Austin (New Horizon Ranch Book 8) (9 page)

Norma Sue nodded and grinned. “I have a good feeling about this.”

Adela winked at her. “I think it’s lovely.”

She saw Lacy and the other ladies from Mule Hollow smile at her.

“Here they go again,” Lacy said, when Jolene shot her a curious look. “You do know you’re talking to the Matchmakin’ Posse of Mule Hollow?”

“The what?” Jolene practically gasped.

“Oh, don’t look so horrified,” Esther Mae urged. “You’ve accepted a date with the man. It’s not like we’re going to have to come up with a way to get you two together. You did that yourself.”

“Kinda takes our fun away,” Norma Sue drawled.

Jolene wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or alarmed about the entire situation.

Bottom line: she had a date with Austin Drake.

Chapter Ten

“So, do we have everything in line for Saturday?” Lacy asked from the end of the table.

Jolene was relieved that she was taking the conversation off her. She was afraid that people in the diner could hear what was being said and she sure didn’t want the cowboys from the ranch getting wind of it. Thankfully they’d all come to discuss the dance and considering it was almost Saturday, the conversation switched to that. Jolene listened and tried to let the turmoil inside her chill out a little. She picked up a piece of catfish, dipped it in red sauce and took a small bite. It was perfect. She took another bite and listened to the conversation. It helped relax her by taking her mind off the obvious…she’d accepted a date with Austin.

“We need to make sure that the table we put the lemonade on will hold it all,” Norma Sue was saying. “We don’t want Esther Mae having the disaster that she had last time.”

“Me! You were wallowing on the ground covered in sticky lemonade, same as me.” Esther Mae shot her friend an indignant glare.

Sadie chuckled. “Really?”

“Only because I was trying to save you from caving that table in and I went down with you,” Norma Sue huffed.

“We’ll have a sturdy table,” Lacy said. “Sadie, isn’t Rafe having one made?”

“He is. It will be so sturdy that if you two want to get up on it and dance, y’all can. It’ll be here for the next hundred years—probably two hundred.”

And so the conversation went. When they finally left to head home, Jolene felt as if she knew a few more people. Aside from the uncomfortable few moments with the Matchmakin’ Posse, she liked them. Felt a kindred spirit. These women might not all be cowgirls but they were married to cowboys and they knew and loved the Western heritage lifestyle that drove Jolene. Her family didn’t. Though her mother had been a cook on the ranch for several years, it hadn’t taken her long to leave that behind when she married and moved into town.

But Jolene had it in her blood by then and could not leave it behind. Would not leave it behind.

“How did you come to love being a wrangler?” she asked Maddie as they drove home.

Maddie shot her a smile. “Long story short—I had a rough life, no parents. They left me when I was a kid, so I had no idea what kind of heritage I’d have had if they’d stuck around with me. I was raised in the system and soon as I could leave it and strike out on my own, I chose my own heritage and that involved a love of ranch life. Open spaces and freedom drew me. When I came to New Horizon and CC took me under his wing, well, for the first time in my life, other than Jesus Christ, I finally had a father figure and a place to belong. It’s in my blood. Yours too, huh?”

Jolene’s pulse skipped. “Yes. My dad abandoned us in many ways through using and dealing drugs. He was in and out of jail for years and finally my mom took us and we disappeared so he wouldn’t know where to find us. We ended up out in West Texas—near San Angelo on a big ranch where she took a job as a cook. And I fell in love with the cowboy way. And I’m good at it.”

Maddie slowed the truck. “What’s wrong, Jolene?”

Could she be honest?
“I’m attracted to Austin but I have my reasons for being hesitant. One reason is he doesn’t appreciate what I do. He thinks I shouldn’t do it because it’s too dangerous.”

Maddie hooted with laughter. “Causes some friction, doesn’t it?”

Jolene was confused by her reaction. “Yes.”

