Cowboy to the Rescue

by Ann B. Harrison

  She glanced between her parents, dread creeping down her spine, leaving her cold. “You’re not trying to orchestrate a marriage of convenience here, are you? Because I’ll tell you now, that isn’t going to happen. I’ll choose my own husband.” She might have been more manageable as a younger woman but not now. Sadie was old enough to decide her own path.

  Her father took over, waving his wife and daughter to silence. “Don’t go worrying yourself about that now, Sadie. He’s a good man and it would make sense for the two of you to make a match. Comes from a good family, he’s a hard worker, and from what I hear, headed for the top. Might even make a good candidate for the senate later on.” He winked at his wife across the table. “Made quite the impression in London from what I hear. He’s going to be senior partner when his father retires, you know, and the future is bright for the both of you. You want the same things, I’m sure of it, and you know this is the way our kind do things. We think of the future.”

  Sadie sat fuming quietly as her father lorded the charms of James Jr. as if it were as easy as selecting a bloodline for Jethro’s cattle.

  “Go out with him for a drink, and promise me you won’t make any rash decisions. You need to think logically with your head, not your heart. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. Your mother and I don’t want to see you lose this opportunity because you chose the wrong husband. The glitter of first love dies eventually, whereas your career is a different matter.”

  “You’re so cold and analytical about it, Daddy. I don’t think that’s the way I’m going to choose my husband.” She sipped her water. “I wish you’d mentioned this earlier.”

  “James is important in the scheme of things, in my opinion. Your mother and I will catch up with you for breakfast.” He gave her a no-nonsense stare. “I expect a good report on your evening.”

  “Seriously. Anyone would thing you’re trying to marry me off, not merely get me a partnership.”

  He didn’t even attempt to disagree with her, which cut to the bone. He’d never been this pushy before. What’d happened to make him change? “What if I am? You know your mother and I have only your best interests at heart.”

  But it didn’t make it right. “Let me choose my own husband, thank you.”

  “You haven’t fallen for anyone in that little hick town, have you, Sadie?”

  The shock on her mother’s face was almost comical if her suggestion didn’t cut right to the quick. “I don’t know what I want, Mother. I need more time. This has all come out of the blue, and I haven’t even had time to process it.”

  The doorbell rang and the butler came in. “Mr. James Milton for Miss. St. Martin.”

  “Thank you, Ryan.” Sadie stood, put down her napkin on the table. “Tell him I’ll be right out.”

  “Very good, miss.”

  Her mother stood. “Don’t be in too much of a hurry to make a decision. Go out, have a drink, a chat, and see how you feel. Promise me to at least give him a chance.”

  *

  Jethro lay back in bed with his cell phone in his hand. Why hadn’t she replied to his text? Was she out with friends, male friends doing the things she used to do before moving to Marietta? He got up, disgusted with himself, put the phone on the bedside cabinet, and padded out to the kitchen to get a drink.

  He poured a cup of lukewarm coffee and stood looking out the window into the inky darkness while his mind churned over what he already knew. He wasn’t good enough for her. That was fairly obvious, considering rumor had it that she was being courted by some big law firm in Denver. A chance meeting with Emily when he drove into town earlier that day had brought it all home. Of course Sadie would want to go back. Bitterness rose up in his throat. She should’ve been upfront and told him the truth. He could take it. At least that would be the face he’d show her when they spoke again. A small-time rancher wasn’t good enough for her. He knew it but hadn’t wanted to face up to that fact. The dream was good while it lasted.

  Sex with him had been a diversion to the quaint world she’d found herself in. Rich girl sowing her oats with a poor cowboy before settling down to involve herself in the well-ordered life of a Denver socialite. Otherwise, why would she be going back for meetings?

  Of course, Marietta was different from what she knew; he got that. The city had much more to offer than the little town he called home. Layla had made it work, but she’d had more incentive than just a poor cowboy. There’d been a baby involved, and that trumped a roll in the hay any day.

  Denver had restaurants, theatre, and a buzz she couldn’t find in a small rural town, if what he read was true. He’d go check out the town himself if given the chance, but that wasn’t his life. It was hers. At least that was what he told himself.

  There wasn’t anything in Marietta to bring her back. Even the part-time job Layla was rumored to be offering her wouldn’t be a patch on what she could get in the city. He’d looked up her old firm. The flashy décor, the perfect office in the perfect building in the middle of a bustling metropolis—all so different to what she’d been thrust into here. No wonder Sadie was so shell-shocked when she got pulled into the delivery suite. None of it bore any resemblance to what she’d left behind.

  And now she had the opportunity to go back and have it all again, and more. Her estimated income ten times what he hoped to make out of the ranch and that was once he got on top of things. Jethro turned around and let his gaze wander around the room. He’d never worried about the peeling paint on the walls before, the water stain on the ceiling, or the fact that the doors never closed properly on the pantry or they couldn’t shut the bathroom window in the damp weather.

  They’d clung to everything that remained of their mother, too scared to throw anything away. But over the years the sound of her voice had gone, her smell too. All that remained were a few photos and her collection of old but pretty mismatched china. Surely, that wasn’t enough to tempt even the most intrepid woman, no matter how much she initially liked the shift in scenery.

