True-Blue Texas Cowboy

by Janalyn Knight

  At last, she lowered her arms, wiping her face and sniffling, completely spent. She had a headache and her eyes were raw and swollen. She couldn't face this day. She couldn't face her life, and she especially couldn't face Jesse. She had no memory of the last time she was sick or the last time she didn't work, but what the hell good was it having a ranch hand if she couldn't depend on him once in a while?

  Clearing her throat two or three times, she sang, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G," twice to make her voice sound normal and dialed Jesse.

  He answered after the first ring. "Well, hello there, Lee."

  She rushed ahead before he could ask her any questions. "Hi, Jesse. Listen, I'm sick. Do you think you can handle things if I stay around the house for the day?"

  Silence on the line ... "Uh, huh."

  “Okay, I—”

  He interrupted her. "I'll stop in this evening and bring you up to speed. You rest and take care of yourself." He hung up.

  Crap, he hadn’t given her a chance to say she didn't need him to come by. Damn straight he knew she'd say no.

  In the bedroom she paused, frowning at the mattress. She might sleep on the floor. Approaching her side of the bed, she stood looking at the other, empty, side. She didn't want to lie down, but she didn't want to sleep on the couch either. Hell, this was miserable. Sighing, she laid down, pulling the covers over her and facing away from Wess's side.

  She still couldn't breathe through her nose, though she'd blown it several times. Why couldn't her life just go away? She wanted to cry, but didn't have any tears left. It had been so long since she'd been this low. Dammit. This kind of day was supposed to be over.

  JESSE’S TRUCK PASSED by the house about five thirty. Lee had resolved nothing lying in bed all day. She sniffed. Her nose wasn't plugged up anymore. That was a plus. Her headache was gone. Another improvement. Other than that—she still pretty much felt like crap.

  She wandered into the bathroom and brushed her teeth since her mouth tasted like an army had marched through it, then she headed to the living room to lay on the couch. Maybe Jesse would forget to come by to check on her. Yeah, and maybe the moon was made of cheese. God, she didn't want to see him.

  Jesse drove up to the house a while later and slammed the door of his truck. His footsteps approached the front door, and he knocked firmly and waited.

  She let him stand there, lying still as a mouse, hoping he'd go away if she didn't answer the door.

  He walked over to the window. "I can see you lying there, Lee. Get your butt over here, and open this door."

  Now who in the hell did he think he was, ordering her around like that? She stomped over and threw the door open.

  Jesse already held the storm door wide, so he stepped right past her.

  She turned to face him.

  He pulled her into a firm hug and kissed her mouth silent when she started to speak.

  A warm rush filled her, and, God help her, she kissed him back.

  Easing away, he said, "Miss Lee, I've been worrying myself sick about you all day. For good reason. You look like hell. Beautiful, but still like hell." He kissed her forehead and led her over to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for her.

  Sitting before her, he picked up her hand and kissed it. "Now, remember what I said last night about laying down something beloved?"

  She nodded.

  "Honey, that hurts. It's terrible hard. You have to find a way to get through it. And I know you will. I'm here with you, as long as it takes. You're not alone."

  She stared at him, and tears welled, rolling down her face. Dammit. I can’t take this anymore. She drew her arms over her head and sank onto the table.

  Jesse shifted her to his lap, rocking her back and forth, her tears wetting his neck.

  She cried with no sound for what seemed like forever as he held her and rocked her.

  At last, she wiped her face and sat up, not looking at him. Weak and lightheaded, her damn nose was running and plugged up again. God, how she hated all this.

  Jesse pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her.

  She kept her head down but smiled when she accepted it.

  He said, "There's my girl," like she was a two-year-old.

  And, why not? She'd been acting like one. Oh, God. I'm out of control.

  Jesse nudged her and set her back in her chair. "I'm fixing you a sandwich. You look like a ghost. Did you eat anything today?"

  She shook her head.

  He stood and kissed the top of her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

  "Make me a pond."

  He grinned. "Sassy. Sassy."

  Letting loose a crooked smile, she looked down at her red toe nails.

  He fixed himself a sandwich while he made hers, grabbed them each a soda, and sat down with her to eat. "Now, I want every bite of that sandwich eaten, do you hear me, young lady?"

  "Yes, master."

  He laughed. "Well, that's more like it," and took a bite.

  After dinner, he loaded the dishwasher then leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms. "Would it be sacrilegious if I asked you if I could borrow one of those old t-shirts you have around here? I stink."

  She stared at him for a few seconds, her heart pounding at the thought of sharing Wess's clothes. "No, of course not. I'll grab you one."

  "I'll just wash up in the bathroom and put it on."

  She paused, considering her next words. "Why don't you take a shower? I'll give you a bag for your dirty clothes."

  "You're sure?"

  She nodded. "Let me bring them to you."

  Handing him the items, she showed him the way to the shower stall. "You'll find shampoo and soap in there." She pulled out a towel and wash cloth and gave them to him. "I'll see you in a little while."

  Once in the living room, she scanned around her. It looked strange, different, not like home. Everything was changing. She sat and closed her eyes, resting her head on the back of the couch.

