Do You Take This Rebel?

“Karen, are you okay? Is everything all right at the ranch?”

“Just too much work and too little time.”

“But you and Caleb are happy, right?”

“Blissfully, at least when we can stay awake long enough to remember why we got married in the first place.” She sighed. “Don’t listen to me. I love my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I will tell you every last, boring detail when I see you tomorrow.”

“Love you, pal.”

“You, too. I can’t wait to see you. Bring Jake along. I want to see if he’s as handsome as his daddy.”

“Not tomorrow. Can you imagine a nine-year-old listening to us talk about old times? Besides, it might give him ideas.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning he gets into enough mischief without getting any tips from us. And I’ll tell you that story when I see you.”

As she hung up the phone, she suddenly felt as if all her fears and cares had slipped away. The Calamity Janes were getting together tomorrow. Let Cole find out about Jake and do his worst. She had backup on the way. And together, the Calamity Janes were indomitable.

Chapter Three

The door to Cole’s home office burst open, and his father charged in as if he were on a mission. Normally Cole would have protested the intrusion into his private sanctuary, but he was too exhausted. He’d been up all night putting the finishing touches on a program that would revolutionize the way businesses interconnected on the Internet. His gut told him it was going to be the most lucrative bit of technology he’d ever created.

“What?” he asked as his father loomed over him, a frown on his face as he studied the computer screen.

“Is that supposed to make sense?” Frank asked, leaning down for a closer look.

“Not to you, but to another computer it’s magic,” Cole said.

“Guess I’ll have to take your word on that.”

“I’m sure you didn’t barge in here to talk about computers,” Cole said dryly. “What’s on your mind? You’re usually in town at Stella’s at this hour swapping lies with all your buddies.”

“Been there. Now I’m back.”

“I see,” Cole said. “And you’re what? Reporting in with the latest Winding River gossip?”

“Don’t sass me, son. I did happen to pick up a little bit of news I thought might interest you.”

“Unless it’s a way to squeeze eight hours of sleep into the two hours I have before I meet with Don Rollins about that bull you want, I doubt it.”

Undaunted, his father announced, “Cassie and her friends will be at Stella’s at noon today. Stella’s about to bust a gusset at the thought that a famous movie star is going to be dining in her establishment. That’s what she said, ‘dining in my establishment.’ Talk about putting on airs. She’s talking about little Lauren Winters. We’ve known the girl since she was in diapers. I can’t see what all the ruckus is about.”

He shook his head. “Well, never mind about that. The point is that Cassie will be there.”

Cole’s pulse did a little hop, skip and jump, which he resolutely blamed on exhaustion. “So?”

“Just thought you’d want to know.”

“And now I do.” He stared evenly at his father. “Are you waiting for some sort of reaction?”

“As a matter of fact, I am. Any hot-blooded son of mine would take a shower, shave, splash on a little of that fancy aftershave women like and haul his butt into town. Now’s your chance, son. Don’t waste it.”

“I’m confused about something. When did you become such a big fan of Cassie’s?”

Guilt flickered in his father’s eyes for an instant before he shrugged. “The point is you cared about her once.”

“A long time ago. You saw to it that it came to nothing.”

“Well, maybe I regret that.”

“Do you really?” Cole asked doubtfully, then shook his head. “Look, forget it. I have an appointment, anyway.”

“I can buy my own blasted bull,” his father retorted. “Seems to me like you ought to have better fish to fry.”

Cole raked a hand through his hair, spared one last glance at the computer screen before shutting it down, then stood up.

“A shower sounds good,” he conceded. “As for the rest, if I were you, I’d be real careful about telling me how capable you are of managing without me. I might get the idea that I could leave this ranch and Winding River and you wouldn’t even miss me.”

His father began to sputter a lot of nonsense about not saying any such thing, but Cole ignored the protest and headed upstairs for a long, hot shower to work out the kinks in his neck and shoulders. Given the state of his thoughts about Cassie Collins, he probably should have let the water run cold.

An hour later, feeling moderately more alive, he left the house and headed into town. Not to satisfy his father, he assured himself. Not even to catch a glimpse of Cassie. Just to grab a decent meal that he didn’t have to cook himself, maybe pick up a few things at the feed and grain store. If Cassie happened to be around, well, that was pure coincidence, the kind of thing that happened in small towns. People bumped into people all the time, exchanged a few words, then went on about their business. It didn’t have to mean a thing.

Yeah, right. He sneezed as he caught a whiff of that aftershave he’d splashed on at the last minute. He yanked a handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed at his cheeks, but the scent stayed with him, mocking his avowed intentions about this trip into town.

He glanced in the rearview mirror of his truck, assured himself that no one was behind him, then slammed on the brakes right there in the middle of the highway. He could quit lying to himself right now, turn around, go back to the ranch and take that nap he’d been craving before his father had shown up. And if he wanted to salvage a lick of pride, that was exactly what he ought to do.

“Do it,” he muttered. “Be sensible for once in your miserable life.”

But the lure of seeing Cassie again was too much to ignore. It had been a long time since he’d let temptation get the better of him. Surely he could be forgiven a single lapse.

With a sigh he took his foot off the brake and kept going, heading straight for trouble.

“Oh, my word, I never thought I’d see all of you back together again,” Stella Partlow said, hands on her ample hips as her gaze circled the table at the back of her diner. “These class reunions always take me right back. Not a one of you has changed a lick.”

“Not even Lauren?” Cassie asked the woman who had given her her first job as a waitress back in high school. Stella had ignored the gossip and patiently gone about the business of turning Cassie into a responsible employee.

At Cassie’s question, Stella peered intently at Lauren, then shook her head. “Nope. She was always a beauty. Back then she just didn’t make the most of the looks God gave her. I’ve always said a good haircut and a few beauty products can turn the plainest woman into something a man can’t resist.”

“You still selling Avon?” Emma teased.

“Well, of course I am,” Stella retorted. “But right this second I’m pushing hamburgers. How about five with the works, just the way you used to like ’em?”

“And fries,” Karen said with a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

“And chocolate milk shakes,” Cassie added, all but licking her lips. Nobody anywhere made shakes as thick and rich as Stella’s. Not even Earlene had the knack.

“Except for me,” Lauren corrected.