Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  Jase almost choked. Davy snickered, saying, “Where’s your cowboy boots, and hat? Ya ain’t riding no horse looking like that, little girl. Why those sandals will be filled with so much sand, you’ll weigh the horse down.” Davy brushed his hand through his hair and gave Jase a sideways glance.

  “Okay, kids, that’s enough,” said Jase. “Chloe will get the hang of it.” He turned to Brenna. “And so will Brenna.”

  “I see a conspiracy here,” said Chloe.

  “Stop! Chloe, give it a try. Davy, don’t tease my sister. Jase, I will get the hang of it.” There! She set them all straight. How long would it last though? Brenna figured one more little girl from Davy and Chloe might let him have it where it counted and he’d be gasping for air. Too bad he didn’t know she was one test away from a black belt in martial arts.

  Jase brought her hand to his lips. “I have no doubts darlin’. I’ll teach you everything you need to know and you will get the hang of it.”

  Oh, hallelujah! She knew exactly what he meant, and that sexy wink after his words was enough to seal it. Anticipation like she had never known rattled her insides so bad, everyone in the restaurant knew. Chloe and Davy stared at her from across the table. It must’ve been written on her forehead, too.

  Chloe pointed to Davy, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t ever call me darlin’.”

  Davy choked on his bite of burger and when he stopped coughing, he said, “Have no fear, little girl.”

  Chapter 18

  Brenna talked Chloe into going to the ranch with them. When they pulled onto the road, Judy was just leaving. Oh, boy. What a shock this is going to be. “Does your mother know you…um, that we…darn it. You know what I mean.”

  “Nope. Ah, I should say, yeah, because her window is going down. Wanna duck?”

  “No, Jase Carlson, stop it! You’re increasing my headache.” Her fingers went to her temples.

  “Headache? What’s wrong? You okay?” he asked.

  “No, I’m tired and have a hangover from last night.”

  Jase hit the brakes when his mom stopped in the road leading to the ranch. “Hey, Mom. You need something?” He glanced back to Brenna. “Hangover?”

  She lowered her voice. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  Judy stretched her neck as far as possible, looking around Jase and spotted Brenna. She had a look of question and glee at the same time. “Is that Brenna Page?”

  “Well, I sure hope so, or you blew it for me big time.” Jase laughed. “Yep. I just picked her and her sister up from the airport.”

  “Well…well, I must say I’m surprised.” She said to Brenna, “Nice…very nice to see you again.”

  “Hi, Judy. Jase was kind enough to pick us up.” She proceeded to explain about her car being too small and unable to hold enough luggage.

  “I must say congratulations on the townhouse. Nora told me you’d be moving in.”

  “Yes, this will be our first night there.” She nodded to the back seat. “This is my sister.” She faced Chloe. “Can you please acknowledge this woman? Without her I might still be sitting on the side of the road.”

  “Hey,” said Jase. “I had something to do with that.”

  Chloe leaned forward and tilted her hand in a halfhearted wave. “Nice to meet you.” She sank back into the back seat. Lowering her voice, she said, “I have to use the bathroom, Bren.”

  Judy said, “I’m heading home, but it was good seeing you again.”

  “Mom, what did you want?” asked Jase. “Brenna, excuse me a moment please.” He pulled up far enough to get the door open, got out, and walked back to his mom’s 4x4.

  Davy tapped Chloe’s arm. “There’s a bathroom in the barn. Come on, I’ll lead you there. It’s a decent one.”

  “Wait,” said Brenna.

  “Bren, no!” Chloe opened the door and so did Davy. She watched them walk down the dusty road—her sister in sandals as she had predicted earlier. Then she kicked them off and carried them the rest of the way, making Brenna laugh.

  Jase came back to the door and leaned in the window. “Mom invited you and Chloe to dinner Sunday. Are you interested? It’ll be the family.”

  Brenna held back, but his mom waited for an answer. “Can I let her know tomorrow? I’d like to discuss it with the kid. She might not be ready for it.”

  “She might not be?”

  Brenna nodded. “Okay, we might not be ready.” If she had a bit of apprehension, for sure Chloe would.

