by Ivy Jordan
I’d been in New York working with my parents, and peace was nowhere to be found in my world. It was high-profile clients, one after another, and being the daughter of Virginia and William Pierce, the expectations for my success were intimidating.
Love. I never really thought about the strange woman’s words about love at that moment. All I heard was peace. That was what I wanted. Peace.
I shrugged off the thought of the woman somehow actually seeing into my future as James opened the door to the small brick home that sat on a ranch in desperate need of repairs: the ranch that he insisted on spending his life trying to make thrive again.
The Coke was cold in my hand, soothing the heat from my embarrassment. My throat tightened, and I knew I’d choke before actually speaking. I took a large swig, allowing the cold liquid to calm my nerves and sooth the dryness that made my throat ache so badly.
“You should really try water sometimes,” James smiled.
I quickly took another drink before smiling in his direction.
“I don’t see how it’s any worse than your coffee,” I smirked, motioning with my eyes towards the mug sitting on the kitchen table.
“Touché’,” he grinned.
I left my muddy boots by the door, even though I wasn’t sure any mess I would’ve made would be noticeable.
A bag sat beside the table on the floor. My eyes lingered towards it, trying to see its contents, when James exposed my worst fear.
“Your clothes,” he caught me looking.
“Oh. Yes. I-I-uh, I’m sorry,” I stammered.
The thought of James touching my personal items made me cringe. They were covered in mud, soaking wet, and I’d left them piled in the middle of his bathroom floor like an ungrateful houseguest. I was flustered, nervous, and somehow, excited that day in his presence. It wasn’t something I would’ve done, ever.
“Don’t be. I’m sorry for the mess you had to suffer through that day,” he winked.
Ugh! I thought of his pigs wallowing in the mud on a warm summer day. That was me, Evelyn Pierce, a pig wallowing in the mud. What a first impression to make. I sighed. He noticed. Another grin, this time more curious than mischievous.
“So, what did you find to prove Martin Jasper’s competence?” I asked, ready to get to work.
James shuffled through papers, nodded towards the empty chair beside me to take a seat.
“These are his last receipts for sale of the cattle. It was a month before he passed, maybe two. Anyways, it shows he knew enough to make money, more than any other rancher in the area. He took the cattle a few towns over and found a buyer who was willing to pay more. That’s not a sign of an incompetent man,” James stated firmly.
I shook my head.
“No. It isn’t, but do you have anything else, a letter maybe, something personal to you?” I asked.
I watched his hand start to shake as he reached towards the pile of papers. He pulled a stack of envelopes from underneath the stack and handed them to me.
“I have these,” he said softly, his voice a little shaky.
This tall man, this cowboy, this strong soldier was shaken. It did something to me, something more than leave a stir in my belly and my knees weak.
My heart raced as I took the letters, my fingers grazing against his. They were smooth, not rough or calloused, even though they were hardworking hands. The feeling grew. What was it I was feeling?
“They’re letters old man Jasper sent me while I was in the SEALs,” he nearly whispered.
I nodded as I gripped the letters in my hands. I knew these were personal, private, and it wasn’t easy for him to hand them over.
“Is there anything in these that state he wanted you to have the ranch?” I asked cautiously.
He nodded.
“Damn near every one of em’ refers to the ranch as ‘ours’ or ‘mine,’” he sighed.
“That’s great. These are great,” I said cheerfully.
I was waiting for that warm smile from James, but instead, his eyes pushed past me to the window behind me. He watched intently, his face turning pale.
I turned to see what he was watching when I noticed the small white truck driving towards the house.
“Are you expecting someone?” I asked.
“No,” he spat, his eyes glossing over with anger.
“Do you know who it is?” I questioned.
“Yes. It’s Jasper’s oldest daughter, Jill,” he scoured.
He left me inside as he quickly made his way out the front door and onto the porch. I walked towards the window, watching from behind the dusty green drape as he stood straight, lengthening his frame, and waited for the woman to exit the white truck.
The woman exited the truck carefully. I watched as she tiptoed through the mud, taking large steps to find dry patched of grass until she made her way to James, who had now stepped down onto the bottom of the step of the porch. I assumed it was a way to keep her out of the house. His demeanor before leaving to greet her was less than friendly.
The woman’s long red hair was silky smooth, straightened I was certain due to the tiny curls around her forehead where she’d started to sweat. Freckles covered her pale face, and even though she wore boots, unlike myself on the first visit, it was obvious they weren’t meant for the ranch, or even outdoors. Her designer clothing made me feel a bit less ridiculous for my initial mistake.
I moved towards the door, out of the way of the window, and listened to their conversation.
“I’m bringing a broker with me on my next visit, probably sometime this week. He’s going to help me list the ranch. I expect you won’t be causing him any trouble,” Jill snarled.
“You expect wrong. This is still my land, and no one is listing it,” James retorted.
“I think you’re being quite ridiculous, don’t you?” her tone was snarky and snobbish.
“I’m the ridiculous one? What about you, showing up here in your fancy-schmancy designer clothes?” he chuckled with a deep-rooted growl.
