Dirty-Talking Cowboy

by Stacey Kennedy

  “Thank you for that, Emma.” Shep pulled her in close for a kiss.

  When she leaned away, she smiled and rose. “Honestly, though, as much as I wish I could help with all this, I think I’m the wrong woman here right now.”

  Shep agreed with a nod, saying to Nash, “Will you go get Mom? Emma’s right—she needs to be in on this discussion too.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go.” Nash rose, pushing his chair in gently now.

  Emma took a step away from Shep, her hand trailing over his shoulder, and said to Nash, “Do you mind dropping me off at home on your way?”

  Shep tightened his arm around her. “Nah, darlin’, you should be here too.”

  She smiled down at him. “You’ve got stuff to discuss. I’ve got animals to feed. I’ll see you later.” She grasped his chin, gave him another quick kiss, then followed Nash outside.

  When the door slammed shut, Chase turned to Shep. “You better marry her.”

  Not sure how to reply, Shep simply nodded.

  * * *

  In no time, Emma found herself sitting next to Nash in his bright-blue truck while he drove up her driveway. She gripped the window, pressing her feet against the floor, hoping to hell he didn’t flip the truck. Nash apparently liked speed. In the sand ring, Bentley’s head shot up, and he galloped in the opposite direction. She nearly asked Nash to slow down when something caught her eye. First, a black Bentley was parked near her porch, and second, and most important, who was sitting on her porch dropped her heart into her stomach.

  Jake.

  Nash slowed the truck, pulling to a stop by her porch. Jake rose from the rocking chair he sat on, the same warm, brown eyes regarding her that she remembered so vividly in her memories.

  “Do you know him?” Nash asked, cautiously watching Jake.

  Emma was actually glad Nash was there and saw Jake, or she’d be inclined to think she had imagined him completely. “Yes, I know him.” Feeling cold and winded and everything in between, she opened the truck’s door, her fingers trembling. “Shep has a lot on his plate this morning,” she told Nash before getting out of the truck. “I know you’re going to tell him there is a man here, so tell him it’s Jake, and that I’m fine and I’ll call him later.”

  Nash’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s Jake?”

  “My ex-boyfriend from New York City.” She slid out of the truck and gave Nash a hard look. “Don’t worry him. Promise me.” The last thing she wanted to do was make things worse for Shep. He had enough to deal with.

  “I’ll let him know,” Nash replied.

  With a sigh, she shut the door and saw the fury in Nash’s eyes. Great.

  Once Nash sped off, Emma turned, meeting Jake’s gaze. He looked so out of place there. His polo shirt and jeans were too pressed, his chiseled features too pretty, and his styled brown hair too perfect. And yet . . . he was completely familiar, like an old friend suddenly coming back to her. “Hi,” she said, not sure what to say.

  Jake met her halfway down the porch, his eyes soft and welcoming. “Hi.”

  A thousand questions rattled in her mind, but, of course, only one was the most important. “Why are you here?”

  “To apologize for being the biggest asshole in history,” he said.

  She regarded the familiar warmth in Jake’s eyes, and the history between them, feeling the weight of those words slam into her. Ten words had never held such strength before, sealing up cracks in her heart that he had put there. She sighed, moved up the stairs, and went inside the house. “How did you even know I was here?” Jake didn’t know Emma’s family. He also didn’t know any of her old friends. The realization only reminded her how distant and cold her old life had been.

  Jake followed her in, shutting the door behind him. “I went to your condo.”

  She leaned against the arm of the couch. “And?”

  “And, I persuaded the security guard to let me in because I was concerned for your safety.”

  Some security. Though even Emma knew how persuasive Jake could be. Emma assumed the security guard was likely the young brunette whom Jake had probably charmed.

  “Once there,” he continued, taking a step toward her, “I saw that you had packed up and left quickly. So, I checked your email at work. You had a bank alert in your email that said you’d used your credit card in River Rock, Colorado. A quick Google search told me your grandmother lived here, and that’s how I got the address.”

  Something tickled the back of her mind. The longer she looked at him, the more she knew what it was. She’d talked about Grams before to Jake, but had she never mentioned where Grams lived? Had he never known how important Grams was to her? Why? kept echoing across her heart.

