“Daddy! You know I was supposed to drop them!”
Laughing, he kissed Rachel’s forehead. “Well, in that case, you did a great job there, too.”
“Uh-huh. I have to go find my seat now. I’m at the big table in the front with the other girls.” She turned to Sharon and added, “Daddy’s sitting at the big table with me. I’m sorry you and Eric can’t sit there.”
Sharon smiled. “That’s fine, Rachel. Eric and I have seats at the round table right next to you. We’ll have no problem seeing you and your daddy.”
“And the bride, too? Because Tina’s the star.”
“Yes, we’ll see the bride, too.”
“Good. Okay, see you later. I have to find Robbie and tell him where to sit.”
He and Sharon laughed as they watched her weave her way among the guests.
“I guess I’ve got to have another talk with her about that bossiness,” he said. But at least she had remembered this was Tina’s big day.
Sharon smiled. “Look how concerned she was about where I’d sit with Eric. She’s coming along, and you’re doing an excellent job with her.”
I can tell what a good father you are, Jane had said. I can see you’re doing a wonderful job.
Her comment had given him the same pleasure Sharon’s did now. “Thanks.”
When she went to find her seat, Pete attempted a casual scan of the crowd, hoping it didn’t look obvious he was searching for someone.
“Hey, Pete!”
At the sound of Jed’s voice behind him, pitched to rise above the music, he turned to find his boss beaming at him. With his white hair and dark tuxedo and the extra trappings in the same shade of blue as Jane’s dress, he looked dapper and fit and, as Jed himself would say, “pleased as punch.”
He ought to be happy, as he’d been the man to walk Tina down the aisle. The only one of the three cousins with no parents, she had had the choice of two uncles to do the honors. Maybe to avoid having to choose between them, she had asked Jed to walk with her. He doubted that was the only reason. Tina and Jed had always shared a special bond.
If Cole’s story about Jed playing matchmaker had been true, then the old man had more than one reason to look so pleased tonight. But that was a topic Pete wasn’t about to touch on.
“What are you doing over here by your lonesome?” Jed asked.
“Chatting with Rachel and Sharon. They just went to find their seats.”
Jed looked toward the front of the room and nodded. “I see Jane’s up at the head table. You’d better keep an eye on her.”
He would do that, all right. Ever since the bridal party had entered the banquet hall, he hadn’t caught her alone. He wanted a private conversation with her about Rachel and that makeup.
Now he followed Jed’s gaze and found her by the table.
Every time he looked her way, his entire body jumped to attention.
“The two of you need to be ready to shake a leg,” Jed continued. “The bride and groom will be the floor show in just a few minutes, and then you’ll need to join them. I’ll take Tina for a whirl a little while later.”
“Sounds good.”
Jed gave him a wave and moved off.
Pete looked back at the head table, only to find that Jane had disappeared.
He scanned the crowd again, looking for one particular woman in a bright blue gown. When he spotted her near the drinks table with Andi and Cole’s sister, Layne, he promptly headed in that direction.
* * *
JANE TOOK ANOTHER sip of her punch and smiled at Andi and Layne. The two women had come up to get drinks of their own and stayed to chat.
“Your gowns are beautiful,” Layne said. “And you two and Ally all look wonderful.”
“Thanks,” Jane said. “You look great yourself.” Layne wore a long-sleeved dress in turquoise that went well with her light brown hair and made her eyes bluer. Jane knew just the shot she’d want to take of the expectant mom. “I can picture you in a portrait...in profile...with soft lighting...”
Pete had accused her of hiding behind her camera. Though his statement wasn’t true, she winced at the memory.
“You don’t know how much I thank you for saying that.” Layne laughed and rested her hand on her rounded stomach. “This dress isn’t quite as roomy as the uniform at SugarPie’s, but it was the only thing I had to wear.”
“I know that feeling,” Andi said, rolling her eyes.
Jane smiled at her cousin’s fib. Andi, whose husband had come from a well-to-do family, would have had maternity clothes that fit her every inch of the way. But she and Andi both knew about Layne’s circumstances.
“In fact,” Andi added, “I’ve got so many maternity clothes from when I was carrying Missy. You know how fast babies grow when they start nearing full-term. I had to keep buying bigger sizes. Layne, I’d love to send you some of them.”
“Thanks, but I couldn’t accept.”
“Of course you could. I don’t plan to use them again. You’d be doing me a favor by helping me clear out my closet.”
Another fib. In her large home, Andi also had a surplus of storage space.
Andi smiled. “And don’t forget, as of today, we’re all officially family. Cousins-in-law.”
“Through marriage,” Layne clarified, but her blue eyes were bright. She squeezed Andi’s arm. “Thanks,” she said softly. “Cole and Tina offered to help me out, and I’ll let them if I have to, but I didn’t want to rely on them for things I can do without.”
“A woman always needs some nice clothes and makeup,” Jane said.
