Chapter Twenty-One
Abig, full moon would have made it a perfect night.
Stars twinkled in a nearly black velvet sky, but there wasn’t even a faint sliver of a moon up there.
Jackson and I weren’t the only ones who were walking back to the church parking lot.
Kids ran along in front of their parents and grandparents.
Young couples huddled up so close to each other that cold air couldn’t have gotten between them.
Jackson held my hand, and I was not a bit surprised at the little rush of heat traveling through our gloves, spreading warmth through my body.
“What are you thinking about right now?” Jackson asked.
“Helping Scarlett plan a wedding in two weeks. She says it’s going to be very simple, and that Mama Mendoza and Grady’s family are taking care of the reception.
But as her family, Rosie and I need to do something.
And to be honest, I am worrying a little about the new girl who will be living in the trailer with me and Rosie.
I hope she fits in with the dynamic as well as I did. ”
“That’s sweet, but I was hoping you would say you were thinking about me,” he said.
“Is that a pickup line?” I asked.
“It could be,” he answered. “I’ve never used it before, but I like it if it’s working—and you are certainly thinking about me now. Ask me what’s on my mind.”
I stopped and looked up at him. “What’s on your mind, Jackson?”
“You,” he answered and kissed me right there amid all those people. “If you asked me yesterday, or last week, or tomorrow, the answer would be the same. Ever since that first day in the Tumbleweed, you have been on my mind.”
“Wow!” I whispered. “That’s the most romantic thing I have ever heard.”
“It’s the truth.” His warm breath on my neck sent extra shivers down my spine.
“We’ve only known each other a couple of weeks,” I said.
“When you know, you know.” He started walking again. “Now, back to wedding talk. What kind of wedding do you want when you get married?”
“A quick trip to the courthouse would be fine with me—and that is if, not when.”
“Are you against marriage?”
“Nope, but I want to be absolutely sure.” I took a couple of steps before I realized that Jackson had stopped in his tracks.
“I’m a patient man, and I understand why you wouldn’t want to rush into anything,” he finally said and took my hand in his.
“I’m going to Dallas on Saturday, which is Valentine’s Day, for an oil company meeting.
Dad is sending the plane to take me, and I’m staying over until Sunday.
One of my army team members is retiring, and we’re having a get-together for him.
” He slowly took a couple of steps closer. “Why don’t you come along?”
“I have to work, and we have a new woman arriving, so I need to be there to help train her,” I answered. “Can I have a rain check?”
“Of course you can.” Jackson stopped at my SUV and opened the door for me. He pulled me close to his chest, tipped my chin up with his knuckles, and kissed me—soft at first and then deeper, with more passion.
A fiery-hot desire rushed through my entire body, and I forgot all about everything else.
I leaned in to him. My hands snaked up around his neck, and I tangled my fingers in his hair.
He cupped my face in his cold, gloved hands, and we made out like a couple of teenagers in the church parking lot until we were both panting.
“Text me when you get home—or better yet, FaceTime,” he whispered when he finally took a step back.
“I will.” My body whined for more than kisses all the way back to the trailer. Rosie must have heard me drive up, because she had two cups of hot chocolate sitting on the bar. She motioned me inside and said, “Close the door fast so you don’t let all the bought warm air out.”
I hung my coat on the rack, picked up one of the cups, and sat down on the sofa.
“You know I’ve been thinking. The Mendoza family is taking care of the reception.
We are Scarlett’s family, and we should do something.
I’m at a loss to know how or what to do.
I’ve only ever been to one wedding. That was Frank and Paula’s, and I was just told to sit on the back pew and be good. ”
Rosie brought her hot chocolate to the living area and sat down on the other end of the sofa.
“You are the boss and have the final say-so, but what do you think about the Tumbleweed buying her dress and flowers? It’s a tradition for the groom to pay for her bouquet, but we could decorate the church or just call a florist and tell them to do it. ”
“Are you talented at arranging flowers?” I asked.
“Absolutely not,” she answered.
“Me neither, so let’s book a florist and go shopping for a dress in El Paso,” I suggested.
Rosie tapped her chin with her finger and pursed her lips.