  At the same time, there was so much wrong with what he’d just said. The old her probably would’ve swooned that he’d gone to such trouble to find her. Now, the violation of her privacy tightened her fist.

  Jake didn’t seem to notice he was a second away from getting a punch to the nose as he glanced around. “Is your grandmother here? I’d love to meet her.”

  Emma’s throat squeezed. She shook her head. “That day . . . with John . . . when I came up, it was to tell you that she had passed away and I needed to come here.”

  Honest regret crossed his expression. “Damn, Emma, I’m sorry.”

  He stepped closer, and she inhaled his familiar citrusy cologne. She had kissed his sculpted mouth so many times. His body was warm against hers on those cold nights when she drifted off to sleep. “I’m sorry for so much,” he continued, taking her hand in his. “I’m a fool. I thought I didn’t need you . . . didn’t need us . . .” She glanced at their held hands. “But then you left, and everything fell apart. I’ve been miserable without you. I cannot endure another day not being together.”

  She parted her lips to say . . . something, yet she closed them again, silenced by what had unfolded between them.

  Jake squeezed her hands, smiling at her like everything was perfectly right. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I fixed it all.”

  She blinked, trying to catch up. “What do you mean, you fixed it all?”

  “I found out who saw us kissing and spread the gossip originally, and fired them.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking the imposing multimillionaire he was. “Yesterday, I held a meeting in front of the entire company and told them we had been dating privately. I also explained that you had received your promotion long before we started dating, and that if I heard anyone say anything to the contrary, they would have me to deal with.”

  Her heart squeezed, of course it did, she had cared for Jake before everything went to shit. “You did that?”

  He nodded. “No one will dare mention this again, because now they know that we’re together, and I won’t tolerate it.”

  We’re together . . . Heady warmth spilled over her. The woman that left New York City would’ve melted to hear those words. Now . . . hearing him defend her made her head spin, and not in a good way. “Jake—”

  “You were right, Emma.” He cupped her face, staring intently at her with his warm, gorgeous eyes, like she was all that mattered now. “For a year now, it’s been me and you, and I was lucky to have you. I should have stood up for you then, not taken the coward’s way out and have you transferred because in my fucked-up mind that made more sense.” His voice thickened with emotion. “Do you remember how good we were together, baby? How happy we were? I won’t ever let you down again.”

  Memories of her life in New York City flashed through her mind. His smile while they were in bed together. The sweet side Jake showed her, leaving rose petals on the floor leading to a bubble bath with him in it. The adventures they went on in his private plane. The extravagance. The luxuries.

  Her voice still seemed stuck behind a wall of emotion, but she managed to push it free. “I don’t want to hide anymore.”

  “Then we won’t hide. Not anymore.” Desperation clouded his eyes, all the emotion she’d craved to see from him now coming out,
unguarded. A tear slid down her face, and as Jake brushed it away, he murmured, “You don’t understand what it’s been like without you. I need you, Emma. What’s mine is yours.” She blinked once, then Jake was on one knee before her, holding up a black velvet box with a huge sparkly diamond ring in the center. “Come home with me and be my wife.”

  “Emma.”

  She startled, spinning around, discovering Shep’s furious glare fixed in one direction. At Jake.

  Chapter 16

  Shep couldn’t quite recall how he ended up outside near Nash’s truck, with his brother waiting inside. His mind had shut off the moment he saw Jake on one knee offering Emma a ring. When Nash had returned to the house after dropping her off and said, “You need to get to Emma’s, now.” Shep hadn’t asked questions. He got in the truck and Nash sped back to Emma’s, filling Shep in on Jake’s arrival on the way.

  Now all of his typical calmness and steadiness that he prided himself on vanished into an uncontrollable fury aimed in one direction. At the bastard who’d hurt Emma.

  With the fresh air and some distance between him and that asshole, Shep’s mind started working again. The fact that he was outside and Emma was still on the porch told him that she must have ordered him down to his truck and he’d listened.

