by Bobbi Smith
Mira heard the shouts outside that someone was riding in, and she rushed to the window to look out. She recognized Cole immediately. Cole had come to see her! Her plan just might work after all. She only hoped that the men went on with their work as if nothing unusual was going on. Dropping what she was doing, she went out to meet him.
"Afternoon, Mira," Cole said as he dismounted and tied his horse out front.
"Hello, Cole," she replied.
She was tempted to throw herself in his arms and kiss him full on the mouth, but didn't. After the rebuff she'd suffered the other night at his house, she was going to be a little more aloof from now on. Besides, she could see her brother coming up to speak with Cole.
"It's so good to see you," she told him. Doubts had been haunting her about the possible success of all that she was planning, but now Cole had come to her. Mira's confidence returned.
"It's good to see you, too." Cole smiled as he looked over at Wayne. "Afternoon, Wayne."
"Cole." Wayne nodded and shook hands with him. "What brings you out our way? It's been a while."
"This is strictly a social call. I just stopped by to see if your sister would do me the honor of going to the dance with me in town next weekend."
"I'd be delighted," Mira answered without hesitation. "Why don't you come on inside and have a cool drink?"
"Sounds good to me," he agreed, following Mira and Wayne indoors.
It was nearly an hour later when Cole finally rode for home. He was feeling quite satisfied that Mira would be his date for the dance in town. He tried to keep his thoughts focused on the conversation he'd just had with Mira and Wayne, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his visit to the Lazy S.
From the first, he hadn't liked the looks of the guest named Richard. When he'd heard the man's remarks about going to the dance with Jenny, he'd known his gut reaction to him had been right. He definitely didn't like the man, and he considered himself a good judge of character.
Not that it really mattered what he thought about him. He didn't have to deal with Richard. Richard was Jenny's problem.
The opportunity for Rose to talk with Jenny about Cole didn't come until much later that evening. Rose lingered behind at the main house to speak to Jenny privately after the others had gone to the bunkhouse to retire.
"I'm just not ready to go to bed yet," Rose told her as they stood on the porch staring out at the night sky.
The night was clear and beautiful, with just a sliver of a moon on the horizon.
"Are you as excited about being here as I am about seeing you?" Jenny asked.
"Absolutely. The trip was long and tiring, but worth every minute."
They shared a secret smile, much like they used to do when they'd been roommates at school.
"So, tell me...." Rose began.
"Tell you what?"
"You know everything about you and Cole."
Jenny cast a quick glance at her friend, wondering at her interest in Cole. "There's not much to tell. We were engaged when I was very young. I received the letter from the academy telling me that I had been accepted only four days before the wedding."
"And you wanted to go to school more than you wanted to marry Cole?" Rose was shocked as she said it.
"I was so young and so alone. I didn't have a girlfriend like you to talk to, and Aunt Evelyn and I weren't close back then," Jenny said, remembering all the heartache of the day.
Rose's expression was sympathetic. She could just imagine how pressured Jenny must have felt.
"I guess I was lucky that way. My mother and father always encouraged me to be outspoken and go after what I wanted." Rose paused and grinned conspiratorially. "I must have caused them endless grief"
"I know I caused my father grief," Jenny said sadly. "He did so want me to marry Cole. But I didn't know what I wanted then. I was marrying Cole for the wrong reasons-or at least I thought so at the time."
"I'm proud of you," Rose said with conviction.
"You are?" Jenny was completely taken aback. She had thought Rose was going to tell her she was crazy not to have gone through with the wedding.
"Don't you realize how brave you were? How much determination that took? There aren't many women who could have done what you did. Most would have gone ahead and gotten married and been miserable the rest of their lives married to a man they couldn't stand-" She said the last deliberately, wanting to provoke Jenny.
"Oh, it wasn't that I couldn't stand Cole-" Jenny protested quickly.
"So you did care for him?" Rose asked archly, glad that her instincts had been right about the two of them.
"Cole was wonderful."
"He was?" Rose repeated, wanting to make Jenny think about what she was saying.
"Yes. He was. It was just that I..."
"Wasn't ready to get married."
"Exactly."
"But what about now?"
"What about now?" Jenny looked at her in confusion. She wasn't sure where this conversation was going.
"Cole Randall is one handsome man, Jenny. Are you sure you want to keep a `business only' relationship with him?"
"After what I did to him, Rose, he must hate me. If Cole hadn't been named Papa's executor, he wouldn't have anything to do with me right now."
"How can you be so sure about that? You didn't see the way his expression changed when Richard talked about going to the dance with you."
"It did?"
"That's right. Are you really certain that he hates you?"
"Well, I..." The memory of Cole's kiss burned vividly in her thoughts.
"What's that look all about?" Rose asked perceptively.
"What look?"
"The one you just had on your face."
Jenny was certain she was blushing, though it was dark. There were moments like this when she regretted that her friend knew her so well. "I... uh..."
"Has something happened between the two of you since you've been back?"
"Well..."
