When Dreams Collide (3 page)

She felt annoyed and impressed in equal measure.

*

On the third attempt, Dusty finally slipped the plastic card into the slot in his hotel room’s door. The light on the lock blinked green and then clicked as it released. When he yanked the card out again he lost his balance. He flailed his arms and legs about in an effort to save himself, but his butt landed with a thud on the carpet. Cursing under his breath, Dusty checked the hallway. Thankfully, Susan had disappeared into her room already. Although his eyes weren’t focusing too effectively at the moment, the hallway appeared deserted. Relieved that no one had witnessed his tumble, he clambered to his feet, turned the door handle and staggered into his room.

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d downed so many drinks, waltzed around a dance floor so many times, and kissed such a delectable woman. Her laugh warmed his heart like no other woman’s ever had, and her enticing perfume drove him crazy while his mind conjured up inappropriate thoughts.

All evening, Susan had chatted non-stop with everyone—an extrovert, the total opposite to himself. He loved independent women, hated the clingy types. Case in point. The relentless efforts of the annoying pixyish horsewoman named Penny Snyder who worked at the Lazy B Ranch. The girl had a better chance of hitting a lottery jackpot than she did of winning his affections.

He turned the light on, flopped onto the bed, and attempted to pull off his boots.

Susan had nearly knocked his socks off with the explosive goodnight kiss they’d shared a few minutes ago. He was drunk, damn drunk, but he’d kept his wits about him all night. When that kiss ended, he wasn’t certain which end of him was up.

Susan looked deep into his eyes after he’d kissed her, but Dusty hadn’t been able to read her expression. Her kissable lips and mischief-filled eyes had thrown him off kilter since the moment he met her. Had she expected him to kiss her again? Had she been issuing a silent invitation into her room?

Finally, he managed to remove his boots. He peeled off the tux and tossed everything onto a nearby chair as he relived in his mind the ending to their evening.

He’d been sorely tempted to suggest he come in for a nightcap on the off chance she expected it of him. But he’d reconsidered at the last moment and headed for his own room. A classy, professional woman like Susan Sanders wouldn’t invite a man she’d only met a few hours before into her room. And she sure as hell wouldn’t sleep with the guy.

He staggered across the floor and slipped the security lock on the door into place. Once sleep overtook him, he wouldn’t hear a burglar. Hell, if a herd of elephants snuck into his room and tap danced to show tunes he’d sleep through it. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he pulled the bedcovers back and crawled between the sheets, totally naked.

Damn, he should have packed some pain medication. No doubt, he’d have a doozy of a headache come morning. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep. Susan Sanders, and her luscious warm lips, and her curvaceous body, and the glimpse of her lacy pink panties, were totally worth the hangover.

****

Susan was jolted awake by a ringing telephone. One hand groped the night table top. Finally, she climbed out of bed and staggered across the room to the desk where she located the noisy beast.

“Hello,” she croaked. Her mouth tasted like something up and died in there.

“Good morning! Are you coming down for brunch?” chirped Catherine Branigan.

“What time is it?” Susan grabbed the chair back to steady herself.

“It’s only ten o’clock leaving you an hour to make yourself presentable. We’ll meet you in the dining room.”

“No thank you. With less than five hours sleep, I’ll pass.” She hung up, stumbled over to the bed and snuggled under the covers. She attempted to ignore the dozen jackhammers someone had turned on in her head. “It should be against the law, Catherine, to sound that cheerful when someone has the mother of all hangovers,” she groaned, burying her head under the pillow to block out the light from the curtains she’d forgotten to close. She’d lost count of how many drinks she’d consumed last night. Probably her share plus Catherine’s share plus Amanda’s share.

Someone knocked on her door and Susan crawled out of bed again. Darn it. She’d neglected to hang the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. Gingerly holding her head as level as possible, she padded across the carpeted floor, hoping if her brain didn’t receive the message she was vertical, the pounding wouldn’t intensify.

Susan cracked the door open and discovered Catherine standing there wagging an index finger at her. “Hanging up on me won’t work. Get moving.”

“Why did I drink so much when I promised to meet everyone for brunch?” lamented Susan.

“As a member of the wedding party, you’re obligated to attend,” answered Catherine. “Hop in the shower and get dressed. You don’t want to be late.”

