When it came down to it, she knew she’d run into him…eventually. Colton was only so big, yet she’d hoped it would be later instead of sooner. When that time came, she had wanted to be prepared, put together and preferably wearing that cute little dress that still had the tags on. Instead of admiring her, even noticing that she worked out in the gym, he was getting a kick out of her situation.
Why did she care what he thought? What they shared was history. The old feelings were gone, but were they? Taking a swift glance over his broad shoulders and detailed abs, she wanted to fan herself or jump into the nearest lake, which she’d done enough of back when they’d shared long nights by the water. She’d been thrown into a twilight zone of emotions when she saw him pull up wearing that panty-melting grin. Yes, she cared, especially seeing that time had been very good to him. Back in Chicago she saw a lot of business men dressed in designer suits with their hair combed back into slick styles. But Weston Jericho was a cowboy, all the way down to the center of his bones. His hat was worn and dirty, the rim a little askew. He had a good two days’ worth of beard on his jaw, but the black stubble was a stark contrast for his bright, blue eyes. His nice fitting jeans, faded and frayed, set low on slender hips accentuated by a large, silver belt buckle with the name Jericho and a bull engraved on it. She knew because all the Jericho cowboys had one. He and his brothers were renowned bachelors, not just in Colton, but all of Texas. There wasn’t a single woman, some married, above the age of eighteen who didn’t wish at one time or another to snag one of the sexy, blue-eyed, Jerichos who were local rodeo stars. She guessed, even years later, things were much the same.
Her gaze automatically fell to his empty ring finger. He wasn’t snagged yet.
She’d bet her eye teeth the lady folk wanted him more now than ever. No doubt, he’d beefed up in all the right places since the last time she saw him. Without his shirt, she got a good view of his solid, toned muscles. Wide shoulders. Twelve pack abs and a spattering of dark hair on his chest. Just enough to prove he was eating his meat and potatoes, and working the land. His appealing, blue gaze reflected that he was a confident, skilled man. Back years ago, he knew his way around the backseat of a pick up so she could only imagine what he’d learned over the years. She’d noticed that his ebony hair was tangled with silver threads, especially at his temples.
And imagine was exactly what her mind did…
She had the strong urge to fan herself, but it wouldn’t do a bit of good.
Things weren’t the same and she had to keep that in mind. If this was nine years ago she would have greeted the cowboy by jumping into his arms, kissing every inch of his face, and saying, “I love you.” Oh, to be young again. She wasn’t the same naïve, happy-to-a-flaw girl who’d graduated college thinking she had the world, and dreams, by the reins. One late night in a barn changed all that for her. Would Wes understand? If she thought his world wouldn’t have been upended, she would have told him that same night, especially when she’d driven by his house a dozen times on her way out of town. She’d stopped on the county line and spent an hour debating what she should do. She’d wanted to see Wes—wanted to divulge all her secrets, but fear had kept her steady inside of the car.
In the end, she’d pulled away and never looked back.
Although she, and a dozen other women, still carried the crush for Wes, that was as far as things would go. She wasn’t in Colton to stay and getting involved with a memory could only spell disaster.
“I’ll give you a ride.”
At the husky-toned offer, her inner thighs quivered. “What?” Ride had so many definitions and she touched upon every naughty one.
“A ride.” One corner of his mouth lifted and his blue gaze twinkled. Could he see right through her? “A lift to Tanner Ranch.”
Although she heard every word he said, she stood there staring, stuck between the words ‘ride’ and ‘lift,’ both so different when spoken from a dimple-bracketed mouth. “I-I…well…” The thought of being in his truck, a few feet away from him again, no matter how close the ranch was, almost made her melt into her boots.
“Hey, if you’re worried, you know I don’t bite. Just a nibble on occasion.” He winked.
