“You aren’t, right? Everything is on the up and up?”
“Of course, it is Terri. We aren’t doing anything illegal. Everything is above board.”
She sighed. How in the hell would she be able to see Jeff and spy on him or give them something they could use against him? “Fine. I’ll do what I can, but I can’t promise anything.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to find out something. He’s got to have a weakness.”
Yeah, his family.
“Remember, Terri. This could mean a lot of money for your business. The reputation of being involved in this project alone will help you become one of the big leaguers in Houston.”
“I’ll remember, Mr. Cole.” The clock read seven. It would be breakfast soon. “I have to go. It’s breakfast time.”
“I’ll call you again in a couple of days. You’ll have the full two weeks you need so long as you help us with this little problem.”
“I understand.”
“Good. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.” She flipped the phone shut with a decisive click. This wasn’t going to be easy. Jeff already didn’t trust a lot of people. If he found out she tricked him into divulging information to help his enemies, he would shut her out completely. “What to do. What to do.” She tapped the phone against her lips. “Well, first I need a shower. I certainly can’t go to breakfast looking like I just crawled out of bed.” She glanced at her reflection in the mirror over the dresser. Well loved. Those were the words she’d use to describe her look. Her lips were slightly puffy from Jeff’s passionate kiss before he left, her hair curled around her head in a wild disarray and her neck showed signs of whisker burn. She smiled. The look did wonders for her self-esteem. A drop dead gorgeous cowboy fucked me five ways to Sunday. And I liked it!
‘Mine.’ The growl of his words came back to make her blush. Did he really think of her as belonging to him? How should she feel about it? The thought brought goose bumps to her flesh. The sparkle in her eyes wasn’t there before either. Apparently, I really like the idea.
With a smile on her lips, she grabbed clean clothes so she could take a nice shower before the breakfast bell clanged calling the guests to the main lodge. The non-descriptive bathroom in the guest cabins didn’t have anything to write home about, but they were functional all the same. The white walls, white tile, white tub and white shower curtain left something to be desired. She leaned over the tub to turn on the water and let out a scream loud enough to wake the dead.
* * * *
Jeff had just returned from his cabin with Ben in tow as they were getting ready for the breakfast bell to be rung soon.
The blood curdling scream coming from Terri’s cabin sent chills down his back. “Come on, Ben. Let’s see what’s up.” The next scream brought him up on the porch at a dead run with Ben on his hip. “Terri?”
She screamed again.
“Terri, open the door.”
“Jeff?”
“Open the door.”
“It’s open. Get in here!”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“There’s a big hairy bug in the tub.”
“A what?”
“A big hairy bug. Get it out!”
He almost burst out laughing when he found her standing on the toilet lid with the sheet wrapped around her. “Ben. Stay out here by the bed. Okay, buddy?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Where is it?”
“In the tub.”
He held his chuckle in as he grabbed some toilet paper, pulled back the shower curtain and squashed the spider she called a big hairy bug. “There. It’s gone.”
“You’re laughing at me.”
“No, I’m not.” He smiled. He couldn’t help it. She looked so cute standing on the toilet shaking like a leaf in a wind storm. “It’s all gone. You can take your shower now.”
She slowly climbed down with the help from his hand. “Thank you. I hate bugs.”
“You live in Texas and you hate bugs?”
A shiver rolled over her frame. “Yes.”
She glanced through her lashes at him, making him want to kiss the daylights out of her. “We’ll go now so you can shower.”
He took Ben’s hand before he headed for the door.
“Jeff?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll slay your bugs any day, darlin’.” He glanced over his shoulder, wishing he hadn’t when his cock jumped to attention. Seeing her outlined by nothing but the sheet made him wish he hadn’t left this morning. “See you at breakfast.”
“She’s purdy, Daddy.”
“She sure is, buddy.”
“Can she be my mama?”
“What makes you ask somethin’ like that Ben? What about your real mama?”
“I don’t think she loves me. I want a new mama.”
Jeff squatted down in front of his son. “Buddy, you can’t trade in your mama no matter how much you don’t like what she does.”
“But you don’t like her anymore.”
Jeff tipped his head back on his shoulders. How do you explain dealing with a bitter ex because you love your kid to a three-year-old? “Sometimes parents don’t get along anymore and can’t live together. It’s not that I don’t like her, we just can’t be together anymore.”
“I still like the purdy lady in the cabin.”
“Me too, buddy. Me too.” He stood and took Ben’s hand again to head toward the main lodge. “Let’s get some breakfast, huh? I think Grandma will be wondering where we are if we don’t hurry up.”
“The bell hasn’t rung yet though.”
“Well it will soon. We can get our juice earlier than everyone else.”
“Yay!” Ben jumped as Jeff swung him up into his arms.
“Hey, bro!” Jackson came walking from the barn. “We missed you at the bonfire last night. Where did you run off to?”
“None of your business.”
“Ah. A little more fun with Ms. Terri.”
Jeff stopped at face his brother. “What I do on my private time is none of your damned business, Jackson. Back off.”
“Easy, brother. I, for one, am thrilled you’ve found a nice lady. Terri seems to be a keeper.”