“Being late is Amanda’s hang-up, not mine.” Susan wavered on her feet and reached for the wall to prevent a fall. “I’m probably still drunk. I don’t mind being late. I’ll meet you downstairs on Tuesday.”

“Forty-five minutes and counting. Did you have fun last night?” Catherine grabbed Susan’s arm and steered her toward the bathroom.

“Fun? I partied until five a.m.” Susan turned the shower on and peeled her pajamas off. “I wonder how Dusty and the others are faring in the light of day.”

“David and I grabbed a coffee in the dining room before I started my wake up calls. There are some sorry looking specimens down there.” Catherine laughed. “Thank goodness I’m breast feeding. We brought our housekeeper with us. Rosalie’s minding the babies while I enjoy brunch. Now hurry up. I’m leaving, but don’t you even think about crawling back into that bed.”

“Don’t give me any ideas,” whispered Susan, stepping into the steamy shower.

At eleven o’clock on the dot, Susan rode the elevator down to the main floor. She’d dressed in a floral linen dress and off-white sandals. A quick fix rallied her hairdo, but mascara and lip gloss was the best she could do for makeup. She slumped into a chair across the table from Dusty who looked as worse-for-wear as she felt.

“How much did we drink anyway?” Dusty held his head with one hand while sipping his coffee with the other.  He grimaced. “I ordered it strong. This stuff might peel the flower pattern off the mug.” Wranglers and a blue and white plaid shirt covered his delectable body, and his pale gray Stetson hung over the chair post next to him.

“Didn’t keep score.” Susan glared at Dusty. “I don’t smoke or gamble, and I never drink to excess. Are you proud of yourself? You’ve corrupted a good woman.”

“No gun to your head, sweetheart.” Dusty grinned. “You participated willingly.”

“I was afraid you’d say that. I recall wine during the reception, drinks at the wedding dance, and more drinks and shooters in the lounge.” Susan groaned and added, “Never again.”

Dusty stared at her, skeptically. “Care to put that in writing?”

“I’ll admit to making similar promises in the past, but this time I mean it.” Susan grinned through her pain. “At least, until another friend gets married.”

Catherine and David returned to the dining room, and Catherine settled into the chair beside Susan while David sat next to Dusty.

“I assume you’ve roused everyone from their beds.” Susan waved at a waitress passing by with a coffee carafe in her hand.

“Mission accomplished.” Catherine grinned. “And only three people threatened to never speak to me again.”

“Why are you so perky this morning? Aside from being sober all night, you’re absolutely beaming.” Susan parked her elbow on the table and laid her head in her hand.

“I’m looking forward to working at the bank all next week while Amanda’s away on her honeymoon,” explained Catherine. “This job sharing thing is working out perfectly.”

“How so?” Susan attempted to stifle a yawn. Five hours sleep wasn’t doing it for her.

“On days that Amanda’s not up to working due to fatigue or morning sickness, I’m at the bank. She works the rest of the time allowing me to be home with the babies. It’s a win-win arrangement for both of us. When she starts maternity leave, I’ll cover for her full-time.” Catherine hugged Susan’s arm. “We’ve got it under control. No more shenanigans at the bank like we had last spring.”

“That was an unfortunate situation, but I was pleased with how it worked out.”

“Are you eating anything, Susan?”

“Oh, God, no! Just coffee with a pain killer chaser.” Susan popped another two headache tablets into her mouth and grabbed her water glass.

“Susan, Angel of Mercy, can I have a couple of those, please?” pleaded Dusty, holding his head.

Susan passed him the bottle and he downed two tablets.

“Thank you. I just might live now.” Dusty passed the bottle back to her.

While David and Catherine enjoyed the buffet breakfast, Dusty and Susan finished their coffee while trying to move their heads as infrequently as possible. The four friends reminisced about the wedding reception speeches and the pranks during the dance. David and Dusty blindfolded Jeremy and Amanda and then told Jeremy they’d hidden three fifty-dollar bills in the folds of Amanda’s dress. If he found them all, he could keep them. Of course, they’d only hidden two. Jeremy’s determined efforts kept the guests in stitches of laughter, and Amanda’s face absolutely scarlet.

