Jenny

by Bobbi Smith

  George was thrilled. "Why, yes, ma'am." He started to take off his apron as he came around the counter.

  "Don't take off your apron. I want to capture the feel of Lansing Mercantile."

  "You sure?" He wanted to look his best for her.

  "Yes. I like you just the way you are," Rose insisted.

  George nervously smoothed down his hair as they went outside. Rose quickly set about arranging her tripod and camera. She directed George exactly where to stand for the best light and was pleased with the final pose George centered on the porch in the front of the store with the big "Lansing Mercantile" sign hanging above him.

  "That's wonderful," Rose told him when she'd finished. "Thank you."

  "Oh, it was my pleasure, believe me. It isn't every day that I can get the chance to have my picture taken."

  He was feeling quite special as they walked back indoors. Some of the townsfolk had gathered around to watch, curious as to what she was doing.

  Tom stayed outside with the equipment.

  "I'll make sure you get a print. And by the way, I wanted to thank you for sending that other package I dropped out to the ranch. I hadn't even realized it was missing."

  "Dan found the package after you'd gone," George answered easily.

  "Dan? Is he the man I ran into?" Rose asked.

  "Yes, that's Dan. Dan Lesseg. He found it in one of the side aisles when he was leaving that day. I told him I'd see to it that you got it."

  "I appreciate your help, and I'd like to thank Dan, too, if I could. Do you know if he's still in town?" She tried to sound casual, but her heartbeat had quickened when she'd learned his name. Dan. Dan Lesseg. She thought Dan was a wonderful name.

  "Oh, sure, Dan's in town, but I don't know about a lady like you going to find him...."

  Jenny heard the hesitation and awkwardness in George's voice and wondered at it. "Is there a problem, George?"

  He looked a bit sheepish. "Well, Jenny, you see, Dan works at the High Time. He's the bartender there."

  "He's a bartender?" Rose was amazed. Of all the things she'd imagined him doing, working in a saloon wasn't one of them.

  "That's right, and a darned good one, too. I can attest to that," George told them with a smile.

  "Where is the High Time?" Rose asked.

  "It really ain't no place for a lady to go," George cautioned.

  In good humor, Rose was tempted to ask him why he thought she was a lady, but she controlled the impulse. "But a picture of a real saloon and a bartender would be wonderful! What says `Wild West' better than a saloon? Besides, we'll have Tom along with us."

  "Well um I suppose it would be all right." George glanced outside to where the young hand was waiting and guessed the boy could help the women out if they got into any trouble. He hadn't run into anyone like Rose before and was completely charmed by her vivacity. His common sense was telling him to discourage her interest in the saloon, but her excitement erased his fears. "The High Time's just past the railroad tracks..." He gave them the directions.

  "Thanks, George," Jenny told him.

  "You be careful," he cautioned, wondering if he'd done the right thing.

  "We will, don't worry."

  Jenny, Rose, and Tom started off toward the High Time.

  "This is so exciting!" Rose said. "I'm going to a real saloon!"

  "You're sure you want to do this?" Jenny asked.

  "Of course I'm sure. That's why I came out here. I wanted to experience this kind of excitement."

  "All right. Let's hope your Dan is working."

  "If he isn't, maybe we'll just stay at the bar and wait for him to show up," Rose said smiling.

  Jenny laughed. She could only imagine the reaction around town if the news got out that they had frequented the High Time.

  As they made their way toward the saloon, a very handsome couple came out of one of the buildings and started walking toward them.

  "Jenny?" the woman said in delight when she saw her. "It's so good to see you!"

  "Elise-Trace-it's good to see you, too!" Jenny said as she hugged Elise. She hadn't seen her old friends since she'd returned. She quickly turned to Rose to make the introductions. "Rose, these are my friends Elise and Trace Jackson. They're the owners of the Durango Weekly Star. This is Rose, my friend from Philadelphia."

  "It's a pleasure to meet you," Rose said.

  "You're a photographer?" Trace asked, noticing the equipment Tom was carrying.

