Lone Star Burn: Love On Tap (Kindle Worlds Novella) (14 page)

Dottie turned her nose up at everyone and made her way toward the door. She was in such a hurry, she tripped over the boot.

“Where’s she going?” Caroline asked, watching the caseworker scramble to her feet and hurry out the door.

“Don’t worry, she won’t get far. Her bosses will be notified of her accepting bribes to stop the adoption. Too bad they don’t have sister and brother side-by-side cells.”

“Mr. Wolff, please accept our apologies for putting you through this farce,” Robert said. “You will have our full cooperation and we will turn over all documentation once you’ve notified the police.”

Once the house was the free of two-legged pests, Grayson called his father and filled him in on what exactly had been going on, including the embezzlement of Crystal’s trust fund.

Jennie would contact her source and put him in touch with Simon Wolff directly. He was extremely grateful for Jennie’s efforts, and wanted to know when he would finally meet the woman who was making his son so happy.

Grayson also called the head of child services to let them know about Dottie Dimple’s fraudulent activities. They promised to push the paperwork through to finalize the adoption as soon as possible.

The brightest part of their day was when Mathew came home from school and was introduced to his grandmother. Caroline was enchanted with her grandson, and after dinner they called Simon and let him talk to Matt for the first time in his life. Gray and Jennie took advantage of Matt teaching his grandma video games and decided to take a walk.

He went to open the front door and spied the boot on the floor. “This won’t do.” He picked it up and hung it back where it belonged.

The night sky was brilliant with stars, and they walked down the deserted road. The scent of dried hay hung heavy in the air, and in the distance you could hear an occasional whinny of a horse.

“‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem to be enough for all that you’ve done. The authorities picked up Springer, and Dottie Dimple gave up the person siphoning Crystal’s trust fund.”

“I’m glad everything worked out, especially with your father. Your mother said Simon wants to take Mathew to Disney World.”

“Well, he’s not missing any school.”

“Spoken like a true parent.”

They stopped on the side of the road and Grayson’s arms locked around her. He loved feeling her heartbeat. “I love you, Jennie. If you stayed, you could become a parent, too.”

“I love you and Mathew, but I can’t.” It broke her heart a little more that he never mentioned the word “marriage.”

“I’m not going to give up trying to convince you to stay. Now, about that bull-riding challenge. No excuses, because my mother has agreed to stay on through the weekend.”

Merriment danced in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers sought out the long strands of hair at his neck and twirled them like a silk ribbon. “I’ll meet you at the Roadhouse at eleven and we can spend some time together. Once the place clears out, it’s you and me.”

His “yee haw” echoed in the night.

Chapter 11

Jennie finished drying her hair and hurried into the bedroom. She needed to make a last-minute call to her partner in crime. “Now, remember, not a word to Grayson on what’s going to happen.”

Loretta had to speak above the background noise at the Roadhouse. “When I told the rest of the staff what you wanted to do, they were all eager to help. No one will say a word.”

“I’ll be there by ten-thirty. Grayson expects me at eleven. Make sure Hank has plenty of fruit.”

“No problem. The joint is jumping. Friday night is always busy, but more so tonight.”

“The customers have seen Malibu Barbie, but tonight they’re going to see a sexy cowgirl.”

Jennie looked in the mirror over the dresser and gathered the front of her hair into a ponytail. The rest would hang down her back. Everything had to be perfect for Grayson.

Caroline was sitting on the couch, reading one of Matt’s Percy Jackson books, when Jennie walked into the living room at ten o’clock.

“Mathew was reading this book to me before he went to sleep and now I’m addicted. These kids’ books are great.” Caroline twirled her finger, indicating Jennie should turn around. “Grayson’s tongue is going to hit the floor. You look fantastic and sexy as hell.”

“Thanks. I want to erase Malibu Barbie from everyone’s mind.”

“It’s amazing what love will drive us to do. Are you really leaving tomorrow? Gray and Matt are going to be devastated when they wake up and find you gone. I’m glad you told me so I can be prepared for two very depressed men.”

“Caroline, it’s better this way. They dropped off the truck today at the Roadhouse parking lot, and Larry and Boomer loaded my belongings from the warehouse.”

No one saw Jennie carry out all her belongings and stash them in Grayson’s Maserati earlier that afternoon. She’d be leaving directly from the Roadhouse to start the next phase of her life. “Matt is so in love with his grandmother, he won’t miss me.”

“Don’t count on it. That child loves you as much as my son.”

“Grayson and I have deal. If I don’t like my job, I’ll be back in six months. It will also give us time to make sure this wasn’t just a two-week romance.”

“I guess that’s better than nothing, but you’re wrong. The love you and Grayson feel for each other is very real. You’ve shared the hell he went through and helped him realize his dream of getting Mathew. Sorry, I’m preaching. Now go and have fun.”

“’Bye, and thanks for everything.” Jennie gave Caroline a big hug and hurried out so Caroline didn’t see the tears running down her face.

Grayson studied the financial data on his laptop and was very pleased by what he saw. Their profits exceeded projections from the microbreweries. His father would be coming out in a few weeks to visit the Texas location to discuss full production of the new beer this summer. Talking to his father without animosity and distrust was earth-shattering. Gray kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but his father couldn’t have been more eager to listen to Gray’s plans for converting the last Roadhouse into a microbrewery. Simon loved the location because it was close to Latrobe, a country club with a great golf course. He planned to teach his grandson how to play.

It was all because of Jennie. He refused to believe she’d be leaving Sunday. He wanted her to share his bed, but now they had two chaperones. Last night when they returned to the house, they enjoyed a heavy make-out session on the couch and duplicated leave-their-clothes-on lovemaking, and agreed it was hotter than the first time. Thinking about his love, he glanced at the time. She should be here in a few, and he was looking forward to their bull-riding competition when the club closed down. He had every intention of winning.

