Jesse (14 page)

“Danielle, I have to go.”

Her smile faded, but a trace of it remained as she nodded. “We should too. Time to leave, Lacy.”

“But, Mommy—”

“No buts, remember?” She hated having to be the responsible one alone; it would be easier to share the burden, but that was no longer an option for her. “We have to get back and help Uncle Jimmy finish the food prep for tomorrow.”

“Can we make more pie?”

She laughed, delighted that her daughter enjoyed creating pies alongside of her great-uncle. “Count on it, sweet pea.”

Lacy raced back over to where Jesse stood in the doorway. “Thanks, Jesse!”

He tipped his hat. “My pleasure, little lady.”

“Can I come back tomorrow?”

He glanced from mother to daughter and grinned. “I'll be working with my brothers most of the day without a break. How about the day after?”

“OK!” Lacy was tugging Danielle's hand, but her mother stopped her. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

Lacy stopped tugging and looked up at her mother. “Um… Oh! Thank you for letting us visit and stuff.”

Danielle shook her head and frowned down at her daughter. Jesse would bet money there would be a discussion on the ride back to Sullivan's house. “What my darling daughter forgot to say was thank you for dinner and letting us take you away from your chores.”

She smiled and turned to leave, pausing in front of Jesse. “I'm sorry for causing a problem earlier, but I was terrified for my daughter's safety.”

He nodded. “You had no reason to be. Ranchers are very alert, watchful individuals; we'd lose half our herd if we weren't.”

“I know,” she rasped. “Tyler explained it to me. I'm still sorry, but I would probably chase after her again, even knowing that you would stop in time.”

Their gazes locked on one another and he sensed a strength that went right down to Danielle's core. Something inside of him clamored to be a part of the life she led with her child. “Being a parent must be hard work.”

She agreed. “Hardest job I've ever loved.” With one last look, she and Lacy were gone.

“And you can't go chase after that woman, why?” Dylan had his arms around Ronnie and was distracted by something she whispered.

“Can't you call whoever you're helping out and cancel?” Tyler turned and brushed a kiss to the top of his fiancée's curly head.

Rather than answer his brothers, who wouldn't hear him anyway because they were both so wrapped up with their women, he stalked out the back door, got in the truck, and drove away.

***

“So how did the visit go?”

Danielle smiled at her uncle. “Obviously it went well, since we're getting back so late.”

He nodded. “If I didn't know better, I'd think there was something more interesting about the Circle G than its horses.”

She laughed, and hollered up the stairs after Lacy, “Make sure to use lots of soap!”

Her daughter didn't answer her, which meant she was probably daydreaming about her new hero.

“I'm going to have to make sure she gets into the tub.”

Her uncle frowned down at her. “You know I love you, June bug.”

She paused with her hand on the newel post. “I count on it, Uncle Jimmy, and love you back.”

He nodded. “That's good because what I'm about to say is guaranteed to piss you off.”

She turned to face him. “Won't be the first time.”

“You'll only come to heartache if you let yourself fall for another cowboy.”

Folding her arms in front of her in a protective stance, she knew it was the gospel truth. “What if I can't help myself?”

He mumbled something she couldn't hear, and then said, “Then I'll be here to help you pick up the pieces.”

“He might surprise you.” Lord, she prayed he would surprise her too, because she couldn't stop thinking about him and they way he connected with Lacy. “He's wonderful with Lacy, the way he—”

“Will he stick? When things get tough again out at the ranch, and he doesn't have time to spend with Lacy or you? Are you a passing fancy, a reminder of…”

Danielle felt her heart fall to her feet. Digging deep for the courage to uncover the truth, she whispered. “What is her name? Who do I look like?”

Her uncle stared down at his feet and shook his head.

“Mommy, the water's stuck! Can you turn it on?”

“Be right there, honey.”

“You'll have to tell me eventually.” Turning to go up the stairs, she said, “It would help to know before I hear it from someone in town.”

“Give little June bug her bath and then tuck her in. We can talk about it when you come back down.”

An hour later, Lacy was clean as sunshine and tucked into bed. Trudging downstairs, Danielle felt old, worn, used up, and worried about what she might hear. Drawing in a cleansing breath, she steeled herself for whatever it was Uncle Jimmy had to tell her.

She walked through the empty downstairs and finally found him on the back porch with two tall glasses of iced tea on the table next to him. “Have a seat.” When she did, he handed her a glass.

She sipped slowly, letting the cool tea soothe her suddenly dry throat. “It'll be better if you just tell me.”

He nodded. “You look a lot like Lori Jones.”

“A former girlfriend of his?”

