Born in a Small Town Read online

  Jack solved their quandary by suggesting that the server decide for them, bringing dinner for two—including something called tempura.

  “If we hate it,” he said, reaching forward to take her hands in his again, “we’ll just go out to McDonald’s.”

  Hannah gave a noncommittal nod. She wasn’t comfortable with him holding her hands, although she didn’t pull away. He seemed very physical. In a way, she liked that. She’d gone out with Bruce Twist three times, and he’d never even tried to kiss her. Maybe after the episode on her sister’s doorstep last Friday, Jack had decided they were past the “first date” stage. Which meant—what?

  “So, tell me about yourself,” he said, sending Hannah’s pulse into a skitter. “What kind of work do you do? Where’d you grow up? Is Emily your only sister?”

  No point panicking. She was twenty-eight; she could handle this. Hannah decided to be truthful but offer no details. “Emily’s my only sibling. We grew up right here in Alberta in a small town called Tamarack. I have a degree in library science.”

  “A librarian!” He seemed surprised. “Really? A librarian?”

  “Yes.” This conversation could be dangerous.

  “Tell me about your farming plans,” she added quickly. “And yourself. What are you going to, you know, plant? Grow? Whatever you call it.” Might as well keep the conversation on him. Less risky.

  “Ira’s raised crops all these years, hay and grain, but I want to try something different. At least with part of the farm. Maybe you could help me…” He squeezed her hand slightly, and then, to her dismay, she felt him slide his thumb gently along her palm. Omigod. The sensation zinged down to the soles of her feet and back again.

  “Oh?” She gently withdrew her hand, pretending she needed to scratch her other wrist. “In what way?”

  “Research. I want to raise game for the restaurant trade. Deer or elk. It’s a booming market. I’ve already talked to suppliers about acquiring some breeding stock. In fact, on Monday I’m meeting with someone in Calgary and—”

  “Deer?” An image of Bambi calling for his mother swam into her mind. “Oh, Jack, surely not!”

  “Or elk. Even wild boars—they’re catching on.” He shrugged. “It’s a big investment, though. You’ve got to have good high fences for deer and elk. And disease is always a concern, with a local wild population. What do you think?”

  His eyes were intent on her, as though her opinion really mattered. Thank goodness she was on holiday for the next two weeks! That was all she needed— Jack Gamble strolling into the town library and asking for reference materials.

  “I don’t think you should be raising deer,” she said firmly. “It’s just not…not right.” She still saw Bambi crying his big brown eyes out in front of her.

  “Too cute?” His eyes crinkled at the corners.

  “Yes. Forget deer.”

  “Okay. Wild pigs?” He made a face at her, leaning toward her and squiggling his hands over his ears, and Hannah burst out laughing. “Come on, they can be cute, too. See?”

  “Jack! Stop it!”

  He growled and snarled and snuffled like a demented pig, and Hannah felt all the tension she’d been holding simply dissolve. She glanced around the room to see if anyone had noticed his antics. He suddenly stopped and slipped his hand around hers so that their fingers were entwined on the tabletop.

  “Okay, let’s talk about something else,” he said suddenly serious. “Your friend.”

  “My friend?” Hannah frowned.

  Just then the server arrived with a steaming pot of tea, which gave Hannah a chance to regain her composure. Jack released her hand and she sat back in her chair, feeling a little flustered.

  “Yeah, the friend you’re house-sitting for? I’m curious about her.” The server poured the tea and left.

  “What’s her name?”

  That friend. “Why?” Hannah really didn’t want to get drawn into making up even more stuff about the friend Emily had invented.

  “Oh, I just wondered what her name was. What kind of tea is this, do you think?” He picked up his bowl and examined the amber liquid closely.

  “Mmm, jasmine?” she asked, inhaling, closing her eyes for a second or two, madly racking her brain. She’d never dreamed he’d ask this many questions about the so-called house-sitting job.

  “Jasmine? That’s her name?”

  “Uh-huh. Jasmine Kelly.” That came straight out of nowhere.

