Southern Charm : A BWWM Cowboy Romance

by Tiana Cole

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I thought the worst,” she shook her head.

  “I know you did and I don’t understand that. I am obviously doing something wrong if you believed I would have done something like that to you intentionally,” he told her.

  “No. It is not you. It was just me.”

  “This guy you are eating breakfast with, is there anything I need to know there?” he asked, a reluctant tone in his voice.

  “No. I crashed in his guest room last night. He is an old boyfriend and now just a friend, and nothing happened,” she replied.

  “Why did you go to him? Did you want something to happen? Do you still have feelings for him?” he asked, his eyes dark. She could see the jealousy behind them and had to admit it felt good to see it since he usually exhibited no signs of it.

  “No, not at all. I just couldn’t find anyone else at home and needed someplace to be where I could talk to someone. I knew he would tell me the truth,” she said.

  “And what is the truth?” he replied.

  “The truth is that I’m hopelessly in love with you and want to spend my life with you, but I’m a stubborn, jaded woman. I’ve been in bad relationships that left me wondering why I didn’t see the signs and how I could have been so stupid. So, instead of addressing the thing with the ring like an adult, I ran away as fast as I could to try to avoid the pain,” she told him.

  “How did that work out for you?” he asked.

  “Not at all,” she said, looking into his eyes. "You are a part of me and leaving you was like ripping out a vital organ.”

  “The one that pumps life into the rest of you?”

  “Yes, that one,” she nodded.

  “I can relate. I think mine stopped for a while after you left. The last time I felt that much pain was when . . . well, a long time ago,” his words trailed off, and Cecilia felt a pang of regret as she realized what he had been talking about.

  “Jack, why can’t you say it?” she asked

  “Say what?” he asked, as if he had no clue what she was referring to. Perhaps he didn’t. Maybe he had been cutting off that thought for so long that it didn’t really occur to him that he was even doing it.

  “Your parents died, Jack. You never say the words. Why is it still so hard?”

  “I can’t have that conversation sitting at this table,” he told her quietly.

  “Speaking of this table, how did you find me?”

  “You sent me a text message to come here. When I walked up, I was shocked to find you with another guy,” he said. Cecilia laughed.

  “I didn’t text you, that other guy did,” she said, casting a glance toward Ty, who sat drinking coffee and looking in her direction from across the rooftop. He must have sent a message to Jack before she got out of bed. She held up her glass in his direction as a silent thank you and he nodded quietly. A few moments later, he paid his check and disappeared down the stairs from the rooftop.

  “Sounds like he is a friend to both of us,” Jack replied.

  “It would seem so,” she said.

  “Come on and we will get out of here. I know a quieter place to have breakfast,” he said.

  “My car and things are at Ty’s place,” she replied.

  “I’ll send Tommy after them. He owes me for creating this huge mess,” he told her. “Right now, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  The two of them made their way down to his truck and returned to the ranch, where he made them breakfast. Rather than sitting at the breakfast bar, Cecilia set the small table out on the patio and they ate out there, enjoying the morning dew as the rapidly ascending sun dried it up from the surrounding tree leaves and blades of grass.

  Jack sat their plates down and took a few bites of his food, drinking some of the orange juice she had poured for them before he began to speak.

  “I didn’t grow up here. My parents and I lived on a canal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I loved the water. I spent all my time there kayaking, windsurfing . . . fishing. When I was in my early teens, my father bought me a used sailboat. It was my pride and joy. I worked on it constantly. My mother would have to make me come in at night. I loved it,” he said.

  “I never fancied you a sailor,” Cecilia laughed.

  “I know. Not many places to set sail in this landlocked state,” he said.

  “Not unless you want to go from one end of a pond to the other,” she replied.

  “I don’t,” he said sadly. “Anyway, I finally got the damned thing up and going and was able to spend my days sailing around the bay instead of just sitting in the canal patching things up. I was so excited and I wanted to show my parents how good I was at it. So, one Saturday, I invited them to go out with me for the day. The sun was shining and they were so thrilled.

  I still remember their smiling faces as they stepped on the boat. Mom had packed a little lunch for us all and we headed off into the bay,” he said.

  “It sounds like a wonderful memory,” she replied.

  “It was, at first. We were out in the middle of the bay when the boat sprang a leak. I started trying to get us back to shore while Dad bailed the water out of the boat. We weren’t far off shore, so I headed straight in for it. I wasn’t paying attention and when I looked up, I saw that I had steered directly into the path of a large speedboat. I screamed for my parents to jump, but it was too late. I got off right before it struck. They didn’t,” he said, tears beginning to run down his face.

  “Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry,” she replied, suddenly understanding why it was a story he had never told her before. It must have been a horrific memory for him.

  “I killed them, Cecilia. I killed my parents,” he sobbed.

  “Oh, Jack. No you didn’t. It was an accident. There was no way you could have known any of it would happen and you were a kid. You were doing the best you could to save them,” she said.

