“Thanks,” Knox said in a quiet voice.
“Ruby thinks you walk on water, you know,” Holt said, a half-smile on his face.
“Yeah, I don’t know if I can ever live up to who she thinks I am.” Knox rubbed his palms over his knees. “When she looks at me like I’m her world, I don’t know whether to be proud, or discouraged.”
Holt gazed at him for a second, then lowered his eyes. “I think we’ve all had a lot to learn as a family, and hopefully, things will only get better from here.”
“I hope so, too.”
Holt’s smile appeared. “Hey, maybe you’ll be the one to save the ranch after all.”
Knox chuckled. “That’ll be the day. Don’t let anyone hold their breath.” He rose to his feet, and Holt rose, too.
This time, instead of almost getting into a fistfight, they shook hands.
“Keep me posted,” Holt said.
“Will do.” Knox released his hand and turned to go.
Before Knox reached the outer barn door, Holt said, “Good luck with Jana, too. Despite all this stuff, I’m glad you’re seeing her.”
Knox looked over at his brother with surprise. “Really?”
Holt lifted a shoulder. “Yeah. I always wondered why you guys didn’t stay together.”
Knox nodded. “It’s complicated. But we talked through a few things, so…” He didn’t finish, because he didn’t really know how to define their relationship. If Jana didn’t come to San Antonio, then he wasn’t sure when he’d see her again.
“Good luck at tomorrow’s rodeo,” Holt said.
Knox left then. His mind pulled in different directions. The rodeo in San Antonio was the least of his concerns. He’d hate to see his family’s ranch put in financial straits again. And what was the deal with Judd Harris and RD & Associates? Did Jana know anything about the boards her father sat on?
Knox didn’t want to believe she did, but how could he really be one hundred percent sure? How well did he really know Jana? All of their interactions had been mostly flirtatious. By the time he climbed back into his truck and was on the road to San Antonio, he was wondering if he’d imagined the closeness he’d felt with Jana. Perhaps, it was just old memories that had resurfaced. The desire to go back in time, to a period in his life that held way fewer complications.
Just an hour ago, he was sure he was falling in love with her. But now… He groaned inwardly, hating how fickle his emotions were being.
If it wasn’t so late, he’d call her right now. Ask her point blank.
He probably wasn’t in the best frame of mind to do so. The last thing he wanted was to make Jana feel like he was coming down on her. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, he thought about it from all angles. What if the worst case scenario happened and Prosperity Ranch had their grant funds cut? What else could bring in additional income?
Knox thought through the aspects of the ranch. Holt had been training rodeo horses from all over the state before the grant. But as small-town rodeos had been dying out for the last decade, those clients had faded. The ranch’s clientele had been drastically reduced. So Holt had started traveling around the state, and even to ranches out of state, to train rodeo horses. But that took him away from the ranch management, and with their parents getting older, someone else needed to step in.
But Knox was off following his dreams, and Lane was in school.
Now, Knox hoped he could help in some way to keep Prosperity Ranch running to its full potential. If the grant thing couldn’t be changed, then he’d have to come up with something to help.
By mid-morning the next day, Knox hadn’t slept more than a few hours, and he’d already done his practice round through the San Antonio arena. Jana hadn’t called, which he had to admit, he felt a little disappointed in. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him from calling her.
He hung up his rodeo gear in his assigned space, then walked out into the arena, where some other cowboys were going through some roping practice drills. He pulled out his cell phone and called Jana’s number. It rang three times, then went to voicemail. Was that early? Had she blocked his call?
He turned his focus to the cowboy swinging his rope, missing the calf by about a foot. Roping had never been his thing, but hats off to the cowboys who did it. Five minutes passed, maybe ten. Who was counting? He dialed Jana again.
This time, she answered. “Hello?”
Relief flooded through him immediately, and he knew all the doubtful feelings he’d built up over the drive to San Antonio and throughout this morning had disappeared in an instant. He was just happy to hear her voice, happy that she’d answered.