  “You know what?” He leaned forward. “The amazing thing is, if I hadn’t met you first, I’d be seriously interested in someone like her—no kidding. She married, by the way?”

  Hannah sputtered her tea. “Married?” she gasped. “No. Why?”

  “I’m almost embarrassed to say,” he answered with a grin. He looked around. “Listen, do you want a drink now or something with your dinner later? Wine? Sake? We can tell the waitress as soon as we see her. They serve it warmed, I’m told.”

  Hannah felt reckless. After all, chances were that after this evening, she’d never see Jack Gamble again. Especially considering the way things were going. Her guard was down, since that giggle over the wild pigs. She was bound to make a major mistake; why not live a little first? “Oh, sure. Let’s try the sake.”

  “Okay.” Jack smiled. “Yeah, I made my mind up when I decided to take over the farm that it’s time I got married.” He grinned and played with his chopsticks, bouncing them lightly against the side of his plate. “It’s no hardship. I want to get married. Wife, kids, all that. I’ve spent too many years by myself in the bush, and I’m ready for a big change in my life.”

  Married. Hannah had clenched her hands under the table and was staring at him. “Oh?”

  “And I decided the right woman for me was someone just like your friend seems to be. You know, domestic? She’s got a great apartment. I’ll bet she’s a good cook, likes kids, honest as the day is long, good-humored—she has to be, look at those crazy animals she’s got. A real treasure for some lucky guy. Am I right?”

  Hannah swallowed. She couldn’t speak. A horrifying prospect had just opened up in her mind. Jack was looking for…someone like her!

  “This is a tough confession to make, but I’ve always been a sucker for flashy good-looking women with, uh, well, you know. Appeal. Like you.” His eyes were very warm on her. Very admiring. She was sure he’d been going to say something like “big tits.”

  “But I’m not—”

  “You are,” he interrupted. “You’re a terrific-looking woman. Beautiful. Sexy. That hair! I love it. I’ve always had a soft spot for redheads. The way you dress—cool, classy. I mean, any guy in this room…” He glanced around quickly. There were two elderly couples dining on the other side of the room and a truck-driver type reading a newspaper and slurping down noodles nearby. “Well maybe not in this room,” he corrected himself with a grin. “Seriously, any red-blooded guy would notice you right away. And he’d wish he was in my shoes.”

  Hannah felt herself stiffen. She’d never heard such garbage. “Don’t you think that’s kind of…superficial?”

  “It is,” he admitted, shaking his head, as though they were talking about someone else, not him. “I admit it.” He put his hand on his heart. “It’s totally superficial, and that’s why I’m ashamed of myself. Still, I’m a guy.” He raised one eyebrow in boyish appeal. “It’s the way guys are. But I had myself convinced I could ignore all that and go to a small town like Glory, find some nice quiet Glory girl and ask her to marry me. Just like that!” He snapped his fingers and shook his head again, apparently amused at his own naiveté, then he sat back, gazing at her.

  “Can you believe it?”

  “I—I don’t know what to think,” she murmured. That was the understatement of the century. Her tea bowl was empty, and she poured herself some more. Green tea, it was, not jasmine. Her mind was whirling, and she felt a bit sick.

  “I realized when I met you that I was fooling myself. Hannah, I know you’re going to thi
nk this makes no sense, but the minute I met you, I knew you were different. You were gorgeous, sexy, all that stuff, but you were a lot more than that. I could tell. And then, I couldn’t stop thinking about you all the time I was in Calgary this week. I had to see you again. That’s why I went back to your sister’s and—”

  “And she told you all about me,” Hannah said quietly. All the lies. She felt tears rising and she blinked them back, afraid her eyelashes would fall off. She’d only worn false eyelashes twice in her life—tonight and last Friday—and she didn’t have a clue what they’d do under pressure. She rummaged in her purse and found a tissue and dabbed at her eyes.

  “Allergies?” he asked, concerned.

  “No,” she said, tucking the tissue back in her handbag. “Just something in my eye.”

