Waltz With Me, Cowboy Read online

  The main dance hall was wide and long and screened windows ran the length of the sides with partitions that could be raised to allow the breezes to blow through and the heat from a room full of hard dancing couples to escape into the night. When the breezes weren’t cooperating, huge ceiling fans helped stir the air.

  At the far end of the building was the large stage. Long benches ran around the walls. An outdoor patio had been added in the last five years and held tables and chairs on a native rock floor. Dozens of strings of white lights crisscrossed the patio. No matter where she had gone in college and then later in the city, all she had to do was close her eyes and still breathe in the remembered smells of her youth… aged wood and honeysuckle drifting on the night air through the open screens. It was a smell full of a lifetime of memories.

  “I see you’re doing some work on your roof. Did the storm the other night do damage?”

  “No, I’m adding some evaporative coolers to the roof to help out with the heated air on the really warm summer nights.”

  Darcy grinned at her. “That smart mind of yours at work. Comfortable customers stay longer and spend more money on drinks and food.”

  “Guess my college diploma comes in handy for something.”

  Darcy finished off the glass of lemonade and gave a slow shake of her head. “You can still practice law you know. You could set up your office over in your house… easy commute to work.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind for when I have spare time around here.” Calla shook her head, setting the two empty glasses aside. “I don’t know how dad managed to keep up with all of this business every day. At least he had a clue what he was doing. I’m winging it. And I have very little patience with some of the antiquated laws around here.”

  “Hmmm… such as those dealing with building codes?”

  Calla’s eyebrows rose. “How did you know about that?”

  “Granted you’ve been gone a while, but surely you remember that nothing stays sacred in a small town for long. Heard you had some words with our mayor, too.”

  “How did that man ever get elected?”

  “Ty Conners is a good guy. He and his brothers are thought of highly in these parts.”

  “Great… there are more like him at home?”

  Darcy nodded in amusement. “The three Conners brothers have been breaking female hearts in at least five counties for quite some time. Ty is the oldest. He runs the family ranch and was voted in to fill Ted Jennings’ office when Ted had a heart attack. He was elected for another four years just recently. Dalton is the second of the Conners boys and he’s a Texas Ranger and friend of my brother Davis. Then there’s Jake. He was supposed to get married last year but was jilted a couple weeks before the wedding. He has the real estate investment business, but with him gone for the last few months, Ty’s been trying to cover that, too.” Darcy took a moment before reiterating one more thing. “And did I happen to mention that all three are mighty sexy hunks…and available?”

  “I can’t speak about the other two brothers, but I can say there might be a very good reason why Ty Conners is still single. He’s quite full of himself.”

  “And here I thought we were going to be friends.”

  Not again. Did the man just lay in wait to make an appearance at the worst moment? Calla cringed inside but knew there was nothing to be done but face the man lounging just inside the open screen door, arms crossed and that knowing gleam in his eyes. Thank goodness she wasn’t alone. But then again, if she had been, she wouldn’t have made the embarrassing comment for him to hear.

  “Hi, Ty.” Darcy slid off the stool. “My, my, just look at the time. I need to hit the road.” She tossed a sympathetic smile in Calla’s direction as she stepped around Ty who held the door open for her. “Talk to you later, Calla. You two be nice to each other.”

  Sure…desert me now. Calla stood up, hands smoothing down the sides of her white slacks. The blue and yellow checked sleeveless shirt was a recent purchase and only because Jaz said she needed to be less ‘button-up lawyer’ and more ‘countrified’. Whatever that meant. It was evident the mayor was going for the dressed down country look also as the jeans were definitely broken in and the navy tee shirt hugged a muscled chest like a second layer of skin.

  “Is there news about the appeal?” That had to be the reason for his showing up again at the dance hall. Unless he was looking for Jaz? Her mood darkened.

  “I did speak with Junior and the other council members. Unfortunately, the ramp is out of code. That’s the bottom line.”