Larry poked his head in the door, and it took everything to tamp down a smile. “Boss, we have a problem out here. We’ve got a female causing a stir and she demands to see the owner.”

“No way. Tell her I’m unavailable. I’m expecting Jennie in a few minutes.”

“She’s very adamant and won’t take no for an answer.”

“Okay, I’ll get rid of her.”

Gray shut down his laptop and followed Larry down the short hall to a door that exited to the side of the bar. The music was blaring and everything appeared normal until he looked at the bar. A string of piña coladas was lined up, like soldiers at attention. Everyone had a skewer of fruit.

The seats were filled with his regular customers, but no one looked him in the eye. Their lips were tight from trying not to laugh. It was then he realized that the music was the Beach Boys singing “California Girls.”

“Boss, there’s a lady at the other end who wants to meet you.”

“Thanks, Larry. I think I’ve been had.”

Gray chuckled as he made his way to a familiar seat he’d taken the night he met Malibu Barbie. His friends patted him on the back and the customers at the tables were laughing.

When he finally saw her, he blinked. No white shorts or hair scrunched atop her head tonight. Midnight-blue jeans molded to her long legs and rust-colored rawhide stitched boots ended just below mid-calf. Hundreds of tiny crystals were stitched into her form-fitting purple western-cut shirt. The narrow trim on her black cowgirl hat matched her deep purple shirt. Dangling from her ears were silver stars.

On the bar in front of her was a flight, including his newest brew.

“Are you here to cause trouble?” he drawled, and glanced at the vacant seat. “Mind if I sit down?

“Howdy, cowboy. Now why would you think I’m here to cause trouble?”

“Should I be prepared for you to throw fruit at me and fondle my boys? Better yet, will I have to go into the parking lot and collect your sexy panties?”

Jennie put a hand high up his thigh and squeezed lightly. “It doesn’t matter, because I’m not wearing any,” she whispered in his ear. “I want to feel that friction between my legs when I ride the bull, and I’ll be taking care of the boys later.”

Grayson hung his head and groaned from the tightness in his groin. “You’re really trying to kill me, Jennie.”

“No, I’m just priming you for later when you ride the bull naked.”

When the DJ played Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” Jennie grabbed his hand. “I need to do one dance.”

“But I don’t line-dance,” he lightly protested as they wove their way between the tables. His Jennie was in a mood, and he decided to play it her way.

His customers clapped and hooted with encouragement when Jennie and Grayson joined the line of dancers. Neither one knew what they were doing, but halfway through the dance, they got the steps: forward, back, skip, slide, and hop. They laughed at the blunders they made and were out of breath when the song finally ended.

The DJ immediately segued into a slow dance. This was more to Grayson’s liking, and he took Jennie in his arms. The silly happiness in their bodies died when Diamond Rio sang “One More Day.”

The words to the song cut Jennie like a knife, carving a permanent reminder of the heartache to come. She linked her arms around his neck and pressed her face to his neck to feel the pulse of his beating heart, the heart that communicated with her own.

The words to the song made Grayson sad, and he felt her tremble. “Don’t think about it,” he breathed directly in her ear before seeking the tender spot under it. “We’ve got tonight and tomorrow.”

No, we don’t
, she silently screamed. They had to make the most of tonight. She raised her head and skimmed her lips lightly across his jaw, and felt the tiny growth of bristles. “Tonight is all about us.”

They were on their way back to the bar when the lights dimmed and the spotlight zeroed in on the small arena that housed El Toro, their mechanical bull.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special challenge,” the DJ announced. “Malibu Barbie versus the gray wolf.”

Clapping and cheering followed the announcement. Half the room chanted “Barbie” and the other half “Wolff.”

“I thought we were going to do this in private,” Grayson said under his breath.

“Me, too.” Jennie looked around at the cheering audience. “That’s why the crowd is so much larger tonight. It’s obvious you can’t keep a secret in this town. They’re all here to see us ride the mechanical bull.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Tell them it was all a mistake? Unless it’s my imagination, the chanting is getting louder. I’m game if you are.”

“Okay, let’s do this,” he reluctantly agreed.

“Do you want me to go first to show you how it’s done? The YouTube videos I watched said women have better balance and are more graceful.”

“Hold it! You haven’t done this before?”

“Well, no, but Loretta gave me some pointers.”

“Remind me to fire her.” He looked around and saw the waitress grinning from ear to ear. She gave two thumbs up.

“You will not. Are you ready to lose, stud?”

“Oh, baby, you’re on.” He turned to his cheering audience. “Ladies first.”

Loretta escorted Jennie into the ring. “Remember what I said: center your body and grip the bar in front with one hand. Pretend you’re slow-dancing, taking graceful steps, but use your hips. When the bull dips forward, you sway back to counter, and vice versa. After a couple of times, you’ll get the flowing rhythm. The bull will go round in a circle very slowly—swing out your arm like you’re waving a fan with lots of feathers.”

Jennie mounted El Toro, put her arms around the front, and whispered like he was a real bull. “Be gentle.” The rest of the customers stayed to the outside of the circle and cheered her on when the bull started his motions. She held on with two hands at first until she caught the rhythm Loretta described. Then she held on with one hand, waving her hand to balance her shifting hips.               The rocking motion caused her to fantasize she was riding Gray. Her eyelids drifted closed and her hips swayed in a grinding motion. The dreamy, satisfied glow on her face was obvious when the men started whistling. Their challenge for was for three minutes. A loud bell clanged at the end of the ride and she screamed, “Grayson!” Jennie wasn’t aware the bull had stopped, and she had screamed her lover’s name.