Little Cowgirl Needs a Mum / Once Upon a Proposal

CHAPTER SIX

IT was a little before nine the following morning when Jenny came downstairs to the shop. Millie was already there, and, to her surprise, so were several other women. They were all seated at the round table at the window.

“What’s going on?” Jenny asked as she came up next to her coworker.

Millie took her to the table. “Meet the ladies of the Quilters’ Corner. You already know Beth Staley and this is Louisa Merrick and Liz Parker. And soon there will be more.”

Jenny smiled, excited they were here. “Morning, ladies. I’m glad you’re taking advantage of the space.”

Millie turned to her. “You know, most times when you get a bunch of women together there’s drama.”

“There’s just going to be quilting,” Louisa Merrick said. She was an attractive woman in her late fifties. Her raven hair was laced with gray and pulled into a bun, showing off her beautiful bone structure. Her dark eyes sparkled. “My husband, Clay, is a Texas politician. He causes enough drama.”

Everyone laughed.

“Sounds like your life is exciting,” Jenny said, knowing a little of Senator Merrick’s reputation.

Louisa smiled. “I’d rather have a houseful of grandkids to spoil, but my son, Sloan, is a little slow to fill my request.” Louisa smiled. “You say you’re single?”

Jenny found herself stuttering. Please don’t let anyone set me up with a date.

Beth spoke up. “Sloan is more interested in raising his free-range cattle than in women right now. Jenny’s been busy, too … with her girls’ class.”

“He’ll be interested,” Louisa assured her, “when he finds the right woman.” She looked encouragingly at Jenny.

“I won’t be staying in town past the summer. I’ll be returning to San Antonio and my teaching job.”

After a series of groans from the women, Beth started talking about her granddaughter, Kasey. And Jenny was happy to no longer be the main topic of discussion. What would everyone think if they knew Evan Rafferty had kissed the daylights out of her last night?

She smiled to herself, knowing that, as much as she’d enjoyed the kiss, she couldn’t make too much out of it. Talk about a mismatch. Evan wasn’t the man for her. A warm shiver went through her at the memory of his touch.

Maybe if she wrote it on a piece of paper a hundred times then she’d start to believe it.

That same morning, Evan began his day as usual. He walked through the vines, checking the grapes as he had every day for years. He’d always been a man who thrived on routine, on habit.

But he wasn’t in the habit of kissing women.

He closed his eyes and Jenny came to mind. In the last twelve hours he hadn’t been able to erase her image, or the feel of her against him, or the taste of her.

The truth was, kissing Jenny had been incredible. He hadn’t wanted to stop, but he’d had to. It wasn’t wrong to want a woman, he told himself, especially a woman as appealing as the dark-eyed blonde.

What bothered him was how she made him feel. He wanted casual, and she had marriage and kids written all over her. He couldn’t go there again. Besides, Jenny had befriended his daughter. That could complicate things all to hell. And he needed to put his energy into his relationship with Gracie.

No, marriage wasn’t for him. He couldn’t make his first one work, so why would he try again?

At the sound of a horn, he looked over his shoulder and saw a crew-cab truck pull up next to the barn. Alex Casali and Gracie got out along with her new friend, Cherry. His daughter waved and he started down the slope as the group came toward him.

“Hey, Gracie.” He’d missed her more than he could have imagined.

“Hi, Daddy,” she called, surprising him as she rushed into his arms.

“Did you have a good time?”

She stood back and smiled. “It was so much fun. We watched movies and played video games.”

Hadn’t she missed him at all? “Sounds like fun to me.”

“Daddy, when can I have my sleepover?”

“I’m not exactly sure.” He glanced at Alex. “We need to discuss that with Jenny.”

Gracie looked at Cherry. “Jenny’s going to be the woman in the house. Daddy says mothers won’t let their girls come with only men here.”

Alex hid a grin. “Wise idea.”

Gracie turned back to Evan. “Will you ask her?”

He wasn’t sure he was ready to face Jenny yet. “Okay.”

“Today?”

That could be an excuse to see her again. “We’ll see.”

