by Jen Talty
The melding of their mouths was slow and romantic. It was the kind of kiss that long-time lovers shared when they wanted to express their devotion, and the accidental sexual arousal that ensued after was the icing on the cake.
Something scurried in the tall grass, and the horse raised his front legs about a foot in the air and jerked to the left, flinging her right out of JW’s arms. Her ass landed on the ground with a thump. Rudy looked down at her with apologetic eyes as he pushed his big nose in her face.
“Shit. You okay?” He jumped down off the horse as if it were an easy slide at the playground.
Rudy snorted, scraping his hoof in the grass.
She took the hand JW offered. “I can feel the bruise forming on my butt already.”
“Shall I kiss your boo boo?” JW bent over, grabbing something from the ground. “You dropped your phone.” The home screen showed another missed phone called, an email, and a text message from her ex-husband.
“Looks like someone wants to get ahold of you. Shall I go for a walk while you call him back?”
“No.” She swallowed, staring into his dark, sad puppy eyes. She held his gaze for a long moment, not knowing what to say. Preston meant nothing to her anymore, but she owed JW no explanation whatsoever. “I’m not interested in whatever it is he wants.”
“All right.” JW clasped his hands, lacing his fingers together.
With her hand on his shoulder, she pressed her foot in his hands and swung her leg over Rudy. Once JW climbed on, he made that clicking noise, and the horse stepped onto the path heading into the woods.
The next five minutes seemed like they ticked on forever. He said nothing, and she had no idea what to say. He had no right to be upset, yet she could feel the tension seeping from his pores. When he'd met Preston in the bar, he hadn't acted like the jealous type, something that would be a total deal breaker, especially in a long-distance relationship.
Birds squawked, flying overhead, rustling the treetops. The sunrays streamed between the branches and thick leaves.
“It’s so nice not to smell exhaust.” She sucked in a deep breath. The rich, floral smell tickled her nose.
“I could never live in the city,” he drawled as he pulled the reins across her body, steering the horse down another path.
“I can’t see you leaving this ranch,” she said, blinking her eyes as Rudy came to a stop in front of a blanket lined with a picnic basket and a bucket filled with ice and a bottle of white wine.
“I won’t ever leave the ranch.” He slipped off the horse, pulling her down in his strong arms, holding her by the hips. “Not really the best conversation to start off a romantic lunch.”
“No, but it is something we should probably talk about.”
She sat on the blanket, watching the horse nibble on grass while JW unpacked their lunch, contemplating her mistake and how to correct it. JW was an amazing man. An incredible lover. There wasn’t a single thing she didn’t like about him. Her phone cut into her butt, so she pulled it out, tossing it next to the basket.
He handed her a plastic glass filled with wine. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” The tangy pear flavor flowed neatly into her stomach, but it didn’t help her growing concerns. “What are we doing?”
“Having lunch.” He pointed to the tray of sandwiches.
Hunger got the better of her as she found an egg salad sandwich. “I’ve got a year left to get my bachelor’s, that is if everything goes as planned. Then I need to find a teaching job and still have to get my master’s degree. That’s the next two to three years in Baltimore, and while I want the hell out of that city—”
“That’s good news.” He smiled, grabbing a sandwich and stuffing half of it in his mouth.
“What?” She picked at the crust.
“You’re willing to relocate. And we have a great university. You could get your master’s degree here.”
She dropped the sandwich in her lap. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Yes and no,” he said, pushing his hat back. “I haven’t been willing to take a risk on even dating since I broke up with Bella, much less introduce a woman to my dogs and my family. I don’t know if we can make this work. For all I know, in a couple of months, we’ll be like yeah, it was fun while it lasted. But what I do know is I want to see you again, and I don’t care if that means I have to fly across the country to do it.” He leaned over, wiping the egg mess from her leg with his index finger, popping it into his mouth.
When she imagined moving from Baltimore, it had been maybe in Upstate New York, or somewhere in the mountains of Virginia. A couple of hours drive from her brother and parents. Not a six-hour flight.
“Can we at least enjoy the next couple of days?” he asked, reaching in his back pocket. “Shit. I have to take this.”
Saved by the phone. She nibbled on a new sandwich, which was truly the best egg salad she’d ever eaten. It had a slight mustard flavor and wasn’t doused in mayo. But what really made her taste buds explode was the sliced cucumber.
“What’s up, JD?”
While he focused on his phone call, she took the time to look at one text from her ex-husband.
Preston: Call me. I need to talk to you about JW Whiskey.
Her fingers shook as she tried to delete the text. She’d never told him his name.
“Where’s the vet?” JW asked into his phone.
She opened her email, and one of the subject lines was: I have some information about your new friend you need to know.
“What about Georgia Moon?”
Quickly, she closed the app, shoving the phone back in her pocket. Preston had been known to be jealous when they first got together, but he mellowed their first year of marriage. Of course, he got so preoccupied with his pending problems she could have walked around the house naked, and he wouldn’t have noticed.
