Jesse: Merry Christmas, Cowboy. Lynnette Kent

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      AN HOUR LATER, JESSE EYED his reflection in the mirror, removed a hair from his black blazer and then met his own gaze.

      “Dinner and a show,” he told himself. “It’s the least you can do for Elly’s best friend. Not a big deal.”

      The trouble was, it felt like a big deal. He hadn’t really meant to ask Janie out, in the social sense of the word, any more than he would ask his sister for a date. Hell, he’d seen Janie in her pajamas since she was a twelve-year-old sleeping over at the ranch. In all this time, he’d thought of her as a part of Elly’s life. Not his.

      Today seemed different…or maybe it had started last night, when she insisted on driving him home. He didn’t recall ever being alone with Janie before, or really talking about anything more serious than a ball game on TV. Some of their conversations, last night and today, had been uncomfortable and explosive. But not dull. Janie didn’t ignore issues, didn’t gloss over the problems facing both of them. Jesse liked knowing where he stood and what he might be up against. He liked knowing what she thought and that she tried to fight fair.

      The real shock was realizing that he’d never really seen Janie before today. He’d always carried around this image of black pigtails, checked shirts and dirty hands. Elly, too—Jesse knew he tended to see her as the kid he remembered, with tangled hair and braces on her teeth, rather than the lovely adult woman she’d become.

      Janie had changed, as well, and definitely for the better. Her sleek black hair, high cheekbones and bronzed skin revealed the Lakota blood she’d inherited from her mother. But her full, pouty mouth must have come from her dad’s side of the family, along with her figure, rounded in all the right places. Despite her size—she couldn’t be more than five-three—she struck Jesse as a curvy little package of dynamite.

      In more ways than one. And that’s what worried him.

      He had enough complications in his life right now with out adding any kind of relationship to the mix, let alone an attraction to his sister’s best friend.

      Or, for that matter, to his half brother’s half sister.

      So this would be just a friendly evening, he promised himself, walking down the hallway to Janie’s door. Casual. Relaxed. No strings.

      He knocked, Janie opened the door…and his gut lurched like a fish out of water.

      I’m in serious trouble, here.

      He could only hope his reaction didn’t show on his face. “Ready to go?” As she stepped out and turned to make sure the door latched, he said, “You look nice tonight.”

      An understatement, if ever he’d made one. For the first time in both their lives, he was seeing Janie Hansen in a skirt—a swirly black skirt that revealed her sexy legs. She wore red boots with black stitching and black heels and a close-fitting red sweater with sequins across the shoulders. Her shiny black hair flowed like water down her back.

      She looked, in a word, hot.

      “Thanks,” she said, smiling at him as she turned a round. “I busted my budget on clothes for this trip. I almost never have a reason to dress up.”

      “That’s too bad.” The elevator doors opened as soon as he pushed the button, for which he was grateful. He could have kept shoveling on the compliments, which would only sabotage his “just friends” campaign. “What would you like for dinner?”

      “I’m hungry enough to eat just about anything. You choose.”

      “How does Italian food sound?”

      “Terrific.”

      A cab took them from their hotel to the Wynn Resort. Janie pressed her nose to the backseat window throughout the drive, exclaiming at the lights and sights of the Las Vegas street scene.

      “You never imagine it quite this bright,” she said as they walked through the Wynn Hotel entrance. “Or this tall. Or this crowded,” she added, as a group of Asian tourists nearly ran over her.

      Jesse put a hand at the small of her back as she edged toward him. “Sometimes people are watching what’s around them instead of what’s in front. Are you okay?”

      “Sure. I can see why they’re distracted. Just look at this place. Amazing.”

      A giant poster caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks. “Oh, wow. This is where he’s performing?” One of the biggest stars in country music had come out of retirement to give concerts exclusively at the Wynn. “I’ve never seen him live. I love his music.”

      Jesse couldn’t hide his grin. “Well, I guess that’s good.” Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out two tickets. “Because I just happen to have—”

      “Jesse!” Janie screamed, and then threw her arms around his neck right there in the middle of the lobby. She had to jump to reach him, and he wrapped his arms around her, to keep them balanced.

      The crowd flowed around them as they stood there for uncounted seconds, with Janie’s breasts pressed tight against his chest and his head filled with the scent of spices that rose from her hair.

      Finally, her arms loosened, and he had the presence of mind to ease his hold so she could slide back to the floor.

      “I can’t believe this.” She had tears in her eyes. “How did you get tickets? I know his shows sell out months ahead of time.”

      With his hand back at her waist—and his blazer buttoned to hide the fly of his jeans—Jesse guided her on toward the restaurant. “Knowing we’d all be here, Dad bought a couple of tickets when they came up for sale. You never know who will want to do what, so he tries to provide lots of options.”

      Once seated at their table, Janie got up again almost immediately. “I want to check out the ladies’ room. Be back in a few minutes.”

      The waiter stopped by while she was gone. Jesse ordered water and a whiskey for himself, then debated over what Janie’s choice might be. He settled on a wine spritzer, which seemed to be what many of the women he dated would order in a place like this.

      But when she returned, he saw her push the stemmed glass off to the side.

      “You don’t like spritzers?”

      She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t drink alcohol. My dad was…you know, a problem drinker. I’m good with water.”

      “I’ll get you something else.” He raised his hand for the waiter. “What would you like?”

      Most women would have protested and settled for what he’d ordered in an attempt to please him.

      Janie tilted her head. “I’d love a ginger ale,” she told him. “In a tall glass.”

      Jesse chuckled. “Coming right up, Ms. Hansen.” He really appreciated a woman who knew exactly what she want ed.

      Which made this particular woman all the more dangerous.

      JANIE SAT MOTIONLESS long after the last note of the concert had faded, even after the rest of the audience, besides Jesse, had left the theater. She СКАЧАТЬ