  "Yes. I'm taking as many pictures as I can here in Durango. Your town is so beautiful-I'm going to use them to help promote Jenny's guest ranch when I go back to Philadelphia."

  "So it is true, then?" Elise looked at Jenny. "I had heard talk that you were considering taking in visitors."

  "Yes. Rose brought the first group out this week. I have a total of five guests staying at the Lazy S right now."

  "And we're having a wonderful time!" Rose put in.

  "We'll have to do an article on your success," Trace said.

  "That would be wonderful."

  "Are you staying in town for the dance tonight?" Elise asked.

  "Yes."

  "Then we'll see you there."

  "And you'd both better save a dance for me," Trace said.

  "Our pleasure," they responded.

  Jenny and Rose moved on with Tom following, still on their quest to find Dan.

  "Jenny, are all the men in Colorado good-looking? Your friend Trace is every bit as handsome as Cole and Dan."

  "I guess we just know how to grow `em right out here," Jenny laughed. She had to admit, though, Rose was right. Trace was very attractive. "Trace and Elise's story is a most interesting one. He used to be a lawman..." She went on to tell Rose how the two had met and fallen in love.

  "That is so romantic," Rose sighed. "Elise had her hero right there with her the whole time, and she didn't even realize it. What a wonderful story."

  "Yes, it is."

  They saw the sign for the High Time ahead, and Jenny stopped and looked at her friend.

  "How do you want to do this?"

  "I'm just going to walk in and ask for Dan. That's the easiest way, don't you think?" Rose knew it was a little late for her to start playing the role of the shy, retiring female.

  "To tell you the truth, I've never gone into a saloon before."

  "I can go in for you," Tom offered. He knew how rough saloons could be and didn't want anything to happen to them.

  "That's sweet of you, Tom, but I'm going to do this myself," Rose declared. "When I want something, I go after it."

  Rose marched ahead and Jenny followed her. She bravely pushed the swinging door open and went inside, her head held high. She stopped just inside the door and let her gaze sweep over the room, looking for Dan. This was her first ever view of a real saloon. It was cleaner than she'd expected, though the scent of cigars and whiskey did hang heavy in the air. There was a small area that must serve as a dance floor, an upright piano in one corner, and a bar that ran across the entire width of the back wall. A few customers were seated at the tables, and more stood at the bar with a woman wearing a revealing dress. But she saw no sign of Dan.

  "I don't see him, do you?" Jenny asked.

  "No."

  Several of the customers at the tables noticed them and started elbowing their companions. One man got up and approached them, his gait a bit unsteady.

  "Say, girlies, are you here for a good time? Did you just start working for Fernada? I ain't seen you here before, have I?" he asked, grinning at them hungrily. Though they obviously weren't dressed like the normal bargirls, he didn't care as long as they took care of business and that meant pleasuring him.

  Just then Tom came into the saloon behind them carrying all the equipment. The man peered at him in confusion.

  "What the hell's goin' on?"

  Fernada had been standing at the bar when the two women entered the High Time. Since Dan was in back, she hurried forward to take care of the situation, not wanting an
y trouble. She knew how obnoxious Jimmy Hogan could be after a few drinks.

  "Is there something I can do for you ladies? Are you lost?" Fernada asked.

  "No...no, we're not lost," Rose said, still looking for some sign of Dan. "Actually, we're looking for--"

  And then Dan emerged from the back room.

  "Someone-" Rose's breath caught in her throat when she saw him.

  Dan was every bit as good-looking as she'd remembered. He was carrying a case of liquor, and she could see how his shirt stretched taut across his powerful shoulders. She found herself actually growing a bit nervous about talking to him again. Her reaction amazed her. Nothing had ever made her nervous, but this man did. She found it thrilling and a bit unnerving.

  Fernada followed the direction of Rose's gaze and frowned, puzzled. "You're here to see Dan?"

  "Yes," she breathed.