“No one is a keeper for me. I’m done with women.” Jeff glanced at Ben. “Buddy, go on into the house, okay?”
“All right, Daddy.”
The minute Ben disappeared into the house, Jeff rounded on Jackson. “Back the fuck off.”
“Sounded like you and Terri were havin’ a good time by the pond. What happened?”
“One more word and I’ll deck your ass.”
Jackson put up his hands. “Whoa. I didn’t mean nothin’, Jeff. I hope you find a nice girl is all. The way Misha has run you through the ringer has us all worried about you. I think you’d do well to find a nice woman.”
“I don’t need a fuckin’ woman. A quick lay is all I’m interested in. Gettin’ tied up with a woman is the last thing I need. My son and my job are enough to satisfy me.”
Jackson glanced over Jeff’s shoulder as he tipped his hat. “Mornin’, Ms. Terri.”
“Morning, Jackson.”
Terri walked around the two of them, but he grabbed her arm when she tried to scoot by. “Terri, wait.”
“For what? You certainly don’t give a shit about me or my feelings, Jeffery Young.” She tried to yank her arm out of his grasp. “Let go.”
“No.” He dragged her around the corner of the building and pushed her against the wall of the house.
“You can’t treat me like this.”
“Listen to me.”
“No. I’m done listening to your shit, Jeff. I get it. You don’t want a woman in your life. You’ve told me enough damned times, I’ve memorized even the fluctuation of your words when you say it. A quick fuck. I got that part too.” She pushed against his chest. “I don’t need you either.”
“It’s not what it sounded like.”
> “The hell it wasn’t!”
“Terri, please listen to me.” He brushed his fingers against her cheek. “I didn’t lie to you. My life hasn’t been great and my ex is a bitch. I’ve been burned, darlin’. I don’t have a heart left to give anyone even if I wanted to. All I have left, I give to my son. I live for him and only him.”
“I know, Jeff.” Tears streaked down her cheeks. “I never asked for your heart.”
“I don’t want you to be misled. I want us to be honest with each other from the start. What I told Jackson is the truth, but you knew everything from the beginning. Do I want you? Hell yes, baby. I want you more than my next breath, but I can’t let another woman in only to be dragged through the mud again. I won’t do it.” He brushed his lips against her cheek, tasting her tears. “But if you want me to leave you alone, I will.”
“No.”
“No?” he asked, staring down into her beautiful green eyes as he cupped her face.
“I don’t want you to leave me alone. I need you. God knows why I’m putting myself through this with you, but I want you too.”
“Good.” He stepped back after a quick peck on her lips. “I’ve decided I don’t care whether anyone on the ranch knows we are together.”
“You don’t?”
“No. Hell, half of my brothers probably saw me leave this morning since most of the time they’re up and in the barn by daybreak to get chores started.” He wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. “I won’t put you in front of Ben though. I hope you understand.”
“Of course, I do. He’s your son.”
“He’s my life.” He took her hand, threading his fingers with hers and headed for the door just as the breakfast bell clanged. “You can sit with the family today if you want or you can sit with your friends, but I want everyone to know about you. I don’t want to sneak around anymore.”
“You don’t have to do that, Jeff. I know how much your privacy means to you.”
“Yeah, but if you’re with me, my brothers won’t hit on you either.”
She punched him in the arm. “Brat!”
He grabbed her and kissed her hard. “You’ll pay for that later.”
When they walked into the main lodge with the rest of the crowd of people, he waited for her to decide where she wanted to sit. He watched as she squared her shoulders and indicated with a tilt of her head she would sit with him at the family table. As they approached hand in hand, he garnered some weird looks from his family. “Everyone, this is Terri.” He named off all of his siblings and his parents. “Joel and Mesa aren’t here. They’re still on their honeymoon until the end of the week.”
“How fun.”
“Welcome to the family table, Terri. You can sit next to Jeff and Ben at the end,” Nina said with a twinkle in her eye.
“Thank you.”
“Aren’t you one of the guests?” Jacob asked, his eyes bloodshot from a probable hangover.
Jeff needed to talk to his brother to find out what the problem was now. It seemed Jacob was drinking more and more.
“Never mind, Jacob.”
“But we ain’t supposed to mess with the guests.”
“Terri is here gathering information so she isn’t really a guest,” he answered his brother, hoping it would cut off the questions before Terri got uncomfortable or he had to tell the family her real purpose for being nearby.
“It doesn’t matter. Welcome, Terri,” Jeremiah said, taking her hand and kissing the back. “Let me know if you’d like to see more of the area while you’re here. I’d be glad to take you around.”
Jealousy reared its ugly head, making Jeff frown. He had no right to be jealous. “I’ve already taken her out, Jeremiah.”
“Well, I’m sure there is something she hasn’t seen.”
“Back off,” he growled, earning a huge grin from Jeremiah and the rest of his brothers too.
“Actually, can you show me the barn after breakfast?” she asked, looking between him and Jeremiah.
“What do you want to see the barn for?”
