Jesse (18 page)

“Your father is three hours away.”

“How do you know that?” She had a sneaking suspicion that her uncle had warned him off; she didn't figure much would scare Jesse away. Eyes narrowed, hands on her hips, she asked, “Did he tell you to leave?”

Jesse's hands clenched and unclenched. “He's smarter than that.” Her confusion must have showed on her face because Jesse added, “He asked me.”

“So you'll just leave even if I don't want you to?”

He shook his head and turned to go. “Not a lot of choices here, Dani darlin'. We don't want the gossips to start talking about what we have that's special and twisting it around until it's tawdry. Lacy wouldn't understand.”

His determined strides ate up the ground between where she stood and where his truck was parked. Launching herself off the top step, she nearly did a face plant but managed to find her footing without eating dirt. “Jesse—wait!”

Hand on the top of the driver's door, he paused but didn't turn around. “I've got to go.”

Going with what was in her heart, she touched his shoulder and whispered, “Don't I get to say good-bye?”

He vibrated beneath her hand. Was he angry or was it something else? A man like Jesse Garahan wouldn't tremble at a woman's touch, would he? “I'm hanging on to my control by a thread here, Dani, please don't make it harder for me.”

She dropped her hand and he got into the cab. But before he could reach for the door handle, she slipped under his arm, cupped his face in her hands, and pressed her lips to his. He didn't have time to react as she stepped back and closed his door. “We'll see you tomorrow afternoon. I hope you're ready for one excited little girl.”

The heat in his gaze seared her. “I'm always ready.” He gunned the engine, backed up, and spun his tires while she stood there trying to figure out why he would leave when it was so obvious he wanted to stay.

And then it occurred to her—
the
Code.

Her mother was right to wean her on silver screen legends; the men of the West were strong, hardheaded, and loyal to the bone. They loved the land, the animals, and the way of life they'd chosen, and although life out west was a testament to those strengths, there were times when only the love of a good woman would keep a man going.

She'd found the cowboy she'd always dreamed of… and damned if she was going to let him walk away because of some misplaced sense of duty. She wanted to be the woman Jesse depended on to keep him going when his back was to the wall. Because she knew in her heart that Jesse Garahan was the man who would ride straight into hell for her… and damn the consequences.

She turned around and saw her uncle standing on the top steps. His slow smile pushed her over the edge. “What did you say to him?” she demanded, stalking over to the porch. “Why did he leave?”

His smile slipped a little, but he was definitely still pleased by the fact that Jesse hadn't stayed. Danielle asked, “Do you really still hold that pie theft against him?”

“Is that what you think?” Her uncle shook his head. “I was wrong then, but I'm not wrong now. That man has a good head on his shoulders and the brains to do what's right, no matter the cost to himself.”

He hadn't admitted to telling Jesse to leave yet, so she asked, “And how would I ever find that out if you keep scaring him away?”

“June bug, if you weren't so tied up in knots over that man right now, you'd see that he just proved how much he cares about you and Lacy by leaving!”

“But he wanted to stay… I wanted him to stay.”

Her uncle ground out, “Exactly!”

“Buddy wouldn't have left,” she rasped as tears filled her eyes. “That's what you wanted to find out, wasn't it, Uncle Jimmy?” She brushed her tears away and her anger fizzled out. “You wanted to see if he was the type of man who would grab whatever he could and to hell with everyone else—”

“Like that good-for-nothing rodeo cowboy,” he ground out.

“Like Lacy's father,” Danielle said softly.

“And that's the only good thing Buddy Brockway did in his whole sorry existence,” her uncle growled. “Fathered the most beautiful little girl on God's green Earth.”

“Well,” Danielle said with a smile. “On that at least we agree.”

Watching the way her uncle's throat worked, she could tell he was holding back things best left unsaid. Glad that he had a handle on his anger, she closed the distance and hugged him tight. “I love you, Uncle Jimmy.”

“I promised your daddy I'd watch your back,” he said rubbing his hand on her back, as he had when she was a little girl. It soothed her then; it did the same now. “And I mean to honor that promise.”

She had no doubt that her uncle would keep his word. She depended on it. The realization that Jesse was a lot like her uncle and her father made Jesse's leaving just now a little easier to take.

“Do you think he'll be happy to see us tomorrow?”

“Count on it.”

