by Jen Talty
“I don’t think I am.” He curled his fingers around her wrist and yanked. “You haven’t changed.”
“Yes, I have. It’s you that hasn’t.” She poked his chest. “Your heart is still the same, and until you see what’s missing in all that you just proposed with regard to me staying, we can never move forward.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You might want to have the staff wrap that up. No need to have it go to waste.” With that, she made her way down the steps and mounted Monty. She didn’t look over her shoulder as she gently nudged the gentle giant and made her way toward the main house. She’d text Annette and Kitty and beg to see if she could crash there because no way could she spend the night, alone, in a house with JB.
Not tonight.
And maybe never.
JB plopped himself on the steps of the gazebo and took a swig of the wine right from the bottle, eyeing Georgia Moon and Luke making their way down the path from their house hand in hand.
Fucking wonderful.
They were the last thing he needed.
“Looks like your dinner didn’t pan out.” Luke took a seat next to him while Georgia Moon nestled on the other side, putting her arm around JB and resting her head on his shoulder.
“Want to talk about it?” Georgia Moon asked.
“Nope,” JB said. “But I don’t think you’re going to let me off the hook that easily.”
“You got that right.” Georgia Moon gave him a good squeeze. “What happened?”
“Don’t push him, sweetheart,” Luke said. “He’ll talk when he’s good and ready.”
JB let out a short laugh. “Seriously? You came out here with her. You want the dirt just as much as she does.”
“No. But you were always there for me when the shit hit the fan. It’s the least I can do for you.” Luke squeezed his shoulder. “We were just concerned when we saw her ride off by herself.”
“So, you were spying on us.” JB figured they would occasionally look out the window. If it were him, he’d do the exact same thing.
“I wouldn’t call it that,” Georgia Moon said. “We just want you to be happy, and Cheyenne and Jimmy do just that. Or so we thought.”
“She hasn’t committed to staying, and I’m tired of trying. It shouldn’t be this hard,” JB said.
Luke laughed. “Love is almost never easy. If it were, Georgia Moon and I would have been together a long time ago. JD and Annette wouldn’t have struggled, and JW and Kitty wouldn’t have had so many misunderstandings. So, why don’t you tell us what happened.”
JB raked a hand through his hair. “I’m not exactly sure. She asked me about what life would be like if she stayed. I thought I painted a happy family picture, but she basically told me that I was a hard man and incapable of moving forward.”
“Oh, shit,” Georgia Moon said. “I was wrong, and she knew it.”
“What are you talking about?” JB asked.
“I can’t believe I thought it needed to be done in reverse. I’m usually so insightful. This baby and all the hormones it’s producing has me all out of whack.” Georgia Moon rubbed her belly.
“Babe, you’re not always that in tune with your family,” Luke said. “Sometimes you’re too close, and I told you I didn’t agree with your assessment.”
“Oh, what do you know.” She waved her hand.
JB let out a long breath. “Does anyone want to fill me in because I’m totally lost.”
“All that matters is you need to tell her you love her,” Georgia Moon said.
“I thought that’s what I was doing with this dinner. Don’t actions speak louder than words?” JB pinched the bridge of his nose. Saying those words didn’t come easy to him, and the last time he’d said them had been to Veronica.
That hadn’t gone well since Veronica proceeded to inform him she’d been seeing someone else and she was in love him, not JB.
The next time he planned on saying them had been the day Cheyenne drove off with Scott.
If he said the words now, it would muck it all up.
“You’re a fool if you think a woman doesn’t need both,” Luke said.
“Listen to my husband. He’s a smart man.” Georgia Moon squeezed JB’s biceps. “Go tell her that you love her.”
Simultaneously, all their phones rang.
“That can’t be good,” JB said as he glanced at his cell. “It’s JD.” He tapped the green button. “What’s up?”
“The west fence has been compromised, and we’ve got two bulls on the loose,” JW said.
JB jumped to his feet. “Luke and I are on our way.”
“See you in a bit,” JW said. “And I’m not supposed to tell you, but Cheyenne is here.”
JB inhaled sharply. “Thanks.”
Luke kissed Georgia Moon. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Be safe out there,” Georgia Moon said. “JB. As soon as you take care of those bulls, go to Cheyenne and tell her you love her.”
JB nodded. He knew the only way to prove to Cheyenne he was a different man was to do what he wasn’t strong enough to do five years ago.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
7
JB stood under the hot shower and let the water pelt his body. It had taken two hours to corral fifteen horses and two angry bulls. Every muscle in his body ached. By the time he’d gotten back to his place, it was too late to go to JW’s and talk to Cheyenne. So JB opted for a few hours of restless sleep.
He turned the knob and found his towel. He’d gone over in his head what he’d say to Cheyenne. But it all came down to three simple words.
“I love you,” he said. He shook his head. The words had tumbled from his mouth with ease. Of course, no one was around to hear them, and he was staring at himself in the mirror, not gazing deep into the eyes of the woman who had forever fundamentally changed him.
