The Rancher and the Event Planner

Chapter Two



While Rafe and Linc talked, JC called her boss in Shreveport and explained what had happened, assuring him she could do the job in Dallas and serve out her sentence in Salvation at the same time. Having huge multi-tasking skills was part of being an event planner. Then she called Senator Grant’s office, apologized profusely explaining that she had car trouble which wasn’t totally a lie. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, but if they found out about her being arrested and charged with reckless driving, it could mean a death blow to her career.

For one second, she’d taken her eyes off the road, nearly killed a man, a dog and her career. She was actually lucky her accident happened in Salvation rather than in some place where she wasn’t known because anywhere else, she might have been thrown in jail without a second thought. She arranged for their meeting to be postponed until the following afternoon. Hopefully her car would be running by then, and if not, maybe Cade could drive her into Dallas to her meeting and to a car rental agency because there wasn’t one in Salvation.

JC brushed a lock of droopy hair away from her cheek, hating her rumpled appearance. A shaft of cooler air swept up her back, loosening her blouse’s sticky hold on her skin, making prickles rise over her body. The air conditioner must be working again. Thank God. She’d been fresh when she’d left Shreveport this morning. Being bedraggled, reminded her of having to wear clothes her mother scrounged from a jumble sale, and listening to her school mates snicker behind her back. But she’d come a long way since then. She’d worked her butt off to make something of herself and put her past behind her. No one could laugh at her now.

Linc said goodbye and Rafe walked to her side. Rafe hadn’t changed. Tall, lean, and muscular, his blue jeans still outlined his frame perfectly. Boots and a t-shirt completed the sexy cowboy image. Dark, wavy hair showcased his blue eyes, the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, bluer than the wildflowers growing on the side of the highway. Blue eyes that always made her go weak in the knees. “So you’re the mayor,” JC said. “Congratulations. How long?”

He smiled. “Thanks, I was elected last fall.” The smile accentuated his too-hot-for-words good looks. Great. A gorgeous cowboy from her past, a man she’d had a devastating crush on growing up. A man she was stuck working closely with for the next thirty days.

Her stomach growled. The cookie she’d eaten wasn’t going to hold her over much.

Rafe touched her elbow briefly and a little current of awareness buzzed beneath her skin. She resisted the impulse to rub the spot where the heat of his fingers still lingered. His lips curved upward crinkling the outer corners of his eyes. “Was that your stomach?”

JC’s cheeks heated. “Yes, I’m sorry to say it was.”

“Would you like to get some lunch? The Bluebonnet still has the best food in town. We can discuss the revitalization plans.”

How many times had she fantasized about having a meal with Rafe McCord in the most popular place in Salvation? Now she was going to fulfill that fantasy and everyone there would see she wasn’t poor little Jennifer Barrett anymore. “Thank you, I’d love to.”

***

The Bluebonnet hummed with the clatter of dishes and intermingled conversations from the lunch crowd. As soon as they were seated at a table in the center of the restaurant, Grace Lampton, the owner, still painfully thin with her long, dark hair now streaked with gray piled on top of her head, came over to their table. “Hey, cowboy,” she said to Rafe and handed them each a menu. She studied JC a moment with hazel eyes. “When you first came in, I almost didn’t recognize you. It’s nice to see you, Jennifer. You’ve become quite a young lady.”

Yes, and I’ve worked damn hard for it. “Thank you.”

“Are you staying or just passing through?” Grace asked.

Might as well go ahead and tell the truth because the news would be spread by the Salvation telegraph by the end of the day. “I’m staying for a while. I’m helping Rafe revitalize the town.”

Grace smiled. “Glad to hear it. Don’t be a stranger.” She told them about today’s specials then drifted away.

After their meal was served, JC dug in. The chicken salad tasted fresh and delicious, the iced tea cold and sweet. She swallowed a bite, patted her mouth with her napkin then looked up. One corner of Rafe’s mouth lifted and his blue eyes glinted.