  The men at the bar had alerted Dan that something unusual was going on, and he set the liquor aside and glanced toward the front of the saloon. It took him only an instant to recognize Rose and Jenny. He smiled and quit what he was doing to go and speak with them.

  "Well, hello," Dan said.

  He'd tried not to think about Rose too much after their encounter. He had not expected to ever see her again. But instead of forgetting her, he couldn't shake her from his mind ever since. Seeing her again now, he realized why. She was as beautiful as he remembered. He didn't know why she'd dared to come here, seeking him out, but he was real glad that she had.

  "Hello, Dan." Rose smiled at him and him alone. Although there were others with them, she felt as if they were by themselves, intent only on each other.

  "You know my name...." He was even more surprised.

  "I asked George at the mercantile. He told me where to find you."

  "I'm glad he did," he said, still grinning.

  "You know these ladies, Dan?" Fernada interrupted. She could not imagine why these two obviously well-bred women had dared to enter the bar.

  "Fernada, this is Jenny Sullivan from the Lazy S and her friend Rose. I ran into them the other day over at the mercantile." As he said it, his gaze met Rose's and they both smiled.

  "So you two don't work for Fernada?" Jimmy Hogan said in confusion.

  "No, Jimmy, they don't," Fernada explained. "Why don't you belly up to the bar and I'll buy you a drink in a minute."

  "Why, I'll just do that," he said as he staggered off, disappointed, but happy to be getting free liquor.

  "So is there something we can do for you?" Fernada asked. She wanted to get the women out of the High Time as quickly as possible.

  "Actually, I needed to speak with Dan," Rose said, looking up at him.

  "I'd better go take care of Jimmy, Dan. You hurry it up here, all right?" She gave him a look that spoke volumes and let him know that she wanted the women out of the saloon fast.

  "What can I do for you?" Dan asked sincerely.

  Rose could come up with a list a mile long of what she'd like him to do for her. First on the list would be "kiss me."

  As she realized the direction of her thoughts, Rose chastised herself.

  "I just wanted to thank you for seeing that the package I dropped at the mercantile got delivered to me."

  "I was just glad I found it for you."

  The moment seemed to be growing more and more awkward. Rose knew she should leave, but she didn't want to. "I've never been in a saloon before."

  He knew that. She was a lady through and through, and she had no business being in a place like this. He knew he should encourage her to leave, but he wasn't ready to say good-bye to her yet. "What do you think of the High Time?"

  "It's a world unto itself, and that's the other reason why I came here," she told him. "I've brought my camera, and I wondered if I could get a picture of you standing out in front of the saloon near the sign."

  "You want to take a picture of me and the High Time?" He looked from her to where Tom stood with the equipment.

  "Yes. I'd like one of you, and Fernada, too, if she'd be interested. I'm going to use them when I go back home to Philadelphia to show everybody what Durango and the Lazy S are really like. I hope the pictures get people excited about visiting the West. I'm sure there are any number of men back East who would love to come to a place like this," Rose explained, looking around once more. She didn't tell him that she planned to keep at least one copy of his photograph for herself.

  Dan looked back toward the bar. "You boys all right on your drinks for a while?"

  "Yeah," they answered, all watching him with open interest. They couldn't wait to find out what was going on.

  "Fernada? Can you come here a minute?"

  She didn't know what Dan wanted, but she served Jimmy his drink and followed them out of the saloon. "What's going on?"

  "Rose wants to take our picture," he told her.

  "She does?" Fernada was thrilled. She'd never had her photograph taken.

  Jenny and Tom stayed out of the way as Rose went to work setting up the tripod, adjusting her equipment, and making sure there was enough light to get the best shot.

  "I'd like to take one with you together, and then I want to take two more one of each of you individually."

  When she'd finished setting up her camera, she directed them where to stand and made sure the exposure was right. That done, she took the pictures.

  "Can I get a copy of your photographs?" Fernada asked, eager to see how they turned out.

  "I'll be sure to develop an extra print for you."

  "Thanks. Are you both staying in town tonight for the big dance?" Fernada asked.

