Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) (13 page)

"I
guess it’s my natural reaction when someone tries to tell me what to
do," Tye called after him. "Daddy always said I had a problem with
authority figures."

Jake
threw a glance over his shoulder at her. She stood with one hand on her hip,
the hose in the other hand. "Do you see me as an authority figure?"
he asked incredulously.

Tye
looked startled, then a wash of color flooded her face. Watching her with
interest, Jake wondered what her thoughts were.

"I’ve
never seen you in that light," she said in a husky voice. Tye bent over
and directed the hose through her hair. "Mmm, this water is icy. It feels
good."

Jake
felt his stomach muscles tighten. Was she doing it deliberately? Damn! Tye
still had the power to excite him.

"Jake."
She had pushed her hair back and now it dripped onto her shoulders, soaking
into the white fabric. "I'm sorry. I would like to go riding with you
sometime, if ― if you've got time, that is," she stammered. "I
just feel really inadequate right now, and I'm taking offense at every gesture.
It stinks to have been riding all these years only to find out I have to
relearn it. I apologize for laying that on you. I'll try to keep my temper
under control."

Jake
took her apology at face value, pretending he didn't see the trembling of her
lips. He tried to ignore the heat pooling in his stomach as he stared at her.
She looked damned vulnerable, but he knew she wouldn't welcome him saying that.
He wanted nothing more than to step close to her and pull her into his arms.
Man, that would feel great, and he’d probably get a punch in the gut for
it. Jake had the notion it would be worth it.

"There's
no reason you should feel inadequate, Tye. You’ve always been a good
rider. Maybe I'm easily impressed, but that last bit of riding you did without your
stirrups wasn’t bad. In time, you'll get your brash nerve and confidence
back. When that happens," he drawled, "look out." Jake knew
that, at that point she’d leave.

As if
she took pleasure in his compliment, Tye smiled tremulously. Jake let his gaze hold
hers steadily until she looked away.

"I
appreciate you taking care of Pongo, Jake, but I want to help out with the
feeding. I can't let you take that on. Also, I need to work out a board fee for
keeping him here. It’ll be extra cash, and surely everyone could use
extra cash."

Jake saw
the determined line of her jaw, and once again her eyes seemed to challenge
him. He remembered that was a lure he had thrown out that first night to keep
her here. He’d said he was strapped for cash.

Slowly,
he nodded his head. "Sure," he said easily. "If you want, you
can feed the horses at night. I'll take care of the morning feeding. As far as
the board, we'll work something out."

"Good."
Some of the tension seemed to ease from her. Jake knew she had been ready for a
fight, but he was determined to avert it. It was no sweat off his back, feeding
one more horse, but he could understand her need to pay her own way.

"I
was surprised to see you back so soon," Tye said slowly, spraying the
water over the horse’s back. "I thought you’d left for
work."

Jake
looked away from her vibrant face, gazing instead at the distant, orange-brown
hills. "I'm taking some time off work this week. I have a few carvings
that need to be completed." He began to think that if she didn't take
those blue eyes off him, he was going to do something stupid, like grab her. He
hoped Tye didn't have an inkling as to his thoughts. He wanted to pull her
against him and kiss the hell out of her. He wanted their closeness of last
night all over again. Only more. They could make love in the straw.

Impatient
with himself, knowing it was years too late, he grabbed a plastic scraper and
started removing the water and sweat from Pongo.

A few
minutes later, Tye led the horse back to the pasture gate and released him.

"One
last thing," Jake said. "Anytime you want to use the pool, feel free
to do so."

"I'm
glad you brought that up, Jake. I'd like to make arrangements with you to use
the pool. It's ― swimming is one of the best exercises for my
rehabilitation." She drew a deep breath and rushed on. "But I'll need
some privacy."

Jake
walked toward her. Pushing a hand through his hair, hoping he could keep to his
promise, he assured her it wasn’t a problem. "Just tell me the times
and I'll stay out of your way," he told her easily. He’d like to
join her in the pool. A long ago memory flashed into Jake’s mind. They
had gone swimming. It had been a family picnic, before everything turned upside
down. Tye running from the water toward him, her face laughing, eyes lit with
what he had thought was love.