When she was younger, his penetrating stare flustered her, made her girlish heart wonder about how his lips might feel caressing hers and the strength of his arms holding her close to his body. Now his focus caused a tingling in the pit of her stomach, fueled a rapid beat to her pulse and still made her wonder, but she was a grown woman now, not a little girl with a foolish crush. Besides, Rafe McCord never felt anything more for her than sisterly affection. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. “Sorry, it’s just that you’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.”

“Thank you. Being away from this town has helped.” With a little luck, she’d fulfill her community service hours in no time and get back to her normal life.

“Salvation isn’t all that bad is it?”

JC raised a brow. “Maybe not from where you’re standing.”

Rafe laughed. “Okay, let’s talk about the town’s revitalization that my brother roped you into instead.”

***

She reached for her brief case sitting beside her chair and when she leaned over, the front of her blouse puckered open giving Rafe a glimpse of the tops of her creamy, full breasts and a hint of pink lace on her bra. Desire toasted his stomach from the inside out like the sun burning off an early morning fog then eased lower to his groin. He shifted in his seat.

Thank Christ, the feminine display only lasted a few seconds before she sat straight in her chair again. But then a tendril of hair loosened from the twist on the back of her head, fluttered against her skin and focused his attention on her smooth neck and delicate collar bone. Tighten your cinch, McCord.

He’d had little interest or even a reaction to the women in town who’d flaunted themselves in front of him like mares teasing a stud since Caroline passed away. Why was he reacting this way to the sister of his best friend? If Cade suspected he was attracted to Jennifer, a steep canyon would open up between them and all of their years of friendship would be lost. No way would Rafe let that happen. Besides, he had Molly to consider. His little girl would be caught in the middle just like last time. He threw a mental bucket of cold water on his feelings and focused on the task at hand.

“First, I’d like to call a meeting of the town’s business owners to find out what they need to help their businesses thrive,” Jennifer suggested. “Then we’ll need to come up with a budget and business plan that coincides with the rules of the “best vacation” contest.”

Rafe listened to her ideas about offering free summer events like fireworks, contests, hot air balloon rides and other special festivities and he was impressed. She assured him she would pull out all the stops and use her contacts with hotels, marketers, printers and other vendors to help the town prepare for each event.

As she talked, her eyes lit up and her hands grew more animated. She also smiled a lot which didn’t help the attraction he’d been feeling since he first laid eyes on her a little while ago.

He took a swig of iced tea. “I thought you didn’t like it here?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “I don’t.”

Rafe arched a brow. “Could’ve fooled me. You all but hopped around in your seat like a Mexican jumping bean while you were laying out your plans. I’d say you’re downright excited about helping the town.”

She nibbled on a roll, her pink lips nipped at the bread, her tongue licked away the crumbs and melted butter. A flare of giddy-up lust gripped him. Damn it, he had to crush these feelings under his boot heel or he’d be in more trouble than a baby calf stuck in a mud hole. “I love my job, that’s all. My excitement has nothing to do with this pot-hole-in-the-road town. As soon as I satisfy the terms of my sentence, I’ll be gone faster than a bride can say ‘I do.’”

Good. The sooner she was out of town the better. After she was gone, he was certain this foolish attraction he was hitched to would unhitch itself and he’d get back to normal. Besides, he wasn’t relationship material.

***

“Well, if it isn’t Jennifer Barrett. I heard you were in town.”

Since JC had shaken the dust of Salvation from her shoes years ago, she’d hoped she would never hear that voice again, but since she was back in Salvation, seeing Rona Langston, former homecoming queen and cast-iron bitch, was bound to happen. But JC was no longer an insecure little wren wearing hand-me-downs. She was a strong, confident woman dressed in fashionable clothes. She pasted on her friendliest smile, the smile she reserved for her most difficult clients, and looked up at the bane of her childhood existence. “Hello, Rona. I’m called JC now.”

Rona swept her gaze surreptitiously over JC. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. How’s tricks?”

Rona gave her an insipid smile. “Heard you had a little car accident.” She tapped her chin and said, “Got arrested, too I understand. You’ll have to tell me all about jail sometime.”

JC deflected Rona’s little barb with a smile. She didn’t have the power to hurt her anymore. “I was never in jail. You’ll have to find out about jail for yourself.”

