The Cowboy Comes Home

by Patricia Thayer

  He explained to Brady his plans, made sure the boy was secure in the saddle, then gave the command to Risky and the horse took off in a trot. Johnny helped Brady find the rhythm, and soon, he was doing better.

  “Make Risky go really fast,” Brady called out.

  Johnny was surprised. “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I want to go fast.”

  “All right, here we go.” He made a clicking sound with his mouth and kicked his heels. The horse shot off. With his arms securing the child in the saddle, he had the boy lean downward as the horse ran across the pasture. He was rewarded with a giggle.

  Finally Johnny circled Risky around and was coming back when he discovered another rider. He slowed when he recognized Jess on Goldie. She was covering some serious ground until she finally caught up to them.

  “Mom! Did you see me riding?”

  “Sure did.”

  She looked at Johnny. “I saddled up to ride with Brady, but by the time I got to the corral, you were gone.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming and I thought it was the best way for Brady to feel the movement of the horse when going into a trot.” He smiled. “Then the kid here decided he wanted to go faster.”

  “Yeah, Mom, I like to go fast.”

  Jess couldn’t take her eyes off the two. Brady was seated in front of Johnny, those big arms framing him protectively. She never doubted that she could trust him to take care of her son, but seeing them together, and the tenderness Johnny showed the boy, still caught her off guard. It made her realize the void that had been in her child’s life…and in hers.

  * * *

  A short time later, they were back in the barn. Johnny could see that Brady was tired, too tired to even ask questions. They had a ranch hand take care of Goldie and Beau and Risky, then they all walked out of

  the barn.

  “Jess, could you take Brady back to the house, please? I need to work with Storm.”

  He saw Jess hesitate, then she asked, “Would you mind if I watched you? I’m sure Nancy will look after Brady. I’d like to see Storm’s progress.”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you at the pen.”

  He watched Jess hurry off with Brady. He knew this had been a good day for the boy. He’d had too many good times with both mother and son and he already knew it was going to be hell to leave here. But he would have to go sooner or later.

  He walked to Storm’s stall. The animal was a lot calmer these days, and there was trust building between them. The stallion might let Johnny be around him, but at the moment he wasn’t sure who else Storm trusted.

  He thought maybe Randy could work him, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. He trusted Randy. And before he left the ranch, he needed to know that the horse would be in good hands. He walked in and Storm didn’t flinch. A good sign. “Hey, boy. How do you feel about showing off today?”

  The horse came up to him and Johnny rubbed his forehead, then stroked his gloved hands over Storm’s back and hindquarters. There were still parts of the animal’s body where he didn’t like being touched, but the kicking had stopped. Johnny snapped on the lead rope, but left it slack, and the horse followed him out of the stall and outside into the pen. He found Jess waiting for him.

  Randy was also there with a long flexible stick with a red bandanna attached to its end. He wanted to saddle Storm today. He’d been putting it off, but it was time.

  Once inside the pen, Jess came to the railing. “Oh, my, what a difference there is in him.”

  “Storm puts up with me, but I’m not sure about anyone else. Randy has helped me sometimes. But there are days that he can’t get near the horse. And to be honest, we need to make some decisions about Storm.”

  “There are no decisions for me, Johnny. You have control of Storm. My dad trusted you, so I trust you.”

  Her words meant a lot to him. Johnny nodded, then put Storm through his routine. Using the pole with the flag, he rubbed it over the horse, concentrating on the back of his legs where he’d been whipped, letting the animal know that touch didn’t always mean being hurt.

  Jess watched in amazement as Johnny worked the horse. There was an obvious bond forming between the two, and trust as he touched and stroked the large animal. When Johnny turned his back and walked away, the horse followed him like a puppy. There wasn’t any resemblance to the rough stallion from a month ago.

  Jess noticed that several of the ranch hands had gathered around the pen as Johnny came to the gate and took a horse blanket from Randy.

