Jessie’s Dusty Dreams

by Kat Carrington

  Jessie took a deep breath. "Okay. I saw the four-wheeler in Jake's paperwork. It was the first thing, and I can see it's needed to get around the place. And a little trailer to pull behind it?"

  Brady nodded approvingly. "Yep, that's exactly right. You can haul tools, wire, all kinds of things you need to patch things up and make repairs. And it's a little bit late, but there's still time to plant a garden if you want."

  "Oh, I would like that. Fresh vegetables out of my own garden. I used to grow a little tiny one before we moved here. I could make it a little bigger here."

  "Yeah, just don't go overboard at first. We're starting everything small and growing it as we go, right?"

  Jessie laughed. "Yes, I don't want to be spending all my time in the garden. Don't worry, a little bigger will be good."

  "Okay, I'm going to have a look around and start making some lists."

  "All right, I'll have some lunch ready at one."

  "Sounds good; I'll be sure to be back in by then."

  Brady went out the back door with a whistle and headed toward the barn. Jessie felt that anxious little knot again and then resolutely pushed it aside. She concentrated on the fact that it actually felt good to be starting something constructive. She went out and weeded the flowers in front of the house and then went in to make lunch. When Brady walked back in after leaving his boots beside the back door, she had thick ham sandwiches and potato salad on the table.

  "Wow, that looks great," Brady said. "I'll just go wash up and be right back."

  They ate lunch and discussed the list Brady had made. It was mostly tools and some fencing materials, and Jessie realized that he was probably easing into the purchasing that would need to be done. She appreciated it and added some garden tools to the list.

  "So, will you go shopping with me tomorrow? I'm going to see what they've got as far as four wheelers first. You should probably be in on that, at least this time. It's kind of a big purchase and you should see how I do shopping for it."

  Jessie felt a wave of relief at the suggestion. "Yes, I'd like that. Mr. Haley runs a good fair business there from everything I've heard."

  "That's what works best in a small community. You don't want to get a bad reputation, or before you know it, you don't have a business left."

  "Okay, it's a plan. I'm not sure what to do with Indy, though."

  "Bring her with us. We'll take our time; she'll get plenty of breaks."

  "Okay, first road trip." Jessie grinned.

  "I didn't see a grill anywhere while I was looking around."

  "No, we were planning to get one, but then Jake got deployed and we never got it done."

  "Maybe we could take care of that tomorrow too. If I'm going to take my turn cooking, it's probably going to have to be on a grill. I can do eggs and bacon on the stove but not much else."

  "I'd like for you to take your turn. It's a deal."

  Chapter 3

  It didn't take long for Jessie to have her first real clash with Brady. She got a full-fledged stomachache when they went shopping for the four-wheeler. At first, she liked what she saw of Brady's careful appraisal of the vehicles that Jim Haley had to offer. But when he finally made a selection, she was appalled at the asking price and the rough looking condition of the four-wheeler. She listened for a total of thirty seconds and then grabbed Brady's arm and glared at him.

  "I need to talk with you," she seethed at him.

  Brady frowned at her and asked Jim to excuse them for a minute. "What's the problem?"

  "Are you crazy? That thing looks like a piece of shit! And he wants a fortune for it!"

  "Jessie, looks aren't everything. That four-wheeler is rough looking because it was used on a farm. Fortunately, the owner decided he wanted a bigger ATV so he traded it in before it had too many hours on it. The engine is solid and it's been kept up. And the price is just the asking price. I don't intend to just write a check for what he's asking."

  "No, I guess you don't because I'm the one who has to write the check. I don't like this, Brady. I think we should do some more looking. Maybe there's a better deal out there."

  "Jessie, do you know how much they're asking for new four wheelers? This is an excellent buy, once we get done negotiating. We need this to get the ranch ready for the first cows. You can't just keep putting it off. That's why I'm here, remember?"