Oh sheesh! Her libido slammed into overdrive. His teasing flirtation conjured up memories of him nibbling her neck, her breasts, her stomach, and the secret part of her that trembled with a need she hadn’t felt in so long. The sun grew hotter. The scent of the sunflowers scattering the fields mixed with heated pavement swirled underneath her nostrils. And there was something else. Soap, leather and musk. An irresistible combination. “I don’t think this is a clever idea,” she mumbled.
“Or you can walk, Seesaw.” He laughed.
Narrowing her gaze, she stuck her hands on her hips. “I haven’t been called that in years.”
“Well, now you’re back in Texas, sweetheart. We do things differently here.” He winked and her toes curled.
Stop betraying me, body. All his sweet charm would work on the young woman she’d been right out of college, but she was older, smarter, educated on men who wanted one thing. A man couldn’t just sweep in with his panty-melting grin and deep dimples and get his way. No way in hell. Her legs were locked together tight.
She looked up and down the road as a dust tornado swirled in front of her. As much as she didn’t want his help because she was independent and didn’t want to owe anyone anything, but she also didn’t want to walk three miles, let alone two feet, in this heat. The only thing she had on her mind was getting a cold shower and filling her stomach because she hadn’t eaten since she ate at a greasy road stop diner that had her popping antacids for fifty miles afterward. And there was a third thing on her list and that included a cowboy, a bed, and a whole lotta loving. Nope. Won’t happen.
What was wrong with her? Since she’d left Colton, every man she met, every sexual encounter, she’d set the tone of the relationship. Made rules that were sometimes outrageous and impossible, but she’d wanted to stay in control. Looking back, obviously Brady had been a comfort zone, and why she’d stayed with him for so long. He fulfilled her need for companionship, at least for a while, and when she wanted sex, he was safe and if she tried real hard she could have an orgasm with him. Most of the time though she relied on her vibrator to fix that need. In a matter of less than an hour, Wes had switched things up. She was out of control. He was dangerous and she wanted nothing more than to grab him by the collar, climb into the backseat, and relieve a part of her that ached for his touch. And when it came to an orgasm, there wouldn’t be any trying because standing there looking at him, she could almost have a big O.
Stepping foot into town had made her fizz-headed. She could treat this as she would a client she was handling, with logic and compassion, but keep her emotions behind closed doors.
Sure, she could do this.
Grabbing her suitcase and rounding the front of his truck, she dropped her bag in the back, jerked open the passenger door and slid inside, instantly cooled by the cold air blowing through the vents. Yeah, this was the right choice.
He must have sensed her euphoria. “Nice, huh?”
“I’d forgotten how hot it gets here.” She pulled out the hem of her tank to let the air cool her covered skin.
His smile did funny flips to her stomach. “You’ll get used to it quick enough. I’m sure it’ll all come back to you how a country girl cools off.” He pulled the truck onto the road toward Tanner Ranch.
“You referring to cold beer by the water?”
“That and skinny dipping. We wouldn’t want to forget that part.”
“Lawdy.” She whistled through her teeth, feeling the flush from the tip of her roots to her painted toenails. “I can’t believe we skinny dipped together. You saw me naked more than my momma did.”
“We did a lot of things together, few cooled us off though.”
He could have easily reached over and touched her, but his hands were still on the steering wheel. Firework
s went off inside her body. She turned her cheek and stared out the window, not seeing anything through the haze of her thoughts. “Don’t get any ideas, slick. I’m a different woman—completely different.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say you’re completely different. That adorable southern twang is returning. I’m waiting for that rowdy, country girl to bust out. The one who saw everything as a challenge.”
She wouldn’t bite if he was fishing, and she guessed that’s exactly what he was doing. Instead, she concentrated on the familiar scenery through the window. Her old stomping ground loomed before her, luring her with sprawling, rolling hills spotted with bluebonnets and shrubs. This area of Texas had been gifted with lots of rain over the last few months and it showed in the vibrant color of the grass and foliage, a lot different than the busy streets and sidewalks in front of her apartment.
