Texas CHAOS (Texas Heroes Book 2) (8 page)

“Well, if you say so.” Maybe if she dressed up, had her hair done and practiced some dance moves she would feel better. “What about our age? We’re not even old enough to drink. Won’t they card us?”

“Not a problem.” Dixie walked to the dresser and opened a jewelry box. “I have my handy-dandy fake ID and I can get you one in no time. I know just the guy.”

Putting on a brave front, she smiled. “All right. I trust you. Let’s do it.”

* * *

“I don’t understand. What happened?” Louisa stood at the door to Jenna’s room. As requested, Louisa had packed up her things. “I knew she’d go off to school, but this doesn’t seem the same.”

“She’ll come around.” Logan promised, not certain he could deliver. “We just had a little misunderstanding.”

“Is she in love with you?”

Louisa’s bold question as she taped up a box took Logan by complete surprise. “She thinks she is,” he answered lowly.

“Are you in love with her?”

Logan choked on the lie. “No, of course not. I love her, like you do. Anything more would be wrong.” He stacked the boxes by the door.

When his mother didn’t reply, Logan glanced over his shoulder to meet her gaze. She was watching him steadily. “Don’t let what you fear others might say about you and Jenna ruin your life. She’s levelheaded, smart and knows her own mind. Any man would be lucky to have her.”

Instead of making him feel better, his mother’s words caused Logan’s chest to tighten with what almost felt like grief. He didn’t want to feel false hope. She had no idea of the tight rope he was walking. If he had any inkling, any hope, that Jenna could ultimately be happy tied to him – he would beat down any barrier to be with her. “It’s not a good idea, Mom,” was all he allowed himself to say. Reaching in his back pocket, he took out some papers. “Tape this to the top. It’s the paperwork for the loan so she can start school. Make sure you tell her that everything’s been taken care of. Where she lives won’t make a bit of difference. I’ll still make sure she has what she needs.”

Louisa Gray crossed her arms and surveyed her son. “What if you are what she needs?”

“Don’t tempt me.” Logan slammed out of the bedroom. How could he do the right thing when everyone he cared about was pushing him to do what he knew to be wrong?

* * *

Jenna studied the fake driver’s license and compared it to her own. “I guess it looks real enough.”

Dixie took Jenna’s blouse and pulled the elasticized neckline down over her shoulders. Jenna’s eyes widened. “There, now he won’t notice the photo,” Dixie said with a smile.

After they’d finished dressing, the girls climbed into Dixie’s Jeep and headed to Luckenbach. The small community was about an hour’s drive west of Austin, very near the Gray Wolf Ranch. It would seem odd being so close to home, yet not stopping by for a visit. Louisa and Earl had called her several times. She’d talked to them, but she hadn’t been honest about all that had happened. She wasn’t sure what Logan had told them. Hopefully, no one else knew her painful secret but Dixie.  

When they passed the turnoff to Gray Wolf, Jenna closed her eyes as if the sight was painful. Dixie saw her reaction and tried to get her out of the funk she was in. “So, have you been to the saloon at Luckenbach before?”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding? Even if I had been legal, Logan wouldn’t have let me near a place like that at night. I’ve been there during the day to buy him a hat for his birthday at Tony Wilson’s Snail Creek hat shop.”

“Logan kept a tight rein on you, didn’t he?” Dixie muttered under her breath. Logan might not admit it, but it was evident to Dixie that he’d wanted to keep Jenna all to himself.

“I know about the place, though. Earl has several stories about the famous stars who’ve performed on the grounds. Everybody from Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to Jerry Jeff Walker. He says Luckenbach is a Texas state of mind. The little town’s slogan is ‘everybody is somebody in Luckenbach’.” Jenna paused as if to think. “I guess that means me too.” She grinned at Dixie. “I can be somebody in Luckenbach.” Whether or not she could be somebody Logan wanted was another question.

