Somebody Like You (19 page)

“Not necessary.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Doubt settled in her stomach like a fist, but she’d have to trust him. Trust wasn’t always her strong suit when it came to something like this. She liked to be in control, liked to know for absolute certain everything was taken care of. Things like this forced her to pop Tums.

“One more thing before I call Mom. Two, actually. The first, I’d like to take Dottie along.”

“A chaperone?”

She was too slow in answering.

He laughed. “Darlin’, I understand there’s gonna be a lot of press there. I got that. And I’m sure there’ll be a ton of expensive photography gear with most of it aimed at you. Since I’ve already promised on Rosie’s chili to behave, I have to assume it’s you you’re worried about.”

She snorted. But he was way too close to the truth.

And it was all his fault. He
had
created a monster. He’d given her a taste, well more than a taste, more like a heaping plateful of what it could be between a man and a woman. And she wanted more.

With him.

Even if he intended to let her walk away when her job here in Maverick Junction was done.

“You said two things.”

“What?” She brought herself back to the conversation.

“You said there were two things you needed to settle.”

“Oh, the second Mom will handle. You really don’t mind if Dottie goes, do you? I thought she might get a kick out of it all. She’s been so good to me, and I thought it might be a way to repay her a little.”

“You’re a good person, Annie. I think Dottie will have the time of her life there. It’ll be a real treat for her.”

“Thanks.”

“So what’s this second thing your mom will handle?”

“Transportation. We have to get from here to Dallas.”

“Not a problem. I’ve got it covered.”

“Are you sure?”

“Annie, you’re starting to sound like a broken record. Trust me. I’ll get you there. Are you always this nervous before an event?”

She sighed and fell back against the chair. “Yes. I hate making public appearances. And I can’t simply show up and mingle. They’ll make me get up on stage and say something, something that should be profound.”

He said nothing, simply sat there on the chair arm and grinned at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Then stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you. I’m marveling at you. So brave.”

“No, I’m not. Didn’t you hear what I said? I hate public appearances, public speaking. They scare me to death. I’m always afraid I’ll screw up and, I don’t know, besmirch the family name.”

“Yet you do it, despite all that. Like I said, you’re brave.”

“Stupid is more like it.”

Now he laughed. “Annie, Annie, Annie.” He tousled her hair. “Call your mom.”

Letting out a huge sigh, Annelise turned off her phone. “And that’s that,” she said.

Staubach, stretched out beside Cash’s chair, snored quietly, his tail thumping slowly on the rug.

“Grandpa’s doing fine. Mom will call the charity to let them know I’ll be there, and her secretary will issue a press release tomorrow.”

“Go, Mom.”

Annelise grinned. “Georgia Montjoy is never happier than when she’s busy taking care of the world.” She curled up in his lap. “Mmmm.”

He tightened an arm around her, and she laid her head on his chest. His heartbeat was steady and strong. Like him. As awful as it had been, today’s storm had cleared the air between them. Had given them both a better understanding of each other.

“She also chewed me out for being so irresponsible. She’s been afraid that any day now the rags in the supermarket check-out lines would have my picture splashed all over them with some made-up story about me being in rehab or worse.”

“What will her reaction be to pictures of you and a Texas cowboy?”

“Once she sees you?” Annelise pulled back a little to look up at him. “Catches a glimpse of this beautiful face?” She lifted a hand to his cheek.

Cash caught it in his. He kissed her palm, then trailed those lips to her fingertips. Sucking gently on her pinkie, he drew it into his mouth.

Her heart thumped, and her lashes fluttered against her cheeks.

He bent his head and kissed her. Slowly. Carefully. Thoroughly.

She was breathless when he lifted his head.

“What else did your mother have to say?” His mouth was a mere whisper from hers.

“What?” She couldn’t think.

“She okay about Maggie?”

“Oh. Not quite, but she will be. Maggie’s crazy good. Her name will be on everybody’s lips by this time next year. People will be clamoring for a Maggie original.”

“It’s good of you to wear one of her designs.”

“I’m the lucky one. I can’t believe she’s willing to do this on such short notice.”

“No, the lucky one would be me, Annie. I’ll be there with you when you wear it.”

Annelise bit her lip. The thought of a night with Cash practically had her hyperventilating. They’d have to be careful, on guard. The press would be there. One slip and there’d be hell to pay.

“You miss them.”

“My family? Yes, I do.”

“This is a courageous thing you’ve done. Coming here to Texas.”

“Not really. I can’t stand to lose my grandpa. I have to try to save him.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “I’m so, so sorry you lost yours.” She kissed him, tenderly. Felt the sorrow in him. Tasted the grief.

He drew back. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. We’d better get some sleep.” He arched a brow. “Want me to tuck you in before I go?”

