His Heart to Have (Cowboys of Whispering Winds)

His Heart To Have

Copyright © 2014 by Renee Peterson

Cover Design by Syd Gil/ Syd Gil Designs

Cover Photo by Jenn Leblanc/ Illustrated Romance

Formatting by Indie-Vention

1
^st
edition Published January 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, living or dead are purely coincidental. All characters and events in this work are figments of the author’s imagination.

“But Jase, we don’t have anyone else to be the groom. Pretty please, with a cherry on top?” Allie begged him. That girl just didn’t quit. Didn’t she know that he was seven years old, and boys his age don’t play wedding dress-up?

“No. Scruffy and I are going hunting.” For emphasis, he patted the plastic cap gun resting in its holster on his hips.

“You ain’t gonna catch nothing with that gun. It’s just a toy. Sides, Scruffy would bark and scare anything away before you got close enough.”

“I never said I was going real hunting.” He huffed and turned away, full indignation. Allie might be his best friend, but there was no way he’d let her talk him into this again. Just last week, she’d promised him it was the last time he’d have to play wedding with them.

He made it a whole two steps before Allie grabbed hold of his arm.

“I’ll do your chores tonight,” she bargained with him.

Darn it! She knew it was Scruffy’s bath night and how much he hated washing that dog.  Scruffy would shake his shaggy hair, soaking him to the bone, then mom would insist he take another bath.  He’d tried to switch chores with his older sister, Lanie, but she refused to bathe Scruffy.

“Who’s the bride? You or Missy?” he asked, eyeing Allie cautiously.

“Me, silly. Missy doesn’t even like you; how can she marry you?”

“I ain’t got to really kiss you, do I?” he asked.

“Eww, no. Kissing is for grown-ups,” Allie answered.

“Fine, let’s get this over with so I can get hunting. There’s a bear out there with my name on it,” he agreed with a pout. The moment she asked, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against her; but, at least now, he didn’t have to give Scruffy his bath. If he was going to be miserable, he’d darn well get something from it.

“Stand right over here under the tree. I’m going to walk down from the porch like it’s the aisle. When I stand next to you, you have to face me and hold my hand,” Allie directed.

“Aww shucks, Allie. You didn’t say anything about holding your hand.”

“It’s part of the game. You have to,” she insisted. “All husbands hold their wives hands.”

“I ain’t going to and that’s that.”  His arms crossed in defiance.

“Boys,” Allie puffed. She turned to Missy, her other best friend. “We really need to find some more friends out here.”

“I agree.  And no more boys.  They’re just stinky nincompoops who don’t know how to have fun,” she declared, glaring at Jase.

Missy didn’t like him and he didn’t like her, so he figured that made them about even. Ever since her family moved to the ranch last year, she’d taken Allie away from him. Instead of going fishing or playing cowboys and Indians with him, all she ever wanted to do was girlie stuff now. Dress up dolls, play house and now a darn wedding.

What was a boy to do? He almost couldn’t wait for school to be back so he’d see his other friends again. There was only so much a seven year old could take. He shuffled to the spot under the tree that Allie insisted he stand under. The sooner he got this done and over with, the sooner he could get on with his day.

“Here comes the bride, here comes the bride,” Missy sang out, as Allie sashayed towards him.  He’d almost swear they were both smirking at him.

Allie stood beside him, rebelliously trying to grab his hand. With a firm shake, he removed it and stuck his tongue out at her. She glared back at him, sticking out her own tongue, then turned to Missy telling her to begin.

Using words he vaguely remembered hearing from a cousin’s wedding last month, Missy had him and Allie repeat vows to each other. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” she announced with an impish grin.

Before Jase knew what was happening, Allie leaned over and kissed him on his cheek, while Missy snapped a picture with a Polaroid he somehow hadn’t noticed hiding behind her. They didn’t even notice his glare as they ran off giggling. Dag gone it, he’d been set up again.

Twenty years later

A loud, roaring cheer came from a roulette table, signaling a big win. Flashing lights and sounds of spinning slot machines filled the area with an exited energy coursing through the air. Four friends sat at the bar, their final night in Vegas.

“Next round’s on me,” Jase announced, walking to the other end of the bar, in search of the bartender.