  Jessie was starting to breathe hard, getting more and more upset. Her hands were shaking and her stomach ached. Brady swore under his breath as he looked at her and he said grimly, "Get in the truck. I'll tell Mr. Haley that we'll be back in a little while."

  Jessie turned on her heel without a word and stalked to the truck, slamming the door after she got in. A moment later, Brady slid behind the wheel. He drove out of town and pulled off the road, hitting the brakes a little hard.

  "Now, exactly what is the problem?" he asked between clenched teeth.

  "What's the problem? You look at four wheelers at one place and expect to just pick one and have me pay for it? In case you've forgotten, this is my place and my money, not yours." Jessie was shaking.

  "First of all, I looked at several other places, including private owners, while you were thinking over this whole arrangement. The one I picked is by far the best deal around. I'm well aware that this is not my place or my money. I'm putting months of my life into your place because I promised your brother that I would. And you agreed to it. Now, you need to calm your ass down and grow up a little. You can't build up a ranch without tools."

  Jessie's face had drained of color and her breathing was hard and fast. Brady took a good look at her and swore out loud. He jumped out of the truck and pulled her out after him, sitting her down on the running board and shoving her head down between her knees.

  "Calm down. Slow down your breathing. Clear your head. Relax, just relax." He kept talking calmly, and gradually, her breathing slowed and she stopped shaking.

  Finally, Jessie lifted her head and Brady let out a long sigh. "Feel better?"

  "Yes. I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

  "I do," Brady said matter-of-factly. "Panic attack. My sister used to have them."

  "Oh, great," Jessie said. "One more problem I don't need."

  "Now. Are you ready to go back to Haley's and make a deal on the four wheeler before somebody buys it out from under us?"

  "I guess," Jessie said reluctantly. "I don't like this, though."

  "That's all right," Brady said cheerfully. "You don't have to. That's why Jake asked me to do this. You'll get used to it."

  Jessie scowled at him. "Don't start thinking that I'm going to turn into some little pushover who is just going to nod and say okay to everything you want to do."

  "I'll try to restrain my expectations."

  "Smart ass."

  "Better take Indy for a little walk before we head back."

  Jessie took Indy out to pee along the side of the road, and then Brady drove them back to make a deal on the four-wheeler. Jim Haley shook Brady's hand while Jessie wrote the check with gritted teeth. Then they went on to the farm store where they loaded up on the tools and fencing materials on the list, including Jessie's garden tools.

  With the truck loaded down with their purchases, Brady asked, "Hungry? I'll buy pizza. They've got some tables outside, so we can keep Indy with us while we eat."

  "Okay." Jessie was quiet.

  While they waited for the pizza, Brady talked about the work that he would start first. The four-wheeler would be delivered to Dusty Dreams later that afternoon, and he intended to patrol the whole pasture fence. Jessie watched the puppy fight with the leash that was restraining her until Indy's antics finally made her laugh. When the pizza got there, Jessie suddenly realized that she was hungry. She let the puppy have a tiny piece of pizza crust and relaxed enough to respond to Brady's casual chatter. He heaved a silent sigh of relief and thought that he was glad that the first battle seemed to be over.

  They were only back at the ranch for an hour
when the truck and trailer pulled in with their delivery. Mr. Haley's son, Jimmy, unloaded the four-wheeler and the small trailer they had bought along with it. Then he took a garden tiller off the truck. Jessie started to object, and Brady held up a hand to stop her.

  "Since we bought the four wheeler and the trailer, Mr. Haley threw in the tiller for thirty bucks. I'll till up your garden space so you can get started with it."

  "But…" Jessie couldn't decide whether to be pleased or offended because he hadn't okayed it with her first. After a moment, she decided to save the battles for bigger things. Besides, it really was a good deal and it was something that she needed.

  "Do you know where you want your garden?" Brady asked after Jimmy left.

  "Yes. There's a space where the garden was before we bought the place. Let me show you. It's not far from the back door, and when I poked around in there, it seemed like they had the ground in really nice shape for a garden."