“You’re already somebody. Somebody perfect.” Dixie just shook her head at her friend’s odd mood. They turned down the narrow road and pulled under the shade trees in front of the rustic buildings. The tiny wood plank Post Office and the Snail Creek Hat Company with its flock of straw hats perched on outside display racks were open and doing business, as was the small restaurant whose apron clad waitresses were presently serving a band of bikers baskets of hamburgers and fries on picnic tables sitting beneath the branches of twisted oak trees. Behind these businesses, the historic Dance Hall stood. They parked near the split rail fence and headed to the back. It was early so no one was there but the manager and a few workers who asked them several questions and let them sign an agreement on the dotted line. Dixie was right, the men never questioned the fake ID’s. 

“Step over there and pose for us. We want to advertise the girls who’ll be in the auction. That night we’ll need you to walk across the top of the tables, dance a little and shake whatever God gave you.” The bearded bartender’s long hair was caught back and tied with a bandanna. He wore sunglasses even in the darkened interior.

Over the older man’s head, Jenna widened her eyes at Dixie as if to ask what the heck they’d gotten themselves into. Dixie wasn’t any help. She pulled Jenna over to where they had the camera set up and while some music played they giggled and vamped until the photographer was satisfied he had a few shots that could be used for marketing.

The bartender checked out the photos, letting the girls see. “You two will bring a pretty penny to our Hill Country Rescue fund.” He gave them a lascivious wink and a grin which displayed two gold teeth.

Jenna kept a smile on her face, but she really only felt sad and a little guilty. Her motives weren’t as pure as raising money for charity. She was using this opportunity to jumpstart her move into a world that didn’t include Logan Gray, a world she wasn’t even sure she could exist in.  

“What if someone recognizes us?” She whispered to Dixie as they returned to the Jeep. “Won’t we get into trouble?”

Dixie waved her hand. “In the photos I saw, our faces weren’t really clear. Someone would have to know you well, to recognize you. Stop worrying, it won’t happen.”

“Okay,” Jenna sighed. Compared to the other worries in life – like what was next, where would she go – how would she live without Logan – this was minor. They retraced their route out of Luckenbach and hit the main road which would take them through Stonewall on the way back to Austin. Jenna wanted to cry as they passed the familiar peach orchards, the beautiful vineyards and the wildflower farm where she’d worked off and on. “Pull in, Dixie. I want to stop just for a second or two.” Dixie slowed down, checked the traffic and made a U-turn, pulling into the eclectic shop which showcased flowers, pottery, wildflower seeds, and home decorations – many of the items Jenna had specifically chosen and set up as displays to tempt customers.

When Dixie parked, she shifted in the seat of the Jeep to face Jenna. “Wanna go in? I’m sure Tildy and Lorraine would like to see you. Not to mention the cats, those monsters love you.”

Jenna folded her arms tightly around her waist, almost as if she were holding herself back from throwing open the door and running out into the fields surrounding the shop. Before answering, she let her eyes wander over the patchwork beauty of daisies, mums and lavender, planted as far as the eyes could see. “You know how dumb I am?” She sat up straighter in the seat when she saw one of the big house cats winding his way among the pots and plants. One of the main things she’d loved about working at the wildflower farm was how they’d always made pets welcome, especially since three old fat cats ruled the roost, having the run of the store and grounds.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re not dumb.” Dixie pushed a lock of Jenna’s hair over her shoulder. “You’re smart and beautiful. I’d kill to look like you. Whoever drew Princess Jasmine from Aladdin could have used you for a model. While I look like Tinkerbelle on a bad hair day.”

This made Jenna laugh. “You do not and I’m not Middle Eastern, I’m Irish or something. I just happen to have dark hair and dark eyes.”

“You still look like her, I’ve always thought so. Now, why do you think you’re stupid?” Dixie asked, pulling her hair on top of her head and securing it in a swirly topknot.

Jenna glanced out over the fairy tale landscape of the wildflower farm. “Because I have no ambition, I don’t want to be a teacher or a secretary or an accountant. My fantasy was to marry Logan, work here if we needed the extra money, ride horses and have babies. Pretty childish, huh?”