“Sort of.” Her uncle tipped his head back and drank from his glass. With a sigh, he set the glass back down. “It's not too late to cut yourself off from him.”

She laughed. “You heard the way Lacy's been talking about him. She was over the moon when I drove out there today. She's hooked.”

“Between the two of us, we can keep her busy enough that she'll forget about him in time. Isn't that how it worked with Buddy?”

Her smile faded. “He left us and no matter how young you are, that's something you always remember.”

“He was a nice guy but didn't stick, and let his dream get in the way.”

Sadness engulfed her. “We were both so wrapped up in one another, we got careless, but I believed that his love for me would be strong enough to keep up with his dream… I guess I was wrong.” She had cried buckets over that realization and had none left now. “Being a bull-riding star was, and will always be, his love and the only thing he'll ever need.”

Her uncle rose from his chair and pulled her into a hug. Easing back, he met her gaze and said, “Sometimes a man's dreams are so big there isn't any room for anything else.”

She looked out into the night, watching the fireflies rising from the ground to dance in the air. “I know.”

“But the right man will make room beside his dream for the woman and child who will make his life whole and his heart's desire that much sweeter.”

Later, alone in the bedroom she shared with her daughter, Danielle stared up at the ceiling and wondered if Jesse could be that man. How would she know? Would she have the guts to find out? She'd come to stay with her uncle to start over, not dive right back into a relationship with another cowboy.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift and pictured the type of man she should be interested in. He'd be tall, whipcord lean, and look great in a three-piece suit… a banker or businessman.

Her dreams were vignettes featuring a man in a suit who came into her life, robbed her blind, and left just as quickly. Each and every time, a tall, dark, handsome cowboy rode in to pick up the pieces of her heart. Grateful, she took the handsome wrangler's hand to thank him and ended up in his arms, with his lips hovering a breath above hers, poised to kiss her.

Danielle woke with a start and sat up in bed. Moonlight slashed through the darkness of the room. She glanced at her daughter's bed, worried that her own dreams might have wakened Lacy.

She sighed in relief; her little girl was still asleep. Lying back down, she wondered why she couldn't get cowboys off her brain. It wasn't just the fact that she was in Texas; she'd never lived in any other state.

An image of a smiling cowboy, perched in the saddle as his horse stood on his hind legs pawing the air, filled her. “It's all Roy and Trigger's fault.” Her mother had always loved the cowboys of the silver screen and had spent early Saturday mornings watching old movies with Danielle. That love had filtered down and formed the image of the perfect man in her young heart. She couldn't think of a time when she wasn't infatuated with men who made their living in the saddle or out on the range.

“Gee thanks, Mom,” she murmured, falling asleep dreaming of a handsome cowboy with devastating dimples and a heart of gold.

Lacy smiled at Miss Dawson. “Unca Jimmy gave us his list.”

“Well.” Pam smiled. “Let's see what he needs.” Leaning on the counter by the cash register, she grinned. “Looks like more baking.”

“My favorite's his chocolate pie,” Lacy confessed.

Pam's laughter was like a warm hug. “Your great-uncle has a way with pie crust, but he won't give me his secret ingredients.”

Lacy looked up at Danielle and grinned. “We know it but can't tell.”

Pam nodded. “I suppose it wouldn't be right to try to wheedle the secret out of you.”

Lacy's hold on Danielle's hand tightened. “I promised.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Pam looked back down at the list. “Then I'd better see what he's got on the list, so I won't be tempted to ask you again.”

Lacy seemed relieved.

“I hear you two were guests out at the Circle G yesterday.”

“News travels fast.” Danielle couldn't believe how much faster than back home.

“Did you have a good time?”

Her daughter was grinning up at Pam and helping her stack the dry goods on the counter. “I gots to feed apples to the horsies and ride on Tyler's shoulders and—”

“I thought you went out to see Jesse?” Pam's confusion was obvious and for a moment Danielle considered leaving her floundering, but at the last minute, she couldn't. “We did. He was, um… showing us around the ranch.”

“You know what, Miss Pam?” Lacy asked, tugging on the woman's elbow.

Pam smiled down at Lacy. “No. What?”

“Mommy rescued me first, then cowboy Jesse had to rescue her.”

Pam's gaze lifted to meet Danielle's. “Really?” Without looking away, she asked, “What happened?”

“I kind of runned out in front of the horses and Mommy scooped me up, but I sat on her chest hard, and she made this really awful sound.”

Pam tore her gaze from Danielle's and looked down at Lacy. “How many horses?”

“Just three, but you know what?”

The owner of the store didn't ask; she simply waited to be told. Lacy whispered, “Cowboy Jesse had to pick Mommy up 'cause her legs weren't working right.”

