A Helluva Man (Hell Yeah!)

by Sable Hunter

  “That’s right.” Heath stepped back to let them all walk in ahead of him, like he was ready to herd them in the direction he wanted them to go. “I think our boy has had all the bull he can handle.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Tamara slammed her hand on the alarm clock and pushed the snooze button for the third time. Stretching under the covers, she pulled the light pink sheet higher over her head. “I’m not ready to get up,” she grumbled, followed by a sigh. “Like I have a choice.” Soon, she’d head off to the airport. Tam dreaded the long flight from Texas to New Zealand. Funny, she wasn’t looking forward to the competition very much either. She’d much rather stay home to see what direction her relationship with Jaxson would take.

  Peeking out from under the sheet, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Geez, it’s after three. Arg!” As much as she needed to get up, ten more minutes of sleep sounded good…especially when she had someone so sexy to dream about.

  Yanking the pillow over her head, she squealed into its softness.

  “Jaxson. Jaxson. Jaxson!”

  The man was a dream come true.

  During her musings, it dawned on her who he reminded her of – a younger version of Nashville’s Deacon. She grinned, remembering him singing that tidbit of a song to her. His voice had sounded good to her, sending chills all over her body. Don’t tamper with the property of the U. S. Male. “I wish.”

  “His property. Ha!” She laughed at herself.

  The idea of Jaxson claiming her thrilled Tamara no end. Sure, they’d had fun at the rodeo. Boy, they’d had fun for sure. Jaxson was built like a Greek god. Having sex with him was like an out of body experience.

  Her smile faded.

  He’d been very clear about his intentions. We’re both busy people, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make time for fun. His words weren’t exactly what she wanted to hear, but she really couldn’t argue with them. They were busy. For now, she’d just be happy with whatever time she could get with him. Meeting his brothers and sisters last night was nice…but hearing Jaxson tell his family they were just friends had stung.

  “Don’t be silly,” Tamara told herself, watching the dust dance in the rays of sunlight leaking through the slats of her blinds. What else could he say at this point? It was too soon to define whatever they would become. Friends was a damn fine place to start. She couldn’t expect him to tell his family they were lovers.

  Lovers.

  Tamara shivered with remembered pleasure at the thought.

  Flipping onto her side, she picked her phone up off the nightstand to see if anyone had called or texted.

  Like Jaxson.

  “Expecting a call?”

  “Dad!” Tamara dropped her phone to the nightstand. “I forgot you were coming by!

  Richard Grayson carried a tray of food as he came into the room. “Sit up, hon.” He waited for his daughter to recline in the bed before placing the tray in her lap. “A three-egg omelet made with non-dairy milk and some added spinach for punch. Need to keep your energy up on the plane ride. Can’t have you getting fatigued, can we?”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Tamara dug into the meal with gusto. No matter if it was mid-afternoon, an omelet was good any time of day. Her father would’ve stroked out if he knew how she’d been eating. First the sausages at Rudy’s, then the rodeo food in Houston. Richard Grayson always worked to keep his daughter on track, especially in the vital last weeks before a competition.

  “Did Mom come with you?”

  She felt an overwhelming urge to confide in someone about how her feelings for Jaxson. Who better than her mother?

  “She’s downstairs straightening up your house, as usual,” he joked. “Eat up before it gets cold. Taste good?”

  She didn’t tell him it could’ve used a touch more salt and pepper. “It’s great, Dad, thanks.” Her father always strived to keep her on the path to reaching her goals. Or – more correctly – to reaching his goals. Tamara loved to compete, but she could admit it was her father who’d pushed her into competition at a young age when he’d recognized her talent. Tamara Grayson loved her father and being an athlete, but she also loved eating sausages and not constantly obsessing over every little detail concerning her health and well-being.

  Sheila Grayson entered the room just as Tamara was finishing the smoothie her father had blended up for her. The fact that Tamara hadn’t heard the commotion in the kitchen was testament to just how much Jaxson occupied her thoughts.

