Jase patted Warrior’s flank. “Horses have a way of growing on ya.” He turned the horse around. “We need to head back. I want to spend some time with Dane before he leaves again, and I have chores to finish.”
“Thank you for this. It’s what I needed.” Brenna leaned into him, removed her hat, and rested her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and let it all go.
He squeezed her tight. “I need to make love to you, Brenna. Can you remember that?”
“Um hum. You mean right now?” She turned her head to look at him. His eyes held a look of longing, a sexy, heated stare. “How can we?”
“No, not now,” he whispered against her ear. He tapped his heels against Warrior’s side and they took off. “Maybe tomorrow you’ll get on your own horse. Not that I don’t like having you right here up against me, but I think you’ll enjoy it more. The palomino mare is ready for you.”
“Not sure about more, but I’ll enjoy her.”
“I trained her for ya, honey. I love you, and she’ll be a great horse for you.”
Brenna had a rush of emotion come over her and her eyes misted. The warm breeze helped to dry her tears, so he didn’t have to know. His caring words moved her.
***
Brenna waited at her car for Chloe to say farewell to Davy. He had planned on staying around to help Jase do some work on the ranch until it was time to go to Judy’s. Jase walked over to her after he got Warrior hosed off and in his stall. “I’ll come pick you up later.” He removed his hat and wiped sweat from his brow. “Davy told me he’s picking up your sister. They don’t plan on staying at the party long.”
“Hmm, I guess that’s normal. Chloe wasn’t sure he’d be at the party.”
“It’s not really a party. It’s family and the ranch hands, mine included. My hand, Max and Tristan’s ranch hand, Selva, have known Dane for a long time.”
Brenna opened her door and turned to him. “What time will you be around to get me?”
“Five-thirty. Maybe Dane will be with me. I’ll take you back home tonight.”
She sunk down into her seat and peered up at him until he knelt at the side of her car. “Drive safe. I’ll see you later.” He stepped back. “Rev your pony for me, baby.”
***
When it was time, Jase let Dane drive his truck to pick up Brenna. “Hey, listen, Jase. I gotta tell you this, but I don’t want the family knowing. You can tell Tristan later.” He pulled into a parking lot, found a spot shaded by a building, and turned the motor off. “Come on.” He went to the back and pulled the tailgate down, took a seat on it, and lit a cigarette he pulled from a pack.
Jase stood in front of him with his arms folded across his chest. “This isn’t going to be good news, right?” His jaw clenched and he expected a painful answer to his question.
Dane shoved his cowboy hat to the back of his head and blew out a puff of smoke. He lifted his booted foot to the tailgate, his knee up against his chest. “It could go either way.” Dane looked away and Jase followed his gaze to nothing in particular. “If it goes bad, I want you to know that my part of the Double Dutch goes to you and Tristan. I should’ve told you before. Make sure your kids and Destiny, and any other ones that come along, have a part of it. Got that? I ain’t got nobody else.” Dane stood and leaned against the edge of the tailgate. Jase remained standing. Stunned.
“Where you headed off to this time, Dane? I know you can only tell me so much, but tell me something.” He pulled his hat lower to shade his eyes and stuck his hands into his back pockets. This news would’ve killed his mother. She’d probably never come back from losing one of her sons.
“Yeah, well, it’s a big mission this time. Big. Not that they all aren’t, but command told us go home and say…well, you know. In case it does go bad.”
Jase gulped. This was his little brother talking. Sonofabitch. He gave up being a ranch owner to protect the country. Jase would rather have him protecting the ranch. “That seems like a harsh thing to tell a guy before they go out on a job.” His voice cracked and he didn’t care how noticeable it was this time.
Dane sighed and scuffed up the ground with his heel after stomping on his cigarette butt. “That’s the way it is. It’s not the first time they’ve told us that. Even if I knew all the details, you know I can’t tell you where.” He lifted his chin and nodded. “Hey, by the way. Save my Harley for Joey. It’ll be an oldie by time he gets to ride it. You know…if you have to.”
