Jacob wasn’t used to doing without sex. Since he had reached puberty, women had made themselves available, and he had been glad to take them up on their generous offers. But in the last year or two, Jacob had decided he wanted more from a relationship than a quick roll in the hay. Jacob wanted a family. So he had slowed down his lifestyle, backed off the one-night stands, and decided he was in the market for a wife. Watching his brother, Aron, with his Libby, only made him want one more.
Jacob had been keeping an eye out, looking for that one woman who could turn his world upside down. He hadn’t found anyone that even came close. Until today. Not ready to give up on the little angel who had started a fire in his blood - Jacob decided there was only one thing he could do. He was just going to have to find her and sweep her off her feet - and right into his bed.
Tucking his cock back into his pants, Jacob turned to leave. He would go grab his keys and drive around. She couldn’t have gotten far. If that didn’t work, he’d call all the surrounding ranches and ask if any of them were harboring his tantalizing trespasser.
It took a few minutes for Jessie to calm down. Her panties were soaked and her cheeks were burning with a combination of excitement and embarrassment. There was no way she could face Jacob right away. She wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye! The best thing she could do would be to walk into town, fill out some job applications and give herself time to cool down.
Taking time to clean herself in the upstairs sink, Jessie was amazed at how aroused she had become at the sight of Jacob’s sexual display. Maybe by the time she got back from town, she’d be able to hold a sensible conversation with him without launching herself into his arms like the sex-starved virgin she was.
As she started to leave the barn, she noticed Jacob getting into his truck. Stepping back into the shadows, she waited for him to pull out of the driveway. He turned to the left, away from town. Just as soon as he was out of sight, Jessie started off, cutting across the open field. That way, no one would think she was hitchhiking and try to pick her up. Jessie was afraid to hitchhike, again. When she left Austin in the middle of the night to come to Kerrville, she had been lucky to get a ride with a nice, elderly couple. They had stopped to pick her up just two blocks from the McCay’s apartment, bought her a hamburger and even gave her thirty dollars in cash before leaving her at the Kerrville Little League Park. The park was the destination she requested after Gretchen had seen the article in the Kerrville news that gave the schedule for the playoffs. Jacob McCoy was named as a coach and sponsor. If it hadn’t been for her friend doing research for her on the computer, Jessie would not have known how to find Jacob, or even who he was.
When she had walked about a block from the ranch road, Jessie topped a little hill and gasped in wonder. It was a whole field of sunflowers! As far as the eye could see, there were huge ten-foot stalks with flowers on them as big as her head! With a squeal of delight, she threw her arms out and ran toward them. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. Who would plant such a wonderland? Scampering, she darted in and out among the rows. Flocks of birds lifted off, startled by her uninhibited laughter. For a good ten minutes, Jessie walked through the rows, fascinated by the different colors, which ranged from lemon yellow to a deep harvest orange. Finally, she tore herself away from them and headed toward the township of Kerrville.
It would be nice when she had her own apartment again. She would feel safer. Surely, Keith McCay wouldn’t follow her to Kerrville. From the beginning, Mr. McCay had made her nervous. And the last time she saw him, he had scared her. Some of the things he said haunted her dreams.
Thank God, that strange chapter of her life was finished. The only thing that remained of it was her baby, and she could never regret the child that she would one day hold in her arms. Determined to be happy, she started thinking of names for the baby. Would Jacob let her give the baby his last name? Maybe. McCoy, what would sound good with McCoy?
Frustrated, Jacob returned to the house. There had been no sign of his angel anywhere.
He had been foolish enough to hope that he would find her just strolling down the road. No such luck. Letting out a harsh breath, he decided to regroup and try again after lunch.
