by Sable Hunter
He tightened his arms around her. "I don't need any space." He inhaled her sweet scent.
The way she was sitting, she couldn't miss the huge erection under her bottom. The realization that she excited him thrilled her. Still, she had to tell him her story. It was time. Taking advantage of his closeness, Jessie raised her hand and cupped his face. It might be the last chance she got to touch him.
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his cheek against her hand, and groaned his enjoyment. God, what he wouldn't give to lay her down and love on her. But, first they had some fences to mend and bridges to build. "So, tell me what you were doing playing Lady Godiva in my barn this morning?"
At this angle, she could look her fill at him. Jessie had to ball her hands up in fists to keep from running her fingers through his sable brown hair. It was cut short and spiked a little on top, but if you looked at it closely – it was full of tiny curls. Jessie bet that he would have thick curly hair, if it was allowed to grow out to any length. Jacob’s face was Greek God Gorgeous. His eyes were almost navy blue and his jaw line was chiseled and strong. High cheekbones, a sexy dimple near the corner of his mouth, and a deep cleft in his chin that just begged for kisses. It all came together to form the sexiest face imaginable. “I didn’t mean for you to see me like that.” Glancing down, she couldn't look him in the eye. “I know I was trespassing. I only wanted a safe place to stay for just a little while.”
Her answer surprised Jacob. She didn’t feel safe? He caught her chin in his hand and held her face still. With his thumb, he gently traced her full lips. “I don’t know what you’re afraid of – or who you’re running from – but I can promise you this: you are safe with me.” Jessie didn’t say anything right away. Nor did she flinch from his touch. Her big eyes shone with unshed tears. Jacob could read uncertainty mixed with a desire to hope and believe in his words.
With a tentative touch, she placed her palm over his heart.
Jacob’s whole body tingled at the slight pressure. When he made love to her – and the operative word was WHEN, not if – it was going to be dynamite. Jacob had never felt this explosive excitement in his veins. All it took was being near to her and his dick was like a stick of dynamite.
“Thank you, Jacob. It would be wonderful to have someone like you to stand up for me. I’ve never had that. When I’m all alone and afraid, I’ll remember your words and it will make me stronger.”
Jacob eased in closer, until their faces were near enough that he could feel her breath rushing across his skin. “You won't have to remember, sweetheart. I won't give you time to forget. Now, I want to know everything about you, angel."
“I'll tell you all you need to know. But, first I need to thank you for not calling the police this morning. Although you might when you find out what else I’ve done.” They were whispering. Their eyes were locked. Jessie wanted to kiss him so bad that she ached.
“Impossible. Tell me what you’ve done that makes you think you deserve hard time, sugar.” He was teasing, but her face fell. A look of abject sadness washed over her features.
“I was the one that picked the lock at the Little League Park building. I watched you with the children. You were very good with them. They love you.”
Jacob noticed that she was trembling. She was nervous. He was tempted to tell her that there was no need for her to be; he already knew the secret that she was about to confess.
“So, you’re the culprit that knocked off the concession stand.” His voice was soft and tender. Someone had misused this little doll and he was determined to find out her story.
“Yes, I broke into your building and I stole some food,” she hung her head in shame. “And then I stowed away in your truck and came to your home and stole some more.”
“Yeah, I heard you took ketchup and bread at the concession stand. Is that about what you took at my house?” At her nod of affirmation, Jacob gently cupped her cheek. “And then you left ten dollars and an apology taped to the refrigerator at the ball park. I would say that you are a major felon; a dangerous criminal. Maybe, I ought to call for a SWAT team.” His teasing voice made her smile.
“I put some money on the seat of your truck for what I took from the refrigerator in the studio. I know it was wrong, but I was hungry and scared.”
"You don’t have to be scared of anything, angel. You’re here with me, now. There ain’t nobody gonna lift a finger against you as long as I’m around.” He rubbed her arms with the palms of his hands. She was chilled and tense. The only thing that kept him from acting on the strong impulse to hug her up to his hungry body was his fear that she would bolt before he could beg her to stay. “You should have come on up to the house, not tried to hang out in that dusty old cave of a barn."
