The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,42
hats laying tile on the floor.
Frank, a man in his late thirties, tanned, sandy hair with bulging biceps gestured to the surrounding room. “Hey, JC, what do you think?”
“Everything looks wonderful. You and the rest of the guys have done such a great job.”
Frank nodded with a proud expression. “Thanks.”
“How is your family? You mentioned the other day Tommy was sick. How’s he doing?”
He stopped his work looking at Jennifer as if they were old friends. “Family’s great. And Tommy is almost well. Thanks for asking.”
“I’m so glad he’s feeling better.”
“Hey, we’re having a block party this weekend and you’re welcome to come.”
“I’d love to, thanks.”
Now she was invited to a freaking block party. Jennifer had worked her way back into the community, but in a good way, Rafe had to admit.
Jennifer stopped to chat up several of the hard hats and even shared a private joke or two with a couple of them. She obviously had been at the site quite a bit when he wasn’t here and had been getting friendly with the guys. She belonged here. She always had. But she couldn’t stay in Salvation not after what happened, no matter how much he wanted her to.
When they returned to the temporary office set up under the maple, Linc was on his lap top. He looked up at Jennifer and said, “Hey, the woman you hired to work on the web site sent some ideas for us to check out.”
“Great.” Zipping over to the chair beside Linc, she plopped down beside him resting her hand on his shoulder and scooting in close. Their heads almost met as they oohed and aahed over the images on the computer screen. Rafe’s irritation pawed the ground and hopped like a mischievous horse. “I love the graphics she used. It’s sophisticated but welcoming at the same time.”
Linc turned to Jennifer and grinned. “I figured you’d like them.”
Jennifer tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly. “You’ve been talking to the web lady.”
Linc shrugged. “She wanted an opinion on the graphics before she showed them to you and I was available. Hope you don’t mind.”
Jennifer shook her head. “Not at all. It’s amazing you seem to know my preferences.”
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’ve gotten to know my right hand girl’s likes and dislikes.”
“So I’m your right hand girl, huh?”
He winked. “You bet.”
Well, wasn’t that cozy. Rafe sat down on the other side of the table while they cooed at each other. What the hell was going on here? Since when had Jennifer and his brother gotten so snug? Rafe wasn’t interested in Jennifer, so why should it bother him?
“JC!”
Molly ran across the field toward Jennifer, her long, dark braids flying out behind her. “Hey, darling girl,” Jennifer said as her arms folded around Molly for a hug. “I’ve missed you.”
Molly pulled back from her arms and kissed Jennifer soundly on the cheek. “Me too. Why haven’t you come to see me?”
Without even looking at Rafe or so much as a blink, she lied through her teeth. “I’ve been super busy, and I figured you were busy too.”
Molly said a quick, “Hi, Dad,” before turning her attention back to Jennifer. “Not really.”
Jennifer rubbed a hand over Molly’s head. “Well, I’m sorry we haven’t been able to visit.”
“Me too.”
“I tried out for the Salvation Road Runners,” Jennifer said.
“Uncle Linc told me,” Molly said. The Salvation Road Runners was a local female softball team.
“It turns out I’m a great pitcher.” Jennifer held up her right arm and made a fist displaying her muscle. “It’s whipped my arms into shape.”
Not only her arms. Even her eye lashes were in shape. She sported a nice tan, her legs were even more toned than he remembered and worst of all she looked as contented as a mare seeing her new foal for the first time. How could she look happy when he had been so miserable?
“I caught the game against the Davis Coyotes,” Linc said. “Pitching a no hitter was really something, Jennifer. You were amazing.”
Damn it, he was an outsider in his own family. Everybody seemed to know what Jennifer had been up to except him.
“Congratulations, Jennifer.”
“Thanks, we went to the Roundup to celebrate and I’ve never danced so much in my life.”
Did she dance with that cowboy again? But why shouldn’t she go out and have a good time and dance with as many men as she wanted to? There was nothing between him and Jennifer, and he didn’t