Читать книгу Expecting The Cowboy's Baby - Charlene Sands - Страница 9

Cassie Munroe raced down the hotel’s hallway, her composure all but gone. A car breakdown on River Road miles away from your destination will do that to you, she supposed. Her Volkswagen Bug had run out of gas.

The last thing she wanted was to make a splashy entrance to her brother Brian’s rehearsal dinner. Shamefully, she admitted she didn’t want to make any sort of entrance. But she loved her brother dearly and wouldn’t dream of missing his special day, even if she was out of work, out of a date for the wedding and almost out of time.

She searched the gold-embossed lettering on the doorways of the ballrooms as she strode past and found the room she’d been looking for. This had to be it. Sunrise Room.

Standing just outside, she straightened her clingy red dress, ran her fingers through her short hair and took a deep, steadying breath. Grasping the handle, she thrust the door open and entered. She was more than halfway through the room before she peered up and saw the banner.

Laughlin River Stampede Rodeo Banquet.

The big bold sign at the front of the room caught her off guard. She stopped in midstep and paused. A room full of cowboys, seated at a U-shaped table, all looked up.

Big, bold, Stetson-wearing, silver-buckled, gorgeous cowboys—all looking at her with interest.

The room quieted.

Cassie pasted on a smile.

Heavens, she’d never seen a better-looking group of men in her life. She made a mental calculation. Seventeen cowboys, she estimated, but this was not the time for her silly habit of counting everything that could be counted. Sometimes having a flair for numbers had its disadvantages.

“You’re a bit early, honey. But don’t think a soul’s gonna mind,” one of cowboys called. She would have dashed out of the room if he hadn’t sounded so polite. “C’mon over here. We won’t bite.”

Male chuckles erupted all around.

Heat climbed up her neck. Suddenly, Cassie was aware of her attire. She’d wanted to look great today so she’d put on her most daring dress with a low-cut bodice and a hem riding high on her thighs. She’d slipped her feet into three-inch black stiletto heels and had her auburn hair highlighted and styled. Wasn’t every day a girl had to face her ex-fiancé and his new bride.

At her brother’s wedding, no less.

“Uh, no. Thank you,” she countered, trying to be just as polite. “I think I have the wrong room. I’m supposed to be at a wedding rehearsal.”

“Ah, now that’s a doggone shame,” the same voice cajoled. “I bet you want the Sunset Room, darlin’.”

The Sunset Room? Yes, that was it. The dinner was to be held in the Sunset Room, not the Sunrise Room.

Running out of gas on that hot desert road must have addled her brain. She’d marched along that road, greatly intimidated by the dry brush and saguaro cactus surrounding her, hoping to find some relief. Finally, after walking what she’d estimated as a good long mile and a half, she’d come upon a roadside emergency phone. A tow truck driver with an attitude had rescued her just in time for her to make the rehearsal dinner. He’d given her grief for running out of gas in the desert and she’d endured his lecture all the way into town. Now, here she stood in the wrong room, facing a bunch of good-natured cowboys and probably looking just as foolish.

Cassie pivoted on her heels and headed straight for the exit and the Sunset Room.

A big, bold handsome cowboy blocked her way. How he got there, was a mystery. Seems she would have definitely noticed him when she walked in.

Number Eighteen was something to behold.

Lounging casually against the doorway, he gestured toward the front of the room with a slight tilt of his head. The Stetson he wore rode low on his forehead, casting his face in shadows, but Cassie noted strong features on an equally strong body. “You mean, you don’t want to stay for the Meet and Greet?”

“The what?” Cassie asked, intrigued, more by the man than the question.

“Fans come to say hello, meet their favorite rodeo riders. We sign autographs, shake hands, take pictures. That sort of thing.”

“Oh, so you’re, uh…in the rodeo?” Silly question. Of course, the man was in the rodeo. Cassie had a thing for cowboys and could spot a real one a mile away. But all she’d met in Los Angeles over the past ten years was the proverbial “wannabe” cowboy. Men who dressed the part but probably had never mounted a horse in their life.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You don’t ride bulls, do you?” Cassie was stalling. This cowboy was a great diversion; a sure way to keep from finding the “right” room and make a late splashy entrance to Brian and Alicia’s dinner.

“Nope. I like to keep my body in one piece. I rope calves.”

“I’ve never been to the rodeo, but if you don’t mind me saying, roping calves sounds a bit cruel.”