  Jake attempted to follow them outside. Emma shoved him in the house and shut the door. “Stay in there,” she yelled through the door, quite possibly the only sensible one there at the moment. Her shoulders lifted and fell with her obvious exhale, then she turned, trotting down the porch, coming straight for Shep. So many emotions crossed her face it was impossible to know where her mind was at.

  Before Emma could say the thoughts on her mind, the passenger side window rolled down behind Shep. “Need me?” Nash asked, voice amused.

  Emma glared, stopping in front of Shep, and pointed at Nash. “You stay in that truck, Nash, so help me.”

  “You’re no fun, Emma,” Nash muttered, rolling up the window.

  She finally turned to Shep and sighed, the glare vanishing from her face just that easily. “I’m sorry. I had no idea Jake was coming here.”

  Shep shoved his hands in his pockets to stop himself from grabbing her and sticking her in that truck to get her far away from that dipshit inside her house. “Why is he here?” That’s all that mattered right now.

  “To apologize,” she replied softly.

  “Is that so?”

  She nodded, nibbling her lip.

  He took a moment to examine her. She had a hard time looking him in the eye, and she was wringing her hands in front of her. That confirmed all Shep needed to know. Jake was back, and Emma was unsure of her next steps. He’d been raised by his father to be a leader, but right now, there was no logic, no calmness, only rage that Jake had come to her.

  Her eyes searched his. She sighed heavily. “I need to deal with this and him. Please let me do that.”

  Deep down, Shep wanted to shake her, demand she tell Jake to go fuck himself. That guy in her house didn’t deserve her time. But that was the man in him talking, the one desperate to protect her. He’d been at a crossroads in his life before, when he moved to LA with Sara. She had tried to force change on him. He refused to do that to Emma.

  For that reason alone, he stepped forward, getting as close as he could, not giving two shits that Jake was likely watching. “Deal with this, then come to me,” he told her gently, before he let all of what he felt bleed into his expression. “But whatever you do, don’t think for a second that I don’t want you.” He slid his hand along the small of her back, drawing her in even closer, and relished her soft gasp, the way she melted against him. That sweetness would always belong to him. “I want all of you,” he murmured, dropping his head, bringing his mouth close to hers. “I want you to stay here with me. I want there to be an us.” His lips found hers then, and this kiss was like nothing he’d shown her yet. Full of possession and heat, he laid it all out on the line. He had this one chance to prove to her that she belonged there with him. That a year with Jake couldn’t compare to the days they’d been together. Because this between them was magic and rare, and if only she saw it too, he’d spend his days making her happy.

  Beneath his gentle kiss, she went soft under his touch, even more so than ever before. He slid his hand into her hair to deepen the kiss, claiming her further, igniting a sweet moan from her mouth, when suddenly she was ripped from his arms. He had one second to steady himself after being slammed into Nash’s truck before Jake lunged forward, throwing a punch that landed across his jaw.

  Shep slowly glanced up, discovering Emma standing off to the side, rubbing her arm where Jake had obviously grabbed her, tossing her aside. “Are you all right?” Shep asked her.

  She nodded, her eyes wide with shock.

  His gaze then went to Jake, as Jake snarled, “She’s not fucking yours to kiss.”

  Behind Shep, the passenger side window rolled down again, and Nash was laughing. “While that was maybe the best sucker punch I’ve seen in a while, buddy, I suggest you start running.”

  Shep had no idea what was crossing his face, but it must have been bad since Emma suddenly blinked and ran forward, holding onto Shep’s arm. “Shep, don’t hurt him,” she gasped. “Let me talk to him.”

  “Nash,” Shep said, his glare fixated on Jake, who stood with his fists up, likely ready to unleash some training he’d received in the gym.

  The driver’s side door opened, then shut.

  “Don’t you two gang up on him,” Emma yelled, her eyes panicked as she reached for Shep’s shirt, holding onto him tight.

  Sadly, for her, this was between him and Jake.

  Shep gently took hold of her hands, removing them from his shirt and delivering her to Nash. His brother scooped Emma up, tossing her over his shoulder then hastily placing a kicking Emma into the cab of his truck.

