The Texan's Future Bride

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  Hours later, he drove straight into the rain. He drove and drove, the windshield wipers clapping, washing the water aside, only to have it return again.

  As the night got darker and wetter, he squinted at the misty highway. Then, finally, he stopped at an average little motel, ready to rest his weary bones.

  And when he crawled into bed, it was with Jenna Byrd on his mind.

  * * *

  Jenna went to bed that night in the dream cabin. She wanted to sleep where J.D. had been sleeping, to inhale his scent on the sheets, to hug a pillow to her body and imagine that he was holding her the way he used to.

  As she closed her eyes, she wondered where he was. She missed him beyond reason. But she knew that she would.

  She slept fitfully, dozing in and out of repose. But eventually she fell into uninterrupted slumber.

  And dreamed.

  She saw herself on the Flying B, walking barefoot through the grass, only there were clouds billowing near her feet, hovering just above the ground. She couldn’t feel them, but they went on forever, stretching beyond the boundaries of her vision.

  She kept walking toward something or someone, uncertain of her final destination.

  Then the scene changed, and she was on another ranch. No, not a ranch. A horse-breeding farm. Outdoor pens shimmered with mares and foals, frolicking among the grass-level clouds, which looked more like spun sugar here.

  Then she remembered J.D.’s youthful dream and the boy he’d once been, with sugar cubes in his pocket. This was his horse farm, she realized. His old place.

  Jenna glanced across the farm and saw a dark-haired woman coming toward her. Kimie. J.D.’s murdered wife. There was no gunshot wound, no blood, nothing to indicate that she was dead, except the sweet heavenly groundcover.

  Small and lean with exotic features, Kimie wore a simple ensemble—a denim shirt and blue jeans. Like Jenna, her feet were bare. Only she wasn’t alone. She carried a child on her hip. A little girl, no more than two, with wavy blond hair, similar to Jenna’s. Clearly, she represented one of the many foster kids Kimie and J.D. had hoped to adopt, and Kimie had chosen her because she was a delicate reminder of why J.D. had become fascinated with Jenna’s sunny-colored hair.

  Kimie stopped and put the child down, smoothed her pink dress and patted her on the bottom. The toddler smiled and started running toward Jenna, going as fast as her sturdy little legs would go. She tripped and disappeared in the cotton candy clouds. A millisecond later, she popped back up and continued to run.

  Instinctively, Jenna got down on her knees and opened her arms, welcoming the child into her embrace. Scooping her up, she hugged her close.

  Kimie didn’t come any closer. She watched from afar. Then she lifted her hand in a wave and vanished, an angel returning to her ethereal world and taking the clouds with her.

  The little girl said, “Bye-bye,” in a tiny voice, making tears come to Jenna’s eyes.

  The scene changed again, and she and the child were back on the Flying B. Jenna kissed the little girl’s cheek, and more children appeared.

  Hundreds of them.

  They were everywhere, chattering and playing. All ages, all sizes, all nationalities. Every adoptable foster child in Texas was here, she thought, along with potential adoptees from other countries. Kimie had sent them, offering them to Jenna.

  But what about J.D.? He was nowhere to be seen.

  Still clutching the original girl, Jenna looked for him. The other children helped search, too, running all over the ranch, shouting his name. But no one found him.

  Soon Jenna awakened, shrouded in darkness. She reached out to gather the children, but they were gone, even the little one she’d been carrying.

  She turned on the light and burst into tears. She wanted to call J.D., but she couldn’t. He hadn’t given her his number. He was unreachable.

  Just like in the dream.

  Chapter Fifteen

  J.D. woke up with a start. He’d just had the most vivid dream, only he wasn’t in it. But Jenna and Kimie were, along with scores of kids. They’d been calling his name at the end of the dream, but he wasn’t able to answer because he wasn’t there. He was here, alone in a pitch-black motel room.

  He switched on the lamp and squinted at the invasion of the light. When he’d hoped for a dream, he’d never fathomed anything like this—Kimie and Jenna together, with depictions of the children he and Kimie had lost.

  Jenna had looked so natural, holding the toddler in her arms. And his wife—clever, beautiful Kimie—making certain that the first child who appeared was blonde, like Jenna.

  It didn’t take a psychologist to figure out what it meant. Kimie was telling J.D. that she approved of Jenna, as a woman and a future mother, but Kimie wasn’t telling J.D. what to do. The choice was his. He could keep drifting or return to Jenna and create a family with her.

  Really, it was a no-brainer and something he should have done without Kimie’s intervention. But he’d been locked so deeply in his pain, he’d run off, even after he’d acknowledged to himself that he loved Jenna.

  He glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning, or nearly four. 3:56 a.m.

  He got out of bed. He wanted to call Jenna, but at this ungodly hour? It didn’t seem right to rip her from sleep. Still, he wanted to hear her voice, to tell her that he’d made a mistake and that he loved her.

  Would she appreciate his dream? Or would she feel slighted that he hadn’t come to his senses until after Kimie had appeared?

  There was only one way to know. He needed to call her. But he fixed a cup of coffee first, waiting for daylight.

