Return Of The Prodigal Daughter [Wayback Texas Series]

by Marguerite Arotin

  The living room was silent for a few minutes, and then Sherrie felt Daisy's arm around her shoulder. Sherrie rested her head upon Daisy's shoulder.

  "I can't answer that for you, honey. Sounds like you need to clear all that baggage you're both carrying around. If you want to give it another go with Jake you have to let go of the past.” She stroked Sherrie's hair and continued, “You were both a lot younger than you are now. You've seen the world, and learned from it. You have to open yourself up to trusting him again, and accept that maybe in the end, if things don't work out, you'll have to let him go for good. And move on with your life."

  Sherrie exhaled, and then blurted out her own insight into Jake, “See the thing with Jake is ... I know his mother messed him up pretty badly when she left. Remember how sad that fourteen year old boy was? I think I just need to show to him that not all women are like his mama.” She grimaced. “But I don't know how to do it."

  "Just be yourself with him. That's what drew him to you in the first place all those years ago. Jake's real good at spotting a woman who tries too hard. They're much easier for him to control. Be unpredictable. That'll throw him for a loop. He won't know what to expect or what to do about you. He's used to rodeo groupies and you're not like them. They're uncomplicated and easy. You're not, sweetie. Be proud of that."

  Sherrie smiled. Everything her sister said made sense and was completely true. Sherrie had never made things easy for Jake. Other women only wanted Jake for one night. She had demanded a lifetime.

  She kissed Daisy's cheek. “Perfect advice from a wise big sister.” Now that the Jake issue was settled, Sherrie wondered if she could help Daisy with Sam. “So now, what are you gonna go do about Sam? I mean I know you have your principles and won't fall for his sweet talking, but honey, it sure looked like there were sparks between the two of you."

  A blush colored Daisy's face, right up to the cute little freckles below her eyes. “Well damn, you cut right to the quick don't you? He's a flirt like lots of guys around here. As for what I'm going to do—nothing."

  "So flirt right back with him.” Sherrie winked. “You're damn good at it. You always were."

  Daisy flashed an adorable grin. “I was wasn't I? No, I'm done with playing games. After what Justin did ... I really don't want to chance getting my heart broken again. It wasn't just my heart, it was my nose too. Damn son of a bitch knocked me flat. Max kicked his ass though."

  "Yeah, that's our big brother. He threatened to kick Jake's ass after he left me. I don't even know if he did or not. You can't keep your heart on a shelf forever, though. Not all men are like Justin."

  Daisy sighed and stretched her other arm across the back of the sofa. “I know ... I know I can't, but it's hard to think about getting tangled up in something again."

  Sherrie tossed her head back and laughed. “Men ... Whatever are we women going to do with them? I'll try my best to give Jake a go again and I hope you'll give Sam a try."

  "I know he's interested, and so am I ... but taking that leap again is scary. I guess I should follow my own advice, and give it a try, though."

  Sherrie gave her big sis a playful punch in the arm. “Damn straight you should!"

  Daisy chuckled. “Aren't we a pair?"

  Sherrie moved her legs up on the sofa and stretched them along the length. God, it felt good to be home with her sister, probably the only person on the face of the Earth who truly understood her. “Sure are. Two broken hearted sisters afraid to give it a go again."

  "If only our guys turned out to be as good as Max. Katherine better scoop him up quick before she loses her chance."

  "I believe she intends to. The sparks nearly caught the whole place on fire when he walked in on our conversation earlier."

  Daisy shook her head. “I can't believe it took us this long to realize you were in town."

  "I'm good at hiding when I want to. After Jake left, I spent a full week in Paris and only my agent knew about it. None of the designers, photographers, or even my friends had a clue. I just needed to get away so I took my paycheck from Sports Illustrated, grabbed my passport, and a suitcase and left."

  Daisy sighed and rested her head against Sherrie's shoulder. “I know the feeling. Sometimes I'd love to go hide out somewhere. I did after Justin. But I have a business to run, and besides, you can't go anywhere without everyone in Wayback knowing your business. I envy your freedom sometimes. I love this town, and know I wouldn't leave it for the world, but once in a while some privacy would be nice. Max will always be here, though, and this will always be home."

