It Takes a Cowboy

Blair laughed softly. “Trust me, Aunt Wanda, I’ve given myself that same speech already. But I love Jeffrey, and I want to keep him with me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“He’s very lucky to have you.”

“I hope so,” Blair said, thinking of all the things she’d done wrong so far.

Wanda suddenly smiled. “Now, tell me about the man you bought at the bachelor auction. Jeffrey was almost loquacious this afternoon telling me about the weekend. Every other sentence began with ‘Scott said’ or ‘Scott did.’”

Blair tried to keep her expression unrevealing. “He’s quite nice. He was very good to Jeffrey.”

“Jeffrey said he’s invited the two of you to visit his ranch. That’s not part of the auction package, is it?”

“No. He was simply being generous. Jeffrey mentioned that he has never been to a working ranch, so Scott invited us to visit his place sometime.”

“I see.” Wanda tapped her foot. “And?”

“And what?”

“How did you get along with Scott?”

“I told you, he was quite nice. Very kind to Jeffrey.”

“Hmm. I don’t think he kissed Jeffrey goodbye at the airport.”

Her eyes going wide, Blair felt her mouth open and close, but nothing came out. After a moment, she managed to say, “How did you—?”

“Carl Arnold. He was talking to the airport owner about flying a package to Cheyenne, and he just happened to see a certain goodbye kiss. He mentioned it to his wife, who had her regular eight o’clock

Monday-morning appointment at Twyla’s Tease ’n?

?? Tweeze today. By the time I went in for my one o’clock, more than half of Lightning Creek knew that the town’s pretty young lawyer spent a very interesting weekend with one of the Lost Springs bachelors.”

“Oh, my God.” Blair covered her face with her hands.

Wanda laughed. “Sweetheart, you’ve lived here long enough to know what this town is like. Kiss a man at the airport, and Sugar Spinelli and her gang have spread it all over town before he wipes the lipstick off his face.”

“I cannot believe I’m the subject of lurid gossip. Aunt Wanda, I never do anything the gossips find interesting! I’ve always been so careful....”

“Too careful, maybe. You’re thirty years old, Blair. It’s okay to have a good time every once in a while.”

“I have a child to raise,” Blair argued. “A professional reputation to maintain. I don’t want the people of this town to think I’m neglecting Jeffrey to carry on some fleeting fling with a cowboy.”

“I’m sure no one thinks you’re neglecting Jeffrey. In fact, everyone I know thinks it’s wonderfully unselfish that you’ve taken in your brother’s son. They admire you very much, and they think you and Scott McKay make a very cute couple.”

Blair groaned again.

Her aunt chuckled and patted Blair’s shoulder. “I have to go. Don’t worry about the gossip. Just have a good time. Oh, and Blair, even though I haven’t met him, I like Scott. Anyone who can make such a difference in Jeffrey’s attitude in such a short time must be a good man.”

Blair was still trying to come up with the words to describe Scott when her aunt let herself out the front door.

She turned toward the hallway when she heard Jeffrey approaching, laughing. “Look what Belle’s doing, Aunt Blair. She’s following this shoestring just like she’s on a leash or something.”

Trying to put the disturbing gossip out of her mind, Blair smiled as the cat pounced victoriously on the end of the string. “I guess you’ve decided to keep her.”

“Yeah. She’s great.”

“Are you going to change her name?”

Jeffrey frowned. “You don’t just change someone’s name, Aunt Blair. If I start calling her something else, she’ll get confused. Besides, I like the name Belle. Like in the movie Beauty and the Beast.”