Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) (18 page)

The
country music was loud and satisfying. Several couples danced on the living
room floor, others were out on the front deck. Tye had invited Jake and his
youngest sister Amy. Amy was in the midst of the crush of bodies and appeared
to be having a good time. After introducing Jake to her friends Tye had lost
track of him.

Tye
checked the drinks, made sure the ice buckets were full and then refilled the
snacks. She spoke to everyone, even some new acquaintances that had arrived
with old friends.

There
seemed to be an initial awkwardness, when her friends acted as if they didn't quite
know how to treat her. Tye managed to get past that and began to feel like she
had never been away from the old crowd. Tye even reminisced about rodeo meets.
She had a keen interest in who was competing and what the standings were. She
didn't want her friends to feel like they had to be careful what they said in
front of her.

After
Tye made the rounds her eyes settled on Denny's animated face from across the
room. There was a difference in Denny, she could see a glow about her. Denny
had always been a love-em and leave-em type of girl. Had she found the right
guy, was she finally ready to settle down? An inexplicably heavy feeling
settled on Tye. Apparently Denny wasn’t afraid to swim out of her element
and take a chance.

Needing
some fresh air Tye moved to the edge of the crowd, then opened the patio door
and stepped out into the pool area. She had told her friends to bring their
bathing suits, but no one had wandered out here yet. Tye wondered where Jake
was. She wanted to find out how he felt about her friends. It was suddenly very
important to her.

As Tye
perched on the stone wall beside the pool area she reflected that there was a
lot to be said for reconnecting with old friends. Yet the longer she sat there
doubts began to prick at her. She had thought bringing back certain aspects of
her past would fill the puzzling gaps she felt in her life. Always gregarious
and fun-loving, Tye suddenly felt tired. It was barely ten, she had talked to
the circle of friends she'd thought of as her extended family, and she was
still dogged by a niggling dissatisfaction.

Listening
to her friends tonight she wondered if she had always been so single-minded,
concentrating only on the next rodeo, the next beer and where the best parties
were?

Her
friends and fans had been extremely supportive, and her intrusive thoughts made
her feel ungrateful. The cards and letters hadn't stopped the entire time she
had been in the hospital and rehabilitation. Now that everyone was gathered
here, she was staring at the stars and feeling out of place. What was the
matter with her? She hated feeling out of her element. She had never sat on the
fringe of a party in her life. She could fit in anywhere. Why did she feel as
if she were the odd one out? Where did she belong?

"Nowhere,"
she muttered.

Hearing
a sound, the scrape of a foot on stone, Tye looked into the shadows behind her.
She wasn't alone. Jake stood silhouetted against the overhead flood light some
six feet from her, his hands in his pockets. She sensed he was looking at her,
but she couldn't see his eyes.

"Catching
a quick breather, Tye? Looks like the party's a hit. Everyone seems to be
having a good time," he said.

"Yeah,
everyone's having a great time," Tye said lightly. "I have a
reputation to uphold, you know. I'm known as one of the better
party-throwers."

"You
rodeo with each of them?"

"Most
of them, yes. They've been good friends, but then that's how rodeo people are.
They're always willing to help out and offer support when you need it."

"They
seem like a good bunch. So why are you out here?" His voice seemed
deliberate, as if he knew something she didn't. Could Jake have guessed she was
feeling out of place?

Tye
looked away, lifting her shoulders in a careless shrug. "I just wanted a
breath of fresh air. The smoke-filled room started bothering me. Do you know
something, Jake, they're still my friends but it feels different."

"Maybe
you treat them different, expecting them to treat you differently. Do you
always sit on the outskirts of a party by yourself?"

"No,
usually I'm in the midst of it, making the biggest noise. I always liked being
the center of attention." She gave him a wry smile. "Of course, I'd
never admit that to Ben. He claims I'm an exhibitionist and he said it comes
from being the youngest. He always claimed I sucked up all the attention."

She
heard Jake's soft laugh. "I probably told my sisters the same thing."

"I
don't feel like that anymore ― I don't want that attention."

"What
do you want, Tye?"