  She’d never met a man who talked the way Jack did. He was open and honest and liked to laugh. He told jokes with a skill she could only envy. Much as she loved books, words had never come easy to her. She’d labored over the exact phrasing of the letter she’d sent to the municipality on Seth Wilbee’s behalf, pleading for an extension of his order to move. Next week she intended to go to the open council meeting to speak up for the poor man.

  She felt vaguely depressed. Where was their meal? “Next thing you’re going to say, I suppose, is that you fell for me right then and there. Or something like that.” Some line! She’d hoped he wasn’t like that. How many women did he try that on? I’ve always had a soft spot for redheads/blondes/brunettes. She sniffed. She wanted to blow her nose, badly. A bimbo, that was what he thought she was.

  “But it’s true, Hannah. I did.” His voice was very deep and he looked more serious than he had all night. If he was acting, he was good at it. “I wasn’t going to say anything, not yet. It’s only our second date, right? But it is true. I saw you in the hotel lobby and something inside me just went Bingo, this is it, Jack. This is the one for you— What’s the matter?”

  Hannah felt blindly for her handbag, which she’d set down somewhere near her feet. “I—I have to go, uh, do something. I’ll be back in a minute.” She stood up, jarring the table and making the dishes rattle. If only she could reach the ladies’ room before she burst into tears.

  Jack Gamble. The man of her dreams. And he’d said he’d be interested in her friend, if he wasn’t so darn interested in her.

  He’d said she was exactly his type. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Sexy. Line or not, no one had ever called her those things before. And after this evening, no one ever would again.

  Except maybe Joan. What kind of life was that—depending on a bird for compliments?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JACK STARED after her. There was nothing wrong with her eye. It was him; it had to be him. He’d come on too strong, dammit. He hadn’t meant to say all that about her being the one for him. And doing his dumb pig impression—was that any way to impress a lady? There was just something about Hannah. She made him do things. Say things. Confessions he wouldn’t have told his best friend—or barber. And he’d only seen her twice, known her less than a week! Less than a day, when it came right down to it.

  “Your wife? She will be back?” The server looked worried as she began to place the serving dishes on the table.

  “In a few minutes. Hey, this looks good.” Jack made an effort to be enthusiastic. The last thing he wanted at the moment was a meal he didn’t recognize. He wished he hadn’t tried for a big impression and had just taken her to a local steak house, which would have been his preference. But right now he didn’t give a damn about food, Japanese or otherwise. He wanted to follow Hannah, make her tell him what the problem was, comfort her, apologize, promise her anything, if he could just start over and this time not put his size-twelve caulked boot in his mouth.

  “We have some sushi and California rolls for you. Also sunomono—cold noodle salad with rice vinegar…” Man, that sounded terrific, Jack thought glumly.

  “And fish—yuan zuke.” She beamed at him, but her dark eyes still looked worried.

  “Thank you. My, er, my wife will be back soon. Some sake, too, please?”

  The server hurried off again.

  My wife. He liked the sound of it. My wife.

  Jack shook his head and took a deep breath. He was dreaming—again. He glanced over his shoulder. Hannah was coming back.

  “You okay?” he asked as she took her seat across from him. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were red. She’d combed her hair and put on fresh lipstick.

  “Fine. This looks delicious!” She seemed determined to disregard their earlier conversation. Who was he to argue?

  “Great. Sushi?” He held the platter out to her and managed to manipulate his chopsticks well enough to unload two interesting-looking bite-size pieces of rice and something else onto her plate.

  They both dipped and ate at the same time. Hannah chewed slowly. Jack wasn’t sure what he’d just eaten, but it was definitely raw. Fish? Shrimp?

  She smiled slightly and swallowed. “It’s not cooked,” she announced, frowning. Then after a few seconds she shrugged and reached for another piece. “Not bad, though.”

  Jack had to agree. Whatever it was, it was tasty. He had the feeling that any meal he shared with her would be perfect.

  She drank a lot of the sake in the tiny stoneware cups provided. Jack stopped at one small cup, since he was driving. They didn’t talk much after the rest of the meal arrived. He concentrated on handling his chopsticks and not slopping food all over himself. Hannah was quiet, which worried him. This date didn’t seem to be going very well, and it had started out with such promise.

