Forever Dreams (Montana Brides) (11 page)

“Ha ha, very funny.”

Gracie stuck her head around the wooden door on her left, not quite trusting the grinning cowboy behind her. “My suitcases!” She ran across the room and hugged her neon pink bags like long lost friends. “How did they get here?”

“Someone from the airport rang yesterday afternoon. Jordan and I picked them up on the way to the game last night.” A slow smile spread across his face. “The cases are almost as tall as you are. How much gear did you need to bring?”

“I’ve got an outfit for every occasion in here.” Gracie flipped a bag onto its end and extended the handle. “I never thought I’d see my clothes again.”

“Pretty hard to miss four bright pink suitcases. We got some funny looks when we were wheeling them out to the truck. I’ll give you a hand to put them upstairs.”

Trent leaned forward, taking the case Gracie wheeled past him out of her hands. His fingers brushed her skin and a jolt of something she didn’t want to name licked along her body.
 

He reached for another suitcase. “How’s the hunt going for your father?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t noticed the heat whipping along her skin. “Three crossed off my list, not including Kristina’s husband.” Gracie lifted the handles on the last two suitcases.

“Do you want help narrowing down the list?”

“I’ll be okay. You need to concentrate on finding a wife.”

Trent stopped in the middle of the room and scowled. “Have you thought about what’s going to happen after you find him?”

“Up until eight months ago, I thought my father was dead. Just knowing why he left would be better than nothing.” She pulled on the handles of her suitcases and wheeled them past Trent.
 

“Wait a minute. Why did you think your father was dead?”

“Mom told me he died in an accident when she was pregnant with me.” Gracie hauled her cases upright and turned to look at Trent. “He was a rodeo star. They met each other when he was touring New Zealand and she fell head over heels in love with him. For thirty years I believed they’d been married.” Gracie shook her head, feeling like a fool for all of the daydreams she’d built around the happy family that had never existed.
 

“What kind of a mother would lie about something like that?”

Gracie had wondered the same thing. She’d been angry and upset when her mom had finally told her the truth. But those feelings were nothing compared to the grief that had swept through her when her mom died. “She came from a small town. People talked and it wasn’t like it is today. She was eighteen, pregnant, and her parents weren’t happy. She ran away from home and lived with a friend in Wellington.
 
She pretended she had a different life because it protected her from gossip and made it easier to make a life for us.”

“What made her change her mind and tell you the truth?”

Gracie felt the same swell of emotion that built deep in her chest whenever she thought about the last few months of her mom’s life. “She was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died six months later.” Gracie bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back the rush of tears that never seemed to end. She took a deep breath and glanced at Trent. “I guess it was her way of letting me know that I wasn’t alone in the world.”

Trent dropped the bags he was carrying and wrapped Gracie in a hug. She held onto his waist, burying her face in the musky scent that would always remind her of him.

“I’m sorry, Gracie.”

“I’m okay.” She took a step back and wiped her eyes. “I promised mom I’d try and find my father. But I don’t know what’s going to happen if I do find him or what I’m going to say.”

Trent gently tipped her chin up with his fingers. His eyes were soft and sincere and her heart melted. “I’ll be here for you when you find him, Gracie. We can sort it out together.” A grin crinkled the corners of his eyes. “But in the meantime we’ve got four monster suitcases waiting to be delivered. You want to give me a hand?”

Gracie nodded. “Thanks, Trent.”

“You’re welcome, short-stuff.”

Gracie enjoyed every minute of her visit to the Farmers Market in Bozeman. As they’d wandered around the craft stalls, they’d munched waffles thick with fresh strawberry jam and cream. Colorful tents sat side-by-side under a clear blue sky, everyone happy to talk about what they were selling or to past the time of day with a kiwi tourist.

After the craft section, Trent took her across to the fresh produce area. In no time at all they had the truck loaded with food, ready for the barn dance that night. As soon as they got back to the Triple L, Karen came bounding down the stairs followed by six of ‘the girls.’