  “I see. Then I need to address the council myself. I trust I can…”

  “Hold on.” The man held up a hand and moved to stand closer to where she stood at the end of the bar. “Let me finish before you crawl back up on that legal high horse of yours.”

  High horse? The man was indeed a Neanderthal. She expected any moment for him to break out the ‘honeys’ and ‘little lady’s’. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep the words inside that had bubbled up with the anger. She promised Lily she would work on her ability to remain calm and composed before jumping off the end of the short pier too quickly. “I’m listening.”

  “That’s more like it.”

  Did he think that smug, hunky grin was enough to buy him more liberties? Think again.

  “If you’ll follow me out to the back dock, I’ll show you what we have in mind.” He didn’t wait for permission but headed behind the bar and through the double swinging doors, holding one side open for her… being ever the gentleman. She didn’t return the smile as she stepped past him and kept her chin level and the mounting frustration under tight control. What was it about the cowboy that made her see red the moment he stepped into view? It’s how he makes you feel. The little voice in her head was no help at times.

  Stepping out on the dock, Calla was surprised to see another man leaning against the side of the truck parked in the loading zone. He was dressed in much the same manner as Ty, but this man had some serious workout muscles going for him in the upper arms and chest area. He looked to be the same age as the mayor even though his short hair was darker with a salt and pepper effect working through it. He seemed to be a little more reserved, but his smile was friendly enough as Ty made the introductions.

  “Calla Rose, may I introduce our new Fire Marshal, Reid Powers. Reid this is the proprietress of the Yellow Rose. And the lady with the ramp problem.”

  They shook hands and there was a touch of warmth lurking in the brown eyes. Calla responded in kind. She sensed there was some ‘still waters, running deep’ there.

  “Does my ramp problem need the fire marshal’s involvement now?”

  “Not in the way you might be thinking,” Ty spoke, moving to unlatch the back gate of the pickup and dropping the tailgate to allow him to reach inside. He withdrew first one pick axe and then another, which he handed to Reid.

  “What is going on?” Calla was done with the guessing game.

  “You need four inches off this ramp. We can crank that out easily enough.”

  “Crank it out…you? You two are here to tear up my ramp?”

  “Re-assemble it is a better term,” Reid clarified. “We’ll shorten it and then make it look just fine again with a little cement work.”

  She was at a loss for a few moments. What was Ty Conners up to?

  “I can certainly afford my own renovation work on the ramp. I don’t need you two to perform manual labor.” Calla pointed this out with hands on hips, uncertainty mixing with the frustration.

  “I know you can. But we’re here and can get it done in one day. Think of it as our way of saying welcome back to McKenna Springs.”

  “So, this is McKenna’s version of the Welcome Wagon?”

  “We just might have to add that to the Fire Marshal’s job description,” Ty replied, shooting a grin over at the man beside him.

  “I don’t feel right about this,” Calla mumbled.

  “If it makes you feel better, we wouldn’
t mind settling for a couple of sandwiches and a cold beer at lunch. We work cheap.” The newcomer’s smile grew warmer.

  Calla didn’t want to appear ungrateful, at least not in front of Reid Powers. He was kind enough to volunteer his time and be involved in the ‘Battle of the Ramp’ as it came to be known in her mind in recent days. While she knew the mayor had his own agenda in protecting his precious codes and buddies at city hall, the fire marshal was simply being nice as he had no stake in either outcome… at least none she could imagine.

  “I’ll make certain the food is ready for you. I have a meeting at the bank to get ready for right now, so I’ll leave you men to your constructing… or whatever you call it.” Okay. Maybe her exit was not as smooth as she would have preferred, but those green eyes kept her off keel in ways she didn’t know how to deal with. There always seemed to be some answer held just out of sight in their jade depths and something warned her that if she allowed herself to become too immersed in searching for that answer, there might be no return to her sane, sensible, and solitary world. A world where neither a man in designer suits… nor one in tight jeans and a cowboy hat…would ever find her falling for their empty lines again.