  She held her breath as Johnny talked softly to Storm, soothing him, gently stroking him as he introduced the animal to the blanket. When Storm didn’t move, he slipped on the saddle. That didn’t go as well, and Johnny removed it, then began talking gently as he stroked the animal’s back until he finally calmed down. Again, he raised the saddle and gently placed it on his back and managed to tighten the cinch. Storm twitched a few times but he stood still.

  Then Johnny took the lead rope and walked out of the pen. He stopped beside Jess. “I need more room.”

  “Are you going to ride him?”

  “I’m not, but Randy is.”

  She was left with her mouth open when Wes came up to her. “He knows what he’s doing, Jess. We need to trust him.”

  She did. “That still doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

  Wes grinned. “Come on, Jess, I don’t want to miss this.”

  They walked over to the bigger corral and climbed up on the railing. The men knew to keep quiet so as not to spook the horse. Johnny had Randy with him, giving him instructions on how to touch and stroke Storm. The horse didn’t seem to mind him. Of course, Jess knew that no one but Clay had been on Storm since the horse was brought to the ranch two years ago.

  Johnny walked over to where Risky had been brought out and tied to the post. He took the lariat off the saddle horn and made a large loop, then placed it on the ground close to Storm’s back right hoof. Randy tugged on Storm to take a step forward and Johnny tightened the rope just between the hoof and heel. He walked back to his mount and climbed on.

  “Okay, Randy, cowboy up.”

  The young stablehand nodded, then approached the horse and it seemed everyone held their breath as he put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over Storm’s back. The stallion immediately danced around and whinnied, but was quickly stopped as Johnny tightened the rope, pulling the hind leg up.

  Johnny then instructed Randy to get Storm to canter. The horse began to circle the arena, but then he tried to buck Randy off. Another jerk on the rope and Storm stopped bucking. The routine went on for the next twenty minutes until the large black stallion was loping around the arena in a smooth three-beat gait.

  Johnny finally told Randy to stop the horse and dismount. Then Johnny removed the rope and he climbed on Storm. He sat on the animal as if man and horse belonged together. Johnny held the reins, but the commands were relayed to the horse by leg pressure only.

  Johnny turned Storm left, then right, then he reversed the graceful movements. The routine went on like a ballet and excited murmurs went through the men watching the performance. Jess finally saw Johnny smile. He leaned down and rubbed Storm as he spoke to him. Finally he climbed off and hugged the animal’s neck.

  Jess’s eyes filled as she looked heavenward and whispered, “You see him, Dad? Storm is everything you hoped he’d be.”

  Johnny felt the emotions surface. It always happened when he reached a breakthrough, when a horse finally trusted him. He knew it was the meeting of minds and hearts when they reached an understanding. Like this horse, Johnny knew what it was like to be physically beaten. To have someone try to break your spirit, to destroy your soul. He’d lived through it when he was growing up. He’d fought back until he had to run away. It was hard to trust after everyone had let you down. He rubbed the horse. Funny, he’d always trusted animals more than humans.

  “You made it, Storm,” he whispered against the horse�
��s neck. “You’re free. No one will hurt you again.” The horse bobbed his head up and down and let out a whinny.

  Johnny smiled and saw Jess coming toward him and his gut tightened in need. He wanted to trust her more than anything. He wanted to reach out and share his feelings with her, his hopes and dreams. Still he held back. He found it easier to share his body than his soul. Yet, all his fears couldn’t stop him from wanting her.

  Jess was hesitant as she said, “If it’s okay, can I pet Storm?”

  Johnny nodded. “I don’t want crowds around him, but he’s used to you.”

  Jess went right to Storm. He liked that she was so comfortable around him.

  “Hey, big guy. I’ve missed you.”

  Storm nuzzled her and she laughed. Johnny’s heart swelled in his chest. He didn’t think he could want her more, but watching her enjoy this animal only added to her appeal. She was a natural.

