. That’s the last streamer attached.” Sarah hopped off the ladder and gazed around the room. Even without the streamers the room would have looked great. The metallic gold and black balloons were fabulous against the gilt-framed mirrors. Sparkly chandeliers hung from the ceiling and gave the room an old world charm. Emily’s boutique had a hint of Parisian sophistication that drew people into the store for the experience of being there.
“Wow.” Emily stood inside the front door, staring at her boutique. “The room looks amazing.”
Sally lifted the bunch of flowers out of Emily’s arms and walked across to some vases. “Wait until you see what Tess and Annie have been baking. No one will want to go home.”
“Or they’ll want another wedding soon. What do you want me to do?” Emily asked.
Sarah pointed to three boxes sitting on the sales counter. “I’m going to help Tess bring the food across. You could unpack the glasses. When are you getting changed for your party?”
Emily looked down at her jeans and cotton t-shirt. “Gracie bought me a dress in Los Angeles. She’s unpacking it in the storeroom for the big reveal.”
Tess folded the ladder in half, then carried it through the boutique. “This I’ve got to see.”
Sally and Sarah dropped what they were doing, too. “Wait for us.”
“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Emily laughed. “Don’t give me any clues. I want it to be a surprise.”
Tess came out from behind a door at the back of the room. “Oh, you’re going to be surprised all right. Are you sure you’re happy to put your undivided trust in someone from New Zealand?”
Emily laughed at the frown on Tess’ face. “I like being adventurous.”
“Ta daa…” Gracie walked out of the storeroom holding a short white tutu in one hand and a hot pink corset in the other.
“It kind of works.” Emily touched one of the bright pink bows that had been sewn across the skirt of the tutu. “At least they match.”
“They do more than match,” Gracie said. “This costume is awesome. Try it on.” She held the skirt and corset out to Emily. “Let me know if you need a hand with the corset. It’s more comfortable than it looks.”
Sarah stared at the itsy-bitsy scrap of pink satin. She didn’t know how much of Emily’s chest the corset would cover, let alone hold up.
Tess looked at her watch. “While you’re getting dressed, Sarah and I need to get the food. We’ll see you back here soon.”
Gracie was grinning and so was Emily. It must be their red hair, Sarah decided as she followed Tess. They were willing to try anything and wouldn’t worry if it didn’t work.
Maybe if she changed her hair color some of their happy genes might rub off on her. But Sarah didn’t think that was the answer. She’d spend half a day deciding what shade of red would look right. Once she had that sorted she’d need another half day to work out how to put it in her hair. And if that wasn’t enough to make her happy to be blonde, there were her parents to consider.
They’d be in Bozeman in two days’ time expecting to see their responsible, career-driven daughter. Not a red-haired housekeeper who was exploring different algorithmic solutions with a cowboy from Montana.
***
If anyone had told Sarah two years ago that she’d be standing behind the counter in a fashion boutique in Montana, mixing cocktails she’d never heard of, she would have laughed at them. But here she was, pouring vodka, tequila, and pineapple juice into cocktail glasses like a seasoned pro.
“Excuse me, ma’am. Do you have a license to make those drinks?”
Sarah looked up into Jordan McKenzie’s smiling face.
She dropped a cup of ice cubes into a blender and grinned. “This seems like an odd place for a cowboy to spend his Thursday night?”
“I had to go to Jake’s Hardware to pick up some supplies. I wanted to ask you something.”
Sarah wiggled a plastic straw in front of his nose. “Sure you did. Your question wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that there are at least twenty single women in here?”
“It’s got more to do with one woman who doesn’t drink much alcohol.”
Celine and Andrea Jones wandered past in the tiniest excuse for dresses Sarah had ever seen. The tight black lace looked perfect with the fluffy angel wings tied across their shoulders.
Sarah poured limeade concentrate, tequila, and triple sec into the blender and switched it on. “Do you think there’s a rule somewhere that says men aren’t allowed at bachelorette parties?”
Jordan took his eyes off Celine and Andrea. “What?”
“That’s what I thought.” Sarah gave the Margarita one last whiz in the blender, then poured it into two cocktail glasses. She handed them to two women and waited for Jordan to finish scanning the room.
“Alex didn’t send you here as an undercover agent, did he?”
Jordan pointed to his t-shirt. “Do I look like an undercover agent?”
Sarah let her eyes wander down his sexy body. His jeans and t-shirt were clean, but not bachelorette status. Unless he had his suit tucked away in his truck. “You didn’t answer my question.” Sarah was getting suspicious. Mighty suspicious. “Mr. McKenzie, did you sneak into Emily’s bachelorette party for a reason?”