  "I know and to tell the truth ... I don't know if I want to stay or go back if I have the chance. I loved California. The mountains are incredible. I went hiking and camping up at Big Bear so many times. If I have the chance to go back someday...” She glanced over her shoulder just to make sure big brother wasn't listening. He was nowhere to be found so Sherrie continued. “Please don't tell Max, but I might. I mean not right now, of course. No one wants to hire a model whose arm looks like it came out of a bonfire. My agent has been trying for me though. And this thing with Jake will only complicate things more. If we get started again and I have to leave ... Oh hell, I need to stop worrying about the future and live in the moment."

  Daisy gave Sherrie a reassuring pat to the shoulder. “You'll model again, honey. Don't worry. You've got more class and beauty than any of these new fresh-faced bimbos. Your agent's a smart woman. She'll get you back up to the top, you wait and see. Let's drink a toast to both of us living in the moment. We're acting like two old wallflowers."

  "Amen to that."

  Daisy gave Sherrie a little nudge with her reply, “We're two sexy attractive women, who have the opportunity to have a little fun. So let's go for it."

  "I agree. Let's make a deal. I'll give it a go with Jake again if you give it a whirl with Sam. Deal?"

  "Deal.” Daisy offered Sherrie her hand and the two sisters shook. “We've got nothing to lose."

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  Chapter Four

  Sherrie fought back a pang of loneliness as she swung on the front porch swing, waiting for Jake, on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. The night before, she had a blast sitting on the couch, munching on popcorn and Daisy's chocolate cake while Max caught her up on everything she had missed in Wayback. Daisy had gone back home late that night, and now would be hard at work in her bakery. Max had left that morning after serving up a hearty breakfast of fried eggs and sausage. Both her siblings had jobs to do. All she could do was sit and wait on Jake.

  What would she do if she couldn't model anymore? She sure as hell couldn't live with Max forever. She'd been independent for the last two years and she loved it. For the first time in her life, she'd been free to make her own decisions. Now, as the porch swing creaked, she wondered if she'd lose that freedom.

  A little voice whispered on the breeze as she clenched her burnt hand. You're a survivor because it's in your blood. She supposed she was. It couldn't have been easy for Max, raising two little girls, taking care of the family home, but he'd done it. Never once had her brother complained about the hand he'd been dealt. Opening her fist, Sherrie knew it was time for her to do the same. Even if she couldn't model anymore, even if she could never go back to California, she'd find a way to keep living.

  With those worries settled for the moment, a new crop of concerns sprung into her head as Jake's mud splattered red F-150 pickup truck pulled in front of her house. He exited the truck wearing a Cowboy's jersey, faded tight jeans that clung to every inch of his muscular legs, and his usual cocky grin. Sherrie wondered again if there was a place for Jake in her new life. Could she truly use him for a fling after all they'd once shared?

  Those silver bullet eyes caressed her body as she walked from the front porch, and she nearly took a tumble on down the stairs when his gaze narrowed in on her chest. Maybe wearing her white silk shirt wasn't such a hot idea since it was low cut and showed off a little too much cleavage. She crosse
d her arms over her bosom as she reached the bottom step.

  Jake only laughed and offered her his hand. “You act as if I haven't seen those before. Though it's been a long time. That bit of cleavage is a sight for sore eyes."

  She tilted her chin in a defiant snub. “And that's all you'll be seeing. If you weren't such a coward when it came to us, maybe you'd get to snuggle against my naked body for the rest of your life."

  That shut Jake up. He swallowed hard and she tried not to notice how kissable his Adam's apple looked.

  Neither one of them said a single word until they reached downtown Wayback. Sherrie figured her last comment had said it all.

  Jake finally broke the silence by pointing to Daisy's red Corvette parked in front of the bakery. “Daisy told me you bought that for her?"

  "Yup. I did damn well for myself in California, and wanted to share some of it with my family. I tried to buy a new truck for Max, but you know how he is.” She sighed and shook her head. “He wouldn't let me. Said his old trusty Silverado did just fine."

  "You did better than damn well, Sherrie. I forget how many times I saw your big baby blues staring back at me from a magazine, catalog, or TV commercial."