  “No. I had no business having them out on that boat before it was completely ready and I was better at navigating it,” he told her. “My only family after they died was my grandfather. I had only spent limited time with my mother here visiting him before she died, but I was sent to live with him once she was gone and he was a good man. He did everything he could to help me through it.

  “Jack, you can’t blame yourself for something like that,” she replied.

  “Yes, I can. I blame myself for that and I blame myself for Barbara.”

  “Barbara?” she asked, wondering how she played into things.

  “Yes. When her parents were killed, I couldn’t be there for her. It brought back so many bad memories that I had to shut it out and I shut out her pain in the process. She coped instead by drinking, and eventually that got out of control. By the time I tried to be there for her, it was too late. There was no coming back for her and when I saw that she couldn’t be saved, I abandoned her again,” he said.

  “That is why you never enforced the restraining order,” Cecilia said softly. He nodded quietly.

  “Oh, Jack. You can’t carry around all this guilt. It is eating you up inside. You have to let it go and move on with your life,” she told him.

  “I was trying. I resisted my feelings for you at first. I was afraid I would only fail you like I did my parents and Barbara. I was afraid that you would hurt me and I wasn’t sure how much more of that I could stand either. It was only after almost losing you that I began to see how little the potential for hurt was compared to how I felt watching you every day and not being able to tell you how I felt,” he said.

  “I’m here now, Jack. I’m here and I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. If you don’t want to be on this ranch, then you don’t have to be. I know you feel an obligation to the people who work here, but you could sell it and let the new owner keep them on. It’s not like the person who bought it wouldn’t need ranch hands too, and the ones already here are already well trained and acquainted with the daily activities and layout,” she told him.

  “I don’t know where else I wo
uld go, or what else I would do,” he replied.

  “Well, perhaps you should think about that and maybe it will come to you,” she said softly.

  Jack nodded quietly, leaning forward to kiss her before leaning back in his chair. He seemed more relaxed somehow, still terribly sad but at least a bit better for having gotten it off his chest and out in the open. After breakfast they cleared away the dishes and began the rest of their lives together.

  The following May, the ranch was filled with the people they both knew and loved. Cecilia’s heart raced as her mother adjusted her veil and did a final check over the dress she had chosen to wear down the aisle.

  It was an ivory lace dress that had been perfectly tailored to her curves and she felt amazing in it. With it, she wore Eleanor Mayhew’s engagement ring and a new strand of pearls she had purchased to match the pearl earrings borrowed from her own mother. A satin garter with blue ribbing adorned her leg beneath her wedding dress.

  She waited anxiously for the music to begin before stepping out from behind the makeshift curtain that had been erected to hide her from the groom until the time came for her to walk down the aisle. Ty stood waiting just outside of it, ready to walk down the aisle with her in place of a father she had lost as a small girl. He smiled at her as she stepped out and took his arm.

  “This isn’t exactly how I pictured your wedding day,” he whispered as they slowly made their way down the aisle. “I left my car running if you decide to make a break for it at the last minute.”

  “Very funny, Ty. Thank you for walking me down the aisle. It means the world to me. I guess it is odd to have an ex escort me, but if not for you, I might not be here,” she said quietly, never taking her eyes off of Jack. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo.

  “You would have figured it out. I just forced you to do it a little faster,” he whispered back.

  “Thank you for that,” she said with a smile as he handed her off to Jack at the end of the aisle. Jack nodded and smiled at him as Ty took a seat in a chair on the front row between his girlfriend and Cecilia’s mother.

  Cecilia and Jack stood before the minister and said their vows, stumbling over words and nervous with anticipation, but blissfully happy to finally become man and wife.

  Afterwards, the guests tossed rice at them as they rushed back down the aisle and off to change for the reception, which consisted of a traditional ranch barbecue with a few additions like wedding cake and a live band. Returning a short time later, they joined their friends and family in celebrating their new nuptials together with their first dance. Jack was met with an extended hand as they stepped off the floor after several more dances that followed.

  “Congratulations, Jack. Your parents and your grandfather would have been so happy for you,” the man told him.

  “Thank you, Mr. Johnston. I trust that you and the Mrs. will enjoy your new ranch as much as I have over the years. I want to thank you, too, for allowing us to have our wedding and reception here even though it is yours now,” Jack told him.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ll take good care of her, son,” Mr. Johnston told him as he was joined by Mrs. Johnston, who had been more than happy to cater the entire affair for them.

  “I’ll be back from time to time to get a plate of Mom’s pot roast,” Jack told her.

  “Well, you are always welcome, though I suspect you won’t have to go so far to get it as that,” Mrs. Johnston replied. Jack looked at her curiously as she pulled a recipe card from her pocket and handed it to Cecilia. Glancing at it, Cecilia could see that it was a recipe card with the initials E.M. stamped on it and handwritten directions for making “Mayhew Sunday Pot Roast.”

  “That’s the original recipe,” Jack said.

  “Yes. I don’t need it anymore. After all this time, it is committed to memory, and I won’t be handing it down to anyone other than Cecilia when the restaurant closes.