Jase didn’t know how much more he could take of hearing this. He stared at the ants on the ground and nodded. He had questions, but the words didn’t come out.
“Hey, I’m planning on coming back. Don’t get all soft on me.” Dane pushed Jase in the chest. “I bet I can still kick your ass.”
“I’m not trained to kill like you are. If you want to try, let’s go.” He cocked his head toward the back of the building and lowered his arms to his side. “It took ya almost thirty-two years to do it. Smart ass, want to prove it?” Jase winked. “Why do you think I’m building these muscles?”
“Well, it took about twenty-two years if you want to get technical.” Dane laughed. “Nah, I’d rather fight with you than against you, big bro. You know that. It’s all in fun.” He closed the tailgate and turned to Jase. “Speaking of fun…”
Jase peered at him, ready for anything to come out of his mouth. Dane tried to make light of the subject but Jase couldn’t shake the heavy heart. “What kind of fun you talking about?”
Dane’s eyebrows furrowed and then relaxed. “The blonde. You gonna marry her?” He tilted his head to the side. “It’s obvious how you feel about the woman.”
Jase shrugged. “Damn, Dane, I don’t know.” He shifted his stance and placed his hands behind his head. “I don’t know if it’d be right without my kids here. For them to come home to me with a wife—”
“Do you think you need their approval? You know as well as I do, Jae and Joey would be okay. Nothing else has changed here. You still have their horses and the ranch. They won’t have a problem.” Dane peeked at his watch. “You’ve been miserable long enough. Don’t put things off.”
He wasn’t ready and did need their approval. Now he had to deal with maybe never seeing his brother again. Shit, I hate when life happens. “Any idea how long this mission will last? When you’ll be able to let me know it went all right?”
“Well, if it don’t go right, it’ll be on the news.”
It wasn’t what Jase wanted to hear.
“Seriously, though, in and out as usual. Getting there and back is the longest part, besides the training we do all the time anyway. We’ve been training hard and long.” Dane balled up his fist and knocked it against the tailgate. “Let’s get the hell out of this heat.”
They got into Jase’s truck and Dane turned the air conditioning on high for a minute, sitting without saying anything. “When I head back tomorrow, we’ll get the rest of the information. It’s possible we’re heading out right away.” He lowered the fan speed. “I’ll let you know before leaving, if possible.” He placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “By the way. I’m being deployed to Afghanistan again.” He sighed and peered into the rear-view mirror. “It is what it is, Jase. This is what I do.” Dane shifted into first gear. “Let’s go get your blonde. Maybe she can find me one.”
“When do you plan on telling Mom?” Being deployed. Damn it all to hell, he let that one out as nonchalant as giving directions to the gas station.
“Probably at the party or when I come home the next time.” Dane shrugged. “Tonight would be the best choice. Give her time to let it sink in before I come back home before deployment.”
“Dammit, Dane, I thought you were finished with the deployments.”
Dane peered across the front seat at Jase. “Dude, I’ll never be finished as long as I’m a ranger. This is my life. You have to accept it, man.”
Accept it? Screw it is more like it. Jase sighed. “We’ll work on the blonde thing and
maybe have a hot one waiting when you come back. Right?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll need one by then. Hell, it doesn’t even have to be a blonde.” Dane laughed and slugged Jase in the arm again, hard. “That one should give you a bruise. Something to remember me by.” He snickered.
That was one bruise Jase didn’t want to go away. Maybe he’d tattoo one on his arm as a reminder. He’d be living one more hell for the forty-five minute drive to the airport tomorrow. And the days and months after… Life goes on…What else was fucking new?
***
Judy and Nora went all out with fixing dinner. Brenna spoke to Judy earlier about bringing dessert, so when she got home, she had made a three-layer chocolate cake and brought a gallon of ice cream.
Everyone congregated on the outside patio when the sun went down, yet it was still nearly 108 degrees and stifling. Brenna’s jeans were sticking to her and her body was hot and sweaty.
