“You’ve known from the beginning how important a husband is to me. But I’m glad you’re jealous. It’s better than you not caring.”
“I do care. You’re my lover and my friend. And I’m going to kiss you right proper. Naked and in bed.”
He scooped her up and made her squeal. After carrying her to the bedroom, he plunked her down on the feather mattress, and she sank into it.
She grinned up at him. “Wow. This is comfy.”
“I told you.” He fell into bed with her. “I wonder if you’re going to dream while you’re here.”
“My only dream is to be married someday, and I already know that’s going to happen.”
“Your list is your magic.”
“I never thought of it that way before.” She gazed into his eyes. “Thank you for saying that.”
“What are friends for?” Immersed in her nearness, he peeled off her blouse and unhooked her bra. She in turn popped open the snaps on his shirt.
They removed the rest of their clothes and enjoyed the luxury of bared bodies. He inhaled the fragrance of her skin, and she roamed her hands over his.
The foreplay continued until he couldn’t take another minute of not having her. He opened the nightstand drawer. It was time for him to glove up, as the saying went. “I put all of the protection in here.”
She peered inside. “Good thinking.”
“I wanted to be prepared for you.”
“You always are.”
Yes, but someday he wouldn’t be. Someday she would belong to someone else. Forcing his thoughts in a different direction, he said, “Tell me your most romantic fantasy.”
“Besides flower petals in my honeymoon bed?”
“Yes, something besides that.” He didn’t want to think about her wedding night.
“Sometimes I imagine messing around in a barn.”
He entered her, surrounding himself with her warmth. “You mean making love in an empty stall? We could sneak out one night and do that.”
She arched her hips. “What if we got caught?”
“We’d be careful that no one else is around.” He twined a finger around one of her wavy tendrils. “I’d like to see you with hay in your hair.”
“I won’t get hay in my hair if we bring a blanket with us.”
“You will if we roll off the blanket.” To show her how it might feel, he rolled over the bed, making the covers tangle. “So, what do you say, should we slip out to the barn one night?”
“And embark on my fantasy?”
“It’s our fantasy now.”
“Living with you is going to be fun.”
“That’s the idea.” Fun, he thought. Free. But in spite of that, he kept a dangerously possessive hold on her.
After their lovemaking ended, they broke apart, but it wasn’t long before they were locked in each other’s arms once again.
For now, J.D. just couldn’t seem to let go.
Chapter Ten
On Wednesday afternoon, Jenna, Donna and Tammy gathered on the porch of the main house with Tammy’s brothers.
The women were seated in scattered chairs, and the men stood against the railing. Aidan, the older of the two, frowned and turned away from the sun, adjusting the brim of his hat. Jenna didn’t know him very well, but if she had to describe him, she’d say he was the strong, silent type. Nathan was just the opposite. Already he’d been cracking silly jokes, even in the midst of turmoil.
Jenna glanced at Tammy. She looked so tiny next to her brothers. But she was also the most genuinely relaxed of anyone here. Jenna could barely breathe. Donna wasn’t in any better shape. She had her hands clasped tightly on her lap.
On a side table was a pitcher of iced tea and plastic tumblers that no one had touched. The lovely new porch swing was vacant, too, creaking softly from the wind and haunting the moment.
“Does anyone want to discuss this before we get started?” Tammy asked.
“Haven’t we talked enough about it already?” Donna replied. “It’s been consuming our lives.”
That was true, Jenna thought. They were mired in it. She’d even skipped breakfast this morning, too anxious to eat. Soon it would be time for lunch, and her stomach would be growling like a junkyard dog.
Tammy replied, “We haven’t discussed it at length with Aidan and Nathan.”
Her brothers exchanged a glance. Was that good or bad? Jenna wondered.
“We talked amongst ourselves,” Aidan said.
“You can share your thoughts with us,” Tammy said.
“What for? This isn’t a jury trial. We don’t have to deliberate.”
“I was just giving you a chance to speak your piece.”
“We’ll pass,” Nathan said. “But thanks all the same, Tam-boy.”
Tammy didn’t flinch at the childhood nickname, but he’d said it affectionately. Besides, it was obvious that she wasn’t a tomboy anymore. Then again, maybe she was. Maybe it would always be part of who she was—the old Tammy blending with the new.
Jenna glanced in the direction of the stables, where J.D. was working today. He’d wished her luck before she’d left the cabin, supporting her like the true friend he was. He was a prime example of an old/new person, except that he was still in the process of remembering his old self.
“Let’s do this,” Aidan said, cutting through the quiet.
Tammy volunteered to go first. “My vote is yes. I think we should hire the P.I.”
No one reacted, but everyone already knew what her preference was.
“Who wants to be next?” she asked.
“I’ll go.” Jenna figured another yes was in order. “I’m in favor, too.”
The men exchanged one of those private glances again. Had they been expecting Jenna to go the other way? Or had they guessed her right? It was obvious they’d tried to peg the women’s votes ahead of time.
“How about you?” Nathan asked Donna.
“I’ll wait until you boys have your say.”
“All right. Then it’s a no for me,” Nathan said.
