Texas Rebels--Paxton

by Linda Warren

  Typical Rebel family drama.

  “Tell them I said congratulations and I can’t wait to see the new addition to the family.”

  He clicked off and sat propped up in bed with the phone in his hand. He missed the family, too. For the first time since he’d started riding the circuit, he missed being home. It was a sobering thought.

  To keep from feeling lonely, he got up and went in the kitchen and ate Oreos and a glass of milk. He held up his glass. “Here’s to you, Quincy and Jenny. Glad you’re happy.”

  Would he ever find the kind of happiness his brothers had? Of course his thoughts turned to Remi. He told himself they were wrong for each other. She was a McCray. She had serious problems to overcome, and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  After washing the glass, he went back to bed, but he couldn’t sleep. He stuffed pillows behind his back and reached for his phone. He could call her, but they’d agreed to end the relationship. As he stared at his phone, a picture popped up—a picture of the baby. It was from Quincy.

  Paxton texted him back, congratulating him on his new daughter. Happiness and love. What was it all about? Suddenly he knew. The ache inside him wouldn’t go away until he talked to her. Remi was his happiness. She’d given him her phone number, and he touched her name on his cell. He waited and waited.

  * * *

  REMI RODE HER stationary bicycle, trying to get her miles in for the day. Her phone pinged and she leaned over to look at it on the bed. Paxton. Why was he calling? It was hard enough to let go. If she heard his voice, she would weaken.

  Don’t answer. Don’t answer. Don’t answer.

  But... She reached for it and clicked On. She had no excuse. She was weak. “Paxton?”

  “Hi.” His voice was masculine and hoarse. Her heart raced. “I know we agreed to go our separate ways but... I want to see you.”

  She wiped sweat from her forehead and said the first thing that came into her mind. “You said you’re not the staying kind.”

  “Okay. I’m an idiot.”

  She laughed. “You are not. You just didn’t want to hurt me. I understood that.”

  “All I know is I’m not the same man anymore because of you.”

  Remi gripped the phone. Her heart stilled at his words. There was no future for them but... Words failed her and she was glad when he started talking again.

  “My dad always said a Rebel loves forever. He said we would know when we found that special person. You’re my special person. I’ve been afraid to say it, you know, because I’m an idiot.”

  She swung her leg over the bicycle and sat on the bed. “We barely know each other, and have you forgotten about Annie? Can you see yourself involved with a woman and a baby?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. I’ve never been that fond of children. But my brothers having kids...it’s changed my outlook. I’d like to meet Annie and I’d like for us to start seeing each other.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” It was everything she could imagine, having Paxton in her life to help her with Annie. Could she be that selfish? Or could she just believe in happy endings?

  “I’m coming home in two weeks. I’ll come to Houston to see you and we can talk, go out on a date, visit Annie and see where this journey takes us.”

  Just say no. End it now.

  But her heart wasn’t listening. “You want to date a girl who uses a cane?”

  “You betcha.”

  She laughed and there was no way she could refuse. “Okay. We’ll take it a step at a time.”

  “Great. How was your day?”

  Remi told him all about her day and he told her about the rodeo. They talked on and on and it was comfortable and easy. She wished she could reach through the phone and touch him. She wondered if he felt the same way.

  She clicked off feeling happy. And sad. She still had therapy and the custody hearing ahead of her. Having a normal family was her dream, but there was a world of difference between dreams and reality. And she couldn’t help but wonder if Paxton was a reality or a dream.

  Chapter Ten

  Paxton felt much better after he had talked to Remi. He wanted to explore what they were feeling and he was happy that she did, too. Now he had to put his heart into the rodeo. There were a lot of young guys on the circuit. Brady Haaz was one of them. Paxton liked him. He wasn’t arrogant or a show-off. He reminded Paxton of his brother Jude. Brady was quiet, rode his bull and spoke little. He won the second night and Paxton came in second. The young guys were going to dog him this season.

  During the night he’d made a decision and Cole and Dakota weren’t going to like it. They went out partying again so Paxton had to wait until the morning to talk to them.

  They came in at 4:00 a.m. and Paxton woke them up at seven. “It’s time to hit the road, boys.”

  Cole sat up, rubbing his eyes. “We don’t have to be in Marshall until—”

  “I changed my plans. I’m going home today, then I’ll travel to Marshall on Thursday. You can go with me or figure something else out.”

  Cole swung his feet off the sofa bed, and Dakota finally sat up. “You’re our ride, Pax, and our place to sleep. We usually have fun, but you’re really putting a damper on the party.”

  “Sorry, guys.”

  “That’s okay.” Dakota crawled out of the bed. “My dad needs help on the ranch, anyway, and that’ll give me a couple of days to help him.”

  They arrived at Rebel Ranch before noon. The trip could have been faster, but Cole and Dakota were hungry and they had to stop for food. After loading their gear in Cole’s truck, they talked about the trip to Marshall and Rodeo Austin. They would meet Paxton at Rebel Ranch early Thursday morning.

