Brian hugged Cassie to his chest and kissed her forehead. He whispered, “Thanks for coming, sis. I know this isn’t easy for you.”
Cassie stared blankly at her brother, still reeling from seeing Jake Griffin again after all this time. He’d been a boy, a tall, good-looking one when she’d known him, but now…well, Jake was a hunk of a man with chiseled features, sexy stubble and a well-defined mouth. She’d had a major crush on him in high school and had been so darn giddy when the boy she’d only known for a few weeks had asked her out. And then, without reason, he’d broken her young, tender heart.
A sigh escaped Cassie’s throat.
This weekend couldn’t get any worse.
“Cassie?” Brian’s voice brought her out of her musings.
“Huh?”
“I said, I know this isn’t easy for you.”
No, it wasn’t easy for her, but she’d made it through the rehearsal and now sat next to her brother, with Alicia by his side, in the Sunset Room and had to endure their sympathetic stares. They meant well, but Cassie was tired of being everyone’s pity case. She’d made up her mind when Rick broke up with her that it was for the best. She’d just wished they’d have come to that conclusion before the wedding invitations had been sent out. But for Brian’s sake, and for her own, she’d been very cordial about the breakup.
Rick Springer was Brian’s friend and business partner. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for Cassie to play the martyred soul. Cassie had come to Brian’s wedding and had every intention of enjoying herself.
“When do we get to meet your date?” Alicia’s smile and hope-filled expression had Cassie’s mind spinning. She couldn’t let on that her date wasn’t coming. True, a busted knee from playing basketball was a pretty good excuse, but Cassie was afraid that’s exactly what it would sound like to Brian and Alicia. An excuse. And they’d start worrying about her again. That was the last thing Cassie wanted. And trying to figure out what to do about it during the five-hour drive here had distracted her. That’s why she’d run out of gas. Nerves, and a mad dash to get here on time, had made mush of her brain.
Poor Alicia would be crushed to know Cassie was sans date for the wedding. Alicia had tried her best to be upbeat and had been a source of great comfort to Cassie when Rick had broken their engagement. She’d lent her support and had been a true friend.
Cassie braved a glance at her brother. Brian, too, waited patiently for Cassie’s answer.
He’d been concerned about her, as well; had suggested many times to set her up with one of his clients since the breakup, but Cassie had always refused. She didn’t need a dating service. Besides she knew almost all of Brian’s clients, having worked on their accounting books. Cassie hadn’t met anyone of interest in the small, personalized chain of sporting goods stores that Brian owned in Southern California.
Cassie took a bite of her chicken marsala, hoping for inspiration, and realized that she couldn’t taste the food. Raw nerves apparently affected her taste buds, too. “Um, he had an appointment he couldn’t miss. He’ll be here tomorrow for the wedding.”
Relief registered quickly on both of their faces and Cassie shot them a reassuring smile while she trembled inside.
Now what?
She’d have to make up another excuse tomorrow. She could only hope Brian and Alicia would be too caught up in their festivities to spend time worrying about her.
Or…she could find herself a date.
That would be a far better solution. She’d be able to save face, hold her head up high and she wouldn’t hinder her brother’s celebration.
Brian took hold of her hand and patted gently. “I hope you have a good time tomorrow. Alicia and I worried that coming to our wedding would be too soon for you.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m over it, really, Brian. And I wouldn’t dream of missing my brother’s wedding. It’s been three months and I’m…I’m actually glad I didn’t marry Rick.” She peered down the long table to the far end where Rick sat with his new wife. To her brother’s credit, the newly married couple had been strategically placed as far away as possible from her. Mentally, she counted nine people separating them. Yet as she glanced at Rick, no emotion stirred within her, no regret or anguish.
After the breakup, Cassie had often wondered if Rick had been too darn convenient a choice. He was her brother’s friend, business partner, someone Brian had approved of wholeheartedly. Had she considered marriage to Rick more for her brother’s sake than hers? Cassie had never contemplated her motives with such scrutiny before. But she’d had time to really think in these last few weeks. And during that time she’d come to the conclusion that marrying him wouldn’t have been the right move.