“What now?” Allie asked, turning to Missy and Charlie. “This is your weekend. You decide.”

“Maybe we’ll go find a chapel and elope.” Charlie turned to his fiancé and wagged an eyebrow, teasing her.

“I don’t think so, Mister. We’ve put too much into this wedding already.” Missy stood from her seat, moved to Charlie and looped her arm around his waist. “I dare you to marry a certain cowboy you’ve been in love with forever,” she joked with Allie.

Her mind already on the same train of thought, Allie nodded absently at Missy’s suggestions.  Her gaze intently followed
Jase
as he returned to the group and set down their drinks. “We’re in Vegas.  Someone should be getting married,” an inebriated Allie insisted.  “Let’s get married,
Jase
.” 

The immediate area surrounding the four friends fell silent, until Jase
laughed.  “I think we need to cut you off, Allie Cat.  Next thing you know, you’ll be declaring undying love through a text message to some sorry ex-boyfriend.”

Allie laughed in return, but grabbed Jase’s
arm, tugging him closer.  “I’m serious.  You’re my best friend.  Can you name one reason why we shouldn’t?”

A moment passed, glances passing between the friends in silent communications.

Jase
took a final swig of his Jack and Coke.  “Let’s do it.”

Allie Tyndale was in deep- deeper than when she fell in a mud hole last spring, as winter’s ice thawed across the land.  She made her bed, and now she was going to have to lay in it.  And that wasn’t just a figure of speech. Looking over, she attempted to stifle a groan.  Sure enough, Jase was in the bed next to her, naked as a jaybird. The previous night’s memories flooded her bleary mind, and she prayed it was all a bad dream. Not that God would have listened to her after last night.

Whose grand idea was it anyway, to come to Vegas for Charlie and Missy’s pre-wedding party? That’s right, Missy. Well she’ll be hearing a mouthful.  They weren’t city people; they were perfectly content living in the middle of nowhere, miles from the heart of their small town in Bumblton, Wyoming.  A simple bachelorette party should have been sufficient; but no, Missy wanted her chance at a wild weekend before settling down. And a wild weekend they had had.  To be fair, they had all agreed it did sound like a lot of fun; especially because vacations didn’t come around very often. Except, she never anticipated returning to Wyoming a married woman. 

Jase Callahan was her best friend; he had been since they were both in diapers, and now he was her husband.  How were they ever going to explain this one to their parents?  Better yet, how were they going to get themselves out of this mess? She stood up, her legs still wobbly from drinking more than anybody had a right to last night. Go figure, the one time she drank too much, she’d gone and do something stupid like this.  Reaching down, she picked up her denim skirt and the halter top she had worn the night before.  Before she could put them on, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol on them assaulted her stomach and she went running for the bathroom.       

“Never again,” she vowed to the silent room. With her stomach purged, she felt much better; at least, physically.  Somehow, she still had to get back to her own room. Even though it was just across the hall, she didn’t want to risk being near her clothes right now.  Now; their stench, alone, was enough to send her stomach rolling again. And with her luck, if she made a run for it wrapped in a towel, someone would walk through the hotel’s hallway in the few seconds it took to open her door.

Not ready to face Jase yet, she had to get out of the room before he woke up. In typical Jase fashion, his suitcase was still on the floor with clothes spilling out. If the situation wasn’t so serious, she might have laughed. How many times had she cleaned his room, as a child, to keep him out of trouble? Granted, he did his fair share of keeping her out of trouble for other reasons. They’d grown up together on the Whispering Winds, a working guest ranch. Before they were born, their parents each ran a division of the ranch.  When the previous owner died with no heirs, he’d left the entire place to the Callahans and Tyndales. Now, their parents jointly own the place with each family living on a separate side of the massive log cabin. Her entire childhood, and life, was intricately tied to the man she’d married last night.

She grabbed a plain white t-shirt and a pair of his jeans. Swimming in his clothes, she felt ridiculous, but it was better than the alternatives. Quietly, she opened the door and slipped across the hall to her own room, a suite with two bedrooms that she was sharing with Missy. When they first reserved their rooms, they were supposed to have separate rooms, but a glitch in the reservations system gave Missy and her the more spacious suite.