The family was gathering in from every direction; the big log home was brimming with joy, laughter and the smell of good food. It was Saturday, and for everyone to be present for the meal was a special event. Libby had made such a difference in their lives, the difference only a woman can bring into a household full of men. Oh, they had always been a family, and they had always loved one another. But since their parents died that fateful day ten years ago, nothing had been the same. A heavy rainstorm had flooded the vast, Hill Country river system; the normally lazy waterways had quickly become frantic, white-water devils. A flash flood had torn through their county and washed out some of the bridges. To the McCoy family, that freak weather event had brought on the greatest of tragedies. Their mom and dad had been on one of those bridges when it collapsed and they were swept away into a treacherous whirlpool of death.
At twenty-one, Aron had stepped up and took the weight of the world on his shoulders. He accepted the responsibility of raising his brothers long before he should have known such duty and obligation. In his desire to make a home for his siblings, he had married a woman who had almost torn their family apart. After the fiasco with Sabrina, Aron had sworn off women – that is until sweet Libby walked through their door and into his heart.
The table was set with Libby’s offerings for the meal of the day: Grilladas and Country Captain and homemade macaroni and cheese. “Good Lord, Libby, this looks fantastic.” Jacob pulled out his chair and sat down, jerking a biscuit out of Aron’s hand. Aron, who was busy kissing Libby, while simultaneously trying to fill his plate, wasn’t watching what he was doing.
“What the hell?” Aron pulled his lips from Libby’s neck and glared at his brother. “Can’t you get your own damn biscuit?”
Jacob tore off a hunk with his teeth. “Looks like you got your hands full, Brother. Since the rest of us aren’t as blessed, we have to take what we can get.”
Aron’s eyes softened. “Man does not live by bread alone.” He sipped from Libby’s lips and counted his blessings. “Sit over here darling, so I can concentrate on my food.”
With a satisfied smile, she slipped from his lap and perched on the adjacent chair.
The front door slammed. “Isaac’s home!” Nathan announced. They all recognized Isaac’s signature entrance; his biker boots made a heavier echo on the hard wood floors than cowboy boots and the chains on his black leather pants and jacket jangled as he walked.
“Boy, when you tear that front door off the hinges, I’m gonna make you take up residence in the barn!” Aron tried to look at his brother sternly, but failed. “Did you find me a band to replace those goat ropers who cancelled on us?”
Isaac turned his chair around backwards and sat down noisily. “Yeah, I’ve got you a band. If you’ll come to the bar tonight, you can hear them.” Isaac started to go ahead and tell them his big news, but he figured it would be more to fun to show them. He was tired of bearing the family reputation as the bad boy – the badass – the family troublemaker. It was high time he proved he could succeed in whatever he set out to do.
The whirr of a wheelchair motor got their attention. Joseph had more than one chair and he usually preferred the manual one, but this time he was in his Cadillac version. “Nathan, you’ve got a phone call.” He handed the portable house phone to his little brother, who broke out in a big smile. A call on a Saturday could mean good things. Stepping into the den, Nathan’s whoop of delight was easily heard.
“Wonder what that’s all about?” Libby mused. She liked to keep up with what everybody was doing – especially Nathan. Libby was a little mother hen.
Joseph handed his plate to Jacob to fill, “Be su
re to get enough of that gravy on my biscuits, I don’t like ‘em dry.” He added, “That was Bo Barkley’s mom, he’s having, and I quote – an impromptu swimming and ice cream party this evening.” Joseph paused for effect. “Coed.”
As Nathan came back in with a silly grin on his face, the older brothers decided to have a little fun. “So, big man, what little girl are you hoping to see in a bikini this afternoon?” Isaac couldn’t resist.
Immediately, Nathan’s face reddened. “Nobody.”
Joseph picked up where Nathan left off. “How about that little Morrison girl? She’s gonna be a knock-out one day.”
“She’s just a kid,” Nathan mumbled. “Not like that girl I saw this morning in the stock tank.” At his words, Jacob’s heart leapt with the memory.
“What’s that?” Aron asked. He had his own fond memories of the stock tank. That was the first place he had seen his Libby in the altogether. Glancing at her, Aron wasn’t surprised to see a pink glow wash over her perfect skin. “That old stock tank seems to see more action than the Playboy mansion.” He watched Libby remember the night she had pleasured herself, not knowing that Aron was watching from his second floor studio in the barn. When Libby had cried out his name in climax, Aron had lost his heart and nearly lost his mind.