Rona gave JC a terse smile then turned her heavily mascaraed green eyes on Rafe and brushed a strand of her shoulder-length, dark hair from her cheek. “Nice to see you, Rafe. I’ll be at the Round Up tonight. New band in town.”

Rafe leaned back in his chair. “Have fun.”

She lowered her lashes then looked at him again. “I was hoping you might be there. I’ll have my dancing shoes on.”

“Don’t get out much these days.”

“I know but you can always change your mind. Think about it, okay?” She shifted her gaze to JC and hefted her Chanel purse on her shoulder. “See you around, Jennifer.”

After the café door closed behind Rona, JC rolled her eyes. “Some people never change.”

“She hasn’t for sure,” he said and signaled the waitress for the bill.

JC withdrew some cash from her purse to pay her part.

Rafe stopped her. “My treat.”

“Thanks.” She put away her money.

“I’ll take you by Earl’s to check on your car.”

Rafe touched her lower back as they exited the café. His touch almost singed her skin making her hyper aware of him. What kind of feelings would he elicit if she were in his arms?

JC slid into the oven-like interior of his truck. But as soon as he started the engine, cool air blasted from the vents. She was thankful for the relief but it didn’t help her forget about Rafe’s touch. Her skin still tingled with the memory. She had to remind herself that she was here to do a job. Period. Dreaming was for fools.

***

After Jennifer grabbed a pair of white sandals from her luggage Rafe stowed the case in the flatbed of his truck. He opened the passenger door for her and she put one foot on the running board. Her skirt pulled invitingly across her hips and butt and the hem of her skirt slid upward giving him a heart-stopping view of her thigh. He sucked in a breath and heat shot to his groin, heat he hadn’t experienced with any woman in a long time. What was going on with him? He tried to force his gaze away but he couldn’t. It was like his eyeballs were glued to her sexy expanse of female skin. Finally, she was settled on the seat.

A moment later, Rafe pulled the truck onto the street and headed for Molly’s school. “The Salvation Inn is closed because the owner’s sister is ill down in Houston. Not sure when it’ll open up again.”

JC glanced down the road then back at him. “No problem, I’m sure Cade won’t mind putting me up for a few days.”

He turned a corner and headed north. “Except that we had a bad storm a few days ago and a tree was struck by lightning. It fell on the east side of the cabin and took out the kitchen.”

Jennifer’s head snapped around, her amber eyes wide with surprise and worry. “Was Cade hurt?”

Rafe shook his head. “No, he was away when it happened. That’s probably why he didn’t mention it.”

She turned back around, her shoulders slumping slightly as she settled against the back of the seat with a little frown on her forehead.

“He just didn’t want you to worry. Cade’s been staying in the bunk house with the ranch hands while it’s being repaired.”

She raked her teeth over her lower lip and desire gnawed at him with velvet teeth. “I don’t suppose there’s a new motel in town?”

“’fraid not.”

“What am I going to do? Linc was crystal clear about me staying in town and working one day a week in Dallas.” Her face brightened and she snapped her fingers. “What about Mrs. Thornby? Cade told me she was renting out a couple of rooms in that old Victorian of hers.”

“Sorry, she passed about six months back and the place has been sold.”

The scent she wore rode the air currents from the vents and drifted toward him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and slid his gaze down her nice legs. The way she looked, the transformation from shy, awkward girl to confident, gorgeous woman unnerved him and he didn’t like it one bit. But why her? Why now?

His life had been humming along fine with few complications until Jennifer showed up. She was intelligent and no shrinking violet. As soon as he’d laid eyes on her in his office, she’d thrown him like a hot-blooded saddle bronc.

There was only one option. Damn Linc’s hide.

“We have a couple of spare rooms at the ranch house. You’re welcome to one of them if you’d like.” They’d be in each other’s pockets. How was he ever going to keep his hands off her?

Jennifer looked at him, a mix of surprise and relief filled her eyes plus another emotion he couldn’t name. “Thank you that would be wonderful if you’re sure I wouldn’t be in the way.”

Oh, you’ll be in the way all right and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. “Not at all. We’ll be glad to have you. First I need to pick up Molly from school then we’ll head to the ranch.”