She had observed Jase’s actions all evening. It seemed like a light had gone out inside of him. When she approached him about it, he said he hated to see his brother leave. Judy practically clung to Dane all night after he told the family he was being deployed again. Destiny went back and forth between her two uncles, like she was giving them equal attention.
Even Tristan seemed a little different and Nora tended to him in a loving way. The evening went by in a flurry, the sky turning to blazing orange, making Superstition Mountain glow with a beauty she hadn’t noticed before. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all, sitting there all majestic like.
The guys raved about the chocolate cake and Jase teased her about the ice cream. When she spent time in the kitchen helping Nora to clean up, she began to feel like she belonged. Even Chloe pitched in loading the dishwasher.
Sometimes she didn’t recognize her sister, still picturing her as the rebellious teen she was not that long ago. She removed the ring out of her pierced eyebrow but left the diamond stud in her nose. Brenna overheard her commenting to Lauren about it not being necessary anymore. She could accept the diamond stud.
When Brenna finished helping inside, she found Jase on the patio. He pulled her onto his lap in a chair near the table. Knowing he was driving her home, he took it easy with the beer, but she knew it wasn’t an issue nowadays. Jase was a changed man.
Laughing inside, she realized she had, too, besides not being a virgin anymore. Which reminded her of Jase’s hands roaming her body two nights before.
Without realizing it, she found her fingers in his hair and his hand wrapped around her arm as if claiming her. The way he moved his head around, Brenna knew he loved her touch.
Chloe came to her and announced she and Davy were leaving. “Be careful and don’t stay out too late.” Brenna said it automatically and she’d have to let up on the topic. Especially since Davy always had her home early.
Everyone left the hot patio. Judy and Martyn sat on the piano bench in the great room, tapping a little jingle on the keys. They looked like a happy couple, but Judy told her earlier that there’d never be another William Carlson. He would always be the love of her life. Yet, she did have a good time with Martyn and enjoyed his company. How sweet.
“What about you, babe? You ready to leave?” asked Jase. “I have to get outta here before someone makes me play the piano.”
She pulled him to a halt in the dining room. “Wait, play the piano? You?” Hmm, a piano does not fit Jase Carlson. “Hey, come to think of it I saw a picture of you on the Internet when I looked up the Double Dutch. Playing a keyboard? Where was that?”
“Right here. It must have been the annual Halloween party we have at the ranch. I get coerced.”
“Oh, my man is talented as well as handsome.”
“Well, don’t look so shocked. Don’t ever expect to figure me out, girl. I’m not playing tonight though. Come on.” Brenna didn’t know where they were going, or where Tristan and Dane had disappeared to. She followed Jase down a long hallway and they ended up in Tristan’s office. When they entered, she found out where his brothers were, and Destiny was with her daddy.
“Hi, Miss Page.” Destiny ran over to her, looking a little shy. Her hands were behind her back and she moved her shoulders side to side.
“Hi, there, Destiny. What are you up to?”
“Nothing, ma’am. Just sitting with my uncles and my daddy. Uncle Dane might get me more ice cream.” She lowered her little voice. “We have to sneak it so my daddy don’t know.”
Brenna laughed to herself. Chloe was right.
“Destiny, why don’t you go see if Grandma needs help?” asked Tristan.
“Yep, sir.” She looked up at Brenna. “You can come with me.” She turned to her dad. “Can I show her my horsey?”
“Not now, baby cakes. Maybe some other time. Leave Brenna alone.”
“She’s not bothering me.” Brenna took her hand. “I’ll go with you to see if your grandma needs help. Maybe I can help her, too.” Brenna peeked over her shoulder at Jase.
“I’ll come get you in a few, sweetheart. I need to talk to my brothers a minute.”
***
It was about ten o’clock, and on the way back to her townhouse Jase jiggled her hand on the console. “We have to get up early around here tomorrow. Me and Tristan are taking Dane to the airport. Come with us.” He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and squeezed. “Wear your boots and we’ll ride afterwards. I’ll need Warrior to act as my tranquilizer tomorrow. Maybe Tristan will ride too.”
