by Bobbi Smith
Jenny had ridden up to the pasture hoping to find some peace about her father's death. Instead, she'd found Cole and there was absolutely nothing peaceful about being around Cole. She could sense his un spoken hostility toward her, and the worst part of it was that she knew his feelings were justified.
She'd always thought of herself as a gentle spirit, the kind of person who never deliberately hurt anyone, yet what she'd done to Cole had hurt him badly. The fact that he had managed to be civil to her surprised her.
Jenny wasn't quite sure what to think about Cole anymore. Theirs was a difficult and awkward situation, compounded by the knowledge that there was no end in sight. They were going to be forced to endure this unwanted but binding relationship for several years.
Cole kept his gaze focused on the ground as he slowly covered the area, but he could find no trace of anything untoward. It was simply a pasture used for grazing stock. There was nothing remotely significant about the area that might stir up the interest of a neighboring rancher or even of a roaming band of Indians from the reservation. The only thing he could imagine was that Paul might have accidentally come upon some rustlers, but it stood to reason that they probably would have shot him. And Paul had suffered no gunshot wound.
"In his letters to you, did your father ever mention that he was having trouble with anyone?" Cole finally asked, glancing back at Jenny.
"No, but then he never mentioned the rustling to me, either. The first I heard about it was from you."
"Did you ask Louie if he'd noticed anything unusual around the ranch?"
"Yes, and he said things had been real quiet."
Cole realized that there was nothing more for him to see or do there. He slowly made his way back toward where Jenny waited with the horses. He knew that he had nothing more to say to her, either, so there was absolutely no reason for him to linger. Yet Cole didn't hurry to mount up. It was the first time he and Jenny had really been alone together completely alone.
Not that it mattered...
The moment was a quiet one. Only the screech of a soaring bird and the echo of the wind rent the stillness.
With each step Cole took, Jenny grew more and more aware of him. Her gaze went over him. She missed nothing-his confident, serious expression; the proud way he carried himself, his stride easy yet self-assured as he made his way to her. She noticed, too, the wide set of his powerful shoulders, his lean waist and long legs. He was an impressive man, there was no denying that, and she wondered why she hadn't been so physically aware of him before.
Jenny wanted to say something, to initiate a conversation with Cole, but she wasn't sure how to get started. She remembered times when they had talked easily together, and she regretted that it had been so long ago. A distant memory of laughing with Cole came to her, and a warmth filled her. There really had been occasions when they'd enjoyed each other's company, but she knew those days had been lost forever-destroyed when she'd walked away from him at the altar.
Jenny wondered suddenly if there was any way to broach that subject with Cole and make amends. She wondered if they could at least be friends.
Jenny girded herself, prepared to try. The worst thing that could happen was nothing. They would continue on as they were acting barely civil to one another, dealing with each other only when forced to.
"Cole?"
He looked at her questioningly.
"You've never forgiven me, have you?"
"Hell, no." He said the words with some force.
She was surprised by his honesty, though she knew she shouldn't be. If there was one thing Cole had always been with her, it was honest.
"I didn't mean to hurt you that day. I really didn't." Cole turned on her, and the look on his face was anything but kind, conciliatory, or forgiving.
"All right, then, why in the hell did you wait until the last possible minute to break it off? Why didn't you tell me ahead of time that you were having doubts about marrying me?"
Guilt filled her, but she faced him, squarely. She wanted to clear the air between them.
"I thought I was doing the right thing. Marrying you was what Papa wanted."
"What Papa wanted?" he sneered. "Funny, I thought it was what we wanted. I thought you loved me the way I loved you. I thought you wanted me as much as I wanted you."
Cole crossed the distance between them, his gaze darkening with the power of his intent. He remembered all too well how much he'd desired her. Hell, he was reminded of it every time he looked at hereven now!
Jenny stood frozen before him, mesmerized by the force of the emotion she saw raging in his eyes. She gasped in surprise as he took her by the shoulders and dragged her hard against him, crushing her to his chest. Cole had never been so physical with her before, and she held herself rigid, trying to resist him.
Cole bent to Jenny, and his mouth captured hers in a dominating kiss. It was a kiss meant to punish, not to pleasure. Anger was driving him, and a desire that could not be denied.
But then something happened.
Jenny felt the desire, too. It flamed to life deep within her, searing her consciousness with its recognition. So this was passion....
She gave a soft whimper and surrendered to the feelings that were burning in her.
Jenny's unspoken surrender was more powerful to Cole than any aphrodisiac. The harshness of his lips moving over hers softened. He became coaxing rather than demanding. He deepened the exchange, delving into the sweetness of her mouth, tasting of her beauty, wanting to know the fullness of her love. Rendered mindless by the power of their kiss, Cole started to caress her, lifting one hand to seek the soft swell of her breast.
At his bold touch, Jenny gasped his name in delight. Ecstasy shimmered through her. Cole had never caressed her before, and she was startled by the feelings his touch aroused.
It was her gasp that jarred Cole and made him aware of just where he was and what he was doing.
As quickly as the encounter had started, it was over.
