Darling Jenny (2 page)

'This is certainly the bumpiest ride I've ever had on a plane,' the lady seated next to Jennifer stated, bundling her knitting up and placing it in her tapestry bag. 'I've dropped three stitches in the last two minutes.'

Jennifer was suddenly conscious of the turbulent bouncing of the aircraft and murmured agreement with her seat companion. Taking Jennifer's polite comment as an invitation for conversation, the woman continued,

'I was in Salt Lake City with my daughter and her new baby. It's her first, and I told Richard, that's my husband, that it wasn't right for her to cope with those first few weeks on her own. Of course, it's our first grandchild and we were both dying to see her. Her name is Amy, a nice, old-fashioned name, I think.'

Jennifer nodded and smiled politely, wishing the woman would stop talking and at the same time grateful to get her mind off that painful night.

'Are you going to Wyoming on a skiing holiday?' the woman asked. 'The weather's certainly perfect for it.'

'No. I'm going to stay with my sister for a while,' Jennifer answered.

'Oh, does she live in Jackson? I'm from outside Alpine myself. What does her husband do? Wouldn't it be a coincidence if I happened to know them? I know quite a few people there.'

'Sheila manages a motel in Jackson, but she's only been there a couple of years. Her husband was killed on active service with the army a few years ago,' Jennifer replied.

'Oh, that's too bad.' With a sudden movement, the woman turned towards Jennifer. 'Was it the Jefferies boy?' At the answering affirmative nod, she continued, 'I know his parents very well. It was such a trying time for them when he was listed as missing in action. They'd hoped for so long, only to learn he was dead.'

'Yes, it was quite a blow to them. That's why my sister moved to Jackson. She felt the children should get to know their grandparents better. And it would ease their grief, too.'

'You say she runs a motel. It's coming up on the busy time for her now with the holiday season just a few weeks away. Of course, the skiers are just a small few compared to the horde of tourists that descend on the Grand Teton and Yellowstone areas of Wyoming in the summer. Will your sister be waiting for you at the airport?'

'Yes, I imagine so,' Jennifer replied.

'I hope she won't be too upset when we don't get there,' the woman stated.

'What do you mean?' Jennifer raised an arched eyebrow curiously.

'The weather, dear. Before I left Salt Lake, the radio said there were heavy snows in the Jackson Hole area,' the woman answered prophetically.

'Good afternoon. This is your captain speaking,' the pleasant, masculine voice said over the aircraft speaker system. 'I have some good news for you skiers. The temperature in Jackson Hole is thirty-two degrees, I've been told there's six inches of new powder on the slopes, and it's still coming down. Unfortunately, the wind is blowing and the visibility at the airport is below the required minimums for landing. That means we'll be landing at Idaho Falls instead. The airline will provide ground transportation for passengers to Jackson. You can check at the ticket counter when we arrive at Idaho Falls. Our arrival time will be twelve-fifty-five p.m. Thank you and happy skiing!'

Jennifer leaned back against her seat, turning her head towards the window to hide her misting eyes from the inquisitive woman at her side. She had been so looking forward to being with her sister again, especially after their brief telephone conversation the day before. Despite Sheila being five years older than Jennifer, they had always been close. A steady flow of letters from Jennifer had kept Sheila abreast of her sister's growing romance with Brad Stevenson. After that fateful night, Jennifer had turned to her sister rather than burden her parents with her heartbreak and humiliation. Jennifer's eyes cleared as she remembered with a smile Sheila's reaction to that last evening with Brad.

'Bradley Stevenson, brilliant, bold, and a brute,' Sheila had stated caustically, sympathetic anger lacing her words while recalling a favourite word game of theirs as youngsters. 'You certainly can't stay working for him. Going back to the farm and Mom and Dad isn't the answer. You need a complete change of scenery. Come and stay with me. I always get lonely at Christmas time for some of my own family. Besides, I can use the extra help you'd be at this time of the year when all the skiers descend on us. Catch the next plane out—and I won't take "no" for an answer. Besides, you've never seen snow until you've spent winter in the Tetons.'