She removed her heels, wiggled her toes painted bright red, slipped on the sandals and sighed. Her sigh seeped into his skin and bedded down for the night. “Cade tells me she’s an angel.”

Thank God. Thinking of his little girl helped douse the unwelcome attraction he felt for Jennifer. “I have to admit she was sent straight from heaven, no doubt about it.” The moment Molly was born he’d committed himself to making his marriage work for his child’s sake and he’d sworn to himself that no sacrifice was too great. But in the end, he’d let Molly down and himself. Not to mention Caroline.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he reached into a cooler on the floor board of the extended cab and pulled out two chilled bottles of water. He handed her one.

She took the bottle and condensation trickled over her chin as she drank. Suddenly, he had a terrible urge to lick it away. He needed to stick his head in a bucket of water.

“Thank you. You come prepared. I remember you and Cade were in boy scouts together.”

“I made it to Eagle Scout. Cade never moved past Tenderfoot. Too busy goofing off. I still have all my badges.” Heat climbed his neck. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”

She laughed. “I promise I won’t spread it around.”

Her laugh was light and girlish and tweaked his nerve endings. He brushed away his feelings and focused on the road.

***

I'll be staying with Rafe. JC’s heart had yet to settle back to its normal rhythm after Rafe’s unexpected invitation. Nervous tension and a healthy dose of unbridled joy danced along her spine. She was both happy and terrified at the thought of living in his house. They’d be sleeping under the same roof, sharing meals together and telling each other goodnight at the end of the day. How was she going to hide her attraction for a whole month? Rafe would make that impossible with his sexy good looks and charm. She was a healthy flesh and blood woman who had wants and needs just like every other woman and resisting Rafe would be a sensual nightmare but she had to do it because fairytales didn’t exist.

Maybe Cade’s cabin would be repaired and livable sooner than expected and she could spend her evenings away from Rafe’s alluring presence. She would hold on to that lifeline but in the meantime she had to forget about her lust for Rafe and concentrate on the job at hand—revitalizing the town.

Shortly, Rafe turned into the Salvation Elementary School parking lot.

Cars, filled with parents waiting to pick up their children, circled in a holding pattern. He stopped behind a station wagon just as the bell rang and children poured out of the school.

Rafe climbed from the truck as a little girl with dark curls bouncing around her cherub face, ran toward him. He gathered his daughter in his arms for a quick hug then he helped her into the truck. “Molly, this is Ms. Barrett. She’s Uncle Cade’s sister and an old friend of mine.”

A pair of leaf green eyes looked innocently up at JC. Her nose and mouth, the shape of her face and the wavy, dark locks of her hair reflected her father. She was Rafe’s daughter through and through. Orange paint stained the front of her pink and white sun dress and a few drops dotted her Barbie sneakers. She grinned at JC, the gap in her front teeth making her all the more adorable.

“It’s nice to meet you, Molly. You can call me JC.”

“I’m not ‘sposed to call grown-ups by their first name.” Molly glanced up at her father while he buckled her seat belt. “Would it be okay, Daddy?”

He nodded. “Okay, Chickapen, just this once.”

Bright afternoon sunlight streamed in through the truck’s windows and bathed JC with hot rays, grazing her shoulders and the right side of her face, as Rafe drove along the back roads toward his ranch. They passed corn fields and pastures filled with grazing cattle and horses. Rafe had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and exposed muscular arms covered with a smattering of dark hair. His large hands gripped the steering wheel. Those hands appeared so capable. His fingers were long and he rubbed the tips absently over the steering wheel. How would his hands feel exploring more intimate places?

JC’s pulse leapt in her veins and her body hummed with the thought of him fondling her, teasing her senses to life, overwhelming her with his vital masculinity. He took off his hat and set it on the console then raked his fingers through his wavy hair leaving it tousled as if he’d just crawled out of bed. Her skin suddenly felt hot despite the frigid air blasting from the air conditioner. Why was she putting Rafe and bed together in the same sentence? She had to get her mind on the job at hand and off what this man could do with his hands.