  “Hey, baby,” Sheila muttered, coming to the side of the bed to greet her daughter with a big hug. Pulling back, she placed a hand under her Tammy’s chin and moved her head to the side. “You look tired. Is everything okay?” Sheila was always worrying if her husband was pushing their daughter too hard and she turned to give him a pointed look.

  Richard held his hands up. “Don’t look at me. I put her on a strict schedule. It’s not my fault she missed her flight for some unknown reason.” He gave Tamara the same look her mother was giving him.

  To escape his scrutiny, Tamara stared down at the nearly clean plate in front of her. Her parents hadn’t known about the Houston trip until she called to let them know she’d rescheduled her flight. For the last few days she’d received daily texts from her father, cautioning Tamara about her training and diet. To her shame – she’d fibbed, saying she was on top of it all…when she’d spent more time on top of Jaxson McCoy than anything else.

  “Tamara, sweetheart, do you have something to tell us?” Sheila folded her arms over her chest and gave her that knowing parental stare.

  “Well, yes.” Tamara knew her mother always fought an internal war with herself over her husband’s goals for their daughter. They’d discussed before how her father only wanted the best for her, but he was also relentless in his pursuit of Tamara’s success. She realized he pushed harder than most parents did or should. His dedication may have resulted in molding a world-class athlete, but it had also deprived Tamara of the opportunity to experience things other girls took for granted.

  “What is it? What do you need to tell us?” her father demanded to know.

  The only thing worse than feeling like she’d let her father down, was lying to both of them…and Tamara needed to come clean. “I might not have been training and watching my diet as much as I should’ve been the last few days.” She knew she should’ve been home, getting eight hours of sleep, eating her prescribed number of daily calories, and running a few miles a day. But meeting Jaxson McCoy had been a game-changer.

  Richard threw his hands in the air. “My god, Tamara. The competition is a week away. I set you up on a strict regimen and you have totally ignored it!”

  Sheila put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Hold on, Richard.”

  “Mom…” Tamara knew her mother sometimes felt like she had to speak for her. Not because she wasn’t capable, but because Tam felt so much pressure to please her father.

  Richard turned and glared at his daughter with his hands on his hips. “You know how much is riding on this competition, Tamara.” His face was turning beet red.

  “Richard!” Sheila’s voice echoed in the small room. “I said that’s enough!”

  As her father left in a huff, Tamara’s eyes stayed on the plate before her. She was a grown woman and she hated being yelled at by her father. Somehow, she’d gotten trapped in a closed loop. At twenty-five, she was still under her father’s thumb and she didn’t know to break away. He was used to ruling the roost and she’d spent her entire life doing just what he’d asked of her – demanded of her. Races. Competitions. Even the Olympics.

  “I don’t need this now.” Tamara sighed. “Not with what I’ve got ahead of me.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie.” Sheila slid onto the bed beside her daughter. “I know he can be difficult. He just wants the best for you. You know that.”

  Tamara melted into her mother’s embrace. “I know, it’s just...”

  She’d weighed the pros and cons of her de
cision to spend the time in Houston with Jaxson. Tamara knew she was in the final week leading up to the competition. The New Zealand Ironman was a big deal, she’d been working toward it for months. Finishing in a good spot would guarantee her entry into other events and potentially bring her into contact with sponsors. She loved the work she did in strength training but securing a major sponsor could potentially put her in a position to compete fulltime.

  And that was what she wanted. Right?

  Tamara shook her head. Confused. A few days ago, she’d gone into Austin for a little shopping therapy to relieve the pressure she’d been feeling. She never dreamed she’d meet someone like Jaxson.

  Sheila snuggled close to her daughter, coaxing Tamara’s head onto her shoulder. “Something is up, Tammy. Tell me.”

  Tamara closed her eyes. No matter how old she was, she always enjoyed the feeling of her mother’s arms. Turning it over in her mind, she wasn’t sure what to do. She could tell her mother about Jaxson, keeping the more intimate details to herself, of course – and she knew she’d feel better. Telling her father was a different story, he’d go ballistic.