“You should have seen me and Cliff. Oh wow, there were fireworks of the major kind. He tried to tell me what I should and should not do. And I told him to back off several times. Our romance was not one of candlelight and roses. It was sparky and fire driven and tested by fire, that’s for sure. Still is in many ways. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. That man lights me up in the best of ways and I do the same for him.” She chuckled. “He respects what I do but he worries about me. And he’s a bull rider—I feel the same about him. But we have to move on from that and just trust that our skill, knowledge, and good sense get us through. And the good Lord, too. Nothing reminds me of that more than the robbery at the convenience store. That right there showed us both that the danger lies in unexpected places and we can’t live in fear. Austin should understand that. He was there. He’s a lawman.”

Jolene rubbed her neck, feeling tension tightening there. “Yeah, but he told me his brother-in-law died breaking a horse. That makes this personal.”

“Oh.” Maddie grimaced. “That does bring it closer to home. I didn’t know that about him. I mean I knew that his sister is a widow but I didn’t know it was because of a horse wreck. He works as much overtime as he can get because he’s helping put his sister get her teaching degree.”

Jolene was startled by this. “Really?”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy, Jolene.”

“He sounds like it. But this is just a date. Nothing more, so I hope those ladies, the posse, doesn’t get any ideas,” she warned, still uneasy about that part of the night.

Maddie just laughed. “Oh, well, I hate to tell you but no one can ever predict what those three ladies will do. They love their town and marrying off cowboys thrills them. Austin and the other law of Mule Hollow are their heroes now, for certain. But they’ve already helped marry off Sheriff Brady and Deputy Zane Cantrell-you met his wife Rose tonight. So you can see that Austin is priority now.” She parked the truck in the ranch parking area. “I’m just warning you. Sometimes they come on strong, sometimes subtle. It depends on what they sense. So we’ll see. I mean, they were sitting there when you came back in and Riley stopped you. They saw the way he was looking at you but they never asked questions about that. So I suspect they’re hoping you and Austin are a match.”

Jolene was confused. “Why would they have asked me anything about Riley? He just asked me a question.”

Maddie looked less than convinced. “From where I was sitting, that cute, flirty cowboy looked more interested in you than anyone I’ve noticed since he’s worked for us.”

“He…oh, this is ridiculous. Maddie, I had a good night, kind of an odd night in many ways, but I enjoyed meeting everyone. Now, I’m going to go get some sleep so I can ride some wild horses tomorrow.”

“Welcome to Mule Hollow.” Maddie winked. “Really, you’re going to love it here.”

Jolene let out a big sigh of relief as she headed to her apartment. It had been one evening filled with unexpected events.

“You look nice.” Austin groaned at his lack of originality. But she did look nice and he was tied up in knots. Had been since leaving her at the diner on Thursday night.

He wanted to know more about her. Felt driven to know her. And his curiosity overrode the worry about her career.

She looked surprisingly uncertain. “Thanks. Maddie told me Western was fine.”

He smiled. “It’s a street dance and a country band. Western is more than fine.”

Especially when it looked so good on her. The turquoise Western plaid shirt and jeans with dress boots with sparkly brads on them looked like her. Or at least what he’d come to know of her. “You ready?”

She nodded and stepped outside and pulled the door closed. She didn’t grab a purse, just tucked her key in her pocket. “Ready.”

He led the way to his truck and opened the door for her.

She looked sharply at him. “Thanks, but I could have gotten it.”

“I know. I just wanted to do it.”

“Okay.” She slid into the seat.

Austin moved to stand beside her. “Jolene, I know we have some strain between us but, I’m glad you’re coming to the dance with me. I’m…interested in getting to know you.”

She took a deep breath. “Same here.”

He felt the tension in her and longed to caress her cheek but held back. “Good.” He smiled and closed the door.