  The old concrete had been chipped away, and the wooden forms were in place and ready for fresh concrete to be mixed and poured into place. Ty wiped the sweat off his brow onto the back of his sleeve, standing to survey their job so far. “I really appreciate your help on your day off.”

  “Don’t even go there with the thanking me. You’ve been there to help me find a home to get settled into and help me out with some good candidates for housekeeper for when Daisy arrives in a couple of weeks.”

  “You’re a good man to step in and take on the raising of your brother’s child. It can’t be easy to totally rearrange your life in such a way.”

  “I owe her at least that. Besides, family is family no matter what it looks like and you stick together.” Reid sat back on his heels and looked at the last board he nailed in place. “I knew I forgot something. We need a level on this.”

  “I’ve got one in my truck. Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

  Reid went back on his knees and reached for the hammer just as a pair of red boots appeared on the top of the ramp. His gaze followed upward over the stitched blue stars on the leather shafts and then farther along the length of tan legs that disappeared under the denim skirt.

  “A man on his knees in front of me, imagine that. By the way, the rest of the view is off limits… at least until we know each other better.” A light laugh ended the sentence… a most pleasant sound.

  That brought Reid’s attention straight to the dancing green eyes that challenged him with their bold regard. “Sorry if I appeared to be rude. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be standing right there. Those boots caught me off guard.”

  That garnered him a smug lift of the corner of those pink glossy lips. “Just the boots? That’s all you noticed? I must be slipping.”

  “That food and drink looks great to me.” Ty’s voice broke into the moment and saved Reid from coming up with any reply. The fire marshal noted the tray in her hands for the first time. He stood and stepped forward.

  “Let me take that.” His fingers brushed hers for a second and their eyes met in equal surprise. The green gaze pulled away and landed on Ty. It had to be the heat of the afternoon that had caused a swift fusion of pink across the delicate cheekbones.

  “Calla said you guys are working for food so hope this is a good payment. I wasn’t sure what your preferences were, so I made a couple of brisket sandwiches and a couple ham and cheese. You’ve got bottled water for now. When the job’s done, Otis will set you up at the bar with some cold cervezas.”

  “This looks great. We’ve met, but this guy who was admiring your boots… is Reid Powers, our local fire marshal.” Jaz gave him a nonchalant smile and nod before her attention swung back to Ty.

  “Pleased to finally have a little longer conversation with the man who my sister has spoken so much about,” she said, giving her smiles to him and not the other man who was silently watching.

  “Well, Miss Rose, I would say I hope all her remarks were flattering, but I guess we both know that might be asking a bit much.”

  “You’d be right about her remarks. And I’m Jaz, remember? None of this formal Miss stuff.”

  “And how about my friend here?” Ty gave a slight nod to the man still holding the tray.

  Jaz gave him a slow perusal from his coolly assessing dark eyes and then downward over a physique that did turn up the temperature a bit or else she was having hot flashes a few years too early. Her eyes moved back up to meet his gaze. “Guess we’ll include him in the circle of friends… on a trial basis… since my boots seemed to be the only things he found interesting.” She ended on a laugh and Ty gave his own chuckle. “I’ll leave you gentlemen to your hard work. See you later.”

  And just in case a certain pair of brown eyes were still watching, she put some extra sashay in her departing steps.

  “You can set the tray down when you get done admiring those boots,” Ty drawled, placing the level on the ground next to the other tools.

  “Glad I could amuse you both.” Reid sat the food down on the dock, and then reached for a bottle of water, removing the cap with a couple of twists.

  “A green-eyed red head with some spitfire to her. Might be just what you need to spice up your life. I hear you firefighters like playing with fire.” Ty gave his friend a wink as he reached for a sandwich.