Gracie looked at her new friend. “Come on, I want to show you my room.”

“Ten minutes, Cherry,” Alex called after the twosome running toward the house. “Then we need to leave.” He turned back to Evan. “I doubt she even heard me.” He nodded toward the vineyard. “How about showing me around?”

Evan was surprised by the request. “Sure.”

Together they walked toward the rows of vines, heavy with grapes. “It’s quiet now, but we’ll start harvesting in a few months,” Evan said. “We’ll be busy then.”

“How many acres planted?”

“Right now it’s about twelve.”

Alex studied him. “You have plans for more?”

Evan turned away. “I’ve always had plans for more. Just not in the near future.”

“You sell to Solomon Creek Winery?”

Evan nodded. “Yes, my pinot grigio grapes.” He pointed to the highest section of the hill. “They’re harvested first. Then zinfandel and muscat. They’re all my grapes, but under his label.”

“I’m impressed.”

Evan was surprised. “Why? You’ve done well in the cattle business, and it’s been a lot more profitable.”

“Success is not always measured by financial gain.” Alex smiled. “I discovered that when I met Allison and Cherry.” There was a long pause. “You’ve had a rough few years, but you’ve come through it.”

Evan didn’t want to go there. “I have a daughter to think about now.” He glanced around the vineyard. “This is for her. It’s her heritage.”

“Is she the reason you wanted to build the winery?”

“That was part of the Kerchers’ plan, then my wife’s. Now, it’s the Rafferty Vineyard. I’m more into growing the grapes. And they’re in demand as the hill-country wine business grows. These wineries here are winning awards all over the world.”

“You’re quite the spokesperson.”

“It is my livelihood.”

They stopped at the crest of the hill. “What’s your dream?”

“It’s pretty simple—to grow the best grapes and run my own label.” Evan just wasn’t sure he could pull it off by himself. Although his brother helped out, Matt was more interested in the cattle operation.

Alex studied him. “The important thing is to have a dream. That was my problem for years.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “I worried too much about accomplishing things, making money, moving on to the next step, so that I couldn’t enjoy what I had. It’s important to have someone to share it with.”

Evan had to agree, but he had a feeling Alex Casali wasn’t talking about sharing all this with Gracie, but with another female.

Jenny rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock on her nightstand—6:55 a.m. Since it was only five minutes until the alarm would go off she might as well get up. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her thoughts flashed to Evan. It had been two days since she’d been foolish enough to let things go so far.

Big mistake. She never should have gone to Rory’s. Never should have let Evan kiss her. What had made her think they could be just friends?

She released a breath and walked out of her bedroom and into the main room of the apartment.

The newly remodeled attic space that had once belonged to Allison was smaller than Jenny’s place in San Antonio, but she didn’t have to share it with a roommate.

She walked over to the compact kitchen with its new cabinets and appliances, not that she needed more than a microwave. She took a diet soda from the refrigerator, popped the tab and went into the living area. Bamboo floors were covered by a sisal rug, and a grass-green love seat and two tan leather chairs faced the small flat-screen television banked on either side with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. There wasn’t any wasted space here.

It was fine, temporarily, but her goal was to go back to San Antonio and her teaching job at the high school. Not to kiss a cowboy/vineyard owner. That had been what had got her into trouble two summers ago with Brian. She brushed her hair away from her face and took a gulp of the caffeine-charged drink. She needed a clear head. She didn’t need to fantasize about Evan Rafferty’s arms around her, his mouth against hers, sending incredible feelings through her.

No! No! No!

She wasn’t ready for this man. More importantly, Rafferty wasn’t ready for her. He had a wife that he hadn’t put to rest, a daughter he was trying to parent. Her heart tightened at the thought of Gracie. How blessed she would be to have a sweet little girl like her.

She shook her head. “You’re dreaming again, Jen.”

