And Then You Dance (Crested Butte Cowboys Series Book 2) (19 page)

The Pattersons and Cochrans were coming for Thanksgiving, along with Ben’s parents, his brothers, their wives, and a few of the guys in CB Rice. Liv had never cooked Thanksgiving dinner herself. She and Renie spent the holiday at Patterson Ranch for as long as she could remember. She was as nervous about it as she was excited.

“We’ll make plans to drive over on Monday. That will give us plenty of time to catch up and do what we need to do for dinner. Order the turkeys now though.”

“I don’t even know how to do that Dottie.”

“No problem sugar. I’ll order them from here and have them delivered to you. Give me the final count of how many you’re expecting, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks Dottie. You’re a lifesaver, as usual.”

“You’re like my own Livvie, you know that’s how Bill and I feel about you. It’s as though I’m spending my first Thanksgiving at my daughter’s house.”

That made Liv teary-eyed. She still hadn’t told Dottie she was pregnant, and she’d asked Billy not to either. Since she’d be here in less than a month, Liv wanted to wait and tell her in person.

Getting through the month would be as hard for her as she knew it would be for Renie and Billy. Maybe not quite as hard, but she would be on pins and needles the entire time, both in excitement, and in worry.

***

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Billy said. “I wish I didn’t have to go home.”

“It’s okay. I’m happy you stayed as long as you did.”

Billy was feeling better about the two of them, so when he hit the seven-day mark, he decided to go home. He’d be back, with Willow, in less than three weeks.

His parents were coming to Crested Butte on Monday, but he wanted to come the Friday before, so he and Renie had time alone with his daughter. He made arrangements to rent the same place he was staying in this week, that way if Renie was feeling too uncomfortable, or overwhelmed, he and Willow wouldn’t be staying in Ben’s house. She could escape if she felt the need to.

“You’re being so great about this Billy. I don’t think I could be as great about it as you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re being so patient with me. If I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I would be.”

He put his hands on each side of her face and looked into her eyes. “You are one of the two most important people on the face of the earth to me. I’ll do anything,
anything,
to make this work. I can be patient. But, I can’t be away from you for very long.”

Renie watched Billy drive away from the ranch house. She stood outside long after she couldn’t see his truck. A feeling of loss hit her almost instantaneously, along with a feeling of dread. The next time she saw him, Willow would be with him. She prayed she didn’t react to the baby the same way she had the first time she saw her.

***

“You should call her instead of showing up unexpected,” Tucker said to Jace while he was packing his bag. “Give her some notice.”

“Why?”

“Well mister cock-sure-of-himself, maybe she’s moved on. Got another guy.”

“Okay, I’ll call her. After I get home.”

Tucker and their parents were staying on two more weeks, but they’d be back in Aspen in time for Thanksgiving. Jace was hoping he could talk Irene into coming to his parents’ house for the holiday. And if she wouldn’t, he planned to finagle an invite to Ben’s instead.

***

Renie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, knowing it was Billy calling. As she hit the answer button, she glanced at the screen. It wasn’t Billy, it was Jace.

“Hello?”

“Irene! Hi, it’s Jace. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Happy to be back in the States.”
Closer to you.

“I…um…wow. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”

“At all? Or this soon? Did you get my postcard?”

His postcard. She’d forgotten all about it. Her mother had mentioned it to her, but then she never thought about it again.

“I, uh, didn’t get it.”

“Oh, damn. Well anyway, it said that I was looking forward to seeing you. When can I?”

She didn’t know when he could see her, and she didn’t know how to tell him.

“How about later this week? What are you doing with yourself anyway?”

Let’s see. She’d reconnected with the love of her life, they were trying to figure out how to spend their lives together, she was about to meet his one-year-old daughter, and she was even considering going back to school. It was a lot of information to tell someone she hadn’t been sure she’d ever talk to again.

“Are you there?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m not sure Jace.”

“About what? What you’re doing with yourself?”

“About later this week. There’s a lot going on.”

“How about this, let’s meet for a drink, or coffee. The pass is still open, it won’t take me that long to get there.”

“Well…”

“It’s just coffee Irene. Then you can tell me whatever it is you don’t want to tell me on the phone.”

She forgot. He knew her too. Maybe not as well as Billy did, but he knew her.

“Okay. When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“That works, let’s meet at…”

“I’ll pick you up at the ranch, that way I can see Ben and Uncle Bud and Aunt Ginny too. It’ll be great to see them again.”

Oh. This was turning into more than coffee. He wanted to stage a mini-family reunion.