The two women started a conversation about childbirth that Jane could take no part in. Smiling, she let her thoughts drift. The mention of makeup had made her think of Pete’s daughter. Rachel had been so happy about her pale pink polished nails, Jane had added a light dusting of blush to her cheeks.
Thinking of Rachel automatically drew her thoughts to Pete.
After a quick glance around the banquet hall, she found him standing on the opposite side of the dance floor. He looked so tall and broad-shouldered and handsome in his fitted tux, her hand itched to close around her camera. But Tina and Cole had forbidden that for this evening. Her cousins knew her better than she knew herself.
Before she could glance away, Pete looked in her direction. Her gaze met his, and even at that distance, she felt the connection like a touch.
A moment later, she did feel a touch. Andi had lightly prodded her in the ribs. Turning, she saw with surprise that Andi now stood alone. “What happened to Layne?”
“She needed to sit down for a bit. And that was a while ago.” Andi’s brows rose. “Something catch your attention?”
“Just scanning the crowd. You know me—I’m always on the lookout for new faces.”
“One particular face tonight, you mean. I saw who you were looking at. Robbie and Rachel would tell you it’s not nice to fib.”
“Listen to you. Didn’t I hear you telling Layne you’ve got no room for your maternity clothes?”
“That wasn’t a fib.” For a moment, shadows filled Andi’s eyes. “I’m selling the house. The kids and I have moved into an apartment.”
“Oh. Andi, I didn’t know.”
“And it’s not important right now. What is of interest is the way you were staring at Pete.”
“I was not staring.” Still, she blushed.
“Uh-huh. Just as Pete would probably deny watching you in the chapel. He didn’t even look at me when I came down the aisle. He only had eyes for you. I’m telling you the truth, Jane. That man could be yours. If you’re willing to go get him.”
“Oh, please.” As hard as she tried to laugh off Andi’s statement, she couldn’t. She also couldn’t help glancing across the room again. Jed and Pete had moved
on. As she looked through the crowd, she saw him making his way in their direction.
His steady gaze said he was coming to get her.
* * *
AS PETE NEARED JANE, she gave him a smile that looked great from a distance. At close range, it seemed fixed in place.
From beneath the strands of her hair, diamond earrings winked at him in the light. She held up a crystal glass that winked at him, too. Both only taunted him when all he wanted was to see a sparkle in her eyes.
Andi had drifted away, leaving Jane standing alone. “Would you like some punch?” she asked.
As he accepted the glass he said, “I’d also like a word.”
“That sounds serious.”
He took her elbow, the way he had in the chapel. This time, instead of walking her down the center of the room, he stepped with her to one side, nearer to the band and the loud music that would give their conversation the cover of privacy. It also gave him a reason to stand close to her.
The scent of her perfume reached him. A new scent. Tonight she had dropped the vanilla and stayed with pure spice, subtle but with enough of a kick to wake up his senses.
In many good ways, she managed to get his attention. But he had no time now for pleasure. Or politeness.
“Rachel and the makeup,” he said abruptly. “Your idea, I suppose?”
“I had a feeling you’d ask. Yes. She had her nails done with the rest of us this morning, and I couldn’t resist letting her try a little blush.”
“I wish you’d tried harder not to follow through. You don’t know much about being a parent, do you?”
“Of course I don’t. But you could stop being such a cowpoke for once, can’t you? For heaven’s sake, she’s the flower girl. Today’s a very special day for Rachel. Maybe a once-in-a-lifetime event. And when she’s flushed with excitement, the way she’s been all night, you can’t even notice the blush.”
“She’s a five-year-old.”
“Many little girls dress up and wear a tiny bit of makeup when they’re in a wedding party. I was thinking of how much she would enjoy it. And of how pretty she’d look in the photos and video.”
“Life is not about getting all dolled up for pictures. At least, my life isn’t. Can’t you see anything that doesn’t show up through your camera lens?”
“How can you miss so many things right in front of your eyes?” She gave him a brilliant smile probably intended only for the blasted photographer. “Maybe if you’d take the blinders off, you’d see what I mean.”
“And that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
Before he could stop her, she turned and slipped away.
Damn.
The woman wasn’t going to listen to reason. Wasn’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Probably wasn’t going to drop the subject permanently until he had bared his soul.
He loathed the idea of making more explanations. And he sure wasn’t going to continue taking her interference in the way he was raising his kids.
But he couldn’t risk her making trouble for him with Jed—and that had nothing to do with his debt or his job or his home on Garland Ranch. No way would he let her ruin his standing with his boss because she’d gotten a wild idea in her head and wouldn’t let go.
He’d have to reveal more of his private life to her. He’d have to tell her things he didn’t want to share.
* * *
HOW SHE WAS going to manage to get through this evening, she didn’t know.
After watching the bride and groom complete their first solo dance as husband and wife, Jane and the rest of the bridal party joined them on the dance floor. When Pete put his arm around her, she stiffened and nearly tripped over her own feet.
They danced together without speaking, and the silence felt almost worse than having to talk. She could sense the conversation they had had such a short while ago hanging in the air like the moon that had hovered above them last night.