Cole abruptly released Jenny as if he'd been burned and stepped away from her. He was furious with himself for his lack of control. He kept his expression starkly indifferent as he looked down at her.
"I guess we were both wrong about why we were getting married," Cole said flatly. "And that was a long time ago."
"Yes... yes, it was," Jenny stammered.
She lifted a hand to her lips as she took a nervous step backward, still unsure of herself. She needed to put more distance between them; it was hard for her to have a straight thought with him standing so close.
Cole's kiss and touch had been overwhelming. The power of the emotions that had been awakened inside her shocked Jenny, and the boldness of his caress left her breathless. Cole had never kissed or caressed her that way before. She remembered his kisses from when they'd been engaged. They had always been nice and sweet and gentle-nothing like this one. This kiss had been arousing and sensual and overpowering and had left her wanting more from him much more.
Her head reeled with confusion. Was this really Cole? Her Cole?
"A lot has changed since then," Cole went on.
"Yes, it has," she answered a bit breathlessly. "And that's why I thought we should talk about what happened and straighten things out between us-"
"I thought you said it all that night in the hotel room," he said tersely.
"I tried to explain what I was feeling to you. It wouldn't have been fair to marry you feeling the way I did then. I wanted to explore the world. I wanted to learn more about life. I wasn't ready to become just some man's wife-"
"No, Jenny," Cole said with cold fury, watching as she paled a little. "You weren't going to become `just some man's wife.' You were going to be my wife."
The tension between them built as she hurried on. "But getting married for the sake of getting married wasn't my dream. I wanted adventure. I wanted to further my education. I wanted to-"
"So what happened that night was all about what you wanted," he said bitterly.
"Marriage is a lifetime commitment," she continued, trying to justify her actions but feeling she was failing miserably. "I wasn't ready to take those vows." She was trying to explain to him what had seemed so logical to her at the time, but nothing was coming out right. "I cared too much about you to marry you feeling the way I did. You deserved someone who loved you, not someone who would ultimately resent you."
"That all sounds real good, but if you cared so much about me, you wouldn't have had to sneak off in the middle of the night."
"Well, I"
"Did you know that I went back to the hotel to see you again? I wanted to talk to you one more time, to explain to you how much I loved you, but you'd already gone."
"Aunt Evelyn thought it would be best for us to leave as quickly as we could, what with all the gossip that would be going on around town."
"So you just took off and left me here to face all the talk alone." His tone was condemning.
Jenny swallowed tightly. "Yes. You're right. I did, and I'm sorry. If I had to do it over-"
He stopped her, not wanting to hear another word. "It doesn't matter."
"Cole, there's nothing I can say or do that will change what happened between us. But because of Papa's will, we are going to have to work together for the next few years. I'd like us to be able to get along."
Cole smiled easily at her as he took his horse's reins and swung up into the saddle in one easy, fluid motion. "You won't have any problems with me, Jenny. Ours is strictly a business relationship, and it's going to stay that way just the way your father set it up."
"Good. I was hoping we could work things out amicably."
"Of course. Just keep me informed of what's going on at the ranch. I'll check in regularly with you when I have any news." With that, he wheeled his mount around, ready to ride off. "You'll be all right getting back home?"
"Yes."
He nodded and rode away without looking back.
Jenny stood unmoving and watched him until he had disappeared from sight. She'd gotten exactly what she'd wanted out of the conversation. She should have been pleased with the way things had gone, but instead she felt more uneasy than ever. Her emotions were in turmoil. Acknowledging the truth to herself, she admitted that she hadn't wanted him to leave. She'd wanted him to take her in his arms and kiss her again.
Gathering her own mount's reins, Jenny climbed into the saddle and started back. She barely noticed the miles she covered on the trip to the house. Her thoughts were of Cole's harsh words and his disturbing kiss and caress.
Jenny had never known that a single kiss and touch could evoke such passion. But Cole's had. There had been such pleasure in his embrace-such excitement. It had been wonderful.
Jenny frowned as she drew closer to home. She tried to push the memory of what had happened between them from her mind and concentrate on the fact that he had agreed they should get along without any difficulties that theirs would be a strictly business relationship. That was good. That was what she'd wanted.
Much later that night, though, when Jenny lay in bed thinking about her encounter with Cole, she wondered why she felt so bereft that he had agreed to what she'd wanted.
They would get along as friends.
Theirs was a business-only relationship.
Cole sat in his study at the Branding Iron, thinking of what had happened earlier in the day with Jenny. He was not proud that he'd lost control of himself and kissed her. In fact, he was angry with himself for having done it.
Cole supposed he'd kissed Jenny to prove to himself that he really didn't want her. He'd expected to feel nothing. The kisses they'd shared years before had been chaste and carefully controlled, never arousing or passionate. He hadn't thought he would have any reaction to her kiss today.
He'd been wrong.
Getting up from his desk, Cole poured himself a straight whiskey and stalked to the window, glass in hand, to stare out into the night. It was a dark, moonless night as black and unforgiving as his soul felt just then. He took a deep drink.