"Jenny." Rose said her name in a stern tone that demanded the truth.
"Well, Cole did kiss me once," Jenny told her quickly, "but he was mad when he did it."
Rose laughed in utter delight at the news. "I love it! How romantic!"
"Romantic?"
"Absolutely! It's no wonder Cole was mad. What flesh-and-blood man wouldn't have been mad at the woman who left him at the altar? Now here you come marching back into his life, more beautiful than ever, and he's been appointed by your father to take care of you! This is wonderful!"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you and Cole."
"There is no `me and Cole'!"
"Jenny, Cole must have loved you to have proposed to you in the first place, and haven't you been curious as to why he hasn't married someone else in the years you've been apart?"
"Well yes," she admitted to her best friend.
"Aha! Do you still love him?" Rose asked, wanting to get to the truth of her feelings. She hadn't known the full story of their relationship until now, and she was intrigued.
"I don't know...." Jenny answered.
"You didn't say you didn't!" Rose pointed out and was pleased when she saw the surprised look on her friend's face.
"But-" Jenny's thoughts were in chaos.
"You've got a lot to think about, Jenny. What do you say we call it a night? Sleep on this. We'll talk again in the morning."
Without giving Jenny time to say any more, Rose left her to her thoughts.
Jenny stood alone on the porch for a long time, then reluctantly went back inside and up to bed. She knew sleep would not be quick in coming that night. She should have been excited about her guests' arrival and the plans she had for them for the next day, but instead, her thoughts centered on Cole.
Today had been the first time she'd seen Cole since their encounter in the pasture, and for some reason, as she lay in her bed the memory of his passionate embrace could not be banished. The night was a long one.
> It was still dark outside the following morning as Frances made her way up to the big house to begin cooking breakfast for all the guests. As she drew near, she was surprised to see that a lamp was burning in the kitchen. She wondered who could be up already and realized it must be Jenny. She could just imagine how excited Jenny was about the guests' first full day on the ranch.
Frances let herself in the back door and found Jenny already dressed, sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee.
"You're up mighty early this morning," Frances said as she joined her.
"Good morning," Jenny greeted her with a smile. "I had a feeling you'd be up earlier than usual, too."
"I want to make sure everything is perfect for our guests," Frances explained. Then getting her first good look at Jenny, she realized that in spite of her smile, she looked tired. "Are you feeling all right? You aren't getting sick, are you?"
"I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night."
"Why not? Are you worried about the guests?"
"No... nothing like that." She hesitated, still confused in her mind and not quite sure how to address the subject.
"Is it Cole?" Frances asked astutely.
Jenny's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"I was wondering how things have been going between the two of you. Are you getting along?"
"Oh, yes. There's no problem that way. He's handling the estate just the way Papa would have wanted him to."
"Then-?" Frances urged her on, knowing she needed to talk about her feelings.
Jenny had often confided in her as a young girl, and Frances had always wanted to help in any way she could. The only time she'd failed to really pay attention to what Jenny was telling her had been just before the wedding. Jenny had tried to explain what she'd been feeling about marrying Cole, but Frances had told her it was just bride's nerves, that everything would turn out all right. To this day, she regretted that she hadn't been more attentive. She would never make that mistake again. If Jenny wanted to talk, she was going to listen and be supportive.
"Well, it was something Rose said to me last night. We stayed up later than everybody else, and we were talking..." Jenny frowned.
"What was it?"
She finally just blurted it out. "Rose seems to think I'm still in love with Cole."
"Really?" Frances hid the smile that threatened. She had always believed Jenny and Cole were perfect for each other, and she had hoped Jenny was mature enough now to recognize her true feelings. "What do you think?"
"I don't know," she said miserably. "Even if I did care about him and I'm not saying I do I'm sure Cole hates me."
"Love and hate are not so far apart," Frances said wisely.
"Did I make the right decision when I went back East? Or should I have married Cole and not gone away to school?" The question had haunted her for two years.
"Looking back, I think you were wise in what you did."
"You do?" Jenny was shocked by Frances's answer.
"You were so young, and even though I know you cared for Cole, I don't think you loved him the way a woman is supposed to love her husband."
Jenny looked at her, puzzled. "How is that?"
Frances blushed a little, but decided it was time to talk plainly. "Why, when Louie and I first met and we were courting, I couldn't wait to sneak off with him so he could steal a little kiss or two."
"Frances!" Jenny laughed in delight at her story, trying to imagine the serious ranch foreman actively pursuing Frances. "You mean Louie was that romantic?"
"Oh, yes," she sighed. "We were young and so in love. Why, we almost couldn't keep our hands off each other-"
"Like in a few of the dime novel romances I've read," Jenny said thoughtfully.
And like Cole's kiss the other day.
The revelation came to Jenny in a flash of understanding.
"Yes, something like that," said Frances. "Only in real life a good girl is virtuous until her wedding night. And I was virtuous, although I have to admit, it was hard sometimes. I loved Louie a lot, and I was thrilled once we were wed."