  She smelled him first and then heard the soft swish of his jeans coming into the room. That smell had been a part of her dreams this past year, and now it was real again. She breathed in and remembered.

  Jesse sunk down next to her, but she kept her eyes closed.

  He leaned in and kissed her eyes, soft little butterfly kisses that tickled her eyelids and teased them open.

  She gazed at him, feeling lost.

  He stood and, using the hand he held, pulled her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight, rocking her back and forth, back and forth. He kissed the top of her head and leaned back to look in her eyes.

  She sighed.

  He said softly, "It’s going to be okay." And, he kissed her, taking his time and tasting every curve of her lips.

  Her breasts tingled as her breathing quickened.

  Jesse put his mouth to her ear and whispered, "I’ll be with you," and his breath tickled her sweetly.

  She kissed him back as he brushed his lips to hers.

  He tilted her chin up. "We’ll be together," and he kissed her again, more urgently now.

  She responded, discovering his lips, as he had hers.

  He groaned, then hugged her tight and released her.

  She blinked and took a deep breath. Exhaling, she looked back at him.

  He kissed her forehead. "Little butterfly. You're beautiful."

  She smiled, and for the first time that day, felt better. "So are you, cowboy."

  He laughed. "Are you taking a shower before you go to bed tonight?"

  "No, I'm exhausted. I think I'll go straight to bed."

  "Well, come on. I'll sing you to sleep. Well, not really. My singing voice isn't that great, but I'll put you to sleep."

  Wondering exactly what he meant by that, she headed back to the bedroom, her heart beginning to pound.

  She put on a t-shirt and shorts, and when she opened the bathroom door, Jesse sat at the foot of the bed. "After you," he said, and smiled.

  She crawled under the
covers, her pulse racing, as he turned off the lamp. In the dim light from the window, he walked around to the other side and laid down on top of the quilt.

  He scooched over close to her. "Do you sleep on your back, side or tummy?"

  She swallowed and said, "Side."

  "Okay, get comfy darling and prepare to be pampered."

  She turned away from him, the direction she usually slept.

  He snuggled closer to her and touched her hair, pulling it away from her face and gently massaged her head.

  After a while, he stopped and kissed her hand, massaging it, palm, back and each finger in turn.

  Relaxing at last, her mind drifted to insignificant thoughts.

  Jesse moved his hand to her back and rubbed up and down her spine, then to her shoulders and just above her butt, in her lower back.

  She melted. Her back always hurt.

  Soon he reached up under her shirt and scratched her back, up and down, back and forth. That was the last she remembered before she fell asleep.

  JESSE SCRATCHED AND scratched, listening as her breathing calmed and then slowed, until he was sure she slept. What a day she must have had. Her eyes had been so red. Her left one had a red spot from a broken blood vessel. If only it had been possible for him to be there with her. But some things she had to work through on her own.

  He couldn't bear to think of the pain she was in. He remembered how awful it had been when Linda made a rotten mess of their marriage. But his breakup hadn't affected him like the death of Lee's husband had hurt her.

  He eased up from the bed and left the room, letting Chowser out and in again. He lay down on the couch, as he had the previous night, so she wouldn't be alone. He'd wake up before Lee did in the morning and head on home.

  Jesse crossed his arms over his chest, sighed and closed his eyes, thoughts of the sweet woman in the other room filling his head. Somehow, he would get her through this. He wouldn't give up.

  Chapter Nine

  LEE WOKE IN THE MORNING feeling like a cloud had lifted from her mind. Her head felt stuffy from crying, but otherwise there wasn't anything that about ten cups of coffee wouldn't heal.

  She headed straight for the coffee maker. Chowser stood by the door until she let him out. She rested on the couch until the machine burbled its last. Settling at the kitchen table with her cup, she closed her eyes, afraid if she went to the couch again, she'd fall back to sleep.

  She suddenly remembered that, in all her self-involved misery, she hadn't checked her e-mail yesterday. Those reports must surely have landed in her in-box by now.

  And they had. From her laptop, she sent them to the printer and jogged back to the office. The reports spewed out page by page. That's when she realized that the jerks had a history. The sound of the printer quieted, and she stapled the reports.

  Now back at the table, she started with Kenneth, that bad boy. She read the extensive summary report Joe had researched and put together for her first.

  Kenneth was a local boy, raised in the tiny town of Scotland, Texas on a dairy farm. An only child, his mother died in a car wreck when he was eleven. Obviously, cows held no interest for him. He'd left for Denton as soon as he graduated high school. He obtained a degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Finance. In college he had a job at a check cashing store where he was caught embezzling money. Kenneth served six months with two years of probation. During the period of his probation, the store where he'd worked burned down. Arson was suspected; however, no viable suspects were found. Kenneth had been considered, but nothing could be proven. She examined the arrest report and his photo. He'd been even more unattractive back then.

  Since Kenneth may have had something to do with the arson, it was possible the guy might have had run-ins with the law as a kid. Budding arsonists usually started early and not always with fire. She'd call the authorities in Scotland and see if anyone was still around from when Kenneth was a boy. She made a note to ask Joe if he'd give her an intro to the Scotland folks.