He didn’t give her an inch when she tried to put some distance between them. Finally, she gave up struggling and relaxed in his arms. "While I was hiding out at your barn, I mucked the stalls and did some weeding in the garden to pay for what I took."
Jacob laughed, “So you’re the gremlin! We all thought we were going nuts. Every time we sent Nathan to do a chore, it was already done.” It all made sense now. But, he didn't like to think about her shoveling horse manure or wearing herself out in the garden. He wanted to take care of her.
Jessie tried to think. What would be the best way to tell him? There was no way that he was going to believe her. He was going to think that she was as crazy as a bessy bug. "You see, I don’t want to take advantage of you in anyway. I didn’t come to Kerrville to ask you for anything, Jacob.”
Jacob didn't like what he was hearing. Of course he would support her and his child. He didn’t care what the law said. What kind of a man wouldn't take care of what belonged to him? "It's okay, sweet doll. Just talk to me. I want to know how you found your way onto Tebow property and into my life” Jacob’s eyes roved her face. Lord, she was pretty. With his thumb, he felt the plushness of her lower lip, pulling on it the tiniest bit, then stealing a sweet kiss. “Just tell me, Jess. Tell me about the miracle that brought us together.” Jacob had to bite his tongue, if he wasn't careful – he was going to spill the beans himself.
Jessie was so nervous. This was much more difficult than she thought it was going to be. To make herself feel better, she took his hand between both of hers and held on tight. "I work for a janitorial service. Jacob, I clean office buildings for a living. Not very glamorous, I know. But, it’s an honest living and the only work that I’ve been able to find.” She refused to tell him why – not yet, anyway. “One of the doctors in a clinic that I cleaned propositioned me." At Jacob's stern expression, she clarified. "No, nothing like that – at least not in the beginning. He made me an offer that I couldn't refuse." Jacob started to say something, but she covered his mouth with two fingers. Gently, he kissed the soft skin that was so sweetly touching his lips. "Let me finish while I still have my courage." Unable to look at him any longer, she closed her eyes and continued to speak. "He and his wife offered me a huge sum of money if I would be a surrogate mother. It wasn't what I was expecting. The conditions were that they would use the husband's sperm and my egg, due to the wife's eggs not being viable and a problem with her immune system. I agreed, not realizing that I would fall in love with the baby the moment that I felt it move."
Jacob was dying; he wanted to interrupt her so bad, but he knew he had to let her finish. He couldn't wait to share in her joy. "Go ahead, baby," he encouraged her. Jacob was entranced. She was perfect.
"I can't say that I regret what happened. I think it was an answer to prayer, actually."
Looking at his kind eyes, she held her breath – then let it out slowly. "Their name was McCay, and there was a mix-up at the Cryobank where his sperm was stored. I'm four and a half month's pregnant, Jacob. About ten days ago, the McCay's lawyer called us all together and reported there had been a terrible mistake. Jacob, the McCay's were insisting that I have an abortion because the baby that they had contracted that I carry to term wasn't theirs."
> "Damn! How dare they!" Jacob was livid. "I can't believe they would ask you to abort, uh, your baby." He had almost slipped up and said 'our'. With a shaking hand, he pushed her hair out of her eyes, wanting nothing more than anything to enfold her in his arms and promise that he would never let her go.
"I couldn't do it. I gave their money back. It made them furious. The husband threatened me and my baby. I had to leave in the middle of the night with little to nothing. I didn't get very many of my clothes and I have little to no money. They had insisted that I quit working and live with them. So, I was completely at their mercy." Trembling with anticipation, she laid her palm on his cheek and confessed. "Jacob, they told me that you are most likely the father. They say it was your sperm they used instead of Mr. McCay's."
Pulling her to him in one smooth move, Jacob kissed her neck. "It's all right, baby. It's all right. I'll take care of you. I'll take care of both of you."