  “We’re careful to not get burned, too.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Someone needs to tell the crickets to dial it down a decibel or two. A country evening is supposed to be peaceful and quiet.” Jaz plumped the pillow a couple more times before finally getting it in the correct position behind her back as she settled into the corner of the large old porch swing, tucking her bare feet beneath her.

  “It is peaceful. The evening sounds sort of blend all together and make it soothing as the sun goes down,” Lily responded from one of the oak rockers a couple feet away. Her bare feet were propped on the porch railing, a smile of bliss on her face. “After a while, you don’t even notice the crickets. This is my favorite time of day.”

  “Well, I’d like it better if the mosquitoes went extinct.” Calla emphasized her point by smacking one of them that landed on her ankle as she took a seat in a matching rocker next to her sisters on the broad front porch. “They serve no useful purpose whatsoever.”

  “Here,” Lily said, passing her a small bottle. “I told you to put on some of momma’s homemade repellent. It’s amazing how well it works… and smells good, too.”

  “Where did you find this bottle? I thought we used up her supply a long time ago?”

  “We did. But I found her recipe for it in her card box. I made a batch. It seems to be working just fine. It’s the lavender in it that they don’t like.”

  “Lily, you’re our momma incarnate.” Jaz smiled at her fair-haired sister. “You inherited her gift of taking care of everyone.”

  “I’ll take that compliment.”

  “How did things go at the bank today, Calla?” Jaz posed the question, taking the bottle Calla passed over to her.

  “Good. There’s one more payment due on the renovations and then we are free and clear on the dance hall, thanks to the insurance settlement. So, keep fingers crossed that nothing major goes wrong. I also ran into Amanda Lawson… Amanda Sterling now…when I came out of the bank.”

  “Now there’s one lucky woman. A gorgeous hunk of a husband who just happens to be a country music super star,” Jaz added with a shake of her head.

  “I vaguely remember her from school, but J.D. Sterling was the resident bad boy and off limits to us. Daddy would have grounded us for life if we looked in his direction back then,” Lily recalled. “Another reason momma packed us off to the school in the city.”

  “J.D. had eyes for no one but Amanda from day one. It really was a roma
ntic story.”

  “It still is,” Jaz added. “He came back home to find his true love and marry her. Now that’s a real romance for you.”

  Calla just shook her head. “Romance is a fairy tale. At least for most people.” She noted the looks her sisters were giving her. “Back to the important news. Amanda offered to ask J.D. about performing on the night of the re-opening of the dance hall… on its ninetieth birthday.”

  That got her sisters’ attention big time. Their exclamations echoed each other.

  “Do you realize what a draw that would be?” Jaz shook her head in amazement.

  “The crowd would be incredible for J.D. Sterling. I do hope Amanda can persuade him.”

  “I think it’s almost a done deal,” Calla replied. “He doesn’t deny his wife much, if anything.”

  There was silence after that, each of them lost in their own thoughts on the matter. Calla pushed herself up from her rocker. “I’m going to check a couple of things in the office and the work done on the ramp. I didn’t get a chance to see it before the workers left.”

  “You mean the mayor and the fire marshal… some workers,” Jaz commented.

  “They must think our Calla is pretty special to give such personal attention.” Even Lily couldn’t be quiet on the subject.

  Calla shot them both looks that should have been sufficient warning to drop the subject. Should have.

  “Tough to have two such sexy looking men to choose between. Maybe there is something to living in the country.”

  “I agree, Jaz. Although, I think the mayor may have a slight edge and all,” Lily threw in.

  “And you two can have them both all to yourselves. The last thing I need or want is a man in my life.” Calla didn’t wait to hear any further comments. She took the path through the gardens to the side door of the dance hall. Producing the key from her pocket, she inserted it into the lock, stepping through the doorway, and then reaching behind the door to flip on the first light switch. A row of lights came on down the length of the hall… sufficient light to see where she was going and not light up the whole place.