Once again she heard the familiar words. Marsha Collins-Newsome had always been a realist. She hadn’t believed in dreams. A single mother beaten down by life, she’d married the first guy who could give her a decent home. Carl Newsome, a widower with three wild sons: Carl Junior, Mike and Todd. The boys were older than Jenny, and they’d spent their adolescence making things difficult for her. The youngest son, Todd, had been the worst. He’d made her life a living hell, and even as adults he wouldn’t leave her alone. She was glad he’d been sent to prison and hoped that she never had to see him again. No, the Newsomes and Collinses had never quite managed to become a nurturing family. The furthest thing from it.

Jenny remembered her visit with the Raffertys. They weren’t perfect, but they cared about each other. Her chest tightened with that same old longing. She wanted what she’d never had. A loving family.

She turned her thoughts back to Evan. He wasn’t the man for her. Too much baggage, and she didn’t want to be the rebound girl.

The only stability in her life had been her teaching. Since college, it had filled a lot of empty places. She needed to get back to it. And nothing was going to stop her.

Not even the good-looking Evan Rafferty.

Later that day, Jenny had just finished with a customer when the bell over the door rang and Evan walked in. Her heart began to race. She hated that she reacted to the man.

Evan removed his hat and nodded to Beth Staley. The older woman stopped and talked with him a moment, then he held the door open for her and she walked out.

He made his way across the store. Those deep-blue eyes locked in on Jenny. She felt her breathing speed up. She had to stop this. This wasn’t high school.

“Jenny,” he said as he stopped at the other side of the counter.

“Rafferty,” she returned, not seeing a bit of uneasiness in him. “What can I do for you?”

He glanced around, hearing voices from the tables in the classroom area. “Can we talk?”

Dear Lord, no. She didn’t want to hear that he was sorry he kissed her. “I’m rather busy right now.”

He held his hat in his hand. “When will you have time?”

Millie suddenly appeared. “I can watch things for a while.” She smiled at Evan. “You could go back to the office.”

Evan nodded to her. “Thank you.” Then without any warning, he came around the counter and took Jenny by the arm and walked her toward the back of the store. Inside the small office she stopped in front of the file cabinet, but when she turned around, she found Evan right there. His gaze was intense, his scent engulfed her.

“What’s so important?” she managed.

“I need to know if you still plan to chaperone Gracie’s sleepover.”

She was almost relieved that was the reason he’d stopped by. “Yes, I promised her that I would. Why? Have you changed your mind?”

He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “I was thinking you might have after what happened the other night.”

Now she saw his uneasiness. It was endearing, but she couldn’t let him get to her. “Get over yourself, Rafferty. It was only a kiss.” One that had nearly knocked her socks off, she added silently.

He leaned in closer. She could feel his breath warm against her face. Then he grinned. He wasn’t playing fair. “Glad you feel that way.” He stepped back. “Because the invitations went out for Friday night.”

She worked to clear the dryness from her throat. “What invitations?”

“The sleepover at my house,” he said.

She knew he was talking about Gracie’s party, but suddenly a picture of Evan and her in a big bed flashed through her head. Whoa. She blinked and turned away. “What time?”

“Gracie told her friends seven o’clock. Maybe you could come by a little early, and don’t be surprised if Matt and Dad have some surprises planned.”

Jenny found it easy to smile. That was just like those two. “Sounds like fun.”

He grumbled something. “I just want to survive the night.”

She laughed. “Buck up, fella, this is only the beginning.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Friday night arrived, along with a half dozen screaming girls and their thundering footsteps overhead in Gracie’s bedroom.

“Saints save us,” his father said, looking up at the ceiling. “What in the world are they doing up there?”

“I don’t know. I only hope the house is still standing in the morning,” Evan replied, shrugging. “Of course, Jenny’s up there supervising.” Then came another thud. “Maybe they tied her up and put her in a closet.”

Sean laughed. “That’s something you and your brother would have done. But if it happens, then you can go up and save the pretty lass.”

And who would save him? he wondered. Once the girls had found out Jenny was going to be there tonight they were even more excited to come. For him, having her in the house seemed strange, but to everyone else, she fitted in. She did fit in. Maybe that was the problem.

The sound of little girls’ voices grew louder, and then came the stampede of footsteps on the stairs.