Hearing him turn up the music to an old favorite song, she shifted and caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her legs, and the twinkling in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed. A sliver of her wanted to tell him, “Keep your eyes to yourself, cowboy,” but another part, a bigger part, quivered at the knowledge that Weston Jericho, most wanted bachelor of Texas, still found her attractive. She didn’t come home to get tangled up in some second chance romance. She came to check on her daddy and eventually get back to her life faraway from Texas—and the charm of a certain cowboy.
Seeing the white confectionary box sitting between them, her mouth salivated. “Are those Lanie’s treats?”
He smiled. “Yes, they are.”
Her stomach growled. “Sharing is caring, don’t you think?”
“Help yourself,” he offered.
“I think I will.” She opened the box and looked at the variety of goodies. It was hard to choose, but she went for the sweet roll. She bit into the moist confection and closed her eyes, enjoying the depth of flavors. When she opened her eyes, Wes was staring at her. “Sorry. I haven’t had one of these in so long. I couldn’t find anything that matched although I tried real hard.”
“I remember how you loved the lemon rolls.”
“You brought me two and a coffee every Sunday morning.”
“Before church,” he added.
She blew out a long breath. “Those were the days. Sitting and listening to the pastor preach about behaving and then we’d spend the rest of the day swimming. I swore Pastor Devon could see right through me as I sat in the pew wearing my bikini underneath my clothes.”
He blinked. “Hell, girl. When did you ever wear a suit swimming?” he teased.
“Exactly.” She laughed, pinched off a bit of roll and popped it into her mouth.
“Pastor Devon once came to the ranch telling my dad that his sons were rowdy and we had the devil buried in our blood. Pops reminded him when they were kids and used toilet paper to paint the town and drink moonshine from a jug. The pastor never came back and every Sunday after I got the biggest greeting from him. Unbelievably, I still visit Pastor Devon at the nursing home.”
Finishing her roll, she licked her fingers and laid her head back on the headrest, the whirling sound of the air blowing through the vents relaxed her until the silence became an itch that she needed to scratch. Logic told her not to ask anything personal, but she couldn’t help herself. “How are things at Second Chances, Wes?”
“Same ole, same ole,” he said in a slow drawl.
“That’s a very vague answer.” She shifted. “So, maybe you’ll fill me in on exactly why you called me out here. I’d like to know what I’m walking into. You said you think daddy is sick, but I don’t remember him being sick a day in his life, not even with the sniffles. I swear I think he hid a bottle of whiskey and when he felt a little under the weather, he kicked back a shot and poof! He was well again.”
“I visited Lucas just as he was finishing a sewing project.” He scraped a palm down his cheek.
“My dad was sewing? Really? What was he sewing?”
“He’d stitched up a wound on his hand after he’d taken a fall.”
CHAPTER FOUR
If he’d wanted to grab her attention, he had it. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “Did I hear you correctly or do I have heat stroke? He fell? Then stitched himself up?”
“Are you more surprised that he fell or the fact that he decided to fix himself?”
“Looking at things closer, maybe the fall because we both know he’s a stubborn man. He has always refused going to the doctor, especially after mom died. I think he’s afraid to hear that he needs to stop eating bacon and eggs every morning.”
“Well, he might be a bit more stubborn these days.”
“I’m sensing there’s more than meets the eye. What are you not telling me?”
There was a lot he could tell her, but he didn’t want to scare her off. And yet, he had to clue her in that things weren’t running smoothly back on her homestead. “He’s let things go.”
“’Go’ as in he’s loosened up in the last years, or ‘go’ as in I’m walking into a mess?”
“Probably a bit of both.”
“Is Braise still the foreman? He started working there before I was born and I always thought of him as an uncle.”
“He’s still there. You know he wouldn’t jump ship, but several of the hands have, causing a problem with keeping up with everything.”
“Why are they leaving?”
He shrugged. “These are all rumors, but I’ve heard he fired a few and the rest he just hasn’t paid so they had no choice but to find other work.”