“This is my father’s land. He would want it to go to his children, not some ranch hand that he helped,” Jill snorted.
“Your father: so you’re claiming him now, are ya? Where were you when he needed you, when he was on his deathbed? He made sure you had what he wanted you to have. You were handed your inheritance long ago, and he made that very clear,” James roared.
“My father was not in his right mind. You brainwashed him, and that will be proven in court,” Jill ranted.
Everything was quiet for a moment, but then Jill’s voice sounded from a distance.
“Expect the broker this week,” she said.
“Expect to have him shot if he steps one foot on this property,” James shouted, his voice way too close.
Shit.
I tried to quickly make my way back to the table where he’d left me, but my stupid boots tripped me up, tangled around my socked feet.
My eyes closed as I quickly pushed my hands in front of my body to break my fall. Not again, was the only thought in my head when suddenly my cheek was pressed against a warm chest, not a hard floor. A heartbeat slammed against my face, one that was obviously under stress. Strong arms were wrapped around me, and the scent of James cologne wafted under my nose.
My eyes opened, looked up towards James, and embarrassment flooded my body with a sickening warmth. My mind, however, had its own agenda, immediately sending signals to my brain about how good it felt to be held in his arms, against his chest. What would his muscular body look like in the nude, maybe wearing only his cowboy hat? Oh God, what was I doing, what was I thinking?
He was still holding me, even though I was sturdy on my own feet. My fingers were tightened around his biceps, larger and tighter than I’d expected. Yes. I wanted to see his body.
My cheek throbbed with the rhythm of his heartbeat, even though it was no longer pressed against his chest. At that moment, it felt as though we’d become one, and I no longer would be whole without his touch.
His eyes narrowed on mine, and his lips curled into a soft smile. I wanted to tip-toe to reach those lips, to plant a kiss so passionate upon them that he would fall for me immediately, unable to go on without me in his arms.
No.
My defenses kicked in, smacking me back into reality. Whatever this was that James Laurie was doing to me, it was going to stop right now. No.
“You can let me go now,” I snorted.
James smiled. He didn’t let go as instructed. Instead he lingered with me in his arms.
“If you insist,” he grinned, finally releasing me to my own capacities, which were still consumed with thoughts of him.
Chapter Five
James
Queen carried me through the back field where the cattle had grazed for several days. It was time to move them, and without hesitation, she ran towards the large beasts with me on her back.
“Yeahhh,” I yelled out, gaining the attention of a few of the cattle.
As if they were bored by the display of authority, they slowly started to move in the direction they were led.
Queen galloped along, her head held high, as we made our way to the far east pasture. “Whoa, girl,” I pulled back on the reins and stopped her in her tracks.
I jumped down, closed the gate and watched as the most of the cattle became settled in their new grazing spot. The grass was green, a large pond spread across the land, and trees offered plenty of shade for the next few days that promised to feel more like summer than spring.
One of the steers, massive in size, and always a bit nosey, walked over to the fence where I stood on the other side with Queen.
“What’s up ole’ man?” I asked, reaching across the fence to grip his horns for a loving tug.
He snorted, causing Queen to squeal as if to warn him not to harm me.
“He’s harmless, girl,” I promised her, turning back to the old steer.
He was harmless indeed, neutered last summer, and no longer able to breed.
His eyes were dark, filled with a strange appearance of boredom.
“I get it. I’ve been on a dry spell myself,” I chuckled.
Queen nudged into my back, jealous of the attention she wasn’t getting. I shrugged her off to continue to talk to the once vibrant bull.
“There is this woman, Evelyn,” I smirked.
The steer snorted again, his eyes still filled with the same boredom.
“She’s a tiny little thing, but as feisty as you once were,” I told him.
I chuckled as I realized I was talking to the animals, and not just Queen this time. I was losing it. That little woman had me under some kind of spell, and I liked it.
The way she looked at me when I caught her from falling, there was something there. I felt it. Did she want me to kiss her? Was that why she got pissy and demanded I let her go?
“Women. At least you don’t have to worry about them anymore,” I gave one last tug to the steer’s horns before hopping back onto Queen.
We rode the fence line, just me and Queen, marking off spots that needed repair with a red cloth. There was a lot of work to be done; Evelyn was right about that, but I didn’t mind it. I looked forward to it. I just wanted this to be over, so I could focus on the ranch again.
I thought about Evelyn, her small frame, her silky red hair and bright green eyes. Did she even know she was beautiful? I bet she didn’t. Women like her, smart, focused, they usually didn’t know the true extent of their appeal.
Queen, back in her stable, brushed, watered, and chewing on hay, was no longer listening to my rants about the woman I’d suddenly become enamored with. Goofy, on the other hand, was listening, or at least acting as if he was, with his head pushed against the third and second slat of wood in his stable. I laughed at his antics.
“One of a kind,” I reached through the gate and let him eat an apple from my hand.
“Somebody will love you one day,” I stroked his nose.
I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t certain of what I promised. He was a handful, a nitwit at times, and even though a strong thoroughbred with beautifully stunning features, his silliness emasculated him. Poor Goofy, maybe one day.