  “So you know, my family is very close-knit, and there are no strangers at Mom’s table.” Jase straightened up and watched down the road as Chloe and Davy headed into the barn. “You can let her know tomorrow. I’ll tell her and we’ll get up to the house.”

  “Jase? Is she shocked?”

  He shook his head. “Nope, not at all. I already had the third degree when I returned her gas can that night, three hours after she left us in the parking lot. Not much gets past her. Not to mention, someone saw us horsing around the night of the ice cream cone incident.” Jase winked.

  He took a step away and Brenna looked down the road toward the barn. His horse trailer sat beside it. She hadn’t seen it the last time.

  Jase slid behind the wheel after Judy drove off. “Mom said it’s fine. She understands if you’d rather wait. Think about it, okay?” He lifted the console out of the way, and scooted over. Jase slid his hand over her shoulder, fisting the hair at her nape before he wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck.

  She laid her hand on his thigh. His cologne mingled with whatever else he had on, shampoo, aftershave, a little bit of him, and it smelled delicious.

  “I did a lot of missing you, girl. Had to keep reminding myself you weren’t something I dreamed up. Even looked at your car when I got home yesterday to convince myself.” He used his other hand to cup the side of her face. “You’re as beautiful as you were in my dreams. But you are real.”

  He tilted his head, came close to her lips, and Brenna slipped her hand around his waist. She leaned forward to meet his kiss. His lips were so warm. The closer he moved to her, the warmer she became inside and out.

  Brenna opened her mouth, welcoming the tender slip of his tongue before he gingerly stroked the flesh of her top lip, the kiss increasing the longer it went on. The act itself sent her brain into a flurry. She eased her other hand behind his head, holding him as he kissed her like a mad man. It wasn’t until he held her nape tighter that she knew her kiss was just as wild.

  His fingertips tenderly skimmed along the side of her neck, to her throat, and down over one breast. Taking hold of his hand, she tried to protest, but he whispered against her lips, “Let me, Brenna. Please, I need to touch you.” His hand cupped her breast outside of her shirt and she eased her fingers back to his face, a deep sigh following his gentle caresses.

  He ended the kiss only to whisper in her ear, “I want you, Brenna. I don’t care how, but I want you in some way. I want to touch your naked skin, lick all over your body. If you’re scared, know I won’t hurt you. I won’t take what you’re not ready to give, but, girl—there’s things I can still do to satisfy you…and me.”

  By now Brenna’s breaths were ragged and deep. Her pulse raced and blood coursed through her veins. This new found desire had been hiding deep within her until he came along. “I know, and I want you too. Slow though, ease me into it.”

  “Girl, I’m ready right now.” He moved her hand to his thigh and strummed his fingers over her palm. Chills tumbled down her spine, settling between her thighs.

  She found it difficult to swallow, her throat tightening, for he was surely ready now. So was she. “We need to make a plan…for when, okay?”

  “Oh, yeah, darlin’. I told you on your time, when you’re ready. We’ll go slowly. I won’t hurt you, but…for a brief instant.” Jase hauled himself away and leaned against the seat, shoved his fingers through his hair, and turned back to her. “I won’t hurt you, honey. I promise.”

  Chloe and Da
vy made their way out of the barn and waited there. Willing herself to find composure, she straightened in the seat. “Did my sister laugh with him just now?”

  Jase took a deep breath and adjusted his shirt. “It sure looked like it…or at him.”

  “Hey, why did you bring a teenage boy to meet my sister? Are you crazy?”

  “To break the ice. He’s shy but does his best to hide it. He’s harmless. Your sister is safe with him.” Jase kissed her fingers and released her hand. “Besides, he’ll protect her, if needed.”

  She almost choked. “News flash, cowboy. My sister knows many ways to kill him.”

  “What?” Jase jerked his head around. “Huh? You sister kills people?”

  Laughing, she said, “She’s almost a first degree black belt in martial arts.”

  “Well, I don’t have to worry about either of you now, do I? Should I warn, Davy?”

  “Maybe you should.”

