by Karen Rock
The blanket rustled when he lowered himself. They lay side by side, talking and listening to the rise of night sounds as the sky settled into full darkness. After a while, the haze of the Milky Way, a blur of sparkling white, appeared against the black.
Jared rolled over on his side to face her. “What do you want most in this world?”
She opened her mouth to say “you” but held back, still unsure of where they stood. Instead, she spoke the other desire of her heart, the one he’d reignited and wouldn’t let be extinguished.
“I want to compete again.”
It seemed like he nodded, and she brought her hands to his face to feel what she couldn’t see. Her fingertips traced the upward tilt of his mouth and the dent of his dimpled cheeks.
“You’ll ride Calamity Jane, then?”
She nodded, and those crazy dimples of his deepened.
“That’s my girl.”
Was she his girl? A guy like Jared—he could have any girl he wanted. Winners, all of them. Her, well, he’d have to take her as she was.
Her dad said losers weren’t much. Did Jared agree?
“What do you want?” she asked, needing an answer on so many levels.
His facial muscles relaxed beneath her fingertips, his expression softening. He rose from the blanket. “To dance with you.”
Then he pulled her to her feet and twirled her around, nearly knocking her down. “Sorry.” He chuckled. “That went smoother in my head.”
“You’re such a klutz.”
“Only around you—you’ve got me off balance.”
She grinned. “Good.” Then she put her arms around his neck—as far as she could reach anyway—and he drew her close and swayed the way you do at junior high dances, the ones they’d always skipped in order to camp out up here. She pressed her face into his chest and reveled in the sensation of this perfect safety and serenity. The rightness of them. A jolt ran from the top of her head to her heels, unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She loved the way he felt around her. She loved the smell of his tangy cologne. She loved the way his chin rested on the top of her head.
She wanted to lift her mouth to his, but sensed he was holding back. Was he ready for a real relationship, a public one, with a girl who may not ever amount to much?
That last part sounded suspiciously like her father.
Silence fell. When he spoke, his words stirred her hair. “I have one more question.”
She snuggled closer and listened to the steady drum of his heart. “Shoot.”
“Will you be my date to James’s wedding?”
Date. He’d said date.
And that meant something, right?
More than friends... Maybe even more than a casual fling...
How would he introduce her? This is Amberley, my bud, or this is Amberley, my date, or this is Amberley, my gal...
Only one way to find out.
Courage is being scared to death—and saddling up anyway.
John Wayne, you’d better not be foolin’.
She drew in a deep breath and raised her face.
“Yes.”
Chapter Thirteen
A CLOCK CHIMED, interrupting Jared’s idyll chat with Charlotte James. She frowned at the squawking carved bird, cupped her hands around her mouth, then called, “Amberley, Jared’s here!”
“I don’t mind waiting.” He shoved his hands in his tuxedo jacket pockets and leaned against the kitchen’s doorjamb. Underneath his dress slacks, his knee jittered. This was his and Amberley’s first real date, and he still hadn’t sorted out his feelings. She’d asked him to woo her, yet he’d backed off after the accident.
Why?
“I’m sorry, Jared.” A line appeared between Charlotte’s brows. “I’ll go see what’s taking her so long.”
“No trouble at all, ma’am.”
Jared watched Charlotte tromp down the hall, then let out a breath. Since the incident, his mind shifted into fifth gear and zoomed on unfamiliar roads, destination unknown. He loved Amberley, more than he’d ever loved anyone in his life, but the final answer to the “love versus in love” question still eluded him. His mother said it was a feeling more than a knowing, and his emotions tangled in his gut. Hopefully, tonight he’d straighten them—and himself—out.
Because of his unshaken faith in Amberley, he wanted her to compete again. But his confidence had taken a hit. Before Harley’s crash, she’d seemed bulletproof, despite her visual impairment. Now he saw the fragility he’d ignored. A thin line separated her from disaster, and on it stood Petey, her mother and him. Holding that line was a huge responsibility. He didn’t want to fail her again.
She deserved a hero, and he’d done little to prove himself worthy of that role. The promise he’d made his father echoed in his ear, a sharp, accusing sound. A rebuke.
“Out in a minute!” he heard Amberley call.
He checked his watch. They still had thirty minutes to get to the church.
“Plenty of time.” He swept his hat from his perspiring brow and loosened his tie.
They’d resumed practicing this week with Calamity Jane. After a bumpy first couple of days, Amberley and Calamity hit their stride. She’d even begun showing incredible speed on the course, reaching race times under fifteen seconds. And the faster she rode, the more it worried him that he held her life, her career, in his hands as he guided her around the barrels. Was it too much responsibility?
As he coached her through runs, he now scrutinized every crack, every weakness. Her utter dependence on him, and the real consequence of mishaps, caused him to second-guess himself, an unsettling feeling for a guy who’d always believed in his ability to prevail...until now.
Nails ticked on the wooden floor, breaking him from his thoughts, and Petey wagged his way over, sneezing in excitement.
“Hey, boy!” Jared crouched to stroke Petey’s notched ears and sent a silent prayer of thanks to the forces that’d guided the stray to Cade Ranch. Without him, Amberley wouldn’t have her independence. Did she need Jared, though, to be a winner again?