  “I met a guy,” Tamara blurted out, hoping her father was out of earshot.

  “A man?” Sheila was elated. “How wonderful! Tell me about him.”

  Tamara wiped a tear from her cheek. “His name is Jaxson and he’s just about the most perfect man in the world.”

  “Well, if you like him, then he must be someone special.”

  Tamara didn’t want to reveal too much. Even though she wanted to say they were a couple, such a claim would be premature, especially since he’d made sure to remind her they weren’t. “Yea, he’s the cowboy type, a bull rider. He and his family own a ranch. I met his brothers and sisters last night.”

  “Met his family? Wow. This sounds serious.”

  “Oh, no.” She wished it were. “We haven’t known one another very long.” Sitting up in bed, she brushed her hair from her eyes. “I just hate to let Dad down.”

  “He just wants what’s best for you, honey.”

  “I know.” She just wasn’t sure she knew what the best thing was for her. Tamara was pouring all her time and energy into something that wouldn’t last forever. The day would come when she couldn’t compete. What would she have then?

  Tamara’s phone began to buzz on the nightstand.

  Her eyes lit up at the sight of the name on the phone.

  “Jaxson!”

  Turning to her mother, Tamara couldn’t find the words to ask her to leave. “Mom?”

  Sheila gave her only child an understanding smile. “I’ll go check on your father. Don’t forget, you’ll need to head to the airport in a little while.”

  “Hello?” Tamara whispered breathlessly once her mother left the room.

  “Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling? Get enough sleep?”

  She marveled at the fact it was Jaxson who’d been injured the night before, but he cared enough to ask how she was feeling. “I’m good. I got plenty of sleep.” There was no way she was going to admit she’d lain awake for hours with him on her mind. “How are you feeling?”

  Jaxson grunted on the other end of the phone. “In a lot of fuckin’ pain to be honest. Pardon my French, but this hurts like hell. The damn painkillers I took don’t seem to work worth a flip. I didn’t get much sleep.” He dropped his voice. “Maybe because I was missing you in my bed.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  Jaxon growled. “How long are you going to be gone?”

  Tamara smiled so big her cheeks hurt. “Just over a week. I want you to take it easy while I’m gone.”

  “Oh, I plan to heal as quickly as possible. So…when you get back, we can pick-up where we left off.”

  Tamara knew they were just ‘playing’, but she loved what they were doing. “You’ll have the cast on for six weeks. I’m sure there are ways we can have fun during that time.”

  “Yea, I’ll teach you how to ride me. You can be my cowgirl.”

  “Oh, lord.” Tamara fanned herself. Her father had insisted she practice visualization. Visualize yourself winning, Tamara. Crossing that finish line before everyone else.

  Richard Grayson would have a conniption fit if he could see what his daughter was visualizing now.

  “Yea, you think about that while you’re gone. I don’t want you to forget me.”

  “Not possible.”

  He chuckled again. “Are you ready to leave?”

  “Actually, I’m still in bed.”

  “Don’t tell me that,” Jaxson groaned.

  “Sorry.”

  “Seriously, I don’t know how you’re doing this. Twenty-three hours on a plane and over seventy-four hundred miles. I know I wouldn’t want to be on a plane for that length of time, let alone compete in a triathlon after. New Zealand is beautiful place, I’ve heard. Did you know they filmed all the Lord of the Rings movies there? Phillip and I love those movies. We’re both kind of nerds, I guess.”

  Tamara was amazed at what he was saying. She hadn’t told him how long the flight would take or how many miles away New Zealand was from Texas. The fact that he knew all of this told her Jaxson had been doing a bit of research.

  Did he care about her more than he was letting on?

  “I didn’t realize all of that,” she confessed. “I’m not a big movie buff, but it’s good to know.”

  “Well, I know you’ll be leaving soon. I just wanted to call and wish you a good flight. And to thank you again for bringing me home this morning.”

  “It was my pleasure, Jaxson. I’m just sorry it had to be under those circumstances.”