A slow smile curved her lips. “I think I can manage. But thanks for the offer.”

She walked with him to the door. “Maybe I can take a rain check?”

“You sure can.”

She fingered the no-frills disposable phone Cash had given her earlier. With so much riding on this dinner, she couldn’t toss it like she had her other one. Without a doubt, her parents would use it to pinpoint her location.

Or they’d track her through Cash after the fund-raiser.

Any way she cut it, her time in Maverick Junction was fast running out, and she’d yet to find the missing aunt. And then there was the fact that she flat-out didn’t want to leave yet. Maybe in another thirty or forty years, but not now.

“Cash, does your phone have a camera?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Could I borrow it for tonight? Promise I’ll return it in the morning. And I won’t call any sex lines.”

“You want to call a sex line, give me a ring.” He winked at her. “My rates are cheap.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Can I ask why you need it?”

“To take a picture of Dottie. Mom’s personal shopper will arrange for an outfit for her, but if I send a picture, she’ll have a better idea what to choose. Dottie needs to look totally smashing.”

“You’re a good woman.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Come on, Staubach.” He and his dog disappeared into the summer night.

She stood on the landing, listened to the hearty roar of the Caddy’s engine. Waited till it faded to nothingness.

Checking the time on the kitchen clock, she debated whether to invite Dottie to Dallas in the morning or do it now.

She was keyed-up.

Last night, a long hot bath might have provided a cure for that. Somehow she seriously doubted going anywhere near that tub tonight would calm her jangled nerves.

So she headed downstairs in search of a chaperone, someone to hold Cash at bay.

She pictured him, jeans unsnapped, chest bare versus Dottie in her pink housedress and sensible shoes. All in all, a fairly even match.

T
he next day passed in a blur. Working the barn, Annelise arranged tack on the wall, her mind buzzing. So much still needed to be done.

Dottie had been over the moon last evening at the idea of a big night out in Dallas. Immediately, she started to fret over clothes. When Annelise explained that was taken care of, that a new outfit would be waiting for her at the hotel, the woman had teared up.

However, when Annelise explained she needed a photo to send to her mother’s personal shopper, the tears stopped immediately. Even though it was after midnight, Dottie insisted on putting on makeup and fixing her hair before she’d allow Annelise to snap her photo.

Footsteps sounded behind her, but she didn’t need to turn around to see who’d come into the barn. She felt him.

“Did you get some sleep?” His deep voice practically vibrated the air around her.

“I did. You?”

“Yep. Slept like Staubach in a shady patch on a hot summer afternoon.”

She couldn’t help but smile, thinking of the dog asleep at their feet last night. “So you snore, do you?”

He shrugged. “Never had any complaints.”

“Guess you wouldn’t—when you sleep with dogs.”

“Oh, ho! Low blow.”

She tried to swallow her laugh. “Yeah, and probably not smart since I need to ask a favor. Can I borrow your truck this afternoon?”

“Sure.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Boy, aren’t you easy?”

“Again, no complaints.”

She tossed a rag she’d been using at him. “You’re going to have some pretty soon, you keep that up.”

He came to her, slipped an arm around her waist.

She gave him a halfhearted push. “Not here, boss man.”

“Not even a good morning kiss?”

She shook her head.

“You’re tough enough for both of us, huh?”

“I’ve learned to be…discreet.”

He laughed. “Oh, yeah. Last night in that old claw-foot, you were the epitome of discreet, all right! And I, for one, loved that discretion.” He leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Maybe we can do it again tonight.”

She swatted at him as heat roared through her, flashed across her chest and face. “Be good.”

“Oh, darlin’, I’m trying.”

A flat-out heat wave scorched her body. She turned her head, their lips inches apart. “There’s a lot of the bad boy in you, isn’t there, for all those cowboy manners?”

“I sure as heck hope so.”

She backed up, licked her lips, and had him groaning. “About this afternoon. I need to run over to Lone Tree. My dress will be done except for a few final touches after a fitting. I can’t get it home on my bike. I don’t want to scrunch it up in my saddlebag.”

He nodded. “Want me to come along?”

She thought about it for a minute. “No. I don’t think so. I’d like to keep the big reveal for the night of the gala.”

“Okay. Why don’t you break off after lunch and take care of that.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” He traced a finger down her arm. “That way, you’ll be home in time for our date.”

“Our date?”

“Come out with me tonight, Annie.”

Come out with me tonight.
His words held such an old-fashioned, romantic flavor.

“Let’s go to the drive-in. We can eat dinner at the snack bar,” he said. “Greasy, salty food that’ll clog our arteries but have our taste buds dancing.”

“Really?” Her heart did a little pirouette of its own. “I’ve never been to a drive-in.”

“Go on.”

