Stony Creek Cowboy [Stony Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) (11 page)

“We’re here,” Jackson announced as they pulled up to a beautiful ranch spread.

Billie was amazed to see that the corrals and barns were spaced apart with what seemed like a tremendous amount of horseflesh. What the heck did she know, though?

“Thank you for that public service announcement, Mr. Powell. I would never have figured that out on my own.” The sarcastic comment, very unlike her, just tumbled from her lips without thought.

Jackson’s only response was to raise an eyebrow at her. “Hey guys! Doc, welcome to Wild Mustang Ranch. I knew we would get you out here, and thank god it wasn’t a moment too late!” Beth Saunders hollered out enthusiastically.

Beth was around thirty-three and just about as cute as a button. She and her brother Gabe had brought their very cantankerous father in this week to have a check on his cough. Beth had a
joie de vivre
that was simply contagious and Billie liked her immensely.

“We totally need some girl time, Doc!

“Well, miss thing, it would grease the wheels rather quickly if you would stop being stubborn and call me Billie already. I sometimes forget my name out here. Everyone calls me Doc, Dr. Rothman, or darlin’!” She laughed.

“I agree with Beth. We so need to get our nails done and talk about the evils of men,” Jackson said with a hearty laugh.

Jackson kept on laughing for the moment until he realized he was the only one participating in his hilarity. He watched as two unimpressed female expressions were trying to stare him down and looked downright hostile.

“I guess, I, um, will go see what the guys are up to. Excuse me for a moment, ladies,” Jackson blurted out as he made a beeline for the nearest barn.

“Go help Preston and Gabe muck out the stalls, will ya?” Beth yelled at the swiftly retreating back. The women were quiet for a moment then gave a snort of laughter.

Beth looked interestedly at Billie for a moment. “I don’t know how you stay calm around that man. He looks as good coming as he does going. Women have been throwing themselves at him since he got divorced, but you are the only spark of real interest since then. Lucky girl! You must give off some sort of man aphrodisiac because you got a serious harem of men just waiting for that man over there to mess up, and they are all sure that he will!”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Beth. We don’t have anything between us. Well, I thought we might have, seemed like it was going there, but now, well, there appears to be nothing! Ugh! Men make me crazy!”

“Me, too, but you are wrong on the Jackson thing. That man gives you some seriously burning looks when you are too busy to notice. I am surprised he doesn’t have a drool cloth.”

The image of Jackson drooling over her made her stomach get butterflies again. She had to tamp them down immediately.

“Where are your brothers and parents, Beth? I want to say hi and check on your dad. By the way, did I see you giving Hunter the once-over when we were talking by the bank?”

“You cannot give a man like Hunter the once-over. You need to do it at least twice, maybe even three times! He is too darned big.” Beth laughed. “He has a whole rough, rugged mountain man thing going on with a side of cranky. Still, I wouldn’t mind if he asked me to help him check under the hood!”

“Beth Saunders, you are a nut, but I think I love you. Jackson said you all have the best horses so let’s get at it. I want a boy horse and a girl horse, please,” Billie announced.

“For a woman, who I happen to know is brilliant, is that the best you can do for vocabulary? Boy and girl horses? How about a stallion and a mare?” Beth erupted in giggles again.

Just at that moment, the men walked around the side of the first barn, kicking up some dust. The drool they had been just teasing about in reference to Jackson seemed to just appear in her mouth. Gabe, Jackson, and Preston created quite an image of male perfection in their Wranglers, boots, and cowboy hats. It seemed a shame to have shirts on those bodies. Maybe a stiff gust of wind would blow them off?

“See anything you like?” teased Beth into her ear.

“Hey, Doc! We are so pleased you decided to come out here today for your horses. Let’s go and get started, beautiful lady,” announced Preston. With one Saunders male on one arm and another fine specimen of Saunders men on the other, they deftly steered her into the gloom of the first barn.

