He seemed to come out of whatever deep thought he was in. Looking over, he pulled her to a stop. They were next to the small arena, and she assumed that in the daytime, it was filled with the horses that Holt was training and caring for. Right now, though, only silence came from the barn.
“She loved it. Asked me about a million questions, too.”
“I can imagine,” Jana said. “The rodeo is pretty exciting to a little girl.”
“That’s not what her questions were about,” Knox said in a slow tone. He lifted his hand to her neck, and his thumb did a slow caress along her jaw.
Jana involuntarily shuddered as heat pulsed through her at his touch. “What did she ask, then?”
“About you,” Knox said, his tone a low murmur. “She wanted to know everything, and then she promptly told my parents that I had a girlfriend.”
“What?”
His mouth quirked. “Do you want to know what I told her?”
“I don’t know,” Jana said. “Do I?”
Knox’s hand slid lower, across her shoulder then down her arm. When his hand reached hers, he interlaced their fingers. “I told her yes.”
Jana didn’t know what to say. She and Knox had barely started talking to each other after years of not speaking, and—
“Jana,” he said. “You don’t look too happy about it.”
“You told your daughter that I was your girlfriend in front of your parents? Knox, we aren’t even dating, not really… You’re leaving tonight, and then what?”
Knox brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss on her knuckles. “Do we need all the answers right now?” He lifted her hand to his shoulder, then drew her hand to the back of his neck, which brought their bodies flush together.
Jana’s breath stuttered. The heat between them only increased by the second. “You kissed me, Knox, and it was amazing. But it was only a kiss. Not an exclusive dating commitment.”
“Hmm,” his voice rumbled. “Are you a player, Jana Harris?”
She wanted to laugh, but his tone had been completely serious. “No. I’m not a player, but…”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “You don’t trust me, do you?”
Jana closed her eyes. “I do trust you. Or at least, I want to.”
Knox’s exhale was slow. “I guess I deserve that. I’m sure you’ve heard all the rumors. Most of them are probably true. But I want you to know that you can ask me anything, sweetheart, anything at all.”
“I’m at a disadvantage here,” she said, opening her eyes.
“How so?”
“You’re Knox Prosper,” she said. “Every woman in the town has been in love with you at one point or another. But I’m just plain Jana. I make jam for my parents’ tiny company. I write novels that no one wants to buy. I’ve been on maybe ten dates since high school. Believe me, no one is lining up to date me. No one even cares enough to gossip about me. Unless it’s connected with you, of course.”
Knox lifted his other hand and ran it behind her head, into her hair. Goose bumps skittered across her skin at his touch, his nearness. “You’re not just any woman, Jana. That’s why I brought you here before I have to take off again.”
“You keep saying that,” she said. “What are you talking about?”
“Look,” he said, turning so that they were both facing the ranch house, even though it was at a distance. The summer moon made the white ranch house silvery, and the shapes and shadows of the barn, the arena, and the tended lawn were like a postcard.
“This is what I want,” he said in a soft voice. “And I want to know what you think about it.”
“You want Prosperity Ranch?”
“No.” He slipped his arm across her shoulders while they stood side by side. “I want my own place. My own ranch. Where my wife can raise our babies and make as much jam as she wants. Or write a book.”
“Knox,” Jana whispered. “I can’t believe you’re saying all of this. You can’t possibly know that we’re… going to be like that.”
“I don’t know one hundred percent.” He pulled her closer. “Because you’d have to be a part of that percent.”
She turned toward him in the crook of his arm. His mouth was only inches away, and she could swear she heard his heartbeat. Racing as fast as hers. “Knox…”
“Come to San Antonio,” he whispered. “Hang out with me. We can begin to figure out what’s going on between us. Slowly. Like it should be.” Before she could fully comprehend what he was suggesting, he dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers. Ever so gently.
Jana couldn’t have defined what it felt like being this close to Knox, her body nestled against his, as the night deepened and cooled around them. “Going to San Antonio to watch you in the rodeo feels like chasing you.”