  And it was the longest wait of his life. He felt as if he might go mad with it. The numbers on the clock moved so slowly, he considering yelling at them to hurry.

  To keep himself occupied, he opened the window and peered outside. The ground was damp with rain, but drops were no longer falling.

  The wait continued.

  Finally, finally, dawn broke through the gray-scattered sky, and he lifted his cell phone from the nightstand and dialed Jenna’s cell. It rang and rang, until her voice mail came on. He didn’t leave a message; he wanted to talk to her in person.

  But he couldn’t just sit around until she became available. He was already going stir-crazy. He took a shower and got dressed. Grabbing his bag, he made a beeline for his truck. He was hours away from the Flying B, but by damn, he was going there, as quickly as he could.

  Then a terrible thought struck him. What if something deterred him? What if he was in an accident? He knew how quickly the unexpected could happen. Look at Kimie. After a hectic night of birthing foals, she’d dashed down to the corner store to buy a few things. Never in a million years could J.D. have imagined her not coming back.

  Or coming back in a box.

  His mind drifted to her funeral—the scrolled-wood coffin, the flickering candles, the wreaths of flowers, her family clutching each other and crying. J.D. hadn’t cried, not in front of everyone. He’d kept his tears private. But he’d been inconsolable, nonetheless.

  There were no guarantees that he was going to live happily-ever-after with Jenna. Something could happen to Jenna as easily as it could happen to him.

  The thought of losing her someday nearly sent him into a panic. But he forced himself to breathe. He was sitting in the parking lot, obsessing about the darkness associated with death, even after he’d seen an angelic version of Kimie in a dream.

  Doc had been right. J.D. needed grief counseling.

  And he needed to leave Jenna a message, too, to tell her that he loved her, just in case he never made it back to the ranch. He dialed the number again, preparing for her voice mail. But Jenna answered.

  “Hello?” she said in the customary way, and her voice was the most beautiful sound he’d ever
heard.

  “It’s me,” he replied. “J.D.”

  “Oh, my God.” She gasped. “I’m so glad it’s you. I slept in the dream cabin last night, and I had a dream where I was searching for you. Kimie was there in the beginning, and she...”

  Jenna went on to describe the dream J.D. had experienced. Every detail was exact. Wonderfully astounded, he listened while she relayed every moment.

  Afterward, he said, “Me, too.”

  “You, too, what?”

  “I had the same dream.”

  The shock in her voice was evident. “You did?”

  “Identical. I woke up with you and the kids calling my name.” He told her his interpretation of it. Then he said, “I love you, Jenna, and I shouldn’t have walked away. I knew that I loved you when I left. But I was scared. I’m still scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “Losing each other.”

  “We aren’t going to lose each other, J.D. We belong together.”

  “I belonged with Kimie, too, and look what happened to her.” He paused to quell his shiver. “I’m going to get the grief counseling Doc recommended. I know I need it.”

  “Maybe that’s the most important message Kimie was trying to convey.”

  That until he found himself, no one could find him, either? “I’m going to learn to tackle my fears, and I want to be with you while I’m working on it. I want to be with you for as long as God allows.”

  “Then come to me. Come home now.”

  “I will. I am.” He started his engine, destined for the Flying B.

  * * *

  Jenna waited for J.D. at the dream cabin. In fact, she sat on the porch, wanting to see his truck as it rolled up.

  Hours later, he was there, climbing out of his vehicle and coming toward her. She held out her arms, and he enfolded her in his. They held each other so tightly, air whooshed from her lungs, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that they were together.

  He kissed her, and she melted from the feeling. It was the most powerful kiss they’d exchanged, the connection warm and soulful. When it ended, they caressed each other’s faces, fingers gliding over familiar features.

  “Will you marry me?” he asked. “Not right away. After I get the counseling I need.”

  Her heart soared. “You know I will.”

  He flashed his crooked grin. “And adopt hundreds of children with me?”

  She laughed. She knew he was referring to the kids in the dream. “I don’t think Kimie meant for us to take all of them. But we’ll adopt as many as we can.”

  He lowered a hand to her stomach. “I’m going to plant some babes in your womb, too.” He grinned again. “You’re going to be one busy little mama.”

  “And you’ll be a busy papa.”

  “Maybe we really will end up with hundreds of them.”

  “Goodness, can you imagine?”

  “Not really, no.” But he was still grinning. “We can use my money to build a house. A big, kid-friendly house.”

  “On the Flying B,” she added. “There’s plenty of room for us to put down roots here.”

  “We should have the ceremony on the ranch, too. In the garden and gazebo Donna is designing. Ours will be the first Flying B wedding.”

  “Unless Doc and Tammy beat us to it.”

  He shrugged. “It’s okay if they do. They already have a jump start on the engagement. But it’s going to be fun to plan our wedding. ‘Let’s Make Love’ is going to be our song.”

  “It already is.” It was from the moment they’d danced to it at Lucy’s. “I’ll wear a long silky dress and those old-fashioned western boots. The kind that lace up the front.”

  “That works for me. I can already see you in my mind. The elegant country bride.”

  She thought about his other wife. The lovely young woman in the dream. The lady who’d blessed them with the gift of hope. “What did Kimie wear when you married her?”

