by Talty, Jen
He pointed off to their right. “See that?”
“The golf cart? Is that the one—"
“Not that, the building.”
“Oh yeah.” The golf cart raced in front of them about fifty yards away and disappeared into the woods.
“I’ve got over a hundred ranch hands that live there, and if you look just to the left, you can see the front porch of a cabin. There are fifteen where some of my employees have moved with their families.”
“They rent from you?”
“I take a small fee to cover the water and utilities. Ranches often have a high turnover, and I learned that if you take care of your people, they will stay for the long haul.”
“You really do have your own little village,” she mused.
The shrill of children laughing stole her attention. When she turned her head, she saw a dozen or so young children running out of the woods into the open field, followed by three adults.
“Who are they?”
“Some of the kids whose parents work for me.” He waved as the children approached.
“Hey, Mr. Whiskey,” one of the young boys said. “I went ten seconds on the mechanical today.”
“That’s great progress.” JW tugged on the reins, and the horse stopped walking.
“Who’s the girl?” the same boy asked, pointing to her. “She the new tutor?”
“No. This my girlfriend, Kitty.”
Half the kids covered their mouths, giggling.
Kitty swallowed her breath. Things were going too fast, and she had no idea how to slow them down.
If she even wanted to.
The idea that she was honestly toying with a long-distance relationship with JW told her she was certifiable and should be hauled off in a straitjacket. There was no way this could work.
Yet, she would bend over backward right now just to have a repeat of this week, even if for just one night.
Or an hour.
“Hi, everyone.” She wiggled her fingers at the children, who she guessed ranged from ages six to twelve.
“Mr. Whiskey, we didn’t expect you back so soon,” one of the young adult males said. “Some of the children have been working on a show. Perhaps you could stop by the training pasture tomorrow and give them some pointers.”
“I’d be happy to. Did the maintenance crew fix the AC in the daycare?” JW asked.
“Yes. Thank you,” the young man said. “Enjoy your day, sir.” The kids took off running through the open field toward the buildings on the other side of the meadow.
JW tipped his hat and clicked his heel against the horse’s belly.
“Daycare?” she questioned with a faint whisper. “You have one on the ranch?”
“The closest one is over a half-hour drive, so a few years ago, we built one just for my employees, but we now have a couple after-school and summer programs we’ve extended to the community. We also have a couple of parents who homeschool, so I provide tutoring for them.”
She took her hat off, resting her head on his shoulder, and raised her hand to cup his cheek. “That’s amazing.”
His lips brushed her nose in a delicate kiss. “Not really.”
She slid her fingers behind his neck, drawing his lips closer to her mouth. “Many bosses wouldn’t go out of their way like that.” She kissed him tenderly as his hand covered her flat stomach.
The melding of their mouths was slow and romantic. It was the kind of kiss that long-time lovers shared when they wanted to express their devotion, and the accidental sexual arousal that ensued after was the icing on the cake.
Something scurried in the tall grass, and the horse raised his front legs about a foot in the air and jerked to the left, flinging her right out of JW’s arms. Her ass landed on the ground with a thump. Rudy looked down at her with apologetic eyes as he pushed his big nose in her face.
“Shit. You okay?” He jumped down off the horse as if it were an easy slide at the playground.
Rudy snorted, scraping his hoof in the grass.
She took the hand JW offered. “I can feel the bruise forming on my butt already.”
“Shall I kiss your boo-boo?” JW bent over, grabbing something from the ground. “You dropped your phone.” The home screen showed another missed phone call, an email, and a text message from her ex-husband.
“Preston again?”
“I’m not answering him.” She swallowed, staring into his dark, sad puppy eyes. She held his gaze for a long moment. “I’m not interested in whatever it is he wants.”
“All right.” JW clasped his hands, lacing his fingers together.
With her hand on his shoulder, she pressed her foot in his hands and swung her leg over Rudy. Once JW climbed on, he made that clicking noise, and the horse stepped onto the path heading into the woods.
The next five minutes seemed like they ticked on forever. He said nothing, and she had no idea what to say. He had no right to be upset, yet she could feel the tension seeping from his pores. When he'd met Preston in the bar, he hadn't acted like the jealous type, something that would be a total deal-breaker, especially in a long-distance relationship.
Birds squawked, flying overhead, rustling the treetops. The sunrays streamed between the branches and thick leaves.
“It’s so nice not to smell exhaust.” She sucked in a deep breath. The rich, floral smell tickled her nose.
“I could never live in the city,” he drawled as he pulled the reins across her body, steering the horse down another path.
“I can see this ranch is a part of you,” she said, blinking her eyes as Rudy came to a stop in front of a blanket lined with a picnic basket and a bucket filled with ice and a bottle of white wine.
“I love it here.” He slipped off the horse, pulling her down in his strong arms, holding her by the hips. “Not really the best conversation to start off a romantic lunch.”
“No, but it is something we should probably talk about.”
