Half an hour later her eyes slowly slid open. “You still here?”
“Yes, I’m still here.”
“Most men run from crying women.”
“I told you in the beginning, I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter 15
Creed had shaved for the second time that day, combed his hair straight back, and dressed in his best Sunday outfit. Black starched and creased jeans, white shirt, black leather bolo tie with a silver and turquoise slide, and eel boots so shiny he could see his reflection in them. He hadn’t brought his best Western-cut jacket so he’d have to wear a leather bomber, but with the party held in a house, jackets wouldn’t stay on the cowboys long anyway.
He could hear Sage in her bedroom. Closet doors opened and closed. Mumblings went on. The whole time he had a visual of April in that skimpy dress and hoped that Sage didn’t come out in something that revealing.
Finally, the door opened and there she was in classic elegance. His mouth went dry at Sage all dressed up. She’d been cute in her coveralls, hot in her tight-fitting jeans, and words didn’t describe her without clothes. But when she stopped in the middle of the living room and turned around, his mouth went as dry as if he’d just drunk watered-down alum.
Her perfume reached his nose and he inhaled deeply. It was so exotic, as if it had been formulated especially for Sage, especially for that very night. His hands itched to touch her bare arms, to run his fingertips up her long legs going from simple high heel shoes all the way to the hemline of the snug-fitting shiny dress.
His heart skipped a beat and then lurched ahead so loudly that he could hear it pounding in his ears.
“Ready?” she finally asked.
“No.”
“Well, get your coat. I don’t want to miss any part of the party.”
“It’s not that.”
“Dammit! Don’t tell me you aren’t going.”
“I intended to until you walked out of your bedroom.”
“Then what is the matter? This dress isn’t like April’s. I don’t often even wear a dress, but when I do I don’t want to have to worry about my boobs falling out or that the hem will ride up to my butt.”
He couldn’t wipe the shit-eating grin from his face. “Sage, you are so beautiful, so elegant all dressed up that my feet are glued tight to the floor and I’m tongue-tied. I don’t want your friends to think you brought a stuttering idiot with you to the biggest party in the canyon.”
* * *
Creed had seen big houses in his life. He lived in one that wasn’t too shabby, but when they drove up to the Canyon Rose house, there was a hitch in his breath. It stood against the dark sky like a child’s rendering of a house. A line across the middle of the page with grass on the bottom, sky on the top, and a house that sat on the line. Only this house wasn’t two straight lines with two angles to make a roof. Massive white pillars held up a sun porch with white banisters around the top. The house itself was gray stone, and light flowed from an enormous room attached to the end that extended all the way to the second story. It was almost totally glass with a little bit of weathered gray wood holding the huge panes in place.
“Quite a place,” Creed said.
“It is, isn’t it, but I wouldn’t want to have to clean the place,” Sage whispered.
“I reckon they don’t have to worry about their Christmas tree touching the ceiling.” He nodded toward a huge tree with twinkling lights, and lots of brightly colored decorations sat against the window in the ballroom.
“I guess not.”
“This reminds me of that house in that old James Dean movie,” he said.
“Giant?”
“That’s the one.”
Sage laughed. “I always thought so too. I watched it when I was a teenager just to see what the big thing was about James Dean. And after that I told Grand that Canyon Rose reminded me of it. It is more intimidating at night all decorated than it is in the daylight. Is your house in Ringgold like this?”
“No, ma’am. It’s big enough to house seven boys but it’s a ranch house. One floor and a big front porch that wraps around the sides.”
* * *
Sage did not think she had a stuttering idiot with her when she walked into the party. The buzz of conversation stopped for a few seconds as the women took in the cowboy beside Sage, and the men stared at the woman beside the cowboy.
Creed and Sage removed their coats and handed them off to a lady in black pants and a white shirt. Quiet ended and the noise started again.
April left a group of young women and hurried to their side. She looped an arm in Sage’s and one in Creed’s and marched them across the room to the Christmas tree where her father was standing with a drink in his hand.
Sage felt like an overgrown giant beside the petite woman with her hair all done up in a mass of blond curls. Her gorgeous red velvet sleeveless gown with jewels around the scooped neckline dipped in drastically at her tiny waist and set off her creamy white skin. A tiny bit of train trailed behind her and a front slit stopped at her knee.
Creed would surely wish that he was with a woman like that rather than one who’d been called Mrs. Jolly Green Giant in high school.
“Nice dress,” Creed said.
“Yes, it is.” Lawton stuck out his hand. “I’m Lawton Pierce. I would’ve been over to make your acquaintance before now but the blizzard has wreaked havoc. It’s taking every man I’ve got to get the feeding done and make sure I don’t lose cattle.”
“Creed Riley. Pleased to meet you. Come around anytime and if you need an extra hand, I’ll be glad to
