A Cowboy, a Bride & a Wedding Vow

by Shirley Rogers

  But he’d hurt her once before. She wasn’t going to let him hurt her again. She’d trusted him then, and he’d broken her heart.

  “I’d like to talk to Matthew about this.” She didn’t want to do anything, make any decisions, without first discussing them with her son. “If I say yes, and that’s a big if, when do you think you could take us to the airport?”

  “I’ve got some work here at the ranch that’s going to keep me busy most of the morning,” Jake explained. “I’ll be free this afternoon.”

  “Will we be able to get across the bridge?”

  “The bridge won’t be a problem,” he told her, then shifted his gaze to the window. “I have a small airplane. I’ll fly you home.”

  Catherine’s mouth dropped open. “What?” Irritation swept through her, and she advanced on him. “You mean to tell me that you could have taken me and Matthew home before now?” she demanded.

  Jake had the decency to flush just a bit. He put his hands up in defense, as if he thought she was going to hit him.

  “No, I’m not saying that—”

  “Are you going to stand there and tell me you couldn’t have?” Her cheeks were red, her face hot. At that moment, Catherine very much wanted to smack him. To keep from doing so, she rested her hands on her hips. Anger radiated from her.

  “It’s not as if I knew what the weather was going to do,” Jake said in his own defense. “Just because the storms cleared here didn’t mean it was okay to fly. I called for a weather report and flying conditions just a few minutes ago.”

  Catherine made a sound of disgust. “Like you couldn’t have done that yesterday,” she accused. “Get out of here, Jake.”

  “Catie—”

  “Out!” Her temper simmering, Catherine pointed toward the door.

  Jake, apparently not realizing what a mistake he was making, cracked the bare resemblance of a smile. “I’m going.” He backed away quickly, then paused at the door. “Let me know when you’re ready to go.”

  “Out!” Catherine shouted, fuming. She put her hands on his back and gave him a shove as he was moving toward the door. Then she slammed it behind him, closing herself in the room.

  She couldn’t get over how easily she’d accepted the news that she was stuck on the ranch. She’d believed Jake when he said they wouldn’t be able to cross the bridge, and all along he had a way to take her and Matthew home.

  She had a mind to grab Matthew and go back to her original plan to escape on her own. Damn Jake McCall. He certainly had proved to her that he couldn’t be trusted.

  And that pretty much meant that she was going to have to stay on the ranch for the summer if she allowed Matthew to stay. She wasn’t going to trust Jake not to turn her son against her.

  Catherine couldn’t believe she was in this mess. She had herself to blame, of course. She wished she’d been in tune with Matthew. She should have realized that he was unhappy. And she should have told him the truth about his father a long time ago. Maybe she should have tried a couple of times over the years to contact Jake.

  No, this situation was not her fault. It was Jake’s, and she was going to keep reminding herself of that. She was going to keep it bottled inside, feed on it and use it as a weapon to keep her wits about her when dealing with Jake.

  He’d just proved to her again that he couldn’t be trusted.

  After a heart-to-heart talk with Matthew, Catherine finally agreed to let him stay on the ranch for the summer, on the condition that she remain there also.

  Matthew was ecstatic. He’d even insisted that he didn’t want to go home and pack his things. He’d begged Catherine to do it for him, and she’d finally relented and agreed, because it was such an easy thing to do to please her son.

  She hadn’t, however, thought about the fact that it would mean traveling alone with Jake. She also hadn’t thought that it would mean spending a couple of days alone with Jake as she packed.

  And most of all, she hadn’t realized that she and Jake would be sharing her small condo together.

  Alone.

  “It really isn’t necessary for you to stay,” she told Jake as he extended his hand to her. They’d arrived in Lubbock in the afternoon, and Jake had pulled the plane up to a hangar.

  Jake sent her an exasperated look. They’d had this conversation before, of course, but she was determined to give it one more try as he opened the door to the plane.

  “You’re not going to be able to move everything on your own.” She’d finally agreed to live on the ranch for the summer. Which meant that for now, Matthew was living with Jake. It appeared to her that Jake didn’t want her to get cold feet once she got back home, and the only way he could be sure she wouldn’t was to go with her and stay while she packed.

  “I can rent a van or something,” she said once again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. She was learning that Jake was a very determined man.

  Catherine shivered as Jake helped her step down.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “A bit,” Catherine admitted, her feet finally on firm ground. The recent rain had brought with it a cold front, the temperature dropping lower than normal for this time of year.

  Jake shrugged out of his jacket and put it around her, then told her to put her arms in the sleeves. Catherine obeyed and was enveloped by his scent. The coat was still warm from the heat of his body, and a feeling of longing slipped over her.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, trying not to respond to his nearness or the sensation of desire that pulled at her every time she was close to him.

  “No problem.”

  Jake got her bag from inside the plane, as well as one of his own. He started them toward the terminal of the airport.

  “It’ll take me a few minutes to rent a truck,” he told her, carrying both of their bags.

  “My car is already parked here. We can use it,” she informed him.

  “What kind of car do you drive?”

