“Ms. Phillips is ninety-years-old, Carrie, what did you give her?” Jessica looked over to the living room where Ms. Phillips was dancing in the center of a circle of elderly bachelor ranchers.
“I don’t know. She asked for a Shirley Temple and I just started mixing stuff. I think the label said McJaggermister.
“Jägermeister? Say you didn’t!” Jessica hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Oh, Carrie. What have you done? A Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic drink with ginger ale, grenadine and a cherry. You are going to be in so much trouble.”
Carrie looked over her shoulder, Ms. Phillips now had Wes Texas Two stepping beside her. He flashed Carrie ‘the look’, then turned in time to the music with his dance partner.
Laughing as she watched her man dancing, Carrie said, “Oh, man. It’s worth the spanking I might have coming to me. He hates dancing. Just hates it. I guess the Jägermeister gave her a second lease on life.”
Just then, Ms. Phillips held her drink up to Carrie, hollering over her shoulder, “This drink is delicious, Carrie Ann.”
Still stepping in time to the music, not missing a beat and with a handsome smile on his face, Wes took the cup from Ms. Phillips, placing it on the far end of the coffee table.
“Well, at least it looks like she only had half of it,” Jessica said, peering past the dancing guests at the glass.
Carrie’s nose wrinkled up. “I put a lot of that stuff in there. Smelled like licorice. Yuck. I hate when I accidently eat a black jelly bean. Smelled like a whole bottle of black jelly beans.”
“You do seem to get yourself into trouble at every turn, Carrie,” Jessica said, thinking over Ray’s earlier words. Jessica just hoped, for Carrie’s sake, her husband didn’t share his new-found knowledge of the silent but deadly plastic ruler with his good friend, Wes.
Carrie’s brown eyes shone as she looked up to Jessica. “I don’t mind. Wes has reinstated domestic discipline in our lives after a very long absence.”
This was news to Jessica. She had noticed that Carrie had gone back to some of her bossier ways around Wes, but Wes hadn’t seemed to mind. “How long?”
“Ten years,” Carrie murmured.
“No way!”
“Yes way. You know how funny he got after the whole appendicitis thing? It was worse after the birth. He was so scared of something happening to me I think he was afraid to spank me.”
“It makes sense. We all almost lost you—twice.”
“I know. But then we went away this past weekend and it was amazing. I mean just amazing. We found this dirty, dirty little store called, ‘Naughty’. They had stuff in there I never even dreamed existed. I can’t wait to go back but I don’t know when we will get to that town again.”
Feeling a blush rise in her cheeks, Jessica murmured, “There’s one in Clinton.”
Whipping her head away from the dancers, Carrie looked at Jessica, shocked. “Pray tell, Jessica. And you know this from your dominatrix days? I swear there was some stuff I saw in that store that scared the bejesus out of me. All black leather, whips, chains and such. Did you use to use that stuff?”
“Some of it—but that was a long time ago. Another life. My trip there was actually pretty recent,” she admitted.
Carrie let out a low whistle. “You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.”
“No way, Carrie. I am not sharing that information. You never can keep a secret, can you?”
Eyes flashing mysteriously, Carrie giggled.
Just then, Wes came over, breaking up their little party.
Grabbing Carrie by the elbow, he excused them, telling Jessica it was a wonderful party and he would just need to borrow his wife for one moment and then return her right back to Jessica. Jessica watched as he escorted Carrie over to a quiet corner of the house.
Ray came up behind her, nibbling her neck and whispering in her ear, “Great party, babe. I have to be honest though. I’m ready to have everyone leave so we can have the house to ourselves. The things I want to do to you in this dress.” His hands discreetly explored her body over the slippery silk.
“It has been a fun night, hasn’t it?”
“Only because of all your hard work—and the fact that I keep such a tight rein on you. Otherwise you’d be dancing on the coffee table right now, embarrassed with a headache in the morning.”
Jessica giggled, “I did manage to get a little tipsy.”
