by A. C. Bextor
"You never could lie worth a damn." Jessica laughed with a shake of her head. "It's the twenty-first century, Julie. If you like this man, then go for it. Stop waiting for him to make a move."
"What in the hell are you talking about?" Julie tried her best to sound confused when in truth her sister knew her better than anyone.
"You got the hots for Mr. Horse Rancher, aka Clay Marshall." Jessica snorted with a tilt of her head. "For a month I've heard you talk more about Clay Marshall than his blind brother, Bo, who is the one I should have been hearing about."
"Stop exaggerating." Julie snorted back at her. "And even if what you said was true, which it's not, I have nothing in common with Mr. Horse Rancher."
"You know what I always say—"
"You say a lot so there's no telling," Julie interrupted her with a roll of her eyes.
"Opposites attract and last longer than being the same. Being the same is boring." Jessica smiled, totally ignoring Julie's jab.
Jessica pulled onto the long drive of the Marshall Ranch. Diesel, Jessica's Seeing Eye guide dog, sat up in the backseat, already alert to helping his owner. Tonight was it. It had been four weeks to the day since she drove down that driveway for the first time.
After the first couple of days, Bo had changed from bitter to determined. It didn't really surprise her, because for whatever reason that happened more times than not. She knew walking into the job that Bo was a strong person with an alpha personality, and once she hit on that he woke up. Yeah, her job there was done and it hurt her more than any other job. She was always a little sad walking away, because she always got attached to each person she helped. What she did was so personal on many levels. That time, the overwhelming sadness had nothing to do with the patient and everything to do with his brother.
Realizing she was parked without actually remembering doing it because her mind was so scattered, she sighed. She looked around and her nerves spiked seeing all the cars. The Marshall brothers knew a lot of people and it seemed like they were all there for the party. She was sure people from high school she hadn't seen for years and who never gave her the time of day would be there. She wished she hadn't accepted Bo's invitation to come, but knew she had to.
A few of the brothers' friends had started coming by, and last week Bo had announced to Clay that he was ready to have one of their famous pig roasts she had heard about in the past, but was never invited to. It was Bo's introduction to his friends as a blind man, and it was her good-bye. As she stared out the window, she felt her sister's hand on her arm.
"Blind faith isn't just for the blind." Jessica's voice was low, but strong with conviction. "Sometimes it's for the seeing also."
Julie closed her eyes tight at those words, wishing she were as strong as her sister. Jessica may have been born blind, but she saw more than anyone Julie had ever known.
Diesel took that moment to stick his long nose between them with a snort, making both women laugh. "Okay. Okay." Julie reached back, patting the dog on the head. Climbing out, she opened the back door and Diesel obediently jumped out and went directly to the passenger door, waiting for Jessica.
Julie looked around, wondering if they should go to the front door or not. Hearing music and voices coming from outside, behind the house, she spotted a lighted path that would be easy for Jessica to maneuver.
Knowing that her sister hated any hovering, Julie stayed back as Jessica got out of the car, reached for Diesel's harness with one hand, totally confident in her companion, and held the gift in the other. Shutting the door, Julie walked slightly ahead of Jessica, but close enough in case she was needed. It was always tricky in unknown areas, but Diesel was one of the best guide dogs and took care of his owner. By his movements and signals, Jessica knew if she was approaching steps, uneven terrain, or obstacles. It still amazed Julie and she praised the day Diesel came into their lives.
Once she was sure they were clear of any trouble areas, Julie looked around and her heart dropped to her knees. There were so many people milling around, some staring openly.
"Have Diesel follow me," Julie told Jessica. She never commanded Diesel herself; that was Jessica's job. Spotting Bo sitting at a table, she headed that way as soon as Jessica gave the command.
She still hadn't spotted Clay, but Bo seemed the safer thing for her at the moment. She heard whispering as she passed, but her focus was on her sister, who was slightly behind her, and Bo, who was slightly in front of her. None of those people mattered to her.