“How about we plan on going to find a dress on Friday? Tressa is coming tomorrow, and we need to get her settled for a couple of days. On Wednesday, you need to go to Sierra Blanca to the bank. We don’t need to keep so much money in the safe. ”
“Friday it is,” I said. “If Scarlett is agreeable to that. I’ve never bought flowers or had any delivered to me, but Ada Lou might have some suggestions. We can ask her tomorrow.”
“I feel better now that we have a plan,” Rosie said.
“My priest says that I like to be in control because I wasn’t when I was married.
But now that we agree, I believe I can sleep.
This is going to be a busy week. The Tumbleweed will save one young woman and is sending another one off to a happy ever after.
You and Jackson seem to be getting along right fine, but please don’t spring an engagement on me like Scarlett did. ”
“I promise I won’t,” I said. “We should fuss at her for sure for not telling us first. After all, we are her family.”
“Yes, we are.” Rosie stood up, put her cup in the dishwasher, and headed down the hallway. “And we will make Tressa part of the family, too.”
“Of course we will.” I wondered if Rosie was trying to convince herself or me.
Scarlett was already in the café when Rosie and I arrived the next morning.
She had put on a pot of coffee and hugged us both as soon as we were in the storage room.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t call y’all or at least send a text before dinner last night.
I had no idea Grady was even thinking about announcing the engagement, but he was so excited.
That really was the twenty-fifth time he asked me to marry him.
He has every single one marked on last year’s calendar.
When he asked me if we could do it right then, I couldn’t tell him no. Not again!”
“You are forgiven,” Rosie said. “Why are you getting married so quickly?”
“We want to start a family, and it means a lot to both of us to be official before we get pregnant,” she said.
“That’s a good thing,” Rosie agreed and went on into the kitchen. She slipped a clean apron over her head and fired up the grill and oven. Then she gave me a look and nodded. “Tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Scarlett asked.
“We are your family,” I started. “So we want to do something for the wedding. We’d like to make an appointment at a bridal shop on Friday and buy your dress.”
“And,” Rosie said, “hire a florist to put up some simple decorations in the church for the wedding.”
“That is . . . ,” she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Rosie handed her a paper towel. “You know I never let anyone cry alone. So stop it! We’ve got a café to run, and we can’t have tears dripping in the food.”
“Y’all really are my family,” Scarlett said.
“Thank you so, so much for offering to do this. I had thought I’d just order a cheap dress online.
I told Grady that I wanted a bouquet of roses and figured that was enough.
If we started getting corsages for everyone in his family, we’d have to rob a bank. ”
Rosie got down the big bowl and started making biscuits. “What color roses?”
Scarlett didn’t even hesitate. “Red, since it’s so close to Valentine’s Day. He’s going to wear a red tie with his Sunday suit.”
I gave her a sideways hug. “Then red it is. Now, let’s go get the dining room set up for the breakfast rush.”
“If y’all talk about the wedding plans, then raise your voices so I can hear,” Rosie told us as we pushed through the swinging doors.
“Yes, ma’am,” we said at the same time.
Scarlett switched on the lights, and together we set down the chairs, filled the condiment trays, and took them to the tables, and then I wrote the Monday lunch special on the board—spaghetti and meatballs, hot rolls, salad, a free drink, and a piece of cherry or blackberry pie.
The aroma of biscuits baking in the oven wafted out through the dining room. Even if I moved in with Jackson, I couldn’t imagine a life when I didn’t work at the café or eat biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
“Are you eating your regular, Scarlett?” Rosie called out.
“No, I made breakfast at home for me and Grady before I drove down here,” she said. “But I might have one biscuit with honey.”
“I want my regular,” I said, raising my voice.
“Biscuits and gravy and a stack of pancakes?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered.
I made one last scan of the dining room to be sure everything was ready for the first busload of customers before Scarlett and I went to the kitchen. As usual, Rosie had already poured the coffee and had a plate of steaming-hot biscuits in the middle of the table.
“Do y’all think we will have Tressa trained enough that I can take a few days off after the wedding?” Scarlett asked. “Grady would like for us to have a long-weekend honeymoon—maybe up to Cloudcroft to stay in one of those hotels. I could be back to work on Wednesday.”