Under Texas Blue Skies

by Debra Holt

  “I plan to be around for a few weeks… at least through the holidays. I may have to leave for a few days here and there, but I’ll be back.”

  “So what’s up with the ranch? You plan on being a gentleman rancher... here a couple months a year?”

  “Nope. My plans are to make it my home base. I’ve come back to McKenna Springs for good. At least that’s what I hope. It depends on one or two things.”

  “One or two things… would Amanda be one of those things?” Tracy was good, and her clear gray eyes pinned him to the spot on the subject.

  J.D. gave her a long look as he took the final swallow from the bottle. “Yes, she is.”

  “Leave her alone, J.D.” Tracy’s gaze was dead on his. “If you aren’t one-hundred-percent serious and intend to stay for good this time, then leave her alone. She couldn’t survive you a second time.”

  ****

  She couldn’t survive you a second time. The words Tracy had spoken stayed with him throughout the rest of the evening. What had she meant by that? He hadn’t been able to ask her as Tyler had interrupted, calling her to say goodnight to the boys. Once again, he had the nagging feeling in his gut there was something he was missing — a piece of puzzle from when he had left Mandy behind. It was a mystery that needed to be solved before they could move forward.

  J.D. stayed only a half-hour more before heading back to the ranch. Bagley had offered to allow him to stay on the ranch… soak up the atmosphere as the realtor had put it, and he had taken him up on the offer. It gave him more privacy than staying in a hotel in town. He was trying to keep things low-key, although he was aware the gossip network was alive and well in McKenna Springs. So far, his comings and goings had been fairly easy to maintain. If anything, the townspeople tended to protect their own. He was grateful for that.

  The ranch house was quiet and loomed even larger in the late hour. J.D. walked through the rooms in silence one more time. He remembered how, as a teenager, he would steal onto the property and sit up on the hill overlooking this very house. His grandparents had lived in a two-bedroom, doublewide mobile home on an acre of land just south of the fence line. When his mom’s new husband had made it clear he did not want a teenage kid as part of the deal, J.D. had been packed off to live with the elderly couple. They'd been too old to raise a teenager. They'd done their best for him and had loved him as much as they could, but it had taken all they'd had to just survive on their social security. He had helped out as much as he could.

  J.D. had to admit he had been more than a handful. He'd often skipped class to hang out at the local swimming hole or practice his guitar with the guys at one of the local watering holes of a different variety. He had spent a lot of time daydreaming about what it would be like to live in a place like this ranch. To have all the horses he wanted to ride, anytime he wanted, and most of all, to impress the girl who looked so solemnly at him with those huge blue eyes when he'd told her about his dream… to make a living at his singing. He'd known he could do it. She had been the only other person to truly believe in him. They'd made an odd couple. The hellion and the quiet country mouse. He'd known there was a fire below that silent, watchful surface, and one night he had ignited it.

  It wouldn’t do much good to let his mind dwell on those particular memories. There had been way too many nights when he had faced sleeplessness, reliving each and every moment with Mandy Lawson. How many times over the early years had he been ready to pack it all in and head back to McKenna Springs… defeated. Yet, he would have at least been with her… the one saving grace in returning home a failure.

  That thought had vanquished when, during a random phone call with Travis, he'd learned she had moved away. Not too long after that, he'd heard that she had married. His heart had broken in two at that news. J.D. could have let it impact his career. Instead, he'd written some of his best music during that time. A call with Tyler, a few years after that, had alerted him to the fact that she had moved back to town. And there was no husband. According to Tracy, there never had been. That rumor had cost him precious time with Mandy… time he wanted to make up for with her.

  That’s when he knew his dream had a second chance. At least, in his way of thinking it did. He had made it to the top. He had a room full of awards to prove it and a bank account that meant he could go anywhere in the world and do anything he could ever want to do for the rest of his life. However, he didn’t have the one thing he wanted most of all... the girl who had given him the courage to follow his dream and had given her heart, mind, and body unconditionally to him. She couldn’t have been lost to him. J.D. knew he would give all he had to find her again. He could buy the house he stood in, but it wouldn’t be a home without Mandy in it.

  Chapter Five

  “Thought you might need this,” J.D. said, holding up the familiar bag in his fingers.

  Amanda had been taken aback for a moment when she looked through the peephole in her door in response to the knock. His words met her when she took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “I was going to pick that up this afternoon,” she replied, her hand reaching for it, but he wasn’t ready to release it so easily. He moved it out of reach.

  “Maybe we should negotiate this.”

  “Give me my bag.”

  “A please might go a long way here, along with an invite to taste whatever smells so good in there.” His gaze went behind her toward the rest of the room.

  The afternoon had grown cloudy, and the wind was chilled. Amanda had decided it was time to cook a pot of homemade beef stew. She always fixed enough to last a few days… to freeze and reheat. It wasn’t that she didn’t have more than enough to share. She just didn’t want to share with him.