“I’d like to see the entire operation if I can.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “I’m sure I can find something to interest you.” What the hell is she up to?
“I’m sure you can.” One eyebrow arched over her beautiful green eyes.
Did she have an ulterior motive for wanting to see the barn? Maybe she wants a roll in the hay. “All right.”
“Great.” She glanced down the table. “So who does what for the ranch?”
The table exploded into a beehive of conversation as everyone tried to talk at once. Terri laughed causing his balls to ache with want. He wanted nothing more than to take her back to her cabin and bounce the headboard against the wall some more.
They all managed to get their plates and sit back down before the talk started again. She got an earful of what everyone did on the ranch.
Jeff glanced at Jacob who seemed to be almost falling asleep in his breakfast. Had he been out all night drinking again? His brother seemed to have some issue. It was up to him as the eldest to find out what seemed to be the problem.
Jacob glanced up with a frown. “What?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Got in late.”
“On a work day?”
“Back off, Jeff. I’m a big boy. I can handle a few late nights and some beers.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“I said back off!”
The entire group grew quiet.
“We can talk about this later.”
“It’s none of your damned business what I do on my off time. As long as I get the shit done around here, I can do whatever the hell I please.” Jacob jammed his hat on his head and stomped out of the dining room.
“Well that went well,” Nina said.
“Sorry, Ma. I’m worried about him.” His gaze followed his brother’s departure.
“We all are, Jeff, but bringing it up at the breakfast table wasn’t a great idea.”
“I didn’t plan to. I just asked if he was okay. He exploded in the fiery temper he’s known for.” Jeff glanced at Terri concerned the ruckus might have given her the wrong idea of his family. She reached over to lay her hand on his thigh. A squeeze of reassurance let him know she didn’t mind what happened. His heart flipped at the encouraging touch. No one had ever felt the need to do that kind of thing for him before. He held her hand in his for a brief moment before he released it to eat.
Breakfast ended without further incident, but he kept a leery eye on the female next to him.
“Finished?” she asked, getting to her feet.
“Yes.”
“Let me grab the plates then. Did you want another cup of coffee before we head out?”
“Sure. Thank you.” He glanced her way, determined to figure out this enigma of a woman who’d blown into his life like a tornado sure to destroy everything in her path.
“Black or cream and sugar?”
“Black is fine.”
“Be right back,” she said, her eyes twinkling with laughter. “Did you want more juice, Ben.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Please.”
“Yes, ma’am, please,” Ben repeated.
Terri smiled and bent to give him a hug before she picked up the plates. When she finished depositing the dishes into the dirty dish pan, she got him a cup of coffee and Ben more juice. “Here you go.”
“You didn’t want more?”
“I’m headed back to get me another cup right now.”
Suspicion raced through his mind. Hadn’t Misha started out sweet to everyone in her path too? He’d blown off her flirting with his brothers as her being nice rather than what it really was. She would have slept with any of them to become part of the family. She just happened to sucker him in with her dark hair and caramel eyes. Man, she’d done a number on him and still was if her threats yesterday meant anything. The bitch. If she tried to take Ben away, he’d kill her himself.
> “What’s got you looking so serious, cowboy?”
“Nothin’.”
“Nothin’, huh? It didn’t look like nothin’ to me. You looked ready to shoot someone.”
“If I could, I would. My ex.”
“Oh. Let’s not talk about her, okay?”
“Good. I don’t want to anyway.”
The rest of the family had cleared out from the dining room, leaving the two of them and Ben finishing up.
“Can I go out and play, Daddy?”
“Wait until Grandma can go out with you. I have to get my chores done.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll take him in a minute, Jeff. Let me finish up these bills first,” his mother called from her office.
“Sure, Ma. We’ll take him to the barn with us until you’re ready.” He finished his cup as Terri was finishing hers. “Ready?”
“Yes. I can’t wait to see everything. I’m so excited!”
He laughed. Surely a bunch of cattle, hay, horses and animal droppings didn’t seem so exciting, but then again, she lived in Houston where they had things like this, but you didn’t see it much. “This stuff ain’t that exciting.”
“Sure it is, Jeff.” She bounced on her toes like a little kid waiting for candy.
“All right. Off to the barn then.” He helped Ben off the chair. “Come on, buddy.”
“Can I hold your hand, Ms. Terri?”
“Oh, Ben. Of course you can, pumpkin.”
Ben grinned from ear to ear as he took one adult hand in each of his. They headed out to the barn like a happy little family.
Oh fuck!
Chapter Seven
The barn smelled of hay, horse manure and leather. Smells she didn’t like before, but she seemed to inhale them now with a new sense of worth or purpose, she wasn’t sure which. Deceiving Jeff like this didn’t sit well with her. Unfortunately, she had to with the hope things would work out for the best.
“What do you want to see?”
“Everything.”
“Well, the horses are stabled here at night and in bad weather. Each has their own stall where we feed them and water them. We have a feed room and a tack room where we keep various things like grain or hay. The tack room is where we keep all the riding paraphernalia for the horses. You’ve already seen it.”
Healing a Cowboy's Heart (Cowboy Dreamin' 2) Page 8