Happily and tearfully Jennifer had agreed.

'Write the folks a letter telling them your boss is sick and in the hospital or something and that you're taking leave of absence to come visit me,' Sheila had went on in her 'take charge' voice. 'Later on we can square it with them somehow.'

What a blessing it was to have a sister like Sheila, Jennifer thought, always so competent and understanding. Her sister had been the beautiful one of the family, with raven-black hair and unexpected blue eyes shining out from thick, dark lashes. Jennifer had been the 'cute' one, mostly because she looked like a perennial child.

'Please observe the "No Smoking" light and extinguish all cigarettes,' the stewardess's voice announced over the speaker. 'We've begun our final approach to Idaho Falls, and we'll be landing shortly. After landing, please remain in your seats until the plane has come to a full stop at the gates. Those passengers going to Jackson, Wyoming, are to report to the airline ticket counter. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and on behalf of the entire crew, we want to thank you for flying Western Airlines.'

Jennifer hugged the pale beige, suede coat around her as she hurried down the plane's steps into the building, amidst dancing snowflakes and a chilling wind. They should have been landing in Jackson right now, and she would have been rushing to meet her sister. Now she was faced with yet another journey and more time to think about what had happened and to feel sorry for herself.

Most of the other passengers had disembarked before Jennifer and were already huddled around either the ticket counter or the luggage area. She stood back in a less crowded area, waiting for the queues to thin out. Absently her fingers dug into the white sheepskin lining that spread on to the upturned collar of her coat as she gazed uninterestedly at the other passengers mumbling and beckoning impatiently at various clerks. She was suddenly looking into another pair of brown eyes that were interestedly inspecting her.

The unmasked appraisal in the man's glance was unsettling as Jennifer felt each curve and feature of her body inspected and weighed. She straightened her shoulders indignantly and scathingly surveyed him. She couldn't find much fault with what she saw. Even leaning back against a closed ticket counter, she could tell he was tall, over six foot, and the width of the brown suede Marlborough jacket across his shoulders couldn't be all sheepskin. The thumb of one hand was hooked in the waistband of his slacks, holding open the coat to reveal a white pullover over brown corduroy pants. There was a roguish look to his broad, strong face emphasized by the way his brown hair with its bronzed gold highlights was combed away from his forehead only to flip forward on one side in a wave. His eyes had a devilish and knowing gleam under thick curling lashes and gold-tipped brows. The crinkling lines at the corner of his eyes reminded Jennifer of her mother's 'perpetual laugh lines', as she preferred to call them. He had strong cheekbones and a good, chiseled nose. His lips had curled into a mocking smile by the time Jennifer noticed them, revealing a disconcerting dimple in his cheek.

Embarrassed that she had even deigned to return his stare, Jennifer looked away, skipping over his chin with the tiniest cleft in its centre. Colour and indignation rose within her as she quickly branded him lawless, lordly, and a Lothario. And she'd had all the exposure to the latter that she wanted!

The line had thinned out at the luggage centre, and Jennifer quickly stepped towards it and away from the stranger. She was just reaching down to pick up one of her bags when a low baritone voice said, 'May I help you?' Then an arm reached passed her and picked up her case.

She straightened to glare angrily into the mocking eyes of the stranger she had seen only a few seconds before.

'I can manage perfectly,' Jennifer replied frostily, reaching for her bag.

'You are Jennifer Glenn, aren't you?' he stated with a horrible, knowing smile. 'I didn't see any other redheads get off the plane.'

'My hair isn't red. It's strawberry blonde,' Jennifer asserted.

'Sheila called my hotel and told me your plane was being re-routed here. Is that yours, too?' He was reaching down for a blue suitcase that matched the one in his hand.

'Yes,' Jennifer answered, momentarily surprised at her sister's name. 'Who are you?'

'I'm sure Sheila's mentioned me in her letters. The name is Taylor, Logan Taylor.'