"You're right Cole and I never were alone much."
"I'm sure he loved you. Maybe he was deliberately keeping a distance between you back then to protect you."
"To protect me from what?"
"From what he was truly feeling for you, dear."
Jenny was suddenly seeing Cole and everything that had happened between them in a whole new light. Was the angry passion Cole had revealed to her when they were alone in the pasture just a hint of his true feelings for her?
"So he deliberately was never alone with me to keep me safe, and in keeping me safe, he lost me." She looked up at Frances in shock. "I never understood."
"You were so young and full of dreams." Frances wanted to ease her guilt.
"And he loved me so much-"
"But what about your feelings? Did you love him then? Do you love him now?"
Again Jenny fell silent, remembering. Memories of her childhood blossomed in her mind memories of the first day she'd met Cole.
"I think I've loved him forever," she finally said, acknowledging what was in the depths of her heart.
"How old were you when you first met? Eight or nine?" Frances remembered that day very clearly.
"I was nine. It was the day that Papa and I went into Animas City and"
"And Cole rescued you from the middle of the street." Frances vividly recalled how distraught Paul had been when they'd returned to the ranch and he'd told her what had happened.
"That's right. Papa and I were crossing the main street when I dropped my doll. I didn't even think about danger. I didn't even look to see if anyone was coming. I just ran back out to get it, and suddenly there was a buckboard bearing down on me." She shuddered involuntarily at the memory. "Cole appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed me up and carried me to safety."
"It seems like Cole was always there whenever you needed help. He's always been your hero, hasn't he? Your champion-"
"He has, hasn't he? Like that time when my horse got away from me and he raced up and caught the reins and saved me. And then there was the night in town at that dance when Will Baker cornered me and tried to kiss me-"
"I remember that night. Will was sporting quite a shiner for a while," Frances laughed. "How old were you then?"
"Barely fifteen, I think." Jenny was suddenly serious. "Do you suppose Cole loved me even back then?"
"It's possible." Frances was thoughtful.
"He's being my hero again, you know, supporting the guest ranch idea the way he has," she said softly.
"Yes, he is."
Jenny drew a ragged breath as she accepted the truth. "I do love him, Frances. I never realized until now just how much."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"There's not much I can do-not knowing how he feels about me."
"He may very well be angry with you over what happened. A man does have his pride. But Cole is definitely worth fighting for, don't you think?"
"Well, I"
"Jenny, I have never known you to back down from a challenge."
Jenny's spine stiffened at her words, and she smiled. "You're right, Frances. Thank you! I love Cole Randall, and I'm going to figure out a way to win him back."
"Don't thank me. Thank your friend Rose. She sounds like a very perceptive woman."
"That's why I love her. She never ceases to amaze me. I think I'll go tell her so right now!"
"Do you think she's awake?"
"Even if she isn't, she'll want to hear my news. And then we have to start planning-"
"Planning?"
"I have to figure out the best way to convince Cole that he still loves me and can't live without me!"
Frances was chuckling as Jenny rushed from the house on her way to awaken Rose.
Rose was not in the least upset by Jenny's excited entrance into her small sleeping room. She sat up in bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"What t
ime is it?" she asked sleepily.
"Time for you to help me finish what you started," Jenny told her.
Rose eyed her curiously. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Cole."
"What about him?"
"You were right, Rose. I love him. It took me all night, plus a long conversation with Frances, to finally realize it, but I do love Cole and I want him back."
"What about Richard?" Rose asked slyly, lowering her voice just in case someone could overhear their conversation.
"What about him?"
"How does he compare to Cole?"
"There's no comparison," Jenny declared. In her mind, Richard paled to insignificance next to Cole.
"Exactly!" Rose laughed gaily. "I knew it! You do love Cole! So how are you going to win him over?"
"I don't know. That's why I came in here to wake you up early so we could figure out what I should do."
"We need to make a battle plan," Rose said thoughtfully, her expression turning serious as she began to plot.
"A battle plan?" Jenny's eyes widened.
"That's right. You're going to have to storm Cole's defenses."
"You sound like a general going to war."
"Sometimes love is like war. He's hardened himself against any tender emotions, and you've got to find a way to get past the barriers he's put up. You have to lay siege to his heart."
"I like the sound of that. When do we get started?"
"How soon will you see him again?"
"Probably not until the dance in town."
"So we've got a little time to plan." Rose was excited as she started to think of ways to reach out to Cole. "This is going to be so much fun!"
"I hope you're right," Jenny said. Then, suddenly afraid that it might be too late to win him back, she asked, "But what if he really doesn't love me anymore?"
"Then we'll just have to make him fall in love with you all over again. We will not be denied! I don't want to hear any more doubts from you, Jenny. You love Cole, and you've made up your mind that you're going to do everything in your power to catch him. Right?"
"Right."
"Then failure is not a possibility."
They huddled there on Rose's bed in the predawn darkness, plotting the best ways to seduce a cowboy. They had four days to formulate a plan of action.