"Isn't that Julie Daniels from high school?" one girl whispered, before adding, "What's she doing here?"
"Who is that blind girl?" A male voice echoed from somewhere behind them. "She's gorgeous."
Julie glanced at Jessica, who had a small grin on her lips. Her sister's hearing was much better than hers and the guy was right. Her sister was beautiful. A proud smile spread across her face. "Looks like you have a few admirers," Julie teased in a whisper.
"Not my type," Jessica replied, then laughed.
Julie laughed also as she approached Bo, who was surrounded by people laughing and having a great time. It was a proud moment for her. "So is this the same Bo Marshall I met a month ago?" She smiled down at Bo, who turned toward her voice. "You seem nicer than that pain in the ass."
People murmured at her statement, but Bo laughed long and loud. They had actually become pretty good friends, teasing and baiting each other during her teaching him. He'd also remembered her from high school, after she reminded him of the classes they had together.
"Oh, God. Not you," Bo teased with a fake horrified look. "This woman threatened me every minute of the day and even took my piss bucket away."
"Yeah well, you deserved it after throwing a whiskey bottle at my head." Julie bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "But I forgive you."
"I'm glad you came." Bo reached for her hand. She gave it to him and squeezed. "Everyone, this is Julie Daniels from Blind Faith, and if it wasn't for her I would still be locked in my room. She's the real reason we're all here tonight."
Julie felt her face burning at the attention. "You did all the work, I just smacked you around a little," Julie replied, then turned toward her sister and grabbed her hand. "My sister would like to meet you. Jessica, this is Bo Marshall."
Jessica let go of Diesel's harness, trusting Julie to guide her. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Marshall." Jessica was still smiling at their banter. "I'm so sorry my sister was horrible to you. I'll make sure to take it out of her pay."
"Ha! I don't think so." Julie grinned. "I earn every single penny of that money."
"Please call me Bo, and it's nice to finally meet you." Bo reached his hand out and it was pretty awe-inspiring to see two blind people meet hands without a stumble.
Jessica let go and felt for a seat. Carefully, she sat herself down with no help. Diesel actually nudged Julie out of the way to sit directly beside his owner.
Julie stumbled back, catching herself. "Excuse me, Diesel."
A few chuckled, but eyed the huge German Shepherd standing guard next to Jessica in fear.
"Who's Diesel?" Bo frowned, not recognizing the name.
"My guide dog." Jessica laughed, taking Bo's hand again to place it on Diesel's head. "He likes to push Julie around."
Bo petted the dog's head. "Do you have to use a walking stick?"
"Not with Diesel. He leads me everywhere and even warns me of danger." Jessica smiled proudly. "I can get you information for a guide dog, if you'd like."
"Definitely." Bo nodded, still petting Diesel on the head.
"Here, I brought you a gift." Jessica placed the gift on the table.
"You didn't have to do that, but I do like gifts." Bo chuckled while everyone around him laughed.
Julie grinned, happy that Bo and Jessica seemed to be hitting it off. Then again, Jessica hit it off with anyone. She was the one who had the people problem—at least, people who could see. The blind she did great with. Taking a minute to glance around, her eyes
met with curious gazes until they found the pair of brown intense eyes belonging to Clay. And to top it off, he wore a cowboy hat. Damn, but she was a sucker for a man in a cowboy hat. He gave her a nod hello, while she gave him a shaky smile. Man, she was such an idiot. Quickly looking away, she was in time to see Bo's confused expression.
"It's a book." He frowned, then turned his face toward Jessica. "Did Julie forget to tell you I'm blind?"
Jessica laughed at his teasing. "It's braille." She opened the book then took his hand to run his fingers over the raised wording.
"Is it hard to learn?" Bo continued to run his hand over the book. A few friends also leaned over to touch it.
"Not at all." Jessica beamed. "I'll teach you how."
After a few minutes, Julie started to feel like a third wheel. Bo and Jessica were talking up a storm, everyone was in their group, Clay had disappeared, and Diesel had lain down with his muzzle resting on Jessica's foot. She had never felt more alone in her life than she did at that moment.
