One Hot Cowboy Wedding (10 page)

“In your dreams, cowboy!”

Methinks
thou
didst
protest
too
quickly
, her conscience giggled. Until that moment, Jasmine didn’t even know that her conscience had a sense of humor.

Yes, I did
, she agreed as she raced up the stairs and into her apartment.
If
Ace
undid
my
bra, I’d have his
belt buckle undone and him lying on his back so quick
he wouldn’t know what hit him. This craziness will pass.

It’s the dress and the cake.

“Hell, he might end up with Gemma yet,” she whispered as she packed several pairs of underpants, an extra bra, and a few more clothes in a small suitcase. A jolt of pure unadulterated jealousy tightened around her heart like a hangman’s noose.

Whoa! You have no right to be jealous of either Ace
or Gemma. They are both your friends, so stop this shit
right now.

Ace sat down at the table nearest to the door and put his head in his hands. If things had gone right he would OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 79

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have been on the Double Deuce shooting the breeze or playing a Sunday afternoon game of poker with his fore-man and hired hands out in the bunkhouse.

He lifted his head when he heard her coming down the stairs. Not another woman in the world would be giving up her life for a whole year for him. But celi-bacy for a whole year? No flirting, which was as natural to Ace as breathing. No kissing or chasing a woman.

He probably shouldn’t even be opening his little red leather book with all the names and addresses in it. God Almighty! It was going to be a long, long year.

“Do I need to put on body armor?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Naw, just stand behind me. They won’t shoot me. I’m the fair- haired child.”

“That’s real comforting,” she told him.

“I really am the spoiled middle child and if you don’t believe me, ask my older brothers who did not get a ranch handed to them free and clear of debt. They’ll crawl up on their soapboxes and bitch like little girls if you lend them an ear.” He picked up her suitcase and carried it for her. “Guess we’ll have to take both trucks since you’ll be coming in to work early.”

“Guess so,” she said.

“Then let’s go by the Double Deuce first. When we drive up in my folks’ yard we should be together,” he said.

She followed him to her lit le truck. He slung her suitcase into the back and then opened the truck door for her. When she was settled in with her seat belt fastened, he leaned inside and planted a hard, wet kiss on her lips.

“Don’t slap me. Gemma just pulled up in front of her beauty shop. Can’t have her suspicious,” he whispered.

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Jasmine whipped her head around to see Gemma waving from the Petticoats & Pistols beauty shop next door to the Chicken Fried Café. Both places had started out as a car dealership many years before. The beauty shop had been the office for the dealership, and the café had been the home of the people who owned the business. The parking lot served both places back then and now as well.

Jasmine waved as she backed out of the lot and turned south on Highway 81 toward Bowie. Granny Dale told her once that no one could eat an elephant all at once but they might eat the whole thing a bite at a time. Going to his ranch was the first bite in the elephant that she’d have to eat in the next year, and she wasn’t even sure she liked elephant. Was it served grilled, fried, or ground up into hamburger? Did she put barbecue sauce on it or cook it in soup?

She passed the O’Donnell horse ranch on her right.

The countryside wasn’t so different from where she grew up in Sherman, except that she was a town girl.

She’d always loved to visit Pearl on her family ranch, loved horses and the smell of a barn. She’d liked Tess, Pearl’s southern momma, who was always giving them advice on how to be a real lady. But she’d loved John, Pearl’s dad, who talked with a slow drawl and taught the girls how to ride, both horses and tractors.

When Ace made a left turn off the highway onto a section line road she followed. The road turned to dirt half a mile later. Another quarter of a mile and Ace turned right into a gravel lane with barbed wire fence on either side. She could see the house and it wasn’t anything like the big brick two- story Pearl had lived in out OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 81

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on the ranch. It was long, low slung, and painted white.

It looked more like a bunkhouse with a wide front porch open on the north and south ends to catch whatever summer breeze could be cussed up.

“Welcome home,” Ace said when he opened the truck door for her. “Those are my hired hands on the porch so I reckon I’d best carry you over the threshold once you meet them.”