“Nah. Ain’t a bit cruel. The calves we use are raised for it. Sort of like, it’s their job.” He reassured her with a quick smile, nudging his hat up higher on his forehead, giving Cassie a much better look at his features.

Uh-oh. Cassie blinked. Then blinked again. Her heart raced. Certain dread pulled at her. She recognized that smile, that handsome face. Years washed away in her mind and suddenly Cassie was a young teenage girl again, being stood up for the first time.

Jake Griffin.

Cassie stood frozen for a moment, taking note of the man he’d become. From the look of him, he’d done a great job of keeping his body intact. Yards of hard muscle lay underneath his Western shirt. And his sure enough attitude probably kept the ladies lining up. Heck, she’d been first in line years ago and look where that had gotten her.

Cassie couldn’t believe her luck. Running into him today of all days! Wasn’t it bad enough she had to endure the weekend in close proximity with her ex-fiancé, Rick? Now she had yet another brutal reminder of her lack of good judgment. Jake Griffin had been the first boy to disappoint her at the tender age of sixteen, leading to a world-class string of bad choices with the opposite sex. Cassie had a penchant for attracting troubled men. Jake had been the first—the lone wolf, the boy who didn’t make friends easily and who seemed out of place, as though he didn’t belong. She’d been drawn to him instantly and for a very short time in high school, she’d been his friend, hoping to become more.

Her brother Brian had always said she was too soft-hearted—a sweet marshmallow who would get squashed if she weren’t careful. Her recent broken engagement to Rick had been proof positive that her older brother had been right. She’d been there for Rick when his life had taken a wrong turn. She’d comforted and consoled him, helping to bring him out of his emotional slump. And he’d honored her by a swift and effective betrayal.

Never again, Cassie vowed. She’d learned her lesson.

And she found the best way to solve her dilemma was not to give in to her attraction. Not to place any credence in her instincts. No more being suckered in by men who would steal her heart then walk away, pretty as you please. She had it all figured out in her head. All she had to do was get through this weekend and she’d be off and running. She’d be ready to start a new life.

Jake Griffin obviously didn’t recognize her. It was a small consolation that did nothing for her ego. Get out fast, she told herself. “Uh, well, I’d better be going. Brian is going to worry himself sick, if I’m late.”

A dark brow shot up. “Boyfriend?”

Cassie shook her head. “Brother. Now, if you’d please let me pass, I really have to get going.”

He didn’t budge for a second. Then when he removed himself from the doorway, he stared deep into her eyes. “Hate to let you go till I figure out how I know you.”

Uh-oh. Cassie shot him an impatient glance. Women probably never gave Jake Griffin that kind of look. Heck, if she wasn’t dying to get away from him, praying that he wouldn’t remember her, if she hadn’t known him, she’d most likely stay and chat with the handsome calf roper. But she did know him and warning bells rang out loud and clear inside Cassie’s head. Smartly, this time she listened. She brushed past him on her way out and smiled. “Nice try, cowboy.”

Jake watched Miss Sexy Red Dress walk down the hall. The view from the back was just as appealing as the view from the front. That tight crimson dress hugged every curve the woman possessed, making the sight of her walking away pretty doggone awesome. But it was more than a dynamite body, soft auburn hair and silver-dollar-size green eyes that had drawn Jake to her.

He really felt that he’d met her before.

And then it hit him. He’d been thinking of the women he’d known in the present. But he’d known her as a girl—in the past. Another lifetime ago, it seemed.

“Cassandra Munroe,” he called, stepping out into the foyer.

She halted, her shoulders slumping. She turned to him slowly. Those eyes, bright green and so incredibly startling, had given her away. No other female had eyes quite so remarkable. It had been years, ten or so, since he’d seen her. They’d only known each other for a short time while in high school and both of them had changed quite a bit, but Jake hadn’t forgotten her.

He strode down the hallway, watching her indecision from the subtle moves she made. The tilt of her head feathered auburn tresses onto her cheek, the rest of her coppery hair shifting slightly. “You went to Santa Susana High School,” he announced.

She stared at him a moment, her expression a mixture of emotions he couldn’t read.

“Do you remember me?” he asked.

“Jake Griffin,” she said, her tone flat. “We went to school together.”

“Yeah, for about a minute.” He removed his hat to scratch his head. “Hard kid to forget, huh?”

She stared at him a moment more with curiosity, it appeared, and a question on her lips. She fought a frown, but Jake noticed her struggle to keep her expression from faltering. “You look different,” she said. “All grown up.”

