He believed him. "If I ever sink so low, you have my blessing."

"You need to stop her tears." Gray nodded toward the window. Clint looked. That single tear had burgeoned into a torrent.

"The only thing that's going to do that is if you and I come back in smiling."

"Some things were easier when I was alone." Gray sighed and glanced through the window again.

"Yeah, but I bet the grub wasn't nearly as good."

"That is very true. Gray pushed to his feet." He wiped his hands of the seat of his pants. "What will you tell her?"

"The truth. Things are settled between us, and instead of a week of being ranch-bound, you've got two days and extra barn ch.o.r.es until Sunday-when you get back from Asa's."

"Thank you." Gray stood there and suddenly he was all uncertain kid, faced with an emotion he didn't know how to handle. He rubbed his hand on his skinny hips.

"Don't be thanking me until you see the s.h.i.tload of c.r.a.p I've been putting off getting to."

"It won't matter."

Clint knew it wouldn't. The boy had integrity anddrive. And he loved that horse.

"I'm going to need a promise from you, too."

The wariness returned immediately to Gray's eyes.

As if he knew that there had to be a catch to anything good that happened in his life. That wariness tore at Clint's insides as much as Jenna's tears. Maybe he really was going soft. He put his hands on the kid's shoulders, amazed at how lacking in muscle they were. Gray just gave the impression of ma.s.s.

"Don't withhold information from me again. Not when it concerns Jenna, Bri, or yourself." Gray shrugged out from under his hand and grunted. "Is that a promise or your stomach acting up?"

"I promise."

"Good, because McKinnelys work together, not against each other." Gray didn't have anything to say to that. Clint mentally sighed. Getting Gray settled into the family would take time and patience. He glanced through the window. Jenna had stopped crying, but she still looked worried.

That, he could do something about.

"You ready to go make Jenna smile again?" he asked.

He thought the kid would balk when he opened the door, but he didn't. He walked straight through, and when Jenna caught his eye, Clint answered with a nod.Gray didn't flinch away from her hug. He even patted her awkwardly on the back, which had Jenna promptly bursting into tears. Gray stepped back in horror.

"I'm sorry."

Clint shook his head and tucked Jenna into his side.

"These are happy tears, son. Nothing to do but ride them out."

Gray didn't look any less appalled with the explanation.

"If you could see to Bri and eat your dinner, I'll take care of this."

Gray bolted for the table.

Against his chest, Jenna sniffed. "I don't think he could get out of here fast enough."

"McKinnely men don't tolerate tears well."

"I'll try to toughen up." She wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I like you just the way you are." He wiped her face with the towel that was sitting on the edge of the Hoosier cabinet. He had to use his finger to wipe off the smear of flour the towel left. She turned fully into his arms.

"Even though I cry at the worst times?"

"I've gotten used to it."

Her laugh choked on a sniff. "Thank you for talkingto Gray."

"I gotta tell you, Jenna. That's a h.e.l.l of a boy you brought into the family." He kissed the top of her head.

"You like him?"

He nodded, brushing a hair off her face. "He's going to be a h.e.l.l of a man." And a h.e.l.l of an enemy for someone. He didn't tell Jenna that though. She had enough to deal with, and she wouldn't understand the drive a boy felt to avenge the death of his mother. He also didn't tell her the boy had threatened to kill him.

She wouldn't understand that, either. Another hiccough shook her.

"C'mon, Sunshine. Don't cry." He kissed her hair, wiping at her damp cheeks with his thumb. "It tears me up."

"The McKinnely weakness?"

"Yes." He looked at her red eyes, tear-wet cheeks, and mussed hair. He tilted her face and brushed the tears from her lashes with his lips, the salty flavor spreading through his mouth. She was beautiful through and through. "d.a.m.n, I'm going to have to beat the men off with a stick next Sat.u.r.day at the social."

"We're going to a social?" Her lashes fluttered against his lips.

"That's not supposed to scare you.""I've never been to one."

"Then it'll be my pleasure to take you to your first."

"I don't know how to dance."

"Another first for us to share."

"I'm not good in crowds." She plucked at a b.u.t.ton on his shirt.

"You just have to be good with me." Her fingers slid under the flap, soft and warm on his chest.

"I could say or do something stupid and embarra.s.s you." Her nails dug in, teasing his senses.

"I could behave like an a.s.s and embarra.s.s you." Her fingers were still on his chest, just inches from his nipple.

She looked up, her eyes wide.

"You never embarra.s.s me."

"And you never embarra.s.s me, so I guess that means we're set for the night." He turned them slightly so that the boy couldn't see.

"I don't have a dress."

"Guess you'll have to spend my money then."

"There isn't time to get one made up."

"Then throw more money at the problem." He kissed her nose. He ran his fingers down the prim row of b.u.t.tons on her dress, pressing in as he went so that the deep valley between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s was revealed. Son of a b.i.t.c.h, he'd love the privacy to rip that dress open andbury his face between those soft mounds. "Just don't make it too low-cut. I don't want to spend the night beating awestruck men over the head with chairs."