The hope on her face when she looked for him started to pressure him. How could he be Amberley’s rock, someone who’d always be there for her, when he also needed to focus on himself, resuscitate his struggling career and follow the path he’d vowed to take? His sprint times and bench press numbers now neared his preinjury status. A comeback seemed in reach, though his agent still hadn’t returned his calls.
“Oh, stop fussing, you look lovely,” he heard Charlotte say, then—“Doesn’t she look lovely, Jared?”
He straightened, opened his mouth to agree, then froze at the vision who’d just glided into the room.
“Jared?” Charlotte prompted.
He shook his head, cleared his throat and opened his dry mouth. Nothing came out.
Amberley was stunning, beautiful beyond reckoning in a lilac dress that skimmed her long, lean frame and fell to the tops of silver heels. Golden waves flowed around her fresh-scrubbed face, and her darkened lashes brought out the sparkling crystal blue of her eyes. The gown’s spaghetti straps contrasted with her smooth, tan skin. He dug his nails into his palms to keep from reaching for her.
“S-say something,” Amberley said, her eyes searching for him.
He jerked himself forward and gathered her small, strong hands in his. “I’m trying.”
Charlotte laughed and gave Amberley a little shove. “You two have a good time, now.”
Amberley’s pink lips lifted in a smile. “We will.”
Did he detect a wistful note in her voice? It pained him to cause her uncertainty. Amberley deserved a man who’d dedicate his entire life to her. His ambiguous future called his ability to do that into question.
In the past, casual dating helped him manage expectations and ensure no one got hurt. His career cam
e first, something Amberley understood as his friend. If she became his girlfriend, how would she handle time apart if he returned to professional football?
No one was banging down his door with an offer, so it was stupid to waste time worrying about it, but he did. The accident had opened his eyes to how much Amberley depended on him, and he never wanted to hurt her. Ever. The possibility messed with his head and his heart.
“Got this for you.” He pulled a white rose and lavender wrist corsage from its plastic container and slid it over her wrist.
She lifted it to her nose and breathed in the deep floral scent. “It’s beautiful.” Her eyes glistened. “Thank you.”
“Aw. Well.” He shuffled his feet, uncomfortable with all the emotion she laid out...his for the taking. Should he set his reservations aside and just enjoy this time together?
Let tomorrow take care of itself, Pa used to say.
“This makes up for the prom we never went to.” Amberley didn’t hesitate when she reached the porch stairs and started down them with Petey, her hand sliding with practiced ease on the railing.
“We should have gone.” He held open his pickup’s door, pointed for Petey to jump in, then guided Amberley onto the bucket seat.
She turned when he jumped behind the wheel, started the engine and drove down her drive. “Why’s that? Our hot dog roast was more fun. And you know how I hate dressing up.” She plucked at her gown’s gauzy material.
“But you look good doin’ it.” He shot her a smile and she grinned back, as if she could see him, as attuned to him as ever.
Did she sense the underlying currents roiling in his gut? He wanted to make Amberley happy. Could he do it without sacrificing his own life? His destiny? And was that a selfish thought to have? “At least then we’d have known,” he added.
“Known...?” She angled her head, and her brows rose.
“About us. If we were more.” He yanked off his hat and tossed it into the space behind him. “More than just friends.”
“Better late than never, right?” Her hands twisted in her lap, giving lie to her light tone.
His back teeth clenched. Enough. He didn’t have a crystal ball to predict the future, but he knew what he wanted right now. What they both wanted. He slid his fingers inside hers, deciding then and there to live in this special moment tonight with Amberley. “Much better.”
“Good.” She tipped back her head and closed her eyes, her grin back on as she nodded in time to a country-and-western tune on the radio.
An hour later, he sat at the head table and eyed the transformed barn Sofia used in her event-planning business. Twinkle lights glowed behind sheets of white gauze fabric draped over the exposed beam ceiling. All around, wildflowers spilled from lace-wrapped mason jar centerpieces atop round tables. The heady scent mingled with the cool evening air flowing through the windows. In a corner, a brown-frosted cake, chocolate he hoped, rose in three tiers. A harness circled layers topped by a silver-colored horseshoe and miniature cowboy hats, labeled “bride and groom.”
“No road is too long when you’re with someone you love,” James proclaimed, standing, glass in hand, as he delivered his wedding toast. Jewel rolled her eyes at Jared, and his mouth twitched. So now their know-it-all older brother was an authority on love, too?
How much had changed in just six months. Last Christmas, his family had been ignoring the holiday since it made Jesse’s loss too fresh and painful. Then along came Sofia with a child they hadn’t known existed, Jesse’s son, Javi. The two healed their broken family and brought love to his closed-off older brother.
Miracles did happen.
Could he expect one, too?
It seemed more complicated for him and Amberley than it’d been for James and Sofia. He eyed Sofia as his brother droned on. Seated beside Javi and Amberley, her dark eyes fixed on James, her expression rapt. Meanwhile, Javi tossed candy-coated almonds in the air and caught them in his mouth, a trick Jared had taught him.