Why he had to make this so hard, he had no idea. He finished getting dressed and snagged a granola bar along with a mug of coffee. Climbing into the golf cart, he continued to practice various ways to start the conversation. He didn’t think blurting out ‘I love you’ would be smart. He needed an icebreaker. Something to let her know that he wasn’t just giving lip service to the words to keep her and Jimmy on the ranch, but that he honestly and truly meant them. That she was his entire world.
He pressed the gas to the floor, but the damn thing didn’t go fast enough. The main house still seemed like it was miles away as it appeared over the hilltop. His heart warmed as he saw Jimmy and Tony playing in the front yard while Annette and Kitty sat on the front steps of the porch. He figured JD and JW were still asleep, considering the long night. Poor JD and Annette, having to share the main house while their new one was being built since the fire, but it wouldn’t take much longer until they could move in.
JB scanned the yard for Cheyenne, but she was nowhere to be found. He turned onto the driveway, and immediately Jimmy spotted him.
“Daddy,” he yelled, waving frantically, holding Tony’s hands so he didn’t go racing off in front of the golf cart.
JB jumped from the cart and scooped up both boys, giving them a big hug and kiss.
Tony giggled, kicking his feet, but Jimmy nuzzled his face into JB’s neck and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, hugging tight.
JB set Tony down who raced off for Annette.
“Hey there, little man. Did you have fun on your sleepover?”
“We roasted marshmallows,” he said with a little sniffle.
JB patted Jimmy’s back, eyeing Annette and Kitty. Something had to have happened because Jimmy wasn’t usually this clingy with him and he didn’t often cry. “That sounds awesome. Did Aunt Kitty make her special French toast for breakfast?”
“It was yummy. Mommy took some with her.”
“Where is your mom?” JB asked as he walked toward the house.
“She went back to Texas.”
JB paused midstep. All the air in his lungs escaped in one big swish. His muscles
grew weak. A million questions ran through his head, but they weren’t things he should be asking a scared little boy. He kissed his cheek.
“Mommy said she’d be back in a few weeks,” Jimmy said, turning his head and resting it on JB’s shoulder.
“I’m sure we can call her tonight once she lands.”
“That’s what she said.”
JB climbed the porch steps of the main house just as JW stepped outside. “Why don’t you go with your Aunt Kitty and Annette so I can chat with your uncle, okay?”
“Sure, Daddy.”
JB gave his son a big bear hug and a peck on the cheek before setting him on the floor. He waited until he couldn’t see the boy anymore. He turned and faced his big brother. “Do you have any idea what the hell is going on and why the fuck Cheyenne left?”
“Keep your voice down.” JW leaned against the railing. “And yeah, I do. I tried to stop her. We all did. She’s more stubborn than Kitty.” JW sipped his coffee.
“Well, I’m waiting.” JB couldn’t believe Cheyenne would just up and leave without her son. And that she didn’t even have the decency to tell JB herself. That wasn’t fair. It didn’t matter that she said she was coming back. Which he damn well knew she would be, but that didn’t change the fact she ran off like a coward.
“She told Jimmy she had to take care of some business for her job and that as soon as she could, she’d be back. She said a week tops.”
“Is that what she told you?”
JW shook his head. “She wanted space from you, and she asked all of us to respect that. She specifically told us to tell Georgia Moon that.” JW chuckled. “Our sister sure knows how to stick her foot in her mouth sometimes.”
“This isn’t her fault. I have only myself to blame.” JB rubbed his aching temples. The airport was about an hour from the ranch. But it was a small regional one, and if memory served him correctly, only one flight a day that could get you anywhere. Boise would be the next big airport, and that was two hours away. “How did she leave? A car service?”
“No. She called Paget, and she picked her up.”
JB snagged his phone. “She would have had to go back to my place to get her purse, with her license so she could board a plane. How long ago?”
“About an hour.”
“Hey Siri, call Paget.” JB paced across the length of the porch. Cheyenne couldn’t have gotten far, and he’d be damned if he’d let her get on any plane today.
“What are you doing?” JW asked.
“Getting back the woman I love.”
JW slapped the railing. “It’s about time.”
“Hello?” Paget answered.
“I’m not on speaker or anything am I?” JB asked.
“Oh, I must have forgotten. Do you need that right now? I’m helping out a friend.”
JB shook his head as a slow smile tugged at his lips. “Have you left the ranch?”
“Dad, I’m only fifteen minutes from your place. I can stop if you need me to.”
“I’ll see you there.” JB tapped his screen, then looked at JW. “I need to borrow your truck.”
“I’ll go get the keys.” JW slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t screw this up.”
“I don’t plan on it.” Not this time. Not ever again.
“We have plenty of time.” Cheyenne couldn’t actually get a flight out until tomorrow, so she’d booked herself a hotel next to the airport. She had all the time in the world, but she couldn’t spend it on the ranch. Not only did she need time and distance, but so did JB, and she needed to give it to him.
Only he could decide if he could say the words—and mean them. If he couldn’t, they had no chance, and that meant co-parenting from a distance. If he wanted to drag her through a custody battle, he’d be up for the fight of his life, but she figured at the end of the day, he was all bark and no bite.
