“Well, we can’t tell that unless we go inside and order,” Marcus spoke up as he coaxed Hatty through the entrance. Josh, Mac and Katie soon followed as several other patrons who had crossed the parking lot went inside.
Brett frowned as he saw Jessie’s strange expression. “Jessie, you okay?” He placed his hand on her arm and she jumped.
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Just not used to crowds.” She forced a smile, but it quickly died.
“If the food is as good as I’ve heard, there’s bound to be a lot of people. But I’ll make sure they won’t stuff us in a corner.” He took hold of her hand and found it was cold. “And if the place bothers you, we’ll leave.”
Jessie’s gaze raised to meet his. “Oh, no, I don’t want to spoil it for everybody else.” She drew in a long breath and released it. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“No, Jessie...” Brett reached out and brushed a wayward curl off her temple, catching the sweet fragrance of the gardenia tucked behind her ear. “You’re going to have fun tonight. I just wanted you to know that if the crowd and noise gets to be too much, I’ll bring you outside for some air. But I hope that doesn’t happen, at least not until I get a chance to dance with you.”
She glanced away shyly. “I can’t dance.”
Brett’s hand cupped her jaw, and tilted her head up so their eyes met. When she trembled, he suddenly felt very protective, among other things. “Let me teach you, Jessie.” He watched as the tip of her tongue moved anxiously over her bottom lip. All at once, a hunger shot through him. A hunger that had nothing to do with eating fancy restaurant food. His hunger was for another taste of Jessie. His head descended toward her.
“Hey, you guys,” Josh called out and they both jerked apart. “Our table is ready.” The teenager waved then headed back inside.
“We’ll be right in,” Brett answered, then his gaze returned to Jessie to find her busy fidgeting with her small knit handbag. He didn’t need to see her face to know she was embarrassed, and it wasn’t just the crowd that had made her nervous. He, too, was a little rankled over his lack of control. It hadn’t been since high school that he had resorted to stealing kisses in the shadows. But he found he wanted more from Jessie than just a kiss. That would never be enough to ease the ache she had caused him. He smiled to himself. She’d probably take off running for sure if she knew what was really on his mind.
Jessie finally looked at him with her heavenly blue eyes and he had to hold back a groan. Yes, he definitely wanted more than just a kiss.
He offered his arm. “C’mon, before they send out a search party for us.”
Jessie hoped to hide her fear, but her heart was pounding so hard she was sure Brett could hear it, too. How was she going to survive tonight? she wondered as Brett led her through the ivory-painted gazebo, then into the restaurant where they were greeted by a friendly hostess.
The young woman escorted them across the room that was painted a soft pink, the bottom half done in rich paneling. She glanced up to the lattice-covered ceiling, tiny starlike lights mixed with hanging greenery made the place cozy and intimate. She could hear soft murmurs of conversations being shared over a flickering candle placed in the center of every cloth-covered table.
Jessie was so busy taking everything in, she barely noticed they had entered another room. She found it decorated much the same as the first room, but with larger tables and a dance floor. When her family waved to her, she felt somewhat relieved and her steps quickened. Brett helped with her chair, then sat down next to her.
“Isn’t this the prettiest place you ever saw, Jess?” Katie said, wonder showing in her eyes.
Jessie stared at the fancy folded napkin in front of her. “Yes, it’s very pretty.”
“I just hope the food’s good,” Josh said.
“Since when did you take the time to taste your food?” Mac chided and everyone erupted into laughter.
A young woman came to the table. “Hello, and welcome to the Gazebo. My name is Marsha.” She smiled brightly as she glanced around at everyone. “How y’all doin’?”
Jessie watched as her brothers’ mouths dropped open and they stared at the pretty blonde.
“Our speciality is Cajun,” she went on.
“That’s what we came for,” Marcus said and nodded to Hatty.
“Well, we serve up the best in southeastern Oklahoma.” The waitress smiled as she handed out menus. “The New Orleans jumbo shrimp is a big favorite. And if y’all are partial to fried catfish, we have it hot and spicy.”