“I saw a really pretty girl swimming there this morning, I guess she was visiting one of our neighbors and just wanted to cool off.” Nathan had backed off of his mermaid story; it sounded a little childish, he guessed.
Joseph pounced on the story with relish. “Nathan thought she was a mermaid and Jacob can vouch she was the catch of the day. He caught her in the barn in her birthday suit.” He was getting into this – after all, the longer he could keep his mind off of his own problems – the better off he would be.
Nathan’s eyes got big as saucers. He might be young, but he was growing up fast. “No joshing?!”
Libby started clucking her reservations, “Don’t you think we should talk about something else at the dinner table?”
“No, I definitely want to hear this,” Aron put his fork down so he could pay close attention. “I want all the dirty details, Jacob.” At Libby’s poke in the ribs, Aron rephrased his demand. “I want the clean version of all the dirty details, Jacob.”
It was obvious that Jacob didn’t really want to share. He hemmed and hawed, and gradually spilled the facts. “Yeah, I walked in on this pretty girl as she was getting dressed. We didn’t get a chance to talk, because when Libby screamed, I . . . . .” Seeing Joseph’s face fall, Jacob paused.
Aron looked at Jacob, Libby and Joseph. “What’s going on?”
Joseph let out a sigh. “I did something stupid. Libby came in here to check on lunch and I tried to get in my chair by myself. I fell. It was nothing.”
Aron realized Joseph wanted to down play the whole thing. Well, too bad. Some things just had to be dealt with. “I’m glad you didn’t hurt yourself. I guess you realize we’ve got to get you some help. I’ve put out feelers all over, and it won’t be long ‘til I have a couple of physical therapists out here for you to talk to.” Aron knew Joseph didn’t want to hear it, but it was absolutely necessary. “It’s gonna have to be a live-in person. We want you to have the best of care – we want you to walk again.”
“That would take a miracle,” Joseph slammed his glass of ice tea down. If it hadn’t been nearly empty, he would have sloshed it all over Libby’s snow-white tablecloth.
“We’re in the miracle business, aren’t we baby?” Aron ran a gentle thumb over Libby’s cheek. It had only been days ago they had thought Libby’s leukemia had returned. She had been nauseous and dizzy – the typical symptoms of her body coming out of remission. But, it hadn’t been her cancer reemerging – it had been the first signs she was pregnant.
“Yes, we definitely believe in miracles.” Libby covered Aron’s hand with her own, but it was Joseph she looked at intently. “We’re going to find you the very best help there is. I’ve been praying about it, and it’s going to happen. That’s all there is to it.”
Aron chuckled at his baby’s adamant statement. “I guess you all heard that.” Remembering where this conversation started, he returned to a lighter topic. “So, what happened to the naked woman?”
Jacob filled his plate, making sure he left enough for Noah. “I don’t know. When I went back to the barn she was gone.”
“Bummer,” Isaac sighed. “Misplacing a good looking, naked woman is never a good thing.”
The front door opened and shut again, this time with a bit less exuberance. “Noah’s home!” Nathan was the town crier; he announced all comings and goings with enthusiasm.
“Hey.” Noah started passing out mail as soon as he came to the table. “Sorry, I’m late, Libs. This certified letter came for you,” he handed it to Jacob. “Nelda let me sign for it.”
Jacob stuck it in his back pocket to look at later, “It’s probably a copy of the deed to the last piece of property I bought.”
“I bet she did; Nelda has the hots for you.” Isaac loved to pick at Noah. As far as he was concerned, Noah was a tight-ass who needed to loosen up.
“You’re just jealous because Nelda is a classy lady.” Noah got right back in his face. “The women you date have all been rode hard and put up wet.”
Isaac arched one eyebrow at his brother. It was best if he didn’t comment on his own love life, so he pounced on Noah’s. “Nelda may be a lady, but she’s not the lady you want, is she? We all know what you’ve been doing, Noah. You’re using all these other women to try and make yourself forget one blonde honey who won’t give you the time of day.”