His eyes pleaded and she saw that he truly wanted her there. Or needed her. “I’ll go if your brothers don’t mind.”
“Mind? No, they’d probably encourage it. Dane kind of likes looking at my hot blonde.”
Brenna laughed. “Lucky you, huh? But, listen. I have to get into my classroom when we get back tomorrow. I can’t stay to ride.” She placed her hand on his arm. “The next day or two will be good for the ride. My classroom should be done tomorrow. I’ve already done my bulletin boards.”
“Definitely. You sound excited. I bet you even love your job.” He sped around a slow moving car and hit the brakes to ease back in behind it when he spotted the sheriff parked ahead on the other side of the road.
Brenna snickered. “I bet Sheriff Thompson has a bead on your truck. He almost got you that time.”
“Yep.” He had to stay one step ahead of the sheriff when his foot was heavy. “Hey, Dane would like a blonde to be waiting for him when he comes home. Know any?”
Brenna took hold of the hand bar when he finally made his pass at about ninety miles an hour. “As a matter of fact, I do. My best friend.”
“Well, she’s a little far away.”
“For now!” Brenna had a brainstorm. “Maybe they could meet through email or something.”
Jase frowned at her. “Come on, I’m not fixing my brother up with someone far away. We’d lose him and he’d never come back to be the rancher he was meant to be.”
“Give it some thought. Maybe you should let your little brother think for himself.”
“No matchmaking.” He pulled up at her townhouse. “I don’t see Davy’s truck. We might have a few minutes, babe.”
“Well, you’re the one who asked me if I knew someone for your brother!” Humph. “I’ll call my best friend anyway.” When they got out, Jase came around and met her at the side of his truck. He held her, lowering his head to her shoulder. “I hate to see him go tomorrow. He told me things he shouldn’t have. Sometimes it’s better not knowing.”
Brenna smoothed her hands up and down his back and lifted her right hand to his neck. She grasped the hair there, so loving the silkiness of it and the way it just waited to be grabbed a hold of. “I’m sorry, baby. I can see how difficult it is for your whole family.”
“Let’s go inside.” He grasped her arm and held her close. Brenna unlocked the door.
“Have a seat. I’ll call Chloe. Do you want something to drink?”
Jase lumbered to the living room and dropped to the
sofa. “I don’t need anything to drink. Make your call and come over here.”
Brenna dialed her sister’s number and paced when she didn’t answer. “I wonder where she is. I’ll try again in a couple minutes.” She went to the sofa and Jase pulled her down on his lap. “I’m not done loving on you.”
Clinging to her the way he was she didn’t attempt to move from his lap. She sensed his anguish and would remain here in his arms.
He scooted down and pulled Brenna beside him. “We should have gone back to my place.” His voice drifted off. “Just let me hold you.”
Before long his breathing had evened out to a slow and steady rhythm. Brenna reached around to get her phone when it vibrated. It was a text from Chloe. She’ll be home soon. Brenna closed her eyes and sunk into the warmth of his body.
***
Jase and Brenna both sat up in a rush when the door barged open. Davy took a long stride through the door and shoved Chloe into the room with both hands. Jase moved Brenna out of the way and sat on the edge of the couch.
“I never want to see you again!” said Chloe. “Get the hell out of my house and my life, cowkid.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’, that ain’t a problem.” Davy twirled around and rushed out the door.
Chloe jerked it opened. “Don’t call me that!” She turned and ran upstairs.
Jase jumped off the couch and dashed out after him. Outside he grabbed a hold of Davy’s arm and shoved him against his truck. His lip had already been bleeding. Chloe clobbered him? “What the hell? Start talking.”
Davy pushed at his chest but there was no give. “Get your damn hands off me, Jase, I’m not a kid.”
“I warned you about touching her.” Jase pinned him. “You want your ass in jail? Brenna will press charges if you hurt her sister. I don’t want to kick your ass, but I told Brenna I would if I had to.”
“You know me better than that.” Davy shoved Jase away from him with both hands and all his body strength. “I didn’t touch her.”
Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) Page 29