Jessie called Indy back, and Dan aimed a kick at her, missing completely as Brady grabbed him from behind. Brady took a vicious swing, punching Dan in the face and knocking him to the floor. A second later, he was on top of him, pummeling his face without mercy until Mitch and Dave finally pulled him off. Dan didn't move.
Brady turned and looked at Jessie and the bruise that was quickly forming on her cheek. Swearing, he grabbed her, wrapping her in his arms. She was trembling violently and hugged him fiercely, her tears spilling over.
"Are you all right? Did he hurt you? Did he—" Brady was frantic.
"No, no, I'm fine. Just this little poke on the cheek. Indy, is Indy all right? He was trying to kick her."
"She's fine, he missed her by a mile. You're sure you're all right?"
"Yes, I just kept him talking as much as I could. I think he's crazy. He thinks Jake and I bought this place out from under him. He's just…he's full of hate, just like you said."
Mitch looked disgusted. "He always bragged that he was going to buy this place and turn it into a real working ranch. Everybody in town knew he could never buy it, it was just all talk."
They were all talking at the same time as Jessie fussed over her dog, petting and praising her. The guys hauled Dan off the floor and tied him into one of the kitchen chairs to wait for the sheriff. When Dan came to, he looked around in bewilderment at the other men and Jessie.
"What the hell? Jesus, you broke my fucking nose."
Brady walked closer to him, and Dan cringed. "You have the right to remain silent, Whitman. If you're smart, you'll take it."
This time, the sheriff himself came out. He came to the door, looked at the scene in front of him, and scratched his head thoughtfully. "Well, what the hell went on here?"
Mitch shook his hand. "Hey, Bret, thanks for coming out. Whitman here attacked Jessie. We got here just as it was happening, and Brady took him down. After the dog went right after his throat, that is."
"And you were all here to see all this?"
All of them nodded, and the sheriff said, "Huh. Something tells me there's more to that part of the story. Well, looks like there are plenty of witnesses and looks like Dan got the worst of it. I've got a whole notebook on my desk full of the threats he's made against you, Jessie. You all right?"
"Yes, sir. He punched me once, but he didn't get the chance to carry out the rest of his plans. Indy flew in here like a streak of lightning and launched herself straight at his throat. She never made a sound."
Bret said, "Now, that's a fine dog, I'd say. All right, let's untie him, and I'll take him in. I'm going to need all of you to come in and make statements. The sooner, the better. I hate to dirty up my jail, but it's time this asshole ended up exactly where he's going."
"You want us to go now?" Brady asked.
"Oh, give us an hour to get him processed and in a cell, and then we'll get all your statements. You okay with that, Jessie?"
"Yes, sir, I'll be glad to have this over with." Jessie nodded with a relieved look on her face. "And I'll have time to give Indy the best treat ever."
In a moment, the sheriff and Dan were gone, with Dan whining piteously all the way to the truck that they had tried to kill him. Bret gave him a little extra shove as he got into the truck.
"I'd like to have a nice quiet ride back to the jail, and you'd be wise to cooperate," Bret said as he drove onto the road.
As the door closed behind the two men, Jessie turned to look around her kitchen at the four who were left there. "Thank you guys so much. I'm so glad you weren't five minutes later getting here."
Brady's heart pounded at the thought of getting there later than they had. He kissed her carefully and said, "Are you sure you're all right? Really all right?"
Jessie gave him her luminous smile and said, "Really all right. I bet you all could use a beer, right?"
There was a chorus of enthusiastic assents, and they all had a beer while Indy chewed at a brand new chew toy after she'd had her dog biscuit. There was a hubbub of conversation, and the guys all fussed over Jessie and talked her into holding an ice pack on her face for a while.
When enough time had passed, they all went into town to make their statements and then went their separate ways after lots of thanks and hugs from Jessie. She got into the truck with Brady and heaved a huge sigh. She was suddenly bone tired, and she rested her head on Brady's shoulder on the drive back home.