  “But honestly, he’ll be good to her. He’s a nice kid. He used to go with the girl we saw at the ice cream place, but she moved on when she went to college. I think she picked up with some rich kid.”

  “He’s too old for her, Jase. He should be worried. She’s not of age yet. Tell him, he better not try anything with her.”

  “I will, but I said he’s a good kid. Trust me.”

  “He’s a teenage boy, and I know what they’re like. I was a teenage girl once.” Brenna poked him in the arm. “You were a teenage boy.”

  “You did a great job of fighting them off. Do you have any kind of belts?”

  “Only leather ones I wear around my waist. So, there. This is why I visit the shooting range when I can.”

  “Oh, that’s right, a sharpshooter. My little sexy woman is a shooter. You Page girls have it all under control. If she don’t break a bone, you’ll just shoot’em.”

  “And we’re good at it.” Brenna paused and glanced out the side window. “I used to be good at it. I’m out of practice.”

  Jase slid into first gear and stuck his hat on. He winked and proceeded toward the house. “You can check out my horse trailer. Remember I said it was self-sufficient? Well, I might have left out a few details. It’s nicer than the hotel you stayed in. I don’t cheat myself out of comfort when I’m on the road, sometimes for a week.” He nodded toward it. “It’s up to you. I can understand your first reaction to a horse trailer, but it cost half the price of my house…almost.” He clenched her arm. “Maybe a small exaggeration.”

  “I’m sure it’s nice and all, but it’s my sisters first night. It’s best we stay at home.” Brenna removed his hand from her arm and entwined their fingers. “Who knows, maybe I’ll spend the night in it sometime…with you.”

  “Well, woman. Count on it.” He had a smirk on his face she detected even though he wasn’t looking at her. Sometimes it plain showed up in his voice.

  “How many beds?”

  He pulled into the shade and set the brake. “How many do you need? I have a queen bed.”

  “Ah, nothing else?”

  “We’ll look inside later. It’ll be hot in there right now, but I have air conditioning. The horses do to. If you like it enough, I might consider an overnight auction.” He rolled the truck windows down.

  Brenna stuck her arm out the window and detected a soft breeze. “I wonder what I’d do with my sister.” Good question. She could only hope that Chloe didn’t find the wrong crowd somewhere and start it all over here. Brenna looked out the window. Chloe was laughing with Davy. She shifted sideways and faced Jase. He sat that way, too, but leaned his head out the window, his face upward, and his eyes were closed. His hair fell back from his face and the ends blew in the breeze. Mm, he looked so good. “Davy makes my sister laugh. I’ll give him that much.”

  “Davy’s a nice kid.” He sat up straight. “Hey, you hungry at all? I know we ate not long ago, but I’ll get pizza.”

  She checked her watch. “I need to go to the store before I go home.” But looking at how happy her sister looked, she didn’t want to take that away from her at the moment.

  “I’ll give you enough coffee to take home for breakfast. Even split a loaf of bread with you, and send home butter and jelly.”

  Brenna turned to look at him. He was so handsome with his strong jaw, those cute dimples, and sexy eyes. “Okay.”

  He leaned over and took her hand from her lap. “Maybe you’ll think about staying here tonight. I’ll fix y’all breakfast.”

  She lifted his hand and kissed his palm—rough from callous, maybe a rope burn on his finger, but it was warm. “We’ll see, but my sister needs to feel a part of something, like Canyon Junction is her home.” Peering out the front window again, her sister and Davy sat on a picnic table and now she wore Davy’s hat. Oh, boy. “Look at them. Are you sure he’s a nice guy?”

  “Let’s put it this way. He will be a nice guy. I’ll give it to him straight and kick his ass if I have to.”

  “A lot of good that will do after the fact.” That’s all she needed. It was time to have another talk about the birds and the bees. Brenna’s brow lifted. Chloe might know more about sex than she did. But, even though she’d never slept with a man, didn’t mean she was a prude or naïve when it came to sex.

  He tapped her arm. “Hey, stop worrying about something in your imagination. Chill out a little.”