Jordan leaned across the bar. “I didn’t sneak. I walked through the front door. If you put some ice and orange juice in the blender, I’ll tell you all of my secrets.”
“You’re a cheap date.” Sarah bit down on her bottom lip. She hadn’t meant to say that and Jordan knew it.
“You’re finally ready to admit that we’re dating?”
Sarah
dropped ice into the blender. “Slip of the tongue.” She glanced back at Jordan and wished she hadn’t. The heat radiating from his eyes would have burned her whole if she’d been closer. She picked up the orange juice and added it to the ice. Within seconds she had a slushy ready for him.
“Here you go.”
He raised the glass to her before swallowing a mouthful of the frozen drink.
Sarah made more cocktails before turning back to Jordan. He was creating a mini avalanche of single women coming to the bar. “Why are you here?” In a roomful of women, Jordan stood out like a prickly cactus in a rain forest.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. The woman who thinks she can conquer the world after three cocktails.”
Sarah looked at the recipe cards in front of her. “So far I’ve made ten different cocktail combinations and haven’t sampled any. I think you’re off the hook for bodyguard duties.” She stared at Jordan for a few seconds before wiping the counter. “Don’t you feel strange being the only male in the room?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I won’t be the only one soon.”
“I knew it,” Sarah said. “Alex is gate-crashing, isn’t he?”
“That was the plan. But they didn’t want to be here when you did all of those girly games.”
“So you volunteered to be here for the girly bits and let them know when it was over?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, you can tell Alex he’s safe. We did the party games earlier.”
“Great.” Jordan didn’t move from the stool he’d pulled up to the counter.
“Aren’t you going to call him?”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? How’s Alex going to know when to come in?”
“He’ll figure it out. I want to ask you something.”
Sarah frowned at Jordan, then stared at Sally standing beside him. “Would you tell Jordan he’s gone nuts?”
“Nope. I came here for an exotic drink with a pink umbrella.”
Sarah tipped pineapple juice into a glass and added some ice and an umbrella. She slid the drink across to Sally with a smile.
“This is exotic?” Sally asked.
“Tropical pineapple. You can’t get more exotic than that,” Sarah said.
“Are you banning me from alcohol because I didn’t tell Jordan he was nuts?”
Sarah undid the apron from around her waist. “I left the alcohol out because you’ve already had four cocktails and I’m going on strike. Guess who’s mixing the drinks?” She handed Sally the apron and walked to the front of the counter. “Au revoir.”
Jordan grinned and followed Sarah across the room. “I didn’t know you spoke French, Legs.”
“One of my many talents. I know a grand total of ten words.”
“You want to practice on me?”
Sarah shook her head and opened the door to the storeroom. Speaking French to Jordan would be like dirty dancing in an empty room. She’d be asking for trouble. She picked up her coat and checked her car keys were still in her pocket.
“Where are you going?” Jordan asked from behind her.
“Hot chocolate at McDonald’s. Want to join me?”
“What about the party?”
“It’s eleven o’clock. Tess is watching Emily and Gracie’s watching Tess. We organized two shuttle buses to start taking people home in half an hour. All is well in the world and it’s time for me to leave. Unless you don’t want to ask me the question that’s on your mind?”
“Have I ever told you that a woman who knows what she wants is an incredible turn on?”
Sarah kissed his cheek. “I’ve got a feeling there’s a lot that turns you on.”
He held onto her waist and pulled her close. “Storerooms turn me on, too.” He trailed little kisses down her throat. “And computer programmers with blonde hair.” His lips moved to her mouth. “And triple fudge chocolate brownies.”
“You’ve got a sweet tooth,” Sarah whispered.
“It’s my weakness.”
Sarah knew Jordan McKenzie was her biggest weakness. Her whole body melted against his t-shirt when his mouth connected with hers. She felt as if the rest of the world had disappeared, leaving them in a cocoon of touch and taste and need. Jordan nibbled her neck and shock waves rippled down her spine.
“Do you still want to go to McDonald’s?” he asked.
“I’ll buy you a chocolate brownie?” Sarah groaned as Jordan’s lips kept wandering.
“You’re making my life difficult.”
“I don’t mean to.”
Jordan sighed and stepped back. “I know, Legs. Let’s go to McDonald’s.”
Sarah’s coat had dropped to the ground, so she picked it up and stared at Jordan. “Do you think Alex will make it here before everyone leaves?”
“No thinking necessary. He walked into the boutique just after you came in here.”