Chapter Seven
Glancing around, Julie spotted a barn. Knowing Jessica was okay, she turned and headed away to explore, something she hadn't been able to do during her time there. Might as well do it, since she wouldn't be back—unless of course Bo needed her, but that didn't seem to be the case. He was doing fantastically and had plenty of friends who could step up, along with his brother.
As she made her way toward the barn, she spotted a horse walking toward her along the fence. The noise of the party was just a murmur behind her. The moon was bright enough to light her way. The horse stopped, as did she. Julie had never been around horses before and was a little hesitant to reach out, so she just placed her hands on the fence. The horse snorted loudly before placing its large nose on her knuckles.
"Please don't bite me," Julie whispered, wanting to pet the horse, but afraid.
"Go ahead, he doesn't bite." Clay's voice startled her, causing her to jump and scare the large horse, who stomped. Clay grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from the jumpy horse. "But he will stomp toes."
"I didn't mean to scare him," Julie said, surprised when Clay didn't immediately remove his hands from her waist. His strong chest pressed against her back. "But you scared me."
"Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all. Easing her forward with his body, he whistled, which calmed the horse. Reaching down, he grabbed Julie's hand and raised it toward the horse's nose. "Haven't been around many horses?"
"None," Julie admitted, trying to focus on the horse instead of the man.
"I think that's against Texas law." His hand tightened on her waist as he edged her closer to the fence.
"There's no such thing," Julie replied, her voice sounding husky to her own ears. She prayed she didn't make a fool of herself just because he had his hands on her.
He made a noise in the back of his throat and was silent for a few moments as she petted the horse, who stood loving every minute of attention. "You want to go for a ride?"
"Really?" Julie felt excitement mixed with fear. "I haven't ever ridden before. Actually, this is the first time I've ever been this close to a horse."
"Seriously, are you really a pure Texan?" Clay's deep voice echoed in the night.
Those words were like a splash of reality in her face, indicating just how different her life was to Clay Marshall's. "Maybe I should get back to my sister." She started to pull away from him, but he held her tighter against him.
"Your sister is fine." Clay turned her to face him. "My brother will make sure she's well taken care of. I think he's infatuated with her."
"But…." He ignored her as he let go and led her toward the barn. In no time, he had a horse saddled and was sitting on the huge beast, holding his hand out to her. Wanting with every fiber of her being to reach for his hand and ride with him, she hesitated. The horse shifted, making her jump back.
"I promise you'll be safe." He had taken off his cowboy hat, which was such a shame because he looked damn good wearing it, and was staring down at her. His hand didn't waver as he waited for her to take it.
Her fear was her heart not being safe, but then she thought about what her sister had said in the car. Blind faith. Was she brave enough? When her eyes met his, she knew if she didn't do it she would regret it. Reaching up, she grasped his hand and was surprised when he pulled her up effortlessly in front of him. He whistled and tugged at the reins, and the horse calmly trotted out of the barn, heading down a worn path toward a group of trees.
Not knowing where to put her hands, since she was sitting in front of Clay, she clasped the saddle.
"Relax your body." Clay's voice was soft next to her ear. "Enjoy and let the horse do all the work. I won't let you fall. Trust me."
Surprisingly, Julie did trust him. She relaxed enough to lean against his chest. The moonlight lit the way, and she was in awe of the beauty that surrounded her. She could get so used to this, to nightly rides with Clay in such a beautiful place. The noise from the party soon disappeared, replaced by the sound of nature at night.
They rounded a large area of brush and Julie sighed. In front of her was a pond surrounded by sparse trees, the moon reflected in the water perfectly. "It's beautiful."
The horse came to a stop. Clay swung down off the horse then reached up to her. She twisted, putting her hands on his shoulders. Again, with effortless ease he lifted her off the horse. She wasn't a small woman, and honestly that impressed the hell out of her. The last man who had lifted her had moaned and groaned like he was going to die.