Dear Lord, he was flubbing this date already.
He stormed around the truck, his gut in knots. He was flubbing and suddenly, for all he was worth, he knew that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Jolene rubbed her damp palms on her jeans and watched Austin stalk around the front of the truck with a grim expression on his face.
She was flubbing this date!
She couldn’t get her tongue to work. It was stuck to the roof of her mouth and showed no signs of getting free. Saturday had come far sooner than she’d been prepared for. She’d had two days to ride her worries out on the back of wild horses and she was still uncertain why she’d agreed to go out with him when she knew in her heart that he didn’t like that she broke horses for a living. There was no getting past that gulf of difference.

Yes, she was attracted to him. Oh yes, no doubt about that. He looked so handsome tonight in his jeans and dress shirt and Stetson. Yup, she’d be lying to herself if she said otherwise. She’d never felt what she felt when he looked at her. Touched her. Kissed her.

A shiver raced over her at the thought.

She’d stood in front of the mirror in her room and critically studied herself. She’d asked Maddie what she should wear to the dance because she’d been uncertain there was anything in her closet that was right. But Maddie had assured her that jeans and a blouse was fine or a sundress if she’d rather. Jolene didn’t own a sundress and had decided that her jeans and dress boots and a plain blue teal blouse was fine. Now, as he slid into the seat beside her, she wished she had something a little more feminine.

He shot her a smile, a nervous smile she realized. The realization tugged at her heart.

She reminded herself she was simply going on this date to get this infatuation or whatever this was for him out of her system. After tonight, she could get back to being herself. The cowgirl who broke horses and was comfortable in jeans and blue shirts and who wouldn’t be caught dead in a sundress.

Chapter Eleven

“It’s been a long time since I went to a dance,” Jolene confessed as they headed to town. “I must confess it’s not my favorite thing.”

“I’ll confess then that I’d rather be fishing. But,” he added quickly, “I’m excited to be going with you.”

“I actually would rather be fishing too. It’s been too long since I dipped a hook in a pond.” She laughed.

There was a moment of silence.

Austin pulled his foot off the gas. “You wouldn’t want to go fishing instead?”

“Really?” A bubble of laughter escaped her. “Well, actually I’d love that. I don’t know if you realize this but you have a cheering section that I met last night. ‘The Posse,’” she made quotation marks, “is going to be there and watching. The thought of being watched so close while I’m dancing almost has me nauseous.”

He pulled the truck to the side of the road. “Are you serious? I know the ladies can be a little, ah…exuberant but in no way do you need to be that uncomfortable. I know where a beautiful lake is—if you’re sure?”

She smiled at him. “Let’s do it. I…I’m in shock.”

He chuckled, deep and sexily; the butterflies in her tummy fluttered. And then he turned the truck around and headed the other way.

He’d gone just a little way and turned down a dirt road. “I’ve been renting a little place since I moved here. I’m planning to look for a place but haven’t had time to look so far and I like the place I’m renting.” He turned in to a drive; a log cabin sat on the edge of a beautiful mid-sized lake.

“Oh wow. This is it?”

“Yeah. I can walk out the back door and fish. Hop on my horse and head for the pastures.”

“It’s perfect,” she said and meant it. “It’s just what I would be looking for if I—” She broke off, feeling suddenly awkward. “When I start looking for a place.”

“That’s what I felt when I turned in to the drive and drove past the trees and saw it.” He looked suddenly relaxed and more comfortable. “Come on, let’s go grab some gear and a cold drink.”

She followed him to the back deck that overlooked the lake. “How big is the lake?”

“About twenty-five acres. Not really that big, but big enough for a guy and a girl to have a good time. Don’t you think?” He winked and she laughed again.

“Yes, I do.” They looked at each other and she couldn’t help smiling. This night had taken such an unexpected turn and she was just thrilled. And more than a little intrigued.

Austin held the refrigerator open and looked back at Jolene. He still couldn’t believe they were in his house and about to go fishing. But he was feeling overwhelmed. It had been like a shell coming off her the moment he’d mentioned fishing. And he couldn’t believe she was so excited. But he liked it. “What would you like? I’ve got tea, Coke, water, orange juice.”