“You didn’t call.”
“No how are you doing, or thanks for answering my call?”
Knox smiled at the teasing tone in her voice. “How are you, sweetheart? And thank you from the bottom of my heart for answering your phone.”
Jana laughed. But it wasn’t through the phone. It was…
He turned to see a beautiful sight.
Jana was walking toward him. She was here. Really here. His gaze soaked in all of her. From the red waves about her shoulders, to the white blouse, to her black jeans and black boots. She looked classy and elegant. And his heart had completely melted.
“Are you a mirage?” he said, unable to stop the grin on his face.
Her smile was absolutely breathtaking. “Judge for yourself, Mr. Bull-Rider.”
He wasn’t wasting another second; he strode to her, then scooped her into his arms. Lifting her, he spun her slowly.
“Knox, put me down,” Jana said with a laugh.
He obliged, but he didn’t release her. Frankly, he never wanted to release her. Jana in his arms felt like heaven had come down to earth. “You’re not a mirage,” he whispered.
“I’m not,” she whispered back.
He closed the distance between them, his mouth finding hers. She grasped his shoulders as he kissed her. He pushed away any questions he had about her dad’s business, and just breathed in everything about her—her sweet scent, the warmth of her mouth, the press of her body against his.
“Knox,” Jana murmured. “We’re in public.”
“I know,” he murmured back, then kept kissing her, his hands shifting to cradle her face.
“You need to cool it off.” Her tone held amusement.
“I know,” he murmured again, his mouth moving to her jaw.
“Right now.”
Knox buried his face against her neck. He exhaled, and Jana slid her hands down his arms. She stepped away from him, and he lifted his head, feeling like he’d just awakened from a deep, delicious dream.
Jana was watching him, her eyes dancing. “Did you miss me?”
He grasped her hand. “You have no idea.”
She looked down at their interlocked fingers as his thumb stroked over her wrist. “I missed you, too.”
“Did I hear you right? Did you just admit you like me, Jana Harris?”
Jana nudged him. “Don’t tease me.”
“What if I like teasing you?”
Her gaze clung to his, and his stomach bottomed out because he felt himself falling. In love. It was physical, emotional, and all-encompassing. Could she see it in his eyes? Had he just given himself away, and now, she’d be scared off?
“How’d your practice go?” she asked.
It took him a second to come out of the fog his mind had entered. “Great. Everything’s looking good. I had a chance to chat with Running Hot. We’re gonna get along just fine.”
Jana laughed.
He loved her laughter.
“Is that so? You had a conversation with a bull?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She smirked, and he leaned down and kissed her nose. Her hand strayed to his chest, and it was doubly hard to pull away.
“So… you want to get some lunch?” he said.
“You never give up, do you?”
Knox chuckled. “You came all this way. I’m fig
uring a man can presume.”
This time, she rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. He knew he’d feel that imprint for a long time.
“All right, let’s go to lunch,” she said. “You buying?”
“Always.”
She grinned, and her fingers tightened in his. Knox couldn’t deny it—his heart was soaring. They headed toward the arena exit and found his truck in the parking lot. He kept ahold of her hand as they walked to the driver’s side of the truck.
“Oh, so we’re getting in your truck cowboy style?” Jana quipped as she climbed in on his side. She sat in the middle of the bench.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “That way, you don’t get too far from me.”
“What are we, seventeen again?”
“No, thank goodness,” he said, settling beside her, then starting the truck. “I don’t like all those silent years between us.”
Jana merely grasped his hand when it was free, saying nothing.
When they arrived at a small Tex Mex restaurant, Knox said, “By the way, my sister Evie is coming tonight. Probably with her boyfriend, Carson Hunt.”
“Oh, okay.”
“You can sit with them if you want,” Knox continued. “If you’re okay with that?”
Jana shrugged, not seeming too enthused.