“I’ll leave early and text you when I do.”

“That sounds…”

“I can’t wait to see you Irene. I missed you.”

“Me too.” Wait, what was she saying? Why was she telling him she’d missed him?

“Great. Tomorrow it is then. I’ll get there around nine. But as I said, I’ll text you when I leave Aspen.”

He sounded so excited. Too excited. She should tell him not to come. But he was right, she had a lot to tell him, and it would be easier to do in person.

***

“Good morning.”

“Hi Mom.”

“That’s not a very enthusiastic greeting. What’s up? Missin’ Billy?”

“Yeah, I miss him.” He’d been gone less than two days. They were back to texting and talking several times a day, but it didn’t make it any easier. They talked via Facetime too, but he hadn’t asked her to talk to Willow yet. Maybe he was waiting for her to ask.

“There’s more.”

“There is? What’s up sweet girl?”

“Jace is back in town. He wants to come to Crested Butte and have coffee with me.”

“Oh. You haven’t talked much about him. Are you…you know, going to?”

“Yeah, I am. I figured it would be easier to see him face-to-face. Oh, by the way, do you know where that postcard went? He asked about it, and I told him I hadn’t seen it. I’d hate for it to be in plain sight when he gets here tomorrow.”

“It’s right here,” Liv said, pulling it out from under a stack of other mail. “I need to sort through this today. Wait, did you say when he gets here
tomorrow
?”

“I know. He wants to see Ben. Bud and Ginny too.”

“That sounds like more than coffee.”

“That’s what I thought.”

***

Jace texted as promised, at seven. Renie had two hours before he’d be there. She’d forgotten to tell Ben he was coming, so she hoped her mother had. She didn’t want Jace to have any reason to come to the ranch after they had coffee, so she wanted to be sure he saw everyone on the front end of his visit.

“You want coffee, or are you waiting for your date to have some?” Ben said when she came upstairs.

“Oh good, Mom told you.”

“I can’t wait to see him myself. How ’bout you?” he smirked at her.

“Stop it.”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“Aw come on, have fun with it. You have two cowboys chasin’ your skirt. This is how life is supposed to be at your age.”

“They’re not chasing my skirt, and I have to tell Jace about Billy today. I don’t plan on seeing him again.”

“Okay,” Ben said, with a lilt of reservation.

Renie went downstairs to take a shower and get ready. Jace would be here too soon as it was.

She heard a truck drive up, and she looked out the window of the family room. It was Bud and Ginny, not Jace. The closer it got to the time he’d be there, the more nervous she got. When her cell phone rang it made her jump.

“Hey Billy.”

“Hey sweet girl, how are you this morning?”

“I’m good. How’re you?”

“I’m not good. I miss the hell out of you.”

“I miss you too.”

“Ten more days, if I can wait that long. I may pack little miss Willow in the truck and head over later today.”

“What? No, you can’t do that!”

“Huh? I was joking. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing. I’m not…”

“What? Ready yet? I know. That’s why it was a joke Renie.”

She didn’t answer him.

“What else is goin’ on? There’s somethin’ you don’t want to say.”

“Jace is coming over from Aspen to see Ben and his parents. He’ll be here in a little while,” she blurted out.

“Jace? The guy from the ranch? Why is he coming to see Ben and his parents?”

“He’s Ben’s cousin. Their grandfathers were brothers.”

“How long have you known this?”

“That they were cousins?”

“No Renie, that he was coming for a visit.”

Renie didn’t like the tone of Billy’s voice. “Since yesterday afternoon. I didn’t even know he was back from Spain.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“Stop it. He’s a friend, and he’s Ben’s cousin. You’re starting to sound a little…I don’t know…angry.”

He was angry. Ben’s cousin signed a postcard to her with the word
love.
She hadn’t mentioned that he was related to Ben. What else had she left out?

“How long’s he stayin’?”

“For a couple of hours. I mean, I don’t know. For coffee.”

“He’s driving from Aspen for coffee?”

“Billy, stop it. You’re making too much of nothing.”

He wished he could put Willow in the truck and drive straight there. Or ask Ben to fly over and get him so he could meet this Jace character for himself.

“Okay, but I want you to call me after he’s gone. I want to see your pretty face. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too.”

She saw Jace drive up to the house an hour later. He looked good. Really good. And she was surprised she noticed. She was even more surprised at the surge of excitement she felt when she saw him smile. Jace was such a good man, a nice man, and one whose company she enjoyed very much. She hoped he wouldn’t mind if they were just friends from here on out.