Inside the house, I double checked my phone, even though I checked it more than a dozen times while on my ride. No messages, no new e-mails, and no missed calls.
I moved to the computer in my small office, quickly typing in my password to open the main screen.
My e-mail’s inbox was without anything new, without anything from Evelyn.
I opened up the last e-mail she’d sent, informing me that she was working on gathering information. I started to type, and then deleted the few words I’d managed to muster.
After several minutes staring at the empty reply box, I finally decided it was fine to shoot her a short message, just to check on the situation. She knew I was antsy, ready to get this over with, so she would understand my impatience.
Miss Pierce,
I hate to bother you, but I was curious about how things were going. Were the letters I gave you and the receipts sufficient evidence that old man Jasper was in his right mind, and that he intended the land to go to me?
James
I clicked send with a slight hesitation. I’d changed her name several times from Miss Pierce, to Evelyn, to Miss Evelyn Pierce. I was flustered. I wasn’t used to being flustered, especially over a woman.
As soon as I leaned back in my computer chair, the laptop sounded with a ding. I pulled towards the laptop, quickly opened the reply from Evelyn, and let out a sigh to release some of my anxiousness.
James,
I’m headed into court shortly for another case. I’ll be unavailable the rest of the afternoon, but I do need to bring you some papers to sign that I forgot on our last meeting. Can I bring them to you Thursday?
Evelyn
Disappointment and excitement collided throughout my mind. I was excited to see her again, that she answered so quickly, but disappointed it would be two days before she arrived. I chuckled at my behavior, deciding to push that aside, at least for now, and sent her a reply, this time more informal since she opened the door with her signature of simply, Evelyn.
Evelyn,
Thursday would be great. I realize you left the papers on purpose so you could see me again, but are you sure Thursday is soon enough to ease your pain?
I’ll be at the Hitching Post in town tonight drinking my blues away; feel free to join me if you can’t wait to see me.
;-)
James
I hit send and instantly felt my heart tighten against my chest. I thought of her reading it, possibly finding it offensive that I was teasing her in that way. It was the last thing I wanted, to offend Evelyn Pierce, the attorney that would save my ranch, but as I waited for her reply, my nerves unraveled.
What was I thinking? I knew better than to be so forward. Fuck. The silence was deadly as I stared at my inbox, nothing new, no dings.
I got up from my chair, stretched to ease my tension, and turned to walk away when the familiar ding rattled my ears. My hands reached for the laptop, quickly clicking the new response from Evelyn to open it. My heart raced thinking she’d probably taken that length of time to really put me in my place, writing a scolding that was scathing as the drill sergeant during my training.
:-P
The only thing on the page was an emoji sticking its tongue out with a smile. I could breathe at least, but I wasn’t sure what to make of the symbol on my screen. Was she flirting, just being silly, or just unsure what to say to my bold, and possibly offensive message?
I shrugged off the anxiety once again, laughing at myself for becoming so wrapped up in this tiny woman. I picked up my mail from the desk and sorted through the pile. The first piece of mail was a postcard from Liam and Blake. I read the message about how I needed to visit soon and stuck it on the corkboard near my desk. The next piece was a letter from the stockyard, probably just the latest cattle prices. I left it on the ke
yboard of my laptop and shuffled through bills until stopping on a white envelope with a realtor’s name. Paul Freeman – Real Estate Broker. I tossed it into the trash. Fuck Paul Freeman and Jill for thinking she could send him to my land.
Showered, dressed in my nicest black shirt and tightest blue jeans, I sat on the bar stool at the Hitching Post. Evelyn never did answer back, and I wasn’t about to push the subject, but I still had hope that she may, just maybe, show up here, right where I told her I’d be.
The bartender leaned in towards me, his breath strong of tobacco mixed with something sweet. “What can I get ya?”
“A shot of whiskey with a beer chaser,” I ordered, flicking the inside brim of my hat as I reached to take it off.
“Got a preference?” he turned back to me, pouring the shot glass with Jack Daniel’s.
“Miller,” I replied, and then watched him walk towards the cooler at the other end of the bar and pull out a glass bottle.
He slid the beer in front of me, already popped of its top, and then winked as he looked over my shoulder. He walked away, leaving me to wonder who he winked at. Evelyn maybe? My stomach grumbled as I quickly sucked down the shot of whiskey. It was warm in my throat, and gave me a sense of calm as I caught glimpse of someone sliding onto the stool beside me from the corner of my eye. Perfume wafted under my nose, and I was already smiling when I turned towards the woman beside me.
“I thought you were a Coors man,” the familiar voice stung my ears.
“A man can change,” I smirked in Carrie’s direction.
I had changed. I had changed quite a bit since messing with Carrie. She was trouble, always had been, and always would be as far as I was concerned, but damn, she looked as good as she smelled.
A long finger twirled around thick blonde curls, the tip painted a bold shade of pink to match her lips. My jeans tightened a bit as she leaned in, giving me a clear view down her low-cut top at the breasts that one of her conquests paid a pretty penny for, and that were worth every dime.