Cowboy Country (52 page)

Blushing, feeling Wyatt’s eyes all over her, Jessie pulled a halter on Mabel.

“Hey, I want you to see this guy.” Wyatt opened the last stall door. “This is Alfresco, full brother to Alamar. Alamar’s dam is retired from breeding, and Alfresco is the last of her offspring. I think he might mature into a heck of a stallion.”

“He’s gorgeous, Wyatt,” Jessie said approvingly, admiring the horse’s conformation and bone structure. “He’s likely to grow to over 16 hands, isn’t he? I’d love to see him move.”

“We can do that,” Wyatt said.

Haltering the spirited chestnut, he led him out to the round pen, releasing the lead line. The horse bucked and played, then settled into a free floating trot.

“Geez, you don’t usually see a quarter horse with that stride. He’s got great impulsion,” Jessie said admiringly. “And I’ll bet his sprint is as fast as Alamar’s. I have friends in Austin who might be interested in him as a stud, especially with his brother and sister’s show results.”

“That can be arranged, Jessie-girl,” Wyatt said, flashing his full lipped smile. Eyes locked with hers, the undeniable sexual chemistry that came from years of togetherness once again passed between them. Jessie couldn’t deny her feelings. They’d been so close, once, and now it felt too good to be just standing next to Wyatt, talking like the old days.

There was too much, between them. 

It felt like it wasn’t over.

*****

Wyatt couldn’t stop grinning, seeing Jessie back in her element, in the barn at Mockingbird Ranch. She looked too cute, in a pink plaid cotton shirt with puffy sleeves, snug jeans that hugged the curves of her butt.

This could be just like one of the many afternoons they’d spent together so long ago.

Wyatt’s voice gentled. “You and Miss Emilia looked real pretty at church last week. And I’ve noticed Cash doesn’t leave your side.  Can’t say I blame him.”

Jessie glanced at him, eyes wary. “That was a great party, Wyatt. Emilia sure lucked out on her godfather.”

“She didn’t do so bad on her godmother, Jess. Little girl needs a spunky, smart role model like yourself to look up to,” Wyatt smiled, meeting her eyes, making sure the respect and admiration in his was clear.

“You went all out, no doubt about it,” Jessie said, eyes dropping to the curry in her hands.

Voice husky, he answered, “I like to spoil my girls, Jessie, you know that.”

“I do,” Jessie’s voice came soft, chagrined, and Wyatt’s eyes followed the movement of her fingertips as she touched her pearl necklace. Her face clouded, and it seemed like all the hurt they’d caused each other passed between them in waves.

Wyatt saw her eyes tear up. “Aww, Jessie,” he murmured, “C’mere, baby.”

He took her in his arms, her breasts sweet and plush against his chest, her sweet smelling ash blonde hair tucked right under his chin, like the old days.  Her chin dropped, as she tried to hide the tears that had escaped and were rolling down her cheeks.

“Honey…O, Jessie, I never meant for us to be apart, I never meant for it to be like this,” he whispered, touching his lips to her hair.  “And Jessie, I’ve missed you so.”

“You’ve had Stacia, Wyatt,” Jessie told him, shaking him off, stepping back, wiping the tears from her downcast eyes. “You still do.” 

He took a step closer, so their boots touched, took her chin, so she had to raise her eyes to his. “Not by choice, Jessie. I asked you to marry me, but you needed time and I said I’d wait. But you never showed up that night, Jess,” he said, disappointment making his voice growly. “My feelings for you were clear.”

“Don’t, Wyatt, I…” She stomped her foot, and her voice came, impatient, frustrated, with a fierce, passionate undercurrent. “Don’t you dare put this on me, Wyatt! I came home to be with you just before my law school graduation, just like we agreed. I walked into Greenhorns and found Stacia hanging all over you.”

“What are you talking about, Jessie?” Wyatt blazed.

Jessie’s voice was steely with anger, cold now. “You were already with Stacia, Wyatt. I couldn’t take that kind of betrayal, not after you asked me to marry you. I took one look, turned tail and headed back to Austin. Figured if you were going to be like that, you really wanted her, not me!”

“Honey, I don’t know what you think you saw, but no way was I with Stacia. Look, you and I were supposed to meet up at the Dot Top at seven, you texted to say you were running late, then you never showed.”