  “Please hand over the bag,” she repeated with the nice word added, but no invitation to lunch.

  “We could go over the details of the contract. That would make your boss happy, and I’m getting a little tired of frozen dinners.”

  “Frozen dinners? I figured you would have a chef flown in.” Did that sound as catty to him as it did to her after she'd said it?

  “No chef could beat your homemade stew. I remember that. Besides, I eat frozen dinners to keep from going out and about so much. It’s hard to finish a meal sometimes.”

  She slammed him with a put-down, and he came back with a compliment. That irritated her even more.

  “You wanted fame... that means fans and autographs. You have to take the good with the bad.”

  “If you keep me standing out here on the porch much longer, you might get a crowd here on your front lawn.”

  Amanda looked quickly at the windows of her neighbors’ houses. He might have something there. She loved the neighborhood, but Mrs. Patterson next door and Mr. Dees across the street loved to keep tabs on everyone’s comings and goings. It was clear the man at her door was not going away anytime soon. She stepped aside with a frown.

  “Come in then.”

  One would think he had won the lottery by the size of smile that appeared on his face. He didn’t give her time to change her mind. J.D. moved to stand just inside the living room. She watched his gaze move around the room, and her eyes did the same, wondering what he thought of the light mint-green color of the walls and the cream wood trim of the cornices and fireplace. The overstuffed couch and chairs were covered in a fabric of cream, mint, and peach swirls. Green plants dotted the corners, and books filled the shelves. The polished wood flooring had area rugs here and there.

  He shared his opinion with her. “This room suits you.”

  “My bag, please,” she said as she moved past him, ignoring how his words made her feel inside.

  He released it into her hands. J.D. swept the hat off his head and hung it on the peg next to the hall mirror.

  “You can have a seat in here. I’ve got a couple more things to do in the kitchen.”

  “I’ll keep you company.” He was right behind her when she turned to say something, but she didn’t realize he was so close.
She bumped into him, and his hands shot out to steady her. Big mistake. The shock that went through her body at his touch was unexpected and jumbled her thoughts immediately. Through her wide eyes, she noted his face registered much the same surprise. Then she recognized a flare of green fire in his eyes, and that meant trouble. She found her wits and stepped away with haste.

  “That’s not necessary. You’d be more comfortable in the living room.”

  “I prefer the kitchen.” J.D. walked right into the room and took a chair from the dinette table, switched it around, and straddled the seat, his arms folded on the back edge. His presence seemed to make the room smaller than it actually was. Amanda had to keep her mind in check and not let him know that she was rattled by him being there.

  “Suit yourself. I wasn’t planning on company so there’s just stew, homemade bread, and some fruit salad.”

  “Perfect. Can I help?”

  “Thanks, but it’s ready.” She brought the plates and utensils to the table and it took a real effort to keep her hands steady and her breath even. It was crazy having this man sitting in her small kitchen, sharing her meal. Why had she allowed this to happen?

  “Afraid I don’t have anything to offer you drink wise except iced tea or water.”

  “Iced tea will be fine.”

  The food was on the table, and she could not put off sitting across from him any longer. He had turned his chair around again and seated himself correctly. Once or twice, their knees bumped each other under the small table.

  “Mmm,” he said after taking the first couple of bites. “This is even better than I remembered. How many times did...”

  “You wanted to discuss the terms of the contract?” Amanda cut him off. She didn’t need to remember anything with him, except that he was a client and she needed to seal the deal and get him out of her life. It was already wreaking havoc on her nerves as she fought to keep certain memories out of her mind, such as the sad fact she had dreamed a lot of just such a scenario... sitting across from him having dinner together in their kitchen. Reality check. It was her kitchen, and that dream had never had a chance.

  “Well, I think that most of the terms are acceptable. However, there are one or two points to add into it, but I have a rule never to discuss business over a meal. It’s bad for the digestive system.” His attention seemed to be on his food, and he'd missed the narrowing gaze she sent his way.

  “What do you plan to do with this property? I suppose you’ll hire a manager to take care of it? I can recommend some people who would make responsible caretakers.”

  “That might be a good idea. I do need to hire a good foreman. I have a couple of viable candidates for that position in mind. That way, there’ll be someone here during the times I have to be away.”

  “Have to be away? You make it sound like you’re going to be around more than a few weeks of the year.” Amanda finished her last bite of salad and dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

  “A few weeks?” J.D.’s eyes looked squarely into hers. “I intend to make this my permanent home. It’s time to put down roots and think about the future. It’s time to settle down and start a family.”

  A very sharp knife twisted inside her chest at his words. So he had come back to make a home here… to have a wife and children. The irony of it all was just too much. Amanda stood up abruptly and began to remove the dishes off the table, transferring them to the counter beside the dishwasher. It was a hard battle to keep her facial expressions under control and to stifle the urge to launch a breakable plate toward his head.

  He stood and carried his glass over to the counter.

  She kept her face averted from his.