During brunch, Susan observed Dusty while he conversed with David and Catherine. She almost drove herself crazy attempting to guess the reason behind his request:
I need to discuss something important with you
. What the hell did that mean? Did he require a bank loan but wanted to avoid dealing with the local bank where Amanda and Catherine were co-managers? Was Dusty in some financial trouble? Gambling debts perhaps?

“Excuse me, please.” Dusty rose to his feet and headed off in the direction of the men’s room.

“I should say goodbye to Dad. Looks like he’s ready to head home,” added David, and he leapt to his feet and caught up to his father at the door.

Having Catherine alone for a few minutes, Susan decided to confide in her old college roommate. “I know I can rely on your discretion. I need your opinion.”

“My opinion?” Catherine frowned. “On what?”

“Dusty.”

“Yes!” exclaimed Catherine, and then lowered her voice. “We did it on purpose, you know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re Amanda’s best friend making you the logical choice for maid of honor. But you graciously stepped aside when we asked if you’d mind me being matron of honor, since David was best man.” Catherine beamed. “We arranged it so you would be spending the entire day with Dusty, groomsman and bridesmaid, hoping a little spark of interest would develop between you two. And judging by the close dancing at the reception, our plan worked.”

“Sparks of interest are none of your business. And besides, that is not the reason I need your opinion.” Susan shifted in her chair.

“Oh.” Catherine’s shoulders slumped. “I’d hoped you guys would hit it off and then maybe he’d send Penny Snyder packing.”

“Who the heck is Penny Snyder?”

“Just this chick that works at the Lazy B. Jeremy hired her to work with the bucking horses. She rides like she was born in a saddle, outshines most of the male hands. But she’s set her sights on Dusty and follows him around like a puppy.” Catherine leaned back in her chair. “What do you want to know about Dusty?”

Susan experienced a momentary flash of jealousy, but silently chastised herself a second later. Catherine hadn’t mentioned Dusty being interested in this Penny person, just that she was chasing him. Susan met Catherine’s eyes and asked, “Why would Dusty request a meeting with me at the bank on Monday morning?”

“What?” Catherine straightened.

“Less than an hour after I met Dusty, he asked for an appointment to discuss something important. Why would he choose me of all people to discuss something with? Did Dusty mention anything to you or David or Jeremy and then one of you steered him in my direction? I overheard him telling some guy at the reception that Jeremy was like the brother he’d never had.”

Catherine shook her head. “I haven’t a clue what it’s about.”

“His request doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t he deal with your bank?” Susan leaned in closer. “Do you suppose he’s gotten himself in some kind of financial trouble?”

“Dusty is the most level-headed guy I know. He has money in his account in my bank. Of course, I can’t disclose amounts, but he isn’t strapped for money.” Catherine glanced away for a second. “You don’t suppose...”

“What?”

“I don’t trust Penny Snyder. She’s only worked at the ranch for three months. But she’s certainly determined to land herself a husband. She wants a cowboy, and she’s decided she wants Dusty. Could she be blackmailing him or something?”

Susan shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t a clue. Don’t know the guy. Could Penny be pregnant, and...”

“No way. Dusty doesn’t give her the time of day.”

“So, why does he think talking to me will solve anything?”

“I guess you’ll find out when you meet with him. If there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.” Catherine touched Susan’s arm. “Dusty is such a nice guy. I sure hope it’s nothing serious.”

Susan admitted to herself that she really liked Dusty, and she hoped his important matter wasn’t serious, too. “Amanda and Jeremy disappeared late last night to an undisclosed honeymoon location, and I overheard Dusty promising his pal that he’d check on his horse-breeding operation when he returned to the ranch.” Susan finished her coffee and set the mug aside.

“David just waved at me. I guess we’re leaving now.” Catherine stood and hugged Susan.

“I’m checking out right away, also. I’ve loved seeing all of you guys again.” Susan returned the hug. “Keep in touch.”

“Count on it,” said Catherine, walking toward the door to join her husband.

Susan’s watch indicated it was ten minutes past noon. Everyone was extending their goodbyes. She grabbed her purse and exited the dining room, intending to pack and check out of her room. She lived right here in Helena, and she had chores waiting for her at home. Laundry to do, a couple of utility bills to pay, a few files to peruse before a staff meeting tomorrow, and an afternoon nap afterward.