  The ranch was quiet. There weren’t many vehicles around, except Elias’s and Grandpa’s trucks were parked at their house. He supposed everyone was at the hospital visiting the new baby. He planned to be there just as soon as he showered and changed.

  He was getting ready to leave again when his mother walked in.

  “You’re home. Are you hurt?” She looked him up and down. “You don’t look hurt.”

  “I’m not hurt,” he told her, easing the worry in her eyes. “I just made a change in my plans. Instead of spending time fooling around with the guys, I plan to see Remi instead.”

  An eyebrow lifted. “I don’t think you gave those feelings enough time to disappear.”

  “I don’t need time.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  She waved a hand at him. “I’m not going down that road again, Paxton. It almost broke my heart with Phoenix. You do what makes you happy.”

  He thought he’d never hear those words from his mother. She detested the McCrays. But there was that thing about time healing all wounds. Even though his mom’s grief would never end, she was willing to let her boys live their own lives.

  “Thank you.”

  “I just got back from the hospital. Everyone is doing great.”

  “I’m on my way there now to see the baby before I go to Houston.”

  “I’m sure Jenny and Quincy would love that. Take care of yourself.”

  She went out the door, and before Paxton could follow her, Elias walked in.

  “What are you doing home? Did a bull knock you on your head?”

  “No, I just had a change of plans.”

  “Now we’re talking.” Elias plopped into a chair. “I met this girl and her name is Lilac and her twin sister is Lily. I’m going to meet her tonight, but I need a date for Lily.”

  “Sorry, Elias. I have other plans.”

  Elias sat up straight. “Let me tell you what she looks like.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  Elias kept talking, as if Paxt
on hadn’t spoken. “She’s hot, hot, hot. Smokin’ hot.”

  “Still not interested.”

  Elias got to his feet. “What did you come home for, then?”

  Phoenix saw no reason to lie to his brother. “I have a date with Miss Bertie’s granddaughter.”

  “You mean...”

  “Yeah.” He really didn’t have a date. Remi had no idea he was coming and he knew he should call, but he wanted to surprise her. That might be a mistake he would later regret. He was willing to take his chances, though.

  Elias placed his hands on his hips. “Man, wait until Mom hears this. Can’t you boys find someone else to date besides a McCray?”

  “See you later.” Paxton finally made it out the door and was on his way to the hospital. The baby was so small Paxton was afraid of holding her, but Quincy insisted. As he held his niece, he thought about Remi and Annie. Remi had said that Annie was three weeks early and had weighed a little over four pounds. After the surgery, Annie had lost weight and she probably wasn’t much bigger now. Fear wedged in his heart. Could he be a good father to a little girl he didn’t know, a little girl who wasn’t his? Could a man change that much in a few weeks?

  * * *

  IT WAS SUNDAY and Remi had spent the day with her parents. They’d called Gran to talk and asked if Ruger had come back. Remi’s mom was really hoping he would be there. But he wasn’t.

  She had been lazy most of the day and now she had to put some miles on her bicycle. In shorts and a tank top, she rode and rode with Sadie lying beside her. The doorbell rang and she jumped. Who could that be? It might be her neighbor, Mike, who had just moved in a few weeks ago.

  She couldn’t go to the door in shorts. No one had seen her scars except her parents and Gran. Getting off the bicycle, she reached for her cane and made her way to the door. Looking through the peephole, she froze. A handsome cowboy stood there. Paxton!

  What was he doing here? Her heart thumped against her chest and her hands were shaking. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t let him see her like this.

  “Give me a minute,” she shouted through the door, and hurried to the bedroom to pull on jogging pants.

  She took a deep breath to calm herself, then went to let him in. “Paxton, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at a rodeo?”

  He handed her a bunch of white roses. Until that moment she hadn’t noticed them. All she could see was him.

  “Oh... Oh...thank you.”

  He leaned against the doorjamb, looking all cowboy and sexy in his jeans and a white shirt. “Are we going to talk out here or are you going to ask me in?”

  “Oh, yes, come in.” She stepped aside. Her apartment was a small one-bedroom, much different from her gran’s place. She opened the cabinet for a vase, but she couldn’t reach it.

  He was immediately there to hand it to her.

  “Thank you.” She arranged the flowers with a nervous hand.

  He leaned against the counter, his arms folded across his chest. “Why are we acting like strangers?”

  She wiped her hands on her pants. “I’m just surprised to see you.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “Good.” She looked directly at him. His eyes were warm and inviting and she had a hard time catching her breath.

  “We always have a few days between rodeos, and the guys and I usually just waste time hanging around. This time, I wasn’t interested in doing that.”

  “What are you interested in?” she asked boldly.

  “This.” He reached out and curled his hand around her neck, and pulled her closer, his lips meeting hers in a hot, sizzling kiss that sent zingers all the way to her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her even closer against the hard planes of his body. The kiss went on until she thought she would drop to the floor from the sheer pleasure of his lips.