“Ace?” Sam pushed his tall lanky frame out of the rocking chair. His bright blue eyes sparkled in a face full of wrinkles and wisdom. His thick gray hair was parted on the side and combed back; his jeans and chambray shirt were both clean and pressed. Cowboy boots were scuffed and spurs jingled when he crossed the porch.

“Sam?” Ace laced his fingers in Jasmine’s and led her up on the porch. “Dexter, Buddy, Tyson?”

“We sssss- aaw the nnnn- ewws last nnn- ight.” Buddy grinned and pushed a strand of brown hair back out of his eyes. Like Sam, he wore jeans and a chambray shirt, both clean but not ironed. His eyes were the same shade as his hair. Even with his cowboy boots he wasn’t more than three inches taller than Jasmine but his arms bulged the fabric of his shirt, and there wasn’t a bit of spare fat on him.

“You goin’ to introduce us or what?” Dexter asked.

He was only slighter smaller than King Kong, had arms the size of hams, and a big round bald head. He looked like a bouncer or maybe a wrestler.

“This is my new wife, as you all know, since it was on last night’s news. Jasmine owns the Chicken Fried Café south of Ringgold, so you might have seen her there,” he said.

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“I’m Tyson. I been in there a few times, but I ain’t never seen you.” The youngest of the four stepped forward. His red hair was close cut, his shoulders as square as his face, and his green eyes looked as if they held secrets no one would ever find out.

“Pleased to meet you, Tyson,” Jasmine said.

“And this is Sam, Dexter, and Buddy.” Ace pointed as he introduced the other three.

“We’re glad to have you on the ranch.” Sam stepped forward. “It’s missed a woman since Ace’s grandma died back when he was just a kid.”

His voice was deep and very Texan.

Dexter and Buddy nodded in agreement.

“I hope you like the Double Deuce as much as we do,” Tyson said.

“I’m sure I will. I’ve always loved ranches,” Jasmine said.

“Ever lived on one?” Sam asked.

“No, but my best friend, Pearl, who married Wil Marshal , grew up on one and I loved visiting her,” Jasmine answered.

“Well, we’d best get on back to the bunkhouse.

We just wanted to congratulate you two and welcome Jasmine to the Double Deuce,” Sam said.

“We’re just stopping by to drop off Jasmine’s truck and then we’re on our way to the folks’ place. They’ve never met her,” Ace said.

Sam chuckled down deep in his chest. “She looks like she can hold her own. Let me open that door for you, son.”

Sam swung the screen door open and Ace scooped Jasmine up in his arms and carried her inside. He kicked OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 83

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the door shut with his boot heel and set her down in a huge living room. “Welcome home, Mrs. Riley.” She looked up to say something about him cal ing her by that ridiculous name, only to find his dreamy blue eyes already locked on her lips. She rolled up on her tiptoes. Their mouths met in a hungry clash, devour-ing and tasting, nibbling and teasing until they were both panting.

“Whew!” he said when they broke apart.

“That cannot happen again, Ace,” she mumbled.

“Felt pretty damn good to me.” He grinned.

“That’s why.” She took a step back. “Which way to my room?”

Ace whistled down the hallway. Four doors opened off to each side with a fifth right at the end. He slung open the first one on the right. “My room.” Then he pointed at the other. “Your choice. Each side has two bedrooms but Gramps only put in one bathroom. It’s a big one at the end of the hallway. Two sinks, shower and tub separate. I expect you’l be up before I am so that won’t be a problem.”

“I’ll think about the rooms while we visit your folks and make a choice when we get back. Should I change?”

“What you have on is fine. We’re laid back ranch folks, Jazzy. We ain’t fancy- pants people.”

“Is that what you think I am?” she asked.

“Hell, yeah! You are way out of this old cowboy’s league, but I’ve got you for a year so my younger brothers can all drool. Even if it is for only a little while, it’ll be right nice,” he said with one of his mischievous grins.