“At least I won’t need to worry about Emily,” Sarah said. But she might need to worry about herself. Especially if Jordan kept looking at her as if he wanted to gobble her up whole.
***
Jordan bit into his chocolate brownie and watched Sarah sip her hot chocolate. At this time of night, there weren’t many people in McDonald’s. Which was just as well, considering he didn’t know how Sarah would react to his question.
“You weren’t wearing anything fancy for the bachelorette party?”
“Is that your question?” Sarah asked.
“It’s a warm-up question.”
Sarah looked at him over the rim of her mug. “A lesser woman might take offense, Jordan McKenzie. But because I know you, I’m going to assume that by ‘fancy’ you mean tutus, angel wings, and dresses that barely skim my panty line.”
The mere mention of panty lines sent Jordan’s blood pressure soaring. Especially when he imagined one panty line in particular. “Did I also tell you that I love it when you talk dirty?”
Sarah laughed. He could sit across from her for hours watching her eyes light up when she laughed. Or when she told him about computer programming, or what she’d been doing on Alex’s ranch. Sometimes he didn’t understand a word she said, especially when she started talking about algorithms and analytical tools. But he was happy to simply listen, nod his head a few times, and watch her face light up.
He’d begun to get worried about the happiness that shone through when she talked about computers. He knew Bozeman wasn’t the IT center of the universe, but it was a special place. Except Sarah didn’t get that inner glow when she talked about Montana. She looked worried, and that worried him.
He wiped his face on the paper napkins he’d grabbed out of the dispenser. He might like chocolate, but he couldn’t afford a chocolate mustache to lower the intent of his question.
“So what are your plans now that the court case is over?” He’d been practicing the words, the delivery, all day. He didn’t want to sound desperate. He didn’t want to ask her to stay, not right now anyway. And he didn’t want to beg. That was his last option. The one he’d use if nothing else worked.
He’d never lived his life using calculated options, but he was a man on a mission. He guessed some of Sarah’s linear mind must be rubbing off on him.
Sarah took her time to answer his question. Strike one.
“Mom and dad are arriving in Bozeman this Sunday. It’s an overnight stay. Dad’s got to go to work on Tuesday.”
He didn’t know what her parents had to do with what her plans were, but she sure didn’t look happy about it. He knew they weren’t close, but a visit was a visit, wasn’t it?
“How do you feel about your parents coming out here?” He felt like he could be walking into a minefield, but he was willing to take the risk if it made him understand her better.
“I know this makes me sound shallow and selfish, but I’m not sure I want them to come. Mom offered to start looking at buildings I could lease in Portland. Fo
r my business. She’d organize my entire life if I let her.”
Jordan’s heart flopped to the floor. She was leaving? Just like that? It was worse than he thought.
“I’m not going,” Sarah said. “Not permanently anyway. I need to see my lawyer and accountant, sort a few things out. I might have to go home for a few days, but I’ll be back.”
“You think you might stay in Bozeman?” He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he needed something he could count on.
Sarah took a deep breath. “I’m thinking about it. I’ve made some great friends here, and well…I like you, too. So I guess, for a while at least, I’ll stay in Bozeman.”
He couldn’t help himself. He slid along the vinyl seat and hugged her tight. It was the best news he’d heard in a long time.
Sarah laughed against his shoulder.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I’ve never met anyone who likes hugging people as much as you do.”
Jordan frowned, wondering if that made him better or worse than any of the other men in her life. Then he smiled because he didn’t care. “I like kissing, too,” he whispered in her ear.
She pulled back. The smile was still on her face, making his toes curl at the relief that smile brought.
“I know you like kissing.” Sarah glanced at a person walking past them. “I like kissing you, too. Are you ready for Alex and Emily’s wedding?”
“As ready as anyone can be,” he said. “Although I’m not sure about the red and gold cummerbunds.”
“I’ve seen the bridesmaid’s dresses. You’ll look amazing together.”
Jordan didn’t care about the bridesmaids, or what the wedding party looked like. He cared about Sarah, about the decision she’d made, and the future they could have together.
Before she changed the subject again, he leaned forward and did the other thing he liked doing. Kissing Sarah.
CHAPTER NINE
Sarah smiled as Alex and Emily spun around the dance floor. Their wedding had been beautiful. The elegant red dresses the bridesmaids wore looked stunning with their pretty bouquets. The groomsmen had looked handsome in their dark suits and everyone had tears in their eyes when they’d seen Emily. She’d looked so lovely walking down the aisle with her mom and dad.
Forever And A Day (Montana Brides, Book #7) Page 14