  “Paxton,” she breathed into his neck. “Touching you—” she ran her hand over the muscles in his shoulder “—and kissing you is wonderful, but we still have the same problems we had two days ago.”

  He held her by the shoulders to look into her eyes. “We’re two grown adults and free to do what we want. I want to spend the next three days with you—getting to know you better, meeting Annie and getting in touch with all these feelings I have when I’m around you. I’m not asking for anything else.”

  “Aren’t you?” She lifted an eyebrow. “You know I’m attracted to you and just standing here breathing the same air as you is making me feel intoxicated.”

  He didn’t even pause with his words. “I admit I’ve never gone out with a girl this long without sleeping with her, but I respect your wishes. When you’re ready, you’ll tell me. I’m not going to push you.”

  She rested her forehead on his chest. “Paxton, it’s not that I don’t want to have sex. It’s just that I haven’t since the accident and I—”

  “It’s okay.” He kissed her lips. “Like I said, when you’re ready.” He looked toward the living area. “Do you mind if I sleep on your couch?”

  She glanced up at him. “So the plan is to spend time together away from Horseshoe and our families?”

  “Yeah. Time together without any interruptions.”

  “That sounds...” She grinned. “Like fun. I’d love to spend time with you. So, you can sleep on my couch, but let’s have dinner first.” She moved toward the stove.

  “Let’s go out,” he suggested. “It’s not late.”

  She made a face at him. “I’m all sweaty from exercise and I’d rather stay in.”

  He winked. “You got it.”

  “How about spaghetti?”

  “I grew up on SpaghettiOs, so anything with sauce on it works for me.”

  He helped her to prepare the meal and she found a bottle of wine. They sat in comfortable silence eating and she loved being with him again. Love. The word lingered in her mind like a favorite melody, making her aware of her feelings.

  She loved him.

  * * *

  WHILE PAXTON DID the dishes, Remi quickly took a shower and then sat on the commode to rub lotion onto her body. Every night she used a special cream to rub on the scars.

  Paxton was here. Her hands shook at the anticipation. She loved him and the feminine side of her was grabbing at everything he offered. Three days together could be heaven. All she had to do was not be so uptight about her injuries.

  She slipped on fresh jogging pants and a T-shirt. Usually she slept in just a T-shirt. She took a deep breath and went down the hall to a closet and got a blanket and a pillow for Paxton.

  In the living room he sat on the sofa. He’d removed his boots and his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a broad chest and a light smattering of chest hair. Her brain completely shut down at the sight.

  He glanced at the jogging pants. “Do you usually wear those to bed?”

  It took a moment for her to answer. “No.”

  “Why do you have them on tonight?”

  “They cover my scars. I’m very self-conscious about them.”

  “What?” He frowned. “You think if I see them, I’ll run screaming into the night?”

  She stiffened her backbone. “I’ll never know because I’ll never show them to you. Only my family and the people at the hospital have seen them.”

  His eyes held hers for a long time. “Remi, the scars don’t matter to me.”

  She handed him the blanket and pillow. “If you need anything else, there’s more in the hall closet.”

  “It really doesn’t matter to me,” he said again, and she walked away to her bedroom with Sadie trailing behind her. She sat on her bed with the door closed, feeling naive and insecure. Try as she might she couldn’t get over it; she couldn’t. She wasn’t the same as she was before the accident and she didn’t want an
yone to see her this way, especially Paxton, who was beyond physically perfect.

  The fear deep inside her wouldn’t let go. Since all the internal surgeries, sex would be different now. Or at least everything she’d read had said so and she wanted everything to be wonderful with Paxton. What was she going to do? Was she going to let fear control her? Or take back her life?

  She glanced at the baby bed in the room and all of Annie’s things. She wanted Paxton to be a part of their lives. So many doubts and fears fought for control inside her, but above everything she wanted to be with him. Sadie jumped onto the bed, and Remi pointed to Sadie’s bed.

  “No, not tonight. Get in your bed.” With a whine, Sadie did as Remi requested.

  Sucking air into her tight lungs, she opened the door and walked into the living room. The room was in total darkness, but she could see Paxton lying on the sofa covered with a blanket.

  He sat up when he noticed her.

  “Something wrong?”

  “I’m ready,” she said with every ounce of bravado she had in her.

  “What?”

  She didn’t think she would have to explain it, but obviously he was confused. “You said when I was ready, I would tell you. I’m ready.”

  “Oh.” He quickly pushed back the blanket and got to his feet in nothing but jockey briefs. “Are you sure? You said—”

  “Paxton.” She sighed.

  “Okay. I just want you to be sure.”

  “I’m sure.”

  Still he hesitated. “So this means you’re going to let me see your scars?”

  “Not if you don’t come over here and kiss every doubt away.”

  It took him less time than an eight-second bull ride. He swung her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom and carefully sat her on the bed. Her breath stalled at his gentleness and caring.

  Leaning over, he kissed her lips as warmly as a summer breeze. Without any doubts, she stood up and removed her jogging pants. Her legs felt weak and she sat down again. The fire in his eyes was turning up the heat in her.