  Next, she went through Joe's notes on Theron Rubek. He was an only child, too, born and raised in a small town in Central Texas called Pipe Creek. His parents had him late in life, and his father was a retired marine. Theron must have a high IQ because he attended UT Austin on a full scholarship, and that was a tough school to get into. His only ministerial claim to fame was an online certificate. Rubek was a minister in the Universal Church of Life. He'd come from the Austin area before buying the property here. His congregation consisted of the large group of people he attracted from the huge non-denominational church he'd previously attended.

  Lee stared out the back window and considered the facts. Daddy was a retired marine, which could be hard on a boy. Rubek's parents were a lot older when they had him. Bet Theron had some major anger going on as a youngster. And he was real smart, too. Not a good combination.

  Also, he was just a paper preacher—never went to Bible College. La-de-dah. If they only knew at the compound. What does a brilliant guy with a thousand-watt smile and silky words do with himself? Why, become a preacher and ask for everyone's money.

  But what happened to all that anger of Rubek's? She should find out more about his childhood. There might be something interesting about what made this guy tick. Maybe some of his old teachers would still be around.

  Opening the web, she performed a search for Pipe Creek, Texas, and soon learned that Bandera School District served that area. Checking Theron's age on the report, she computed his graduation year, but BISD's website had no yearbooks online during that period.

  However, a gentleman at Bandera County Library pulled the right yearbook off the shelf and gave her the names of the principal, counselor, yearbook teacher and Sophomore English teacher.

  Jesse drove in, so Lee shut down the lap top and got dressed. She'd have to follow up on those names later.

  When she walked into the barn, he said, "Heifer's ready to calve. But it looks like it may be a while."

  The heifer had been up and down, by the look of the stall, but she didn't seem too distressed. Lee said, "What say we go over to the heifer pasture and load up a few of those girls who need some closer attention?"

  "Sounds okay to me." He stared at her for a long moment, and then nodded. "Good to see you this morning."

  She smiled and actually felt herself blush. "Thanks for last night." He'd been so wonderful, and she should say more, but couldn't think of anything. Lord, when would this moment end?

  Jesse grinned—asshole. He slapped her on the back. "You're welcome, butterfly."

  Butterfly? She escaped out the door, her dignity flopping at her heels, to hook up the trailer. The bastard chuckled at her disappearing back.

  Jesse walked over next to her as she locked the trailer foot up. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a stern look. "See anything funny here, cowboy?"

  He grinned and turned her toward him. "You look better this morning. You're more rested, and your eyes aren't so red. I'm glad, butterfly."

  She cupped his cheek. "Seriously, Jesse, thank you." Her gaze found the bench in the yard.

  Jesse noticed and kissed her on the forehead. "Miss Lee, this is going to be a good day."

  She took a deep breath, and then smiled. "Let's rock 'n roll, cowboy."

  Chowser trotted over, and she pulled down the tailgate so he could jump in. Heading down the drive, she said, "Hey, guess what? I read the arrest reports on those two saints over at the compound. Old Kenneth is a convicted embezzler, and Mr. Theron bought his minister's license on Craig's List."

  Jesse laughed. "No kidding? That's priceless."

  "Yeah, there's some other stuff I want to look into, too. I think there are things that didn't make the report that I'll have to dig up on my own. Nasty stuff."

  He frowned. "Lee, you know what I think about this. The sheriff can follow up on that side of things. You don't know where this could lead, or what might happen. There could be dangerous people out there."

  "Dammit, gra
ndma! Quit telling me what to do. I'm perfectly capable of asking a few questions."

  With forced calm, he said, "I know you're capable. But that doesn't mean it's safe."

  She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not talking about it anymore."

  "Dammit to hell, Lee!" He looked out the window, anger apparent in every muscle in his body.

  They rode the last of the way in silence.

  When she pulled up to the gate, Jesse jumped out of the truck and forcefully shut the door.

  She honked the horn for the heifers, and they perked their heads up. So did Mad Dog.

  Jesse closed the gate after she drove through, then got back inside.

  She parked near the catch pen.

  He glanced at her.

  She turned, pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows, then squinted her eyes half shut.

  He mock-glared at her, too, and then they both laughed.

  She got out and started calling the heifers, rattling the feed sack loudly.

  Jesse poured feed in a bucket and went over to Mad Dog. He'd try to keep the bull busy while she got the heifers in the pen.

  The plan worked like a charm, and she slammed the gate shut behind the heifers.

  Jesse dumped the cubes out for the bull, and then joined her.

  She showed him the three that were ready to go to the barn, and they took another look at the rest to see if they had any other candidates.

  With two of them working as a team, it was so much easier to cut the unwanted heifers out and send them back into the pasture. Soon they were down to the ones they wanted.

  She backed up to the gate as Jesse opened it. They set up the panels to make the alleyway and loaded the heifers.

  After she pulled the trailer out of the pen and parked, and as they put the panels back against the fence, she said, "Hey, like I said, Jesse, we make a great team. Working with you is such a pleasure. I'll miss you when you're gone."

  Jesse's face went still. He looked soberly at her. "Lee, I'll miss you, too."