'So the "L" was right after all. Lawless, lordly, and a Lothario,' Jennifer thought with a triumphant gleam in her eye.

His hand had taken her elbow, and he was guiding her through the crowd. Sheila had mentioned him in her letters, but Jennifer had always received the impression that he was much older. He wasn't over—she glanced at his face from the corner of her eye—thirty-one, thirty-two? He owned the motel that Sheila managed, and plenty else, from what her sister had intimated in her letters.

'I thought you might like a cup of coffee and relax a little before we leave,' Logan Taylor was saying as he ushered Jennifer into the café area.

'Leave? Leave for where?'
 

'Jackson Hole, of course.' He pulled out a chair at one of the tables for Jennifer before seating himself.

'But the airline…'

'I already let them know that I was meeting you. Luckily your sister caught me just as I was checking out of my hotel. She knew I was driving back today. Since you'll be staying with her, the ride will give us a chance to get better acquainted.' His drifting glance once more swept over her face in appraisal. 'What will you have? Coffee?'
 

'Yes, that's fine. Black, please,' she ordered as the waitress approached their table. Jennifer waited until the girl had moved away before she replied a little icily to his previous statement and his glance. 'I doubt if we'll see very much of each other, Mr. Taylor.'

'It's Logan, and Jackson Hole isn't that big. We'll see each other.' He leaned back against his chair as the young waitress brought their coffee and set it in front of them on the table. He smiled up at the girl warmly, but only Jennifer saw the waitress blush under his glance. Sickening was her immediate reaction, and it must have shown on her face because Logan Taylor glanced at her with a puzzled expression.
 

'Logan!' a feminine voice cried. 'Logan! So you didn't leave after all!'

Jennifer looked up just as a pair of the most ravishing girls descended on their table. A blonde who was wearing a fur coat that looked as if it would have cost a year of Jennifer's salary.

'I came to pick up Rachel, and I find you. If only you'd told me this morning, we could have come out together,' she pouted as she glanced over her shoulder at the long-haired brunette who was staring seductively at Logan. 'Isn't it the greatest thing, Rachel? Here I was bemoaning the fact that Logan had left, and I find him here at the airport. I should have known you would change your mind about driving back in this weather, especially after the late night we had.'

Jennifer nearly sighed in disgust at the blatant way they were throwing themselves at him. And he was standing there taking it as if it was his due.

'Who's the little girl, Logan?' Rachel asked huskily, her dark eyes never leaving Logan's face.

'This is Sheila Jeffries' sister, Jennifer. DeeDee Hunter and Rachel Scott,' Logan introduced as Jennifer sat in fuming silence.

'It's only the second week of December. I didn't know school vacation started so early,' the blonde DeeDee said.

'Twenty-two years old hardly qualifies me as school age,' Jennifer retorted sharply.

'Are you really that old? You look much younger.' DeeDee answered in disbelief as Jennifer met the teasing glance of Logan's brown eyes. But the blonde's interest in Jennifer didn't last long before DeeDee turned her rapt face back to the man beside her. 'We're having a welcome home party for Rachel. You must come tonight.'

'I'm driving back to Jackson Hole this afternoon,' Logan stated quietly, ignoring the petulant expression on the blonde's face. 'I stayed just long enough to pick up Jennifer. We'll be leaving in a few minutes. Next time, maybe.'

'Keep them hanging on the string,' Jennifer thought disgustedly.

'You really shouldn't drive in this weather,' Rachel protested. 'Why don't you stay until it lets up?'

'No, I'm sorry,' he said firmly.

'You are mean, Logan Taylor,' DeeDee pouted; 'But don't you forget to make reservations for us. A party of eight, the weekend after Christmas.'

'I won't forget,' Logan nodded.

'We'd better dash. See you soon, darling,' DeeDee smiled, disentangling herself from his arm, then blowing him a kiss as she began to push Rachel towards the door. 'Nice meeting you, Janet."

'You too, DoDo,' Jennifer mumbled.

'What was that you said?' Logan asked, seating himself once again in the chair beside her.