Jackson attempted to give the trio a look of disgust and kicked at some small rocks. Giving Beth a sideways glance, he offered her his arm. Friends since they were kids, there was no tension to be found when Beth found her voice. “Um, Jackson, when are you going to let Billie in on your feelings for her? She has been the topic of discussion around the dinner table and in the barn since the moment she moved into town. My brothers are interested, very interested.”

With a gentle voice that did not betray his frustration at the situation, he said. “What feelings would you be referring to, Beth? How can you be sure something exists that even I have no personal assurances of?”

“Then you are a blind ass and deserve it if the boys steal her out from under your nose. Men truly are idiots, you know! Thank you for proving it yet again! That woman is as crazy for you as you are for her. I know it is none of my business, but she isn’t Gwen, you know,” she practically yelled at him.

“I am hearing a lot of that lately.”

“Well, maybe you should have your hearing checked or better yet, a brain scan, because you sure aren’t showing signs of life over there. Maybe she would be better off with the three amigos. Then she would be my sister-in-law and never leave the ranch. You know what? This is starting to sound better and better…” Beth crowed.

“Okay, little girl, I heard you. As soon as I figure things out, you will be the second to know,” Jackson said with a warm smile.

As they walked into the dim light of the barn, they heard soft male voices peppered with the occasional gentle female laugh that stirred Jackson’s blood into fire. Just as his eyes adjusted, he saw Billie in what had to be their version of a Saunders triple-decker sandwich. Three large cowboys practically squishing into his woman!
That’s it!
He had had enough of this crap! Beth tried to pull on his arm to keep him from going over there and getting himself flattened by her brothers. Jackson knew that he was a huge, strong beast, but even though the three of them were a couple inches shorter, he could do the math. Three against one weren’t fair odds. “Billie, did you go on that date with Sean and Adam Taggart yet?” Beth asked innocently. All four sets of male eyes suddenly swung in her direction and then back to Billie.

Billie couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice. Beth was a quick thinker.

“Um, no. They only asked this morning. Thank you so very much for bringing that up right about now, Beth.” Jackson firmly extended his hand in her direction, daring her with his eyes not to accept it. Cool, soft fingers slid almost of their own volition into his hand. With a firm clasp, he whispered roughly into her ear for her alone. “And there won’t ever be a date with them, baby. Not with them or the Saunders idiots or anyone else. You. Are. Mine.”

She paused at the heat and firm set of his voice but stopped as a surge of anger bubbled to the surface. She leaned into him, deliberately pressing the breasts that he had been admiring this morning into his arm. Her confidence was bolstered by her suggestive motion when she felt him shudder as if in pain. “If I truly was yours, Jackson, then there would never even be a question. However, since you have no idea as to what you want, then I will continue to do as I choose. You are not the boss of me.”

Jackson’s smile made her nervous as he murmured back, “Ah, darlin’. I will be.”

The rest of the day was punctuated by lots of good-natured ribbing between Beth and her brothers and the brothers toward Jackson. Billie, under Jackson’s surprisingly gentle guidance, chose a dark-brown stallion that she promptly named Danny and a sweet white mare with a black speckled muzzle who she named Sheeza. Joe promised to deliver them over to her place in a day or two.

Billie turned toward Jackson’s truck when she heard Beth call out to her. “I can’t wait for Friday night, Billie! Lizzie and I cannot wait to see if they teach East Coast girls how to shake their ba donka donk in medical school!” Everyone except Jackson laughed at that.

“What the hell is going to happen on Friday?” Jackson pointedly asked Beth.

Beth chanced a look at Billie and answered Jackson. “Doc here is going out on the town with Lizzie and me. We are taking this greenhorn girl dancing with the girls at The Gas Pump.”

Jackson looked from Beth to Billie, who nodded her affirmation at the comment. Billie thought Jackson looked like he was going to explode while attempting to try to control his temper. She figured he couldn’t think of how to tell her that she couldn’t go unless she was with him. Hah! He was just going to have to deal with it. If he didn’t want to date her seriously, the only way she knew how to date, then he would just have to get used to seeing her talk, dance, and socialize with other men!