  Finally Hannah seemed to come to some kind of decision. He had no idea what she’d been mulling over; he was just relieved she wanted to talk to him again.

  “So,” she began, with a big smile. Her eyes sparkled and Jack wasn’t sure how much had to do with the sake she’d drunk and how much had to do with his scintillating company. “Let’s start over. I am a librarian, I’m not married, I like animals and I’m not what you think I am. I don’t want to talk about myself any more than that. Okay? Now, tell me everything about Jack Gamble.”

  She wasn’t what he thought she was? What was that supposed to mean? What did she think he thought she was? Okay, he could play the game.

  “I’m a geologist. I grew up pretty much an orphan, mostly in Saskatchewan. My dad abandoned our family when I was just a baby. No memory of him. My mom died when I was eight. I have no siblings. I was raised mainly by relatives, including Ira Chesley. I studied hard, became a geologist then turned to prospecting. Now I’m going to be a farmer. I’ve dated plenty of women, but I’ve never been serious about one—” he refrained from adding until now “—but I’d like to get married soon. You know that. That’s me. What do you think of this stuff?” He held up a clump of bamboo shoots between his chopsticks.

  She giggled. It suited her. “I like it. I keep losing my veggies.” Her earrings jangled as she leaned forward to peer into the bubbling cauldron of broth. Jack saw a piece of chicken drift by and lunged for it.

  “Aha!” He held it high, dangling and dripping over the table, and she laughed. Then he moved it toward her, and she opened her mouth to accept his offering. Jack felt his heart lurch against his breast-bone.

  She giggled again, her cheeks red, swallowed, then dug into the pot and offered him something pale and steaming. He didn’t even look at it. “You know what? I think that was octopus!” she said, her eyes dancing.

  He chewed slowly and swallowed. “You know what? I don’t care.”

  Their eyes met. Hannah’s smile faded slightly and her green eyes glowed, and Jack made himself a solemn vow: Things were back on track, he had no idea how or why, but he wasn’t screwing up again.

  He’d been right last Friday. Hannah Parrish was the woman for him.

  HANNAH FELT DIZZY as she stood up to put on her wrap. She hoped it wasn’t the raw fish. The entire meal had been unusual and delicious. Jack took her elbow after he paid
the bill, and they went out into the cold dark night. She leaned against him. Jack Gamble. Warm, solid-feeling. Good-natured. Funny. The stars were bright and white overhead. She shivered.

  “Cold?” He squeezed her shoulders.

  “Mmm. Not really,” she mumbled. “That sake really warmed me up. Like hot chocolate.”

  “Well, not quite hot chocolate,” he said with a wry smile.

  She smiled too. She was happy exactly where she was—right in this exact spot in the universe, after a wonderful meal, after a terrific time with a man she’d never dreamed she’d see again. Right here in High River, Alberta. It was a forty-minute drive to Glory but she didn’t care if they had to walk back. And then? She’d made up her mind that she was confessing everything when they got back to her apartment. If she wasn’t such a coward, she’d do it now.

  “Jack?” She stopped halfway to his pickup. He turned to her, an inquiring look on his face. “Kiss me, Jack!”

  She threw both arms around him, letting her wrap slide to the ground and offered him her face, eyes closed. The streetlight shining behind him made her squeeze her eyes tighter. She heard the low rumble of his laughter.

  “Hey, babe! I’d be glad to.” She felt his mouth touch hers. Just as she’d remembered! Her knees went weak, her legs wonky. Just like Friday on the doorstep of her sister’s house. Hannah clung to him, putting heart and soul into this one sweet experience. After Jack took her home and she told him the truth… Well, that would be it. She could never face a man she’d lied to the way she’d lied since last Friday. Once, maybe. After all, it had been Halloween that first time. But there was no excuse for what she’d done today—this evening. No matter what Emily said.

  “Oh, baby!” Jack muttered into her hair. She felt his arms hard around her. “You’re so special. You’re such a warm wonderful sexy woman!”

  With a groan he kissed her again. Hannah’s knees gave way and she clung to him, giggling helplessly. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, I slipped! Is it icy?”