In truth, she wasn’t going to marry anyone until she had her feet planted firmly on the ground. She wanted a fresh start and, surprisingly, she wanted small-town life again. She had wonderful fond memories of her northern Nevada hometown and had always longed to go back. When her parents passed on, she and Brian were shipped to Los Angeles to live with their aunt Sherry. Brian had taken to city life far better than Cassie. It seemed to energize him whereas Cassie found the big city draining.
After Aunt Sherry retired to Florida, Cassie stayed in Los Angeles mostly to be close to Brian, but she’d always missed the simpler side of life. She needed that, she mused, without question. Besides, she’d been under her brother’s wing too long. She wanted to cut the apron strings and branch out on her own. As sweet as her older brother had been, worrying about her at each turn, lending his support, she had finally decided to make some changes in her life.
It was time for Cassie to take a stand.
She wouldn’t tell Brian her plans to relocate until he got back from his honeymoon in Kuaui. She wouldn’t tell him that she had a job offer in Nevada, very near her own hometown, and that all had been settled but the signing on the dotted line. Upon his return she’d explain to her brother how badly she needed to do this. She would make him see that she wasn’t cut out for big city life.
“I can’t wait to meet your date,” Alicia said eagerly. Both she and Brian had looks of anticipation on their faces.
Cassie really hated lying. “He’s just a friend, really. I mean to say, he’s not my boyfriend or anything.”
“He’s coming all this way for our wedding. To be with you,” Alicia reminded her.
Cassie’s heart sunk to the floor. The soon-to-be married couple read far too much into this. And Cassie knew they only wanted her happiness. “Well, sure. But—”
“It’s time for a toast,” Rick said, rising from his seat with a glass held high.
All eyes at the table turned to Cassie, to see her reaction. It was natural for people to be curious, she supposed, but facing Rick and his new bride, after a humiliating breakup, was almost too much for her to bear. Yet she kept her composure and plastered on a smile for all to see.
For certain now, she had to find herself a date for the wedding. She couldn’t take another day of concerned looks and sympathetic stares. There’d be no place to hide on the Sundance Riverboat Wedding Cruise tomorrow.
Unless she tossed herself overboard.
Two
Jake slipped into the back of the Caboose Lounge and took a seat at the hotel bar. It was Rodeo Days in the small river city and rodeo riders from all over the country were welcomed with open arms at the hotels. He ordered a straight-up whiskey and turned to listen to the Country Riders Band, hoping their down-home tunes combined with the shot of Wild Turkey would lull him into sleep mode. He’d been keyed up lately, too wired to sleep and anxious about the rodeo tomorrow. It was always the same. Nerves. Excess energy. When he knew he should be sleeping, his body never seemed to cooperate.
And visions of Cassie Munroe had danced in his head since he’d met up with her at the banquet today. He needed to get a grip, to get the tempting lady off of his mind and get some rest. What he didn’t need was a distraction. He’d come so far and was extremely close to achieving a goal that had
been just out of his reach for years.
Winning the rodeo championship meant more to him than the notoriety, money and respect he’d garner from his peers. Winning meant he’d done something that his father hadn’t been able to accomplish. Winning meant he’d finally be able to look John T. in the eye and say that he was just as good a man, if not a better one.
He glanced at his watch. Damn, it was after midnight. He really should get some sleep. He ordered another drink, deciding to take it up to his room when a flash of red caught his eye. He stood up from his position on the bar stool and peered over the crowded room, thinking his mind played tricks on him.
But it was no trick of the mind. He had seen Miss Sexy Red Dress. He stepped in a bit closer, making his way forward, watching her move fluidly, her body gyrating like some exotic dancer’s. Jake’s chest tightened and when her cinnamon hair lifted then fell onto her flushed face, he cursed silently. Mesmerized, he continued watching her. Her green eyes, big, wide, animated, focused on the man she danced with.
Jake sat back in his seat and twisted his mouth in a frown.