She went out the front door and waited for him on the porch.

“Well there she is,” he said, walking up the steps. He pulled her into his arms and drew her into a kiss before she could protest. More surprising than the surge of excitement she felt when she saw him, was how unwilling she was to pull away from his kiss. It felt good to be in his arms, better to have him kissing her.

“Wow,” he said. “I missed you more than I thought.”

Renie stepped back, out of arms’ reach. “Good to see you Jace. How was Spain?”

He laughed. “It was fun. Tucker is…well, he’s a lot of fun to be around.”

“Oh yeah? And what kind of trouble did you two get yourselves into?”

“Oh girl, you know me too well.” He threw his arm over her shoulder and they walked into the house.

Jake and Luke were standing in the family room. It was obvious that they had been looking out the window.

“Close your mouths,” she said. “You’ll catch flies leaving them open that way.”

Luke stepped forward to say something and Ben put his hand over his son’s mouth. He leaned down and whispered, “Not a word out of you.”

“But—”

“Not. A. Word.”

“Not even hello?”

“That’s it, nothing else. No questions. Got it Luke?”

“Got it Dad.”

“Well hey there Jace. I bet you weren’t as old as Jake here the last time I saw you.”

“I don’t think so. Hey Uncle Bud, Aunt Ginny.” He hugged them both.

“My goodness,” said Ginny. “You have grown into a
fine
looking young man.” She looked at Renie and wiggled her eyebrows.

“How are your mom and dad?”

Renie walked over to her mom while Jace caught up with Ben and his parents.

“She’s right. He is a
fine
looking young man.”

“Stop it, Mom. You’re not helping.”

“What? I’m stating fact.” She tapped Renie’s arm. “Where are your manners young lady? Introduce me to him.”

“Jace, this is my mom, Liv.”

“Liv,” he answered, “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I cannot say that I’ve heard as much about you,” she winked. “But it is a pleasure to meet you too.”

Renie blushed and swore she’d wring her mother’s neck later, when they were alone.

“How was Spain?” Ben asked.

“Good. My parents and Tucker are still there. They’ll be home next week, in time for Thanksgiving.” He looked at Renie. “Which I wanted to talk to you about, by the way. I’m hoping you don’t have any plans.”

“Oh we have big plans, her—”

Ben clamped his hand over Luke’s mouth.

Jace looked at Renie.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she said softly.

“Are you hungry? Can we get you some breakfast?” Ben asked.

“Uh, no thanks. Irene and I are heading out for coffee.”

“Irene—” Ben clamped his hand over Luke’s mouth again.

He bent down and whispered, “What part of not another word didn’t you understand? Now not another word.”

“Okay, sorry.” Luke pouted.

“Am I missing something?” asked Jace.

“No one calls her Irene, that’s all,” answered Jake, who had remained removed up to that point, other than introducing himself.

“They don’t? What do they call her?” he smiled at Renie.

“Renie!” answered Luke, moving far enough away that Ben couldn’t stop him.

“Renie huh? That’s interesting.” He was smiling at her still, and reaching for her hand. “Ready to go?”

“Sure, if you are. You didn’t get to spend much time with your family though,” she said quietly enough that she hoped he heard her.

“I’ll catch up with them later. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to.”

“Jace can you stick around and have dinner with us?” Ginny asked.

Oh great.
This was what she hadn’t wanted to happen.

“I’d love to,” he answered Ginny, but was still looking at Renie.

“Where to?” he asked when they were in the truck.

“There’s a place on Elk Avenue called Rumors. We could go there.”

“Sounds good.” He took her hand. “Speaking of rumors, I heard one about you having a nickname. Renie huh?”

“It’s what my mom calls me. Other people too.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No, I didn’t say that. My name is Irene. There are some people who call me Renie, that’s all.”

“So what do you want me to call you?”

“Irene. As you always have.” In fact, she liked that he called her Irene. And that no one else did.

“I like to be different, especially when it comes to you, so if everyone else calls you Renie, I’ll stick with Irene.”

“Thanks.” She looked out the window.

“What’s up sourface?”

“I thought you were going to call me Irene.”

“When you don’t have the sourface on. What’re you thinking about?”

“Nothing. Do you know your way to Elk Avenue?”

“Sure do. And I guess you’ll tell me whatever it is that you’ve got to tell me once we’re there.”

She barely nodded her head, but she knew he caught it. He squeezed her hand, hard, and didn’t let it go.

“I like this place,” Jace said, after they’d ordered and found a place to sit. “I especially like the little bookstore next door. I’d love to wander through it later.”