Jessie gripped the menu in her shaky hands and looked inside while her brothers were competing for the waitress’s attention. She didn’t dare look at Brett, but she felt his eyes on her. She bravely glanced at Hatty, who had been helping Katie decide from the children’s section of the menu. Then her friend ordered for herself.
“I think I’m going to have the New Orleans-style shrimp.” Hatty glanced at Jessie. “Although...the rib-eye steak sounds good, too.” The older woman continued to study the menu. “Oh, and there’s prime rib.” She shook her head. “No, I’ll stay with my first choice, the shrimp.”
“I’m going for the fried catfish, hot and spicy all the way,” Marcus said next. The waitress wrote down the order on her pad and then turned to Jessie.
Jessie tried to contain her panic as she quickly glanced over the menu.
“It’s a hard decision,” Brett said as he leaned toward her, his arm draped on the back of her chair. “There’s some great choices.”
She looked at the confident man next to her, knowing he’d probably eaten in hundreds of fancy restaurants, ordered things she’d never even heard of. Well, she’d eaten out only a few times in her life. Once had been when she and Hatty had gone to the steak house for her twenty-first birthday.
“I’ll have the rib-eye steak,” Jessie said and quickly handed the young woman the menu.
Brett then gave his order for the Cajun catfish, also for a bottle of wine. When the waitress brought the drinks to the table, she placed a glass in front of Jessie, filling it with wine, along with one each for Hatty, Marcus and Brett, while Mac, Josh and Katie were served soft drinks.
She looked curiously at Brett as he picked up his glass of gold-colored liquid. “I know you don’t drink, but I thought you might like to try a little wine,” Brett said quietly. “If you prefer not to, just leave it.”
It was as if everyone around the table had their eyes on Jessie. Her brothers were still too young to drink, but all eyes were watching to see what their big sister was planning to do. She had always preached the evils of alcohol, especially since they had to watch their daddy waste his life away on the wicked stuff.
Hatty picked up her glass and leaned forward. “A little taste won’t hurt ya, Jessie. It’s nothing like that awful rotgut Walt used to make.”
Jessie knew firsthand how bad her father’s homemade brew had been. Foolishly, she had tried some once, and it had felt as if her insides were about to burn up. She had wanted to die.
Brett raised his wineglass and asked the rest to do the same. “Well, I guarantee this will taste a whole lot better. Let’s toast to the future and bringing in the Burke well.” One by one, everyone touched glasses. Jessie turned to Brett and found he had been watching her. Then she looked at her brothers.
The last thing she wanted was for any of the kids to end up like their father. But she also was an adult and old enough to make her own choices. She brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip of the chilled wine, pleasantly surprised that it didn’t taste bitter. She took another short drink and smiled, feeling herself beginning to relax.
When the appetizers were served, everyone dug in eagerly, from the house salads to the homemade gumbo. Then came the main course, followed by dessert that included a hot apple dumpling with vanilla ice cream.
The evening had been more fun than Jessie could remember in a long time, making her realize how much her family had gone without over the years. Jessie kn
ew it wasn’t her fault. Their financial situation had kept them from doing a lot of things. But, now, there wasn’t any reason they couldn’t afford to go out now and then.
As the adults savored their coffee and the kids sipped their sodas, couples made their way to the small dance floor where the soft sound of a country ballad came over the speakers.
Brett leaned toward Jessie. “You promised me a dance.”
She shivered, feeling his breath against her ear. “I told you, I can’t dance.”
“Then I’ll teach you.”
Already, Hatty and Marcus were getting up from their chairs. “Don’t let her talk you out of it, Brett,” Hatty warned as she walked toward the floor with Marcus.
“Oh, Jessie, you got to dance with Brett,” Katie said as she climbed up on her knees.
“Yes, Jessie, you got to dance with me,” Brett mimicked, trying to hide a smile. “I’m not taking no for an answer.” He stood and offered a hand to Jessie. “You’re not going to make me look foolish by turning me down, are you?” He raised a challenging eyebrow. “Or maybe you’re just too chicken to try?”