“Good. I’ll take advantage of that fact later. I’m going back to the bar—it’s time to cut off the liquor drinks.”
Watching as Ray returned to the kitchen, Jessica pinched herself for having such a caring man who also looked the way he did in that outfit. My goodness she couldn’t wait to take off…
“I’m definitely in trouble.” A grinning Carrie returned to Jessica’s side, her clear high voice interrupting Jessica’s lewd thoughts.
Watching Wes throw a warning look over his shoulder as he went to gather Ms. Phillips from the couch, Jessica chuckled.
“It wasn’t really your fault. It’s not like you meant to get our ninety-year-old friend drunk as a skunk.” Ms. Phillips was clutching tightly to Wes’ arm, laughing and patting it with her diamond encrusted hand.
As she passed by Jessica and Carrie, she said, “Oh ladies, this has just been the best party. And that licorice drink, Carrie, you must give me the recipe for that one!”
Jessica said her goodbyes to Ms. Phillips with Wes whispering to Carrie, “Time to go, young lady.”
Giving a ‘sorry—not sorry’ look over her shoulder, Carrie waved goodbye to Jessica, practically skipping as she happily made her way out behind Wes.
As Jessica went to the kitchen to see what Ray was up to, the familiar tune of Unchained Melody hit her ears. She couldn’t hold back the girlish smile that spread across her face. She stood right where she was and waited. She knew Ray was coming for her.
Sure enough, moments later her man was approaching her. His button down had been undone at the collar, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He flashed her the most heart melting smile as he grabbed her elbow leading her to the center of the living room floor.
Jessica felt the gazes of her guests melt away as she stared into the eyes of her husband. The man who had not only saved her from a life of being a single mom with no clue of what she was doing, but he had also saved her from herself. Showing her what she needed in a man, in a marriage. And it was him.
As he always did, he softly sang the words of the song into her ear as he held her tightly, swaying back and forth in time to the music. Jessica let herself melt against his chest, etching the precious moment into her memory.
Chapter 5
Buttercup kept herself busy at the party. There were empty trays to be removed, spilled drinks to clean up and sour cream blobs to wipe up. Anything she could possibly do to keep her mind off the one thought that it would not stop repeating over and over. Jake was not at the party.
Buttercup had been overrun with conflicting emotions since her first date with Jake. She told herself she felt guilty for dating Jake so soon after Tom. And she wasn’t ready to date again. And Jake was getting too serious about her too soon. As she made up lie after lie, she buried the truth farther and farther within herself.
Buttercup was in love with Jake. After only one date. And that just wasn’t possible.
So, Buttercup had done the sensible thing and avoided Jake completely. She did not call to thank him for the bouquet of pale pink tulips that had come the morning after their first date. She did not come to the phone when he called. To Jessica and Ray’s dismay, she hid in the bathroom when Jake had come straight to the ranch, outright asking to see her.
Breathing a sigh of what she told herself was relief, Buttercup realized the party was wrapping up and Jake had still not yet shown up. She made her way around the crowd to the kitchen to start hand washing the crystal wine glasses. She was more than happy to help even before Ray caught her earlier in the evening, thanking her furious
ly when she was cleaning up a spill on the hardwood floors.
Ray and Jessica were too good to her. She would happily do the things she did for free, but the couple still slipped her money every so often. They paid for everything she could need and more and so the unused bills were stacking up in the back of her pajama drawer.
Passing by the foyer, Wes’ red truck caught Buttercup’s eyes. She peeked out the window to be sure Ms. Phillips still had a smile on her face and hadn’t gotten sick from the Jägermeister Carrie had accidently given her.
Carrie had found herself in a spot of trouble with her strict husband after playing bartender. Buttercup caught the arm grab and whispered words from Wes to his wife, overhearing him saying, “Just wait until we get home, young lady.” And the words had given Buttercup a delicious, shameful shiver.
