Kiss Me Cowboy (Cowboys of Crested Butte Book 3)

by Heather Slade

  “Where are you now?”

  “I’m at your house.”

  “I can come home.”

  Jace looked over at Lyric, who could obviously hear what Bree was saying. She nodded her head.

  “Okay. I’ll wait here for you.”

  “Jace…”

  “Yes?”

  “I told you before, if you’re only going to tell me that you’re in love with Blythe, I already know you are, and I don’t need to hear you say it.”

  “This has nothing to do with Blythe, except that it has something to do with Tucker. Otherwise, that’s the only connection.”

  20

  Jace was still pacing when he saw Bree’s car pull into the driveway. Even though it would be the second time he told this story today, he didn’t feel as though telling it again would be any easier.

  He had a glass of wine waiting on the counter for her. He knew, by the time he got through his story, she’d want a glass.

  “Hi,” she said when she walked in the back door. She looked as though she had been crying. Now might not be the best time to tell her his story, but he didn’t have a choice; he’d be gone tomorrow.

  “Should we sit down?” she asked.

  “Sure, if that’s what you’d like to do.”

  She sighed. “Jace, is it what you’d like to do?”

  “Uh, yeah. Let’s sit.”

  “What did you want to tell me?”

  “It’s about Tucker, but it’s also about me.”

  “Jace, I already told you—”

  “It isn’t about Blythe, so please, Bree, just let me talk.” He could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.

  She sat down on the couch in the living room, and he sat next to her.

  “When Tucker and I were in high school—no it was before that, a long time before that.”

  She folded her arms.

  “When we were in elementary school, we met a little girl named Rosa.” He scrubbed his hand over his face, wincing when he touched his nose.

  The story he continued was similar to the one Tucker told Blythe, although Jace had no way of knowing that.

  “When we got into high school, Rosa and I started talking to each other more. Sometimes she’d call me after she’d been out with Tucker. At first we were just friends, but the more we talked, the more she confided in me.”

  Bree turned so her back was up against the arm of the couch and brought her knees up.

  “Tucker wasn’t exactly pressuring her into having sex with him, and the truth was, it bothered her. She thought he wasn’t interested in her that way. I was quick to reassure her that he was.” Jace laughed nervously.

  “Go on.” Bree’s face was getting tighter and tighter the longer he talked. She looked as though she was giving herself a headache.

  “We spent a lot of time talking about sex, which was strange at first, but then it seemed like no big deal. She had a lot of questions, and I certainly had the answers.

  “In the beginning, it seemed like she wanted to be ready when Tucker was. After a while, I stopped thinking about her with Tucker—not that I ever thought about it, ya know—but I started thinking about her with me.”

  Jace took a deep breath. “One night, she suggested we meet. I don’t have any idea where Tucker was, maybe hangin’ with his buddies. Anyway, she asked if, instead of talking on the phone, we could talk in person. I knew it wasn’t a good idea, but I did it anyway.”

  She asked him to pick her up at a friend’s house so no one would see him or his car at her house, especially not her parents.

  “She was pretty aggressive. I mean, we didn’t have sex that night, but we came pretty close.”

  They started to make arrangements to see each other more often, and each time they did, they went a little further. When they weren’t together, they talked on the phone. Rosa told him she felt as though she could talk to him in a way she’d never felt comfortable talking to Tucker.

  “My ego got the best of me, that’s for sure. Tuck and I competed over everything. We were always trying to outdo each other. Skiing, riding—everything. She said all the right stuff, that I excited her more than he did, that I was easier to talk to, that I understood her better than he did. I ate it up, every word.

  “When we started our senior year of high school, I started pressuring her to break up with Tucker. I didn’t think he was that serious about her, especially since she told me their relationship wasn’t physical.”

  Bree got up to get another glass of wine. Jace followed and pulled another beer out for himself.

  “Want something stronger?” she asked.

  He wasn’t sure if she was serious or being bitchy. “No thanks. Beer’s good.”

  When she went back into the living room, he followed. He thought she might sit in one of the chairs, but she didn’t. She sat back on the couch where she’d been before. This time, she covered herself with the throw that was draped over the back.

  “Are you cold? Do you want me to light a fire?”

  “A fire would be nice. Thanks.”

  “So where was I?” he asked after the fire was lit.

  “Senior year.”

  “Yeah, anyway, I wanted her to break up with Tuck. I figured, after some time had passed, I’d tell him I was interested in her, and then she and I would start seeing each other in public.”

  The more Jace pressured her, the more anxious she became about it. She told him she was afraid Tucker would be angry. He kept telling her he thought she was wrong, but the truth was, she hadn’t been honest about what was happening between her and Tuck.

  “It got to the point where I was the one who was angry. I started asking her if she was sleeping with both me and my brother, which she insisted she wasn’t.

  “What she didn’t tell me was that Tuck had started talking about the two of them getting married. It wasn’t until I overheard Tuck talking to our dad about it, the night before Thanksgiving, that I realized how serious he was.

