Deciding not to agree to anything, she said, “Hmm, maybe, one day, I will, Mr. Caulder.”
* * *
A short while later, after numerous line dances, the band finally played the first slow song of the night. Matt glanced over to Iris and extended his hand to her. “Will you dance with me, Iris?”
She smiled. “Certainly.” Standing, they left the table where they’d been sitting with Pam and Dillon, Dare and Shelly, Garth and Regan Outlaw, and Bart and Claudia Outlaw. “The hoedown turned out nice, don’t you think?” she asked him when he eased her into his arms.
“It certainly did, but I can tell those Westmoreland and Outlaw men are getting restless. The only thing that can energize them is a game of poker.”
She grinned. “You’re right. It satisfies their competitive nature.”
He looked at her and thought that, under the lights, her eyes appeared less dark. In fact, they now had a bedroom-brown look. “So, are they having a boy or a girl?”
She blinked. “Who?”
“Aidan and Jillian.”
She laughed. “What makes you think I know?”
He chuckled. “You’ve been helping Pam out this week, so I figured she told you.”
“Not saying if she did, and even so, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“You won’t even give me a hint?”
“No, my lips are sealed.”
“What a pity.” And he meant that for more reasons than one. He liked seeing her lips move. He also liked the feel of her in his arms. For that reason, he decided to keep her talking and dancing. “I told you what I’ll be doing when I return to LA with that case I’m working on. What about you? Got any plans? Personal or business?”
“Nothing new on the business front. Just working with my regular clients. Shauna Barnes is one of them. She is definitely making a name for herself in Hollywood. She’s a rising star. Literally. I am proud of her. She’s been Pam’s protégée since the age of six, when she was one of the first students to enroll in Pam’s acting school in Wyoming.”
“I didn’t know that. I saw her last movie. It was very good,” he said. “Not only can she act, but she can also sing and dance. She showed all her talents in that movie.”
“Yes, she did,” Iris replied.
“I remember when Paige Novak was an actress. I only found out at Cheyenne’s birthday party that she was one of Pam’s sisters. I thought she was a damn good actress, too,” he said.
“Yes, she was. Now she’s a senator’s wife and enjoys that role, as well as managing Pam’s acting school in the nation’s capital.”
Upon hearing a lot of hollering and cheering, they turned to see what was going on. Grammy Award–winning singer Dylan Emanuel and his wife, Charm Outlaw Emanuel, and members of his band had arrived. Currently, their song “Try Love,” was number one in the nation, as well as internationally. It seemed as if everyone present—including Matt’s daughter—was going wild with the group’s appearance.
“I didn’t know Dylan Emanuel and his band would be performing tonight. Deena is a huge fan,” Matt said.
“Their appearance is just one of the many surprises in store for this weekend,” Iris said, grinning. “And from the look and sound of things, it has gotten off to a great start.”
* * *
Dylan and his band didn’t finish their last song until well after midnight. It had been a festive night with more dancing. It couldn’t get any better than that when the number one musical group in the country was your private entertainment. She thought Charm and Dylan looked so happy together, and he had called his wife onstage when he performed the new song he had written just for her.
Iris had enjoyed being in Matt’s company, and he had stayed by her side the entire night. She figured some people were speculating as to the nature of their relationship, since most Westmorelands knew she had ended her affair with Warren. When some of the ladies asked, she was quick to assure them they were only friends.
He had offered to take her to Dillon and Pam’s place when things ended. Several golf carts were available for everyone’s use. Pam had stayed behind to go over the last-minute details with the catering staff for tomorrow’s event.
There was a full moon in the sky, and although the air was cool, it was a pretty night. She liked how well-lit the road was from the Westmoreland House to Dillon and Pam’s home. Not only was there plenty of ground lighting, but the area was also beautifully landscaped. All the accent lights had been installed to provide illumination around the trees, plants and shrubs, not only to highlight the property’s beauty but for security measures. Dillon and Pam’s kids were known to travel this way when they went back and forth visiting their cousins at Ramsey and Chloe’s ranch.
She glanced over at Matt and again thought of how good he looked in Western attire. The entire outfit, along with the Stetson, seemed more a part of him than he knew. Then there was his scent, a masculine one of aftershave mingled with the smell of a man. It was working her senses as well as her hormones, big-time.
“I can’t believe the young people weren’t ready to call it a night and even mentioned watching a movie,” he said.
