Austin (New Horizon Ranch Book 8) (7 page)

Jolene’s head cleared a little. “I don’t know. I’m pretty wore out. And I still need to unsaddle my horse—”

“Everyone wants to meet you. And me and you live in a man’s world. I’ve learned it’s a good thing to spend time with other women. Come on. You’ll have a good time.”

Maybe this is what she needed to take her mind off the kiss that had just happened.
What was Austin thinking?
“Sure. Okay, I’ll go. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up in two hours. That give you enough time to take care of business?”

“Sure.”

Maddie smiled. “Great. And by the way, you need to plan on coming to the dance. We have one two times a month. You’ll enjoy it. It’s a social thing and a lot of fun.”

“Maybe,” she said, knowing a dance was the last place she’d be found come Saturday night.

Austin wiped his hands and smiled at the little lady who’d had a flat near the county line. “There you go, ma’am. You’ll be set until you get to Ranger. You’ll want to stop there and have your flat tire plugged or get a new one and replace this emergency tire before you head on to your destination.”

“I’ll do that. Thank you so much, young man. I am so thankful you came along. I tried to call for help, but there was no phone service.”

Austin grimaced. “Yes ma’am, our county has spotty phone service and I apologize for that.” He didn’t like that the county had areas that didn’t have phone service but that was life in the country. He was glad he’d arrived to help her and she hadn’t had to wait on help for too long.

He waited until she’d driven off before he climbed back into his vehicle and started his rounds again. He’d welcomed the distraction of removing the flat tire and replacing it; the exertion it gave him had taken his mind off Jolene for a few minutes.

He’d had her there all afternoon since he’d made a fool of himself and kissed her.

What had he been thinking?

The woman was driving him to lose his good sense. His phone rang and he let out a gruff laugh; he’d just reentered phone service. He pushed the speaker button and answered the call.

“Austin, do you have time to talk?” his sister asked.

“Sure I do. How are you doing today, Sydney? How’s Julie?” He worried every day about them and realized it had been two days since he’d talked to her.

“I’m fine. And so is Julie. I, well, I wanted to ask you if you might be able to get off next Tuesday and come to Kerrville. Julie has a play she’s in and well, I thought maybe you could stand in for Charles?”

He rubbed his forehead, hating that his sister and niece were hurting. “I will be there. You tell me when and where and I’ll get off.”

He heard the catch in her voice. “Thank you. I, I don’t know what we would do without you. Charles always said he liked having a brother-in-law he knew he could count on to be there for us if something happened to him…thank you. I love you, Austin.”

He smiled. “I love you too, kiddo. Charles was a good guy. I liked knowing you had someone who was looking out for you. I wish he were still here.”

She sighed into the phone. “I do too…it’s been seven months and I miss him so much. So acutely, even now. I…oh Austin, it’s really a hard time these last few days. I think it’s finally sinking in that he truly is gone. Does that sound odd?”

“No, I can’t presume to know what you’re feeling. You two had something really special. Hang onto that.”

“I am. I just never thought that day would be his last. He looked so strong and confident when he stuck his boot into that stirrup and climbed into that saddle…” She sighed.

Austin’s gut tightened and he thought instantly of Jolene. “You’re going to be okay, Sydney. You’ll get through this. Charles would want you to.”

She sniffed and he knew she was crying. “I know. It’s just hard, you know. Some days are just like I’m taking steps backward.”

“Just take it slow and easy. I don’t know a lot but I know you and you’ve taken a hit no woman should have to take and you’ll come out of it okay. Stronger even. I love you, sis.”

“Thanks. I love you too. And I’ll see you Tuesday. Julie will be over the moon when you show up.”

“And that right there is the reason I wouldn’t miss her program for the world.”

He’d pulled over to the side of the road during the call and now he sat there in the silence. His sister was strong but he worried about her. He was thankful she had the support of his parents in Kerrville to help watch Julie when she had to work and for their emotional support. And he was helping out with that as much as he could; he just felt as if he lacked what she needed. He’d loved Charles like a brother and his death had been a blow to him; he couldn’t imagine how Sydney and Julie felt. But she would make it through.

And now, he had this thing for a bronc buster. Just thinking about it made him mad.

How could this have happened?

She drove into town and turned him inside out with one look at her and now all he could think about was taking her in his arms and kissing her long and slow. Not hard and fast like he’d done. What had he been thinking? She should have hauled off and socked him.

She was probably wondering what he’d been thinking too…and that was the problem: he hadn’t been. He was so tied up in knots of worry for her that he’d just reacted.

And now that he had, he could not for the life of him forget it.

He closed his eyes and dropped his head to his hands on the steering wheel. He had to get her out of his system and off his mind.

Brady had insisted he take the night off for the dance because he’d been working so much overtime and taking the night shift more than his fair share. So maybe he’d go. He’d planned on going to see Sydney and Julie but he’d be asking off for Tuesday to go see them, so maybe a dance on Saturday would be a good place for him to be. Maybe he’d find him a few pretty dance partners and get his mind off a particular cowgirl with a death wish…

Maybe.

He pulled back on the blacktop and headed toward town. He passed the convenience store on the left where he participated in some tense hours not too long ago when Maddie and the town matchmakers had been held hostage. He had been fairly new in town at that time and he’d been more than relieved when the day had ended with the bad guys behind bars and Maddie and the others were safe and sound. He decided it was a good time to stop in and make sure all was secure. Then he’d head to Sam’s for supper.

This time maybe he’d get his meal eaten.

Jolene had spruced up a bit more than she usually did for the trip into town. She hadn’t eaten at Sam’s Diner yet but had heard the place had some down-home cooking and great atmosphere. Plus she was going to meet her bosses’ wives and hang out with one of her bosses. That in itself was a little intimidating. She was a hired hand and yet Maddie treated her as if they were equals. On the drive into Mule Hollow, she asked Maddie why.