Instead of answering, Noah threw a hunk of biscuit at Isaac. Aron caught it and went right on eating.
“Hey, did I get any mail?” Nathan asked, eyeing the magazine Noah held in his hand. “It’s time for me to get my gaming magazine,” Nathan looked forward to seeing the tips and reviews on the latest video games for Wii and PlayStation 3.
“This isn’t yours, Big Guy. This is Joseph’s.” Noah tossed a magazine wrapped in brown paper. Joseph caught it with a funny look on his face. Suddenly, it dawned on Noah what it was – Joseph’s beloved Playboy. He almost snatched it back, knowing his brother couldn’t put it to the same use he always had before.
Seeing Noah’s remorse, Joseph laughed it off. “Hey, I can always read the articles, can’t I?” Silence. Nobody knew what to say.
“Ya’ll want to hear something funny?” Isaac would save the day. He wouldn’t get any credit for it, but that wasn’t unusual. “I saw Kane in town, he told me that the game wardens had put out one of those buck decoys just off Bear Creek Road, you know, the remote control ones that can toss their heads and even paw the ground.”
“I know what you’re talking about,” Aron said between bites. “They put those decoys out to trap illegal hunters. The good-ole-boys think they’re nabbing a big buck, when they’re actually nailing a robot.“
Isaac took a big swig of orange juice. “Yea, anyway - these old game wardens, they set this thing up, then they get off a piece to wait and see who they can lure into shooting at the life-like deer.. Well, early this morning, old Silas Beauchamp came along and couldn’t resist. He pulled off the road and didn’t even get out of his pick-up. He took a shot and BAM he got him. Only problem was, the deer didn’t fall down dead. So, old Silas took another shot, and then another, and before the game wardens could get over to arrest him - old Silas just took his truck and ran the deer down.”
“Why in the hell did he do that? Was he drunk?” Aron was enjoying the story.
“As a skunk.” Isaac took a bite of the tender beef Grilladas, prolonging the telling of the story. It had been a long time since he just sat down and laughed with his family. Lately, they really didn’t know what was going on in his life. They thought they did. To he
ar them tell it, he was all about drinking, carousing and wild women. He used to be. But, things had changed for Isaac. And the change had a name. Avery Rose. They didn’t know about Avery. No one knew about Avery. Shaking her out of his mind, he finished his story. “Silas said he thought the deer was possessed or something. He said he was afraid if he didn’t kill it, it would follow him home.”
“I’m glad I never saw that deer.” Jacob was honest. “I might have been tempted to take a shot, too.” He was an avid hunter and enjoyed bagging big game.
Libby was tired of hearing about the mechanical deer. “If I had my way, none of you would hunt. I don’t like to think about somebody shooting a pretty, little deer.“
Aron rubbed her neck. His Libby had a soft heart. “Let’s talk about something else, boys.” Looking at Isaac, he asked. “Tell me about the band we’re going to hear at Shorty’s tonight.”
Libby leaned in with interest. She was taking the planning of the rapidly approaching hayride and dance seriously. This would be her first big party to throw at Tebow, and she wanted everything to be perfect.
“They’re good,” Isaac assured them. “Tequila Sunrise is their name, and they play both Country Classic and a rock mix. Everybody loves to dance to Tequila Sunrise.” The band wasn’t the only reason Isaac wanted his family to come to the bar. He had a secret that he had been keeping from them for quite a while. Tonight, they’d find out what that secret was. For the last several years, he had been in more bar fights and late night drinking sessions than he could count. It was the family’s general opinion that he, Isaac, was a lost cause. But he had them fooled. Since he spent so much time and money at the bar, he just figured he might as well buy the damn thing. In fact, it had been three months since the final papers were signed. Shorty, who was moving to New Jersey, had fronted for him, telling no one that he had sold the bar to one of the younger McCoy brothers.
Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook Page 19