Jesse

by C. H. Admirand

  Cruising along the road at a more sedate pace, Jesse had the feeling that these two ladies had just changed his life. While they chattered back and forth about the hole in the knee of his jeans and the smear of dirt on his shirtsleeve, he wondered if it was too late to head for the hills and regroup. Women were trouble, and in pairs—dangerous.

  He shook that thought from his head. Garahans don’t back down and they sure as hell don’t retreat. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and concentrated on getting them into town so he could drop them off at Sullivan’s Diner. Distance was required if he was going to clear his mind and deal with his reaction to the ladies.

  ***

  Danielle Brockway dug deep for the smile she needed to reassure little Lacy that everything was going to be fine. The big man sitting just inches away from her was just this side of intimidating and wasn’t the type of man to be ignored for long. The fierce frown furrowing between his brows wasn’t making it easy for her. She wished she could remember meeting him. A quick glance down and she knew it didn’t matter how angry or brooding the cowboy appeared, or if she’d known him for years; for her daughter’s sake, she’d dance in the truck bed or on the roof of the cab if it would make Lacy smile.

  “Mommy, how come we’re in Mr. Garahan’s truck?”

  “Because ours overheated, sweetie.”

  “He’s not a stranger, right, Mommy?”

  “That’s right,” she said, smoothing the hair out of her daughter’s eyes. “He knows Uncle Jimmy.” She straightened the bubblegum pink cowgirl hat that had been a gift from Lacy’s father. Her little girl slept with it clutched in her tiny hands… every night… as if that would bring her daddy back or change his mind.

  Lacy had turned inside out with pleasure when her ex had shown up with his parting gift. Lacy hadn’t understood at the time that he wasn’t coming back. Urging Lacy closer, Danielle relaxed when she felt the warmth of her daughter’s little body go slack against her side.

  “She’s plumb tuckered out.” The deep rumbling voice rolled over her like a slow moving wave coming in from the Gulf. She shivered in reaction.

  An odd feeling combined with the rush of love she felt for her daughter, a feeling so strong, her head felt light. Breathing deeply, hoping the feeling would subside, she realized that she’d felt something similar once before—trouble was, it had led her to heartache. Lacy mumbled in her sleep and Danielle shook her head. No, that wasn’t exactly true; while they had had some difficulties that led to her ex’s cleaning out their joint savings account, he’d given her a gift beyond compare. She had a beautiful little girl, who up until he decided he wanted to pursue his bull-riding career solo—without strings or family weighing him down—had been the light of her ex’s life.

  It had been next to impossible to explain that Lacy’s daddy wasn’t coming back—ever. The little girl had adopted the same stubborn mind-set Danielle had had since a child—if she wished hard enough for anything, it would happen. She stopped wishing sometime last year. Hard work and determination made things happen.

  She brushed her hand on Lacy’s cheek, reveling in the familiar silky soft skin and the way her daughter snuggled closer. She might regret her husband’s financial decision to invest their life savings in an RV so he could travel the rodeo circuit in style, while she and Lacy lost their home, but she’d never regret giving birth to the only miracle in their lives. Heck, it was only a house, four strong walls on the outside, broken on the inside—like Danielle—since Buddy Brockway lit out toward Amarillo.

  “So are you just stopping by for a visit?”

  Distracted by the dark feelings swamping her, she shook her head.

  “If you don’t want me to run off the road, Dani darlin’, you’ll stop shaking your head and answer me.”

  Heat of a whole other kind filled her belly to bursting. She tried to tamp down the feelings that roared to the surface with the low, rumbled nickname. He was just being polite by trying to keep his voice down so as not to wake Lacy. He didn’t pitch it that way so that it would distract her with feelings she had no business feeling—so soon after her ex. Down that particular road was a wreck of Titanic proportions. She had no intention of ever going that way again—but Lord, she was tempted.

  Digging deep for the control that had helped her show as little heartache as possible when her ex was packing his brand new RV, Danielle forced a smile. “Sorry, Mr. Garahan. Lacy and I are staying for the summer.”