“You’re pretty,” Molly said from the back seat jerking JC from her thoughts. “My mommy was pretty too, but she died. Daddy says she’s in heaven watching over me now.”

Tears stung JC’s eyes but she blinked them back. She thought the same thing about her own mother. “I’m sure she is.”

Molly pulled a picture book from her backpack and flipped through the pages, a slight smile curved her mouth, the moment forgotten.

Rafe kept his eyes fixed on the road but a muscle worked in his clenched jaw.

“I’m sorry about your wife,” JC said quietly.

He heaved a deep breath. “Thanks. Me too.”

***

Rafe pulled the truck into the ranch house’s driveway, an expanse of brick that curved around in front of the house. The site of the house, built of stone, wood and glass never failed to impress JC. The structure rose from the solid, Texas earth, a monument to the McCord family’s history and success.

He stopped by a black Lexus and cut the engine. Molly sat up suddenly in her seat and looked out the window. “Uncle Linc’s got Lucy.”

Molly unsnapped her seat belt, scrambled down from the truck and hurried toward her uncle who rode a stunning Palamino and holding the reins of a white pony.

Linc climbed from the horse, helped Molly into the saddle on her pony amidst a stream of giggles then walked toward JC and Rafe. Molly rode down the end of the driveway then headed back again, the pony’s hooves clicking on the pavers, Molly patting the pony’s neck chattering away.

“Hey, Brother. Hi, JC. I’m making shrimp on the barbie, Texas style, tonight with roasted corn on the cob, salad and peach crisp for dessert.” He looked at JC with blue eyes similar to his brother’s but with a hint of green. He was handsome but he couldn’t begin to compare with Rafe’s killer good looks. “Would you like to join us? I’ll even open a bottle of wine from my private stock.”

“What’s the occasion?” Rafe asked. He looked at JC. “He rarely pops the cork on a bottle in his private stock.”

“The return of Jennifer—I mean JC—to Salvation.”

“Temporary return,” JC said.

“After the town spruce up you might decide to stay,” Linc said glancing from her to Rafe and back again. “Lots of people need events planned around here.” He glanced at Rafe. “Among other things. And it would be real nice to see your pretty face around town again. Right, Rafe?”

Rafe shot Linc a glare then turned to JC with a smile, the harsh look he’d given Linc gone from his startling blue eyes. “Sure, why not?”

With that one look she was pulled in. Those eyes of his made her wonder about the life that Linc held like a brilliant diamond sparkling in a ray of sunlight before her. One brother made her hot and needy inside, while the other brother ensnared her within a net of kindness.

No.

No way.

JC had dreamed those dreams before and they had gotten her nowhere. The heat in Rafe’s eyes only meant he was feeling the physical attraction she felt. There were no happily ever afters in real life, no fairytale endings. Fairytales and dreams were just that—fairytales and dreams. They weren’t real, they didn’t exist. She would finish up her community service and go back to Shreveport, to the good life she’d made for herself. Dreaming about Rafe was a dead end.

What she really wanted to do was to spend the evening and the rest of her stay in Cade’s cabin to put some much needed distance between her and Rafe but that was impossible now with the repairs being done. “So, when you’re not handing out sentences you’re a gourmet chef?”

Linc smiled. “Not a gourmet exactly but I enjoy cooking. Rafe’s culinary skills aren’t half bad either when he puts his mind to it.”

JC looked at Rafe. A corner of his sexy mouth pushed upward and heat immersed every cell in her body. Her heart tripped into over-drive. She pictured Rafe in the kitchen but he wasn’t slaving over a hot stove. He was naked except for an apron tied around his waist and a come-hither grin on his lips.

“Uncle Linc, let’s go riding.”

At the sound of Molly’s voice, JC snapped out of her sensual haze. “Dinner sounds great, but I’d like to help.”

“Terrific. You’re in charge of the salad.” Linc gathered up his reins and climbed back on his horse. “See you later.” He turned his horse and trotted toward Molly.

“Come on,” Rafe said and gestured toward the house. “I’ll show you to your room.”

What else could he show her? She pushed the thought from her mind. She had to stop thinking of Rafe in sensual terms. With a little luck her room would be located far away from his.