Knox pulled into a parking space, then shut off the engine. Facing Jana, he said, “What?”
She gave him a smile that didn’t exactly reach her eyes. “It’s just… your family.”
“And?”
She bit her lip, which only notched up his pulse.
“I told my parents you’re my girlfriend—even though you already disputed that. But in my book, we’re dating. What about your book?”
Jana sighed, and Knox wasn’t sure that was a good sign. But she’d come all this way—didn’t that mean something?
“I don’t know, Knox,” she said, regret in her tone. “It feels like pressure. I mean, I know Evie, of course. But now she’ll know—which means your whole family will know—that I came here for you. And there will be questions, and speculations, and—”
Knox placed a finger over her lips. “Hush, sweetheart. I’ll tell my sister absolutely no questions allowed. I don’t think you’ll have trouble with Carson—he’s a quiet guy—but I can warn him as well.”
Jana rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious.”
“I am, too,” Knox said, leaning close and brushing his mouth against hers. “If you don’t want to sit by them, no problem. But I’m pretty sure they’re going to know you’re at the rodeo. I’m not that good at hiding my intentions.”
Jana tilted her head and skimmed her fingers over the scruff of his jaw. “And what are your intentions, sir?”
“To convince you that I’ve got my eyes only on you.”
Her smile was slow, even shy. “You’re doing a decent job so far.”
He chuckled. “Good to hear. Come on. Let’s eat. I don’t want you to waste away.”
“I’m guessing you’re hungry,” she said.
“Starving.”
It turned out that Knox was one persuasive guy—or charming or just plain flattering—because Jana was currently sitting next to his sister Evie and her boyfriend, Carson Hunt. Evie was dressed like she was going to a corporate dinner, her blonde hair pulled up into a tight twist, further accenting her pretty blue eyes. Whereas Carson looked like he fit in with every cowboy in the arena. He wore a cowboy hat over his dark hair, and his nearly black eyes were currently focused on the calf-roping in the arena. He hadn’t let go of Evie’s hand once, and it was clear that Carson adored her, and she adored him right back.
Jana might be a tad envious of that new, unweighted love, one with no traumatic history.
Whereas she and Knox… things were complicated from the get-go.
Jana couldn’t help but glance at Evie with her boyfriend. She was happy for the pair. Evie had been really quiet in school, and they’d never exactly been friends. Barb was friends with everyone, and so that had been Jana’s bridge to Evie. Besides, Jana had always sensed that Evie didn’t like her dating her brother way back then.
What did she think now? Maybe this could be a fresh start, or was Evie just pretending to be nice right now?
Barb would probably laugh at the situation that Jana now found herself in. But she hadn’t told anyone she’d come up today. Not even her parents, who lived only a few miles from the arena. If she got the orders filled on Monday, what did it matter to anyone? Yet, Jana knew exactly why she hadn’t told anyone about this little trip. It was because she didn’t know how to define it. Despite all of Knox’s charm and sweet, flattering words, she was going into this with her eyes wide open. Whatever this was.
“Wanna load up on snacks?” Evie said, fiddling with her earring as she looked over at Jana.
It was the second time Evie had asked, as if she wanted to escape the rodeo events for a bit. Obviously, she wasn’t as enthralled with what was going on as Carson.
“Okay,” Jana conceded, even though she wasn’t hungry. She’d eaten her fill at lunch with Knox, and she still felt like she might burst out of her jeans.
“Great.” Evie flashed her a smile, then turned to Carson. “We’re getting some food. Be right back, babe.”
He pulled her close and whispered something in her ear. Jana hid a smile when Evie’s neck flushed. Then he drew away and pulled out his wallet.
“No, I’ve got it,” Evie said, pushing Carson’s wallet away. Then she stood and motioned for Jana to follow.
Jana nodded goodbye to Carson, who soon turned his attention to the arena again. The bull-riding was still a ways off, since it was usually reserved as the last event of the night.