  I hope the two of you find just as much happiness together as your parents found with one another and you, Jack. They loved you with all their hearts, and would be so proud of you if they could see you now,” she said.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Johnston. Thank you for both for everything,” Cecilia told her, filling in for the words that she knew Jack was having a hard time saying at the moment.

  They all returned to the festivities, enjoying being in the place where they had fallen in love one last time. The house was already packed and everything they owned other than a few suitcases were on their way to their new home.

  Today, they had not a single care in the world. They were each content to just enjoy the day and one another as they sipped champagne and laughed with the friends they soon would leave behind.

  Cecilia was surprised when she saw a late guest arrive, running towards Jack and pulling him into a hug. Jack soon joined her, slapping him on the back and telling him how happy he was that he made it.

  “I’m sorry I missed the wedding. I got hung up in traffic and was lucky to even get here by now, but I couldn’t miss saying congratulations and telling the two of you goodbye,” Steve told them.

  “You look fantastic,” Cecilia told him.

  “Thanks. I think the distance and the time away has done me some good,” he said.

  “Is this the first time you’ve been back?” Jack asked.

  “Yes. Barbara was sent down to the women’s facility in Alabama, so most of my travel time is dedicated to visiting her down there,” he said, seeming a bit apologetic about even mentioning her if the flush on his face was an indication.

  “How is she doing?” Cecilia asked, genuinely concerned now that she understood a bit more about how Barbara had fallen apart.

  “She’s good. I think being in prison has helped her in some ways. They have her in programs to help cope with her recovery from the alcoholism, and she's on medication to help with her imbalance. She is going to be okay,” he said.

  “That’s great,” Jack replied. “I’m really glad to hear it. Now, come on, you’ve had a long trip. Let’s get you some food and something to drink!"

  Hours later, they were in a car headed toward the airport and a tropical paradise that would signify the end of one life and the beginning of a new one for the two of them. By this time next week, they would be back on the coast of Florida, living along the same canal where Jack had grown up. She had questioned his desire to return there, afraid of the bad memories it might bring for him, but then she realized that he needed to own them, needed to get past them, and, in some way, starting a new life where he had left one behind might be just the continuation he needed to finally help him find some peace. Hopefully, they were doing the right thing. Only time would tell as they set off on their first adventure as man and wife.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading !

  And if you have time for one more...

  Turn the page to read: "The Billionaire's Secret Child"

  The Billionaire's Secret Child

  Libby wants nothing more than to become a mom. It's all she thinks about. But her obsession with becoming pregnant is less than a bonding experience for her and her husband. After he walks out, a wild and sexy night with a perfect stranger seems like just the tonic to pull Libby out of the major rut she is in.

  it's meant to be nothing more than a hot and steamy one night stand. Fun freeing and meaningless. Until she discovers that the sexy stranger is her future boss, CEO, Joshua Fieldman. When he doesn't recognize her, she is faced with a dilemma: reveal her secret or keep it to herself.

  But Joshua has a secret of his own. When feelings get involved and secrets are revealed, will they ever have more than the memory of a night of hot sex?

  Chapter 1

  I had no idea where Mark was. I'd sent him three texts. He answered the first one saying, “On my way,” but I'd been home an hour and still there was no sign of him. I was in my nightdress, sitting up in bed and biting my finger nails. Mark knew better than anyone, if my temperature was right and the ovulatio
n indicator said, 'yes' then we had to have sex. Simple. But where the hell was he?

  I dialed his number. It went straight to his voice mail. I curled my hands up into fists letting my fingernails bite into my palms.

  “Where are you, Mark?” I said. “We're going to miss a perfectly good window of opportunity!”

  About half an hour later, I heard his key in the door. I had already taken off my panties so I lay on my back and dropped my knees open. All he needed to do was unzip his pants and get straight in. Time was of the essence. Sex had become more of a business transaction between us and I couldn’t be bothered with silly things like getting in the mood.

  Mark put his head around the bedroom door.

  “Jesus, Libby. What's wrong with a bit of foreplay?”

  “Mark, I just took my temperature and we need to do this now.”

  He walked slowly to the bed, undoing his tie and looking at my open legs. He took off his jacket while peeling off his shoes with the toe of each foot. I looked up at the ceiling trying not to sigh too loudly at the amount of time he was taking. Then I heard the zipper of his pants undo. Finally, I thought to myself, and propped up my pelvis to give him better access.

  He wasn't quite hard enough so I got on my knees and wrapped my hand around the base of his cock and started rubbing up to the tip while cupping his balls with the other hand. I felt it growing hard in my hands and pulled him towards me while still rubbing him and fell onto my back.

  Without a word from either of us, I dropped my knees open, tilted my pelvis and pulled his erect cock inside me. He started thrusting in a halfhearted way so I wrapped my legs around his waist and started bucking up and down for all I was worth. A quick look out of the side of my eye and I caught the little red patches on Mark's temples that told me he was coming and I closed my eyes and let him thrust at his own pace.

  He was breathing heavily into my neck as I stroked his hair while thinking, in a few seconds I might be pregnant.