Tye
expelled a heavy breath. "What do I want?" Tye shook her head, giving
the question serious thought. "That should be an easy question,
don’t you think? After the accident all I wanted was to be alone. When I
had that, it still didn't feel right. I'm not really sure. I needed this party
to get back in touch with my friends..." Tye felt swamped by confusion.
"I feel kind of like a stranger to myself. I'm sitting here, I know it's
me, but the old urges aren't there. I haven't had a beer since the accident. I
haven't wanted one."

"I
wouldn't say that's a big deal."

"It
is for me. I feel so changed."

"That's
understandable. You're going through some major adjustments in your life.
You’ve got to expect things to change."

"I'm
not so sure I want to party and be rowdy anymore. The lust for it's gone. But
I'm not going to sit in a corner either," she said definitely.
"I’m just not sure how to deal with this sense of uncertainty."

Jake
came closer. For a fleeting moment Tye longed to lift her hand and run her
fingers along the crest of his head, dip her fingers into the deep darkness of
his hair, then trail them over his hard jaw. She recalled the last night they
had been together. An ache tightened the back of her throat. Maybe it just
wasn’t meant to be; she and Jake.

She
tipped her head to stare up at the sky, mocking herself. He was Mr. Right, she
the undomesticated Tye Jenkins. Hadn’t she proved that years ago? She
couldn't settle anywhere for long if her life depended on it. She had hurt him
once, why should he ever forgive her and take another chance? Jake was a forever
kind of guy. The marrying kind. Tye didn't kid herself. She wasn't the marrying
type. The thought intruded; if Denny could do it, why couldn't she? When Denny
had talked about the new man in her life Tye had sensed something different and
wonderful in her friend. Denny was as much of a rolling stone as she was. Tye
was ashamed to have felt envy. Out of all her friends, Denny deserved a good
man in her life.

The door
opened and the party in her living room spilled out onto the deck. Tye smiled
as her friends' hooting and hollering broke the quiet of the night.

"It's
a good thing I have a lenient landlord." Tye laughed, enjoying her
friend’s antics. The night air touched her hair, gently pushing it back
from her face.

"It
helps when you invite him to the party," Jake said dryly. He reached up a
hand and smoothed his fingers lightly over her cheek. "I'm sure your
motive was to keep the peace between us."

The
tenderness of the gesture caught Tye by surprise. "I've never been one for
seeking peace," she assured him gravely. "You should know that,
Jake."

"Some
things never change," he said with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

"Oh,
I wouldn’t say that. Sometimes changes are so subtle we miss them at
first." Tye knew she had changed, she just wasn’t sure how to deal
with all of it yet. "By the way, Jake. I have some news." Tye saw the
sudden wariness on his face. "I heard of a new place in Oklahoma City
that’s looking for different art exhibits to display."

"Really?"
Wariness gave way to surprise. "I’ve been scouting around but I
haven’t found a suitable place yet."

"Well,
I was talking to a friend of a friend tonight. This new gallery has just
received a sizable grant and they’re setting up a permanent display area.
It should hit the papers this week that they’re taking applications. I
know you’re interested in a place to have your carvings on display. This
might be the perfect opportunity."

"So
you’ve been networking on my behalf," Jake said slowly.

"Sure.
That’s what friends do." Tye deliberately used the word
"friends" to gauge Jake’s reaction.

"And
are we still friends?" he came back, one brow raised.

"I
hope so, Jake." Fervently, Tye hoped they could remain friends, if nothing
else. Tye felt anxiety flash through her when he didn't answer right away.

"I'll
bet your friends were glad to see you back to your old self," he said
finally, his gaze intent on her face.

Tye drew
herself up. "Well, not quite my old self, but a close second. It was kind
of awkward at first. They tried not to stare at my leg."

"It's
human to be curious. I bet you handled it just fine."