She
spread her hands in front of her, then dropped them. "I feel really
awkward about this. This is your home ―"

"Tye,
if it helps your leg, I'm all for it. If you want privacy while you're
swimming, that’s fine, too. Don't apologize or feel like you're being
unreasonable."

Tye
nodded. "I'd appreciate the pool from eight until nine most nights, unless
you have something going on."

"Settled."
He grinned at her. "See? That wasn't so hard."

"Here,"
she said, pulling the hose away from him as he began to coil it up. "I can
do that."

Jake saw
it coming, but the import of her actions didn’t register until he felt
the icy-cold water shoot across his neck and down the front of his shirt.

"Tye!"

She
began to laugh. Jake stood stock-still. It was the first time he’d heard
her really laugh again, like old times. He wanted to hear it again, but she was
backing away, the hose now on the ground, water pooling around his boots. Tye
ducked into the barn and turned the hose off. Jake still felt the aftershocks
of seeing her laugh, just as he remembered. A sinking feeling started in his
stomach, but he didn’t understand it.

Tye
smiled at him as she came back outside. "You look like you’re in
shock. Honest, that wasn’t on purpose."

"Yeah,
right, like I believe you." She had a devilish gleam in her eye. Jake
pulled the wet shirt away from his chest. "It’ll be great unloading
the hay I’m expecting with a wet shirt."

"Oh,
don’t be such a wet blanket." She made a face at him.

Jake
swore he heard her snort.

"I’ll
turn the hose back on, Jake, and you can get me wet. Then you’ll feel
better."

Jake
eyed her, noticing the thin T-shirt she wore, which was wet from the water
still dripping from her hair. The blond strands hanging around her eyes made
her look even more sexy. He stifled a groan. Tye might be up to a wet T-shirt
contest, but he sure as hell wasn’t. God knows what would happen.

"I
owe you one, Tye," he muttered, knowing it was better for his sanity if he
left the barn. He did so, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off in the
process.

Tye
hurried to catch up with him, and he slowed his steps.

"Jake,
I’d really like to see some more of your carvings sometime, if
that’s all right."

He hesitated,
wondering if he wanted to let her into that part of his life. His carvings were
a part of him that even he didn’t understand sometimes. The ideas came
from deep within. He worked at them until his thoughts took shape.

"How
about right now?" he heard himself say. He saw the instant delight on her
face.

"I
would love to."

Jake
cursed himself for letting his body’s reaction to her override his common
sense. He jerked a thumb toward the barn interior. "Come on, then, I have
a few minutes." He would give her five or ten minutes of his time. She
could look and then leave.

Jake led
the way to the makeshift work area he had set up in a double box stall. He had
moved everything he needed out here: all his tools were close at hand. He slid
open the stall door and stood back to allow Tye entrance. Reaching up, he hung
his wet shirt on a hook to dry.

Tye
halted in the doorway, her mouth opening on a small sigh, then she stared up at
him. She was so close Jake could see the dark flecks in those blue irises. He breathed
deeply of the lemony scent that clung to her hair.

"This
is your private sanctuary. This is where you work on your carvings." A
simple statement. Jake had a feeling he was letting himself in for a load of
trouble by showing Tye his work area, but it was too late now. Her fingertips
lightly touched his bare chest. Jake held himself very still, glad when she
finally stepped back.

He
released his breath. "This is it, until I rig up something else."

Tye
moved toward a long table where several elk and moose antlers lay, partially
carved. Jake didn’t move from the doorway. It was all he could do to
stand still as Tye picked up a small set of horns, turning it this way and
that, her fingers lovingly caressing the lines he had chiseled. Jake’s
gaze was transfixed as she continued to caress the horn where several horse
heads had begun to emerge. She turned sideways and looked at him, the antler
pressed to her chest.

"Jake,
this is extraordinary. What an expression of art you’ve created.
I’ve never seen anything like it."

