Rocky Mountain Cowboy (25 page)

“Okay.” She caught his hand and squeezed. “Go easy on Scott.”

Scott watched her go. “That’s a hell of a woman, too, my friend. Might want to make that partnership Tom wanted permanent with her.”

Hawk smiled as he watched Jenny in her sexy red dress walk down the aisle. “Been giving it some thought. The Rockies are a long way from Hollywood, though.”

Eli and Hank were sitting near the front of the church. Hank nodded to Jenny as she sat down next to Eli in the pew. The old cowboy smiled at her. “Be nice to see you walking down the aisle one of these days soon yourself, missy,” he whispered in her ear. “There’s more than one way to form a partnership, ya know?”

“It’s a bit soon, Eli.”

“Your dad woulda loved to see you two make a permanent arrangement.”

Jenny supposed that her father would have indeed liked to see her make a permanent partnership with the man he had loved as a son. It wasn’t an unpleasant notion, far from it in fact; just premature. One episode of passionate lovemaking did not make a potential marriage.

Of course, it also felt like there was something much more significant than great sex going on with John Red Hawk Larson. He had been tremendously supportive after Tom’s death; sensitive, caring, and understanding. There weren’t many men capable of that. She still grieved for her father. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t miss him; that she didn’t still keenly feel his absence in her life. But the pain wasn’t as acute as it had been at first.

Jenny stared at
the man partially responsible for that as he walked to the altar and took his place beside the groom. Hawk was a rare and unique man. She’d never met a man as considerate of her feelings as he was. He may have gotten a bum deal in his life way too early, but he had learned a lot from her father and he’d risen above his adversity.

And no one had ever made love to her the way he had. It had been indescribable! But did she have a future with him? Did he want a personal one as well as a business one with her? And what about her life in California? Could she continue her career here? The ranch required a lot of full
-time attention. Was she ready to give up one life for another? Would she have to? She was still torn between her dual dreams, her current goals and those of the past. It was a dilemma that didn’t have any easy answers, and it had been on her mind all week.

Since Scott and Becky were married at a full nuptial mass, it took over an hour. Hawk shifted restlessly after a while,
rolling his broad shoulders, moving his hands from his pockets to his sides and back again. Jenny watched him shift from one foot to the other occasionally, and smiled. Obviously, he wanted the ceremony to end, while she was simply enjoying the uninterrupted opportunity to sit and stare at him.

When the mass was finally over, the wedding party, including Hawk, disappeared with the priest into a side door off the altar. The professional wedding photographer followed in hot pursuit. Resigning herself to the fact that Hawk would be gone
for a while, Jenny left with Hank and Eli and headed to the reception.

Inside, the three of them found a linen covered table to sit at. After several trips to the buffet table, they had an array of finger sandwiches and appetizers set around the beautiful centerpiece in the middle of the table. While she sipped her flute of champagne, Jenny stared at the golden angel surrounded by a spray of rose tinted baby’s breath. With Eli and Hank to keep her company, she was content to wait for Hawk, but Eli, bless him, asked her to dance as soon as the music began. Hank followed the old cowboy’s request as soon as they returned to the table. Then a friend of theirs ambled over and asked for a dance. While she was dancing with yet another cowhand, Steve tapped the young man on the shoulder and cut in. His dance became three, and would have progressed to four had Jenny not excused herself for a much ne
eded break to the ladies’ room.

While she was inside, several women she had met at Becky’s wedding shower stopped to greet her and lavish praise on her dress. Everyone wanted to know if it was one of her own designs. When she told them it was, they wanted to know if her line of clothing was available through any of the stores here in the valley, or even in Denver. Sadly, it wasn’t, she told them. But visions of a possible market in the region tantalized her. It occurred to her that she might be able to entertain both her dreams right here in her childhood backyard.