  “I enjoyed every moment we spent together.” Jaxson wanted to ask her not to go. Ask her to come and stay with him while he recovered. He’d just met Tamara a few days ago, but she’d become very important to him.

  “Me too,” she agreed breathlessly. In truth, Tamara had a lot to do during her week in New Zealand, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to focus without seeing Jaxson. She knew it was impossible, but Tam wanted to ask him to come with her. She would love to have him there to support her.

  God, she was being so unreasonable with her desires. The plaster on his cast was probably still drying.

  “Can we still talk?” Jaxson asked softly.

  “Still talk?” Tamara realized she’d been sitting there lost in thought.

  “While you’re away? I know it’s only a week, but I have to say, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it without hearing your voice.”

  Tamara couldn’t keep the question off her tongue. “You’ll miss me?”

  Jaxson felt like a fool. Was he being too sappy? “Uhhh…must be a side effect of the pain meds.” He made the comment in a flat tone. His dry sense of humor rearing its ugly head again.

  “Oh. Okay.” Her stomach sank and a knock on the door came a moment later.

  “Tammy.” Sheila peeked in. “There’s been an accident on highway twenty-nine just outside Liberty Hill. Your father says we need to leave a bit earlier, so you need to get up and get ready.”

  Placing her hand over the phone, Tamara responded to her mother. “Okay, mom.” Returning to the phone, she let out a regretful sigh. “Listen Jaxson, something came up, I need to go.”

  Jaxson sat up in bed, suddenly worried. “Is everything okay?”

  Tamara stood from the bed. “Oh yeah, my dad just wants to head out early. There’s an accident on the highway. He doesn’t want to risk missing my flight.”

  “So, I guess you need to start getting ready.” His voice was flat and sad.

  “We’ll talk soon. If you want…”

  “I want.” He stated clearly. “I’d try to call you while you’re in the air, but I don’t want to risk making your plane crash.”

  Tamara laughed. “I’m not sure how that works.”

  “Well, I guess this is goodbye…for at least the next twenty-four hours.”

  Him saying the words out loud made them both sad.

&n
bsp; “I…uhhh…guess it is. Please feel better.”

  “Good luck, Tammy. Let me know when you land.”

  “Okay. Goodbye, Jaxson.”

  “Bye, babe.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “Feeling better, Jax?” Phillip peeked his head into Jaxson’s room and just managed to duck out of the way of a fluttering Dr. Pepper can Jaxson chucked his way. “I’ll take that as a no,” he said, stepping into the room.

  “Piss off,” Jaxson spat back.

  “You’ve been in that bed since you got home from the hospital.”

  “No, I haven’t. I’ve gotten up no less than five times to drain my lizard.”

  Phillip pulled a chair up beside the bed. “If your lizard was as big as mine, you wouldn’t have to get up to drain it.”

  “You wish, Indie. Hey, do we get any of those international channels? You know, the ones that play soccer, bike racing, and all that fancy stuff?”

  “Why? Did that bull kick you in the head too? Make you develop a new-found love of jai alai or something?”

  “There’s a triathlon in New Zealand I want to check out.”

  Phillip leaned in and placed the back of his hand on Jaxson’s forehead. “Triathlon? Boy, what in tarnation is wrong with you? The only thing you ever watch on TV is rodeo, football, and hunting shows. What’s with the sudden interest in running and biking?”

  “They swim too, moron.”

  “I don’t care if they run on water with hamburgers on their heads. This isn’t like you. What’s going on in that block head of yours?”

  Jaxson made a move for another can of Dr. Pepper to throw, but Phillip cut him off, grabbing it before his brother could get a hold of it.

  “Damn you,” Jaxson grumbled. “If I wasn’t in this blasted cast I would’ve snagged it first.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself, son. We both know I can run circles around you.” Philip sat back and drank some of the half can that was left. “Ten! Get in here! Something is wrong with our brother!”

  Tennessee came through the door a few moments later. “What happened? His leg still looks busted to me,” he teased.