  They checked out the space, and Brady agreed with her, "You're right; the dirt is nice and soft and it looks rich too. I think this grass over the top is rye that they planted for winter ground cover. It should till up nice and easy."

  By the end of the day, the garden was tilled and the fence had been examined. There were a few places that needed work, and Brady planned to take care of it all the following day. Jessie made a tuna casserole and a salad and set the table while Brady showered. They had a quiet dinner together and then settled down in the living room. Brady had a whiskey and Jessie had a cup of tea, and they switched on the TV for a little while. Brady studied Jessie more than he looked at the television.

  "Jessie," he said softly. "Today, we started building your ranch."

  She looked at him for a long moment, and then a tired smile bloomed on her face. "I guess we did. See that, Jake? It's a start."

  "I'll get the fence repaired tomorrow and work on the barn a little. It's pretty solid, but there are some boards on the stalls that need to be replaced. The next day, I'm going to check out feed suppliers and see if I can get the names of some people who would make a deal on making your hay. I don't think you need to buy haying equipment or hire help right off the bat. There are always farmers who will make a fair lease deal. Then we can think about your first cows."

  Jessie felt a thrill of mixed anticipation and panic. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm down the panic. She closed her eyes and pictured cows and calves in her pasture, and slowly, a smile came to her.

  "It would be good to see the first cows in the pasture."

  "Yeah. It's a good sight. So Jake said you were probably going to want some chickens. Is that right?"

  Jessie stroked the puppy sleeping in her lap and said, "Yes. I always wanted some laying hens so I could have fresh eggs. I even have a book about it with pretty clear instructions. It doesn't sound too hard."

  "No. Compared to a beef cattle operation, chickens and eggs are a piece of cake. I can build you a chicken coop with laying boxes right off the end of the barn, with access into the barn for colder weather."

  "That's one thing that worries me. How do you get through the winters with livestock? Winters in Nebraska aren't the worst in the whole country, but they're still tough."

  "By the time winter gets here, we'll be ready for it. This isn't my first ranch experience. My dad taught me well."

  "Okay. I guess I'm going to have to learn to take one day at a time if I want to save my sanity. I'm a champion worrier."

  Brady laughed. "It's good to worry a little, just don't let it take over your head. Concentrate on getting your garden planted, and I'll get your chicken coop ready. By this time next week, you'll have chickens. You'll have to go shopping for seed and plants and chicken feed and waterers and feeders. You'll be too busy to spend all your time worrying."

  "That sounds like a good plan. In fact, in the morning, I'll measure out my garden space and draw up a sketch of how I want the garden so I can figure out what I need. I need stakes and string and marigold seeds to plant around the perimeter to keep the rabbits out."

  "Hey, my mom always did that around her garden."

  "It works. And it's pretty." Jessie grinned at him and he looked at her, really looked at her.

  * * *

  She's a knockout, especially when she smiles like that. Why didn't I really look at her before this? Too much on my mind, I guess. I was only seeing Jake's sister. But just look at her. Shit. You better knock it off, Brady, she's Jake's sister.

  Indy was stretching, awake from her nap, and Jessie said, "I'd better take her out one more time. Come on, Indy, let's go potty."

  Brady watched her go, this time totally aware of her trim waist, her golden hair hanging down her back, her really fine ass, and felt the stir in his crotch. He gulped the last of his whiskey and shook his head, berating himself for his thoughts. But, damn, she really was something to look at, pretty and sexy and real. And still grieving. He ordered himself to stop that train of thought.

  Jessie was laughing when she came back in, the puppy romping around her feet. She sat on the floor to play with Indy, and Brady watched, captivated. He finally shook himself and got to his feet.

  "It's getting late and I'd like to get an early start tomorrow, so I think I'll hit the sack," he said.

  "Okay. I'm going to wear her out a little and then I'm going to follow your lead. It's been a big day. I'll get the coffee ready so if you beat me up in the morning, you can just hit the button and the coffee will brew. Sleep well."