  “Her dress had a Japanese flair. Her mother made it for her. My mom got involved, too, and beaded a Native design on my jacket. I can show you the pictures from our wedding album when I go to my safe-deposit box and bring everything here.”

  “I’d love to see them.” She was thrilled that he was able to talk about Kimie in a positive way. It was a good start and was only going to get better. “Do you think your parents are going to like me?”

  “Are you kidding? They’re going to adore you, and they’re going to be grateful that I’m not drifting all over Texas any more. I know they’ve been praying for me to make a new life.”

  “And now you are.”

  “Because of you.” He looped her into his arms again. “I’m going to make sure that our bed is filled with rose petals on our wedding night. I want to make that fantasy happen for you.”

  “You still owe me a naughty night in the barn, too.”

  “I know. I thought about that when I left the ranch. How we hadn’t done it. How I’d been missing out on seeing you with hay in your hair.” He nuzzled her cheek. “We could do it tonight.”

  Sweet chills shimmied up and down her spine. She couldn’t imagine a more romantic homecoming. She wanted to do luscious things with J.D.

  Tonight, and every night thereafter.

  * * *

  They slipped into an empty stall at midnight, and J.D. spread a blanket on the ground. He’d brought a battery-operated lantern, too. He kept it on low, so it shone gently.

  Jenna stood quietly, watching him with a loving expression, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and her dress flowing around booted ankles. She’d deliberately worn something that would be easy to remove, and he knew that she was naked underneath.

  This was their moment. Their fantasy.

  He extended his hand, and she came forward, joining him on the blanket. They kissed soft and slow, immersed in a bond only lovers could share.

  He lifted her dress above her head. She’d become everything to him, everything good and pure. His future wife. The mother of his future children. The woman who loved him enough to help him heal.

  J.D. didn’t get undressed all the way. He merely opened his shirt and undid his pants.

  “That’s cheating,” she said.

  “Not if someone happens by. I can right myself real quick.”

  She lay there, all sweet and seductive, bare, except for her boots. Looking up at him, she asked, “What about me?”

  “You, I’ll wrap in the blanket.”

  “And ruin my good-girl reputation? That’s not fair.” But she was smiling as she said it.

  “Your reputation won’t be ruined.” He smiled, too. “I’m going to marry you, remember? Right here on the ranch.” He realized that he’d omitted a significant part of the wedding plans. “Do you want to shop for a ring tomorrow?” He held her hand up to the light. “A diamond we can pick out together.”

  “Of course I want to shop with you.”

  “We’ll go bright and early. I want you to have a ring as soon as possible.” To reflect their commitment and symbolize their unity. “God gave me a second chance to be with someone I love.”

  “And He gave me the man from my list.” She pressed her lips to his ear. “I can’t show it to you, not at the moment. But I can tell you what’s on it.”

  Talk about sexy, whispering to him about her infamous list. “Yes, ma’am, you can. But I’m already familiar with some of it.” Things she’d mentioned over the course of their affair. He recited what he knew. “You want an honest, marriage-minded, family oriented man who shares your love of horses and embraces the Flying B as his home.”

  “So far so good.” She tugged him closer. “Chivalry is high on my priorities. Kindness, too. He must be giving and caring.”

  “That’s understandable.
Is there more?”

  “Strong work ethic. Integrity. I also appreciate a man who has a sense of humor.”

  “Do you?” He circled her nipples, coaxing them into pearly pink nubs. “Because I seem to recall my sense of humor grating on you.”

  She made a breathy sound. “Yours is exceptionally wicked. It took some getting used to.”

  “Glad we cleared that up.” He caressed her curves, up, down and all around. “What else?”

  She leaned into him. “His physical attributes—tall, dark and handsome.”

  “That’s a cliché.”

  “Not to me. I’m partial to dark hair and dark eyes.”

  He slipped his fingers between her legs and elicited a moan. “Anything else?”

  “A man who knows how to make me...”

  “Make you what?”

  “Orgasm.”

  “You’re a bad girl for including that.” He sent her a dastardly smile. He’d always wondered if she’d put her sexual preferences on it. He’d even teased her in that regard, just as he couldn’t help teasing her now, rubbing her most sensitive spot. “A very bad girl.”

  She arched under his ministrations. “If I’m going to spend the rest of my life with someone, he needs to know what’s what.”

  He heightened the foreplay. “Like this?”

  “Yes, just like that.”

  He continued to pleasure her, with his hands, his mouth. In response, she tunneled her fingers through his hair and lifted her hips, rife with sensual energy.

  When he gave her the Big O, she muffled her excitement, biting down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

  J.D. couldn’t be more aroused. He snagged the condom from his pocket, shoved his jeans down, sheathed himself and entered her, full and deep. He made damned sure that they rolled off the blanket, too, and she got bits of hay in her hair.

  They made love in a fever, each touch wild and thrilling. Heat pounded in his loins. Need shivered through his veins. She kissed him so hard, he dragged her on to his lap, encouraging her to ride him to completion.

  Afterward, they collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs. Once they were able to move, she put her dress back on, and he fastened his clothes.