"Texas is full of beautiful things." He smiled as he slowly lowered her.
Okay, just wow. The way he said that sent shivers, chills, and zings throughout her body. She was just going to pretend he meant her, just this once, and then she would get back to reality. Once her feet touched the ground he opened his mouth again and yeah, reality came back full force, smacking her upside the head.
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for Bo."
"Oh, well you could have told me that back there." Julie hoped she kept the hurt out of her voice. "You didn't need to bring me out here just to tell me that."
"That's not why—"
"And I didn't do anything you didn't pay me for." Julie kept going, not caring she'd interrupted him. "He did it all himself anyway. Except for that first day, he was one of the easiest patients I've ever dealt with."
"Julie, I—"
"But, yeah. I guess I should be getting back to my sis—"
Clay grabbed Julie, pulling her to him. "Shut up," he growled as he grabbed her chin, pulling her face up to meet his. "I didn't bring you out here to talk about my brother."
"Did you just tell me to shut up?" Julie frowned, but didn't pull away from him.
He chuckled. "Yes, I did." He leaned closer to her. "It's hard to kiss someone who keeps talking."
"Finally." She sighed, but then gasped at what she'd just said aloud.
"Exactly." His grin grew. "Ever since your tumble down the stairs this is all I've been able to think of."
"High school for me," she replied, then rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I just said all that out loud."
"High school?" He frowned.
"Yeah." She felt the heat in her cheeks. "I had the biggest crush on you."
"No, you didn't." He shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't even look at me and if you did say hi you practically ran the other way."
"Believe me." Julie wished she had kept her damn mouth shut. She didn't want to be having a conversation at that moment. She wanted her kiss, a kiss she had wanted since high school. "Big crush, ask my sister. Now can you please kiss me so I know exactly what I have missed out on all these years?"
And kiss her he did, to the point she was breathless. She'd never believed before when people said they were kissed breathless, but Clay made her a believer. If she passed out she wouldn't be surprised, but she would rather the man keep kissing her and holding her tight than draw another breath. The way
his hands ran possessively over her body drove her insane, and she didn't want it to stop. Her hands were doing some exploring of their own, and the tightening of his muscles at her every pass turned her on even more.
"Jesus." Clay pulled away, his glazed eyes staring into hers. "Honey, if you don't stop staring at me like that we aren't making it back to the party anytime soon."
Julie knew exactly what she wanted to happen. She was an adult with a clear mind and conscience. She wanted Clay Marshall with a passion that couldn't be denied. Reaching down, she grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.
"Promise," she whispered as she flicked open the front clasp of her bra, letting it slide off her shoulders to the ground. Oh, God. It so was not like her, but she also wasn't a coward. She prayed that it wasn't the biggest mistake she had ever made. His rejection would destroy her.
His eyes roamed over her body, a muscle ticked in his jaw, and a growl rumbled in his throat.
As he stood there staring at her, she felt a twinge of doubt curl through her mind. Did he not want her? Did she just make a total fool out of herself? Quickly she covered her breasts as she reached down for her shirt.
"Don't!" His order was a harsh rasp. When she stopped and straightened back up, he reached out to gently move her arm back to her side. "I have never seen anything more beautiful in Texas or anywhere, for that matter. You are absolutely stunning."
Julie felt the tears before she could stop them. One ran from the corner of her eye, down her cheek, and dripped from her chin to her breast. His eyes followed its path. Slowly, he reached out to wipe its trail away. As he touched her breast, she held her breath, afraid to move… afraid he would stop.
His eyes rose to meet hers once again. "You deserve more than this." He looked around before looking back at her. "I don't even have a blanket."
Reaching out, she laid her hand against his cheek as her eyes searched their surroundings. "This, as you call it, is a part of you and I can't think of a better place." She ran her thumb across his bottom lip. "And I'm sure you can think of a way that doesn't require a blanket. I want you, Clay."