When she returned to the table where Eli and Hank were sitting, she continued to think about the possibility of moving her business to Colorado. Movies took a lot of time and travel. Maybe it was time to stop costume designing and just limit herself to fashion designing. She could work at home, build a clientele for ready-to-wear clothes, even do some exclusive designing once in the while. All she needed was a little help, some seamstresses and cutters. She could start off small, maybe open a boutique. Denver, with its trunk shows and ready-to-wear market, was only a couple of hours away. That way she could stay and help Hawk run the ranch.

While she sat thinking and sipping champagne, she spotted Brad Caldwell across the room, talking to a group of men and women. County commissioners, according to Eli when he noted who had caught her attention. In turn, she asked him why Brad had even been invited to Scott and Becky’s wedding. Eli told her Becky’s dad was
a county commissioner, and a member of the Board of Director’s at Brad’s bank.

Jenny concluded Brad Caldwell was a born politician. He was handsome. He had money, and he had charisma. It appeared he was also very influential. Certainly, he was
someone who would make a dangerous enemy.

She watched him scan the room, as if he was looking for someone. She could only hope it wasn’t her. She moved her chair so Eli blocked her from Brad’s line of vision. She really did not want to spoil her day by talking to him, or by having Hawk see her talk to hi
m. Damn, where was Hawk anyway?

At last, Scott and Becky entered the reception hall. They were received with an enthusiastic round of applause. Hawk wasn’t with them, although his counterpart, the maid of honor, was.

The newlyweds moved through the reception hall, greeting and accepting congratulations. Eventually, they spotted Jenny. Eli and Hank rose to give Becky a kiss and Scott a handshake. Jenny stood, too, and gave Becky an affectionate hug. In the time she had been home, she had really come to like Becky. In fact, they were becoming fast friends.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” Jenny told her. “That dress is gorgeous.”

“So is yours. I wish I’d met you sooner, then I would have had you design my gown.”

“I’ve never done a wedding gown.”

“Make your own your first then.” Becky smiled impishly. “Scott tells me you and Hawk are getting pretty cozy. It would be great if you decided to stay here, even better if it was with one particular man we both know.” Becky leaned closer to whisper, “I’ll throw you my bouquet. It’ll bring you good luck.”

Jenny laughed and promised to try to catch it. “I made arrangements with some friends of mine at a couple of the movie studios to give you personal tours while you’re in Southern California on your honeymoon next week.” From her glittering purse, she drew out a piece of paper and handed it to Becky. “Their phone numbers are written here. Call them when you get there to set the time and date. I’ve already talked to them
, and they know you’re coming.”

“I will, and thank you.”

“And I’ve got this for you....” Jenny dug into her purse again, and handed Becky a set of keys and another piece of paper. “The address and keys to my condo on the beach,” she explained. “You and Scott will love it, and it’s empty. I let Peter know you were coming, so it will be left empty while you’re there. He uses it sometimes on the weekends to relax or entertain. But he won’t, while you two are there.”

“Geez, Jenny, you don’t have to do all this.”

“Yes, I do. I want to. Enjoy.” She winked at the bride and smiled. “Have fun.”

“Oh, we will,” Becky replied, giving Scott a sideways glance. “Thank you again.” With a one-armed hug, Becky planted a kiss on her friend’s cheek.

The band began playing a slow country music tune, and after dancing first with his bride, then with his new mother-in-law, then his own mother, Scott came over and asked Jenny to dance.

“Hank and I are gonna take off, honey,” Eli informed her before she left with Scott. “We’re heading to Denver for a couple days to see some old friends. Tell Hawk we’ll be back Monday
sometime.”

Jenny smiled ruefully at the old cowboy, then at Hank. “Have fun, and drive
carefully. Thanks for keeping me company for so long.”

“Our pleasure.” Hank tipped his hat and smiled, then left with Eli.

On the dance floor, Scott complimented Jenny on how nice she looked, and she congratulated him on his good fortune. Up at cow camp, she had gotten to know Hawk’s best friend fairly well. She had come to think of him as a friend, in fact.

