Page 9 of The Texas Cowboy's Lady

Laurel grinned and joined her sister. “It sounds pretty darn amazing. Better than any fancy restaurant in Hollywood.”

*

The celebration dinnerwas in full swing a couple of hours later. A large round table in the back dining room of Dawson’s had been secured. Sean, Beau, and Lacy had joined them, and Sammi Jo and Beaudry had sat amazed as they listened to Laurel and Sean lay out their plans for the business. Beaudry kept glancing over at the happy look on Sammi Jo’s face and he answered with some smiles of his own.

“I have to admit that this is a major surprise, but it’s also a welcome one. Anything that puts that look on my wife’s face makes me glad. And from a business standpoint, I think it might be a good investment you’ve got there. While anything is a gamble these days, having those major commitments already for something that hasn’t even broken ground right now is amazing. And I’ll be happy to be a wrangler for you on days that you have some of those glamorous leading ladies on set. It might be interesting to learn the movie business at that.” He threw a wink across at Sammi Jo, who just shook her head.

Jaxson pulled into the empty space in front of the restaurant. He had gotten the message an hour ago and had debated with himself all the while he showered and changed into a fresh shirt and jeans, then drove the ten miles into Burkitt at the speed limit. Perhaps it would give him time to talk himself out of going at all. He could tell Beaudry something came up that needed his attention. But then there would be questions and Beaudry would be concerned, and so Jaxson ruled it out. He had spent enough time with Laurel that afternoon.

“You thought it would be so easy to just have a simple conversation, then leave her and get back to a normal day,” he said out loud to no one. He had felt sure he could pull it off. Laurel’s coming back would not affect his life again. He had moved forward, just as she had told him to do. Met a wonderful lady who made it no secret she thought he was amazing, and she was definitely more than interested in a long-term gig. So why should Laurel even be figuring into his thoughts?

Because you are weak. And a glutton for punishment. But she’ll be on that plane soon enough, and that will be that, and life can get back to normal and stay that way.

“Sorry I’m late.” Jaxson announced his arrival as he took the seat next to Lacy, and across from Laurel and Sean. “I was over in the south cattle pens when the message about a party at Dawson’s beeped on my cell. So, someone want to fill me in on what was left out?”

“Aunt Laurel is coming back to the ranch to stay. And she is going to bring movies with her.” Lacy supplied that bit of information with a fair amount of excited anticipation.

Jaxson looked only a little less confused. He glanced over at Lauren and Sean. “Back to Texas? To make a movie?”

“Lots of movies, hopefully,” Sean spoke up. “Mesa Grande Studio Complex will break ground this week if this lady beside me has her way. With three movies in pre-production in Hollywood, things will start moving fast.”

“To fill in the blanks and ease that confusion in your eyes,” Beaudry added for his brother’s sake, “these two people are going to be making movies on Laurel’s land inheritance. And the real celebration is that Laurel will be returning to live here as well. So, we are celebrating both things tonight.”

Jaxson sat still, his mind wrapping around the words. Laurel was moving back to the ranch. She would be an everyday fixture in their lives. Along with the man seated beside her. And Jaxson had never felt less like celebrating. All the small amount of confidence he had talked himself into earlier on the way into town evaporated like a quick summer shower. Or sand through his fingers. Many other comparisons he could make, but everyone was looking at him, and they needed not to be drawing the wrong conclusions by his silence.

Jaxson picked up the water glass in front of him—he had not had time to order anything stronger. “Here’s to homecomings and prosperous business ventures,” he gave as a toast. “May they both give you what you want.” His eyes met Laurel’s in a steady gaze. It took a lot of willpower to draw them away and focus on the menu that appeared with the waitress. He would worry about the ramifications it would all bring to his world later, when he was alone and away from curious eyes. In the meantime, he needed to keep his wits about him and appear normal. As though any news that Laurel had just imploded his well-ordered life with wasn’t even a ripple of concern.

“It’s going to be so cool having my aunt here and then having movie stars too. And you’ll have your wedding here and can I be in that? In a really amazing dress and—”

“Lacy,” Sammi Jo said with a smile, “one step at a time. Let’s just be grateful that our family will all be here together once again.”

Wedding—there was that. Jaxson’s fingers tightened their grasp on the tea glass he had been served. He nodded at the waitress, who came forward to take his bar order. Things were turning upside down and moving like a merry-go-round. He had some decisions to make sooner rather than later.

He nodded here and there, acting as though he were interested in the conversations going on around him, but only half listening to them. He consumed his meal as fast as he could with good manners. The food was its usual great taste, he was sure, yet he really tasted cardboard. It was not the cook’s fault. The two times he had ventured a glance across the table, he had been caught out by the woman across from him. Jaxson hoped his demeanor gave nothing away. But then Beau mentioned his name and grabbed his attention away from the slice of pie in front of him.

“I’m sorry. I missed what you were saying. I was thinking about the new mares we have arriving early in the morning from Abilene.”

“Well, I was saying that you would be happy to take Sean and Laurel out to the area to meet their surveyors and contractor. Tom and Davis are here now to help out in the stables more, and that should free you up to be point person as needed to help our new neighbors get settled and see they have what they need to help them out. You’ll be glad to handle that, wouldn’t you? Sammi Jo can’t be running along those rough roads all that much. We’ll need to count on you.”

Jaxson knew that Sammi Jo’s health was only part of his brother’s equation. But it was indeed the most important part, and he would do what was needed—no matter what else he might feel about it. And he and Beau would have a private discussion later. He nodded and sent a smile in Sammi Jo’s direction. “Whatever it takes to keep my godchild and his mother happy and safe, I am the man.”

“Godchild? Him?” Laurel’s sudden question was fueled by sheer surprise.

“Yes, this old cowhand was asked to be a godfather, and I accepted. Thehepart of it might be my hopeful expectation. Objections?”

He had to give Laurel credit. She managed to recover in record time. Even managed to cast a half smile in his direction. “No objections. It isn’t my decision. I just hadn’t realized plans had been made so soon for all of that.”

“Well, since we are on the subject, you can be equally shocked to learn that Beau and I want you to be godmother. What do you think about that?”

Sweet Jesus. It just gets worse.Jaxson kept his response to himself. Another connection they would have on certain occasions. Just when he was trying to extricate himself from the spell of Laurel Burkitt over his heart and life, he was being reeled back in like a fish on a hook. The question became, how did he free himself before he drowned?

Chapter Five

“Ouch! Is thisthe best road there is? I thought it was a real road we were taking to see where the buildings are going to be.” Sean’s hand shot upward to steady himself against the ceiling of the Jeep for the third time since they’d left the main house. His other hand had stationed itself against the door beside him. Jaxson glanced in the rearview mirror. He tried not to smile.

“Some roads are paved, but this is a shortcut—a back road we take to get from one point to another in a short amount of time. Just one of the things you’ll have to get used to living on a ranch. It’s not your big city with freeways to get you from point A to point B at seventy miles an hour.”

“To answer your real question, Sean,” Laurel interjected from her seat on the passenger side of the front, “the complex will be reached by a double-lane, paved road that exits off the main highway. Any auxiliary roads we need will be paved. In the areas where filming would take place outside the soundstages, there would be roads or paths not much better than the one we’re on. We want to keep it as untouched as possible. However, I, too, thought we would be taking the highway around to the entrance.”

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