  She told him the make and model of her compact car, and he gave a little laugh. “We’ll need something bigger to transport the boxes back to the airport. I figure I’ll have to make a few trips. I’m not going to try and fit everything in a small foreign-model car.”

  “Are you deliberately trying to bait me?” Catherine asked, stopping and staring at him.

  Jake stared back at her, determined not to smile. He did like getting a rise out of her, he realized. “Not at all. I’ve just never seen a woman who didn’t pack more than she needed,” he replied, then took her by the arm and steered her in the direction he was heading.

  Catherine shook free of his grasp, which earned her a slight grin from Jake. That look, sexy and inviting, fueled her annoyance even as it tripped her heart. She wasn’t going to let him push her around.

  After Jake rented a large sport utility vehicle, Catherine led the way to her home in her car. Twenty minutes later they both pulled in the driveway, Jake stopping right behind her.

  At that moment Catherine would have given anything if she could have avoided going inside. Just thinking about being alone with Jake was enough to unnerve her. Unable to avoid it, she stepped out of her car.

  Jake followed her to the door. Catherine lived in a neat neighborhood, with a number of condos matching her own. They were well kept, with shrubs and small flower gardens adorning them.

  Catherine used her key to let herself in, then turned to admit Jake before closing the door. She switched a light on, illuminating the small foyer, as well as the living room and small dining area.

  It felt strange allowing him into her world, to share her personal space with him. Funny that, after all the years of thinking about him and wondering if she’d ever see him again, she never once imagined him standing in her home.

  He was so big that he seemed to fill the room, closing it in, making it seem even smaller than it truly was. Wanting to distance herself, Catherine moved away, then switched on a couple more lights.

  “Should I make some coffee?” she asked, d
oing her best not to look at him. She glanced at her watch, then added, “I imagine you’re hungry. I don’t have any idea what there is here to eat.” She moved about her small kitchen, opening the refrigerator door and examining its contents.

  “How about if I go get some hamburgers? While I’m out, I’ll try to pick up a few boxes,” Jake said. He dropped their bags to the floor, then followed her into the kitchen.

  “That’s a great idea,” Catherine agreed as she continued to study the contents of the refrigerator, thinking it would be a relief to have him out of her home, even if it was for a short while.

  Jake hadn’t been back to Lubbock since the day he left, and old memories were taunting him. At his home he’d been able to distance himself somewhat from Catie and the feelings she evoked in him.

  He was still plenty upset with her, and there was no forgiveness in his heart for her keeping his son from him. There was still the matter of the letter that needed to be cleared up.

  The trouble was, Jake hadn’t expected to be so attracted to Catie after all these years. He was annoyed at himself for the way he couldn’t take his eyes off her backside as she bent over looking in the refrigerator. He resisted the urge to put his hands on her and pull her against him.

  She turned around and looked at him then, her eyes connecting with his. Looking uneasy, she walked across the room and brushed by him. “Let me show you where you can sleep tonight.”

  She started to grab her bag, but Jake got there first and picked them both up. Catherine led the way up the narrow staircase to the second floor. Each room had a separate bath, which she was very thankful for. At least in her home she wouldn’t have to share a bathroom with him.

  She opened the door to the right, which led to her room. There were beige Priscilla curtains on the windows, and the room was decorated in soft colors of mauve and teal.

  “I think it would be best if you slept in here. The bed is bigger, and you’ll be more comfortable.” Heavens, Catherine thought, Jake sleeping in her bed. Just the thought made her heart turn over with a little thump.

  “This is your room,” Jake surmised.

  “Yes,” Catherine answered, turning to look at Jake.

  “I’m not sleeping in your bed,” he said abruptly. The thought crossed his mind that sleeping with her in her bed would be quite an adventure. He hadn’t been with her in nearly thirteen years, hadn’t fallen asleep with her in his arms in what felt like a lifetime. He wondered if she still awakened slowly, the way dawn breaks into a new day.

  The implications of his words hung between them. Catherine shifted her feet, wondering what he was thinking. Was he remembering the nights they’d slept in each other’s arms?

  “Oh, but—”

  “Matt’s bed will be fine,” Jake told her, noticing her slight flush and how her green eyes widened. He set her bag on the floor just inside the room.

  Catherine started to argue, then changed her mind. She turned around and opened Matthew’s door across the hall, not knowing what to expect. His room was fairly neat for an adolescent, his bed unmade, though, and a few of his clothes were strewn across the floor.

  Catherine quickly began straightening up, flitting about the room, moving from one place to another to avoid having to turn and face Jake.

  “The bed’s a double.” She indicated the obvious with a toss of her hand.

  “It’ll be fine,” Jake assured her. He came into the room, then dropped his bag on a chair.

  “All right, then.” Catherine opened the door on the left. “The bathroom is here. There’s also one downstairs, just outside the kitchen. I’ll get you some clean sheets.” She rushed out of the room, then returned with a stack of folded linens in her arms.

  She started to strip the bed. As she leaned over, Jake’s gaze once again rested on her rear. Her hips moved and swayed as she struggled to get the sheet off one corner of the mattress. Jake nearly groaned watching the process, then damned himself for it.