In the evening, when they had shared dish washing duty, he told her about his rodeo days with Hawk, then about some of their antics as teenagers. The two of them had shared misadventure and trouble and her dad’s intervention. Scott had been raised by a single mother who worked two and three jobs. Like Hawk, he’d met Tom at the Boy’s Club. He’d also told her a little about Hawk’s early relationship with the Caldwell family. Most of what he’d said confirmed what she’d already learned; that living with Brad Caldwell and his father had been fairly brutal. Cindy, though, had apparently been another story. Her relationship with Hawk had been closer. Scott hadn’t revealed any other secrets about the two, but she had gathered that they’d been pretty involved for years.

Jenny had also learned that Scott was truly worried about the problems his friend was having. Her father’s death had been a traumatic blow for Hawk. It had left him to deal with the current problems alone. Scott thought that her support and presence had done a great deal to help. She hoped Scott was right. She wanted to help Hawk with the problems he was trying hard to deal with by himself. She had the resources to help, and she had a stake in the ranch.

“Hawk shouldn’t be too much longer,” Scott told her as he guided her smoothly through the slow country western
dance. “That stupid photographer Becky hired was a fussy pain in the butt. He kept us in the church forever, posing and reposing. I thought Hawk was going to throw him out the door at one point.”

“He didn’t try, did he?”

“No,” Scott laughed. “Becky held him back. The three of us play on a softball team in the summer, so Becky has known Hawk long enough to keep him in line. Ever played any softball?” When Jenny shook her head no, he added, “You’ll have to come out and play with us, if you’re still here next season. It’s just a bunch of cowboys and their wives or girlfriends; a mixed team. Becky pitches. The woman’s got a hell of an arm.”

Jenny smiled, thinking it sounded like a lot of fun. “What position do you and Hawk play?”

“I play first base, and Hawk usually plays catcher or second base. He’s got a hell of a throw, too. Tom got us involved in baseball in high school; football and rodeo, too. He never missed a game or an event we were in.” For a long moment, Scott stared poignantly at Jenny. “Your dad was a hell of a man.”

Jenny was proud of herself for keeping her tears at bay. She even managed a tremulous smile for Scott. “Thank you.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to....”

“It’s okay. I’m dealing better with his death every day.” Her eyes brightened with a happier smile.
“It sounds like you and Hawk had a typical high school life,” she said wistfully. “I spent all my high school years in very exclusive boarding schools in France and Switzerland, getting into nearly as much trouble as you and Hawk did for a while. Unfortunately, I had only myself to rescue me,” she laughed cynically. “But, you don’t want to get me started on that mess, not on your wedding day.” With a quick scan of the room over Scott’s broad shoulders, Jenny looked for the man she really wanted to be dancing with; the man who was still nowhere to be found. “So, where is Hawk now? Surely, not still with the photographer?”

“The last time I saw him, he said he was going to make sure no one wrecked my truck when they rigged it with all that ‘Just Married’ stuff.” Scott checked his watch. “He has been gone a long time, though. Maybe I ought to go look for him to make sure my truck is okay.”

The music was just winding into a new tune when Brad Caldwell came up and tapped Scott on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in to dance with the lady?”

Jenny hadn’t seen him coming, so it was too late to run. Scott didn’t look as if he wanted to give her over to Brad, in spite of the fact that he’d been about to leave to look for Hawk.

“I think I do mind, Brad,” he finally said, having made his decision. “Go find someone else to cut in on.”

“Let’s check with the lady and see what she thinks, shall we, Richards?”

“Let’s not, Caldwell.”

Jenny could see trouble brewing real fast. It was Scott’s wedding day. She didn’t want it marred by any unpleasantness. “
It’s fine, Scott,” she told him with a nudge. “Go check on your truck and our friend.”

He studied her for a moment, and she reassured him with a smile. As he released her, he gave Brad a hostile glare.