“I did show, Wyatt.” He heard the pain in her voice, now, the sadness and betrayal. “You were shooting pool at Greenhorns at nine, just like you said. I walked in, and Stacia was hanging all over you.”  Jessie swallowed, stepped away, grabbed the saddle and blanket and put them on Mabel, fierce anger back in her voice. “Anytime I was out of the picture, you let Stacia crawl back in. What was in that for me, Wyatt? It didn’t feel like I could count on you.”

“So you saw Stacia and ran off scared?” His voice barely registered his incredulity. “Honey, after all that had gone between us, you thought she meant anything close to what you mean to me? We’ve lost all these years over a misunderstanding?”

The look Jessie gave him was scathing. Then she tightened the cinch, her voice even tighter, full of resentment, quiet, seething. “I figured if you missed me, you’d come find me, Wyatt.”

Wyatt felt his chest implode, like he’d been smacked with buckshot. “And I figured you not showing up was one more way for you to tell me the answer was no, after you didn’t want my ring, after we thought you might be having my baby!”

“It wasn’t like that, Wyatt. It was a crazy time for me, my last year of law school, on scholarship. I was upset, and thinking about all of that was....distracting. I couldn’t slow down, I had to focus. That’s why I’d asked you to wait…”

“No kidding? And you though I wasn’t willing to wait? I hadn’t already been willing to be there with you, every step of the way, since high school, Jessie, since your dad passed?” he demanded, full of anger and hurt.

Mabel shifted.

Wyatt moved to Jessie, put a hand on her shoulders, and looked deep into the green eyes that he’d loved for years, eyes that were wavering with anger and pain. Calmer now, voice grave, he said, “I swear it, Jessie, when you didn’t show, I figured I should get it through my thick head, that you didn’t want me, that you didn’t want what we had at Mockingbird, that you wanted a different life, in Austin. I wanted to marry you, Jessie. I wanted you, but it seemed I should finally do us both the favor of getting the message you didn’t want me.”

Jessie stepped away, saying nothing, but over Mabel’s back her eyes told him everything.

How much she’d been hurting, all these years, how much she’d missed him, how afraid she still was to trust.

“Honey, can’t we give it another shot?” Wyatt asked, grabbing the hand that had just tightened the cinch, not taking his eyes from Jessie’s.

The question hung in the air for a long minute. Lifting an eyebrow, Jessie took her hand from Wyatt’s, said quietly, “I don’t know, Wyatt. I- I…don’t know.” Then, voice quiet, she asked, “Can we just take a ride, like old times?”

“Sure, baby.”

*****

But as they lead their tacked horses out of the barn, and prepared to mount, they heard an engine, saw dust on the drive. Stacia zoomed her little red sports car right up close, not even careful that the horses didn’t shy. Her door opened, and she stepped from the car, still in her fancy dress and high heels. Shooting Jessie a glare, she cooed, “Wyatt, I didn’t mind helping you out of your suit yesterday, honey, but now here you are, sneaking off to work at the barn!”

Wyatt’s face was stone. “Had to show Jessie the new stock while she was here. We’re just about to take a ride, Stacia.”

“Well, doesn’t that sound sweet?” Stacia turned to Jessie, voice sugar sweet, “What do you think of the horses, Jessie?”

“Wyatt’s got some really nice horseflesh here,” Jessie answered evenly.

Stacia looked amused, then very self-satisfied. “Yes, he has, hasn’t he?” she agreed, wrapping a manicured hand around Wyatt’s forearm.

“That guy sure is a valuable stallion prospect,” Jessie said, nodding towards the Alfresco. 

“I think so, too,” Stacia said, her eyes flashing to Wyatt, giving Jessie a bemused smile.

Disgusted, Wyatt handed Jessie Buttercup’s reins and walked away. Pulling a carrot from his pocket, he climbed into the pen with a lead line. Alfresco trotted over, and he latched the rope and took him into the barn, leaving Jessie, holding the horses, to face Stacia.

“How about this ranch, Jessie?” Stacia asked. “Wyatt’s redecorated, I guess you noticed.”

“It’s great, Stacia, same as always. It’s wonderful to come back to Mockingbird.”

“It’s just one of four ranches that Wyatt owns, now. You should see the new ranch up near Dallas. My momma wants us here, though. Wyatt’s ready to start a family,” Stacia said, with a toss of her head. “I’m expecting a diamond ring for Christmas.”

Jessie did her best not to choke. Well, he just kissed me. “He’ll be a great daddy. I wish you both the best.”

Wyatt came from the barn then, and Jessie caught his eye as she handed him Buttercup’s reins. “Stacia was just telling me about your plans for a future together. You both have my best wishes.”