“You can’t chase something that’s not running.” His lips strayed to her jawline, and he pressed his mouth there.
Jana’s skin pebbled at his touch, and she was done with the teasing, light kisses. She wanted more of this man. She grasped his shirt and tugged him closer with a determination that surprised even her.
Knox’s mouth lifted into a smile before he claimed her mouth. The heat built instantly, and he hoisted her close. Her fingers trailed behind his warm neck, then into his hair as she clung to him. Knox’s hands moved along her back as he angled his mouth over hers for a deeper kiss.
Everything about this night, about this kiss, about his sweet words, would have made any woman swoon. Except Jana had spent years trying to get over this man… none of it had worked. She’d had her heart broken once, and letting him in again would only set her up for a heartbreak she didn’t know if she could recover from.
“Knox,” she whispered, drawing away. “This feels too good to be true.”
Knox gazed at her through half-closed eyes, sending another round of heat through her. “I agree. I don’t deserve you, but I want to try to be worthy of you, of this, of us having a second chance.”
Jana’s eyes pricked with tears—why, she couldn’t define it. Knox was saying things beyond her wildest hopes. Could she trust in it? In him? Could she let go of the images of those women flocking to him, knowing that he hadn’t always turned down those types of women? And that had been the issue that had ended his marriage.
Knox’s baggage was heavy. Was she strong enough to help him carry it?
On the walk back to the truck with Jana, Knox had seen a light peeking through the barn door. That meant the light had either been left on, or someone was in the office. When he saw Holt’s truck in his parents’ driveway, Knox’s heart sank. Why was Holt here in the middle of the night? Was something wrong?
He didn’t bring it up to Jana. He was fighting enough battles with her—primarily to get her to come to San Antonio. There, he believed, they could go out, spend time together while not surrounded by everything that reminded them of their shared past. And his past that ultimately drove them apart and prevented any reconciliation.
He wanted to make new memories with her, fresh ones. He hated that she’d hesitated more than once tonight. Yet, it told him she was thinking about their relationship, deeply. This was a good thing in the long run, he decided. He wasn’t planning on letting Jana go anytime soon. He just had to prove his true intentions and prove that his old life was completely over. Dead. Gone.
“Here we are,” Jana said as he stopped in front of her house. A couple of lights were on inside, and the house looked cozy and cheerful. Like a place he could feel welcomed and comfortable.
“Here we are,” Knox repeated, looking over at Jana’s profile.
She sold herself short—she always had. Her comment about being “plain Jana” was so far from the truth that he’d almost laughed. But he’d known she was serious, and whatever her insecurities were, he hoped to completely erase them.
“Call me tomorrow morning?” he said, just to see her reaction, because he definitely planned on calling her. A lot. And texting. Until he saw her again.
> Her gaze shifted to his, and her pretty mouth curved. “Won’t you be sleeping in?”
“No,” he said. “I’ve got to check into the arena early for my practice time. And then I’ll be wondering when you’re coming up.”
“I can’t just drop everything.”
“Is there pickup on Sunday?”
“No…”
Knox grinned. “See, perfect. I’ll book you a room, and you can stay the night, then drive back Monday morning.”
Jana shook her head, but she was smiling. “Knox…”
He leaned over and kissed her, lingering, breathing her in. He couldn’t believe how hard it was to say goodbye to her right now. When he couldn’t find her after the rodeo, he’d been truly worried—wondering if she’d blown him off. If things were over before they’d really started. But then she’d agreed to go for a ride, and he knew that there was no turning back—at least for his heart.
Being around Jana felt comfortable. He felt like he could be his true self. Not that guy who everyone looked up to for being a rodeo star, and not the guy who everyone in his family looked down on for screwing up things with Macie.
Yet, Jana had misgivings. That was as plain as day.
“Knox, I should go,” she said, still close enough to kiss. “Drive safe and good luck tomorrow night.”
He grasped her waist before she could pull away. “Is that it? Good luck?” he teased.