“Lacy's exaggerating just a bit.” Danielle wondered if it had seemed that dramatic to someone so young and realized it just might have. “I was doing all right until I tripped, that's when I knocked the wind out of myself with Lacy's full weight on top of me.”

Pam placed a hand to her breast. “Land sakes, what were you ladies thinking?”

“My instincts to protect my daughter kicked in.” The horror of that instant in time replayed in her mind, tormenting her. “How was I supposed to know that the men would see her and pull up before their horses trampled her?”

The older woman shook her head. “You're not from around here, so that would explain things. But, honey, those Garahans would never let one hair on your daughter's head come to harm. They're ranchers—”

“Tyler and Jesse tried to explain that to me last night, but it wouldn't have mattered. I'd still chase after her. I could never just stand there watching if my baby girl was in danger.”

Pam nodded. “Well, you two did have quite a day yesterday.” She had placed the list on the counter while listening to their story and glanced down at it. “We'd better get this filled so you can bring Jimmy what he needs. I'd bet money that you'll be going out to the Circle G again today.”

Danielle shook her head. “Jesse said they'd be too busy today, and he couldn't give Lacy a riding lesson.”

“Ronnie could,” Lacy whispered. “She was gonna teach me, but I wanted cowboy Jesse to. Maybe she could teach me just a little bit. Then he wouldn't feel bad that I didn't wait, cause he could teach me too.”

Danielle rolled her eyes, and Pam laughed and said, “That sounds like a good idea. Ronnie usually closes up her shop around four o'clock. Her shop is called Guilty Pleasures. She sells lovely lingerie and scented oils and such.”

“What kind of such?” Lacy asked.

Danielle bent down, lifted Lacy up, and settled her on her hip. “Why don't we go and visit her?”

“Some of her satin and lace confections are very racy. You might want to go alone the first time you visit and decide for yourself.”

“Thanks, Pam.” The people of Pleasure were helpful and friendly… just a bit too nosy for her tastes, but then again, it was better than living in a bigger city where no one knew her and no one cared that she and her daughter had been left high and dry.

“But why can't I go?” Lacy wailed.

“You remember me telling you that some things are meant just for grown-ups?”

Lacy's eyes filled and she nodded.

“Miss Pam is being very considerate to everyone's feelings by suggesting I go first to check it out.”

“But I want—”

“Sweet pea, life isn't always going to be what you want, when you want it.” Brushing her hand beneath her daughter's lashes, she dabbed at the tears and swept them away. “But life is definitely what you make it, so let's do our best to be considerate of Ronnie too. She might get into trouble if her shop isn't meant for children and we show up there together.”

Lacy sniffed back the rest of her tears and nodded. “I like Ronnie. Let's not get her in trouble. OK, Mommy?”

Danielle kissed the top of Lacy's head. “I'm proud of you.”

Lacy grinned and waved at Pam. “We gots to bring Unca Jimmy his groceries. Can I come back and visit sometime?”

The older woman smiled. “Anytime you like, Lacy. You just come and visit me.”

After dropping Lacy and the groceries off at the diner, Danielle followed the directions Pam had given her. Danielle was surprised to find that she remembered being on Main Street and recognized some of the storefronts, and while some of the businesses themselves had changed, the look of the town was the same. Just older.

Pulling up in front of Guilty Pleasures, she was surprised to see how new the storefront looked, but then remembered something about Dylan doing carpentry work for Ronnie. She'd been so busy thinking about Jesse that she hadn't heard everything Emily and Ronnie had said about Ronnie's shop. She'd have to pay closer attention or people would think she didn't care.

She cared… perhaps too much and about the wrong things…

The door was open so she went inside and her jaw dropped. Lacy nightgowns, tap pants, and brassieres were the first things she noticed walking inside. She gave in to the overwhelming urge to touch. Cool silk and smooth satin begged to be held up against her waist to see if the sexy undergarments would fit.

Danielle couldn't remember the last time she'd splurged on underwear. She'd spent the last five years bargain shopping, which meant that she had a sad selection of white cotton, with a couple of pale pastels mixed in.

Pushing that depressing thought aside led to yet another—she had no reason to buy anything so decadent. After all, who would see it but her?
A
dark-haired cowboy with broad shoulders, sculpted lips, and a wicked grin… Jesse.

Shaking that tortuous thought from her mind, she hung the silky things back on the display rack and brushed her hands on her jeans skirt, as if to remove the sumptuous feel of the fabrics, so she wouldn't be tempted to pick them up again.

“Danielle?”