  "We wouldn't miss it," Jenny told her.

  "It should be a good time. Almost everyone turns out."

  "What about you, Dan?" Rose asked without a bit of embarrassment. "Will you be at the dance?"

  She was hoping he would be there. She wanted to dance with him to have his arms around her and... The image in her mind was wonderful, until he answered her.

  "I have to work tonight."

  Dan had never, ever resented his job before. He had always put in long hours and usually enjoyed it, but right now, it irritated him that he had to work that night. He'd never wanted to go to a dance before, but tonight he did. And he knew very well what the reason was. Rose would be there.

  "Oh. Well, I'll see you when I get the photographs developed, then."

  He brightened at the thought of being with her once more. "I'll look forward to it."

  "I can't wait to see them!" Fernada added, still excited about the photographs and missing completely the underlying tension between the two. "I'd better get back to work."

  "Thank you for your help," Rose told her as Fernada disappeared inside.

  "And I'll see you again later?" Dan asked Rose, his gaze meeting and holding hers.

  "Yes," she answered firmly. "Should I bring the photographs back here?"

  "Yes. It's not very often that I'm anywhere else."

  "Then I'll find you."

  Dan went back to work as Rose carefully packed up her things and gave them to Tom. They started back to the hotel.

  "That went nicely, don't you think?" Rose asked Jenny.

  "Actually, I'm surprised that it went as well as it did."

  "You were really worried?"

  "If my papa had been alive, he would have had a fit if he'd found out I'd been in there," Jenny told her with a grin.

  "I guess I'm a bad influence on you," Rose laughed.

  "Yes, and I'm enjoying every minute of it."

  Jenny stood before the mirror in the hotel room, critically studying her reflection.

  "Do you think I look pretty enough?" she asked Rose.

  "You are gorgeous tonight. I wish I'd looked this good in that gown. I may just have to let you keep it. It's absolutely wonderful on you."

  The gown was enticing. It set off her figure to perfection, and Rose had arranged her hair up in an artful style that bespoke elegance. Jenny looked sophisticated and worldl
y.

  Jenny nodded at her reflection, her expression determined. "Cole Randall, here I come."

  "There will be no way he'll be able to ignore you and neither will any of the other men who are there," Rose told her with confidence. "Who knows? Maybe Richard will propose to you tonight." Her grin was wicked.

  "I don't even want to think about that. Richard's nice enough, but I'm not attracted to him not the way he'd like me to be."

  "And I'll bet the more aloof you are with him, the harder he pursues you," Rose said thoughtfully. "It's obvious Richard loves challenges. You're probably the only woman who's ever denied him anything and that makes him all the more determined to have you."

  "I'm sure that's why he and Aubrey are here. He was getting quite serious back in Philadelphia just as I got word about my father and had to leave."

  "Well, I'll keep an eye on you tonight. If you look like you need rescuing, I'll find a way to save you."

  "You are a true friend." Jenny laughed as an image of Rose trying to save her from Richard played in her mind. "Although I don't know how you'd manage to take on Richard."

  "He may be bigger than I am, but I'm more deterined."

  Somehow, Jenny knew Rose was right.

  `By the way, you look very pretty tonight, too," Jenny told her. "It's a shame your cowboy has to work all night and won't get to see you."

  "I know. The thought occurred to me that I ought to go back over to the High Time and spend the evening at the bar with him, but that's probably not such a wonderful idea."

  "This is unusual for you," Jenny remarked thoughtfully, casting her friend a sidelong glance. "I've never known you to react to any man the way you're reacting to Dan."

  "I know. I don't quite understand it myself," Rose said, a bit perplexed; then she smiled. "But I'm enjoying it. Let's just hope that I get to see him at least a few more times before I have to go back home."

  "You will."

  "I hope so." The possibility of not seeing Dan again troubled Rose, and the fact that she was even worrying about it surprised her. She turned her thoughts away from her cowboy and back to Jenny's dilemma.

  "So, are you ready?"

  "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, but there is one more thing I have to warn you about."