  “I called Rosa while Tuck was still talking to my parents, and I gotta tell you, I was pissed. She kept saying she was afraid to tell him. In hindsight, I should have told him myself.”

  “In hindsight, maybe you shouldn’t have gotten involved with your brother’s girlfriend.”

  “In hindsight, I should become a monk or somethin’,” he laughed. Bree didn’t.

  “Anyway, Tucker was spending Thanksgiving with her family, which was another thing I was mad as hell about.”

  Rosa called Jace after Tucker left their house, and told him how upset he’d been after talking with her father. She begged Jace to meet her. It hadn’t been easy to come up with a reason for him to leave on Thanksgiving, but he managed. There was a creek that ran behind her house, and they’d been meeting there when the weather was nice enough. It was warm that day, so that’s where they met.

  “It took her quite a while to talk down my mad. Even then, I felt as though Rosa was playin’ us. I had decided to end things with her myself, and I guess she sensed it, because she started begging me not to break up with her, tellin’ me how much she loved me, and all that. I was walkin’ her up to the house, and she wrapped herself around me. She was kissin’ me like her life depended on it when we saw somebody drive up to the house. We were far enough away that whoever it was couldn’t see us, but she was quick to realize it was Tucker’s truck.

  “She went running up to him, begging him to listen to her. My heart was breakin’, I gotta tell you. When I heard her scream for him to wait, and then got in his truck, I realized she loved him all along, and that she’d been lying to me. Maybe it was worse than that. Maybe she didn’t love either one of us.”

  Bree was still huddled under the blanket, but her face had softened.

  “Tucker told me bits and pieces about what he remembered of the accident. He also told me that she’d been trying to tell him that she was in love with someone else.

  “That near broke my heart. That she’d been trying to tell him. The
other thing he said was that she hadn’t told him who it was before he lost control of the truck and it rolled. She was killed on impact, and Tuck was in pretty bad shape.”

  Jace wiped at his tears. Bree reached out from under the blanket and put her hand on his arm.

  “After Tucker recovered, things got worse.”

  Jace told her that Tucker was hell-bent on finding who the other guy was, and that everyone believed, if he found him, he’d kill him. He’d never seen Tucker act that way, and worse, he could feel the rage inside his brother. There was sadness too—they were both feeling it—but Tucker didn’t know how much of the sadness was Jace’s.

  “I never told anyone it was me. No one. Until today, I never told anyone any of it.”

  “I’m the first person you told this story?”

  “No, I gotta be honest. You’re not.”

  “Did you tell Blythe?”

  “God, no. It wouldn’t be my place to tell Blythe.”

  He told her that, when he woke up before dawn, he could feel Tucker’s anguish, and that was why he got up and left. He told her about meeting up with Tucker at the scene of his accident—the one with Blythe—and how the pieces fell into place.

  “Tucker realized it was me that night. That’s why I look the way I do. I tried to get him to talk to me, but he wasn’t havin’ any part of it. I guess beatin’ the shit outta me was more what he was after.”

  “Can you blame him?”

  “No. Can’t say I do.”

  “Now what?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t know what’s goin’ on with him and Blythe. I don’t know if he’ll ever want to talk to me again. I don’t know nothin’ about nothin’.”

  “And you told me because you want me to find out for you.”

  “No, that isn’t why I told you. Jesus, Bree. You know, I already think I’m the worst guy in the world. I don’t need you or anybody else makin’ it worse. You think the only reason I told you this story was so you could get information for me?”

  “Well, why did you tell me?”

  “Fuck…I don’t know. I had to, that’s all I know. Somethin’ inside me was sayin’ that I had to be the one to tell you. ’Cause even if you don’t believe me, your opinion means somethin’ to me.”

  “Who was the other person?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said that I wasn’t the first person you told this story to today. Who was?”

  “Lyric.”

  “I see.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “But you don’t want either of us to talk to Blythe, or Tucker, right?”

  “That’s what we’re back to; you thinkin’ the worst possible thing you can about me. That I spilled my guts to you so you’d help me with my brother.”

  “You have to admit it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “No, I don’t have to admit that. Not at all. I told you because I care what you think.”

  “You care what Lyric thinks, too?”

  “Not in the same way, no.”

  “Then why did you tell her?”

  “Because I was scared. Okay? I’ve never told anyone this, Bree. No one. I carried this secret around with me for the last seven years. When Tuck was so messed up over Blythe and disappeared, I knew I had to step in and take care of her, because I owed him. I owe him everything.”

  “And because you love her.”

  “I don’t know that I do. As long as I’m tellin’ the truth about everything. That’s the truth about Blythe. I don’t know that I love her. And you wanna know why not?”

  “I’m afraid to ask,” she smirked.

  “You think this is funny?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s funny. Go on.”

  “Forget it.”

  “No, I want to hear this. Why don’t you think you’re in love with my sister anymore?”

  “Because of you.”

  “Jace, if I’ve led you to believe—”

  “Believe that you have any feelings for me other than hatred? Nah, you haven’t, Bree. You’ve made your feelings clear, especially in the last few minutes.”