“Seriously.”

A devilish grin transformed his face. “Another first. I’ll show you why it’s the number one make-out choice. What do you say I pick you up about six thirty?” He gave her a quick swat on the butt. “Now get back to work before the boss chews us out.”

Instead of eating lunch with the boys, she opted to wait till she reached Lone Tree. She wanted to thank Oliver for all his help. Whether or not it ferreted out her aunt, he’d gone out of his way for her.

By now, the road was familiar. Because of that, she relaxed into the drive. It was nice to be at the wheel of Cash’s pickup. It smelled like him. She’d had to pull the seat up a couple of inches to make up for their difference in height.

When he’d handed her the keys, he’d apologized for the condition of the interior. It was a ranch truck and had a lot of hard use. She’d tossed a couple of soda cans in the recycle bin before she’d left. As long as Maggie had plastic to wrap her dress in, no harm, no foul.

The fact there was a gun rack in the farm truck, complete with rifle, astounded her. Who carried guns out in the open like this? She answered her own question. Cowboys. Cash.

She turned the air-conditioning to high and rolled down both windows. It was, she supposed, an odd habit, but, while she didn’t like to sweat, she enjoyed the play of the wind against her face, in her hair.

Speaking of playing. She reached over to the sound system and pushed Power. What CD did Cash have in his work vehicle’s deck?

She wasn’t surprised when a country song poured out of the speakers. Not her style, but the song was catchy. When it finished, she ejected it to look at the artist’s name, Keith Urban. “Somebody Like You.”

She played it again and sang with it this time. Boy, the lyrics said it all. One step forward and two back. Wasn’t that the truth? When Keith sang about his arms around her, she could practically feel Cash’s from last night, holding her tight.

Somebody like you. Who’d have ever thought he’d be a long, tall Texan on horseback?

By the time she hit Lone Tree, she had the song memorized.

Parking the truck, she locked up and went straight into the Cowboy Grill. Starving, she swore there must be something about the Texas air because she’d never eaten so much in her life. Or maybe it was the manual labor. Whatever, she was enjoying the good food.

Oliver was working the grill, his back to her. An older woman, in a red dress and white apron, pointed at a table by the door. “Have a seat. Be with ya in a minute.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Hey, I recognize that voice.” Oliver, spatula in hand, turned. “Annie. How ya doin’?”

“I’m doing well. You?”

“Can’t complain.” He pointed the spatula at the waitress who set drinks at a table in the back. “Specially not with the wife by my side. Hey, Judy, this here’s Annie. Remember I told you about her. She’s lookin’ for her relative.”

Annie winced at her personal laundry being made public. Though she should be used to it.

“Yeah, sure.” Judy wiped her hands on her apron. “You talk to Thelma? She able to help ya?”

“I did meet with her, yes. Ms. Hanson is a jewel. She’s working on some things for me. I really appreciate your husband’s help.”

“Yeah, he’s a pretty good guy.” She elbowed Annelise. “Guess I should keep him, huh?”

Resisting the urge to rub her bruised shoulder, Annelise nodded. “I think so.”

“You’re a real pretty lady. Got anybody special in your life?”

Not sure how to answer, she hesitated long enough to give Judy the go-ahead. “Reason I’m askin’ is ’cause my nephew’s out of rehab—third time—and I’m thinkin’ a good woman might be exactly what he needs to straighten him out.”

“Oh. Well. I, ah, I actually do have someone.” Temporary counted, didn’t it? She crossed the fingers of the hand hidden by the plastic tablecloth, just in case.

“Darn shame. He’s not ugly.”

Annelise swallowed her laugh. “Sounds like it’s my bad luck, huh?”

“Judy, stop jackin’ your jaws and take the lady’s order. Annie came in to eat, not to get set up by no matchmaker.”

“All right, all right. What’cha gonna have?”

She went with fried green tomatoes, ribs, and a salad to ease her guilty conscience. Then, throwing caution to the wind, she ordered sweet tea.

She chatted with Oliver and Judy till her meal came. Then they actually got busy, and she concentrated on her food. Between this and the meal Cash promised tonight, she’d have a month’s ration of fat calories today.

“You meetin’ with Thelma again?” Ollie asked while she was paying.

“No. She’s going to call me later. Right now, I’m running over to Maggie’s to pick up a dress.”

“Aren’t her things fabulous?” one of the women at a table of four asked.

“They sure are. With her talent, I’m amazed she’s not in New York.”

“New York City?”

One look at the appalled expressions on everyone’s face and Annelise realized her gaffe. Time to leave.

“’Bye, Ollie. Nice to meet you, Judy.” She nodded toward the other customers.

Several women were milling around Maggie’s when she walked in. As she listened to them, she realized they’d driven in from Austin, and it wasn’t their first trip to the shop. She didn’t blame them in the least.