“But he seemed so angry—”

“I think he was mostly frustrated and not wanting to leave without sampling a little more of what I'm trying to protect.”

She pushed out of his arms. “Uncle Jimmy!”

He shook his head. “No use trying to pretty it up. That man's gonna be hurtin' until he has a cold shower… maybe two.”

Shaking her head at her uncle's plain way of speaking, she sighed. “I'm going to bed. See you in the morning.”

“You and little June bug can sleep in tomorrow.”

She laughed. “Not if we're going to help you over at the diner before we head on out to the Circle G for the afternoon.”

“So come over to the diner around eight o'clock. Sadie'll be there to help me, so you don't have to rush. All right?”

Love for her uncle had her smiling. “All right, but no more tests or interfering. Deal?”

He looked like he was about to refuse but then shrugged. “Deal. Night, June bug.”

She laughed softly. “Night, Uncle Jimmy.”

***

Jesse thought about what Danielle's uncle said all the way back home. He got out to open the gate and wondered if she and Lacy would still come for a visit tomorrow. “I want to be the one to teach Lacy to ride, and a hell of a lot more. I want to be there for Lacy… all the time.”

With his hand on the latch, he looked up at the wrought iron and marveled that his great-great-great-grandfather had been the one to forge the huge circle with a
G
in the center of it. Proclaiming to all that this land was Garahan land, and come hell or high water, Indian uprisings, or battles over water rights, a Garahan had held on to this land for generations.

He'd never lacked for pride and knew it all stemmed from his roots—solid Texas roots. But there was one thing he lacked, he thought as he got back into his truck and drove to the house. He needed a woman to stand beside him and help him keep the family going strong.

He wanted to do his part working the ranch alongside his brothers, but more, he wanted to settle down, marry a good woman, and watch her grow round with his child. He was certain tonight when he'd kissed her that Danielle Brockway was that woman.

Putting it in park, he marveled that he'd already have a head start on his brothers—he'd have a daughter… a little pixie pink cowgirl.

He hung his hat on the peg by the back door and, for the first time since Emily and Ronnie had come to live out at the Circle G, took care not to make any noise to wake anyone up.

“I thought you'd stayed over in town last night.” Ronnie smiled and flipped the steak she'd been frying. “I didn't hear you come in.”

Jesse walked over to where she stood and kissed her on the cheek.

She tilted her head to one side and asked, “What was that for?”

“Caring about me,” he said and meant it. And it was that simple. Both she and Emily loved his brothers enough to let that love spill over and care about him. “I'm one lucky bastard.”

“You'll be a bleeding bastard if I catch you kissing my wife again.”

To prove a point to himself and his brother, he hugged Ronnie close and kissed her forehead. “The womenfolk don't like to see blood spilled before breakfast.” He winked at Ronnie and shocked the hell out of Dylan by pulling him in for a quick brotherly hug. And just to make sure his brother didn't think he'd completely lost his mind, Jesse turned around and punched Dylan in the shoulder.

Dylan grunted, walked over to his wife, swept her into his arms, and kissed her like he'd never see her again.

“Damn,” Jesse mumbled. “Wished I'd done that just once more last night.”

“You get lucky last night?” Tyler asked walking into the room.

Dylan finally came up for air and said, “I'm thinking he must have.”

Jesse pushed down hard on the lid to his temper. He didn't want to start a fight today of all days… he was going to see Danielle and Lacy today and get behind the wheel of Slim's race car tonight. Nothing and no one was gonna do anything to ruin his good mood.

Just as he was about to speak, Emily put her hand on his back and poured his coffee. “Stop picking on Jesse.”

Jesse winked at Emily; she was smart and knew that once the men had that first cup of coffee in their hands, they were less likely to pick a fight with one another. Tyler was just as fortunate in his choice of woman as his other brother. The more he paid attention to the subtle signs of affection between his brothers and the amazing women who loved them, the more he realized that what he wanted out of life wasn't what he'd thought he wanted when he was eighteen and could only think of racing cars…

What he wanted was going to be visiting today, and if he didn't set the record straight right now with Emily and Ronnie as his witnesses, his brothers would probably say something stupid that
he
would end up regretting. Not that they would intentionally say anything mean.

He set his mug down and set the table. “Danielle and Lacy are coming out to visit today.”

Tyler's mug froze halfway to his mouth. He glanced at Emily and then at Jesse. “That a fact?”