The woman intrigued him, but better to take his drink up to his hotel room than to sit here and listen to his heart pound hard against his chest, watching her dance. Jake glanced back behind the bar. “Could you hurry it up?”
The young barkeep nodded his head. “Sure thing. Coming up in a minute.”
When Jake turned around, another man held Cassie in his arms this time. This man he knew. Brody Taylor was a bull rider, full of himself and an all-around lady’s man.
The music drifted into a slow, soulful ballad.
Jake stifled an oath when Brody brought Cassie up flush against his chest. He noted her squirming in his arms—or at least it appeared she was trying to break the connection.
None of his business, Jake thought, shaking his head. She’d given him the cold shoulder today once she’d realized who he really was. She didn’t want him interfering in her life. He turned away to glance at the bartender again. His drink was nowhere in sight.
“You know what, forget it,” he called to the bartender, who’d been flirting with some young blonde at the other end of the bar.
Jake stood, taking one last glance at the dance floor. He noticed Cassie slapping Brody’s hands off her rear end. Fury exploded inside of him.
“Ah, hell,” he muttered.
He made it to the dance floor in five quick strides and didn’t bother tapping Brody on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in,” he said firmly without giving Cassie a glance.
“Like hell you are.” Brody turned, his body staggering some, his bloodshot eyes only just lighting with recognition.
“Time for bed, Taylor.”
The bull rider slanted him a crooked, drunken grin. “That’s what I’m aiming for, Griffin. Now get lost.”
With a firm grasp, Jake removed Brody’s arm from Cassie’s. “Not with her, you’re not.” Jake pulled Brody’s hat lower onto his head with a tug. “You got two bulls to ride tomorrow. If you don’t get to bed soon, they’ll knock you to Texas and back. Now, go on.”
Brody hesitated for a moment, probably too drunk to argue, then nodded and tottered away, slurring curse words.
Jake finally peered at Cassie. She stood, somewhat dumbfounded, in the middle of the dance floor. “You okay?”
“Just fine,” she said with definite irritation. That pretty heart-shaped mouth turned down into a pout. When Jake took her into his arms she asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m cutting in. You do want to dance, don’t you?”
She broke away from him. “No. Not anymore.”
Okay, so she didn’t want to dance with him. At least she wouldn’t be fending off the likes of Brody Taylor into all hours of the night. He followed her when she walked over to her table. He hadn’t noticed before, but she wobbled when she moved. And those bright, luminous eyes weren’t so bright anymore. In fact, they appeared every bit as hazy as Brody’s had been.
Cassie slumped down into her chair and took a big gulp from a fishbowl glass of margarita. He stood over her. “How many of those have you had?”
“Just one.” Cassie looked up at him in defiance.
“One too many, I’d say.”
Her lips quivered. She appeared so forlorn and her eyes misted with unshed tears.
“Hey, I didn’t break something up back there, did I? If I did, I apologize. Want me to go hunt him down?” Hell, if she wanted Brody Taylor, she could have him. Jake wasn’t going to break up a love affair, if that’s what the woman was after.
“No, no. I don’t care about him. I’m just…so tired. I took an allergy pill a while ago.”
“And washed it down with the margarita?”
She nodded. “It’s been a long day.”
Cassie couldn’t believe Jake Griffin was standing there, in the flesh. She’d been thinking about him all day. And the minute she’d laid eyes on him on the dance floor, her heart sped up and her toes curled. Just gazing up into his dark, ominous eyes made her dizzy. Well, the allergy pill had a little something to do with that, she assumed, but Jake Griffin was just too appealing. Cassie could never trust herself with him. She’d fall hard and then she’d shatter.
Besides, he was the last man on earth she should be thinking about. He’d been the first in a long string of bad decisions. The first one always hurt the most, she presumed, because she’d been so trusting and it had been so unexpected. But the sad fact remained, Jake Griffin had stood her up on what was to be her very first date ever, and the sting of his betrayal wounded her like a gut-stabbing pain. She’d cried the night away and had the worst weekend in her young life. And now, he stood, with hands on hips, looking better than ever, lecturing her on prudent drinking habits.