  She didn’t want the man to know her whole sorry story; she’d nearly slipped when she’d reminded Lacy about the new phone. No reason to confide in a stranger—no matter that she’d decided to trust him because her Uncle Jimmy knew him. It was too hot outside to let Lacy bake in a car that had no air-conditioning with an engine that had decided to call it quits—just like… Stop thinking about that man and blaming him—marriage is a two-way street.

  She’d known he wasn’t ready to settle down and start a family, but thought he’d change his mind when she told him the good news. Well, she’d been wrong about that too; he had urged her to terminate the pregnancy, citing his budding career as a bull rider and the fact that he was too young to be tied down.

  Now that she thought about it, he never asked her how she felt about having a baby once she’d told him she was keeping it. A soft, snuffling sound had her returning to the present and the reality that one simple slipup resulted in—the fairy-sized cowgirl snuggling on the front seat of another handsome-as-sin cowboy’s battered pickup truck.

  When would she ever learn? Maybe she was destined to make choices that seemed wrong at the time, but ended up with rewards that she’d reap for a lifetime. Her little girl was proof of that. Would there be a reward for getting to know Jesse? Stealing a glance out of the corner of her eye, she got sidetracked by the breadth of his shoulders, the strength in his arms, and the size of his hands as they gripped the wheel. Biting back a moan of sheer pleasure, she could just imagine that getting to know him better would be just this side of amazing, but could she risk letting her head follow where her heart led again?

  “Vacations are nice,” he offered. “Haven’t taken one myself since—well, hell,” he laughed, “ever!”

  “I find that hard to believe,” she soothed, “everyone takes time off now and again, especially during breaks from school.”

  He glanced in her direction and then back at the road ahead of them. “Easter break and summer vacation meant more time helping our grandfather keep the ranch running smoothly. When you own a spread and raise cattle and horses, you pretty much work twenty-four/seven.”

  She looked down at the sleeping angel by her side and smiled. “A lot like being a parent.”

  He chuckled. “I guess it is. Don’t have much experience in that area, though.”

  He frowned, and she wondered what direction his thoughts were headed. She didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  “I don’t know much about kids and can’t tell just by looking. How old is she?”

  “She’ll be four on her next birthday.”

  He grinned but didn’t look away from the curving road. “Sure is tiny… but a pistol for her age.”

  “Nothing wrong with being a bit on the feisty side.”

  Jesse stole a look at her this time. “I like women with a little P and V in them.”

  She shook her head. “What does that stand for?”

  “Piss and vinegar.”

  “Lovely.”

  “Hey, it was one of my grandfather’s favorite sayings—he had quite a few.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For?”

  Reaching across the sleeping child between them, she touched his elbow. “Your loss.” The warmth radiating through the worn fabric of his shirt surprised her, but not as much as the tingling sensation zinging through the tips of her fingers where she touched him. Careful, she thought, this man could be trouble.

  “Thanks.”

  The simple word pleased her. It had been some time since
a handsome man had thanked her for anything. Wrapping the feeling close to her heart, she let the motion of the truck and the rumble of the engine lull her to a semi-aware state. Just ahead was the turn-off Uncle Jimmy had reminded her about. It had been years since she’d seen him and still more since she’d had a vacation—time off, since it wasn’t technically fun time. Her plan was to find a job in Pleasure. Knowing she’d have a safe place for her and Lacy to stay for the next little while eased the guilt she still felt for having to uproot her daughter.

  “Are there a lot of employment opportunities in Pleasure?”

  His quiet laughter caught her off guard. “Well now, there’s always work in Pleasure, Texas, especially if you’re a rancher, but do you mean paying jobs?”

  She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and was about to give the man a snappy comeback but didn’t want to wake Lacy. Letting concern for her sleeping child flow through her, she redirected her ire. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t rightly know, but if anyone has their finger on the heartbeat of this town, it’s Mavis Beeton. It’s hard to say where she’ll be this time of day; the woman’s a mover and a shaker. I can ask over at the feed store after I drop you off at Sullivan’s.”