She smiled and rested her hand on his jaw. “Things are complicated.”
“They’ll always be complicated,” he said. “But let’s do complicated together.” He stole another kiss, or two.
Until she sighed and pulled away. “Tempting.”
“Is that a yes?”
Jana smirked. “It’s a good luck tomorrow.”
Knox groaned, but then he walked her to the front porch. Hugged her, stole more kisses, then walked away feeling like he was both walking on water, and dragging an anchor behind him. He was gratified, though, when Jana remained in the doorway until he pulled out of the driveway. He’d start heading to San Antonio soon enough, but first, he wanted to see if Holt was still at the ranch.
When he pulled up to the ranch, the glimmer of light from the barn was still visible.
Knox hoped whatever was going on, it would be fixable. Did Holt often work in the office in the middle of the night, or was something wrong?
He knocked on the barn door before opening it, even though the office was its own interior room. But Holt had heard him and was at the office doorway by the time Knox walked in.
His brother wore no cowboy hat and looked as if he’d been scrubbing a hand through his brown hair. His shirt was rumpled, rolled up at the sleeves, and open at the collar. His blue gaze tracked Knox as he crossed to him.
“Is everything okay?” Knox asked. “I saw your truck and the light in here.”
Holt rubbed a hand over his face, then scuffed his boot across the ground. “Come in. We need to talk, anyway.”
Knox tried to ignore the pinch in his gut. “You get the money I transferred yesterday?”
“Yep. Sure did. Thanks for that.”
Knox felt only slightly mollified. He still owed a few thousand more to Holt, and Knox intended to make good on every red cent of it.
Holt nodded to the extra chair in the office, and Knox took it. He had no idea what to expect from his brother, and frankly, it wasn’t so pleasant being in such close quarters with him. They’d had plenty of disagreements, and even an outright fistfight last summer when Knox had accused Holt of stealing Macie. Which had ended up being true, but then again, Macie was no longer Knox’s wife to be stolen.
“Look at this,” Holt said, turning the glowing computer screen so that Knox could see an email that had been pulled up.
It was from the horse rehabilitation grant division, and as Knox read through it, he realized that the grant that Holt had depended on to rehabilitate sick, neglected, or injured horses was being cut in half. “Who the hell is RD & Associates?”
“Another outfit that’s applied for funding in our same town,” Holt said. “Which means that our funds will be cut significantly, since the organization is promising to bring in a volunteer veterinarian to work with the more difficult cases. Which means that the vet care bills will be virtually nonexistent. The writing’s on the wall. We could easily lose the grant altogether since this other place could rehabilitate more horses at less cost. This would look attractive to the board of directors.”
Knox heard the restraint in Holt’s voice. His brother was truly upset, but like all things, he was managing his emotions about the huge setback. “Who are these yahoos?”
“I haven’t gotten that far,” Holt said. “I saw the email come in on my phone during the rodeo, but didn’t want to worry anyone. Couldn’t sleep, so I headed over here to hopefully get my head around this.”
Knox pulled out his phone and googled the name of the organization listed in the letter, then clicked the tab with the board of directors listed. “Well, I’ll be…”
“What?” Holt asked.
Knox could hardly believe it himself. “Judd Harris is on the board of directors. What are the chances that he directed RD & Associates to set up in Prosper? Give you a little competition, or something?”
Holt frowned. “Judd? He doesn’t even live in Prosper anymore. Gave their daughter the operations part of the business, then they hightailed it out of here.”
“San Antonio is where they ended up,” Knox said. His mind was reeling. He’d known Judd Harris his whole life—everyone in Prosper did. But Knox hadn’t had much interaction with the man. Yeah, Knox had dated Jana, but he’d not spent much time at her house or around her parents during those months.
He felt his brother’s gaze on him, and Knox looked up. At the steely look in Holt’s blue eyes, Knox said, “What?”
“Ruby said something about Jana being your girlfriend?” The hard line of Holt’s jaw flexed.
