by Leonra Worth
“I’m going up to the ranch to check things out.”
“And visit with Judson?”
No use hiding it. “Yes.”
“Okay. Just remember Daddy and I have to get back home. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“I won’t be far behind,” Melissa replied, thinking things with Judson were moving at a slow, arduous pace.
“I’m calling to invite both of you over to Michelle’s house tonight. Brodie wants to have a cookout.”
“We always have cookouts,” Melissa said through a smile. “But that sounds good.”
“Okay, then, I’ll expect you both,” Ruby said on a no-argument note. Probably wanted to witness the new Judson up close and personal before they left her here with him. “Michelle’s really tired so she’s gonna take it easy. Dad and I will handle everything else.”
“I’ll help when I get back,” Melissa said. “I hope Chelle’s okay.”
“Morning sickness and overdoing it on the shopping probably,” Mom said. “I think she’ll be fine.”
“Tell her to rest,” Melissa said, hearing the concern in her mother’s calm voice. “How’s Brodie?”
“Hovering. But he had to take a group of business people from Birmingham fishing. Michelle told him to go. He’ll be back around late this afternoon.”
Melissa ended the call, worry about Michelle and the baby clouding her mind. The drive up to the ranch soothed her since the old country road was lush with wild magnolias and clusters of palmetto palms on both sides. Tall pines and old oaks filled the woods and stood tall amid the scrub oaks and saplings. She’d heard bears and deer roamed these woods.
The calm ended when she pulled up to the property and saw Judson working on a fence near the barn. He wore his hat and a tee shirt and old jeans but the way his muscles flexed each time he lifted a fence board caused her throat to go dry.
He was beautiful. Tan and buff and full of swagger.
Maybe he missed that swagger because of his limp, but it was still there.
Why couldn’t she get this man out of her mind?
He turned when he heard her little sports car roaring onto the gravel drive, his expression as flat and blank as the board he held over one shoulder.
Melissa got out and glanced around. Michelle had told her the ranch consisted of about twenty acres. A couple of older houses sat on the other side of the property near the river. Brodie and Michelle planned to renovate the larger one as a weekend cabin since the Blackwater River, popular for fishing, rafting and kayaking, wasn’t far from here. They’d thought about renting the smaller one out as a camp house for hunters. This was a different kind of Florida, full of wildlife and more country and serene than the beaches along the Gulf.
Melissa immediately felt at home.
She inhaled the fresh air and walked toward Judson, her camera already out and in her hand. She took a shot of him before he turned away.
“You still carry that thing?”
“I like snapping pictures,” she said in defense. “Michelle’s the real photographer but I had to learn working at the paper and the magazine.”
“Michelle takes pictures of people.” He pointed out.
“I just took a picture of a person,” she retorted. “At least I think you’re human.”
He whirled toward her, sweat streaking the dirt on his face. She wanted so badly to touch that dirt and wipe it and his pain away. “I thought you only liked places—water, mountains, roads, bridges, beaches.”
“Trees, flowers, birds, animals,” she added, thinking she could have stayed in bed. His snarly mood meant trouble.
Deciding to change the subject, she took in the old barn. The weathered wood had been patched in places but the building was solid and square with the small stable attached on one side. “This is looking good.”
Judson stopped to take a swig of water from a bottle he had nearby. “It’s getting there. We’ll paint it soon. Michelle likes white but Brodie wants a more weathered look. Or maybe red.”
“They’ll have to compromise,” she replied, thinking of her mother’s words to her a few days ago.
“I guess so.” Finally, he looked at her. Really looked at her. “You okay?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You kind of stomped off last night.”
“I didn’t stomp off. I went inside the house.”
“And you didn’t talk much after that.”
“I had a lot to think about.”
“So we’re good?”
“We’re okay,” she said. “Show me the stables.”
He threw down the empty water bottle. “You can drive a man crazy, you know that?”
“I’m a brat.”
“Yes, you are. You always have to get your way.”
“Is that what you think? When was the last time I actually got my way?”
He stopped inside the open stable doors. Melissa heard Coco and Blackbeard snorting and puffing. Michelle’s horses seemed to like high drama.
“You got your way every time you talked me into planning a wedding and then you got your way when you called those weddings off, twice.”
“Oh, so you think I talked you into marrying me?” she asked, shocked and fully prepared to get down and dirty.
“I somehow got down on one knee and proposed and I don’t actually remember thinking about it.”
“You have to be kidding, right?” she said, moving down the cool alley of the small, neat stable. “I never talked you into anything. You can’t be sweet-talked. You don’t even like to talk.”
He stopped behind her, his voice going low. “I planned the first one out. I wanted it to be perfect. Aunt Helena told me romance and roses, the works.”
Melissa turned near Coco’s stall. The big mare inched close, hoping for a treat or maybe a pat on neck. Melissa touched a hand to Coco’s mane. “You never told me that about Aunt Helena. You went to her for advice?”