  Gratitude soothed the rest of the feathers he’d unknowingly ruffled, but added yet another aspect of the man that appealed to her—his compassion for others. Lord, she’d better be careful to watch her step and guard her heart. She had a feeling that this was one cowboy she’d like to get to know better. For her sake and Lacy’s, she’d best remember that history had a way of repeating itself.

  Danielle let her mind drift as the scenery slipped past them on the ride into town. Fence posts, grassy land, and barbed wire blurred, merging until she was only aware of colors and shapes. Sounds became muffled and indistinct. Relaxing for the first time in days, she closed her eyes and let her worries go.

  “Danielle.”

  The most marvelous scent clouded her mind. It was a combination of fresh-mown hay and sun-warmed male, with a hint of horse. Sighing in contentment, she lingered in a state of semi-awareness, soaking up the odd feeling of being protected.

  “Dani darlin’, wake up.”

  The rumbled request jarred her awake. Oh God! She’d fallen asleep, with her precious child between herself and a virtual stranger. Even though her uncle knew him, and Jesse swore they’d met, she should have been on her guard, vigilant and protective. There were no excuses that she could think to offer.

  “I’m so sorry!” She sat up and groaned, “I didn’t mean to—”

  “You were exhausted,” Jesse interrupted. “Not a crime in this town.” His smile was slow and easy. “I’d wanted a quiet ride into town, and after the both of you stopped snoring, it was.”

  Mortification crept up from her toes; she could feel her skin flushing as her emotions ran the gamut between embarrassment and self-directed anger. “I normally don’t close my eyes during the day,” she began, and then what he said sunk in. “Did you say snore?”

  His chuckle was beginning to lose its appeal. “Yes, ma’am. You two could be in the Olympics, tag-teaming, if snoring was a sport.”

  “Mommy?”

  Lacy waking up saved the man from a verbal tongue-lashing, and prevented Danielle from having to apologize for something else. “It’s all right, honey, we’re here.”

  Jesse had already closed the door on his side and rounded the truck cab to open the passenger door. She wasn’t sure if he was being gentlemanly or getting out of striking range. She wouldn’t have hit him—although the urge to smack that grin off his face had crossed her mind before she tamped it down—but she wasn’t prone to violence, so she let that unfamiliar thought go as soon as it occurred to her.

  Focusing on what was important, she smoothed the hair out of her daughter’s face and settled Lacy’s cowgirl hat back on her head. “Are you ready to see Uncle Jimmy?”

  “Can I have pie?”

  The deep laughter echoing hers warmed her heart. “I think that can be arranged, sweetie. But first we need to thank Mr. Garahan for rescuing us.”

  Lacy nodded and scooted across the seat following her. Danielle stood and scooped her daughter into her arms. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Lacy beat her to it. “Thanks for saving us.”

  If she hadn’t been watching him closely, Danielle would have missed the odd look in their rescuer’s dark eyes. It was an emotion she hadn’t seen in a man’s eyes in a long while. Too nervous to put a name to the emotion or admit that a similar one was sweeping through her, she added her thanks.

  “My pleasure, little lady,” he replied, touching the tip of his finger to Lacy’s button nose. “It’s part of the Cowboy Code to rescue damsels in distress.”

  Gratitude filled her, but the look in Jesse’s eyes haunted her, reminding her of the rift in her life and the gut-burning knowledge that Lacy’s daddy had signed over his rights to be a part of Lacy’s life along with the dissolution of their marriage. Deep down she knew why—he simply no longer cared about either one of them.

  “What’s a code?” Lacy asked.

  Pushing his hat to the back of his head, he grinned. “It’s like a law or rules that us cowboys have to follow.”

  “Mommy gots rules—no stuffing frogs in my pockets.”

  Their eyes met over Lacy’s head. Danielle saw his facial muscles twitch and knew he wanted to smile, but he kept his expression serious for Lacy’s sake.

  He nodded. “Well, your mom’s right, you don’t want to squish ’em, do you?”