He cocked his head. “I could say the same about you, Cassandra.” He couldn’t pretend not to notice that Cassandra Munroe had grown up in very appealing ways. Her body was one to write home about and she had a unique face, not only those large, emerald eyes, but also a pouty, heart-shaped mouth and the prettiest silky hair.

“It’s Cassie now.” She darted a glance around, her eyes searching for the Sunset Room and a way out, no doubt. “I really am late. I should be going. It was nice seeing you again, Jake.”

He doubted that. The woman’s expression had chilled the minute he recognized her. Memories flooded in of his early high school days. Cassandra had befriended him when no one else had. He’d been a loner, an outcast, the boy even his biological father hadn’t wanted. Jack Griffin had been the foster kid that nobody wanted. He’d been bounced around from one home to another. Six foster homes in all. At times, Jake knew he had no one to rely on but himself. He’d never stayed in one place long enough to make lasting friendships. He’d never developed roots of any kind. He knew for the most part, his foster parents hadn’t cared for him. He’d been trouble at times. He hadn’t been an easy kid to have around, and later, in his teens, he’d been the boy mothers warned their daughters about. Cassie probably should have steered clear, too, because in the end, he had only hurt her.

Jake reminded himself he was on a mission to win the rodeo championship. He had to prove to his estranged father once and for all that he was every bit the man that John T. was. It was a personal promise he’d made to himself. He had no time for red-haired beauties, anyway, old acquaintance or not. He had no time for women, period. He’d gone that route once before and it had ended with disastrous results. His wife had left him for a man with a more stable profession. She wasn’t cut out to be a rodeo wife, she’d claimed, but Jake had known better. He’d known the truth—she’d abandoned him because she hadn’t loved him enough, or at all. Jake had come to the conclusion, without a doubt, that he wasn’t cut out for relationships, much less love.

He’d never known real love of any kind. It had been a long, hard road for a young boy, but he’d finally faced facts. Even his biological father hadn’t wanted him, until John T.’s legitimate son had died tragically. Jake still had his doubts as to why John T. had finally come for him. But he’d vowed not to open his heart up to anyone, and that included his father. That also meant no women, no entanglements and no distractions of any kind. “Think you can find the Sunset Room?”

A small smile surfaced. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”

Jake watched her walk away.

The woman certainly was “fine.”

He shook his head and headed back to the banquet. A horde of fans pounced on him before he reached the door, jamming photos and programs in his hand for him to sign. But Jake had trouble concentrating on names being dashed off in rapid succession.

His mind was on one distracting female.

And he doubted he’d be able to forget the all-grown-up, Cassie Munroe anytime soon.

Brian hugged Cassie to his chest and kissed her forehead. He whispered, “Thanks for coming, sis. I know this isn’t easy for you.”

Cassie stared blankly at her brother, still reeling from seeing Jake Griffin again after all this time. He’d been a boy, a tall, good-looking one when she’d known him, but now…well, Jake was a hunk of a man with chiseled features, sexy stubble and a well-defined mouth. She’d had a major crush on him in high school and had been so darn giddy when the boy she’d only known for a few weeks had asked her out. And then, without reason, he’d broken her young, tender heart.

A sigh escaped Cassie’s throat.

This weekend couldn’t get any worse.

“Cassie?” Brian’s voice brought her out of her musings.

“Huh?”

“I said, I know this isn’t easy for you.”

No, it wasn’t easy for her, but she’d made it through the rehearsal and now sat next to her brother, with Alicia by his side, in the Sunset Room and had to endure their sympathetic stares. They meant well, but Cassie was tired of being everyone’s pity case. She’d made up her mind when Rick broke up with her that it was for the best. She’d just wished they’d have come to that conclusion before the wedding invitations had been sent out. But for Brian’s sake, and for her own, she’d been very cordial about the breakup.

Rick Springer was Brian’s friend and business partner. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for Cassie to play the martyred soul. Cassie had come to Brian’s wedding and had every intention of enjoying herself.

“When do we get to meet your date?” Alicia’s smile and hope-filled expression had Cassie’s mind spinning. She couldn’t let on that her date wasn’t coming. True, a busted knee from playing basketball was a pretty good excuse, but Cassie was afraid that’s exactly what it would sound like to Brian and Alicia. An excuse. And they’d start worrying about her again. That was the last thing Cassie wanted. And trying to figure out what to do about it during the five-hour drive here had distracted her. That’s why she’d run out of gas. Nerves, and a mad dash to get here on time, had made mush of her brain.