He was a lot of things, but he wouldn’t do that to his son.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. My old man sometimes forgets where he puts things, and since my mom passed it’s getting worse.” Paget turned her Jeep around and headed toward the town of Buhl. “My pops is a fan of yours. He’s going to be super stoked to meet you.”
“Always nice to be appreciated.” It seemed odd to Cheyenne how much she didn’t miss the rodeo. She’d been glad to go back, and beating the world record had been exhilarating, but nothing measured up to being in JB’s arms and having her family in one place. She hoped she’d made the right decision and that with a little time to reflect, JB would come to his senses.
She loved him; there was no doubt about that, and she wanted desperately to believe he loved her too. But without him being able to say the words, all his actions fell short and incomplete.
“Have you lived in Buhl your entire life?” Cheyenne asked as they passed the local drug store. The entrance to Whiskey Ranch was a good twenty miles or so from the town, but parts of it kissed the edges of the property, and she could see Luke and Georgia Moon’s place on top of the hill in the background. It looked so majestic with the backdrop of the mountains in the distance.
She remembered the first time she’d come to Buhl and how different it had been from any part of Texas, but especially Houston where she’d spent most of her life. It would be a wonderful place to raise her son, and she wasn’t opposed. Not one single bit. She just needed JB to let her know he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
With words.
“Born and raised.” Paget took a couple of turns down side streets. “And I’ll never leave.”
Cheyenne’s heart lurched to her throat when she saw JB leaning against the hood of his brother’s truck with ankles crossed and his arms folded across his chest. “What the hell?”
“Sorry,” Paget said. “His family signs my paycheck, and when he calls and asks me to turn around, I do it.” She rolled her Jeep to a stop at the end of the driveway. “I’ll be inside visiting with my dad. He would really like to meet you, just saying.” Like a bat out of hell, Paget left the vehicle and raced toward the front of the modest home.
JB pushed from the pickup and sauntered in her direction.
Sitting inside the safety of the Jeep wouldn’t be prudent. She slipped from the passenger seat. “What are you doing, JB?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, stopping less than a foot from her personal space.
“I have—”
He pressed his finger against her lips. “Save the excuse. I know it’s bullshit.”
She narrowed her stare. “You don’t know anything.”
“I know I refuse to make the same mistake twice.” He reached out and took her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I know that I love you and I should have said it a long time ago.”
She gasped. “Come again.”
“You heard me,” he said with a slight chuckle and a beaming smile.
“No. I didn’t. I think I need you to repeat yourself.” Her pulse raced out of control. She was desperate to hear him say those words over and over again.
“I love you, Cheyenne. Please, move to Whiskey Ranch. We belong together.” He inched closer, taking her into his arms. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, JB. I love you.”
“Will you stay and make a home with me?”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. JB was home. He was all she’d ever want or need. “I still have to go back to Texas and sell my house and deal with some things there, but there isn’t anything I’d like more than for me and Jimmy to be with you on Whiskey Ranch.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips tenderly over hers in a promissory kiss. “So, you’ll come back with me right now?”
“I think that’s the best idea you’ve had in a long time.” Cheyenne stared into his dreamy gaze, knowing she’d found the one place she’d always be able to call home.
Chapter 8
Four weeks later…
There was only one thing that would make JB happier and that was if Cheyenne agreed to be his w
ife. He’d screwed up so many things, including a romantic dinner with the love of his life last weekend.
So he’d stopped trying.
There wasn’t going to be some big proposal. No elaborate plan. Nothing spectacular.
Just a simple question over breakfast.
He tapped his fingers on the countertop waiting for the coffee to finish brewing while he stared at Cheyenne’s cute butt as it wiggled back and forth in front of the stove as she tried to reconstruct his famous egg sandwich.
“Keep that up and we’re going to make this an X-rated meal,” he said.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Jimmy will be awake any minute, so if you want that, we better use the powder room.”
JB growled. “Don’t tempt me.” He shoved his hand into his jean pocket and fingered the diamond ring. It was a bit over the top, but Cheyenne deserved the most extravagant of gifts. If she wanted something more modest, he’d cave, but for now, this would have to do.
She set the pan to the side and turned. “Oh, I’m game, but only if you tell me the secret ingredient to your sandwich. I can’t keep guessing.”
He laughed. “I stab the yolk after I flip the fried egg and I put a little honey mustard in it.”
She waved the spatula in his face. “Seriously? That’s it and you couldn’t tell me.”
He shrugged, dropping his gaze from her eyes to her toes and slowly back up, enjoying every inch. “You’re going to be the death of me.” He moved closer, slowly pulling his hand out of his pocket.
“Mommy. Daddy.” Jimmy scurried into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. “I’m hungry.”
JB hadn’t planned on this being a family affair, but why not. He fingered the ring and opened his mouth, however, Cheyenne picked up an envelope and waved it under his nose. He stuffed the ring back in his pocket and nodded. “Hey, little man, Mom and I have some big news.”