  And he was a goner.

  CHAPTER NINE

  BY NINE o’clock that night, Jess had Brady tucked into bed at the ranch with Nancy watching him overnight and the next morning.

  After the day’s excitement with Storm, Jess wasn’t ready to go home to a lonely apartment. And Johnny had disappeared. That was why she got talked into meeting Molly for ladies’ night at the Saddle Up Bar and Grill.

  She made a quick stop at home to freshen up. She brushed out her hair and put on nice jeans and a black turtleneck sweater.

  Ten minutes later, she pulled into the bar’s parking lot. She saw Molly’s car and walked over as her friend got out.

  Molly was dressed in jeans and a blouse covered by a brown leather jacket. “You look good.”

  “Do I?” Jess was having second thoughts. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “You always say that. All we’re doing is going out for a few drinks.” She grabbed Jess’s arm and headed for the door. “Besides, you need to get out more. And never, ever sit around and wait for a man to call.”

  Even before they got inside, the music hit them. The bar area was crowded with both men and women. Molly pointed to a group of her friends and they cut through the tables to an end booth.

  “Hey, Maria and Bonnie, you remember Jess.”

  The music was so loud that she could barely hear the introductions, but remembered them from school. The waitress appeared and Molly ordered a pitcher of beer as they sat down in the booth. Before she knew what happened, a man came by and coaxed her onto the small dance floor for a lively two-step.

  Two dances later with an enthusiastic partner, Jess wasn’t sure what she wanted tonight, but so far this wasn’t it.

  * * *

  Somehow Johnny ended up going into town with some of the crew. They were all still jazzed about Storm. He guessed he was, too, but he’d have been better off just going to bed early.

  Instead, he was headed into the Saddle Up. The group went straight to the bar. Randy ordered a beer and asked him what he wanted. The kid wanted to buy him a round. Johnny let him.

  He reached for the long neck and took a hearty drink. It tasted good. He usually didn’t indulge in alcohol while on the job, but after today’s breakthrough Storm’s training was nearly complete.

  Randy nudged him. “Hey, what do know, Jess is here.”

  Johnny swung around to see for himself. He spotted her on the dance floor. She was wearing a fitted sweater and a pair of tight jeans that should be illegal. He watched as her body moved seductively to the music. He didn’t know the guy who was her partner, but found he didn’t like to see his hands on her.

  “Hey, cowboy.”

  He turned to see Molly had walked up to the bar. “Hey, Molly,” he said, raising his voice so she could hear him over the music. “What are you doing here?”

  She winked at him. “Just lookin’ for a little fun, maybe a little trouble.”

  He nodded toward the dance floor. “You talk Jess into coming tonight?”

  She shrugged. “She said she wanted to go out.” She eyed him closely. “It’s good for her to go out once in a while. Most of the single guys in town have always wanted a chance with her. She was never interested.” Molly glanced over her shoulder at her friend. “Looks like she decided to give Rusty a dance.” She took a drink of her beer. “I’d say he isn’t going to waste a minute it.”

  Johnny tensed, hating that another man had his hands on her. “I can’t control who Jess dances with.”

  Molly studied him for a moment. “I’ve been friends with her since first grade. She’s the kindest person I know and naive when it comes to men.”

  “I doubt Jess is going to do something she doesn’t want to do.”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes the loneliness gets to be too much, especially when you can’t have what you truly want,” she said, then walked away.

  Johnny knew the feeling. He looked back at Jess and felt a tightening in his chest. Yeah, he wanted to be with her. So much it scared the hell out of him. That alone should keep him away, but it didn’t. He put the beer bottle on the counter and crossed the crowded room to her.

  * * *

  Jess was tired. How did Molly do this all the time? She didn’t like dancing with so many different men. All right, she knew most of them from school or town. But that didn’t mean she wanted to get jerked, pulled and even groped. Finally the music ended and she was starting off the floor to tell Molly she was going to leave.