  “Nash,” Emma screamed. “Stop blocking my way.”

  “Come down and you’re going right back in there,” Nash stated.

  Shep didn’t take his eyes off his target. Especially considering that in that very second, Jake charged forward. Shep met him halfway, ducking the jab Jake offered, and plowed into him, holding onto his waist, taking him down to the ground. The second Shep’s knees hit the dirt, pinning Jake beneath him, he used his full force to slam a punch across Jake’s jaw. “You think she’s fucking yours?” he growled, grabbing Jake’s shirt, getting in his face, releasing all his rage. “You hurt her.”

  “Nash,” Emma screamed. “Stop them.”

  Shep vaguely heard Nash reply, “Stay put, Emma.” But instead of looking back, he delivered three more punches across Jake’s smug face. The last split Jake’s lip, sending blood pooling down his face, and that blood was evidence enough for Shep that he’d made the point he intended to make. With a final shove in the shoulder, Shep rose, then glared down at Jake, who was wiping the blood off his mouth. “Do not tell me again that she’s not mine.” He narrowed his eyes, pointing at him. “If you fucking touch her like that again to make her flinch in pain, you’ll live to regret it, believe me.”

  With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he turned, discovering Emma climbing out of the truck. She glared at Shep, arms folded over her chest. “Was that really necessary? He’s bleeding.”

  “You’re damn right it was necessary.” He grabbed her hard and kissed her mouth like it was the very last time he would. His affection was raw, dirty, and goddamn perfect, and he hoped this kiss burned into Jake’s mind, being a memory he would never forget.

  When he broke away, Emma was breathless and pink-cheeked, staring at him with enlarged pupils. He cupped her face and told her fiercely, “He does not deserve you, Emma. Do not forget that.” He gestured to Nash, who trotted around to the driver’s side of his truck and got inside. Shep followed, quickly shutting the door.

  While Nash drove off, Shep took one last look at Emma, seeing tears in her eyes. She wasn’t tending to Jake; she was watching Shep leave. He h
oped that meant he’d done enough to keep her.

  * * *

  With Jake inside cleaning the blood off his face—and likely bandaging up his pride—Emma took a seat on her porch steps, staring out at Bentley and Tadgh in the sand ring. She needed time, and she took it, right where everything had always been calm and peaceful for her at Grams’s. Inside, she felt raw.

  Who do I want to be? Jake’s wife? Shep’s girlfriend?

  “Emma,” Jake said softly behind her.

  She turned and stared into Jake’s pained eyes. The truth was, at one time, she wanted this. She wanted him to hurt like she hurt. Yet now, she didn’t want any of this. Tears rimmed her eyes, and she glanced back out at Bentley, who watched her, while Tadgh was at the trough eating hay.

  Jake sat next to her. His lip wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the skin was puffy and red. He rested his hands on his knees, glancing sideways at her. “I take it you were with that guy.”

  Her heart squeezed. She never wanted to hurt anyone. God, she knew how that felt, and the fact that she was responsible for both Jake’s and Shep’s pain right now gutted her. “I thought—”

  “You don’t need to explain, Emma.” Jake placed a hand on her back, and that touch was so comfortable, so familiar. “I hurt you. That’s on me.” He lowered his hand from her back, his elbows resting on his bent knees. “I’m only hoping I’m not too late to fix my wrongs.”

  She noticed he wore the engagement ring on his pinky finger. Two months ago, she would’ve given anything to have had Jake propose to her. Part of her wanted to reach down and claim that ring and the marriage with Jake. She’d have an exciting life. She could return to New York City, get her job back, be the woman she was for so long. The woman she knew most of all. Another part of her couldn’t take that step.

  As if sensing that, Jake twined his fingers with hers and said, “This guy can’t mean what I mean to you, Emma. We’ve been together a year. You barely know him.”

  That was the insanity of all this. Emma had so much more time with Jake than Shep, but time didn’t seem to be a factor. She knew everything there was to know about Shep because he hid nothing. His past, his family, his struggles; he’d laid it all out there. For a man who had a hard time sharing parts of himself, or so Jenny had said, Shep had been completely unguarded.