At first, Jessie was relieved. He wasn't angry. She threw her arms around his neck; he seemed so happy. But, how could he accept it so easily? "You believe me? Just like that?" she asked.
Jacob held her, cherishing her and the idea of their child. "I already knew, Jessie. I got the letter from the Cryobank this morning."
Chapter Four
At those words, Jessie stilled. She froze. "You knew about the baby?" She pulled back from his arms, anxious to look at his face. "When?" Jessie managed to get the words out, even though unreasonable disappointment was causing tears to gather in her eyes.
"Noah, my brother, brought the letter in at lunch. So when the call came about Nathan's accident – I already knew that a Jessie Montgomery might be carrying my child." A big smile made his face so beautiful it hurt her heart. "When Nathan told me that his mermaid had saved his life, and that her name was Jessie Montgomery – I knew that all my prayers had been answered. I had already called a Private Investigator and our lawyer to get the ball rolling to find you."
Her throat fell raw with unshed tears. Why did she have to feel this way? She ought to be ecstatic that Jacob was excited about the baby. Instead, she was hurt that the joy she saw in his beautiful blue eyes was over their child, not over any personal interest or attraction he might have for plain old Jessie Montgomery.
Searching for the right words, she tried to sound upbeat. “I'm relieved that you aren't angry. You have every right to be, you know. Your choice to be a parent was completely taken away from you. That’s why I wanted to get to know you before I approached you. I had to be certain that you wouldn’t try to force me to get rid of the baby. I also wanted to make sure that you wouldn’t try to take the baby away from me." When she said that, she watched his face carefully. Gratefully, she let out a breath she had been holding. She saw no indication of that in his face. All she saw was excitement and affection. She wondered if any of that affection was for her. If only he hadn’t kissed her and made her hope for the impossible, she would have been satisfied with his reaction.
Something wasn't right. Jessie looked hurt. "I would never try to take your baby from you, Jessie. And I don’t believe in abortion,” he attempted to reassure her. “Bottom line – I'm thrilled. I know we have to get some tests done just to legally confirm everything – but, I couldn't be happier about the baby." Jacob loved kids. He wanted a dozen. Family was one of the most important things in the world to him.
He was touching her face and then her hand and every touch made Jessie sadder. "I'll be happy to have any test done that you would like to have." She caught him off guard, and eased off of his lap. "I don't have a cell phone right now, but I will be glad to call you and let you know where I'll be staying."
"Hell, no!" Jacob exclaimed. "I want you to stay here. We have plenty of room. No one will have a problem with it." He didn't know what had happened, but the light had gone out of her eyes.
Turning her back on him, Jessie frantically wiped tears from her eyes. "I'll find my own place, Jacob. We'll be all right."
Standing up, he caught her shoulder and made her look at him. Framing her face, he wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "Why won't you stay with me? It's the most logical thing to do. You are alone, scared, broke and may be pregnant with my baby; there's no way in hell that I'm going to stand by and watch you walk away from me."
The music that greeted them at the door of the bar was good. Libby was pleased. “I think they’ll be just fine. Don’t you Aron?”
Aron hadn’t told Libby what was going on. Not yet. When the news about Nathan had hit her, he couldn’t worry about Nathan for worrying about her. Libby was strong of heart, but her little body had been through a world of hurt in her lifetime, and he didn’t want her to worry about a damn thing. He wanted to wait and see what the night would bring. Tomorrow, if Jessie was still at the ranch, he would tell Libby that she wasn't the only one that was having a baby. He couldn't believe that Jacob might have the first child. Lord, you never knew what a day would bring!
“They sound great, Libby-love. And we’re going to dance up a storm. Let’s get you settled in a good place and I'll go over to the bar and get us some drinks. I see a couple of people that I need to speak to and then you and I are going to do some serious cuddling on the dance floor. Okay?”