Thankfully, the only result of accidently intoxicating Ms. Phillips was that she had outdone everyone with the Texas Two Step and had the night of her life. Having called it a night, Wes and Carrie loaded the elderly woman into the truck to give her a ride home. Ms. Phillips was in the middle of the bench seat and Wes was at Carrie’s passenger side door. Feeling her face blush as she peeked out the foyer window, Buttercup watched curiously as Wes buckled Carrie’s seatbelt himself, then kissed her cheek and closed the door.
Buttercup wondered what that would feel like—if Jake would ever do that for her. Images of Jake flashed in her mind. Lifting her out of his truck, his eyes gazing over the sad painting, his kiss. And the one that never seemed to stop playing in her mind—driving her to his house saying, “I should pull this car over and put you right over my knee for lying.”
Pushing the thoughts from her mind, Buttercup heaved yet another discontented sigh, heading into the kitchen. Seeing Wes and Carrie together, and now Ray and Jessica slow dancing in the living room, made a sliver of doubt wiggle its way into Buttercup’s mind. Maybe she was wrong to have avoided Jake after all. Maybe that could have been her tonight, being buckled tenderly into a truck, or being held close by a handsome man, twirling across the floor with all eyes on her.
When she reached the sink, and lifted the first crystal glass, she froze.
“Buttercup.” The familiar Texas drawl instantly melted her as she stood, glass hanging mid-air in her hand.
She turned, her eyes meeting his.
Jake stood, stoically leaning against the kitchen door. He wore a white dress shirt tucked into jeans with that tan worn belt that she had come to know as a staple in his wardrobe. The crispness of the shirt somehow made his tanned skin and warm brown eyes even more captivating to her.
Just the nearness of him being in the same room had her tummy doing flip flops and her knees feeling weak.
His usually kind eyes had a hard look in them as they considered hers. “Can we talk?”
Clearing her throat, not trusting her wavering voice, Buttercup managed to choke out the words, “Just a minute.”
“I’ll wait outside.” Giving a nod but no smile, he left. She watched as he turned, opening the door without a sound and stepping out back.
Her hands shaking, Buttercup placed the glass down on the counter, fearful she would drop it. Placing both hands on the edge of the sink to support her weight, Buttercup looked at her reflection in the window above the sink, trying to gather herself.
A beautiful blonde came up beside her in the reflection of the glass. Jessica’s reassuring, motherlike hand smoothed down the flyaway hairs around Buttercup’s face. Releasing her hold on the sink, a shaky Buttercup turned to Jessica.
Jessica’s hands reached up to Buttercup’s cheeks. Her soft eyes locked on Buttercup’s. Holding Buttercup’s face in her hands for just a moment, Jessica asked, “Do you love him?”
She instantly whispered the word without thought, “Yes.”
“Then go to him, Buttercup. Jake is not Tom. Let him love you.”
The gentle words caused tears to spring up in Buttercup’s eyes but did not spill over.
Moving her hands to Buttercup’s shoulders, Jessica gave her a solemn look. “He is as patient as they come, but all men have their limits. He won’t chase you forever, Buttercup. Not if he thinks you don’t want him.”
Grasping Jessica in a tight hug, she gave her a grateful squeeze. Whispering a rushed, quiet, ‘thank you’, Buttercup rushed from the kitchen.
Jake was standing in the center of the yard, the moonlight shining over his dark hair. He was so tall and his shoulders so broad from the work he did, Buttercup almost found him to be intimidating. She slowed her gait, making her way hesitantly over to him.
Standing a few feet from where Jake stood, Buttercup looked up at him shyly, putting her shaking hands into the pockets of her short emerald and black checked dress. She did not know what to say so she continued to gaze into his warm eyes and waited for him to speak.
“Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
Speechless, Buttercup gave a shrug.
“Did I scare you, Buttercup?”
She shook her head. Nothing about him had scared her. It was the intensity of her feelings for him that had her avoiding his calls. Her fear of letting someone in and then getting hurt. But she could not put that into words. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, breaking his intense gaze.