Jesse shrugged. He didn't have time to figure out what was going on in his older brother's mind. “I'm gonna need some time to spend with them.” He looked at both of his brothers when he asked, “Will that work for you?”

“Is she who you were with last night?” Tyler's question hung in the air.

Jesse clenched his hands into fists but kept them at his sides. Gradually, he eased them open again and picked up his mug. The kick of caffeine cleared his brain and he answered, “I drove into town last night and spent some time with Danielle, but not the way you're thinking.”

“How do you know what he's thinking?” Dylan asked.

“Breakfast is ready, boys,” Ronnie interrupted. “Come and fill your plates.” When Dylan walked over, she smacked him in the back of the head with the spatula.

“What the hell was that for?”

She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him. “Because it's none of your business what Jesse's doing.”

“Why should he care what we say—” Tyler began only to be interrupted by Emily.

“Because Jesse treated Ronnie and I with respect from the moment we met him, and we expect no less from either of you where Danielle's concerned.”

“But that would mean—” Dylan began only to fall silent when Ronnie lifted the spatula and shook it at him.

“That she is every bit of deserving of your respect and if we find out any different—” Ronnie began.

“There will be hell to pay,” Emily finished.

His brothers, smart men that they were, looked at their women and then over at Jesse before they shrugged and sat down at the table.

“Will they be staying for lunch or dinner?” Ronnie asked.

Jesse finished chewing before answering. “I have to leave by five o'clock, so unless you ask them to stay, she won't want to wear out her welcome.”

Emily was opening and closing cupboards when she said, “Danielle and Lacy are always welcome here.”

“What are you doing?” Tyler finally asked.

“I thought I had another box of brownie mix. I guess I'll have to go into town and buy some more.”

Concern etched his brother's brow and he got up and drew Emily into his arms.

If Jesse hadn't been straining to hear what his brother was saying, he might have missed hearing Tyler ask her if everything was all right.

Emily didn't answer him with words; she lifted her lips and Jesse looked away, but not before he saw the look in her eyes. A look that reminded him of what he'd glimpsed in Danielle's blue eyes last night—love.

He started choking until he felt a strong hand pounding on his back. He held up a hand to indicate he was all right. By the time he could draw in a breath, his brothers were looking at him like the time that two-headed calf had been born.

“Is there something you're not telling us, Jess?” Tyler asked.

“Aside from where you go at night and how you're earning whatever money you leave on the table?” Dylan added.

He shook his head. “Nope. I'm good. Thanks for breakfast, Ronnie.” He rinsed his dishes, put them in the dishwasher, and headed for the stairs. “I'll be right down with my laundry.”

Ronnie and Emily exchanged a knowing smile. “He's got it bad,” Emily said.

“What?” Tyler demanded.

Jesse could hear the sound of delighted feminine laughter as he walked back through the kitchen to the laundry room. “Did I miss anything good?”

His brothers watched him with an intensity that had him wondering just what they'd been talking about while he was upstairs. Probably about him and Danielle.

Emily put her arm through his and asked, “Are you sure you have to go out tonight? Ronnie and I wanted to make a special dinner.”

He looked at the four expectant expressions and shrugged. “Maybe next week.”

“How about Friday night?” Ronnie asked. “Your cousins should be here by then.”

He shook his head. “I'm busy Friday night.”

“We'll plan for Saturday, then,” Emily said with a smile.

He paused with his hand on the back door. “Can't do it Saturday unless we eat around three o'clock.”

He had to get out of the house, before they asked him for another night that he would be out at the track either practicing or racing and his temper burst free. Damn, it was hard to be considerate. If it had been his brothers asking him, he could have told them both to go fuck themselves and be done with it. But he'd never say anything like that to their women.

“Damn,” he grumbled. “Women complicate everything.”

***

Once Jesse left, Dylan and Tyler followed him, leaving Ronnie and Emily alone in the kitchen.

“So,” Ronnie said slowly, “got any ideas?”

Emily grinned. “We're going to interfere.”

Ronnie laughed. “Good. Did you see the way Danielle kept staring at Jesse, when she thought no one was looking, with an all-too-familiar shell-shocked expression on her face?”

Emily nodded.

“Once they're here, we can tell her we need Lacy's help in the gardens or for a secret project that we're doing for Take Pride in Pleasure Day.”

Emily dried her hands on a kitchen towel and asked, “What secret project?”