She turned toward the sound of Ronnie's voice. “Hey, I just stopped by—”
Damn.
She couldn't remember why; the silky gowns and lace-edged tap pants had distracted her completely.

Did she look that confused and pathetic? Ronnie walked over to slip her arm through Danielle's. “It must be tough being a single mom. When was the last time you went shopping to buy something just for you?”

Danielle laughed. “Probably six years ago.”

Ronnie shook her head. “Isn't it time to treat yourself?” She swept her free hand in front of her and Danielle's gaze greedily followed. The rainbow-colored fabrics were sumptuous, tempting her once again to touch, to savor, to sigh.

But she couldn't. She needed to save every penny they had for Lacy. “I, um… need a job before I can splurge at your shop.” Looking around her, she sighed. “You have so many lovely things, I wouldn't know where to start.”

Ronnie gave her a tour of her shop, and by the time they reached the back counter where all of the essential oils were displayed, Danielle remembered what Pam had said. “She's right.”

“Who's right?”

“Pam said that I should visit your shop without Lacy, because she's too young.”

Ronnie smiled. “Well, I could bring a few pretty things home today, and you and Lacy could drop by the ranch and we could show her what her mommy is going to be buying.”

Her heart wanted to say yes, but her head wouldn't let her. “I wish I could, but I really don't have the money right now.”

But Ronnie wasn't listening. “With your coloring, I think turquoise, black, and periwinkle would be colors that suit you best.”

“I can't—”

“I only allow positive thinking in my shop,” Ronnie countered. “Now, will you bring Lacy out to see us this afternoon?”

As if she could sense Danielle's hesitation, Ronnie withdrew her arm and stood facing Danielle. “I think Trigger and Champ would like a chance to visit with Lacy out in the corral.”

Tempted more by the chance to do something for her little one than the lovely lingerie, Danielle shrugged. “I know Lacy would enjoy the visit, but—”

“I can pick you up on my way home.” Ronnie smiled. “Those two don't get ridden as much as they should and would welcome the chance to teach Lacy how to ride.”

“Oh.” Thoughts of seeing her little girl's face beaming with pleasure as she sat on top of Trigger or Champ filled her until she couldn't imagine anything else. “Do you always get what you want?”

Ronnie shook her head. “Not the first time around.”

Confused, Danielle tilted her head to one side. “First time around what?”

The woman flushed a deep rose. “My first marriage.”

“We'll have to compare notes one of these days. Maybe we have more in common than either of us realizes.”

Ronnie agreed. “Should I pick you up at the diner or Jimmy's house?”

“We usually close up around three o'clock, but we could wait for you there if it's easier.”

“I can meet you at his house, that way Lacy won't be too tired; she can have a nap waiting for me to pick you two up.” Ronnie paused and Danielle realized she was waiting for her to say yes.

“Thanks, Ronnie. That would be great.” She turned to go and glanced at the wisp of a nightgown in periwinkle blue one last time. “See you later!”

But Ronnie wasn't listening; she was too busy planning what to bring for Danielle to try on. Grabbing the nightgown and two sets of brassieres and tap pants, she added a black lace chemise with matching thong for good measure.

She couldn't wait to show Emily and plot out how they were going to throw Danielle and Jesse together while they kept an eye on Lacy. “I almost feel sorry for Jesse… but those two are made for one another.”

Tossing the garments on the counter by the register, she hit number two on her speed dial and waited for Emily to pick up. “Em! I just had the best idea.”

“The guys will be working through until about five or six o'clock,” Emily reminded Ronnie. “But I think that if we play our cards right, we could have little Lacy out by the corral getting to know Trigger and Champ out in the open, where she'll see for herself how important it is to respect their size, strength, and intelligence.”

“I've got some fabulous silky things for Danielle to try on while we're outside with Lacy.” Ronnie paused and wondered if she could or should try to meddle and finally just threw her idea out there. “Em, what if, while we were outside with Lacy, we have Danielle trying on one of my fabulous silky or lacy gowns, and Jesse just happens to walk in on her.” The silence on the other end of the line had Ronnie taking a step back. “But that probably would be a bad idea.”

Emily started laughing. “I was wondering how we were going to keep all three of them from walking in on Danielle. We only want Jesse to see her, right?”

“Good point.” Ronnie wracked her brain and finally realized there was only one way it would work. “They'll have to be in on it.”

“Would Dylan go along with it?”

Ronnie thought about it. “He might, if Tyler agreed.”

“All right then,” Emily said. “I'll text Tyler and let him know what's going on and ask him to tell Dylan.”

“Do you think Jesse will figure out we're up to something?” Ronnie worried about his finding out.

“Probably not,” Emily told her. “See you around five.”