When they pulled in, Red's truck was there. Brady said, "Shit, I never thought to call Red and tell him he didn't have to come. But I'm damn glad he's here. He can take care of chores, and I'll take care of you."
Jessie grinned at him and said, "You go do chores with him. It'll go faster that way. I'll go whip something up for dinner. Ask Red to stay."
Brady looked at her doubtfully. "You sure? You look like you've had a helluva day."
"Well, I have, and I'd really like to get back to normal. Cooking and feeding people is therapy for me. So go help Red, and don't take off before I let Indy out. She'll like going with you."
"Yes, ma'am," Brady said with a quick kiss. "Don't overdo it."
Jessie laughed and said, "Yes, Mother."
She squealed as he swatted her butt as she headed for the house. A moment later, Indy ran out the door, racing in circles around Brady as he walked to the barn.
Jessie went to her bathroom and looked in the mirror for a long minute at the blue bruise that had bloomed on her cheek. She sighed and played with her hair a little, draping it over the bruise, which kept her from seeing out of that eye. She chuckled at herself and pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail, then went back to the kitchen.
"Just wear it as a badge of honor, Jess," she told herself as she looked in the refrigerator. She decided that the quickest dinner she could come up with was sloppy joes and French fries. "We'll all be kids tonight," she said out loud and pulled out a jar of homemade applesauce.
The three of them pigged out on their casual supper with a lot of laughter and conversation. Red was quickly becoming part of their little family, sneaking little bits of French fries to Indy under the table and giving Jessie advice on the best place to get her favorite apples for applesauce. It wasn't until later that Jessie realized that she had thought of this as their "family.” She puzzled over it a little in the back of her mind. There was something really big lurking around the edges of her mind, and she wasn't sure she was ready to approach it. Realizing how tired she was, she pushed it aside to save for later.
Red left soon after they finished dessert, and Brady caught her yawning as he locked the door.
"You go get into pajamas. I'm doing the dishes tonight."
For once, Jessie agreed without the slightest argument. She got into comfortable, worn flannel pants and long sleeved t-shirt, washed so many times that it was as soft as silk. She carefully washed her face and smoothed lotion into it, wincing a little. After her teeth were brushed, she wandered out to the living room and curled up on the couch with the TV on. Brady finished cleaning up the kitchen and sat down beside her, cradling her head in his lap. Before long, he looked down to see her sound asleep. Brady picked her up and carried her to bed, tucking her in gently and looking over her for a long minute before he went to shower and put himself to bed.
Chapter 17
Kayla and Jessie were having salads and wine at the pizza place in town. They had just finished shopping for a new outfit for Kayla to wear on her movie date with Mitch. It was going to be their second date of sorts. The first one had been for pizza and ice cream, and they had taken Caleb with them. They had all had fun, and it was a good way to break the ice and get to know each other. Plus, it was important for Kayla to see what Caleb thought of Mitch. He had approved, and Mitch had completely enjoyed the little boy's company.
"Jessie, can you believe the spring merchandise is out in the stores already?" Kayla asked.
"No, it's going to be spring before we know it." Jessie didn't look happy at the prospect.
/> "Aren't you excited? You're going to have your first calves born on the ranch in the spring."
Jessie looked down, idly tracing circles on the tabletop with her fingertip. "Yeah, it's going to be fun to see the new babies. A lot of work, too."
"So why do you look so unhappy about it?"
Jessie sighed and said miserably, "Brady will be getting ready to leave after the calves are all born."
Kayla stared at her. "Why on earth would Brady leave?"
"He's here to get everything started. Then I'll be on my own, and he'll go back to his own life."
"Jessie, I love you, but sometimes you can really be a moron."
Jessie looked shocked. "Well, thanks a lot! What are you talking about?"
Patiently, Kayla said, "Brady loves you. Right?"
"He told me that once. He's never said it again."