His brother concurred. “Also a no.”
Jenna’s heart sank. Donna was the tiebreaker, and that meant it was a lost cause. Clearly, she was going to side with the men.
“Come on, Donna,” Nathan said. “Do us proud.”
But instead of complying, she got up and poured herself a glass of tea. “I need to wet my whistle first.”
Nathan chuffed. “And here I thought New Yorkers did everything fast.”
Donna didn’t falter. “A lady has the right to weigh her options.”
Jenna’s pulse pounded. Was her sister actually mulling it over at the last minute or just getting everyone’s goat?
As she sipped her tea like a Southern belle, Nathan muttered, “Fiddle dee dee.”
Tammy cracked a smile. Jenna thought it was funny, too, but she was too nervous to smile.
The wait continued.
Then Donna turned to Jenna. “I’m doing this for you, so remember that when Savannah hates us for invading her privacy or we end up butting heads with her disgruntled kid. If there is a kid,” she concluded.
Jenna grinned. No matter what the future held, she adored her sister for thinking of her. “Okay.”
The tiebreaker addressed the entire group. “Just to be clear, my vote is yes.”
Aidan scowled. “You certainly had us fooled. We were sure that you were going to say no.”
“I was. But women are notorious for changing their minds.”
“Three to two,” Tammy said. “The ayes have it.”
Jenna’s grin widened. “Who should we hire?”
Tammy had a ready answer. “How about Roland Walker? He’s the P.I. Tex used to keep an eye on
all of us, so he’s already familiar with our family. I think it would be easier than bringing in someone new.”
“Sure. Why not?” This from Donna. “Let’s keep our scandals under one roof.” She laughed a little. “And use the guy who knows how screwed up the Byrds are.”
Everyone else laughed, too, even Aidan, which was saying a lot.
Soon the men went into the house, and Tammy followed them, giving the sisters a moment to themselves.
“Thank you,” Jenna said. “What you did means everything to me.”
“I knew how important it was to you. But I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us in the butt.”
“I don’t think it will. But even if it does, I’ll never forget that you sacrificed your vote for mine.”
They got out of their chairs, and Jenna reached out to hug her selfless sibling. She couldn’t remember the last time she hugged Donna.
But it felt incredible.
* * *
J.D. glanced up and saw Jenna rushing toward him with exuberance. He struggled to collect his wits, preparing to greet her.
His day had started off fine, but as it wore on, dark and disturbing feelings had begun coming over him. And now here he was, trapped in the ache of a family he couldn’t remember. But it wasn’t just a case of not remembering them; he’d been dealing with that all along. It was the foreboding sense that whatever had gone wrong in his family couldn’t be fixed.
As Jenna approached him, he slapped a smile on his face. He wasn’t about to drag her down with his discomfort.
“It went well, I take it?” he asked.
“You wouldn’t believe how well.”
While she chattered about the outcome, giving him the details, he stood beside the barn, wearing damp jeans and a pair of rubber boots. Aside from having troublesome thoughts for the last few hours, he’d been bathing horses.
“Can you believe it?” she said. “Donna voted yes for me.”
He’d never seen her so energized. If he wasn’t so dirty and sweaty, and if his emotions weren’t teetering on a thread, he would’ve lifted her off the ground and given her a little twirl. “I’m glad it worked out for you.”
“It more than worked out. This mess with Savannah brought Donna and me closer. And you should have seen how funny she made it all seem. She had everyone laughing by the time it was over, and Aidan doesn’t laugh that easily.”
It was obvious how proud she was of her sister, and how much love there really was between them.
Jenna kept chattering. “We agreed to use the P.I. Tex had used. He must be good or Tex wouldn’t have hired him. I’ll bet he locates Savannah in no time.”
“You have hope.”
“Yes, I do. Donna warned me that it could turn out badly, but I don’t think it will. I told her that it didn’t matter, though, because what’s most important is what she did for me.”
“Happiness looks good on you.”
“Thank you.” She took a moment to catch her breath. “So how’s your day going?”
The question hit him like the recoil from a high-powered rifle, nearly knocking the truth out of him. But he said, “Fine,” determined not to spoil her mood.
Her stomach growled, and she laughed. “I knew that was going to happen. I still haven’t eaten today.”
“Then go get something.”
“I will. And then you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to ask Tammy if she’ll give me a cooking lesson.”
“So you can feed your future husband?”
“Yes, but so I can make dinner sometime for you, too. You’ve been offering to be my guinea pig. You’re still willing, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “You can cook for me anytime you want.”
“What should I focus on? What type of meal?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it does. I want to learn to make your favorite food.” She cocked her head. “Do you have a favorite that you’re aware of? Or something you recently acquired a taste for?”
He roamed his gaze over her, pushing his bad feelings aside. “The only recent taste I acquired is for you.”
She blushed. “I’m being serious, J.D.”
So was he.
“There must be something you favor.”
“I’m partial to Japanese food.” The information zoomed right out, without him expecting it. He even jerked in surprise.
So did Jenna. “Oh, wow. Did you just remember that?”
“Yes.” But he didn’t have a clue why it was his food of choice. All he knew was that it was.