Poor Alicia would be crushed to know Cassie was sans date for the wedding. Alicia had tried her best to be upbeat and had been a source of great comfort to Cassie when Rick had broken their engagement. She’d lent her support and had been a true friend.

Cassie braved a glance at her brother. Brian, too, waited patiently for Cassie’s answer.

He’d been concerned about her, as well; had suggested many times to set her up with one of his clients since the breakup, but Cassie had always refused. She didn’t need a dating service. Besides she knew almost all of Brian’s clients, having worked on their accounting books. Cassie hadn’t met anyone of interest in the small, personalized chain of sporting goods stores that Brian owned in Southern California.

Cassie took a bite of her chicken marsala, hoping for inspiration, and realized that she couldn’t taste the food. Raw nerves apparently affected her taste buds, too. “Um, he had an appointment he couldn’t miss. He’ll be here tomorrow for the wedding.”

Relief registered quickly on both of their faces and Cassie shot them a reassuring smile while she trembled inside.

Now what?

She’d have to make up another excuse tomorrow. She could only hope Brian and Alicia would be too caught up in their festivities to spend time worrying about her.

Or…she could find herself a date.

That would be a far better solution. She’d be able to save face, hold her head up high and she wouldn’t hinder her brother’s celebration.

Brian took hold of her hand and patted gently. “I hope you have a good time tomorrow. Alicia and I worried that coming to our wedding would be too soon for you.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m over it, really, Brian. And I wouldn’t dream of missing my brother’s wedding. It’s been three months and I’m…I’m actually glad I didn’t marry Rick.” She peered down the long table to the far end where Rick sat with his new wife. To her brother’s credit, the newly married couple had been strategically placed as far away as possible from her. Mentally, she counted nine people separating them. Yet as she glanced at Rick, no emotion stirred within her, no regret or anguish.

After the breakup, Cassie had often wondered if Rick had been too darn convenient a choice. He was her brother’s friend, business partner, someone Brian had approved of wholeheartedly. Had she considered marriage to Rick more for her brother’s sake than hers? Cassie had never contemplated her motives with such scrutiny before. But she’d had time to really think in these last few weeks. And during that time she’d come to the conclusion that marrying him wouldn’t have been the right move.

In truth, she wasn’t going to marry anyone until she had her feet planted firmly on the ground. She wanted a fresh start and, surprisingly, she wanted small-town life again. She had wonderful fond memories of her northern Nevada hometown and had always longed to go back. When her parents passed on, she and Brian were shipped to Los Angeles to live with their aunt Sherry. Brian had taken to city life far better than Cassie. It seemed to energize him whereas Cassie found the big city draining.

After Aunt Sherry retired to Florida, Cassie stayed in Los Angeles mostly to be close to Brian, but she’d always missed the simpler side of life. She needed that, she mused, without question. Besides, she’d been under her brother’s wing too long. She wanted to cut the apron strings and branch out on her own. As sweet as her older brother had been, worrying about her at each turn, lending his support, she had finally decided to make some changes in her life.

It was time for Cassie to take a stand.

She wouldn’t tell Brian her plans to relocate until he got back from his honeymoon in Kuaui. She wouldn’t tell him that she had a job offer in Nevada, very near her own hometown, and that all had been settled but the signing on the dotted line. Upon his return she’d explain to her brother how badly she needed to do this. She would make him see that she wasn’t cut out for big city life.

“I can’t wait to meet your date,” Alicia said eagerly. Both she and Brian had looks of anticipation on their faces.

Cassie really hated lying. “He’s just a friend, really. I mean to say, he’s not my boyfriend or anything.”

“He’s coming all this way for our wedding. To be with you,” Alicia reminded her.

Cassie’s heart sunk to the floor. The soon-to-be married couple read far too much into this. And Cassie knew they only wanted her happiness. “Well, sure. But—”

“It’s time for a toast,” Rick said, rising from his seat with a glass held high.

All eyes at the table turned to Cassie, to see her reaction. It was natural for people to be curious, she supposed, but facing Rick and his new bride, after a humiliating breakup, was almost too much for her to bear. Yet she kept her composure and plastered on a smile for all to see.

For certain now, she had to find herself a date for the wedding. She couldn’t take another day of concerned looks and sympathetic stares. There’d be no place to hide on the Sundance Riverboat Wedding Cruise tomorrow.

Unless she tossed herself overboard.