"You think men are going to be interested in me?"

Her chuckle was as soft as her touch.

He smiled at the wheedle in her voice. He considered it a real step up in their relationship that she felt comfortable enough with him to fish so obviously.

"There's going to be a line out the door waiting to dance with you. But," he didn't have to work to find a frown, "I don't want anyone but me shining their belt buckle with you so you practice saying 'no' every way you can between now and then."

The thought of another man anywhere near her drove him nuts.

She patted his hand comfortingly. "I'll practice, but I don't think you need to worry."

He touched the shining length of her bright gold hair.

He'd had a hard enough time keeping men away from her before they married, but now that she was beginning to find her feet, that inner light that so warmed him was shining brighter and brighter, drawing more and more attention to her gentle beauty. He touched the strand of hair to her full pink lips. She was all shiny light and deep heat, his Jenna.

"Ah baby, if you think that, you've got one h.e.l.l of asurprise coming."

He tugged the strand of hair, tilting her head back.

As she looked at him, a question in her light blue eyes, he took her mouth deep and hard, thrusting his tongue past her surprised gasp, tasting her sweetness. Her willingness. The truth.

It didn't matter how many men came at her. At the end of the night and every other night she'd be going home with him. And no other.* * * * *

Jenna didn't have to wait until the social to be surprised. Walking into Pearl's Dressmaking Shop with Mara three days later took care of that for her. If seeing Lorie, Elizabeth, Millicent, and Dorothy crammed into the small parlor wasn't disorienting enough, when Pearl reached behind her and locked the door, flicking the sign to closed, the deal was sealed.

"What's going on?"

"I sent them a note," Mara answered, weaving through the women.

"In regard to what?" Jenna squeezed to the left past Millicent's bulk, Bri in her arms complicating the maneuver.

"In regard to Clint being an a.s.s," Millicent answered, frowning impatiently toward the back of the small shop.

"He's not an a.s.s," Jenna protested.

"Sounds to me like he's being a perfect one," Lorie interjected.

"You don't know him." Clint was wonderful. Good to her in all ways. It wasn't his fault he couldn't love her.

"I do. I know that boy inside and out and I'd sayabout now he's being an a.s.s." Dorothy looked up from the lace she was admiring.

"I don't want to fight. I just need a dress." How was she supposed to argue with Clint's aunt? She patted Brianna's back.

"Oh honey, don't you worry," Pearl said, coming forward, a measuring tape around her neck and a pincushion tied to her wrist. "We can do more than one thing at a time."

That's what Jenna was afraid of.

"But we might want to get the fitting done before the reverend gets here," Lorie offered.

"That's a good point," Millie added in her husky siren voice that was so at odds with her flamboyant red hair and clothes. "Won't be any good for business for Jenna to be sporting a dress with uneven seams."

"Isn't that the truth!" Pearl grabbed Jenna's hand. For such a pet.i.te, ladylike woman she was amazingly strong.

She yanked Jenna past Elizabeth. Jenna mouthed a "Help". Elizabeth smiled, shrugged, and held her hands out for Bri.

Jenna had just a moment to pa.s.s Bri off before she was tugged through the gold velvet curtain to the dim interior. The room smelled like dye, paper, and...sugar cookies?

"C'mon in everyone, we might as well get settled,"Pearl called, motioning Jenna to go behind the curtain and change into the shimmering sky-blue dress that was hanging there. Jenna slid out of her dress. Surely Pearl didn't expect her to wear this?

"Pearl which dress am I supposed to wear?"

"The only one back there, honey."

The smooth satin slipped through her fingers. Oh heavens, this was way too nice. What if she spilled punch on it?

"Do you have something less...?" How could she say less fine, and not sound stupid?

Pearl popped her head through the curtain. Jenna clasped the dress to her chest.

"Clint came by and picked out the material for that dress himself dear. Said it was his favorite shade of blue."

Dorothy peeked through the curtain, looked at the roughed out dress and Jenna's face. "Easy to see why. It's the same color as your eyes."

The curtain flew open as Millicent stepped through.

"The boy always was partial to blue."

Jenna wanted to sink through the floor. She inched the dress a little higher. Millicent whistled through her teeth as she looked at the dress Jenna held against her.

"He also has excellent taste."The next face to appear was Mara's. She looked at Jenna, the dress, and the women. "The dress is gorgeous.

Clint is an a.s.s with excellent taste, and Jenna might appreciate a little privacy."

"Whatever for?" Pearl asked, taking the dress out of Jenna's hands and gathering it up before dropping it over her head. Her "We're all women here" was slightly obscured by the swish of satin as the slippery material poured over her head. Jenna shoved her arms into the sleeves.

"Watch out for the-"