“Your dress is finished,” Maggie said. “I’ll be just a few minutes.”

“Absolutely. That’ll give me some time to look around a little bit more.” It had dawned on her on the ride to Lone Tree that she had black leather pants, a couple of pairs of jeans, and a handful of T-shirts. Period.

While Maggie helped the three with their selections, Annelise found a pair of white slacks and an incredible gauzy top for the trip tomorrow. She’d need something to wear the morning after the fund-raiser, too. On the Maggie originals wall, she spotted a short skirt in a fresh geometric print. A short-sleeve blouse in the same coral as in the skirt caught her eye.

“Okay if I try these on?”

“Sure. The dressing room’s in the back corner.”

On her way to the changing room, she spotted a pair of pale pink shorts. She picked them up and, rummaging through the racks, found a white top with a sweetheart neckline. The outfit would be perfect for a drive-in date, wouldn’t it? With a Cheshire cat grin, she added it to her finds.

Everything fit as though they’d been custom-made for her. She hung them by the counter. “I’m going to take these, too.”

“Oh, there’s a great necklace on the mannequin over there that would match that top perfectly,” one of the women from Austin said.

She was right. Annelise added it to her growing pile.

When the women left, bags in tow, Maggie sighed. “They’re good customers. About once a month, they make the trip to check out my new stock. Okay. Let’s go to the back and try on this dress of yours.”

She flipped the door sign to read
CLOSED
. “We don’t need any interruptions. It shouldn’t take too long.”

Once in the sewing room, Maggie removed the dress from a cover bag.

“Oh, Maggie.”

“I know.” She grinned ear to ear. “I want you to turn your back to the mirror.” She slid the dress over Annelise’s head. She sighed as the silk whispered along her body.

Typical designer, Maggie wouldn’t let her take even the tiniest peek till she fussed with it a bit, then slipped on the sheer short-sleeve jacket. “Okay.” Maggie turned her toward the mirror.

The dress was everything Annelise could have hoped for and more. This should, pretty please, knock the boots right off Cash’s feet.

“Maggie Sullivan, you’ve got magic in those fingers of yours.”

The young woman laughed. “I don’t know about magic, but I have a few thousand pin pricks.”

“Did you get any sleep last night?” Annelise couldn’t help running her fingers over the dress’s skirt. It made a wonderful little shushing sound.

“Enough,” Maggie said. “It’s energizing to see a creation come to life.”

“It must be wonderful to be so talented.” She turned and peered over her shoulder to see the back. “I promise I’ll mention your name every chance I get. We’ll see if we can plaster you all over the news.”

Maggie hugged her. “That would truly be a dream come true.” She studied Annelise’s reflection. “What are you going to do for shoes? Accessories?”

“My mom’s taking care of that.”

She frowned. “Okay.”

Annelise laughed. “I called her last night. Believe me, there’s nothing she likes better than to get her fingers in the details. I’ll have everything I need.”

Maggie helped her out of the dress and, while Annelise slipped back into her jeans, she zipped it up in a protective bag.

They went into the front where she paid for the rest of her purchases. “Not bad for an hour of shopping. Thanks again, Maggie. I’ll see you soon.”

“Great. Have fun tomorrow night.”

Once she had her things safely stored, she decided to give Thelma Hanson a call before she left town.

On the third ring, Thelma answered.

“Ms. Hanson? This is Annelise Montjoy.”

“I know who you are. ’Spose you’re wondering if I’ve had any luck so far.”

“Well, yes. I’m in Lone Tree this afternoon, so…”

“I’m having lunch with your aunt tomorrow.”

“You are?” Her breath hitched. Her aunt! For the first time, it seemed real. Before, she’d been a vague idea. “Does she know about me?”

“No, ma’am, she don’t. Didn’t figure I’d tell her about your visit till I was sitting face to face with her. Give her less chance to pretend she doesn’t know what I’m talking about. You know, she might not be too happy to see you.”

“I understand.”

“You’ve waited a long time, honey. Give me a little more. I’ll call when I know something or can get her to agree to talk with you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate this so much, Ms. Hanson.”

“Didn’t we agree to Thelma?”

“Yes, ma’am, we did. I appreciate your help, Thelma. I have to go to Dallas tomorrow to attend a fund-raiser for a charity I sponsor.”

“Now and Then. I know all about it. Been reading about you through that Google thing on the Internet.”

Of course. Wasn’t her life an open book? “I’ll be staying overnight and coming back the next day. I’ll have my phone with me, though, so you can leave a message if I don’t answer.”

“Fine.”

Annelise found herself with a dead phone held up to her ear. Well. Brevity could be a good thing, she supposed.