Jessie took Brett’s challenge, but wondered if it was such a good idea when he took her in his arms. Before she realized what was going on, Brett had her moving with ease around the dance floor to a breathy Garth Brooks song. When his arms tightened around her waist and drew her closer, she could feel the strength in his muscular legs, his solid chest. Now, she truly felt light-headed, and she doubted the feeling had anything to do with the glass of wine she’d had with dinner.
* * *
Jessie couldn’t sleep. She walked along the side porch in her nightgown, feeling the rough wooden slats under her bare feet. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at the moon, wondering why she felt so restless. She had to be up early to work the vegetable stand. It was nearly midnight and here she stood, her head filled with crazy notions, keeping her away from much-needed sleep.
Jessie blamed Brett Murdock for driving her from her bed, along with the fancy food, fancy wine and way too much fancy dancing. All the things Jessie didn’t need in her life.
A light breeze caught her hair, helping to cool her flushed face, but also causing her to shiver. She rubbed the chill off her bare arms as she listened to the constant drumming sound from the well. She had thought all she needed was the farm and her family. But when Brett had taken her in his arms, she’d realized that there was a lot she’d missed in her life.
For the first time in a long time, she wanted to feel what it was like to have someone take care of her. And when Brett’s strong arms went around her, she felt protected, safe. Maybe she should have stopped after one dance, but Brett was so charming and persuasive, they had stayed out on the floor for nearly an hour. Song after song, they had moved to the music, and he’d held her close, occasionally whispering sweet things in her ear.
Jessie closed her eyes, and began to hum one of the familiar songs. She could almost feel Brett’s warmth as he held her. The strength of his broad shoulders and solid chest. She felt her skin heat up. Oh, my, she definitely could attest to how good his body felt against hers. She began to sway to the music in her mind, then moved slowly around the moonlit porch until she ran into someone. With a gasp, she opened her eyes to find Brett.
“Oh, Lord. You scared me.” She felt her heart in her throat.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He was dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and was breathing hard. “I was out running and I saw the kitchen light, then you standing on the porch. Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” she lied. “I just couldn’t sleep.”
He smiled. “Too much rich food?”
“Maybe,” she said, realizing she was dressed in only a thin cotton gown.
“I enjoyed tonight,” he said as he came closer. She found herself stepping back. In the light, Jessie could see his damp hair and the sweat on his face. “I’d like to do it again.”
“Maybe it would be better if you spent your time drilling the well.”
“As you can hear, the crew works around the clock. That’s one of the reasons I run before I go to bed, so I can sleep through the noise. Do you want to know the other reason?”
“Good exercise?” Jessie glanced away, trying to get her wayward pulse under control.
“That, too, but tonight I couldn’t get you off my mind,” he confessed and she jerked around to stare at him.
Brett had to grin seeing Jessie’s nervousness. She hadn’t been like that on the dance floor. No, sir. It had taken a while, but he had managed to get her to relax in his arms. Right now, with her standing there in a flimsy nightgown, that was far from his condition.
“Did I say something to offend you?” she asked. “I thanked you for the nice dinner—”
“No, Jessie,” he interrupted. “You didn’t say anything wrong.” Brett picked up her hand, feeling her tremble, then brought it to his lips. Hearing her suck in her breath, he almost lost control. “But all night, there’s been something I’ve wanted to do. I got a small taste of you the other evening. It wasn’t enough.” Hell, it had been that way since the moment he’d met her. He pulled her close and cupped her face between his hands. “When we stood in front of the restaurant, I almost kissed you again, and if I’m not mistaken, I think you wanted it, too.” His eyes searched her face, hoping to see the same desire he had been feeling for weeks.
“Tell me, Jess...” He breathed against her face, then lowered his head.