  "You too. Good night." Brady went down the hall to his room and stood staring out the window at the darkness for a while before he stripped off his clothes and rolled into bed. He made himself think about the fence and barn until he drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Jessie woke to the smell of fresh coffee and the sizzle of bacon frying. She stretched and tossed back the covers, pulling a sweatshirt over her head and thrusting her feet into her slippers. She got Indy out of her crate and walked out to the kitchen to find Brady standing in front of the stove sipping coffee while the bacon fried.

  "Good morning," Jessie said. "I've got to take this one out to pee. Be right back."

  "Morning. How do you like your coffee?"

  "Hot and black." Jessie gave him a smile as she slipped out the door.

  When she came back in, Brady handed her a cup of coffee and she took a sip before she got Indy's breakfast for her. The puppy ate enthusiastically and then lapped her water while Jessie got the newspaper from the front sidewalk. Jessie made toast while Brady scrambled eggs and they sat down to breakfast. Jessie scooped up a bite of eggs and laughed as she watched Brady wolf down a heaping plateful of eggs and bacon and four slices of toast washed down with ice cold milk and hot coffee.

  "What?" Brady asked.

  "Nothing. Just watching you eat is like watching Jake eat. I always thought he ought to weigh three hundred pounds."

  Brady looked offended. "I'll have you know that I work off all these calories in half a day's time."

  He patted himself on the stomach. "Nothing here but muscle."

  She laughed again. "And that's the same thing he would say. Y'all were two of a kind."

  Brady grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. I'm about to be sinking fence posts and stretching wire. You need plenty of fortification for that kind of thing."

  "Duly noted. Breakfast needs to be a big meal. Speaking of which, I'm going to do some planning and make some lists of my own. When I go into town to get seeds and plants, I'll go to the grocery store after. Any requests?"

  "Hmm. Something sweet would be appreciated."

  "Aha! And a sweet tooth too, just like Jake. Okay, I actually like to bake. I just don't do it for myself because I couldn't eat it up fast enough. I'll add some things to my list and bake something later." Jessie was energized by the fact that she had plans and tasks to accomplish.

  After Brady fired up the four-wheeler, pulling the trailer stocked with tools and supplies, Jessie cleaned the kitchen
, got dressed and took a pad of paper and pencil out to her garden space. Indy ran and played while Jessie measured and staked out the corners. Then she sat down in the swing under a shade tree and drew a diagram of her garden. She meticulously planned the placement of what she wanted to grow and how many of each plant she needed. Finally satisfied, she went back to the house, Indy trotting along behind her, and made her grocery list.

  Since the puppy had played outside for so long, she felt comfortable putting her in her crate and leaving her to sleep while she went to town. She brushed her hair out, tied it back and left a note for Brady, just in case he came back in. She bought her seeds and plants, along with stakes, string and half a dozen tomato cages. Then she went to the grocery store and loaded a cart full of everything she needed to get through a week, including a couple of new dog toys.

  When Brady came in, looking for lunch, she had tuna salad sandwiches and pasta salad, along with a plateful of cookies from the bakery in the grocery store. Indy was wrestling ferociously with a stuffed lion, finally flopping down with her head on the toy. While they ate, they talked about their days so far and what they had accomplished. Brady had one stretch of fence to put up and then he was satisfied with the fence. Jessie bubbled over with chatter about her purchases for the garden.

  Brady grinned at her diagram and said, "Now, that's a well-planned little garden. The right plants will be next to each other and the ones that would clash are far apart. How much research did you put into this garden?"

  She looked reprovingly at him. "I told you I used to grow a little garden before we came here. Actually, my dad taught me how to make a garden plan and carry it out. He was confined to a chair or even bed most of the time, but his brain still worked. He was very organized."

  "And this diagram is really well organized too. You're going to be happy with it. After I get that last stretch of fence finished, I'll be up to work on the barn and start on the chicken coop. If you need any help with anything, just holler at me. These cookies are good; did you bake them?"