“We can give little Sage a bit more time,” Martin remarked, “but I think I’ve spotted a mighty fine match for Jackson. This girl is full of sunshine. For a while I was hoping some sparks would fly between her and Camden, but Camden has his heart set on another woman. He just won’t admit it yet.”
“Who are you talking about?” Eileen asked.
“For which boy?” Maggie said at the same time.
“For Jackson. He’s who we’re focused on, right?” Joseph was getting a bit confused.
“Yes. Sorry. First Jackson, then one of the others,” Martin said with a chuckle. “Do you know the Gerards?” Martin asked.
“Yes, of course,” Bethel replied. “Real nice family, moved in a few miles down the road about six months ago. Texans, I think.”
“The father works for me and he’s a real good man. Four months ago their daughter joined them here. For a while there, it looked like she was needing someone to mend a hurt heart, but over the last month she’s started to get her feet on more solid ground, and she’s a real pleasure to speak to. She works down at the Country Saloon.”
“Oh, yes, I’ve met her. Quite a delightful girl,” Eileen said. She leaned forward to join in with their plans.
“I just need to get her and Jackson together and I know the fireworks will start. He keeps himself so busy with work that he rarely experiences the joys of life anymore,” Martin said.
“How do we get him there to see her?” Joseph asked. He loved matchmaking, but he knew a fundamental rule—you had to get the kids together if you wanted to make fireworks start.
“That part’s easy, if I may say so myself. I bought the Country Saloon,” Martin said. “And I put it in Jackson’s name. It’s his birthday present.” He sat back and lit a cigar, mighty proud of himself.
“Well, my old friend, you didn’t need me at all,” Joseph said, chuckling. “You’re doing just fine on your own as a matchmaker.”
“I can get them in a room together, but I don’t know what to do next,” Martin said.
Joseph beamed. “Now, that’s where I can help you out . . .”
The five friends spent the better part of the afternoon plotting away. By the time their children knew what hit them, it would be too late for them to fight. Jackson Whitman and Alyssa Gerard were about to be struck with Cupid’s arrow. Well, if Cupid came in the form of five meddling elders.
Jackson sat outside the Country Saloon, gritting his teeth. What in the hell had his father been thinking? Sure, Martin’s intentions might have been noble, but Jackson didn’t want to run some out-of-the-way bar. He was too busy to mess with something so . . . simple and yet time-consuming.
When he’d tried to give the business back to his father, the old man had gotten all choked up, as if his feelings were badly hurt, and Jackson, of course, had backed down immediately. He was only kidding, he told his dad. Oh, yes, he absolutely loved the gift.
So now he was stuck with ownership of a bar and grill he wanted no part of. He’d promised to meet his family there half an hour ago, or he wouldn’t have even bothered coming tonight. All he was going to do was hire a manager or two and tell them to do whatever they wanted with the place. Hell, for all he cared, someone could light a match and have a big bonfire. He’d even provide the hot dogs and marshmallows.
Since that was unlikely to happen—and as former fire chief, he was rarely amused by the idea of arson—Jackson would make an appearance every once in a while so his father knew he appreciated the ridiculous gift, but other than that, he couldn’t possibly care any less about the place.
Still, when he saw a full parking lot and a group of people laughing as they moved arm in arm toward the entrance, he couldn’t help but be a little impressed. When he opened the front door, he was blasted with music and ear-shattering laughter. A familiar-looking band was onstage, but he couldn’t quite place them. Impressive, he thought; the local talent must have improved greatly.
Though the old log cabin wasn’t much to look at from the outside, it had atmosphere and a surprising amount of space. It housed a bar, some dining tables, and a ridiculously large dance floor. That made no business sense. How could a bar and grill so far out in the boonies attract enough people to fill it?
Come to think of it, though, his brothers had mentioned going in quite often. If Jackson hadn’t been filled with grief for so long, he might have joined them occasionally. Maybe it was time for him to get out more than just when he was searching for his next one-night stand.
“There you are, Jackson. Took you long enough,” Camden said as he grabbed his brother’s arm and guided him through the large crowd.
“I think the building has exceeded its limit of allowed occupants,” Jackson said. He had to raise his voice to be heard.
“Ahh, the fire chief is sitting over at table nine with the guys. If he ain’t saying anything, we’ll just let them have some fun,” Camden replied.
Jackson walked over to a table full of firefighters. “What are you doing down here when you have a beautiful wife at home?” he asked Hawk Winchester.
“We just finished with a wreck down on Market Lane. Besides, Natalie is out with the girls tonight.”
“You let her out of your sight? From what I heard, the two of you are disgustingly clingy.”
“Ha! How could you hear anything when you never get out?”
Jackson almost flinched. As if knowing he’d hit a sore spot, Hawk smiled before adding with a wink, “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
“Yeah, right. There’s no way I’m taking that walk down the aisle ever again.”
“Don’t give up, Jackson. I thought the same thing until I met Natalie. Now I can’t imagine life without her.”
This was getting too serious, so Jackson shook Hawk’s hand companionably before walking away with Camden.
“There’d better not be another fire alarm tonight,” Jackson told his brother.
“I hope not, ’cause half the department’s here,” Camden said as they reached their overcrowded table. “Of course, it’s not every day that Little Big Town comes through.”
“Ahh, that’s why they sounded so familiar. I’d just thought the local talent had improved while I was traveling. What’s such a big band doing here? This doesn’t seem to be a typical place for them to play.”