  He stood.

  “Where are you going? Do you want another beer?”

  “No, thanks. It’s time for me to go. It was important to me that I tell you my tragic story, and now that I have, there isn’t any reason for me to stay.”

  “Wait. Listen, I’m sorry. It’s a lot to take in. You can’t blame me for wondering about your motives.”

  “That’s it.” Jace turned and walked out through the kitchen, slamming the back door behind him.

  Blythe was running her fingers through Tucker’s hair when he woke up. They were facing each other, so close she could feel his breath on her face.

  “Guess I nodded off.”

  “You were exhausted.”

  “Is everything okay, Blythe?”

  “Everything’s okay with me, but, Tucker, I have to ask. What happened with you and Jace today?”

  “It was him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He was the other man. Rosa was in love with Jace.”

  “No!”

  “Now you understand why I never want to hear my brother’s name again.”

  “Oh, Tucker. I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You didn’t have any idea?”

  “None, whatsoever. I was blindsided.”

  “He told you? Outright?”

  “No, not exactly. We were talking about how I felt then. I told him I wasn’t sure whether I ever loved Rosa. I was trying to sort through my feelings. I buried them for so long, when they came to the surface I wondered if I’d made more of it back then than it was.”

  “What did Jace say?”

  “He said he couldn’t tell. When I asked him if he remembered, he said he couldn’t tell whether I loved her or not, because he couldn’t differentiate his feelings from mine. That’s when I figured it out. It all came together. It was him. That’s why Rosa’s brother said we looked alike. He was playing with me, trying to bait me. Because we did look alike, exactly alike.”

  “Why didn’t he tell you?”

  “He’s a bastard, that’s why. You accused me once of playing games with you. In fact, I think you accused me more than once. It was never me, darlin’. You were getting ol’ Jace and me confused. He’s the game player, not me. He always has been.”

  Blythe wanted to tell Tucker she didn’t believe it. She’d never believe that it was that simple. Jace had been willing to do anything for her and the baby, and that included giving up his own chance at love. She couldn’t believe the man Tucker was talking about was the same man she knew.

  Tucker was hurt, and had every right to be. But he was oversimplifying what happened. If Rosa told Tucker she was in love with this other person, there had to be more to it.

  “Had she told you she loved you?”

  Tucker closed his eyes tightly. She wasn’t sure he was going to answer. “Yes. Of course, she did.”

  “And were you intimate?”

  “Yeah, we were.”

  “Do you think she and Jace—”

  “I can’t think about that. As it is, I never want to see him again. If I start to think about him and Rosa together, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it.”

  Blythe gathered him close and held on tight. “I love you, Tucker.”

  “I know you do. And I love you. Those are the only two things I’m absolutely certain of right now. Everything else seems like a clusterfuck to me.”

  21

  “I don’t understand,” Lyric said to Blythe.

  “He left. He told Bree what happened, and then he left.”

  “Nobody’s seen him?”

  “Renie says not to worry. She’s sure Billy’s talked to him. They’re scheduled to ride in Kansas City next weekend. Maybe he’s taking a few days to get his head out of what’s going on here and back into rodeo.”

  “What
about his parents?”

  “No idea, Lyric. I’m telling you what I know.”

  Blythe thought it was odd that her friend was reacting the way she was. If anyone was a free spirit who traveled whichever way the wind blew, it was Lyric. Jace needed some time, that’s all. Blythe wasn’t worried about him as much as she worried about his relationship with Tucker.

  “How are you feeling? Ready to work?”

  “You know it. I’ll go crazy doing nothing between now and when the baby’s born.”

  “Where’s Tucker?”

  “Looking at houses.”

  “That was quick.”

  “I guess when you know, you know. And we know.”

  “Ha! Yeah, that sounds ’bout right.”

  “What’s crazy is, my dad is with him.”

  “What kinda houses they lookin’ at?”

  “I have no idea, to tell you the truth. But Tucker is an artist, so it’ll be interesting to see what appeals to him.”

  “Before I forget, I gotta go out of town again soon, like tomorrow.”

  “Business?”

  “No, but I sure wish it was.”

  “What, then?”

  “It’s my brother. I’ve told you about him, right? Bullet?”

  “You’ve mentioned him a couple of times. What’s goin’ on?”

  “He’s a hot mess. In a huge custody fight with his daughter’s mama, got another one on the way.”

  “Why is she in a custody fight with him if they’re having another baby?”

  “The other baby isn’t with her. It’s with a different woman, which is what’s behind the custody fight.”

  “Oh.”

  “You think things are complicated in your lives, wait ’til you hear more about mine, or my brother’s. I don’t have time for my life to be complicated.”

  “Your brother would probably think our lives are more complicated than his.”

  “Yeah, ’bout right, I guess. Anyway, I’m sorry to be leavin’ again, but I got everything mapped out for ya.”

  Lyric went over a list of upcoming rodeos with Blythe who then researched websites to see who would be posting scores in real time and who wouldn’t. Lyric also gave Blythe a list of contacts she could text for results at the smaller rodeos.