ROMANCE: THE SHEIKH'S GAMES: A Sheikh Romance (47 page)

She opened the door to find Beau Savage sitting alone at the long glass conference table.

“Sorry Beau. I don’t have time for you. My complicated life just got a whole lot more complicated. This room is being used.”

“Yes, I know. The new owner of the Clear Creek Resort and the Blue Gem Resort in Nevis is using it. I was itching to spend some money and now I need help managing my new properties. I know nothing about the hospitality business but I hear you do.”

“You’re my new boss?” Jackie gasped.

“I’m the new owner but you’re the boss. I’ve been in charge long enough and I want you to be my partner. Marry me Jackie because I love you and I never want to be without you. We can travel on my private jet between the Caribbean and Wyoming.”

“You think you can just barge in here and make all my dreams come true Beau Savage?” Jackie tried not to smile.

“Yes. I do,” he said. Beau pulled a black velvet box from his pocket and opened to reveal a breathtaking diamond ring. “It’s not on loan this time.”

Jackie welled up with tears of joy. “I love you too Beau and yes I’ll marry you.”

Beau put the ring on Jackie’s finger as he gathered her in a tight embrace.

Spring mornings in Wyoming on the Wandering Bison Ranch were blissful. From the moment she opened her eyes until her two-year-old Jason Beauregard (JB) called her name, Jackie Savage had her moment of Zen. Unless of course, her husband Beau rolled over which was often the case.

“I think we have time before our son begins screaming.” Beau grabbed a naked Jackie around the waist before she had a chance to throw on her silk negligee.

“Mm. I can never resist you in the mornings. You are very sexy with your hair tousled and that smoldering smile,” Jackie purred.

As Beau pulled his wife in towards his muscular body, JB wailed.

“He’s punctual. I’ll give him that. JB must get that from my side of the family; all the men in the Savage clan are up at dawn. I bet even pops is rolling over at this very moment,” Beau said as he put on his boxers.

JB was nearly two years old and his parents still fought over who was going to be the first to pick him up. Jackie and Beau had a shotgun wedding after a whirlwind courtship. Jackie always joked that a shotgun wedding was appropriate for a cowboy. Beau had gone from jet setting lothario to family man in two years but he settled into his new role seamlessly. They spent most of the winter in the Caribbean but Beau kept one foot in Wyoming for business and to keep an eye on his 92-year old Grandfather Jason Savage.

“You beat me again. I liked it when JB preferred me when I was the food source.”

“Since you insist on getting JB out of his crib, you’re on breakfast duty. I’m going to pick up Pops so he can spend the day up here with us. I’ll fix some brunch and we’ll all take a walk out to the stables. We have to savor the moments when we have Pops with us because face it; he’s 92 and things are winding down,” Jackie said.

“Pops is going to live until he’s 100 at least. I have no doubt about that but if you insist on a family day then I’m in. We can get my grandfather on a horse and I bet he out rides both of us. He’s a cowboy born and bred so get the old coot up here; I’m sure he’s raring to go.

“I’m going to pull on a pair of jeans and my boots before I go. Eggs scrambled for JB if you think you can handle it.”

“You doubt me?”

“Yes I do Beau. You were giving our son elk jerky the other day and mixing coffee in with his milk.” Jackie laughed. “Good thing I didn’t marry you for your culinary skills. Why don’t you have Eve fix Master Savage his breakfast?” She winked.

“Mommy, Poop!” JB was good at signaling the need for a diaper change.

“Bye Beau. I’m off to get Pops.”

Jackie kissed her son goodbye leaving Beau to change a messy diaper, which she knew he wouldn’t change. As she walked away, she heard him calling Eve. Beau had taken to be a father well but he was not involved in the changing of diapers. He also would refuse to wake up in the middle of the night when JB was an infant. Jackie hopped in her convertible with the top down and took off for Pop’s house which was about a mile away. The sun was warm on her shoulders and the fields and rolling hills were just beginning to turn green. Life was good.

Jackie walked up the wooden front steps, trying not to wake Beau’s grandfather. He often fell asleep on his favorite chair under the shadow of his cowboy hat. She nudged him to wake him gently from his slumber.

“Hey Pops. It’s Jackie here to take you up to the house. I’m sure you’re in the middle of a good dream and I hate to interrupt.”