She paled. “I wondered if this was a ploy to get me back here to take over the wheels at Tanner Ranch. I think things are worse than I suspected, but I can’t stay. Colton is no longer my home. Daddy always wanted me to be the son he never had.”
“Come on, Sam. I remember a time when you had big plans for the ranch. You went off and got that important degree hoping to put it to use out here. Don’t pretend with me, you hear?”
“Who knows at age five what they want to be as an adult? I think from the very beginning I was expected to fall into line, marry me some cowboy and support him in running the land. Hell, every time I told Daddy about my ideas, he blew me off. He took more stock in what his hands had to say than his own flesh and blood.”
“I’ll agree, he has traditional beliefs, but I think if you’d have stuck around, you would have seen him come to terms, make a complete turnaround. Don’t forget, whether you like it or not, Tanner Ranch is your legacy. Whatever you choose to do, keep in mind this is Lucas’s home, handed down generations. He wants what’s best.”
“Are you defending him?” Her smile faded.
“Nope. Just sayin’, that’s all. By the way, he has no clue that you’re coming. He would have raised cane if he knew I called you.”
“So, he didn’t ask for me to be here?” She wrapped her arms over her chest.
He looked over. “Whether he realizes it or not, he needs your help.”
“We didn’t quite part ways on a happy note. Things just keep getting worse. I invited him to Chicago, but he wasn’t interested.”
Weston laughed. “Do you really need me to respond to that?”
“Chicago is a wonderful place, even for cowboys.”
“I heard it is, but he’s not getting any younger, SeeSa—I mean, Sam. Whatever troubles you two cooked up between you, everything needs to be washed clean before it’s too late. You’re right, he’s stubborn, but so are you. Otherwise, you’d have been back years ago.”
She squinted. “No, I wouldn’t. I’m here to help him, but let’s be clear, I no longer belong here. If he needs more help than I can give, then we’ll carry out another plan, none of which tie me to Colton.”
“Who are you trying to convince? You or me?” He didn’t care what she said. Sure as his roots were connected to Colton, so were hers. She unfolded her arms and placed her palms on her thighs, giving him the chance to scope out her fingers for a ring. Nope. That could on
ly mean she wasn’t hitched or bound to get hitched. He wasn’t sure why it mattered. Just as she had pointed out quite obstinately, the only interest she had in Colton was a means to an end. Once she got things with Lucas smoothed out, she’d be heading back to where she came from, back to a life that didn’t include a cowboy with a daughter. The last thing he needed was caught up in her rope again. At this point in his life, it was time he started thinking of a future, finding someone who wouldn’t mind raising another woman’s child. He’d been told that he was too picky, but he didn’t see things that way. If he had to spend his life with someone, wake up each day to the same face, he wanted to be with someone who he couldn’t see himself without. A woman who drove him crazy, in and out of bed.
Looking over at Sam, he was instantly irked.
Hell, if he wanted to be honest with himself, once upon a time he thought she was the woman he’d grow old with, but apparently, she was a runner and he’d had his fill of runners. A slice of anger slashed his insides. He wanted to ask again why she left, but no sense in beating a dead horse. It didn’t really matter anymore.
“You got a boyfriend waiting for you back in Chicago?” Damn. Why did he go and do a thing like ask something personal? He didn’t care if she had a man. He should already know it was impossible to think she wasn’t interested in someone, a suit with money. A beautiful woman like her must have a dozen men interested. How could he expect that she wasn’t having sex? Lots of sex. Inmates were having sex more than he was these days.
“No.”
“Not anyone?”
“Not one.” She reached up and pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “How about you? Did one of these country girls sink her claws in you yet? Since I don’t see a ring can I assume no?”
He forced his eyes on the road ahead. “I wouldn’t necessarily say she sunk her claws in me, but yeah, there’s a girl that stole my heart and makes me walk a fine line.”
When she didn’t respond, he looked across the length of the seat and she was staring at him. He couldn’t quite read her expression.
Weston's Trouble (Saddles & Second Chances Book 3) Page 4