She sat on the blanket, watching the horse nibble on grass while JW unpacked their lunch, contemplating her mistake and how to correct it. JW was an amazing man. An incredible lover. There wasn’t a single thing she didn’t like about him. Her phone cut into her butt, so she pulled it out, tossing it next to the basket.
He handed her a plastic glass filled with wine. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” The tangy pear flavor flowed neatly into her stomach, but it didn’t help her growing concerns. “What are we doing?”
“Having lunch.” He pointed to the tray of sandwiches.
“You know that’s not what I was asking about.” Hunger got the better of her as she found an egg salad sandwich. “I’ve got a year left to get my bachelor’s, that is if everything goes as planned. Then I need to find a teaching job and still have to get my master’s degree. That’s the next two to three years in Baltimore, and while I would consider leaving Baltimore—”
“That’s good news.” He smiled, grabbing a sandwich and stuffing half of it in his mouth.
“How so?” She picked at the crust.
“You’re willing to relocate. And we have a great university. You could get your master’s degree here.”
She dropped the sandwich in her lap. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Yes and no,” he said, pushing his hat back. “I haven’t been willing to take a risk on even dating since I broke up with Bella, much less introduce a woman to my dogs and my family. I don’t know if we can make this work. For all I know, in a couple of months, we’ll be like yeah, it was fun while it lasted. But what I do know is I want to see you again, and I don’t care if that means I have to fly across the country to do it.” He leaned over, wiping the egg mess from her leg with his index finger, popping it into his mouth.
When she imagined moving from Baltimore, it had been maybe in Upstate New York, or somewhere in the mountains of Virginia. A couple of hours drive from her brother and parents. Not a six-hour flight.
“Can we at least enjoy the next couple of days?” he asked, reaching in
his back pocket. “Shit. I have to take this.”
Saved by the phone. She nibbled on a new sandwich, which was truly the best egg salad she’d ever eaten. It had a slight mustard flavor and wasn’t doused in mayo. But what really made her taste buds explode was the sliced cucumber.
“What’s up, JD?”
While he focused on his phone call, she took the time to look at one text from her ex-husband.
Preston: Call me. I need to talk to you about JW and his ex.
Her fingers shook as she tried to delete the text. She’d never told him his name.
“Where’s the vet?” JW asked into his phone.
She opened her email, and one of the subject lines was: I have some information about your new friend you need to know.
“What about Georgia Moon?”
Quickly, she closed the app, shoving the phone back in her pocket. Preston had been known to be jealous when they first got together, and that continued right into their divorce.
“All right. I’ve got Rudy. I’ll be right there. Can you send someone out in the cart to get Kitty?”
“What?” she asked, but he shushed her by holding up his index finger.
“Great. Thanks.” He tapped his phone as he rose. “I’m sorry; I’ve got a cow in labor with a calf coming out ass first, and my vet is at another farm dealing with a problem there. Georgia Moon could handle it, but she’s in a meeting at the town hall.” He spoke so fast she could barely keep up. “Someone will be out in a few minutes to get you and take you back to the house.”
Before she could protest, he’d hopped onto the back of his horse, making that clicking noise, digging his heels into the horse’s sides.
Rudy snorted, rising on his hind legs. JW leaned forward. “Come on, boy.”
Dirt turned up under Rudy’s hooves as he took off in a full gallop.
Something told Kitty that horse wasn’t old and preferred running over walking.
Chapter Ten
Kitty sat in the family room, King and Kong at her feet, her cell phone in her hands. It was close to midnight, and she’d gotten one text from JW telling her he was sorry, but he had to stay at the barn until the cow gave birth and something about showering before he came back to the house because of where his hands and arms have been.
She didn’t dare contemplate the possibilities.
She held her phone, staring at the unopened email from Preston. Sucking in a deep breath, she tapped on the mail icon.
JW Whiskey is a dangerous man. Read this article. It explains everything. If I don’t hear from you soon, in good conscience, I’ll need to share this with your brother and parents.
King let out a long yawn as he stretched out at her feet. Kong had curled up closer to the front door, occasionally lifting his head as if to look for his owner.
She dropped her head to the back of the sofa, closing her eyes tight. How could anyone who built a daycare on his property be dangerous? JW might be a quiet man. Reserved. Gruff even. But he had a golden heart. What the hell was Preston up to and why?
Opening her eyes, she typed a text message, telling him she’d gotten his messages and that he hadn’t a clue as to what he was talking about and to leave her and her family alone. Her thumb hovered over the send button.
“Shit,” she muttered, tapping back to the email and clicking on the link.
An image of JW with Bella on his arm filled the screen, her hand resting on his shoulder with a huge diamond dangling on her ring finger.
She scrolled and gasped at the image of the same woman with a battered face.
JW Whiskey, hours after he’d broken his own world record, arrested for beating his fiancée, Bella Brothers.
Kitty’s heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach. Her hands trembled, and her mouth went dry.
The man she’d started to fall in love with couldn’t have beaten his ex.
Could he?