Libby threw her arms around Aron’s neck and squeezed. “I love you so much. Nathan’s safe and Joseph’s outlook is better. I can’t wait to hold you close. It will only be a foretaste of what I want to do with you when I get you home. I can’t wait to feel you pushing deep inside of me. Right now, my panties are soaking wet. ” At her risqué teasing, Aron almost went to his knees. He had been trying to be careful with her. His sexual appetite was voracious and he tended to like his sex rough and raw – but, Libby deserved a soft touch and a gentle hand. Holding back with her was nearly killing him.
Somehow, Libby knew that he was holding back and she didn’t like it one darn bit. She didn’t want to feel like she was being cheated in her own bed. Not that their sex life was unsatisfying – far from it. But, if there was more to be had – she wanted it; she wanted it all.
“Hell, yeah! I’ll hurry back. We may just skip the dancing and go home and . . .” Aron was so obviously turned on, that Joseph pulled him away before he said an unmistakable sexual expletive in public.
“Come on, Aron, before you get us all thrown out for lewd behavior.” Joseph winked at Libby as he led his lust-struck brother to the bar.
"Don't rush. There's Denise Lyons. She has promised to loan me some decorations for next weekend’s dance. I need to talk to her for a few minutes, anyway." Libby blew a kiss at Aron and watched him adjust his package to a more comfortable position. Lord, she loved that man!
“I need to put some ice down my breeches,“ Aron groaned.
“That could be arranged,“ Joseph mumbled dryly. “Did you see that they were taking the sign down out front?” Joseph asked as they made their way through the crowd. The two handsome cowboys didn't notice, but dozens of pairs of eyes followed their progress. The McCoy men always drew attention from the women and envy from the men.
“Yeah, I did. I wonder what that means?” Aron drawled.
Joseph mulled it over; it was strange. Shorty’s was an institution in Kerr County. “I hope they’re not going out of business. Where would Isaac live?” He snorted, knowing he was just being a horse’s ass.
Aron ignored the jibe at Isaac. “Why don’t we ask Kane? Maybe he’s heard something.”
“Can I buy the two of you a drink?” Kane saw them coming.
“Two Shiner Beers,” Joseph called out their favorite stand-by beverage. Shiner Beer was made in Shiner, Texas – just a skip and a hop from San Antonio.
“What’s on your mind, boys?” Kane was alone, which was unusual. He usually had at least three women hanging on him. He and Zane were popular with the ladies.
Aron sat down at Kane’s table, flipping the chair around backward – Isaac style. Next, he slung another chair backwards, making room for Joseph’s wheelcha
ir. “What’s going on with the bar?” He took his beer from Doris and handed the other one to Joseph. “Thanks,” he saluted the sheriff with the amber bottle.
“What do you mean?” Kane knew exactly what Aron was talking about, but he enjoyed playing the game. Isaac was the new owner of the bar. And he knew that they didn’t know, which was going to make the evening highly entertaining. Kane leaned back in his chair and surveyed the two, big McCoy men. In Kerr County, there were no men more respected than these two.
“It looks like Shorty is pulling up stakes. Did he win the lottery or is he retiring to some damn beach in Mexico? Or do you know, you ornery old cuss?” Joseph had known Kane so long that he didn’t feel the need for any pleasantries.
“I know more than you do, pretty boy.” Kane noticed that they were about to be joined by another of the McCoy clan. He decided to stir the pot a little. “I suggest you ask the owner of this fine establishment. I think he may be able to help you.”
As he followed Kane’s gaze, he saw his own brother walking toward them. Where was Shorty? “I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’ll be damned!” Aron was watching Isaac carefully as first one employee and then another stopped him to ask questions. “I don’t believe it.”
Joseph was missing something. “What?”
When Isaac pulled out a chair, he motioned for Doris to bring another round. “Welcome to Hardbodies, gentleman. Now, we have two things to celebrate: Nathan’s alive and well, and I’m not the total screw-up you thought I was.”
It took a few seconds, but finally Joseph got it, “You bought the bar.” He said it with a tone of incredulity.
“I bought the bar,” Isaac echoed. “Now, I won’t be so apt to tear it up or drink up all my profits.”