“Brace yourselves, here they come,” Sean said.

One by one, three little blondes, two brunettes and one red-haired girl arrived in the kitchen. Every one of them had big hair and tons of makeup on those sweet angelic faces.

Gracie proudly climbed up on a bar stool. The other girls followed her. “Hi, Daddy. We’re having a lot of fun.”

“I can see that.” He looked her over, trying to find his little girl under all the makeup. “Trying a new look?”

“Oh, Daddy. We’re doing the eighties. You know, Madonna, Bon Jovi. ABBA, too.”

The other girls broke into a chorus of “Dancing Queen,” then fell into a fit of giggles.

“Daddy, did you know Jenny can moonwalk like Michael Jackson?

“No, I didn’t.” Evan looked at his dad and mouthed, “Madonna.”

Sean shrugged and whispered, “I’m sure Jenny has it under control.”

“All the girls think Jenny is way cool. She says we’re going to work our way through the decades. We’ll finish with Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift.”

Evan turned back in time to see Jenny walk in. Her hair was big, too, lying in waves past her shoulders. She wore heavy makeup, overdone on the eyes and lips, and some kind of tight stretchy pants that hugged her long sexy legs.

“Hey, girls.” She winked at Evan as she sat down on a stool. “Did you get something to eat?” She glanced at his father. “Hi, Sean.”

“Hello, young ones,” he greeted as he eyed all the girls. “Looks as if I have several customers here.” He leaned on the counter. “What can I get for all of you? Pizza? Chips? Ice cream? Hamburgers?”

After the girls placed their orders, the group got up and headed upstairs. Gracie stayed back and said to her father, “Don’t come in, because it’s for girls only.”

Evan nodded. “Okay. We’ll knock on the door, then leave the food in the hall.”

She kissed him. “Thanks, Daddy.” She took off to find the others. The music started up again along with a thumping sound. Evan glanced at the clock to see it was only nine o’clock. Just twelve more hours and they’d all go home. That included Jenny.

It was midnight and the girls showed no signs of slowing down, but Jenny was running out of ideas for things to do. They didn’t want to watch any more videos, or eat any more food. They were too far out in the country for a scavenger hunt. Maybe some scary stories.

She got the girls’ attention and started telling tales she remembered from school when something hit against the window.

The girls jumped and gasped. “What was that?” one of them asked.

Jenny got up, pulled the curtains back and looked out the second-story window. Down below a flash of white caught her eyes. “What the …” she began, when she saw the figure standing in the yard. It was Sean. She opened the window and the girls came to see what was going on.

“Sean? Is something wrong?”

“Sorry to disturb you, but I’m looking for some little ones who’d be interested in roasting some marshmallows by the campfire. Maybe tell a few stories.”

“We are,” the chorus of girls cheered.

“I’m too scared,” Carrie said, looking out into the darkness.

“Come on,” Cherry said. “Mr. Sean won’t let anything happen to us.”

“How about if we all go together?” Jenny suggested. “It’ll be fun.”

“We’ll be right down,” she called to Sean.

“Good.” He smiled. “Bring Evan, too. He’s taking a nap before the next shift.”

Already dressed in their pajamas, the girls all put on sweatshirts and shoes, then headed down.

Jenny was bringing up the rear when she stopped by the master bedroom. She knocked softly and pushed open the partly closed door to find Evan lying on the bed fully dressed, minus his boots. The lamp beside the bed was on and she could see he was asleep.

“Evan,” she whispered, but when he didn’t answer, she walked in and stood next to the bed. She stared down at the man lying on the bed. He looked so peaceful, so unlike the Evan who was usually frowning.

She heard the girls at the foot of the stairs and reached out and touched his arm. The warmth of his skin caused her to bite back a gasp.

His eyes shot open, and he quickly sat up. “What happened?”

“Nothing yet. We’re going down to roast marshmallows. Your dad said to wake you up.”

Her hand was still on his arm. “Sorry, I was catching a few hours sleep.” He rubbed his eyes. “What are the munchkins up to now?”