Tye
laughed with genuine amusement. "I surprised the heck out of them by
rolling my pant leg up and letting them see my Star Wars technology." She
had surprised herself. A month ago she couldn't have done that. "I believe
I owe that in part to you, Jake." He started to shake his head, but she
touched his arm. "Yes," she insisted. "If you hadn't treated me
so normally, I might still be ultra-sensitive about letting anyone see it. I'll
never forget that day I fell in the pool and you dried my prosthesis like it
was a nothing out of the ordinary. I think that's when I started to heal a
little bit." Self-conscious after having admitted so much to him, Tye
turned to watch her friends and couldn't help but smile. "In a minute
somebody will find the pool," she murmured. "That always happens.
They'll all be in it."

On more
than one occasion she had led the pack to a moonlit pool. Tye stood up, for a
moment coming heartbreakingly close to Jake, breathing in a touch of aftershave
and the unique scent that was Jake.

"I
guess I'd better move back over there in case of drowning." Her voice came
out oddly breathless, but then Jake had that effect on her.

"I'll
come with you."

Tye
intended to step away. Her feet didn't move. She reached out a hand and
tentatively placed it on his chest. "I think I'm stuck," she said
weakly, looking up at him. Stuck on you, Jake Miller.

"I've
got the same problem. Maybe we should make the best of it and find a common
solution," he said huskily. Jake’s head dipped toward hers. His warm
breath fanned her lips.

At
five-eight, Tye had never felt short in her life, but with Jake looming over
her, she felt dainty in comparison.

His
mouth touched hers, the contact electric, jolting a surge of wanting through
her entire body, just like she remembered, only more intense. The feeling
concentrated in the pit of her stomach, then spread outward until the very tips
of her fingers and toes tingled. Strange, but she swore she felt the sensation
even in the toes she knew were missing.

Tye drew
a quivering breath. She needed to touch him. Her fingers crept up to his collar
and into the back of his hair. Hungrily, she wound her arms around his back,
felt each hard, contoured muscle. They were connected, breast bone to thigh. It
felt wonderful and so right. Jake was holding on to her as tightly as she wound
herself around him. Tye’s breath came in short spurts. She missed being
this close to Jake.

The
sound of splashing water drove them apart. With a groan, Tye rested her
forehead against Jake’s. "Sounds like they found the pool."

"Yeah."

This
time, reluctantly, they turned and moved out of the shadows toward her side of
the house. Tye walked slightly ahead. Trying to breathe normally, she stepped
into the spotlight cast by the overhead halogen.

Amy came
running towards them, using her arm to wipe water from her face and neck. Her
short black dress lay plastered against her body, a high-heeled shoe dangled
from each hand.

The face
she lifted to Tye held excitement. "There you are, Tye!" she
exclaimed. "Wow! What a great party. It's the first time I've ever gone
swimming in a dress." Amy looked at her brother as he stepped into the
light. "Uh-oh, hello Jake. I'd better get dried off. Mind if I run over to
your place, Jake?" Without waiting for a reply, Amy ran on. "See you
guys later," she threw over her shoulder. "Thanks for the invite,
I've never had so much fun."

The
yells and squeals from the pool grew louder. To Tye, it sounded as if someone
were drowning. She rushed forward, her gaze skimming the heads in the pool to
see if someone really was in trouble.

A flurry
of activity drew Tye's attention. She turned to see Jake discard his boots, whip
his shirt off and dive into the water. Someone was in the deep end, arms
flailing. Tye hurried toward that end of the pool, grabbing a towel off a chair
as Jake hauled a man to the edge.

Somewhat
subdued, several others rushed forward to help pull the man from the pool. He
lay on his back with his eyes open. It was Marty, a young, promising bull
rider. Sheepishly, he grinned at Tye. "Sorry, I guess I had too much to
drink."

"Are
you all right?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah."
He coughed a few times, but kept nodding his head. "Yeah, I’m fine.
Give me a minute."

"Well,
I'm glad you're okay." She handed him the towel and quickly turned to walk
over to where Jake sat on the pool’s edge. She leaned down to peer into
his face. "You okay, Jake?" she asked.

Jake looked
up at her and pushed his hair back with both hands. Tye tried not to stare at
the water running in rivulets into his chest hair. Man, but this guy was sexy!

"A
bit damp around the edges," he drawled.