The Bride Said, 'Finally!'

Jake looked through his calendar. “Four o’clock?” Jenna nodded and handed him his hat. “I’ll see you then.”

“LOOK, DADDY, we’re having a tea party!” Alex said, several hours later.

Giddily she spun around showing off her wool beret, long chifon scarf and white elbow-length gloves. “And I even got high heels and pearls!” All of which she had added to her usual T-shirt and jeans. Beginning to see where Jenna was going with all this, Jake grinned and joined the group where they were gathered around the table in the second-floor playroom at the ranch, sipping from child-sized cups, and eating tiny little tea sandwiches and petits fours. “And what a nice tea party it is,” Jake answered, admiring the cozy camaraderie that had cropped up between the women in his life. Jenna in particular looked very happy and content. He wondered what it would be like to have the full wattage of Jenna’s smile aimed at him once again.

“And tomorrow we’re going to have another one and really play dress-up, too,” Alex enthused.

Jenna met Jake’s eye and grinned as she adjusted the silk stole around her shoulders and the genuine bridal-shop tiara perched on her head. “I didn’t have time to dig through the treasure trove in my storeroom,” she explained, “but tomorrow I’ll bring some sample garments and the clothes my sisters and I used to wear as kids.”

Aware the J&R ranch house hadn’t been filled with this much love and laughter since he, Clara and Alex had moved in, Jake took off his hat, and pulled up a chair. “You still have them?”

Jenna nodded. “Mom never could bring herself to get rid of them. She thought her grandkids might use them someday, and as it turned out, Meg’s son Jeremy has, as well as his friends.”

Jake was glad Jenna and her sisters had done what they could to preserve the Lockhart family heirlooms, with their sentimental value. No doubt they’d mean a lot to them all someday. “How old is Jeremy?” Jake asked, as a bonnet-and-shawl-clad Clara handed him a plate.

Jenna’s lips curved fondly. “Same age as Alex, almost six.”

Alex tugged on Jenna’s sleeve. “Can Jeremy come to our tea party, too?”

“If his mom says okay,” Jenna allowed kindly, before shooting a look at Jake. “But you’re going to have to ask your dad.”

Alex looked at Jake for permission.

“Sure, honey.” Jake smiled, happy Jenna had become buddies with Alex and Clara so quickly. “Go ahead and invite him.”

Alex studied Jake as Clara handed him the plate of peanut-butter-and-jelly and cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches. “Daddy needs a funny hat, too.”

Jenna gave him a flowered-brim garden hat. Alex giggled riotously. “Not that one, silly. Let him have…this one.” She ran to her toy chest and returned with a child-sized magician’s hat.

Jake put the small black top hat on his head. “Much better.”

Alex beamed. “Would you like some apple juice?” Being careful to be very prim and proper, instead of rowdy and out-of-control, Alex reached for the tea set.

“Don’t mind if I do, thank you,” Jake told Alex. While Alex poured Jake some apple juice, Jake traded glances with Jenna, silently telegraphing his appreciation.

“The petits fours are delicious,” Clara said.

“They’re from Isabel Buchanon’s bakery, over on Main Street,” Jenna explained. “If you haven’t been there yet, you ought to give it a try. She’s got the best baked goods in town, no question.’

Clara smiled. “We’ll have to run by there.”

The pager clipped to Clara’s belt began to beep. Clara looked down at the number flashing across the screen. “That’s my daughter, Lisa.” Jake reached into the pocket of his blazer and handed over his cell phone. Clara made the call, said hello, and listened. “Honey, you can’t be in labor yet. You’re not due for another two weeks—oh, dear. Yes, that’s a definite sign. Have you called your obstetrician? Is Randall on the way? Of course I’ll meet you at the hospital, honey. I wouldn’t dream of missing this.”

“Problem?” Jake said.

Briskly, Clara untied her bonnet and removed the shawl from her shoulders. She looked calm and in control. “Lisa’s water broke and she’s started having contractions.”

“Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?” Jake said.

Clara shook her head. “This being a first baby and all, there’s no telling how long it will take.”

Jake stood and helped Clara with her chair. He wrapped his arm around the older woman’s shoulders and gave her a hug. “Give Lisa and Randall our love. Let me know if there’s anything they need.”

Clara hugged Jake back. “I will. Bye, precious.” Clara knelt down to give Alexandra a hug and a kiss.

“Can I see your new grandbaby after it’s borned?” Alex asked.

Clara smiled. “You sure can.” She said goodbye to Jenna then was off.

Silence fell over the playroom. Suddenly, no one was much in the mood for a tea party. But that was okay with Jake. He looked over at Alex. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Alex perked up immediately. “You do?”

“It’s on the back porch.” Jake smiled at his daughter, but did nothing to give away the nature of the surprise. “Want to see?”

Alex vaulted out of her chair and wobbled over to him on her high heels. “Can I wear my dress-up clothes?”

Jake frowned. Now that Alex was actually wearing something feminine, even if only for dress-up purposes, he hated to have her take it off. But given what he had on the porch, there was no helping it. “I think you better take them off for this,” he said.

“Okay.” Alex sighed, clearly disappointed, but not about to give up her surprise for the sake of arguing. She ripped off hat, gloves, scarf and high heels, but hesitated at the long double strand of pearls—which looked a little ludicrous with her jeans, T-shirt, and buckskin vest. She looked over at Jenna hopefully. “Can I keep these?”

“Sure,” Jenna said, smiling, as she too took off her tiara and stole and excess jewelry.

“Thank you,” Alex promised sincerely, giving Jenna an admiring look. “I’ll take good care of them. I won’t lose them or anything.”

Jenna reached over to squeeze Alex’s shoulders. “I know you won’t, sweetheart.”

Jake waited for Alex to put on her boots. “Ready?”

Alex nodded. She took his hand, glanced over at Jenna. “You come, too, Jenna.”

Jake nodded, seconding the invitation with a frank, sexy look.

Obviously curious, Jenna followed as Jake took his daughter’s hand in one of his, Jenna’s in the other, and led the way downstairs, past the dining room, through the kitchen and onto the large and homey screened-in back porch.

To Jake’s amusement, at first Jenna—like Alex—saw nothing amiss. Both scanned the rough-hewn furniture with red plaid cushions, the abundance of green, leafy plants and blooming geraniums, the Navajo rugs strewn across the cool cement floor and the ceiling fan whirring overhead. Then they heard it. The quick, frantic scampering of little feet. A yelp. A howl. A hiss. Alex and Jenna barely had time to draw surprised breaths before they caught sight of a fast-moving bundle of butterscotch fur and a pair of lively dark brown eyes. And an even faster bundle of gray fur. Both dashing past in a blur.

“Daddy, you did it!” Alex exclaimed, clapping her hands together with all the delight Jake had expected.

Jenna turned to Jake. “Did you ever!” she agreed dryly.

Chapter Three

“You look…surprised,” Jake said, a little irked Jenna didn’t look more impressed by what he had done. To his relief, his daughter, however, had no such reservations. Alexandra was already down on the floor, tumbling around with the cutest golden retriever puppy Jake had ever seen while her fluffy gray-and-white-striped kitten watched from a distance.

Jenna paused and bit her lip. “I am.”

Jake edged closer, until their arms were almost touching. “Because…?”