“Morning everyone.” Karen opened the back of the truck and started passing out the boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables. “We’ve put the desserts in the living room so no sneaking samples, Trent. Jordan’s already been banned. Corn, potatoes, greens and bread all go in the kitchen. Jenny, can you take the fruit into the dining room and start on the platters?”

Karen commanded her troops with military precision. By early afternoon they’d washed, cut, scooped and plated so many dishes that Gracie’s head spun. They’d ended up with enough food to feed half the town and then some.

Trent stuck his head around the kitchen door as Karen cut the last tomato. “The barbecues are set up and we’ve unpacked the plastic plates and cutlery. Jordan’s showing the port-a-loo guys where to put the toilets, so we’re good to go.” He stared at the kitchen. “Man, look at all this food. There’s not one scrap of spare counter space anywhere.”

Karen smiled, “Its good practice for a wedding reception.”

Gracie watched the color drain from Trent’s face. He wasn’t happy. It would be a big night for everyone, even bigger for a man looking for the perfect wife. Maybe he had performance issues. Stress could do funny things to some people, but she was ready and willing to give him a pep talk before the guests arrived.

Trent flicked a glance her way. “Give me a yell if you need anything. I’ll be with Jordan.”

Gracie smiled at his back, watching him make a quick getaway. The thought of a wedding reception must have scared him worse than she thought. He didn’t stand a chance against four available women, let alone a mother who had marriage on her mind.
 

She added another handful of grapes to the fruit salad, moving out of Karen’s way as she placed two huge bowls of strawberries on the table. Roll on five o’clock. The scene was set, now it was up to fate and a desperate cowboy to take the lead role.

Gracie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Even if she said so herself, she looked pretty good for a greenhorn from New Zealand. Her hair sat in a mass of soft curls around her face, thanks to half a bottle of conditioner and more than a few squirts of hairspray. A touch of eye shadow, a flick of mascara and a coat of the palest peach lipstick she owned kept her makeup understated and fresh. Unlike her dress.

 
While she’d been shopping with Karen, Gracie had bought herself a saucy cowgirl outfit. As Karen had rightly pointed out, her reputation had already been embellished. A flirty little outfit should hardly come as a surprise to anyone that had heard Caitlin’s Wal-mart story.
 

A pair of jeans and cowboy boots wouldn’t do for a woman mad enough to jump on a plane and travel thousands of miles to live with a cowboy she’d never met.

The black cowgirl dress Gracie had chosen finished about four inches below her panty line. It hugged her body like a second skin. The only thing remotely demure about the outfit was the silver stitching embroidered around the collar and over the top of the short sleeves. A wide black belt sat low on her hips, complete with a big silver buckle covered with sparkly stones. Gracie slipped her feet into her favorite pair of ankle boots. Grabbing the black cowboy hat off her bed, she placed it on her head, admiring the way the crystal band twinkled in the bedroom lights.
 

By the end of the night no one would be under the illusion that Trent McKenzie and Gracie Donnelly were a couple. Two of the four potential Mrs. Trent McKenzies would be crossed off his list, and two would have happy faces beside their names. Even if her feet lived to regret it, she’d dance with every cowboy in the room before she danced a single two-step with Trent. After tonight he’d be on his own. Gracie had helped him find a wife and it was up to him to find true love.

Skimming an extra coat of lipstick across her mouth, she gave her reflection one last look. She glanced at the list beside her bed, tweaked her skirt, and headed toward the stairs into party command central. Show time had arrived.

Trent glanced at his watch for the third time. If Gracie didn’t get down here soon, she’d miss the first group of guests parking in the back field.
 

A wolf-whistle filled the living room. He looked across at Jordan. His brother was almost drooling on the spot. Turning around, Trent tried to see who or what had turned him to mush – and stopped breathing.

Blood roared through his veins as Gracie sashayed down the stairs in an outfit made for pleasure. The sparkly buckle sitting low on her waist drew a man’s eye straight to her legs. She might not be tall, but she’d been designed for perfection. Gracie had just the right amount of curves to set a man’s mind to wondering how her body might feel nestled close against his. And a wicked sense of humor that knew what to do with those curves when she got there.