  Lacy shook her head.

  “I bet I have more rules to follow.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m bigger,” he said with a laugh.

  Lacy frowned. “Tell me another one.”

  He grinned at the little girl. “A cowboy should never shoot first—”

  “Do you have a gun?” Lacy wiggled in her mother’s arms trying to see if he did.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, his lips twitching. “I keep a shotgun under the front seat. Pleasure’s been known to have wolves, coyotes, and snakes.”

  Danielle’s heart began to pound at the thought. Why hadn’t she remembered that they were going to be living in the country and not the urban life she was used to?

  “Did you shoot anybody today?”

  Jesse laughed a full, rich sound that vibrated from deep within his impressive chest cavity. “Uh… no, ma’am. I only shoot to protect our herd.”

  “Do you have buffalo?”

  Watching the way her daughter lit up like a firefly at twilight as Jesse answered her, Danielle realized just how deeply the scars her ex’s leaving would go. It was just a matter of time before Lacy would start coming home with tales of other kids’ dads taking them places, showing them how to play ball or ride a horse. The list would be endless, and her guilt for having failed to save her marriage, thereby keeping Lacy’s daddy as an active part of their little girl’s life, would be soul deep.

  “Don’t you want to know the rest of the rule?”

  Without thinking Danielle answered first, “Yes.”

  His eyes twinkled as his beautifully sculpted lips slowly lifted into a smile that had her heart picking up the beat, pounding in her breast. He winked at her, and said, “Well, there are a couple of cowboy codes out there, but my grandfather was real partial to Gene Autry, so he had us memorize the list as kids: never hit a smaller man or take unfair advantage.”

  Disappointment arrowed through her. “So you’re saying that it’s a Hollywood thing, this code?” She couldn’t believe it; she’d thought it was something handed down from generation to generation.

  “It was one we could relate to, having watched videos and DVDs of The Gene Autry Show as kids.” Looking up into her eyes, he added, “We never met our great-grandfather, but he had a set of rules that was handed down to us. The list is similar. Not as well-known, but the heart of the list is the same.”

  “If I don’t shoot nob
ody, can I be a real cowgirl?” Lacy’s gaze was riveted to Jesse’s, waiting for his answer.

  “Well there, little filly, you’ve already got the boots and hat, all you need is a horse.”

  Her daughter giggled and bounced in Danielle’s arms. “I wanna ride. Will you teach me… pretty please?”

  He hesitated and she hoped her daughter wouldn’t have a hard time when Lacy realized that they probably wouldn’t be seeing their rescuer again. Ranchers were busy people and normally didn’t have time during the middle of the day to visit. Once Danielle explained her situation to her uncle, she and Lacy would be busy too. The hard part would be convincing her uncle that she wouldn’t let him take care of them indefinitely.

  As if he’d read her mind or heard her unspoken thoughts, Jesse looked at her and rocked back on his boot heels. “Well now, that depends on your mother.”

  Unexpected. She looked down into Lacy’s upturned face and wondered if she could trust this man with one of her daughter’s dreams. “If you’re offering to teach Lacy, we’d be obliged, but I don’t have a lot of extra cash right now—”

  His frown was fierce and Danielle wondered about the temper that might go along with it. The Irish were known for their hair-trigger tempers. Her ex had had one; would Jesse?

  It simmered in his gaze, and he clenched and unclenched his hands before putting them in his pockets, as if needing to do something with them. Their eyes met and she sensed that Jesse had better control of his temper. Relief flowed through her.

  “Lessons are free,” he said to Danielle. Turning to Lacy, he added, “I’d be happy to teach you, Miss Lacy.”

  Lacy placed her hands on either side of her mother’s face and turned Danielle’s head until they were eye-to-eye. “Can I, Mommy, can I, can I?”

  Danielle chuckled. “I don’t see why not, but we don’t have a horse, sweetie, or a car.”

  Lacy slid one hand around her mother’s neck and leaned the side of her little head against Danielle’s. “Do you got horses in your herd?”