“Ace Riley, I am not out of your league, and that’s probably a line you feed your women. But it won’t work OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 84

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on me. I’m not a fancy- pants person. Are you ready to go or do we need to wait a while longer so the guys think we’re in here doin’ something other than talking?” Ace threw back his head and roared. “You got them pegged just right, Jazzy. I’m goin’ to enjoy my year of marriage.”

“Don’t get comfortable, darlin’. It’s only for a year and then we’ll get one of those amicable divorces where you keep what you had when we married and I keep my assets,” she said.

“But what if I want part of the Chicken Fried and all of your ass… ets?” He wiggled an eyebrow.

“Be careful. We didn’t sign a prenup. I can take part of the Double Deuce.”

That wiped the grin from Ace’s face. “Don’t tease me about that.”

“Don’t tease me about my café.”

He took a step toward her, pushed her dark hair back from her neck with his fingers, and outlined her lips with his thumb. His touch was a combination of fire and ice: heat so hot that it would melt steel and chills racing down her backbone at the same time. His kiss was tender and left her wanting more.

“Why did you do that?” she whispered.

“We can’t go to the folks’ house fighting. Momma is going to be a hard sell as it is, and she could spot a fight a mile away. So we’ll go with that kiss on our minds.” He put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her up the hall.

She felt white- hot heat and saw pretty sparkling fireworks all the way to the door.

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Jasmine could hear the noise of laughter and conversation before she and Ace reached the house. It reminded her of the one that Ace lived in on the next ranch over, only the porch was wider and wrapped around three sides. Ace opened the door and led her inside by the hand. People were everywhere in the great room that housed the living room, kitchen, and dining room. But the very second that she stepped inside, a bone- chilling aura surrounded her and Ace. She tried to tell herself that it was her imagination and that she’d expected the worst and they were just waiting for Ace to introduce her.

Ace looked around the room. “Are we having a family reunion, Momma?”

Dolly Riley shook her finger at Ace. “Don’t you joke with me right now. You should have brought Jasmine to meet us before you married her.”

Jasmine clamped her jaw shut before she said something that would cause a war right there in the midst of his family.

The smile on Ace’s face faded. “Okay. Everyone this is Jasmine, my wife. If you’ve eaten at Chicken Fried in the past six months, you’ve eaten her cookin’. And, Jazzy, this is my mother, Dolly, and my father, Adam.” Jasmine extended her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”

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She was surprised that her words came out lukewarm and not icy cold.

A tal woman, Dolly looked down on Jasmine. Her hair was jet- black, her eyes brown, and her skin lightly toasted. Her handshake was quick, and Jasmine half expected her to wipe her hand when it was done. Adam’s handshake was downright rough, and Jasmine gave him one just as bone- crunching. His eyes were the same shade of gray- blue as Ace’s, but his hair was as black as Dolly’s. When he let go of her hand, the corners of his mouth twitched in a grin.

“Okay, get ready for the rest of the zoo.” Ace introduced her to his three older brothers and their families first.

Everyone tipped their heads toward Jasmine, and she smiled at each one. If they thought they were going to win the war, then they’d best make a fast run through the kitchen and pick up a brown bag lunch because it was going to take more than a cold glance. She’d given her word and she’d stand by it. They could like her or not.

Frankly, my dear, as Rhett Butler said, she didn’t give a damn. It would all be over in a year and they could have their precious womanizing son back.

“Before I go on, any one of you three got anything to say?” Ace looked over at his three older brothers: Garrett, Justin, and Tony.

Tony spoke up. “Just that this was pretty quick. Last week you told me you were dating a different woman every week and had your red book nearly full. Momma says you didn’t even get a prenup.”

Ace grinned. “Hey, I’m in love. I don’t need a prenup. Don’t it show?”

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“Not so much,” Tony said.

Jasmine wrapped both arms around Ace’s neck and pulled his face down for a long, lingering kiss right there in the middle of the living room floor. She might not be his wife of the heart, but she was on paper and they weren’t getting away with implying that she would ever take her best friend for a financial ride. Besides, she’d had enough explaining for one day and she was tired of it.