“All right. I’ve got Rudy. I’ll be right there. Can you send someone out in the cart to get Kitty?”
“What?” she asked, but he shushed her by holding up his index finger.
“Great. Thanks.” He tapped his phone as he rose. “I’m sorry, I’ve got a cow in labor with a calf coming out ass first, and my vet is at another farm dealing with a problem there. Georgia Moon could handle it, but she’s in a meeting at the town hall.” He spoke so fast she could barely keep up. “Someone will be out in a few minutes to get you and take you back to the house.”
Before she could protest, he’d hopped onto the back of his horse, making that clicking noise, digging his heels into the horse’s side.
Rudy snorted, rising on his hind legs. JW leaned forward. “Come on, boy.”
Dirt turned up under Rudy’s hooves as he took off in a full gallop.
Something told Kitty that horse wasn’t old and preferred running over walking.
Chapter 10
KITTY SAT IN THE FAMILY ROOM, King and Kong at her feet, her cell phone in her hands. It was close to midnight, and she’d gotten one text from JW telling her he was sorry, but he had to stay at the barn until the cow gave birth and something about showering before he came back to the house because of where his hands and arms have been.
She didn’t dare contemplate the possibilities.
She held her phone, staring at the unopened email from Preston. Sucking in a deep breath, she tapped on the mail icon.
JW Whiskey is a dangerous man. Read this article. It explains everything. If I don’t hear from you soon, in good conscience, I’ll need to share this with your brother.
King let out a long yawn as he stretched out at her feet. Kong had curled up closer to the front door, occasionally lifting his head as if to look for his owner.
She dropped her head to the back of the sofa, closing her eyes tight. How could anyone who built a daycare on his property be dangerous? JW might be a quiet man. Reserved. Gruff even. But he had a golden heart. What the hell was Preston up to and why?
Opening her eyes, she typed a text message, telling him she’d gotten hi
s messages and that he hadn’t a clue as to what he was talking about and to leave her and her family alone. Her thumb hovered over the send button.
“Shit,” she muttered, tapping back to the email and clicking on the link.
An image of JW with a beautiful woman on his arm filled the screen, her hand resting on his shoulder with a huge diamond dangling on her ring finger.
She scrolled and gasped at the image of the same woman with a battered face.
JW Whiskey, Hours after he’d broken his own World Record, arrested for beating his fiancé, Bella Brothers.
Bella Brothers? Why did that name sound familiar? Kitty racked her brain, searching for why she thought she’d seen the name before. She went through every female socialite she’d met through Preston and his friends.
“Eric’s girlfriend,” she whispered, remembering the singer’s name on the card Preston had handed her a few days ago at the pub. She turned her focus back to the article.
JW (Johnnie Walker) Whiskey, arrested today for allegedly beating his fiancé, Bella Brothers. Bella is the daughter of Robert Brothers, best known for his famous bull riding school. The same school that JW turned to for training in his early days. JW and Bella had secretly dated for months, before not only telling their families, but the press as well. Theirs was a romance, that on the surface, seemed to be destined for ultimate happiness.
However, in a press conference this morning, Miss Brothers described JW as controlling, cruel, and violent. She alleges she suffered months of mental and physical abuse for the duration of their relationship. She claims JW became enraged when she told him she was leaving him. According to the police report, JW hurled his trophy at Miss Brothers, smacking her cheek so hard it broke into three pieces.
King leapt onto the sofa, nudging her arm, trying to get his nose on her lap. “Get down,” she commanded. Her heart raced, and her hand trembled. She blinked a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay, questioning her judgment of men and the human race in general.
JW has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and has been released on bail.
The next two pictures were of JW. One of him being pushed into a police car in handcuffs, the second was of him shielding his face as he left the county jail.
She jumped off the sofa, tripping over the coffee table when the dogs took off toward the door, their nails scraping on the tile floor. As soon as she’d steadied herself, the front door flew open, and JW stepped inside.
“Hey, boys, you miss me?” He bent on one knee, letting the dogs lick his face as he scratched their coats. “Have you behaved yourself for our guest?”
Standing behind the sofa, she froze, staring at a man who had been accused of beating his fiancée. She didn’t want to believe the words she’d just read. JW would never.
But the article had come from a reputable newspaper.
How could she be so stupid?
First a criminal who cheated his friends and business partners.
Now a wife… No! JW couldn’t have done that.
“What’s wrong?” JW asked as he stood hanging his hat on the rack by the door. He took two steps forward.
She took a step back.
“Did something happen?” He paused mid-step, his eyes widening with concern.
“You startled me.” She rubbed her hands against her jeans. Her heart was telling her to cling to her intuition, but the logical part of her brain couldn’t ignore the battered face of Bella Brothers nor the images of JW in handcuffs.
No. This can’t be right. The man standing in front of her couldn’t have possibly beaten anyone. Look at him. He had kind eyes. A soft, gentle touch. He’d been nothing but sweet and generous.