His body tightened. He knew what those curves felt like, and call him selfish, he wasn’t inclined to share.
 

She walked toward him, placing one of her fingers under his slack jaw. “You can swallow now, Trent.”

He gazed down into her eyes, nearly throwing her over his shoulder when he saw the mischief lurking in their depths. “Gracie Donnelly, you can’t wear that dress in public.”

Picking a stray piece of cotton from the front of his shirt, she fluttered her lashes and whispered, “Where would you like me to wear it?”

Raw heat scorched his skin.
 

She gazed up at him with big blue eyes full of laughter. “Are you ready to woo your ladies tonight, handsome?”

He shook his head. If she walked into the barn wearing that outfit he’d spend all night making sure no cowboy started wooing her. Keeping tabs on the four remaining women on his list seemed insignificant compared to keeping tabs on Gracie.

“Little Lady,” Jordan purred. “Why don’t you let my big brother sort out his guests while you and I take a walk on the wild side?”

Trent glared at Jordan. Hogtying him in a field and leaving him there until the morning sounded like a mighty fine start to the evening.

Gracie laughed, grabbing Trent’s arm. “Thanks for the offer, Jordan, but your brother and I have something to discuss. Save me a dance or two.” She ran her gaze around the room. “Come on, Trent. I think the only quiet place down here is going to be your office. Just keep looking straight ahead otherwise you’ll be given something to do.” She pulled him across the room, closing the office door behind them.
 

He watched as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Not a good idea. The bottom of her dress lifted half an inch toward heaven. Half an inch it couldn’t afford. “You can’t wear that outfit.” He sat down in his chair. “Every time you move, that damn dress rides up another notch.”

Gracie looked down at her dress and grinned. “It’s not as bad as you think.”

“Honey, that dress is every bit as bad as I think.”

“No it’s not. I’ve got black exercise shorts on underneath so I’m practically decent.” At the look of disbelief on his face she laughed. “It’s true, look.” Lifting the bottom of her dress, she revealed a tight pair of black lycra shorts that were a couple of inches shorter than her dress. “Happy now?”

Happy didn’t go anywhere near to describing how he felt. It had been years since a woman had so innocently lifted her skirt for him. Lots of not so innocent thoughts raced through his brain as his eyes had an up close and personal encounter with her legs.
 

If he wanted to get out of this office in one piece he needed to ignore her skimpy outfit and find out what was on her mind. “Okay, Ms. Cowgirl. Would you mind telling me why you hauled me into the office when our guests have started arriving?”

“I wanted to make sure you’ve got the jist of what you’re doing tonight. All of the ladies on your short-list are coming, so you’ve got no excuse not to get your options down to the top two.
 
If you don’t manage that you won’t stand any chance of being married this side of Christmas.”
 

“Did you bring a list of questions you want me to ask them?”

Gracie rolled her eyes. “Don’t be tacky. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try and remember to ask them similar questions. Then you can compare their answers against each other.”
 

“Are there any other pearls of wisdom you want to share before I brave the lion’s den and search out my first victim?”

A huff of air escaped her lips. “You can’t call them victims, Trent. They’re dates…well, sort of. I’m sure you can manage to get around all four women in one night.”

She sat down on the chair opposite him. Good God. That skirt just got a whole lot tighter and a whole lot shorter. She crossed her legs and he almost fell off his seat. “Umm, Gracie. I don’t think it’s a good idea to cross your legs like that. It might give someone the wrong impression.” He could feel heat fanning through his body as she stared at him with a bewildered expression on her face.

Looking down at her legs, she blushed like a ripe beetroot. “Oh, for goodness’ sake. It’s just a little bit of leg. I’m perfectly respectable.” She did however, uncross her legs and stand up, yanking the skirt of her dress down to cover her shorts. “Now that you’ve finished ogling my legs, can we get back to business? How do you feel?”

God in heaven, what did the woman want? Blood? The only word that sprung to mind was horny. But if he said that, he’d end up on the receiving end of a slap on the face. “Stressed.” That just about covered every last inch of him.