While Beth cornered Jackson, the Saunders men were able to talk to Billie alone for a moment. “Doc, we just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed spending the afternoon with you. We also appreciate you taking care of our father. No matter what happens,”—Gabe inclined his head in Jackson’s direction—“if you ever need us or some help with
anything
, we are here for you. Okay?”

“Thank you guys so much. I had a wonderful afternoon. I will keep in mind what you said. The woman who gets to claim all of you is a lucky one indeed. However, right now I kind of have my hands full,” she said, it was not without a blush that ran across her neck down to her breasts. The men made no attempt at hiding either their gaze or their pleasure in it as it followed the path of her increased coloring.

“Doc, it would be our pleasure. Truly,” Joe finished with a confident grin.

Billie heard a growl and looked up to see that Jackson had just approached the group and didn’t seem too happy about the way the Saunders men were eyeing her breasts. After a quick farewell, Billie and Jackson walked back to the truck, where he lifted her up into her seat and began the drive home.

“So, what do you think, Doc? A little noisy, but I know the East Coast clubs can’t hold a candle to excitement going on here in The Pump!” Lizzie exclaimed enthusiastically. They stood off to the right of the main bar. There were tables for ordering the heavenly scented pub food that was coming out of the kitchen. Then there were more booths and many tables set to the sides of the main dance floor. The floor was huge and good thing it was! So many people were twirling and dancing away to the smooth two-step tune that was currently playing. Billie felt pangs of sadness and disappointment looking at all the couples. She glanced over toward where Jackson sat with his friends and younger male family while he was nursing a beer. She wondered if he even noticed that she came in. Why would he? There were so many beautiful younger women here in tight busting open shirts and skirts that barely covered their perfect assets. It seemed cowboy boots and hats were a dress code that made Billie feel ridiculously conspicuous. She had come right from work after finishing up and was wearing a white silk V-necked shirt with a high-waist black pencil skirt. Her four-inch black heels made her legs look sexier than all heck, but there was only one man that she wanted to notice. It was hard to see if Jackson glanced over with his hat pulled low on his eyes. Billie pursed her lips and tried to look like she was happy to be here.

“Does everyone come here on Fridays voluntarily or it is in the town constitution or something?” Wow, Julia and her husband Thomas, all the Saunders including the parents, Hunter and all Powell’s men and women were in attendance. Even the mayor Elijah Carson and his wife Thea, even the feed and seed’s owners, Gus and Millie Braxton were all here.

“I think they are all here to watch the show,” laughed Beth. “I know I am!”

“I think I need to get you some meds. What are you talking about? What show?” Billie asked Beth, confused. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was somehow the star attraction and her worry began to grow.

“I don’t think you are going to have to worry about that, Dr. Rothman. Just prepare yourself for the fireworks that I am sure will show up later,” a voice belonging to Lizzie said a bit too loudly. Billie looked behind her at Lizzie but got no further comment. Lizzie was lost in a dreamy gaze at another huge bear of a Powell that was making its way toward the bar. At six foot five, Ben was looking extra handsome tonight with his shirt sleeves rolled up, showing off his muscular arms. A curl of thick hair hung onto his forehead in the most charming way as he ambled his way on over to the girls.

“Evening, ladies. Doc, I sure am glad to see that you finally were able to join us for a night out. You know how to dance to something other than New York rap?” Ben asked with a sweet smile, but instead of looking at Billie, he was looking down into someone else’s eyes. Lizzie had her head tilted all the way back as she tried to return Ben’s gaze. Billie inwardly laughed as she imagined Lizzie falling on her tush in her current position. With another pang of regret, Billie wished momentarily that it was the eldest Powell son who was asking her to dance.

“I sure can, Ben. Lead the way, O great cowboy whisperer and dance king. I am ever your loyal servant, however, don’t you want to dance with someone else first, perhaps?” she fired back at the huge man.