He
pushed himself away from the door. "Luckily, others share your sentiment.
The orders come in so fast I have to turn a lot of them away."

"I
imagine you could ask premium price for these." Carefully, she put the
antlers back on the table. "You’ve really made a success of your
life, Jake." Those blue eyes met his again. "I envy you."

Jake
frowned. "We all follow the path we choose, Tye. You’ve had your own
measure of success."

"You’re
right Jake. I just seem to stumble more often than not." She shrugged.
"When I’m old I’ll be able to say I tried everything I set out
to do, win or lose." Her voice dropped to a thready whisper.
"I’m so glad you’ve decided to do these carvings. I always
loved the wooden animals you made for me."

Jake
felt a tightness in his throat. "You still have them?"

"Of
course. I love that little hedgehog you made. But I had no idea you were so
serious about this."

"I
needed something to fill in the nights I sat with my father." As soon as
the words were out, Jake wished he could recall them. They felt too private to
be sharing them.

Tye wore
a frown. Hesitantly, she said, "Was it so bad, Jake?"

He drew
his shoulders back. "My dad lost the will to live, to care. You knew what
he was like before, how vibrant. You can guess what a hell it was, seeing him
so apathetic. My mom needed a break, so I stepped in."

"I’m
so sorry, Jake."

"Actually,
my dad was the one who encouraged me to expand my carving. He mentioned idly
one time someone had carved a set of moose antlers that he had seen. I decided
to try it myself. I found some antlers in a box in the barn when I bought this
place. I didn’t even know what I was going to carve, until the head of a
bear took shape."

"The
one I saw that first night in your house?"

"Yes."

"You’ve
really developed your talent."

Jake
stared at Tye, but she had turned away and was studying another carving. He
tried to slow his breathing, but memories hit him broadside. Tye laughing up at
him, a small wooden figure he had carved held tightly in one of her hands. She
held it to her breast, tears glistening….yet not falling. The small
hedgehog had fit easily in her palm. It had been his first gift to her. Jake
closed his eyes, willing the memories away. He had moved on with his life. Tye
had moved on. They were different people.

"I’ve
got to lock up," Jake told her abruptly. He felt a confusing mix of anger
and want. His guts felt tied up in knots. Tye was doing this to him.

Immediately,
she placed the carving she held back on the table and walked out the door.
"Sorry, Jake. I know you have other things to do. I appreciate you letting
me see these. I wish you every success."

The soft
words made Jake feel like a heel, but he had to get away from her. The damned
memories were bombarding him. He needed some space. This whole thing was
getting too comfortable, and it was only temporary. Tye would be gone when she
was well, and that was that.

As they
left the barn, Tye averted her gaze from Jake’s chest. Jake’s
business might be manufacturing, but he kept himself in superb physical shape.
Watching him play football had told her he was still an athlete. He put his
whole heart into the game. In all her life, Tye had never been attracted to
another man the way she was to Jake. He had ruined her for other men. As a
teenager, she might have been too young to know what real love was about, but
she was feeling the pain of it now. . .regretting the lack of it in her life.

Tye
closed a mental door on that thought. Despite their mutual desire, she knew
Jake had no real interest in her.

She
pulled herself out of her foolish daydreams. She and Jake had agreed to be
friends.

Man, she
must be loco to be thinking of Jake in romantic terms. She was the one who had
put an end to their relationship. If only Jake weren’t so attractive.

Unfortunately,
Tye hadn’t been able to get their kisses, the closeness that had felt so
very real, out of her mind. His mouth, the touch of his hard body, had felt so
right against hers. Last night was a fluke. She might have had the same reaction
to any man, given the same set of circumstances. She couldn’t get
sidetracked. She had to get well, not fall in love.

Restlessly,
Tye turned away. "I guess I'll head back to the house. I'm working on an
article."

"Ben
told me you take freelance jobs sometimes. What's the article about?"

"It's
one I started before I got hurt. I'm researching women in rodeo. It covers the
financial aspects of rodeo, the affect on family life, that kind of
thing."