Her friend rolled her eyes. "He's waiting patiently for you to be ready to be in love with him. He knows you've been grieving for your brother, and he doesn't want to push you."
"How do you know that? Has he talked to you?"
"No! Geez, Jess, it's as plain as day. Brady is madly in love with you. Why haven't you told him how you feel?"
Jessie flushed and said, "I don't…how do I know I really love him?"
Kayla shook her head in frustration. "Jessie Mills, anybody with two eyes can see that you love him. The whole town knows you love Brady. There's a pool over at the Rusty Spur, taking bets on when the two of you will get married."
Jessie's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding, right?"
"No! It's five dollars a spot to get in on it. Somebody's going to make a killing. It's better than the Super Bowl board at work."
"I don't believe you; you're making that up."
"Okay, you just go ahead and believe that. But, really, are you actually going to let Brady walk away without telling him you're head over heels in love with him? I'm going to be personally offended if you do something that dumb." Kayla looked disgusted.
"Well, it's not that easy," Jessie said, faltering.
Kayla leaned toward her and laid her hand on Jessie's. "Jessie, it is that easy. You and Brady are good together. You have a chance for a happy life with the man you love. I know how precious that is. Don't you dare let it go just because you're too nervous to say the words to that man. How did it feel to go spend Christmas with his family?"
"It was wonderful; they're a great family. I felt like part of it."
"There's a reason for that, Jess. They see how the two of you look at each other. They see how happy you are together. Look at the Christmas gift Brady's parents gave you. It was a wonderful, loving gift to give to you. Do you really think Brady is putting his heart into what he's doing at your place just out of obligation? Do you really doubt how he feels?"
"No. No, I can feel it every time I look at him."
"Then what are you waiting for? Tell him."
"It just scares me to death," Jessie admitted.
Kayla said gently, "Honey, I know it does. Nothing hurts more, tears you apart more, than when you lose someone you love. You never want to feel that pain again. You never want to take the chance. I understand. But how much pain will you go through if you don't take that chance? You and Brady can have a lifetime together. A lifetime of happiness. Don't let that go; it's too precious."
Jessie had tears in her eyes. "It's still scary."
"Of course, it is. How scary would it be to watch him pack up and leave?"
"It would tear me apart," Jessie admitted.
"So cook him his favorite meal, light some candles, put on something sexy, and take what he's offering you. It's okay to be happy. Jake would want you to be."
"It takes my breath away to think of us being together here forever. It's the best thing I can imagine. I guess I feel like I don't really deserve a life that happy."
"You're really overthinking it, Jess. It's there. Just open your heart and accept it. Let yourself be happy. Deserving it has nothing to do with it. Besides, I want to win the wedding pool." Kayla winked at her.
Jessie laughed and shook her head at her friend. "I can't believe they have a pool."
"Believe it. I got it straight from the bar owner's mouth." Kayla grinned at her.
"Speaking of the bar owner, you like him, don't you?"
"I do. I've had a few dates with different guys. I didn't feel the least bit of interest in any of them. One date, and I was done. But Mitch is different. He's kind and easygoing. He hit it off with Caleb right away, and that's really important. I'm comfortable with him."
"I thought you'd like him; he's really a nice guy. So, is there a spark there?"
"We shall see," Kayla said. "I was interested enough for a second date, and that's kind of a big deal. At least he's someone I can spend some time with and enjoy his company. He's fun. That's good enough for now."
"Maybe the four of us could all go out together sometime."
"If this goes well, I'd be up for that. It'd be fun."
"It's a plan. I have confidence that this will go well." Jessie grinned.
"And if you get off your ass and tell your man you love him, we could be celebrating."
Jessie took a deep breath and said, "It's kind of like getting in the pool one toe at a time or just saying the hell with it and jumping in."
"Exactly! Just jump in. You've had enough time to get used to the water. Do we need to go back for some more shopping? Get you something sexy?"
Jessie laughed. "No, I think I can find something that will work. I have an apron."