It disturbed him greatly to know that Jenny was still a weakness for him. Her unexpected response to his kiss had aroused him and left him more determined than ever to stay away from her. He would keep her at arm's length and make sure any contact between them was minimal.
Cole drained the glass and slammed it down on his desk. He made his way to his solitary bed, but sleep was long in coming. When it finally did claim him, it was restless and fitful, giving him no peace.
The Lazy S was as ready as it ever would be for its first guests. Jenny had worked nonstop to get the guest house finished in time for Rose's arrival, and she was thrilled with the way everything had turned out.
"We've thought of everything, haven't we?" Jenny asked Evelyn as they left to make the trip into town to meet their guests. Jenny was driving their carriage while Tom followed them with the buckboard. They were going to need all the room they could get for their arriving guests and their luggage.
"Yes, dear. It's all done. All we need is for Rose and Tillie and the others to show up, and you'll be officially in business," Evelyn told her with confidence. "I'm so glad Tillie's coming along. Of course, they did need a chaperon, and who better than my best friend, who just happens to be Rose's aunt? I'm glad Tillie is a hardy, adventurous soul."
"Everything has worked out well," Jenny said cautiously. "I guess that's why I keep expecting something to go wrong."
"Nothing's going to go wrong. They'll enjoy their stay, and the Lazy S will gain the reputation of being the place to go if you want to experience the real Wild West."
"I hope you're right. We've got a good cook. We have comfortable accommodations, and we have any number of activities to keep them busy. I think they'll have a good time."
"They will. You and I both know that Rose is coming simply because she wants to see you. She would follow you to the ends of the Earth if you asked her to, and Durango is hardly the ends of the Earth." Evelyn reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Jenny squeezed back.
"I'm really excited."
"Me, too."
They reached town and drove to the station to await the mid-morning train. According to Rose's telegram, their group of five would be arriving that day.
"I can't wait to see Rose again. It really hasn't been that long since we were together last, but it feels like ages," Jenny said as they went inside the station.
Tom stayed behind with their vehicles.
"Well, look at all that's happened to you in only a few short weeks," Aunt Evelyn said. "Who would have dreamed that you could have accomplished so much in such a short period of time? I'm proud of you, honey, and I'm sure your father is, too."
Jenny's smile was tinged with sadness. "I hope so."
"It will be nice to see Richard again, don't you think?" Evelyn asked, leading the conversation a bit.
She personally thought that Richard would make the ideal husband for Jenny. She had encouraged her niece's interest in him when they'd been in Philadelphia. He was handsome, well-mannered, and quite rich. In Evelyn's mind, that made him perfect husband material. Although, she had to admit, Cole fit that description, too.
"I like Richard," Jenny agreed easily.
Richard had a reputation of being quite a ladies' man. She had seen him in action through the years and knew he could be a charmer. She had gone to social events with him, and he had kissed her a few times. She had known from the start not to take him seriously, and so they had gotten along nicely.
As she thought of Richard's kisses, the memory of Cole's exciting embrace returned full and flaming. Jenny knew there was no comparison between the two.
"I like Richard, and Aubrey, too," Evelyn agreed.
"I'm glad they both decided to come along with Rose. Melanie is always a delight to be around, of course, so we should have quite a nice time while they're here."
"How could they not have a good time with all the plans you've made? You've arranged
something for everybody. There's not going to be a dull moment the whole time they're here."
"Good. That's what we wanted."
From a distance, the sound of the train's whistle came to them.
"They're almost here!" Jenny said, allowing herself to be truly excited now.
They hurried out to meet the train as it pulled in.
The train had barely stopped when Rose came flying out of the passenger car and ran straight into Jenny's arms.
"I missed you!" Rose cried as she hugged her friend close.
"I missed you, too!" Jenny hugged her back.
When at last they broke apart, they were smiling at each other in open delight, like two very young girls.
"Just look at you! You really are a cowgirl!" Rose said, staring at Jenny. She was accustomed to seeing her friend in the latest fashions. It was a revelation to find her wearing a split leather riding skirt, boots, blouse, vest, and Western hat. "I like it! I want an outfit just like that!"
"We can stop at the mercantile before we go out to the ranch, if you want," Jenny offered.
Jenny knew how fashion-conscious Rose was. Her friend was always certain to be wearing just the right clothes for any occasion. She was secretly pleased that Rose approved of her garb. Jenny wondered what Rose would think if she ever saw her wearing her pants. The thought made her smile.
"Hello, Jenny."
Richard's deep-voiced greeting drew her attention away from Rose. She glanced past her friend to see Richard and Aubrey coming their way. She went to meet them.
"Richard Aubrey. Welcome to Durango. How was your trip?" Jenny asked.
Richard took her hands and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Long, but worth every mile, now that we're here with you." His gaze was devouring her.
Aubrey greeted her, too. "So this is Durango," he said, looking around with open interest.
"As we head out to the ranch, you'll see much more of it," Jenny told him.
"I'm impressed already. It's much nicer than I expected."
"What were you expecting?" She looked at him quizzically.