Wyatt’s face registered surprise. He stared blankly at Stacia, then looked at Jessie. He shook his head, and his eyes were annoyed, then apologetic, but he said nothing.

This was a good time to make an exit, Jessie thought.

“You’ve both been fabulous hosts,” she said. With as genuine a smile as she could muster, she handed Wyatt Mabel’s reins. “And it was a magnificent party, yesterday. Wyatt, I’ve gotta get going, so I’ll say good bye now, and we’ll take this ride the next time, huh?”

She shook Stacia’s hand. Putting both sets of reins in one hand, Wyatt tried to wrap her in a one-armed hug, but she pulled away.

“You’re still parked at the house, Jessie?” he asked gruffly. “Go ahead and take the golf cart back, I’ve got to finish up here.”

Monday, May 30, 2016, 2:46 PM~Mockingbird Ranch, Hobble Creek, TX

From the barn, Wyatt watched Jessie pull away from Mary’s in her little blue Audi. There was no mistaking how upset she was, and he felt it, too.

“Listen, Stacia. I don’t know what you are thinking, showing up here at the barn when you knew Jessie was in town, but it was really bad timing.”

His heart pounded raw and open, some more intense version of the dull pain he’d felt since that Thanksgiving Jessie’s last year of law school, when she’d come back in his life, they’d made love, and it felt like he’d had the world by the balls.

Having Stacia show up unannounced, spoiling his ride with Jessie, was more than he could take, especially now that he knew she’d hung on him no doubt the moment she’d seen Jessie walk into Greenhorns three years ago.

Crestfallen, Stacia planted a kiss on his cheek, then sauntered away, the silk of her dress swinging over her lush bottom. Stacia was pretty, Wyatt would admit, and good company, but she was cagey; somebody else could have her. Images of Jessie flashed in his head: the wistful look in her eyes, mentioning how she missed riding, her fingertips, fingering the pearls he’d given her, the way her voice had sounded yesterday, melding with his as they’d read the prayer together over Emilia.

He loved Jessie, always had, always would.

That’s all there was to it. 

He’d thought about Jessie with him here at Mockingbird Ranch so many times these past years, the two of them married, happy, their own little passel of ankle-biters running around. Now he knew she’d been willing… He only had himself to blame. 

He’d been sure Jessie bailed on him, but he was the one that hadn’t had the confidence to be patient, keep trying.

Convinced she didn’t want him, he’d avoided her for years, but now he understood. Jessie had shown up at the worst possible moment, just before he’d unwrapped Stacia’s hands from his neck and reminded her that he was waiting for Jessie.

And damned if Stacia hadn’t made sure she was around yesterday, too, showing up again today, willing to do anything the throw a wrench in his time with Jessie.

Wyatt wasn’t going to let Jessie slip out of his life again, not if there was a way to reach her. It might take time, but he’d do whatever it took to make her believe in him again, take that leap of faith and trust him again, as she had so long ago.

8

REFLECTIONS

May 30, 2010, Mockingbird Ranch, Hobble Creek, TX

“Wyatt?” Jessie opened his collar and kissed the hollow of his neck. “Thanks so much for my graduation party, and the pearls.” Her lips moved across his collarbone, to his earlobes. “And thanks for all you’ve done for me, all these years,” she said, taking his jaw between her hands, kissing his lips, pressing against him. “Made a big difference, getting through college.”

With a groan of desire, he tilted her chin, kissing her ripe, soft mouth. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he whispered, “We’ve got the whole summer together, Jessie.”

The house was quiet.

“I’m sleepy. Too much partying last night. You wanna go take a nap?” she whispered, green eyes clear and inviting.

“Nap sounds real good.” 

He scooped her up, carrying her close to his chest, so her bare feet dangled. She giggled, putting her arms around his neck as he carried her up the long flight of stairs, down the hall, and into his bedroom, laying her gently on his bed, kissing her sweet pink lips the whole way.

The hot afternoon sun beat through the windows, and he closed the drapes and sat down, admiring her there, stretched out on his bed with her eyes closed. “You tired?” he asked, leaning back, so his head landed near the hollow below her rib cage. The warmth of her belly was on his cheek, through the soft cotton of her little blouse.

“Little bit,” she smiled, reaching down to touch his head, tousling his hair. Already aroused, he kicked off his boots, then, and crawled up next to her, running his hands along her lean waist, pressed his cheek to her belly, then kissed her neck, his lips wandering down to the top of her breasts, moving the open blouse to expose her white lace bra.