Jackie lifted his cowboy hat and shook him by the hand. It was cold and Jason Savage was dead. She didn’t panic because she had never seen a more peaceful passage. The coffee mug next to his chair was full but cold so she predicted he had been on the porch for hours. Maybe he was viewing his last sunset when he died. Jackie grabbed her phone and dialed Beau.

“Hey I called ahead to the stable and they’re getting some horses ready. Tell Pops that”

Jackie interrupted Beau mid-sentence. “Pops is dead Beau. He appears to have passed away peacefully in his sleep. Call the ambulance or the coroner; I don’t know which because I’ve never been in this situation before. I’ll stay until you get here. Ask Eve if she can stay for the day and make sure, she’s available for the next several days. Beau. Beau?”

Beau dropped the phone, barked at Eve; and sped his truck to his grandfather’s house. The look on Beau’s face was one Jackie had never seen. He looked scared and mad; Beau was out of control because he had just lost his best friend and mentor.

“What the fuck Jackie. Oh, Beau call the coroner. I’m surprised you didn’t ask me to pick up a gallon of milk on the way over. You’re acting like this happens every day. Jason Savage is an important man in case you weren’t aware of that. He’s also the only person on the planet who truly understands me.”

Sirens were blaring as the ambulance raced up the dirt road to the ranch. Beau waved them on to the porch where the paramedics moved the body off the chair and checked his vitals. Police cars followed and began asking questions and taking notes.

“Was Eve able to stay with JB?”

“No, Jackie. I left the kid at the kitchen table doing the crossword,” Beau snapped sarcastically.

The police chief approached Jackie.

“I’m assuming there won’t be an investigation into this death. Mr. Savage was 92 and there appears to have been no foul play. If anything changes let me know. The gentleman with the coroner’s office will be interested in knowing where you want the body taken.”

Beau interrupted. “Our family always uses McAllister’s. They know the drill because they handled the deaths of both of my parents.”

“Beau, I know your Grandfather had plans to be cremated. He had specific instructions that I know he had notarized and kept with his will. Our attorney has everything and we’ll handle it from here. Thank you Chief Lipton.

The chief walked away and Beau began to shake his head in anger. It was a tense time so Jackie tried to be patient and allowed Beau to take it out on her.

“You’re new to the Savage family Jackie. We’ve had people die in this family before and the procedure is always the same. To have a proper funeral, we need a casket and cemetery service. Pops will be laid to rest next to my father at the Mountain of Souls. The view is great and he’ll be with loved ones. The savage family has the finest plot in the state and they keep it meticulously manicured.”

Jackie was not about to argue and let the matter fall to their attorney Gil Bridger. She was mostly concerned with getting home to JB who was probably wondering what happened to Mom.

Tina Dorsette was relaxing on the deck of her oceanfront condominium in Malibu, when she picked up her tablet. She made it a habit to keep up with the news that mattered. Tina was a fixture on the elite social scene of the West Coast; she needed to maintain her relevance at cocktail parties and other events. Who married, divorced or died was important information. The embarrassment caused by not recognizing a person’s death by sending condolences to their loved ones would be catastrophic. Tina had been a catwalk model based in Paris for years but she retired and showed up in the occasional print advertisement. She could be found in the pages of Vogue or the New York Times style section, wearing something ridiculously expensive and looking pissed off. Her relationships were fodder for the tabloids because she dated professional athletes or the occasional older billionaire. Tina flipped her long golden hair and her amber eyes widened.

“Oh shit. This is big.” Tina sat up, exposing her bare boobs.

“What’s up T?” Her friend Sasha asked.

They were both nude sunbathing by their infinity pool.

“Jason Savage finally kicked the bucket. Making his grandson Beau have more money than anyone I know. I remember Beau was very close to the man so I think I’ll have to make it a point to attend the funeral in Cheyenne.”

“Isn’t Beau married to some chick named Jackie? I think they had a kid,” Sasha said as she dipped her toes in the pool.

“All true but you know what happens to a woman’s body after she has a child. I never took Beau to be a family man so I wonder how he’s holding up.”

“Careful Tina, You’re supposed to be rehabilitating your image after the Tim Randall affair. He was married with two children under five. You’ve been labeled a home wrecking hoe and your PR people were pissed.”