She forced her thoughts away and concentrated on the music. Soon, she found the drumbeats keeping time with the thumps of her heart. The rippling piano keys matched her racing pulse. The ragged notes of the saxophone echoed her uneven breathing.
A glance upward made her realize her excitement hadn’t come from the music at all. Pete stood looking down at her, and everything—heart, pulse, breath—immediately revved up.
“You’re hanging on to that frozen smile tonight no matter what, aren’t you?” he asked.
She was grateful for this proof she hadn’t given away her reactions. “You bet I am, cowboy. Later tonight, I might need to borrow an ice pick from Paz’s kitchen to chip this smile off my face. I’m not going to ruin Tina and Cole’s big night. No matter what.”
No matter how tempted she felt to walk away from this man. No matter how much he tempted her to want other things.
How could he both fascinate and irritate her at the same time?
He shifted his hand against her back, bared by the halter top of her dress, and his warmth spread everywhere he touched. He flexed his fingers, spreading them in a quick, gentle massage, the action most likely unintentional but enough to send his heat all through her.
How could she feel both that warmth and a chill at the same time?
“Let’s take a walk,” he said. “I’ve got something to say to you.”
And how could she want to say no and yes, all at the same time?
She’d never been this indecisive in her life. But this she knew for sure: she wanted to hear whatever he intended to say.
He looked as indecisive as she felt. She shouldn’t read anything into that.
As the song ended, he escorted her from the dance floor. She matched her stride to his—a stride she suspected he had adjusted on her behalf, as her slim gown and high heels considerably limited her steps.
Her mother, seated with Jed, gave them a wave.
Halfway across the room, they met her father. From her viewpoint as both his daughter and a photographer, he was a handsome man. His military haircut couldn’t hide the salt and pepper of his hair—more salt since she had last seen her parents nearly a year ago. That, along with his tuxedo, increased his resemblance to Jed.
He nodded to Pete. “I’ll take Jane off your hands for a while. It’s about time I have a dance with my daughter.”
“Fine by me,” Pete said.
He faked a smile for her father’s sake, she knew. She wanted it to be real and for her. And as much as she would enjoy the dance with her father, she wished it could wait until she found out what Pete had on his mind.
Out on the dance floor, her father said, “It’s nice being home again, even if for a short time. You should give some thought to settling down in the area.”
She laughed. “Sounds like you’ve been talking to Grandpa.”
“He’s not making a secret of the fact he wants more of the family around him. And you know I won’t be retiring anytime soon.”
“Neither will I, and I’ve got more years than you to go.”
“You travel so much, you could make the ranch your home base.”
She shook her head. “Cowboy Creek could never offer me the opportunities I have in New York. I’ve got the contacts and a reputation there. When I’m not traveling and want to pick up work in the city, I can choose my own jobs.”
“You’ve done well for yourself, Jane.” He squeezed her hand. “Your mother and I are very proud of you.”
Instantly, she thought of Pete’s pride for Rachel.
She smiled. Though she knew her father loved her, he had never been generous with praise, unlike her mother. “Thanks. I’m pretty proud of you both, too.”
When the dance ended, they walked to the refreshment table for a drink. Pete sat at a table not far away, with Eric on his lap and Rachel and Sharon on eithe
r side. Whatever he wanted to tell her, it would have to wait a while longer. Maybe indefinitely, if he had changed his mind.
Her father glanced around the banquet hall. “Looks very good in here.”
“Thanks to Tina. She took care of lining up all the contractors. And she’s still keeping track of everything.”
“It will be some time before the renovations are done completely.”
She nodded. The band had taken a break, and over the hum of conversations she heard Rachel’s laugh. At the table, Pete smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
Her father had noticed, too. “Good man, that Pete. Your granddad’s always thought a lot of him.”
“Yes,” she murmured. She had thought a lot of and about him lately.
You’re the pro at getting to the heart of people, she reminded herself. Or so Tina had said.
Getting to the heart of a subject always meant getting to know the person through interviews and casual conversation until she found the angle she wanted to pursue.
Getting to know Pete reinforced another conclusion she’d come to at their meeting in the barn last week. Both when he was alone with her and when he interacted with his kids, she saw a lot of her father in him. She saw love and caring and concern in both men, but she also noted the need for control surfaced differently in each of them.
Her dad might be a strict commanding officer—not surprising, she had finally come to realize, considering his rank and responsibilities. While that sometimes filtered into his own life, for the most part, he relied on that discipline to lead his troops.
Pete had turned his control onto himself. He had set much narrower boundaries for his life, managing to keep to them by refusing to discuss his ex-wife and not acknowledging his daughter’s needs.
In trying to maintain those boundaries, had he lost sight of what really mattered?
Chapter Thirteen
The wedding reception had ended, the bride and groom had left to pack for their quick trip with Robbie, the two visiting groomsmen had gone to their rooms upstairs, and Sharon had taken his kids over to the house.
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