  “This was really nice... having dinner with you. I like your home. Did you decorate it yourself?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Then that settles it.”

  Amanda looked up at him, having regained sufficient composure enough to do that.

  “Settles what?”

  “One of the addendums to our agreement… actually it’s a non-negotiable one.” J.D. looked at her with a steady gleam. “I’ll pay the asking price. I won’t even haggle. As long as you sign on to be my decorator.”

  The glass dropped from her hand, but he caught it in time. “Better let me do this part,” he finished smoothly, placing the glass and other dishes into the dishwasher.

  “I am a realtor, not a decorator.”

  “You just said you decorated this place. I like it. It feels homey. That’s what I want.”

  “I don’t have the time to do something like that. I do have a regular job to maintain.”

  “I’d be hiring your services, and I think Morris would agree with my terms. He gets the sale, and you get a very nice check for your time.” J.D. withdrew a piece of paper from the chest-pocket of his shirt. He laid it on the counter in front of her.

  She glanced down to see what it was and found her gaze locked on the check and the ridiculous amount. Ridiculous in that it was almost as much as she made in six months!

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am very serious. That’s your fee, and I will give you a blank check to do whatever you feel needs to be done to make that house into a home.”

  “You can hire any famous decorator you want and have them turn it into a showplace. You don’t need someone like me.”

  “That’s right,” he agreed, as he shut the door on the machine and then leaned back against the edge of the counter, his arms crossed. “But I don’t want a showplace. I have one of those already in Nashville. That’s not me. I want a home... a place that welcomes people to come in and stay awhile, that feels comfortable to live in. I want you to make a home you would want to live in.”

  The air became way too thin and far too warm all of a sudden. Amanda did not dare look up at him. She could feel his watchful gaze, and that was enough. His words had caused her heart to go into a nosedive. It was time to end it now. She moved toward the living room, and he followed.

  “I can’t do that. You’ll have to find someone else.”

  “Then I won’t buy the ranch.” His eyes were steady on hers as she looked up at him. He didn’t seem to be joking. He looked very serious and very determined. She wanted to say Great… you can leave now. But if she did, if she let him walk away… Morris would never let her have a partnership. He had reminded her of that earlier on the phone when he had called to check on the progress of the sale. This man controlled a big part of her future right now… whether she liked it or not.

  Why should she fight it? Why not take the money… both from the commission for the sale of the property and the hefty check for its decorating? It couldn’t ever make up for what this man had done to her life years before. No amount of money ever could. This was strictly business, and a good businesswoman would not turn down such an offer. A few long moments ticked by while the war waged in her thoughts. Then surrender finally came... but on her terms.

  “Sign the contract now, and you have a deal.”

  A slow and very triumphant smile slid across his mouth. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Mandy Lawson.” He stuck out his hand to her.

  “Once again, the name is Amanda,” she reminded him with a lift of her chin, “and business is strictly business.”

  Chapter Six

  “I knew we would close the deal,” Morris Bagley spoke, beaming his satisfaction at Amanda. It reminded her of the Cheshire cat in the fable. His suit buttons were fairly bursting across his pumped-out chest as he complimented himself on putting the deal together. Amanda exchanged knowing glances with Darcy while the woman freshened up their coffee cups two mornings later in the diner.

  “Your business acumen knows no bounds, Morris,” Darcy said and removed the plate from in front of him. The man basked in the words, unaware of the sarcasm that lay beneath them… or just choosing to ignore them as he was in such a jovial mood.

  “It was a sweet deal,” he replied. “Of course, Amanda did a f
ine job also.”

  Amanda’s eyes widened in surprise as she took a sip from her cup. The man had actually paid her a compliment… of sorts. Of course, he didn’t mention she'd had to sell her soul to do it. At least that’s how she saw the fact she was working on decorating the ranch house. The irony of it all still made her wince inside.

  “So when will the new sign be going up?” Darcy laid the meal check in front of the man.

  “Sign?” He looked up at her.

  “Bagley and Lawson Realty. The whole town is ready to see that one.”

  “Oh that one,” Morris replied. His hand brought a bill out of his wallet and laid it on the counter. “Don’t worry, it’s been ordered. I keep my end of a deal.” His tone was just a bit begrudging. “You did bring in a mighty sweet deal to the coffers of the agency and now, you'd better get busy decorating. I loaned you to him, but not for long. As a partner, you’re going to have to work even harder. See you ladies later!” Morris tossed a smile that encompassed them both and then headed to the door, pausing now and then to slap someone on the back, shake a few hands, and generally strut like a barnyard rooster.

  “Loaned to J.D. Sterling... that’s one tough job. If you need an assistant, I’m ready to step in and help. I could make a few suggestions about his bedroom.” Darcy’s smile was too sassy for so early in the morning. Plus, the mention of the man’s bedroom brought a new wrinkle to Amanda’s forehead. She hadn’t thought about that one. There would be more than one minefield to tiptoe through before the job was done.