Once she and Evie reached the portal, Evie said, “We need to talk.”
Jana’s brows lifted. Was getting snacks a ruse? “Okay,” she said easily, even though her stomach had instantly knotted.
Evie tilted her head for Jana to follow her to a quiet spot between a shop area selling souvenirs, and one of the concessions counters. When Evie stopped and turned around, she folded her arms, her blue eyes anything but friendly.
Jana braced herself for whatever Evie might throw at her. Apparently, the woman wasn’t happy after all with Jana dating her brother.
“Did you get pregnant in high school?” Evie asked.
Jana’s mouth nearly dropped open. “What? No. I mean…” She swallowed. How far had that rumor gone? “I took a pregnancy test, but it was negative. Soon after, Knox and I broke up, anyway.” Why were her eyes stinging with tears? Just talking about this reminded her of the emotions she’d faced, and now, being confronted by one of Knox’s sisters was like adding salt to the wound.
Evie studied her for a moment, and Jana held the woman’s gaze. She was telling the truth, and everyone would just have to accept it. But now, Jana wondered… “Did you tell people I was? Did you spread the rumor?”
Evie blinked and stepped back. “No. I wouldn’t do something like that. Especially if I thought it would hurt my brother, as annoying and stubborn as he could be back then.”
Jana had to believe her. She had no other choice. “I’m sorry you thought I hid something like that. I said something to one of my friends that must have been overheard by the wrong person.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Evie touched one of her earrings again. “Small towns and all. I’m not sad to be out of Prosper for good.”
This surprised Jana, because she heard real disdain in Evie’s voice. “You’re not loyal to Prosper through and through?”
Evie looked away for a moment, then said, “I’m loyal to my family, sure, but not the town. Although, Carson is trying to break down my defenses.”
Ah. That made sense. “Because of his grandpa living there?” Carson Hunt’s grandpa had retired to Prosper, and he’d invested money into fixing up the rodeo arena, as well as built some stables on his property to help Holt Prosper with overflow for his rehabilitating horses.
“Yeah, and the high school tried to hire me,” Evie said in a slow voice, still not meeting Jana’s eyes. “I went in there for an interview. But… that place has some rough memories.”
Suddenly, Evie’s gaze was on Jana, hard and penetrating. “I’m sure for you, high school was a dream. Especially since you could get away with bullying others.”
Jana blinked, then frowned. “Excuse me?”
Evie set her hands on her hips. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. You filled my locker with garbage, and you tripped me that one time in front of everyone.”
Jana felt her face drain of all warmth, then heat back up. “I…” She closed her eyes. High school was so long ago, and her vivid memories all centered on Knox. But filling Evie’s locker with garbage? She snapped her eyes open. “Look, I never put garbage in your locker. I promise. I don’t know who told you that, but—”
“No one told me,” Evie said. “It happened the day after you tripped me, and the whole school laughed at me, including Douglas. I’d heard he was going to ask me to prom. But the next thing I knew, my locker had been filled with garbage, and Douglas asked you to prom. To top it all off, you’d broken my brother’s heart.” Tears spilled down Evie’s cheeks, and she wiped at them furiously.
Now, Jana’s mouth fell open. “Oh my gosh, Evie,” she said, her own heart feeling like it was ripping. “I didn’t know that… I… Yeah, I tripped you, and it was dumb. Really dumb. Douglas dared me to trip the next person to come out of Mr. Gardner’s class. You were it. But I swear… I swear I didn’t put garbage in your locker.”
Evie didn’t answer, but continued to wipe at her tears.
Jana dug out some tissue from her bag and handed it over. “Please forgive me for tripping you. I should have apologized later, and I wanted to, but the thing between Knox and I had my emotions all tied into knots. I should have never gone to prom with Douglas, anyway. We fought the whole time after he accused me of still liking Knox.”
Evie sniffled and wadded up the tissue in her hand, not meeting Jana’s eyes.
Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch Book 3) Page 10