Of course, maybe that’s how he started off, and then when he roped you in…
“No, I’m just tired and stressed over school starting. I should have booked the red-eye for tonight.” Her gaze darted across the room, landing on the floor where her phone had been dropped, screen up, with the article still opened. She skirted around the sofa but came to a screeching halt when the tip of his boots stopped just inches from her cell.
“What’s really going on?” He bent over, taking the phone in his hand. “You look like something frightened you.”
“I was half asleep on the sofa when you came in.” She held her hand out, praying he just gave her the phone.
Bile crept up her throat. She couldn’t believe JW had been arrested for abuse. Nothing about him spelled a crazy man who got his rocks off hitting women. He wasn’t even very controlling.
He glanced at the phone and frowned. “Shit,” he muttered. “I’m sorry you had to read that.” He took a step toward her and no matter how much she wanted to hold her ground, she inched backward, her body shuddered.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Is this the only article you read about the incident?”
“You’re not denying it,” she said softly. Tears formed in her eyes. If he hadn’t done it, he’d be protesting, right? “That article is true. You were arrested—”
His pupils constricted as his rigid body went limp. “Yeah. I was. But if you had taken the time to read a more current article about what really went down that day, you’d know…” He held the phone up, tapping at the keyboard. “Fuck it.” He tossed it on the table. “If you believe for one second I’m capable of doing that to a woman—to anyone—then you don’t know one damn thing about me. What a fool I’ve been.” He turned on his heels and stomped across the floor. “You can stay in the house. I’ll leave King and Kong, so they will alert you if I, or anyone, enters the house. I’ll make sure a car is here to take you to the airport in the morning.” He gripped the handle to the front door and paused.
She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t bring herself to utter his name, or anything else for that matter.
“I didn’t hit her,” he mumbled before stepping outside and slamming the door behind him.
She let out a long breath, reaching down, grabbing her phone, and clutching it to her chest. It would take her only a few minutes to pack and hopefully a cab company would come out to the ranch. A few years ago, she had to spend the night in an airport. She could do it again.
The dogs stood in the foyer, looking between the door and her, confusion etched in their eyes. But that wasn’t as bad as the hurt she’d seen in JW’s. It was as if someone deflated all the positive happy energy from his body, leaving him with nothing but misery.
“Crap.” She sat down on the sofa, patting the cushions. King barked, racing over and jumping on the sofa, resting his nose on her lap. Kong did a little dance before climbing up on the other side, curling up in a tight ball next to her. Opening Safari on her phone, she googled JW Whiskey and Bella Brothers.
“Wow,” she whispered. A dozen or so hits came up. She clicked on the one that read: JW Whiskey, Vindicated.
Today, Bella Brothers admitted she lied about her ex-fiancé beating her two months ago. Her attorney held a press conference on her behalf, stating that Bella had been suffering from depression. He hinted, but didn’t state specifically, that Bella blamed JW for her mental state, but was doing her best to move past the bad decision. When asked who actually beat Bella, her attorney said steps were being taken to make sure the perpetrator would be brought to justice.
“Well, that’s vague.” She clicked on another article.
Rodeo Weekly has obtained a statement from JW Whiskey regarding his ex-fiancé’s recent admittance that he did not abuse her physically on the night he broke his own world record. In an interview, JW stated he’s deeply saddened by Bella’s mental state and wishes nothing but the best for her. He would not comment on the rumors Bella may have hired someone to hurt her in order to get back at him for calling off the wedding.
Well, shit. If only he’d come home twenty minutes later, after she’d read the other articles. She’d have to make him understand the timing had been horrible and that she fought believing he could have ever committ
ed such a horrific crime. Not to mention that her ex hadn’t sent her all the information, something she had to wonder why Preston would do. She scrolled through a few more articles, all indicating that JW had been falsely accused and he’d been exonerated from all offenses. Based on what Kitty had read, Bella had gone into hiding, while JW remained in the public eye, constantly trying to show, without telling the world, he was indeed a good man, incapable of intentionally hurting anyone.
She tapped on Preston’s contact information and set the phone to speaker, resting it on her lap while she petted both dogs, feeling the comfort and love they provided.
“Finally,” Preston’s voice rang out so loud, both dogs popped their heads up, staring at her like she’d committed a crime.
“Why did you send me that link and not the rest of it?” No point in beating around the bush.
“What do you mean? I’ve talked with his ex. He’s a monster.”
“She’s a liar and a bitch,” she said with venom lacing every word. Any woman who would falsely accuse a man of such atrocities was no woman at all. “If you google him and her, you will find out she made the entire thing up. He never laid a finger on her, and all charges were dropped.” The irony that her ex-husband had gotten his convictions overturned hadn’t been lost on her. The big difference was that Preston had cheated his friends and partners, without a doubt. He’d gotten off on one technicality after the other. Even the judge mentioned ‘guilty’ in his statement regarding the charges being dropped, alluding to something about how the system was flawed, especially when shortcuts were taken.
JW had been cleared of all charges. Preston’s criminal case had simply been tossed out of the court, overturning the original ruling.