  It was the place their mother brought them to for safekeeping when her useless husband had run out on her and left her weak with illness, with no opportunity to build a future for her three young sons. Grandpa was the only lifeline she’d had, and she’d grabbed it with both hands, dragging them across state lines to the only chance they had of surviving in the best place she knew. At least before she’d died, she’d known her three sons would be safe.

  Today, the house was old, rickety, and in desperate need of upgrading. But it was still home. It was where his grandparents had forged a life together, brought up their children. It was all Jethro had, and nobody was going to make him feel ashamed that it wasn’t better than it was.

  If Sadie decided she wanted more, so be it. He’d let her go and wish her well. The short time they’d had together would be a pleasant memory he’d hang on to for as long as he could, then move on. Build up the ranch, make it pay for itself, and go about deciding what he wanted out of life. Find himself a local girl who didn’t yearn for the bright lights, designer clothes, and upmarket restaurants of the city.

  Someone who was used to the animals and wide-open spaces, who loved the freedom of the range, the big, blue sky, and the opportunities ranch living offered. Someone who didn’t remind him of Sadie with every waking breath. Someone who wouldn’t break his heart like she would.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sadie drove out to the ranch after work, her heart racing. As soon as the plane touched down on the tarmac, the tension pulling on her shoulders since she’d arrived back in Denver had eased. Four days back in her hometown had been harder than she would’ve believed. She’d never put much credence on the saying that a person should listen to their body, but bit by bit, Sadie was beginning to understand it and listen.

  A headache had dogged her every day, just below the surface but enough to worry her.

  Like yesterday, when she called Jethro after a restless night’s sleep. Hearing his voice had eased the ache behind her eye
s, a remnant from the argument with her parents the night before. James Jr. was nice if not a little too gung ho for her tastes. His entire focus was on what he wanted out of life, and she understood that, but there seemed to be no mention of love in his monologue about where she fit in. If she was reading him right, and she thought herself a pretty good judge of people, he seemed to assume she was part of the package he was putting together for his future. A package her parents knew more about than she did. Any hint she put forward otherwise only got brushed under the table as he laid out his plans.

  She didn’t mind striving to get ahead, but Sadie was against stepping on everyone’s toes to get her own way. Perhaps she would’ve done the same thing once, but her focus seemed to have shifted, and she was blaming Marietta and Jethro for that. James didn’t have the same ideas of success, which made her nervous. She tried to push her interview, the arguments with family, and dates with James from her mind and focus on the man she was heading to see. All day at the office, Jethro was all she could think about.

  She parked in front of the house and looked around for him, noticed Clumsy down at the barn, and headed that way. The old dog came bounding toward her, scattering the wandering chickens out of the way, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and his tail wagging. He launched himself at her, his huge paws landing on her chest, throwing her backward. Sadie landed on her butt in the driveway, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could protest or cry out, a wet tongue swiped the side of her cheek and doggy breath rolled over her face as the dog whined his greeting. She flailed her hands, trying to save herself from the drool, but it was no use. Clumsy wasn’t going to let anything stop him from greeting his newest long-lost friend, even if it had only been four days since he’d seen her.

  “Clumsy!” Jethro’s feet thundered on the driveway as he ran toward her, pulled the dog off, and dropped down on the ground. He cupped her cheek in his palm. “Sadie, talk to me.” The panic on his face gave her moment of joy, displaced as it might be. He cared more than he let on. “Are you hurt?” He ran his hand down her arm, picked up her hand, looking for blood or breaks, flicked off a tiny piece of stone that had broken her skin on her palm. “Talk to me.”

  She let out a strangled laugh instead and shifted her butt to get away from the sharp rocks digging into her flesh. “Help me up.”

  He pulled her to her feet, wiped the dirt and picked the grass from her hair, and wrapped his arms around her. “Stupid dog. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, honestly. I think he missed me.” She peeked over Jethro’s shoulder to see Clumsy hovering behind him looking frightened, his tail and ears down. She gave him a smile and a silent promise to cuddle as soon as Jethro calmed down and let her go.

  Jethro looked down into her eyes. “He isn’t the only one.”

  A lump rose in her throat. This was more than casual sex between them. The promise in his gaze made her braver than she thought she’d be. After all, this relationship was very new and they hadn’t mentioned commitment once. “Does this mean you’d like me to stay in Marietta?”

  He swallowed, licked his lips, and Sadie almost took it back, but something made her keep silent while he worked out his words. She wasn’t going to rush the most important decision in her life.

  “If you think this is what you want, I’ll be here waiting for you. But you’re the one who needs to make the decision because you’re the one giving up the most.”

  She let out a shaky breath. Yes, she was the one giving up everything she thought she wanted, but wasn’t that what one did for love? “I’d like to think about it some more. Maybe talk it over with Layla. I need to make sure it’s not something either of us would regret.”

  He stared at her lips, and she trembled in his arms. “I’ll never regret anything that involves you.”

  *

  An hour later, Jethro trailed his finger down the curve of her naked back and paused over the mark on her butt from her meet and greet with Clumsy. “That’s going to be one heck of a black bruise.”