  She pulled away from him. “You’re right. But you don’t understand. She’s…all I have. I’m all she has. Our family is gone. Our parent’s, my sister Jordann—Chloe’s identical twin.” Brenna kept her tears at bay, learning how most times when she needed to, but something about being with him weakened her and her defenses were falling down.

  He slipped his hand around her shoulder. “Your family is all gone? You mean…honey, I’m so sorry.” He moved his hand up her arm and traced his finger over the scar. “This is why you’re scarred? Was it an accident, a fire?”

  Taking a very big breath, she dropped her head back. “It’s getting hot in here.” She fanned her face with her hand.

  He started his truck and turned the air on full blast. “I’ll cool it down. We can go inside, too.”

  She twisted her head to the left and back to the right, down to touch her chin against her chest, and back again, trying to loosen up. Jase massaged the top of her shoulders.

  “It was a car accident.” She took another deep breath while trying to get the pitch of her voice back down. “I can’t talk about this,” she said, opening the door. She didn’t even know why she said anything. Now it was in the open and she’d have to talk about it sometime. “How about showing me that new horse?”

  “Sure, later.” Jase leaned over, kissed her cheek, and took one finger to tilt her face toward him again. “It’s awful, Bren. You’re a very strong woman.” Chloe’s laugh caught their attention.

  “Let’s go see what’s so funny. I don’t like him being funnier than me,” he teased.

  They got out and Brenna met him in the front of his truck. She turned in a full circle, pointing at the Superstitions. “Oh, you big mountain, how I missed you. There you are, following me everywhere I go like a big shadow.”

  Jase grabbed her from behind, pulled her hair to the side and nuzzled his face and lips against her neck. “It called you here. For me.” He looked up and stood straight, saluting the four peaks. “Thanks, you damn mountain!” He turned to Brenna. “You know, my mom says my dad is there watching over all of us. What do you think about that?”

  “She could be right.” She laid her palm against his cheek. “It’s a pleasant thought for you?”

  He broke away and grabbed Davy’s hat off his head and tossed it into the air. “Hey, kid, go get pizza.”

  Davy stood and took hold of Chloe’s hand but dropped it as fast. “Come with me?” he asked her.

  Chloe glanced at Brenna with her pleading big blue eyes. Brenna wanted to say no automatically, but she had to start letting her go sometime. “You drive safe?” she asked Davy.

  “
Yes, ma’am, I have a good driving record. Ask Jase.”

  “Chloe can go if she wants to.” She eyed Davy from head to toe, still not sure about the whole thing.

  Jase reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet, handing Davy money. “Put some in the gas tank, too. Get the usual, dude.” Jase punched his arm when he walked by. “Hey, behave. Both of you.”

  On the way to Davy’s pickup, Chloe turned. “Hey, Bren?”

  Brenna turned and faced her sister. Chloe winked. She’d never seen her sister wink before.

  “You behave, too, darlin’.” Chloe snickered, turned and scooted in the truck when Davy opened the door for her.

  Brenna laughed when they drove off. “Goodness, that’s a side to her I’ve never seen. What’s up with this Davy?”

  Jase folded his arms in front of him. “Don’t worry about Davy, honey. Right now worry about this guy. We’re alone…I’d say close to an hour.”

  Shivers tickled her flesh and didn’t stop. Her whole insides let loose with yearnings that demanded to be heard. Tingles in places that’d never tingled like this. “What are you suggesting?”

  “I’m very tired today. It’s been a dragged out last few days.” Jase took her hand. “Come inside with me.” He went in the back door, through the kitchen and down the hallway to his bedroom. Brenna didn’t stop him.

  At the door he turned and held her face with both hands, kissed her rough and wildly, but not with any force. “Let me hold your body next to mine?”

  Brenna nodded and went into the room ahead of him. This time his bed was made and the room was bright. Jase removed his boots and crawled into the middle of his bed, holding his arms open. She kicked her shoes off and lay beside him.

  He pulled her close, tight up against his body and held her. She relaxed in his arms, yet, a part of her wanted to draw away. At least the shuddering was only on the inside now and he couldn’t feel it. “You’re amazing, Jase…your touch, smell, everything about you. I can’t wait to know all about you.”