“That’s so cool.” She smiled at his horse-washing attire. “A sushi cowboy. Who would have guessed?”
Certainly not him.
She said, “As much as I’d like to accommodate your selection, I think Japanese might be a bit too ambitious for me to try. I doubt Tammy cooks in that style, either. Anything else?”
He gave her the option of choosing. “What’s your favorite food? Or better yet, what do you want to learn to make? What do you see yourself cooking?”
She concentrated on the question. “Mom used to make spaghetti and meatballs, and sometimes I used to sing that silly parody of ‘Old Smoky.’”
“The one where the meatball rolls on to the ground when somebody sneezed?”
She grinned. “Yep.”
He grinned, too. She was improving his day, minute by confusing minute. “Now that I’d like to see.”
“Me singing the song or the meatball rolling on to the ground?”
He chuckled. “Both.”
“Here’s an idea. I can turn my lesson into a family dinner. Tammy and I can fix the food, and maybe Donna, too, and you, Doc, Aidan and Nathan can hang out with us. Then, when it’s ready, everyone can eat.”
“Sounds great.”
“I’m going to give the household staff the night off. I want to keep this low-key, without anyone else around, except the Savannah voters and our significant others.”
He didn’t deny that he was her significant other. Temporary as their agreement was, he still fit the bill. “I’ll be there.” And hopefully without a dark cloud hovering over his head.
* * *
Hours later, J.D. assessed the flock in the kitchen. By definition, “flock” meant a number of birds feeding, resting or traveling together, and these Byrds intended to eat together this evening.
And eat hearty.
The upcoming menu consisted of the aforementioned spaghetti and meatballs, along with deep-fried zucchini, garlic bread and a big green salad. For dessert—ice cream and fresh berries.
Jenna’s lesson was a time-consuming project. To keep the masses from going hungry, Tammy had prepared a relish tray, and her Texas-size brothers were stuffing cold meats and cheeses in their mouths.
Nathan, the more talkative of the two, asked J.D., “So, who are you, exactly? Besides the guy who lost his memory? What’s your role around here?”
“I work on the Flying B. I’m dating Jenna, too. She’s staying with me in the dream cabin.”
“You mean Savannah’s old cabin? Maybe it should be called the nightmare cabin, considering everything that went on.”
“Hey,” Doc interjected. “That cabin helped me win my girl.”
Tammy sent her fiancé a loving look.
Nathan rolled his eyes and spoke to Jenna. “You’re the slowest cook I’ve ever seen. Isn’t that a device of some kind? A slow cooker? Maybe that should be your ranch nickname.” He cocked a gunslinger stance. “Slow Cooker, the pokiest chef in the West.”
“Shut up, you big brute.” She threw a dish towel at her jokester cousin, but missed him by a mile.
The Slow Cooker handle isn’t half bad, J.D. thought. Jenna had only made two or three meatballs co
mpared to the dozens Tammy had made. But J.D. thought Jenna looked damned cute doing it.
“I hope you don’t plan on marrying her,” Nathan said. “You’ll starve.”
Oh, cripes. J.D. didn’t know how to react or how to respond. He certainly couldn’t tell the other man how many marriage discussions he and Jenna had engaged in, but with a different groom in mind. Clearly Jenna wasn’t going to say it, either.
Tammy came to the rescue. “Nobody is getting married, except Mike and me.”
Nathan went with the flow. “Yep, my baby sister nabbed a doctor, and a damned fine one.”
“Thanks,” Doc said.
“Remember I said that when you’re choosing your best man.” Nathan grinned, then gauged the activity, his gaze landing on Donna and Aidan, who’d been staying quiet. “You know what this party needs? Some vino from Tex’s cellar.”
Aidan finally spoke up. “We’re having Chianti with dinner.”
“I know, but it’ll be forever before we eat. I think we need to get buzzed now. Allow me to do the honors.”
After he left to pilfer the spirits, Aidan said to J.D., “Sometimes my brother is full of himself. I hope he isn’t offending you.”
“None taken. But thank you.”
Nathan returned with two bottles. He read from the first label. “This lovely vintage is a Montepulciana.” He did the same thing with the second one. “And this robust selection is a Barbera.” He dropped the act and grinned. “Mix your reds, I always say.”
“That’s because you don’t know anything about wine,” his brother commented.
“I know enough to enjoy them.” He popped open the corks and poured everyone a drink, whether they wanted one or not. “How about a little music?” He turned on the radio and scanned the dial until he found a song that amused him.
He extended a hand to Donna, trying to persuade her to dance to Billy Ray Cyrus’s anthem with him.
She rebuffed his attempt to make a Buckshot Hills filly out of her, shooing him away to “Achy Breaky” with someone else.
Nathan waggled his eyebrows at his brother.
“Me?” Aidan shook his head. “Get real.”
The carefree Byrd danced by himself, creating an imaginary partner and swinging her around. Doc grinned and swept Tammy into his arms. When Jenna looked expectantly at J.D., he went for it, too. He led her into a two-step, and they laughed while they rocked to the rowdy beat.
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