“Don’t overreact Sasha. It was great PR because now my name is known. It wasn’t a scandal that I can’t handle and I really feel bad for Beau. He probably needs a friend who understands him and we go way back. I helped him decorate his apartment in Paris and I probably still have a key to the place; I’m sure the doorman still knows me.”

“Do you need company on your trip to Cheyenne?” Sasha asked.

“Sure what the heck although most of my time will be spent with dear friend Beau. I’m going to buy a tasteful black dress for the service, get my highlights touched up and have my pussy waxed for the occasion.”

“Some occasion Tina — a person died.” Sasha laughed.

Tina Dorsette and her pal Sasha managed to hop on a charter with friends who were also going to the funeral, taking place at a church in Cheyenne. They rented a black SUV when they landed. There were many similar vehicles in Southeastern Wyoming that week because Jason Savage had many wealthy friends. He owned half the land in Wyoming and 1/3 of Montana. He was one of the West’s most prominent land barons. He just thought of himself as a cowboy with good luck. Tina used her GPS to navigate her way to the Clear Creek Resort owned by Beau and Jackie Savage.

A laminated sign in the resort lobby was a photo of Beau and Jackie Savage, co-owners of the resort. They were both decked out in western attire. His arm was thrown around her shoulder and they were smiling broadly. Tina shook her head and continued to the front desk.

“Tina Dorsette checking in. I requested a suite with a view,”

“This is an all-suite property. Every room has some type of view. We only offer so many with a panoramic view of the mountains and those were booked long before Mr. Savage’s funeral was scheduled.”

“I’m a close friend of Beau, I mean Mr. Savage. See if you can sneak me into a mountain view room with a terrace.”

“I mean no disrespect Ms. Dorsette but most of the folks in town to pay respects are close to the family. I’m sure you’ll find room 211 up to your standards.”

Tina continued to check-in, as did Sasha. Tina Dorsette did not like being treated like everyone else and she made a metal note of less than stellar front desk experience.

Jackie was sitting on the floor of the solarium with JB. The sun was pouring in and she was enjoying the best part of her day. Motherhood had come as a surprise as she never imagined herself a domestic goddess. Having JB infused new life into the ranch. Before his death, Jason Savage noticed the changes and was pleased that his legacy would live on in his great-grandson.

“How’s my little man and devastatingly beautiful wife? I owe you an apology Jackie. I’ve been difficult over the past few days and you’ve let me steam roll over you and your ideas. You wrote the obituary, which was amazing. You organized packets for all the out of town guests and set-up the open house tribute. You haven’t missed a beat with the little guy either because JB seems happy.”

Jackie smiled as she chased JB before he tore into one of the dozens of flower arrangements that were delivered.

“JB is happy that we’re having a party as he calls it. He’s a little disappointed that there are no balloons and he still doesn’t grasp the concept of Pops being gone. I bought him a new cowboy hat to wear. I’m excited to show him off and introduce everyone to Jason Savage’s great-grandson.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone. He was my touchstone in many ways. For the first time I’m the patriarch of the Savage family and I don’t know if I’m ready for it. It feels as if all the fun in my life is over and it’s time to get down to business.”

“Pops had been retired for years and you’ve already taken over the running of Savage Enterprises. You’ve done a great job, if I may add. The recession could have been disastrous but you managed to make the company as big and as profitable as ever. You have so much to be thankful for Beau.”

JB came running into Beau’s arms. “Daddy. Where Pops?”

He handed JB to Jackie. “I need a drink. Many of my buddies whom I haven’t seen for a while are in town so I’m gonna head over to the resort and throw back a few.”

“Don’t drive home. We don’t want anything to happen to the man we love.” Jackie kissed Beau. “When JB goes down for his nap I’m gonna hit the gym. It’s been almost two years so I can’t use baby weight as an excuse anymore for a couple of extra pounds.”

“I’m not complaining Jackie. You’re as beautiful as ever.” He slapped her ass.

Their home gym was as big as many public facilities. Variety was not an issue. There were free weights, machines, Pilate’s equipment and a yoga cove. If she had gained any weight, it was in her boobs so it was more of a bonus than anything. Jackie had never been more happy and confident with her body and she was certain Beau felt the same.