  She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see the man who’d been causing her restlessness, and her lack of sleep. She blinked in surprise. “Johnny. What are you doing here?”

  He took her hand. “I could ask you the same thing.” He drew her into his arms as a ballad began to play from the DJ booth. It was George Strait, but she didn’t know the name of the song. “I thought you didn’t go in for this sort of thing.”

  She felt a rush as she leaned into Johnny. “I only wanted to get out for a while.” She raised her head. “What about you?”

  “The guys wanted to buy me a drink to celebrate what happened with Storm.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, it was pretty amazing.”

  “I still need to work with him. And I might suggest that you geld him.”

  She shook her head. “Now, that’s something you need to discuss with Holt.”

  He nodded. “Later. Right now, I have other things on my mind.” He pulled her close.

  Jess rested her head against his shoulder as she moved to the gentle rhythm of the song. Johnny’s hands moved over her back, pressing her closer to him. She could feel every hard angle of the man, causing a stirring in her body. The man lit a fire and she was burning up.

  * * *

  An hour later, Johnny found himself climbing the steps to Jess’s apartment. Earlier he’d watched her leave the bar, get into her car and drive off. Something tore at him as he’d started to head back to the ranch, but soon found himself turning around toward town. God knows he’d tried, but he couldn’t stay away from her any longer.

  He stood on the small porch landing and released a breath into the cold night, then raised his hand and knocked on the door. The wait seemed endless until he finally heard, “Who is it?”

  “Johnny.”

  There was another long pause, then finally the door opened.

  Her gaze locked on his, making his heart race. He knew he should turn around and walk down those steps. He couldn’t. Jess Calhoun was more special to him than even he wanted to admit. He had to show her.

  He swept her up against him and covered her mouth with his. It was like coming home. Her arms wrapped around him, her scent engulfed him like a familiar blanket. His mouth slanted over hers and parted her lips to taste her, the desire was overwhelming and was quickly becoming addicted. He finally tore his mouth away, and closed the door, then went back to her and rained kisses along her cheek and jaw.

  “I want you, Jess Calhoun, don’t ever doubt that.” His mouth captured her moan as he lifted her off the floor and walked into the living room. They were both breathle
ss by the time he set her down.

  “I want you, too.” She pulled him back into another kiss.

  He groaned and cupped her face in his hands. “Hey, we got all night.”

  Johnny liked her eagerness, but still was concerned. “Look, Jess. The last thing I want is for you to have regrets.”

  “No, it’s not that. I want you, too, Johnny. It’s just…” She glanced away. “It’s just I haven’t really been with anyone…for a very long time. I might not know how to please you.”

  He smiled. “Darlin’, you already do so much to me that I’ve been half-crazy since meeting you.”

  She released a breath. “I’m glad.” She slid off his jacket, tossed it on the sofa and did the same with his hat.

  Then she took him by the hand and led him into her bedroom. “I guess you’re going to have to show me what I’ve been missing.”

  Johnny felt his hands shake. He wanted to show her so much, make her feel everything and erase every rotten thought about the last man in her life.

  He kissed her several times, then pulled her sweater off over her head. He touched her wild curls. “I love your hair down.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad.”

  “There are so many things I like about you. Maybe I’ll get the chance to show you tonight.” His hands moved from her face down her slender neck. He felt the goose bumps along her skin as he reached the crest of her full breasts. He lowered his mouth to them. She gasped and her hands moved to his hair, holding him close.

  “Oh, Johnny,” she breathed.

  His eagerness grew and he guided her to the bed. All regret flew out of his head. He wanted to steal this piece of heaven in Jess’s arms.

  Their night together was filled with the sweetest loving he’d ever known. He wanted to show Jess pleasure and in return it gave him more than he ever thought possible. She took him to places that went beyond the physical. Just having her in his arms and holding her gave him the peace he’d never known before. But the hours quickly slipped away and the dawn would soon invade their world.