But, Cal, I’m not going to be as rigorous as you. I expect a man to touch her, you know.”
Cal frowned. Mac must not be as interested as he’d hoped, because he knew he’d flatten anyone who dared lay a finger on Jess. “You’re probably right,”
he said slowly, keeping a smile on his face, though the words hurt. “Maybe you should, you know, hug her... or kiss her a time or two to give the others an idea.”
Mac laughed. “I don’t think any of the men in Cactus need that kind of instruction.”
“No, but it might give them the idea that...that I’m not guarding Jessica anymore.”
“But it might give Jessica the wrong idea. She’s a sweetheart, but I wouldn’t mislead her for anything. And you, of all people, know I never intend to marry again.”
Cal nodded. He remembered. And this conversation was killing him. But he kept Jessica’s happiness in his sights. “Just a kiss or two. For me.”
JESSICA HAD SPENT the day at Florence Gibbons’s house, leaving just a few minutes before Cal had arrived, unaware of his enlistment of Mac’s services.
After a shower, she pulled on her jeans and T-shirt, in a much better mood for the first time since the sale of her restaurants. She’d devised a new steak sauce and she and Florence had marinated the meat for this evening.
A new idea was swirling around in her brain. When Alex had arrived, a few minutes earlier, she ran it by the attorney to be sure she wouldn’t be abusing the noncompetition clause.
“No, you’re okay,” Alex had informed her. “We made the noncompetition clause applicable to Mexican restaurants only. Give it an American name, don’t serve nachos, and you’re home free. Are you really going to do it?”
“Wait until you taste the steaks tonight, and you tell me.” But Jessica knew. She was excited about her new recipe. And she was excited to have something else to think about besides Cal.
When she emerged from her bedroom, her long hair tied back with a green scarf to match her green T-shirt, Alex was waiting for her.
“I hope you didn’t mind the long drive. Tuck thought it was important that you be here for the celebration.” She watched in surprise as Alex’s cheeks reddened.
“Not at all. It was a good excuse to skip work today. The long drive gave me some time to think. Burnout is becoming a distinct possibility.”
“Really? You’re always so enthusiastic, I assumed you love your work.”
“I do! At least, I would. Most of the time I’m so busy I don’t have time to enjoy anything. And most of my clients aren’t as much fun as you.” Alex ran her hand through her thick, blond pageboy and sighed. “I’m kind of confused right now.”
“Jain the crowd. I feel like I’ve been cut adrift in the middle of the ocean.”
“Do you regret the sale?”
“No. I’d gone as far as I could go with The Old Cantina. If my new idea works, it’ll be a new challenge, something to occupy myself with.”
“And since you made so much money, you don’t have to be quite so anxious about it succeeding,” Alex pointed out.
“No money worries. Just personal pride.”
“Yeah,” her attorney agreed, almost as if she faced the same thing.
“Shall we go? I want to get there early and make sure the steaks are properly cooked.” It was only five o’clock. It wouldn’t be dark for another hour, but Alex seemed as eager to go as she was.
When they arrived at the Langford ranch, it appeared others had wanted to arrive early, too. At least a dozen vehicles, mostly trucks, were parked in front of the house.
“Looks like we’re going to have a good turnout,” Jessica murmured.
“Is that unusual?”
“Not really. Out here, when someone has a big party like this, everyone assumes they’re invited whether they are or not.” She grinned at the city girl beside her. “I hope you wore your dancing shoes. There’s sure to be a fiddler or two in the bunch, and the Langfords have a great deck for
Cal frowned. Mac must not be as interested as he’d hoped, because he knew he’d flatten anyone who dared lay a finger on Jess. “You’re probably right,”
he said slowly, keeping a smile on his face, though the words hurt. “Maybe you should, you know, hug her... or kiss her a time or two to give the others an idea.”
Mac laughed. “I don’t think any of the men in Cactus need that kind of instruction.”
“No, but it might give them the idea that...that I’m not guarding Jessica anymore.”
“But it might give Jessica the wrong idea. She’s a sweetheart, but I wouldn’t mislead her for anything. And you, of all people, know I never intend to marry again.”
Cal nodded. He remembered. And this conversation was killing him. But he kept Jessica’s happiness in his sights. “Just a kiss or two. For me.”
JESSICA HAD SPENT the day at Florence Gibbons’s house, leaving just a few minutes before Cal had arrived, unaware of his enlistment of Mac’s services.
After a shower, she pulled on her jeans and T-shirt, in a much better mood for the first time since the sale of her restaurants. She’d devised a new steak sauce and she and Florence had marinated the meat for this evening.
A new idea was swirling around in her brain. When Alex had arrived, a few minutes earlier, she ran it by the attorney to be sure she wouldn’t be abusing the noncompetition clause.
“No, you’re okay,” Alex had informed her. “We made the noncompetition clause applicable to Mexican restaurants only. Give it an American name, don’t serve nachos, and you’re home free. Are you really going to do it?”
“Wait until you taste the steaks tonight, and you tell me.” But Jessica knew. She was excited about her new recipe. And she was excited to have something else to think about besides Cal.
When she emerged from her bedroom, her long hair tied back with a green scarf to match her green T-shirt, Alex was waiting for her.
“I hope you didn’t mind the long drive. Tuck thought it was important that you be here for the celebration.” She watched in surprise as Alex’s cheeks reddened.
“Not at all. It was a good excuse to skip work today. The long drive gave me some time to think. Burnout is becoming a distinct possibility.”
“Really? You’re always so enthusiastic, I assumed you love your work.”
“I do! At least, I would. Most of the time I’m so busy I don’t have time to enjoy anything. And most of my clients aren’t as much fun as you.” Alex ran her hand through her thick, blond pageboy and sighed. “I’m kind of confused right now.”
“Jain the crowd. I feel like I’ve been cut adrift in the middle of the ocean.”
“Do you regret the sale?”
“No. I’d gone as far as I could go with The Old Cantina. If my new idea works, it’ll be a new challenge, something to occupy myself with.”
“And since you made so much money, you don’t have to be quite so anxious about it succeeding,” Alex pointed out.
“No money worries. Just personal pride.”
“Yeah,” her attorney agreed, almost as if she faced the same thing.
“Shall we go? I want to get there early and make sure the steaks are properly cooked.” It was only five o’clock. It wouldn’t be dark for another hour, but Alex seemed as eager to go as she was.
When they arrived at the Langford ranch, it appeared others had wanted to arrive early, too. At least a dozen vehicles, mostly trucks, were parked in front of the house.
“Looks like we’re going to have a good turnout,” Jessica murmured.
“Is that unusual?”
“Not really. Out here, when someone has a big party like this, everyone assumes they’re invited whether they are or not.” She grinned at the city girl beside her. “I hope you wore your dancing shoes. There’s sure to be a fiddler or two in the bunch, and the Langfords have a great deck for
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