  “I can do that,” Jake said curtly, moving beside her and freeing the sheet with one hand. Catherine stepped back as he gathered the sheets up in his hands.

  She took them from him. “Um, I’ll just go freshen up, then meet you downstairs,” she said, backing away. Then she turned and rushed into her own room. She deposited the laundry in the hamper, then ran a brush through her hair. Downstairs a door slammed, and she drew a breath of relief, ready to enjoy a few minutes without Jake’s presence.

  This was going to be difficult, she told herself. Catherine hadn’t expected to feel a sexual attraction to Jake once she saw him again. He’d hurt her, shown he couldn’t be trusted. But those things were at complete odds with the feelings he evoked in her.

  Catherine turned off her bedroom light, then went downstairs. She decided to use the time she had alone to call Douglas. She played the messages left in her absence. There was one from a co-worker and one from her neighbor, but Douglas hadn’t called.

  Catherine wasn’t really surprised. She dialed his number, wondering if he’d be home. She prayed he was. She didn’t want to have this discussion in front of Jake. Douglas surprised her by answering on the first ring.

  “It’s Catherine,” she said, noticing that he seemed rushed.

  “Catherine, hi. I was wondering when you’d get back. You just caught me. I was on my way out.”

  “I arrived home a few minutes ago,” she told him. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you while I was gone.” She hesitated, hating what she had to say over the telephone, but seeing no way out of it. “Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you. I’m sorry to do this now, but I’m not going to have time to see you.”

  Catherine explained about the last two days and what had occurred as briefly as possible. “This is a terrible way to do this, Douglas, but I won’t be seeing you anymore. I’m going to be away for the summer. With Matthew. I have to put my son first.” She spoke quietly, but her voice was determined. “I’m really sorry to tell you like this.”

  They talked a little longer, and though Douglas asked a few questions, he didn’t seem too disturbed by her declaration or explanation. Catherine was surprised by the relief she felt. Apparently they’d both been willing to settle for less than love. She’d wanted something for herself and her son, so much so that she’d been willing to think that marriage with Douglas would work. She’d foolishly let a comfortable friendship progress too far.

  Jake cleared his throat, and Catherine spun around, startled. She hadn’t heard him come in. Catherine hurried to end the conversation. She kept her voice quiet but had a feeling that Jake had heard at least part of her conversation. Still, she said nothing to him and ignored the way he glared at her.

  They ate the food Jake brought back while packing. She suggested that he should use his judgment on what to bring for Matthew, while she spent time packing her own things. By the end of the night Catherine was exhausted. Jake had come to find her a half dozen times, asking her questions. Together they decided that Matthew would probably want his stereo and computer. Anything else, he would have to live without.

  Close to midnight Catherine decided she’d done enough. She’d practically broken her neck to get everything done in one afternoon and evening, trying her best to shorten her stay at her house with Jake. If there was anything else she and Matthew needed, they could buy it. She went downstairs, and Jake was sitting comfortably on her sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

  She raised her eyebrows, and he gave her a small grin. Catherine’s heart somersaulted. Turning away, she went into the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked. “I have sodas and some wine coolers, or if you’d like, I can make some coffee.”

  “A wine cooler’s fine,” Jake answered. The last thing he needed was caffeine to keep him awake. What he needed was a cold shower, he decided. Jake had watched Catie all evening as she fretted over what to pack and what to leave. He’d tried to keep his distance as much as possible, but it seemed fate had been working a
gainst him. Every time he turned around he’d needed to ask her something.

  When he was near her, he wanted to touch her, wanted to kiss her again. She was driving him crazy. He’d promised her he would keep his hands off her, but was having a hard time living up to his word.

  He glanced at Catie as she handed him a bottle, then he diverted his eyes and opened the cool drink. “How long have you lived here?” he asked, curious now to know more about her and his son’s past.

  Catherine sat in a wooden rocker and sipped her own drink, then set it on the table. “Two years. It took me a while to save up enough money to buy a home.” She was proud of what she’d accomplished. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d worked hard for everything she had.

  Jake frowned, then glanced at the large photo album under one side of the coffee table. He leaned over and picked it up. “Are there pictures of Matthew in here?” He opened it and began scanning the first page.

  “Yes.” Automatically Catherine got up and moved to sit next to Jake, then smiled as she pointed to a picture of Matthew as a baby. It was natural for Jake to want to see the pictures, and at that moment it felt just as natural for Catherine to share them with him. He was, after all, the father of her child.

  Jake flipped the pages slowly, and they shared the memories of their child’s life, Catherine talking softly about each picture. Unconsciously she scooted closer to Jake, her bare arm touching his as she pointed to a picture of Matthew as a toddler, taking a bath in bubbles.

  Jake was having a difficult time concentrating on the photo album. He was suddenly very aware of Catherine’s scent and the warmth of her body gently pressing against his. She leaned closer to reach across the album and talk about a snapshot of Matthew learning to walk. Her hair softly brushed his face, and he could feel her breath on his cheek.

  The fact that Jake was determined not to let Catie get under his skin again made little difference as he listened to her talk, her voice sultry and enticing. The sudden urge he had to kiss her was irrational, yet very real and too strong to resist.