Flirting with Texas (Deep in the Heart of Texas) (33 page)

“Go ahead. Make my day,” she said with enough “Dirty Harry” in her voice to have Alejandro easing his hand away from his coat pocket.

Tension released in Beau’s shoulders, and he laughed. “Go ahead and make my day?” he said as he walked out from behind the wagon, his gun aimed at the man in the hole.

Jenna flashed him a smile. The brilliance of it took his breath away. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

“I bet you have, sweetheart.” He glanced back at the barn doors, expecting to see them rattling as the men tried to kick them in. Instead, they were perfectly still. Which made the tension return. Quickly, he waved the gun at the man who stood in the three-foot hole and rattled off some Spanish.

“What did you say?” Jenna asked.

“I either told him to drop the shovel or drop his shorts.”

Jenna laughed. “Either one will work.”

Beau waited for the man to climb out before pulling his gun from his shoulder holster and shoving him down on the ground. He motioned for the other one to follow. Having roped and tied a few steer in his day, it took him no time at all to bind the men’s hands and feet together with some baling wire he found in one of the stalls. Jenna remained with her gun pointed at Alejandro, and Beau
had little doubt that she would shoot him if he made one false move. Alejandro seemed of the same mind. He didn’t make another attempt to get his gun. Although he didn’t look all that scared either.

“This is a waste of time,” he said with a smirk on his face. “My men outside aren’t going to let you leave here alive.”

Beau knew he had a point. The men had no doubt heard the gunshot and were already making plans to shoot as soon as Beau and Jenna stepped out the door. Which meant that they should wait it out in the barn for Sheriff Hicks. Except Sheriff Hicks could be hours away, and Beau had never been good at waiting.

He walked over and twisted Alejandro’s arm behind his back before slipping the gun out of his coat pocket. “Which is exactly why you’re going to lead the way, El Patron.” He shoved him toward the tack room and issued an order to Jenna. “Stay here until I come back for you.”

“Oh no.” Jenna fell in step next to him. “I’m not letting you waltz into an ambush, Beauregard Cates.”

Beau gritted his teeth. “Damn it, Jenna. For once in your life, would you let me be the hero?”

“What do you mean?” she said. “I just did.”

Beau glanced over at her. “Are you telling me that you could’ve taken on three men by yourself without a gun?”

“Of course.” She pulled open the tack room door. “Once Sal had dug a hole for himself that he couldn’t easily get out of, I was going to offer to help. He would hand me the shovel, which I would then use to dispatch Julio and Stupido here.”

“And you think that Sal wouldn’t have pulled his gun on you?”

“He would’ve been hard-pressed to hit me when he was in a deep hole.” She opened the side door of the barn and peeked out.

“So you’re saying that you didn’t need me at all?” Beau grabbed an old towel off the workbench and shoved it in Alejandro’s mouth.

Jenna looked back at him. “Not for that.”

“Then for what?”

She thought for only a second before she spoke, a smile tipping the corners of her mouth. “I need your smiles like I need sunshine. Your kisses like I need food. Your love like I need air.” She shrugged. “I guess I just need you, Beauregard Cates.”

There had been only a few times in his life when he had to fight back tears. This was one of them. Before, when she had told him that she loved him, he’d been too scared for her life to enjoy it. Now, his heart felt like a big ol’ hot-air balloon. Except this wasn’t exactly the right time to let it float away. So instead, he shoved Alejandro out the open door and kept it brief.

“Well, that’s nice to know, Blondie.”

She didn’t look real happy with his reply, but he planned on making things up to her. Something he realized he might not ever get to do when he stepped out the side door of the barn to the staccato clicks of guns cocking.

Beau froze with his gun pressed to Alejandro’s head as his gaze scanned over the barrels of at least twenty guns of various shapes and sizes.

Thankfully, the guns weren’t being held by members of the Mexican Cartel.

But rather by members of the Bramble Ladies’ Club.

A camera flashed, and Beau was surprised to see the tourists Marty and Laurie standing amidst the gun-toting women.

“Not now.” Laurie pushed the camera away from Marty’s face. “He’s not naked!”