“We both have things to do tomorrow. We should get some sleep. Let me walk you to your room,” he offered, reaching for her hand.
Her room? Heaven help her! It just dawned on her that she didn’t have a room. She’d gotten back late this afternoon with the tow truck, then made a spectacle of herself at the rodeo banquet before she’d finally found the right room and met with Brian and Alicia for their dinner. Immediately after that, she’d dashed into the rest room, cleaned up a bit and tried applying her hare-brained scheme of finding a date for the wedding in this bar. She’d been here for three hours and had completely forgotten to check in.
“I, uh…um. I don’t have a room, exactly.”
Jake lowered his head and searched her eyes. With a hint of confusion he asked, “You don’t have a room?”
“Yes, I do. I mean I have a reservation for a room, but with all the commotion, I forgot to check in.”
Jake ran a hand down his face. “Okay, come on. We’ll get you a room.”
Cassie took his hand and stood up. Her head reeled and the room spun out. She’d been too busy dancing to notice, but once she’d sat down, everything seemed to hit her all at once. “Uh…oh. I guess margaritas don’t mix well with antihistamines,” she said, trying to keep her balance.
“Oh, man, Cassie. You’re gonna have a whopper of a headache tomorrow.” He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned her into him. They walked slowly toward the reservation desk and that was perfectly fine with her. Cassie liked being in Jake’s arms. He felt solid and steady and he smelled so darn good.
No. No. Those were dangerous thoughts. Cassie’s mind was too jumbled up to think clearly, but she did remember that Jake Griffin was off-limits. She could fall hard for her real-life cowboy. He’d hurt her in the past and would probably cause her pain again if she weren’t careful.
When they reached the front desk, Jake swore. “Damn.”
“What?”
She squinted at the reservation desk through hazy eyes, noting the place swarming with grumpy and beleaguered senior citizens. The chaotic line wrapped around the hotel lobby. Their loud rants rattled around in her head as they shouted out politically correct obscenities to anyone who would listen. Their bus had broken
down in the desert. They’d missed their special dinner. They were hungry. They were tired.
Cassie’s brain fuzzed out and her legs wobbled like Jell-O.
“We’re not waiting around,” Jake stated plainly.
With a quick, efficient move, Jake swept her up into his arms. “You’re bunking with me tonight.”
Jake carried Cassie to the elevator. She weighed next to nothing, it seemed, and felt darn good in his arms. Little did he know this afternoon when he’d spotted her at the rodeo banquet that he’d be carrying Miss Sexy Red Dress up to his room tonight. Of course, not for the desired reasons, he thought with wry amusement. Even Jake had standards. He had a second bed in his room and that’s exactly where he’d deposit her.
When Jake reached his floor, he headed for his room, ignoring smirks and curious stares of the passersby in the hallway as they noted the woman out cold in his arms. She’d fallen into a druglike sleep the minute he’d entered the elevator.
With his keycard, he unlocked the door and, with a shoulder shove, pushed through the doorway. He uttered a curse, noting the dishevelment surrounding him. He’d thrown down his equipment on the bed in a hurry this afternoon.
Cassie stirred in his arms and he quieted her with soothing words. It would be better for both of them if she stayed asleep. Having her wake up in his room, in his bed, would be too great a temptation. With efficient thoroughness he removed as much equipment from the beds as possible. He tossed ropes, chaps, gloves and other gear onto the floor, then folded back the blankets on one of the beds. With care, he set Cassie down on her back. Immediately, she nuzzled her face into the pillow and sighed with undisguised pleasure.
That sigh unnerved him and heat surged through his body with rapid speed. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he quickly swiped at it, backing away from the gorgeous woman lying on his bed.
Get a grip, Jake. You can’t get in bed with her. In fact, you’d better not touch her again tonight.
He was ready to cover her up with the blanket, but realized her shoes were still on. “Damn.”
Expecting the Cowboy's Baby Page 2