  "Wasn't staring at you. I was staring at the cameraman."

  He laughed and gently touched her hand. “I know, but I always imagined you were staring back at me. I wasn't too keen on that Maxim cover you did. I mean I bought the magazine but—"

  "No! Don't even go there Jake. Maxim offered me good money and it wasn't like I posed nude."

  His knuckles turned white as he clutched the steering wheel. “Damn well close. Whatever made you think it was okay to pose with only a cowboy hat covering your chest?"

  "I had a teeny bikini beneath that Stetson.” She swung around and glared at him. “You know what? I shouldn't even defend myself to you. You walked out on me. Making me free to make my own choices on what jobs I took. If you didn't want me posing for Maxim, you should have stuck around, cowboy. Hell, I should've taken that Playboy shoot, just to piss you off."

  He slammed on the breaks so hard at the next red light that the tires squealed. “Playboy made you an offer?"

  "Yeah, and I turned it down. They offered me a lot of money, but I didn't want the whole world seeing my scrawny naked ass."

  Jake suddenly chuckled. “Darling, your ass was never scrawny. Judging from what I saw, it still isn't. You could teach a thing to those skin and bones models about what a real woman should look like."

  In spite of her best efforts, Sherrie felt her cheeks heat. She couldn't remember the last time a guy had given her a genuine compliment. Photographers told her she was beautiful while she posed for them, but that was their job. She looked at the black glove covering her hand and sighed, wondering how many photographers would still say that if they saw her raw burns and peeling flesh.

  Jake glanced down at the glove at a red light on the edge of town and asked. “Does it hurt?"

  "Lil’ bit. Not as much as it did at first. Hurt worse than the day I broke my arm."

  "I remember that. You were ten years old and the only girl who wouldn't back down from my dare to jump from the chicken coop. Even then, Sherrie, you were something else."

  He softly chuckled and turned onto Rodeo Way. Sombrero Farms, where Jake's family lived, was located outside of town, near the rodeo arena and fairgrounds. Sherrie stared at the adobe circle of the Yellow Rose arena with its highflying flags in wonder. When they were kids, how many times had Jake sworn he'd ride a bull in an arena just like that one?

  Now he wasn't just riding bulls in the arena, he was chasing enraged bulls away from the competing cowboys, so they wouldn't get hurt. At last, the implications of Jake's job hit her, and the reaction to picturing her cowboy gored made her heart ache. Even though he'd broken her heart two years ago, she loved him too much to ever want to see him hurt.

  As Jake pulled into the gravel parking lot in front of Sombrero Farms, Sherrie asked, “Jake, why are you working as rodeo clown?"

  He turned on the charm and flashed her a wicked grin and she swore those pearly whites gleamed at her. “Because, darling, I love a little bit of danger in my life. You should know that by now."

  * * * *

  Grannie Serrano greeted Jake and Sherrie with hugs the minute they stepped into her Granero Rojo Grande, which meant Big Red Barn in Spanish. Jake's feisty grandmother had turned one of the old red barns on the property into a Tex/Mex restaurant. She rented the place out for special occasions. Right now, Grannie had twenty cute little kids, all part of the local Head Start program, seated at her redwood tables. Pilar Serrano, Jake's grandmother, was known throughout Wayback to have a soft spot for children. School groups and special needs children were always welcome.

  Jake kissed his grandmother on her cheek and hugged her tall slender frame. Although she had just celebrated her seventieth birthday, the only signs of her advancing age were some laugh lines around her smile, a few wrinkles around her big brown eyes, and a single white streak, in her black silken braid.

  "Jake, how come you didn't tell me your sweet gal was home?"

  He shrugged. “Wanted to save it for a surprise. Is Aunt Grace in the kitchen?"

  "She sure is. The two of us cooked all morning to get ready for our lunch date with the kids. Sherrie, honey, you look beautiful. Every single time I saw your picture in a magazine or catalog, I wondered how my neito absurdo could have left you in California."

  Sherrie laughed. “Foolish grandson? Yeah, that describes him. Love how you rolled your R on the absurdo."