“Not childish at all. You wanted to make a home, there is no higher calling.” Dixie sat there with Jenna, giving her time to think.

“I have to get a job,” she mused. “Or enroll in college, maybe some online courses while I work here.” She lifted her eyes to gaze at the place that held so many good memories. “But it would be too close…I need to put some distance between us.” Remembering, Jenna dug in her purse. “Laramie gave me this card.” She showed it to Dixie. “A woman named Anne Rabb leads a group of riders called Cowgirl Angels. She thinks I would fit right in.”

Dixie had mixed feelings. She wanted Jenna to be happy, that was the most important thing. “Well, wait till after the auction. A little time will give you the right perspective, you can decide then.”

“You’re a very wise woman, Miss Dixie Bell.” Jenna leaned her head back. “We can go now.”

Starting up the engine, Dixie pulled out into the road and they were on their way. Jenna stared out the window at the passing landscape. There were forty-six wineries between Fredericksburg and Austin. Her home was as close to Tuscany as one could get and not leave Texas. In addition to the vineyards, there were at least twenty peach orchards dotting the hillsides. When she’d first moved here with Logan and his family, Jenna had felt as if she’d moved to a wonderland. Her folks had lived near here, but living in town on a small residential lot surrounded by other houses was nothing like being out in the wide-open spaces. No matter if Logan rejected her, she could never deny that he and his family had provided her with a magical place to heal.

Leaning her head against the window, Jenna took a deep breath. The bachelorette auction would happen in two weeks. In that time, she was going to get a make-over and a personality transplant if she could find one. At that thought, Jenna laughed, causing Dixie to look at her oddly. “I don’t know how to live without him.” Jenna folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself. “I don’t know how to explain it. In some ways, it’s like someone died or maybe how a person feels if they divorced.”

“You’ll want to see him someday, Jenna. The Grays have been your family for two years.” Keeping her eye on the road, she missed Jenna wiping tears from her face.

“I know you’re right, but I have to get over him first. And I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”

* * *

Logan couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat. He could barely function. When Jenna walked away from him, she stole his heart and almost took his sanity. He’d tried to phone her countless times in the past two weeks. She wouldn’t pick up, nor had she answered any of his emails or texts. His parents were standing on their head. His father’s words had been quick and succinct.

“I never thought I’d raised a fool, Logan. Maybe I was wrong.”

He missed her so much, he didn’t feel whole. Logan sat at his desk with his head in his hands. What had he expected? In his crazy mind he thought he could push her away and keep her close at the same time.

Maybe he was a fool.

“Chief!” Marcus, his second in command, came barreling into the fire station. Logan’s initial thought was that Terra had shown up again. Even though he hadn’t encouraged her, nor had he asked her out since the night of the rodeo when he’d seen Jenna in the arms of the young soldier, she persisted in coming around and bringing food. The men loved to see her arrive, arms loaded with pies, cakes or some other tasty concoction. They’d taken to calling her his ‘girlfriend’, which Logan protested loudly once the coast was clear. His denials hadn’t really affected their enthusiasm. How he was going to discourage her without being rude was a mystery to him. But he had to let her down gently, and soon. Jenna might be gone, but she had carried her heart with him.

“I’ll be there in a second!” As Logan rose, he pushed his worries about Jenna aside.

“The new truck’s here!”

“Great!” At least it wasn’t Terra. “It was time to do his job. Since Jenna left, he’d been almost impossible to work with. The men deserved a medal for putting up with him.

Strolling out into the bay area of the fire station, Logan found six of his men climbing all over a brand new fire engine like excited young boys. Brodie, a big, strapping former UT football player, even turned on the siren. Logan had to smile. This engine represented a lot of work on their part. Their department’s responsibility was growing, with the area’s population on the rise; and ensuring they had equipment enough to provide adequate protection for their community was a constant battle.

“I know where I’m going this weekend.” Ronan waved a piece of paper in the air. “Who’s with me?”