He touched his mouth to hers and she opened readily, probably from surprise. She made a soft sound as the tip of his tongue caressed her lips, then moved in deeper, at the same time gathering her against him. He felt her hands move up his chest hesitantly before circling his neck. When she leaned into his body, a charge went through him, like heat lightning on a hot summer night. As his urgency grew, he reached down and caressed her bottom, bringing her against his bare legs, causing the thin material of her nightgown to tease his skin. This time, he groaned as his mouth worked hungrily over hers. Jessie Burke made him crazy, and he wanted her like no other woman he’d ever known.
But this was not the time or the place.
With his last ounce of willpower, he released her. They were both stunned and breathless. “Look, I’m sorry. I guess I got a little carried away.” He pressed another kiss in her palm. “I think I should head back to my trailer.” He stepped away, unable to take his eyes off her.
“Brett,” she breathed, her face clouded with confusion.
He couldn’t resist her plea. He pulled her against him and reclaimed her lips in a hot, searing kiss, as if wanting to devour her. Then his mouth gentled as did his need to savor the moment. Finally, he let her go, and hurried off the porch before he did something he would regret. He had to keep focused on drilling the well, not on seducing an innocent country girl.
Chapter Six
The next morning Brett felt lousy. Thanks to Jessie, he’d managed, at best, three hours’ sleep. The lingering taste of her sweet kisses, and the feel of her firm body pressed against his had him crazy most of the night. How tempting she had looked, standing there on the porch in a short white gown, the moonlight framing her face and hair like a halo. But, his thoughts about her definitely weren’t angelic.
Damn! He needed to get his mind back on work.
Brett took a last sip of coffee, grabbed a hard hat off the hook and walked out of the trailer in search of Marcus. He was anxious to check the samples from the mud pit. Although it was a little early to tell much, he didn’t want to miss anything going on. A lot of people depended on him and bringing in this well was crucial to the future of Murdock Oil.
He placed the hat on his head and climbed the steps to the derrick platform, then glanced skyward at the hundred-foot derrick. He watched a crewman, high on the monkey board, attach another thirty-foot section of pipe to the drill.
“Hey, mate. It’s about time you got crackin’,” Marcus teased as he slapped Brett on the back.
“I didn’t sleep that late.”
Marcus grinned. “Didn’t think you young mates needed any sleep, especially when there’s a beautiful lady in your arms.”
Brett smiled. “You weren’t doing so bad yourself.”
“But at least I wasn’t tossing around in my bunk.” He arched an eyebrow. “I take it you’re pretty keen on the girl.”
Brett couldn’t deny it. But he had to stay focused on his job. “Drilling this well is the only thing I need to worry about.” He took the clipboard.
“If you say so, boss,” Marcus teased.
Brett eyed the fifty-year-old geologist. The man had worked for Murdock Oil for years. Brett couldn’t begin to remember all the things Marcus had taught him about drilling a well. Since Brett had been sixteen, he’d spent every summer at a site, learning about wildcatting. He loved it. He loved it all except sitting behind a desk. But six months ago, things had changed, and he had to work hard doing everything just to keep the company from going bankrupt. Murdock Oil had been in bad shape even before his father’s death, then with the recession, along with J.T.’s stubbornness for change, new business had been almost nonexistent.
But that was the past. The important question was, could they pull it out now? Could he make Murdock Oil solvent again? Well, he was going to give it a helluva try.
“How do the samples look?”
“Pretty much the usual.” The geologist studied Brett. “Don’t look so worried, it’s still too early to tell anything yet.”
Brett sighed. “I know, but this well is—”
“Important to all of us,” Marcus finished. “Stop worrying, mate, you’re doing the best you can. We all are.” He put his arm around Brett’s shoulders. “Your father would be proud of you.” He walked off when one of the crew called for him.
Brett couldn’t help wondering if that were true. J. T. Murdock had never been an easy person to please. He had expected a lot from his children, but no more than he did from himself. With his brother, Tyler, not wanting anything to do with the oil business, that dumped a lot on Brett’s shoulders, whether he wanted it or not. But he welcomed it. He loved the excitement of dealing with people, talking with potential investors. Right now, when times were tough and money tight, he’d had to do some sweet-talking to get enough to drill this well.
Wildcat Wedding (Wranglers & Lace #2) Page 8