He shot Javi a quick thumbs-up.
“Be sure to—to—” At James’s fierce head shake, Javi dropped the nuts and straightened in his seat. “Be sure to hold on to each other, but also remember that sometimes you need to let go and trust that person will come back to you. Dani and Jack,” James raised his glass higher. “May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door. Ladies and gents, please join me in toasting the happy couple. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Cade.”
The crowd hooted and clinked glasses. Sofia dabbed her eyes with a napkin and her smile wobbled as she returned James’s long, dark stare.
Whoa.
Control-freak James advising people to “let go”? Sofia’s influence no doubt. Love changed people. Plain and simple. Had he changed enough to be the man worthy of Amberley’s love? A man who could devote his entire life to her?
The din of forks, dinging on the sides of crystal, interrupted his worries. With a laugh, Jack swept off his cowboy hat, covered his and Dani’s face, then gave her a long, thorough kiss. The crowd whistled. Boots thundered on the planked floor. A few minutes later, the couple emerged, flushed and laughing, their faces so bright it almost hurt to look at them.
A fiddler struck up a slow, twangy tune: Clint Black’s “When I Said I Do.” Jack led a starry-eyed Dani onto the dance floor.
“You forgot to call Jack a bastard in the toast,” Justin drawled.
“You’re a real comedian,” James answered, not sounding the least bit amused.
Justin shrugged. “No accounting for taste.”
“Has Ma told him yet?” Jared cut another piece of steak and popped the juicy slice into his mouth.
“Last night.” Jewel shoved between them, plucked a bread roll from the basket and grabbed a knife.
“How’d he take it?” Jared passed her a pat of butter.
“Okay. He said at least the label matched his looks.”
Jared’s nose flared. The hell it did. Jack got that facial scar defending Jesse the night he died. It signified courage and brotherly love.
“Relax,” Jewel mumbled around a bite of roll. “He laughed after he said it, and I heard him chuckling when he told Dani.”
“Well,” Justin said slowly, drawing the word out as he turned a knife over and over in his hand. “He’s always been a son of a—”
“Little pictures,” growled James as Javi and Sofia arrived at the table.
“Was gonna say gun,” Justin grumped.
“You and your weapon obsession,” teased Jewel.
“More of a hobby.” Justin tested the knifepoint against the tip of his index finger.
“How many guns do you own now?” Jared asked. At last count, his brother could arm a small militia.
Justin shrugged. “Not enough.”
Jewel, who’d begun plucking out bobby pins, froze, her hands suspended in midair. “Now I’m worried.”
Justin chuckled and James shoved back his chair. “How about a dance, Sofia?”
“Me, too?” Javi lifted one hand and circled it overhead while swinging his hips. “I can dance. Uncle Jared taught me.”
“Don’t hurt yourself there, cowboy.” Jewel leaned across the table to buss him on the nose.
James swung Javi in his arms. “Jared taught you? Amateur hour. I’ll teach you some real dance moves. Do you know the hokey-pokey?”
Sofia laughed, and the trio disappeared into the growing throng on the floor.
“How about you, Jewel?” Jared searched out Amberley again. She’d vacated her seat. Had someone guided her to the restroom? Outside for some fresh air? “Are you going to make some lucky guy’s night and accept a dance?”
Justin’s cackle cut off quickly at her shoulder jab. She grabbed James’s seat and straddled it, revealing scuffed cowboy boots beneath the rising hem of her bridesm
aid dress. “Is hell freezing over?”
Justin crossed his arms and dropped his chin to his chest. “My sentiments exactly. Wake me when this shindig’s over.”
“Hey! Is that Ma dancing with Boyd Loveland?”
At Jewel’s observation, Justin’s eyes flew open. “Where?”
“There. She didn’t say he was coming.”
“He’s not staying.”
Jared grabbed Justin’s collar before he rose. Justin was tough, but as his older brother, Jared had authority and fifteen pounds of muscle on him. “Yes, he is.”
“She looks happy.” Jewel shoved back her tangled hair and dropped her chin into her hand, her elbow propped on the table.
“I’m getting some air.” Justin shook free of Jared’s hold and stalked off.
“I’d better go, too.” Jewel scrubbed off her lipstick with a napkin, then stood. “Someone’s got to keep him out of trouble.”
“It’ll find him anyway,” Jared called after her. “It always does.”
Alone, Jared met a hopeful-looking gal’s eye, then turned away. Only one woman had his attention tonight. He’d spend it by her side, watching the rowdy fun and describing it to her.
His foot tapped in time to a fiery version of “Devil Went Down to Georgia” while he scanned the room. Who’d guided Amberley and where had she gone? Petey crouched on the hay-bale-lined dancing area, which meant...
“Yeee-hawww!” someone hooted in the knee-slapping, jigging crowd. And there, smack in the middle, stood Amberley.
He bolted upright.
Amberley?
He’d assumed because of her blindness she wouldn’t want to dance, but there she was, stomping and kicking her feet in time to the music, fearless and flushed and beautiful as all get out. She knocked the wind clean out of him.
“What are you doing just standing there?” Jack scoffed, returning to the table with Dani in tow. “Go get her before someone else does.”