Kayla burst out laughing. "An apron over bare skin will definitely work!"
Jessie was overcome with a fit of giggles. "I can just see the look on his face."
After they finished their salads, Kayla said, "I hate to darken the mood, but what's happening with Dan Whitman?"
Jessie said, "He had a hearing yesterday. It was to file the charges and hear his plea, stuff like that. As far as I know, he was planning to plead not guilty, he has a lawyer, and they were supposed to set a trial date and discuss bail. I didn't have to be there, thank God."
Kayla shuddered. "So creepy. They won't let him out, will they?"
Jessie shrugged. "I honestly don't know. There's so much evidence against him, I don't even understand how he can plead not guilty, but I guess it's very common. I think the DA is probably going to try to make a deal, save the time and expense of a trial."
"That's what usually happens, isn't it?"
"I think so. It's not like he could win his case if it actually goes to trial."
"Well, let's hope they make quick work of it and put him away for a while."
"I'll drink to that."
They clicked their glasses together and finished their wine. Kayla said, "I should get going. Mike's mom is bringing Caleb back tomorrow. He's only been gone a couple of days, but I miss him."
"I don't blame you; he's such a cutie."
"He's a handful sometimes, but he's a good kid. Well, this has been fun. Now go home and cuddle up to your man."
They exchanged hugs in the parking lot and headed off to their homes. Jessie thought about their conversation and let herself think about a future with Brady. She was smiling when she unlocked the door and walked into the house, greeted by an ecstatic Indy. She looked at the clock and realized that Brady must be out doing chores, so she changed her clothes and took Indy to the barn with her to feed the chickens. Indy ran around, making Jessie laugh at the way she played in the snow.
When Brady came in, Jessie was putting some stew on to heat up for his supper. He hung up his coat in the mudroom and came in to give her a kiss.
"I'm going to wash up a little, be right back." Brady pinched her butt before he walked away.
Jessie stood in the kitchen, lost in thought. She had toyed with the idea of cooking a special dinner with candles and the whole works, to tell Brady how she really felt about him. But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to just tell him, as quic
kly as possible. She felt the possibility of a whole new phase of her life was just at her fingertips, and she really wanted it. As soon as she made the decision to talk honestly with Brady about her feelings, she was flooded with a feeling of warmth and real happiness.
Brady came into the kitchen and swept her into a bear hug, nuzzling her neck and making her laugh. "Mmm, you smell good enough to eat," he said, nibbling at her ear.
Jessie was breathless when he let her go. "Would you like a beer, sir? Your dinner is almost heated up."
"Sure." Brady watched her butt with keen appreciation as she bent to get a beer out of the refrigerator. When she straightened and turned, he had her in his arms again. "Maybe dinner could wait a little bit. You could come take a shower with me, and I could eat dinner after. Aren't you eating?"
"No, Kayla and I had salads and wine a couple of hours ago." Jessie dodged his questing hands, giggling at him. "You can eat dinner. Then I have something to talk to you about. Then, I'd say a shower together is a real possibility."
He growled and nuzzled her neck again then sighed and took a swig of his beer. "Okay, I have to admit, I'm starving. What's for dinner?"
"Beef stew and cornbread. We still have some apple pie for dessert."
"Talked me into it."
They sat at the table together and talked about their day while Brady ate. He was just finished when there was a knock at the front door. Jessie looked up, surprised, and started to get up. Brady held up a hand to stop her.
"Let me. You stay here."
In just a moment, Jessie heard conversation from the living room and got up to see who their visitor was. Brady led the sheriff into the kitchen, and Jessie got a queasy feeling as she looked at the serious expression on his face. She cleared the table quickly, and the three of them sat down.
"Jessie, you know Whitman's hearing was yesterday. It ended up being postponed until this morning because the court got behind yesterday. I know the prosecutor's office has talked to you about the charges, right?"
Jessie’s Dusty Dreams Page 16