“Ruby’s interpretation is a little different than reality,” Knox said, frowning. “We’re dating, I guess, but things are pretty fresh.”
Holt gave a short nod. “You kept in touch with her all these years?”
Knox squared his shoulders. “No, of course not. Why would you say that? I was married to Macie.”
Holt folded his arms. “That didn’t stop you—”
Knox leapt to his feet, and Holt did, too. Holt was taller than Knox, but Knox was just as strong. “Stop bringing up the past,” Knox ground out, proud of himself for not already having hit his brother. “Nothing good will come of it.”
Holt’s gaze dropped a fraction, then he lifted it again to focus on Knox. “You’re right. But answer me one thing straight up.”
Knox dipped his chin. “Of course.”
“Did you give Jana or her dad information about the grant?”
Knox clenched his jaw for a good three seconds. How could his brother even think that would happen? Yet, the steady blue of Holt’s eyes told Knox that his brother didn’t want to believe it, but it was a necessary question.
“Listen,” Knox said, his tone low, barely controlled. “First, I never spoke to or saw Jana Harris until this week. The last time I saw her was at the rodeo where I… we… met Macie.” He exhaled. “Second, this might come as a shock to you, but Jana and I haven’t discussed you or your job here once. I know you think everyone in Prosper is always talking about our family, but we weren’t. Besides, this offer didn’t happen overnight. I’m assuming it’s been in the works for months. You said yourself it took several weeks to get your approvals.”
Holt nodded at this.
“The timing doesn’t line up,” Knox said. “I’ve only been hanging out with Jana for a few days, and well, I can’t vouch for Judd Harris’s decisions, but I’d never undercut our parents’ ranch. Never. Even if you and I hated each other, I’d still honor our parents.”
“I don’t hate you,” Holt said in a quiet voice. His blue eyes had lost their steel.
<
br /> Knox rubbed a hand over his face. When it all came down to it, he didn’t hate his brother, either. “Good to know.”
The edge of Holt’s mouth lifted. “Now, let’s figure this out. If you didn’t tell Jana, and she never brought it up, do you think she knows?”
Knox returned to his seat. “I don’t know. She seems pretty busy, and well…” His voice trailed off. Was Jana’s reluctance to date him tied to the fact that her father was undercutting his brother?
No… But the question wouldn’t leave his mind. Even if Jana knew about it, what did that mean? She might not even understand the full scope of the issue this brought to Prosperity Ranch. The grant had quite literally saved the ranch from having to sell off pieces of property.
“I’m going to make calls on Monday morning,” Holt said. “Maybe it’s not as grim as it looks, but I’m not holding out much hope. Unless we can magically find a volunteer vet.”
Knox scoffed. “That doesn’t make sense. What vet would do such a thing? Unless he had some other incentive going?”
Holt puffed out a breath. “I don’t know. You got me there. Maybe Lane will know which direction we can go.”
Knox didn’t miss the “we” in Holt’s statement. Was his brother finally including him in something to do with the ranch? Yeah, Knox had blown his portion, but he wanted to pay back everything he’d borrowed from his brother, then begin the process of investing. If he kept winning bull-riding events and living frugally, he’d eventually get there. “Let me talk to Jana, see what she knows,” he said. “Maybe I can even talk to Judd Harris.”
Holt’s brows raised. “Could you? I mean, I have no problem calling up Judd Harris, but the conversation isn’t going to be friendly.”
“And we can probably catch more flies with honey,” Knox said.
“That’s right.” Holt leaned back in his chair, the lines about his eyes relaxing. “Thanks, man. Maybe it can be salvaged after all. I don’t know how, but it’s better than doing nothing.”
Knox nodded. “No problem.”
Silence fell between the two brothers. When Holt finally spoke up, he said, “Look, I’m sorry about accusing you. I’m just frustrated. I can see you’ve worked really hard at some personal stuff. It’s obvious to all of us—the whole family.”
Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch Book 3) Page 9