“I’
M GONNA SUCCEED IF IT’S
the last thing I do.” Twyla finished lacing up her purple running shoes before she got to her feet and executed a few lunges. “This time,” she clasped her hands together and stretched her arms over her tower of teased hair, “I will come out the victor.” She eyeballed the bouquet that sat on the long banquet table beneath the huge cottonwood tree. “Come hail or high water, I’m gonna get my hands on yew. And Kenny Gene won’t have a cowboy boot to stand on.”

Normally, Twyla’s antics would’ve gotten a smile out of Jenna Jay. Today, she wasn’t much in a smiling mood. Not even when a tall, handsome cowboy came up and sat down next to her.

“I’d ask for the pleasure of a dance with the woman who brought down one of the major players in the Mexican Cartel,” Dusty said, “but I’ve never cared much for dancing.”

“That’s fine with me,” Jenna said. “I don’t feel much like dancing either.” Her gaze moved over to the dance floor that had been set up amidst Miss Hattie’s lilac
bushes. Most of the folks of Bramble were gliding around on it. But Jenna only had eyes for the silver-haired cowboy who stumbled through a two-step with Shirlene. His head was tipped back, and he was laughing like he was having the time of his life.

Jenna tried to pull her gaze away, but it was a losing battle. As much as she wanted to ignore Beau like he was ignoring her, she couldn’t seem to do it. Not during the ceremony where Marcy and Pastor Robbins vowed to love, honor, and cherish. And not during the drawn-out dinner where Beau sat a good five tables away.

“According to the Feds,” Dusty continued, “they’ve been tracking Alejandro for years, trying to get something on him.” He flashed his crooked smile. “And all it took was a skinny, blond cowgirl to bring him down.”

“I didn’t do it alone.” Jenna’s gaze remained on Beau.

“I’m sure no one will overlook Beau’s part in it,” Dusty said. “He’s a Cates, after all. They never get overlooked. Although I have to admit that the federal agents did do a good job of keeping your names out of the news.” He poured some champagne in a fluted glass and handed it to her. “The picture that ended up on those tourists’ Facebook page was easily explained as a joke.”

“Some joke.” Jenna watched as Beau switched partners with Billy for the waltz. Starlet looked as if she’d just won the lottery, which was almost laughable considering Beau’s dancing skills. But Jenna didn’t laugh. Not when she would’ve given anything to change places with Starlet. Except Beau hadn’t asked her. Or smiled at her. Or looked at her.

“So what’s going on with you two?” Dusty asked.

“Nothing.”

There was nothing going on between her and Beau. For an entire week and a half, ever since he had rescued her in the barn, there had been no kisses, no sex, not even a brief phone call to her parents’ house to see how she was doing. It was like she had fallen off the face of the earth as far as Beau was concerned.

Jenna had been trying to convince herself that Beau’s strange behavior had to do with his fear over losing her. Their near brush with death had frightened all the good ol’ boy flirting right out of him. But seeing him tonight, flirting with every woman but her, destroyed that theory and forced her to face the truth. Whatever she and Beau had had together was over. She might be head over heels in love with him, but Beau didn’t feel the same way. The words of love he’d spoken to her on her parents’ front porch were only a result of his excitement over learning he didn’t have cancer, and it had only taken some time for him to realize it.

The old Jenna would’ve fought for Beau’s love. But the new Jenna had come to realize that you couldn’t force a person to change their feelings. Beau didn’t love her, and as hard as it was, she would have to live with that.

No longer feeling like she could continue the charade of enjoying the wedding, she set her glass down and got to her feet.

“Do you think you could take me home? I have a bad headache.”

Dusty didn’t look as if he believed her. Still, he nodded his head and set his glass down. They had only taken a few steps when Rachel Dean came hustling up.

“You ain’t leavin’, are you, Jenna Jay?” She spoke so loudly that half the people in attendance turned to look
at them, including Beau. His gaze locked with Jenna’s for only a second, just long enough to make her knees weak, before it moved over to Rachel. He winked and then turned on a boot heel and walked off the dance floor.

Rachel grabbed Kenny Gene on his way by and shoved him at Jenna. “You can’t leave when you haven’t danced with Kenny.”

“Sorry, Rachel,” Kenny said. “I don’t have no time for dancin’. I’ve got to get Francine Monroe pumped up to catch that bouquet before Twyla—”

Rachel tightened her large man hand on Kenny’s arm until he flinched in pain. “Dance with Jenna Jay, Kenny.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Kenny grabbed up Jenna before she could protest and swept her toward the dance floor. Kenny had always been a good dancer, and he twirled and whipped her around so fast that all she could do was follow and pray for the end of the song. It happened sooner than she thought. Mid-lyric, the lead singer of the band cut off, and Mayor Sutter’s voice boomed through the speakers.