Maddie had laughed. “Until my boss, CC, died and left me as one of the partners in the New Horizon Ranch, I was exactly who you are. A female who loved cowgirling with all my heart. Now, I’m just a cowgirl who got an unbelievable gift.”

“He must have really thought a lot of you and Dalton, Ty, Chase, and Rafe.”

Maddie swallowed hard. When she looked at Jolene, there were tears in her eyes. “We thought a lot of him. He was the best man I ever knew. And I’m convinced he chose each of us as partners because he knew we loved the ranch and would carry it on and make it into the best in the state. He was well on the way to doing that before he got ill.” She had turned back to the road and now looked back at Jolene. “That’s why you’re here. You’re one of the best, Ty says. He says you will help him make the equine program into a five-star program.”

The pressure settled on Jolene’s shoulders. “My last boss said I was careless with his horses and I nearly broke them down. Ty knows that’s what’s been said and he hired me anyway. I want to thank y’all for giving me this shot when no one else would.”

Maddie pulled into a parking space in front of the diner. She turned off the engine and stared at Jolene. “Were you careless with his stock?”

Jolene shook her head. “I wasn’t.”

“Then no thanks necessary. I am curious why good ole Mo Jordon would say such a thing about you?”

“He made advances that I wasn’t willing to accept as part of the job description. Ruining my career was part of the payback.” Jolene tried not to think of that day in the barn when her ex-boss had made his move. He hadn’t appreciated her refusal of his advances and…Jolene pushed the disgusting memory from her mind. She had been lucky it hadn’t been worse. And she’d been lucky that when she’d called Ty, he’d taken her word and hired her. No one else would. Mo was a powerful man in the horse circles.

“Let’s go meet everyone.”

Jolene nodded and climbed out of the truck. She looked down the street of the bright and cheerful town that was painted in a kaleidoscope of colors. Hot pink, purple, blue, bright yellow with green trim…she couldn’t help but think that in a town this happy-looking that she could start over. And Maddie and Ty and the other partners were giving her a shot at it.

“Cute, isn’t it?”

“Perfect.” Jolene stepped up onto the board sidewalk and followed Maddie into the diner. The moment Maddie pushed open the heavy swinging front door, the music from a jukebox signaled the night would be lively.

Maddie led the way through the crowd and several cowboys she recognized from the ranch stopped Jolene and told her she’d done a good job with the horse that afternoon. She thanked them and then continued on to the table where Maddie had pulled out a chair. Several ladies were already there.

Jolene recognized Sadie, Rafe’s wife, but no one else.

Maddie quickly introduced her to the others and Jolene repeated them in her head, trying to remember. Amber was Chase’s wife. Sadie and Rafe, Mia and Ty, Rae Anne and Dalton.

“So.” Sadie leaned toward her with a huge smile. “Is it true? I heard that you and our handsome, hunky Deputy Austin kissed this afternoon. I added the handsome, hunky myself. The birdy who told me just said you got a whopping kiss laid on you in the parking lot today.”

All eyes were on Jolene. She’d just met Mia, Rae Anne, and Amber, and she suddenly felt like a bug in a jar.

“Y’all,” Maddie scolded. “I drove all the way from the ranch and restrained my interest because I didn’t want to just butt in on Jolene’s privacy and y’all just barely met her.”

They all looked a little embarrassed but it was clear they were curious. Jolene bit her lip, thinking. “I knew everyone had to have seen that kiss. Austin just hauled off in the middle of an argument and kissed me. I should have kicked him in the knee.”

Five pairs of eyes widened.

Rae Anne frowned. “Why would you go and do that?”

Sadie smiled. “Yeah, why? Sounds like a few fireworks in the mix here. I remember how mad Rafe Masterson made me when we first met. Fireworks in flight, I can tell you. And same with Maddie. Right, Maddie?”

Maddie grinned. “Yup. That man tried to tame me. Thinking he could keep me from doing what I love.”

“No one is going to keep me from doing what I love.” Jolene instantly thought of how Austin had reacted to her riding Dimples. “
Do you know how dangerous it is to be doing what you’re doing? Watch yourself.”

He’d questioned her ability…like other men had over the years. She usually let it roll off her like water off a duck, but with Austin she’d been ready to fight. And he’d kissed her.

Sam came up then to take orders. “You must be Jolene,” the small man in jeans and a white shirt and apron said. His weathered face lifted in a smile. “You’re the new bronc buster. Austin and some of the fellas were talking about you just this morning. I hear you’re real good.”

“I try to stay in the saddle and I try to gentle them up before getting on their backs, so that helps.” She forced a smile because everyone was looking but all she could think about was that Austin had been discussing her riding in the diner with other cowboys.
Had that been why he was there earlier? How dare him!

“And speak of the devil—look who just walked in.” Rae Anne smiled happily at Jolene. “He’s as handsome as my Dalton.”

Jolene didn’t have to turn around to know Austin had just walked into the room.

Chapter Nine

Nope, Jolene didn’t need Rae Anne telling her that Austin had just walked into Sam’s. She knew because the atmosphere seemed to take on a charged feeling and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. And then there was her pulse skittering and jumping around like a colt on a spring day in open pastures.

“He’s spotted you,” Amber said through straight lips, as if she was a ventriloquist. “He’s coming this way-ay.”

Darn it, no!
And then he had moved so he stood beside her at the table. “Ladies, Jolene.” She didn’t look up at him. She was too furious and too doggone flustered. She was not a female to get flustered and yet this lawman had the uncharacteristic way of getting to her. And she and the law did not mix. They didn’t.

The table was unusually silent. Amber was sitting next to Jolene and she gave Jolene’s thigh a shove with her knee.