Jake took a step towards her. He was close enough that if he reached out his arm he could touch her.
“You had your family lie for you, Buttercup. Telling me you weren’t here when I knew there was nowhere else you would be. I deserve at least an explanation. After our date—I thought it was...” Looking away and running his hands through his hair, Jake’s words trailed off.
“Magical?” the word was out before she had the chance to stop it.
A tiny light came into Jake’s eyes. “Yes, magical. So, why?”
Afraid she might cry if she spoke, she gave a shrug, feeling her throat tightening. She held his gaze.
The look in his eyes made her tremble as he took the last step to close the space that stretched between them. He reached out, stroking the side of her cheek, gently. The light touch made her shiver.
A small smile crossed his face, a knowing look came into his eyes at her reaction to the mere contact of his skin to hers.
His brown eyes considered hers. There was a warmth to his gaze but also something else. Hunger. Desire. “You’re just a baby, aren’t you? You don’t know what to do with yourself now that you’ve found love. So, you hide.”
“I’m a grown woman,” Buttercup managed to choke out. His hand did not leave her face.
Cutting her eyes to the ground, his words made her cheeks burn. She could no longer look at this man. She had not come here for this; her brother’s house was her escape. Her way out. Her place to end the string of unlucky in love. Of pain. Allowing yourself to love someone was a surefire way to get yourself hurt—badly.
The fingers trailed down her cheek, underneath her chin. The gentle pressure of his hand tilted her face upwards, forcing her eyes to meet his.
The hungry gaze was gone, replaced by a kindness. His touch dropped from her face, leaving a cold empty feeling there. “Just a baby that needs the tender love of a good man. The care of a man who loves her—deeply.”
Buttercup took in a gasp of breath. Love?
“How can you love me? You barely know me,” she whispered.
“You enchanted me from the moment you walked down the aisle of the barn, leaving that wedding ceremony. I just had this certain feeling when I was watching you walk down that aisle that one day you were going to walk down that aisle with me.”
“That was ten years ago,” she whispered.
“I’m a patient man.”
“You could have been married by now. Maybe had a couple of kids.”
“I dated—a bit. Nothing worked. But I had this feeling, a sixth sense almost. I knew that you would come back to Poke and the time would be right for us. I’ll admit, it took longer than I thought. A lot longer. But I got by with little snippets f
rom Ray whenever he had spoken to you. Then he told me you were in town and I knew my time had finally come.”
“That was a long time to wait. What if you are let down when you finally get what you thought you wanted?”
“I’ve had a taste of life with you and it was already better than I imagined. Buttercup, answer me one question and if the answer is no, I will leave you alone. Do you want what I am offering you?”
The night of the date over the best steak she had ever eaten, Jake had described to her the relationship he wanted. He had called it, ‘taking her in hand’. A power exchange if you will. One where the man is responsible for the protection and care of the woman, giving her his full and complete adoration and dedication. In return, the woman would submit her will to her man. And at times, submit herself to his discipline.
It was what she had always wanted. He was the man she had been yearning for.
It was now or never. She had to make the move. Learning to trust would be a difficult road, but Buttercup knew Jake would help her through. She would have to make a leap of faith. There was no other way, for she had never met a more beautiful man inside and out. Holding her breath, she stepped forward, towards her uncertain future.
His arms locked around her, holding her tightly to his chest. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he whispered, “There’s my girl.”
Grabbing her purse, Buttercup went to find Jessica.
Her eyes shone as Buttercup told her that she was on her way to Jake’s—to talk.
“You might want to stuff a magazine down the back of your tights if he does the kind of talking I think he is going to,” Jessica said.
“It’s not like that, we barely know each other,” Buttercup protested.
Putting a motherly hand on Buttercup’s shoulder, Jessica said, “Let me give you some advice, little lady. You always—I mean always, return the phone call of a spanking man. Dating or not. Which you totally are by the way.”
“Are what?” Ray entered the foyer, joining the conversation.
Texas Daddy Page 7