“All you single women get your catcher’s mitts ready. It’s time for the bouquet toss!”

Kenny twirled Jenna to a stop, and his eyes filled with terror. “Can you still jump as high as you did in high school, Jenna Jay? Because there’s a twenty in it for you, if you can.”

Before Jenna could answer, Kenny was being pushed off the dance floor by a herd of crazed, single women. Jenna wished that she was as lucky. When she tried to break through the mob, one woman after another blocked her exit. Most of them were married women who had no business being out on the dance floor in the first place.

“Excuse me, honey.” Shirlene stepped in front of her. “I just wanted to get a look-see. No tellin’ what Twyla will do this time.”

“You’re going the wrong way, Jenna Jay.” Elizabeth Cates steered her back into the group like she was an unruly child.

“You don’t have to catch it,” Faith said as she hooked an arm through Jenna’s.

“As if Twyla would let that happen.” Hope hooked her other arm and helped her twin sister guide Jenna to the front of the pack. They left her standing next to Twyla, who was pulling on a pair of those sticky-bubbled gloves that football receivers wear.

“Stay out of my way, people,” Twyla warned. “I’m a woman on a mission.”

“No can do, sweetie.” Olive Washburn stepped up on the other side of Jenna. The hens had given Olive a makeover, and Jenna had to admit that she looked real nice. Her tattoos barely showed in the long-sleeved beige gown, and she’d dyed her platinum hair the same color brown as her daughter’s.

According to Minnie, Marcy still didn’t know Olive was her mother, but Jenna figured it would only be a matter of time before she did. Jenna could only hope that Marcy would accept Olive as her mother as easily as the town had accepted Marcy as their new pastor’s wife.

“Go on, Mrs. Robbins,” Mayor Sutter’s voice bellowed through the speakers. “Let it rip.”

Marcy stepped onto the dance floor assisted by her husband, who wore a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and lei. Marcy wore a silk flower lei coupled with her simple white dress, and she looked like a beautiful island
princess. Pastor Robbins must’ve thought so, too, because, even after he released her hand, he watched her with the look of a man thoroughly besotted.

Marcy moved to one end of the dance floor. But before she turned her back to the group of women her gaze shifted to another man who stood on the edge of the crowd. Beau looked like the carefree cowboy he was. His arms were crossed over his chest, and an arrogant smile tipped the corners of his mouth. He winked at Marcy just like he’d winked at Rachel. Normally, his blatant flirting would’ve made Jenna mad. Now she just felt sad that she would never again be on the receiving end of those winks and smiles.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Marcy turned and launched the bouquet over her shoulder. Having no desire whatsoever to catch the flowers, Jenna kept her hands at her sides. She had nothing to worry about. The bouquet sailed up in the air, a good three feet over Jenna’s head. Olive and Twyla went up at the same time. And not surprisingly, Twyla beat Olive out. The bouquet was only inches from Twyla’s fingertips when it was plucked away by a hand Jenna recognized immediately.

She turned to find her brother Dallas standing behind her, his smile big and contagious.

“You always are right in the middle of things, aren’t you, sis?” With the accuracy of an all-American college football player, he threw the bouquet across the garden and right to Beau, who was now staring at her intently. The crowd parted like the Red Sea as he walked toward her. He stopped inches away. So close she could hear his heart beating.

Or was that hers?

He lifted the bouquet. “I think this is supposed to go to the next bride.” When she just stood there staring at him, he reached into the silk flowers and pulled out a small box. He flipped it open to reveal a beautiful diamond in a simple setting.

Her gaze lifted to his, and he must’ve read her confusion.

“I wanted to surprise you, Blondie.” He gave her the smile she’d been waiting a week and a half for. “And I’ve been so happy after hearing that you love and need me that I didn’t think I could keep it a secret.” He glanced up at Dallas. “And I also wanted to give your brother time to get here.” Without a second’s hesitation, he handed the bouquet to Dallas and got down on one knee. “Jenna Jay Scroggs, love of my life, woman of my dreams, will you marry me?”