She mentally scolded herself for even thinking such a horrible thing about JW, but her mind kept going back to last night and the fight at the bar.
And the way Bella had acted as if JW had laid a hand on her.
Kitty needed to read the article, and then anything else she could find on the internet about Bella and JW.
JW (Johnnie Walker) Whiskey, arrested today for allegedly beating his fiancée, Bella Brothers. Bella is the daughter of Robert Brothers, best known for his famous bull riding school. The same school that JW turned to for training in his early days. JW and Bella had secretly dated for months, before not only telling their families, but the press as well. Theirs was a romance that, on the surface, seemed to be destined for ultimate happiness.
However, in a press conference this morning, Miss Brothers described JW as controlling, cruel, and violent. She alleges she suffered months of mental and physical abuse for the duration of their relationship. She claims JW became enraged when she told him she was leaving him. According to the police report, JW hurled his trophy at Miss Brothers, smacking her cheek so hard the trophy broke into three pieces.
King leapt onto the sofa, nudging her arm, trying to get his nose on her lap. “Get down,” she commanded. She blinked a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay, questioning her judgment of men and the human race in general.
JW has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and has been released on bail.
The next two pictures were of JW. One of him being pushed into a police car in handcuffs, the second was of him shielding his face as he left the county jail.
She jumped off the sofa, tripping over the coffee table when the dogs took off toward the door, their nails scraping on the tile floor. As soon as she’d steadied herself, the front door flew open, and JW stepped inside.
“Hey, boys, did you miss me?” He bent on one knee, letting the dogs lick his face as he scratched their coats. “Have you behaved yourself for our guest?”
Standing behind the sofa, she froze, staring at a man who had been accused of beating his fiancée. She didn’t want to believe the words she’d just read. JW would never.
But the article had come from a reputable newspaper.
And JW had acted aggressively the other night.
“What’s wrong?” JW asked as he stood, hanging his hat on the rack by the door. He took two steps forward.
She took a step back.
“Did something happen?” He paused mid-step, his eyes widening with concern.
“You startled me.” She rubbed her hands against her jeans. Her heart was telling her to cling to her intuition, but the logical part of her brain couldn’t ignore the battered face of Bella Brothers nor the images of JW in handcuffs.
No. This can’t be right. The man standing in front of her couldn’t have possibly beaten anyone. Look at him. He had kind eyes. A soft, gentle touch. He’d been nothing but sweet and generous.
Of course, maybe that’s how he started off, and then when he roped you in…
“No, I’m just tired and stressed over school starting. I should have booked the red-eye for tonight.” Her gaze darted across the room, landing on the floor where her phone had been dropped, screen up, with the article still open. She skirted around the sofa but came to a screeching halt when the tip of his boots stopped just inches from her cell.
“What’s really going on?” He bent over, taking the phone in his hand. “You look like something frightened you.”
“I was half asleep on the sofa when you came in.” She held her hand out, praying he’d just give her the phone.
Bile crept up her throat. She couldn’t believe JW had been arrested for abuse. Nothing about him spelled a crazy man who got his rocks off hitting women. He wasn’t even very controlling.
But she couldn’t ignore last night.
He glanced at the phone and frowned. “Shit,” he muttered. “I’m sorry you had to read that.” He took a step toward her, and no matter how much she wanted to hold her ground, she inched backward, and her body shuddered.
“Are you all of a sudden
afraid of me?” he asked. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Is this the only article you read about the incident?”
“You’re not denying it,” she said softly. Tears formed in her eyes. If he hadn’t done it, he’d be protesting, right? “That article is true. You were arrested—”
His pupils constricted as his rigid body went limp. “Yeah. I was.”
“You hit her?”
“No. I didn’t.”
“But you were arrested for abusing her?”
“I told you I was, but that doesn’t mean I was convicted of anything,” he said with his hands on his hips. His nostrils flared. Anger filled his eyes.
“I’m confused then, because—”
“Do you honestly believe I would ever lay a hand on a woman? I’m not like Preston, but by the look of sheer terror on your face, you believe I am.” He shook his head. “If you had taken the time to read a more current article about what really went down that day, you’d know…” He held the phone up, tapping at the keyboard. “Fuck it.” He tossed it on the table. “If you believe for one second I’m capable of doing that to a woman—to anyone—then you don’t know one damn thing about me. What a fool I’ve been to think you could ever see the real me.” He turned on his heels and stomped across the floor. “You can stay in the house. I’ll leave King and Kong, so they will alert you if I, or anyone, enters the house. I’ll make sure a car is here to take you to the airport in the morning.” He gripped the handle to the front door and paused.
She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t bring herself to utter his name, or anything else for that matter.
“I didn’t hit her,” he mumbled before stepping outside and slamming the door behind him.
She let out a long breath, reaching down, grabbing her phone, and clutching it to her chest. It would take her only a few minutes to pack, and hopefully a cab company would come out to the ranch. A few years ago, she had to spend the night in an airport. She could do it again.