“Yeah,” he said, wiping his face against the sleeve of his tee-shirt. “I didn’t know anything about proposing to a woman. I was terrified. I watched mushy movies to get ideas and almost got sick to my stomach.”
“You don’t like romantic movies?”
“No, I was so afraid I’d mess it up.” He shrugged, looked down at his boots. “And I have, over and over.”
“You didn’t mess up that night, Judson,” she said, moving closer to him. “It was perfect. The restaurant, the candles and flowers, and the music. I’ll never forget it.”
“But you forgot me, Missy. You got so angry when I had to leave.”
“The rodeo,” she said. “You were always so reckless, so daring and you insisted on going back right before our wedding. I was afraid you’d get yourself killed.”
“You didn’t trust me enough to understand how the rodeo works,” he said, the hurt in his eyes scorching her. “I only know the rodeo. My daddy taught me. He had me mutton-busting by the time I was five. By the time I learned to walk, really. I went from training on sheep and calves to riding broncs and bulls and I never looked back.”
“I didn’t trust you because I didn’t understand you,” she said, nodding. “But it wasn’t just about the bulls and the danger—that was a real fear. I saw how other women fell all over you and flirted with you and... I panicked. I didn’t want to sit at home, wondering what my husband might be doing out there.” Pushing at her long ponytail, she added, “And then I saw it with my own eyes. You with another woman.”
“You should have trusted me.”
“I tried,” she said on a low whisper. “But... you cheated on me, Judson.”
“No,” he said, moving closer. “No. You thought I cheated but I never did. I came close but... something always stopped me. Wanting you stopped me.”
Floored, she stared up at him. “You didn’t tell me that either. Why wouldn’t you tell me the truth?”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”
“Did you think I’d just get over what I saw? I
t wasn’t just you kissing someone else. You were always moody, especially after you had a bad ride. You wouldn’t talk to me. You shut me out and made me think you’d rather be with someone else.”
He held his hands against his hair and tugged. “I hoped you’d believe in me, trust me, or ask me out right if you wanted to know something. But we never got that far. You just did the Melissa thing.”
“The Melissa thing?”
“You turned and walked away. Called off the wedding.”
She wasn’t proud, knowing what she knew now about him, but what else could she have done? The evidence looked real. Too real. “I didn’t think I mattered to you. You didn’t seem so sure about getting married.”
“I thought we were done. I gave up.”
“But... you came back,” she said. “You found me again.”
“Yeah, and you were about to marry Reese Sloan. With a black eye and a bruised shoulder, you were still going to marry that—”
“He was a mistake,” she said, remembering how devastated she’d been after seeing Judson kissing another woman during a rodeo in East Texas. She’d hurried back to Shreveport and gone to a downtown bar. And that was where she’d met Reese. He was tall and gorgeous and so charming. Since she’d never dated anyone but Judson, Reese had made things new and different and exciting.
They’d dated for six months and then he’d asked her to marry him. Still reeling over Judson’s escalating escapades, Melissa had said yes, probably to hurt Judson. Things had been great until she’d been late to one of the many parties Reese’s friends kept planning for them. She’d embarrassed him in front of his friends.
He’d hit her that night and pushed her down against a table. The wedding was a week later and she was too shocked and numb to stop it.
But Judson sure had. He’d walked right into the church and up the aisle. For her.
She rushed into Judson’s arms now. “You saved me. I was so stupid and so scared. I’m not that woman, Judson. I won’t ever let a man do that to me again. I was so confused and afraid and lonely and I missed you so much and then you came rushing in and... stopped me from making a mistake. A big mistake. I didn’t want to marry Reese.”
“I wanted to kill him.”
“I wanted to kill him.” She echoed. “I’m surprised my daddy didn’t shoot him but... Reese won’t bother me ever again.”
“No, he won’t.”
Judson had slammed his fist into her bully’s face and probably broken his nose and then he’d taken her by the hand and, together, they’d hurried out of the church.
“I’m the one who messed up,” she said, tears burning hot in her eyes.
Judson held her there, his whisper brushing against her earlobe. “We’ve got a lot between us.”
“I know,” she said, her heart pounding. “We’ve hurt each other so much. I liked sitting on that piece of driftwood, being still and quiet.”
“Me, too.” He pulled back. “If I ever ask you to marry me again, and I will, it’s gonna be special. Not some fancy event planned by someone else but something I did on my own.”
“Your second proposal was pretty good.” She reminded him.
“Right.” He shook his head. “I kidnapped you, slugged your groom, and threatened him within an inch of his life and then took you back to Spirit.”
She closed her eyes at the memory. “To the river. And told me if I married anyone at all it would be you. Only you.”
He held her there, his eyes turning the dark, sultry blue that always reminded her of midnight stars. “It will be me,” he said. “Missy, I mean it. I know I’m all screwed up and it’s hard for me to talk about things but... I’m not gonna give up on us.”
Melissa leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Judson lifted her up and into his arms. “Missy,” he whispered, his lips touching on hers.
When they heard a truck’s engine they broke apart.
“Brodie,” Judson said. “Bad timing.”