  Sadie rolled over and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, bringing him down for a sensual kiss that made his toes curl. “I can’t feel a thing. I think you chased all thoughts of pain from my mind.”

  “I aim to please.” He flopped back on the pillow and pulled her over onto his chest. Her shampoo teased his senses, the delicate soft floral tones bringing back a memory he thought he’d forgotten. His mom liked flowers. Grandpa had kept the garden in the front of the house going as best he could as a tribute to her. It was something Jethro needed to take care of. Weed it out and make it pretty again.

  “I had a call from Layla while I was away.”

  He tensed, waiting for her to continue. Tucked a wayward blond curl behind her ear and watched the color rise on her cheeks. “She offered me a partnership.” Sadie leaned up on her elbow and gazed down into his eyes.

  Her eyes didn’t give anything away. His throat closed. Jethro swallowed, dared to ask the question. “Do you want it?” It would be different from the job she was offered in Denver. Would she wake up one day full of regret? Regret that she’d saddled herself to a small town on a whim.

  A small frown appeared between her eyebrows. “I’m not sure. It’d only be part-time to start with. I’d need to help grow the business if I wanted to work more, so that would be on me. Or I could do something else if I had a mind to.” Her eyes crinkled at the edges with her smile and the frown lines disappeared.

  “Like?”

  “I could help you.” Sadie blushed and looked away.

  Jethro took her chin in his hand and brought her face back to his. “You’d do that? Work on the ranch with me?”

  Uncertainty skittered across her eyes. “It’s an idea. I mean, I understand I don’t know anything about what ranching entails, but I like it out here with you and I’m going to have some free time. Layla said I would work four days a week to start, so that gives me a long weekend to do what I want. And I want that to be with you.”

  Jethro swallowed the lump in his throat. “Does that mean you want to move in with me, or are you thinking of staying in town?” He’d love nothing more than having her in his bed every night as they fell asleep together, but this between them was new and he didn’t want to rush her, even though he knew exactly what he wanted. “I don’t mind if you do both.”

  Sadie bit her bottom lip. “Why don’t we do that? I can stay in town for now while I’m in the office and spend the weekends with you until we work out if this is what we both want.”

  Jethro gave a whoop of joy and spun her over so that he was lying on top of her. “I like the way you think.” He dipped his head and kissed her. After a few breathless moments, he tried to put his sensible cap on.

  “This thing between us, I’ll understand if you have doubts. I mean, we’re very different. Different upbringings, different demographics. I don’t want you to feel as though you’re missing out on what you could have had.”

  Sadie traced her finger down his nose and stopped it on his lips, silencing him. “I have everything I want right here.” She shifted underneath him and rolled her hips against his.

  “You know you’re playing with fire doing that, right?”

  A saucy grin was her only response. And another shift of her hips.

  Jethro used his knee to spread her thighs and felt the heat from her center against his hardening dick.

  Sadie reached down between them and gripped him. Her fingers teased him, stoking from base to tip until he groaned. “I don’t think you should do that.”

  She grinned again and placed the head of his dick against her hot flesh. Little by little, she thrust her hips and took him in. Once he was buried inside her, Jethro rested his forehead on hers.

  “Jethro.” Sadie wiggled under him.

  “Just let me enjoy the sensation of being inside you for a moment. Feel it, Sadie, how perfect we fit together.”

  She slid her legs around the back of his knees and pressed him deeper, a
rching against him. Without conscious thought, his hips began to move.

  “That’s so good.” Sadie kept her hands on his butt, driving the pace.

  Driving him insane. He gave himself over to the need to devour her, to make her his.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jethro kissed Sadie, loath to let her go. But it was morning and he had things to do. One lazy afternoon and night making love to her wasn’t enough, but work came first. “I have to go and check on Bulldozer and the girls. Come with me for a ride.”

  She stretched out on the bed, and pointing her toes like a ballerina. “Sure. So long as you have a horse that’s not likely to bolt, that is. I haven’t been riding for years.” The thought of her riding the range with him was appealing, especially after shutting themselves in the bedroom for most of the weekend.

  “Grandpa had an old mare that’s pretty quiet. Doesn’t get out much. She could do with a decent ride.” He pulled her hand and together they walked down to the stables.

  Sadie helped saddle the horses and it soon looked like second nature for her to pick up a horse’s leg and run the hoof pick around it. She was doing the right thing by choosing to stay with him, but she had to be certain for her own piece of mind.

  They rode quietly to start with, ambling alongside each other while Sadie found her rhythm again. The sun rose high in the sky, the soft breeze blew over the pasture bringing with it a slight chill from the snow-capped mountains. “This is like a painting, it’s so pretty.”

  “It sure is. Don’t know how I’d leave it. Best thing Mom did was bring us boys out here.”

  “You miss her?” Sadie leaned forward and ran the mare’s forelock through her fingers.

  Mom was such a faded memory now, the hurt had long gone. “Yes and no. I was pretty young when we lost her. Every now and then I can almost imagine her on the front porch with a glass of iced tea and then it disappears like I imagined it.”