  Grannie grinned. “I'm a second generation Mexican senora. Rolling R's are my specialty. Along with my cooking. Come on kids. I'll pack you two a picnic lunch. Jake, I hope you'll take Sherrie over to the lake. It's so pretty and romantic this time of year."

  Jake grabbed Sherrie's hand and to his shock, she didn't pull away. Maybe because she didn't want to into front of Grannie, or maybe because there was something about this whole situation that just seemed perfect and familiar. Holding Sherrie's hand felt like old times. Still, in the back of his mind a little voice reminded him that she could up and leave any time she wanted. A burn to her arm and hand would never stop her fair hair from shimmering in the sunlight, or that light in her eyes from shining, but he'd enjoy the warmth of her touch for as long as he could.

  Aunt Gracie smiled and waved as they walked through the swinging saloon-style doors to the kitchen. Her long chestnut hair was tied into a perfect bun and she wore a white apron while she removed several tortillas from a cast iron skillet. The zesty scent of tomatoes and crisp scent of cornbread filled the air. Jake's stomach grumbled. Although he did okay in the kitchen, he was not a master chef like Grannie or Aunt Gracie. Even though Aunt Gracie wasn't full blooded Mexican, her half-Irish heritage didn't diminish her flair for Spanish cooking.

  "Sherrie? When'd you get home?” Aunt Gracie set the skillet back on the stovetop."

  "Two weeks ago. I hid out at the Dew Drop Inn for a while. I wasn't ready to tell everyone what happened right away. I knew Miss Emma was the one person in town who'd keep a secret. Didn't work though.” She sighed. “Shoulda known my family would find me."

  Aunt Gracie put her hand on Sherrie's shoulder and both she and Grannie asked in unison, “What happened?"

  Grannie softly chuckled before Sherrie could answer. “Jinx. You owe me a sopapillo Grace. So now...” For the first time, Grannie noticed the black leather glove Sherrie wore. “Sweetheart, what's with the glove? That a new fashion craze?"

  Sherrie flashed a weak little smile, shook her head, removed the glove, and rolled up her sleeve. As Jake watched her, he wished he could have been in California. Maybe he could have kept her from sticking her arm into flames. What would he have done if he'd lost her?

  "My word,” Aunt Gracie said, after both she and Grannie gasped. “What happened?"

  "I lost my house in Malibu to fire. I made the dumb mistake of breaking a window to try and save some fam
ily photos. I didn't care about anything else, but those pictures ... They were all I had left from Mama and Daddy.” She traced her finger over the edge of the tattered Stetson. “Those and Daddy's hat. Least I saved that."

  Grannie pulled Sherrie close and hugged her. “No, you have your memories. I miss my husband Carlos every day, but he lives on in my heart. Your parents were good folks who loved their children with all their hearts. I still remember how your family came here for the grand opening of this restaurant. They were so in love with each other...” Grannie wiped away a tear. “Max was such a little gentleman."

  "No more talk of sad stuff.” Aunt Gracie said, clapping her hands. “I think we should pack a picnic for these two love birds."

  Sherrie widened her gaze. “I don't know if Jake and I are exactly love—"

  Jake cut in, wrapping his arms around Sherrie's shoulder. “I had a nice romantic picnic in mind at the lake for the two of us. Pack us a good lunch, Aunt Gracie and Grannie. I'm starving."

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  Chapter Five

  Sherrie watched Jake as he crunched a tortilla chip. She waited for him to swallow, and then asked, “Jake, how come you told your grandmother and aunt that we're love birds?"

  Jake raised his brow. “Darlin', I said no such thing."

  "You didn't exactly argue, though, and you interrupted me from saying anything to the contrary."

  When Jake glared at her, she wondered if she should have just shut her mouth and enjoyed the picnic. It was pretty at the lake. The weeping willow trees surrounding them swayed in the breeze. Red water lilies filled the air with a sweet fragrance as they floated on the pond. A chorus of green frogs played a single chord melody.

  But the gray clouds hovered over the horizon, reminding Sherrie that a storm was coming. No, she wouldn't back down and enjoy the yummy cowboy hash, the crunchy chips, or the spicy homemade salsa. She wanted a fight with Jake, a fight that'd been brewing like those storm clouds since the day he'd left her.