“Maybe not,” she said. “We’re supposed to take things slow.”
“I can do slow,” he said with a grin.
“You haven’t changed all that much, after all,” she said, her nerves tingling with awareness.
Blackbeard snorted and tossed his mane.
Chapter Ten
Brodie wasn’t in the truck. Her dad Roscoe strolled toward the barn. Melissa breathed a thankful sigh, glad she’d moved away from Judson before her daddy could see them making out.
“Hey,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
Roscoe took a long look around and then centered his gaze on Judson. “Oh, thought I’d come out and see the place now that we have a capable foreman working on things.”
“It’s slow going,” Judson said, a daring look in his eyes.
He respected her daddy but he wouldn’t back down when confronted.
Melissa stepped between them. “Judson’s been doing repairs and working on the fences.”
“I can tell,” Roscoe said on a dry note.
Busted.
They never could pull anything over on her dad.
“So... how’s Michelle?” she asked, genuinely concerned about her sister.
“She’s better now. Your mama made her some chicken soup.”
“The kind with the big noodles?” Judson asked, his smile lighting up the old barn.
“The only kind she ever makes,” Roscoe said without any muscle movement in his expression.
“That’s some good soup,” Judson replied, wiping his hands down his jeans. “I guess I need to get back to that fence line.”
“I can help.” Roscoe offered. His sharp gaze moved between them. “I know a thing or two about mending fences.”
Judson looked so helpless, Melissa almost laughed. “We’ll both help,” she said. “I brought some fruit, crackers, and cheese for lunch. Plenty for three.”
Judson glared at her but knew he wouldn’t win on this. Her daddy had come here to check on them and to protect her, even though she didn’t need his protection.
It occurred to her this was also a pattern in her life. Being the baby of the family caused everyone to go into protective mode with her. Had that been part of what Judson always saw when he was around them? The way her family circled the wagons?
“Let’s get to it,” he said, bringing her out of yet another revelation. “Daylight’s wasting.”
Touchy. Mad because they’d been interrupted in what could have turned out to be a reunion moment.
But Melissa silently thanked her daddy for surprising them with a visit. No telling what would have happened if he hadn’t come to the ranch.
Still and quiet.
She needed to remember that. If she and Judson were truly going to make it, they needed to hurry up and slow down.
What was the rush anyway?
When she thought of his beautiful kisses, she understood the rush. Now she wanted to understand the sweet slowness of falling for him all over again, in the right way. In the less hurried, less chaotic way.
In a way that would remain strong and steady through whatever life brought them.
Judson’s whole body ached with a weariness that far outweighed riding a bull for eight seconds.
Eight seconds.
A lifetime.
He’d let the rodeo life consume him to the point of putting it ahead of everything and everyone. He’d certainly pushed Melissa away a lot, thinking she’d understand how important his profession was to him.
But he’d never gone all the way to the big-time and the pay was lousy. Why had he held on for so long? He’d had fun and made a little money but he needed a life.
A real life.
The real stuff.
Judson glanced up, the mad leaving him with a great rush, and looked straight into Melissa’s eyes. She was his life. A place like this could be his life. He knew animals, knew the earth and the air and the wind and the rain. He’d spent so much time in Texas and Louisiana,
hanging out around barns and paddocks and listening to ranch hands and cowboys talking about their lives, he’d forgotten to find his own life.
“What?” Melissa asked, casting a glance up the fence line to where her daddy hammered away.
“Nothing,” Judson said. He had so much to say but for now he’d keep it to himself. He’d tell her when the time was right.
“Something,” she replied. “Talk to me.”
“You just look so pretty,” he said, his throat clogging up.
She smiled, her eyes going misty. “Thank you.”
Judson grinned then went back to his hammer and nails, the rough boards splintering his hands. He didn’t feel the splinters. He only saw the wonder of being with someone who made him happy. Why had it taken him so long to see that?
Melissa stepped out onto the cottage porch and squinted toward the evening sunshine. Judson was supposed to meet her here so they could go to the family dinner together. He was a few minutes late, so she called his cell.
No answer.
Maybe he was on his way. But ten minutes later, she still hadn’t heard from him so she texted him to meet her at Michelle’s house.
When she got there, her mom met her at the door. “Michelle’s not doing so well,” Ruby said. “Brodie’s about to take her to the emergency room.”
Melissa’s pulse jumped ahead while her imagination went into overdrive. “The baby?”
“We don’t know.”
Ruby looked so worried, Melissa’s stomach knotted. “Do you want me to go?”
“No. We’ll follow them. You take care of things here and do something with the food. The burgers are still cooking on the grill.”
“I’ll handle it,” Melissa said. Then she hugged her mom.
Brodie came down the stairs, Michelle in his arms. “We’re leaving,” he said while he kept walking.
Michelle moaned and gave Melissa a sweet smile. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
How could she not worry? Michelle would be devastated if something happened to this baby.
“Drive safely,” Ruby called. “We’ll be right behind you.”
“The hospital’s close, right?” Melissa asked.