A Rich Man for Dry Creek and A Hero For Dry Creek: A Rich Man For Dry Creek / A Hero For Dry Creek

When Jenny had looked outside earlier, she’d thought that the snow falling in the black night looked like a snow globe turned upside down—with the barn at the center and an old-fashioned waltz playing while the snow fell around the globe.

“I can’t dance in this.” Jenny brought her mind back to reality. She gestured to her chef’s apron. Her broad white apron was serviceable for working with food, but it had nothing of taffeta or silk about it. Even Ginger didn’t dance in coarse cotton. “And there’s my hair—”

“Your hair is beautiful. You just need to get rid of this.” Robert reached over and lifted Jenny’s hairnet off her head.

Jenny’s hands flew up. “But that’s my hairnet—the health code.”

“No one needs a hairnet for dancing.”

No, Jenny thought, but they did need air in their lungs. She felt dizzy. She could almost hear her sister’s squeal of delight if she knew Robert Buckwalter had plucked the net off her hair and asked her to dance.

But Jenny had always been more practical than her sister.

Jenny knew that Prince Charming didn’t even notice Cinderella until after the Fairy Godmother had given her a whole new look. Men, especially handsome men like the one in front of her, just didn’t dance with women with working shoes and flat hair. Not even the coachmen would have danced with Cinderella if she’d arrived at the ball with a net over her hair and an apron around her waist.

“I should change.”

Jenny’s hand had already found its way into his and now she was twisting away from him to go do something as foolish as change her clothes.

“You’re fine.” Fine didn’t begin to cover it, Robert thought to himself. Jenny’s eyes, usually a dark brown, had lightened to a caramel. She had a dazed look about her that made him want to dance with her in a quiet corner instead of in the middle of a throng of teenagers.

It wasn’t that she was beautiful, he decided after a moment. He’d seen dozens of women whose features were more perfect. But he’d never seen anyone who looked like Jenny. He could almost trace her thoughts in her eyes. She wasn’t trying to hide who she was or what she thought. He wondered if she even knew how rare that was. Or how compelling.

“But my hair…” Jenny frantically tried to fluff her hair up a little. It was all about bone structure. With flat hair, the small features on her face made her look like a Christmas elf. With just a little bit of fluff, she managed to look merely petite instead of childish.

Robert captured her hand and calmed her.

“Your hair is—” He’d been going to say “fine.” But then he felt the cloud of her hair fall against the back of his hand. “—incredible.”

“It’s brown.” Jenny shook her hair away from his hand. No wonder he was in the running for the number one bachelor. He was a charmer, all right. “Plain brown and flyaway on top of that.”

Robert shook his head. “I’d say more chestnut than anything, golden highlights. The kind of hair the masters used to paint in all those old European pictures. Mona Lisa colors.”

“Next you’ll be saying my apron is the latest fashion from Paris.”

Robert could see the amusement begin in her eyes and he could feel her relaxing.

“Just see if it doesn’t catch on.” Robert guided her closer so they could waltz. He felt her momentary resistance before she moved toward him.

“I used to love to dance.” Maybe the shadows will hide my apron, Jenny thought to herself as Robert started them on their way.

“Ever dip?”

Jenny shook her head. “And don’t you dare. I’d feel foolish with everyone looking.”

“Everybody’s too busy to care.”

Jenny looked around at the other couples. It was true. Almost. “The ranch hands are watching.”

Robert looked at the cluster of men standing by one of the side heaters. Half of them held coffee cups in their hands. A few of them did seem to be looking at him and Jenny, although he’d wager they weren’t interested in her apron. The dismay he saw in the eyes of a couple of them told him they’d been waiting for the coffee passing to stop so they’d have their own chance at a dance with Jenny.

“They’ll just have to get their own dates,” Robert stated firmly as he gathered Jenny a little closer and inhaled. She smelled of some very pleasing scent. He’d guess cinnamon.

Jenny almost stumbled. “Date?”

Robert looked down at her face and smiled. “You. Me. Dancing. That’s a date, isn’t it?”

“But we can’t be on a date.” Jenny stopped dancing.

“Why not?”

“You’re my boss.”

“I’ve never paid you a dime. You work for my mother.”

“It’s the same difference,” Jenny sputtered. “Besides—” she hated to sound like her sister, but there it was “—I’m Jenny, the chef, and you’re Robert Buckwalter the Third.”

“You can call me Bob.”

“What?” Jenny hadn’t realized how close Robert had pulled her until she’d stopped dancing.

“Bob. Call me Bob.”

Jenny looked up at him skeptically. He smelled faintly of some expensive aftershave. The tie around his neck was pure silk and probably Italian. His suit had to be hand tailored. “You don’t look like a Bob.”

Robert gently started Jenny dancing again. He liked the way she felt in his arms. Her head reached his chin. Not too tall. Not too short. Just right. “What does a Bob look like anyway?”

Jenny was silent a moment. “Plaid shirt. Sneakers.”

Robert started to chuckle. “I can’t do much about the shirt right now, but I left my sneakers in the bus when we drove over. I could go get them if it’d make you happy. We could both go.”

“It’s dark out there.”

“The stars are out.”

“Mrs. Hargrove said we’re supposed to stay close to the barn.” Jenny tried to hold on to her propriety.

Jenny remembered how soft the black sky was outside. Shadows layered over shadows amid the cars and trucks parked in the middle of Dry Creek. The bite of the air would be cold and sharp enough to make the inside of the bus a cozy place to talk. A much too cozy place when all was said and done.

“She’s just worried about that kidnapping rumor.” Robert watched the temptation play across Jenny’s face. He could watch her for hours. “But only a fool would kidnap anyone in a cold spell like the one tonight. There’s three feet of snow out there in some places.”

“I suppose.”

Robert noticed the frown didn’t go away. “If you’re worried about me, don’t be. I’m a gentleman. You can trust me.”

Jenny snapped back to reality. “You’re not a gentleman. You’re the bachelor of the year.”

Robert came back to reality with her. “I am? Have you talked to your sister? Have they decided?”