daddy, though.”
“So you always been a cook in a café?” Creed asked.
“No, I bought the Chicken Fried Café last year, but I’ve always loved to cook,” Jasmine answered.
Ace led her to an empty recliner, sat down, and pulled her into his lap. Her breath caught in her chest, but she covered it with a small cough. That last kiss was impul-sive, and the weakness in her knees was comeuppance for the stunt. But no one was going to treat Ace like that.
“What’d you do before that?” Dalton asked.
“I worked in Sherman at a corporation,” she said.
“You goin’ to keep workin’ at the café or are you goin’ to be a ranchin’ wife?” Blake asked.
“That’s something Ace and I haven’t decided yet.
Right now I plan to operate the café.”
Ace made a motion to stand up so she stood with him as he said, “Okay, that’s enough questions for one night.
We’re goin’ on home now. We just wanted to stop in and meet you.”
“I understand there’s a reception at your folks’ place in Sherman?” Dolly asked.
Jasmine nodded. “Momma says it’s not a real marriage unless it’s performed in Texas, so it will be a full-fledged wedding, not a reception. Second Sunday in July.
I’ll let you know the details when Momma tells me.”
“I agree. Those Las Vegas things ain’t real marriages.
You tell your momma to call me if she needs anything,” Dolly said.
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“I’ll do that.” Jasmine nodded.
Dalton, Blake, and Creed all picked up their straw hats and followed the newlyweds toward the door. Dread and doom crept up Jasmine’s fingertips to her shoulders and then to her scalp, which tingled like it always did when something horrible was about to happen.
Ace stopped dead still halfway across the floor.
“Where are ya’ll headed off to?”
Blake shrugged. “Not a single one of us got those jobs we thought we had at that horse ranch in Waco.
Owner sold it off and the new man brought in his own crew, even for the summer. Creed is working for Rye and Austin over in Terral so he’ll only be at your place this week, but you don’t have to hire your usual summer help. We moved into the spare bedrooms. Didn’t know you were comin’ home with a bride until after we’d already moved in. Didn’t even know where you’d gone until we saw it on the television last night. We won’t interfere none. We’d stay out in the bunkhouse, but we’d have to sleep on the floor. And besides, Sam snores like hell,” Blake said.
Jasmine waited until they were in the pickup before she exploded. “How in the hell do we fix this? They’ll expect us to…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
“It’s really not so big a problem. I’ve got a king- sized bed and we slept together last night. I’ll put pillows between us if you are afraid you’ll attack me and try to force your body on me in my sleep.” He chuckled.
She sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly.
“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry, Jazzy. It was supposed to be a simple thing and it’s turned into a big mess, but OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 90
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we’ll get through it, I promise. I think we ate our horny toads tonight. Nothing else can happen now, and thank you again from the bottom of my beat up old cowboy boots,” he said.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You are still grinning and it’s not funny. And you promised me in Vegas you would never, ever say nothing else could happen.”
“I’ve always been the lucky Riley son. Garrett, Justin, and Tony worked their asses off for their land and they are all still making payments to the bank. I inherited mine… house, land, and cattle… all free and clear. I guess it’s time for me to pay some dues, and sneaking around from one bedroom to the other is a small price to pay. I only hire extra help during the summer
“So you always been a cook in a café?” Creed asked.
“No, I bought the Chicken Fried Café last year, but I’ve always loved to cook,” Jasmine answered.
Ace led her to an empty recliner, sat down, and pulled her into his lap. Her breath caught in her chest, but she covered it with a small cough. That last kiss was impul-sive, and the weakness in her knees was comeuppance for the stunt. But no one was going to treat Ace like that.
“What’d you do before that?” Dalton asked.
“I worked in Sherman at a corporation,” she said.
“You goin’ to keep workin’ at the café or are you goin’ to be a ranchin’ wife?” Blake asked.
“That’s something Ace and I haven’t decided yet.
Right now I plan to operate the café.”
Ace made a motion to stand up so she stood with him as he said, “Okay, that’s enough questions for one night.
We’re goin’ on home now. We just wanted to stop in and meet you.”
“I understand there’s a reception at your folks’ place in Sherman?” Dolly asked.
Jasmine nodded. “Momma says it’s not a real marriage unless it’s performed in Texas, so it will be a full-fledged wedding, not a reception. Second Sunday in July.
I’ll let you know the details when Momma tells me.”
“I agree. Those Las Vegas things ain’t real marriages.
You tell your momma to call me if she needs anything,” Dolly said.
OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 89
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Carolyn Brown
90
“I’ll do that.” Jasmine nodded.
Dalton, Blake, and Creed all picked up their straw hats and followed the newlyweds toward the door. Dread and doom crept up Jasmine’s fingertips to her shoulders and then to her scalp, which tingled like it always did when something horrible was about to happen.
Ace stopped dead still halfway across the floor.
“Where are ya’ll headed off to?”
Blake shrugged. “Not a single one of us got those jobs we thought we had at that horse ranch in Waco.
Owner sold it off and the new man brought in his own crew, even for the summer. Creed is working for Rye and Austin over in Terral so he’ll only be at your place this week, but you don’t have to hire your usual summer help. We moved into the spare bedrooms. Didn’t know you were comin’ home with a bride until after we’d already moved in. Didn’t even know where you’d gone until we saw it on the television last night. We won’t interfere none. We’d stay out in the bunkhouse, but we’d have to sleep on the floor. And besides, Sam snores like hell,” Blake said.
Jasmine waited until they were in the pickup before she exploded. “How in the hell do we fix this? They’ll expect us to…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
“It’s really not so big a problem. I’ve got a king- sized bed and we slept together last night. I’ll put pillows between us if you are afraid you’ll attack me and try to force your body on me in my sleep.” He chuckled.
She sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly.
“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry, Jazzy. It was supposed to be a simple thing and it’s turned into a big mess, but OneHotCowboyWedding.indd 90
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One Hot Cowboy Wedding
91
we’ll get through it, I promise. I think we ate our horny toads tonight. Nothing else can happen now, and thank you again from the bottom of my beat up old cowboy boots,” he said.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You are still grinning and it’s not funny. And you promised me in Vegas you would never, ever say nothing else could happen.”
“I’ve always been the lucky Riley son. Garrett, Justin, and Tony worked their asses off for their land and they are all still making payments to the bank. I inherited mine… house, land, and cattle… all free and clear. I guess it’s time for me to pay some dues, and sneaking around from one bedroom to the other is a small price to pay. I only hire extra help during the summer
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