“Hmm?” Ronnie asked getting out the ingredients for the marinade she was planning for their dinner.

“Ronnie?”

She turned and laughed at the way Emily was frowning up at her. Finally the light went on and Emily was laughing right along with her. “You just made that up.”

Ronnie agreed. “Think it'll work?”

Emily's laughter died. “They need more time together, but because of Lacy, they're putting their own needs aside.”

Ronnie scored the steak and poured the marinade over it. “Jesse seems really distracted.” She covered the dish with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.

“We need to give them a push.”

“I want Jesse to be happy too,” Emily said.

“He will be, Em.”

“Danielle and Lacy too?”

Ronnie reached for the phone. “Why don't I call Danielle and give her the heads up.”

Emily nodded. “I need to run into town for a couple of things. Tell her I can pick them up on my way back… it'll be easier to convince them to sleep over tonight if they don't have a car.”

“Danielle might say no,” Ronnie warned.

“Maybe we'll get lucky and Lacy will answer the phone.”

***

“Mommy! Ronnie's on the phone. She says we can help her with stuff and sleep over.”

Danielle held out her hand and Lacy gave the phone to her mother. “Cowboy Jesse's gonna teach me to ride today.”

“Hi, Ronnie, what's this about a sleepover?” She thought Lacy had been making that up, but to her shock, Dylan's wife started to explain the reasons it would be a good idea.

“The guys are really behind schedule and need to make some repairs to the barn before their cousins arrive to help them move the herd.”

“It sounds like we should wait until after they do that.” Danielle didn't want to disappoint Lacy. Then there was the fact that she'd actually spent the night staring at the ceiling reliving Jesse's devastating kisses—and their mind blowing, orgasmic lovemaking.

“We really need Lacy's help, though.”

“Really? With what?”

“There's a super secret project that we need her help with.”

“You can't even tell me?”

“Well,” Ronnie said slowly. “I could tell you, but then…”

Danielle laughed. “I'll let you two keep your secrets. We'd love to come over—”

Lacy tugged on the hem of her T-shirt and asked, “Can we sleep there too?”

Danielle nodded. “We're going to help my uncle until after lunch. We can drive over later.”

“Emily's going to be at Dawson's later. She can come by and pick you up at the diner.”

“Well—”

“It'd be easier for us; that way, we'll have all of the help we need all day and Lacy can get a riding lesson this afternoon and then again right after breakfast.”

Lacy was watching her closely, but for once, she didn't hesitate. Lacy wasn't the only one who wanted to spend more time out at the Circle G. Danielle couldn't wait to see more of the ranch… and spend a few stolen moments in Jesse's arms and find out if he felt the same connection on as deep a level as she did.

“We'll be ready.”

“Emily will stop by around one thirty.”

Danielle disconnected and bent to lift Lacy into her arms. “Pack your backpack, sweet pea, we're going to be camping out at the Circle G.”

“Yay!” Lacy hugged her tight and kissed her cheek before squirming to get down. “I'll be right back.”

The morning flew by with Lacy asking every ten minutes when Emily was arriving. Between her uncle and Sadie, they managed to keep Lacy from driving her crazy.

Lacy called out “She's here! She's here!” and ran to the door.

“Hey there, Lacy,” Emily said, getting out of the car. “Are you ready for some fun?”

Danielle joined her daughter outside and smiled. “We are. It's been a really long time since we did anything for fun.” She reminded Lacy about her backpack, giving her time to speak to Emily alone. “I'm not sure what surprise project you want Lacy to help you with,” she said quietly. “She's so smart, it's hard to remember she's just a little girl.”

“No problem.”

“So is Jesse going to be there?”

Emily smiled and nodded. “He… uh… doesn't know that you and Lacy are staying over.”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

“No. You'll find the Garahans are an affable bunch for the most part.”

“They seem to disagree a lot.”

Emily laughed. “They're just brothers.” She turned to open the back door when Lacy reappeared with her pink hat and matching backpack.

“Did you say good-bye to Uncle Jimmy and Sadie?”

Lacy nodded. “Unca Jimmy wants to tell you something.”

Danielle wondered if it would be a continuation of their discussion from the night before. “I'll be right back. You mind Emily now.”

“She won't be a problem. We'll be right here.”

Danielle walked inside and reached for the overnight bag she'd left in the corner behind the cash register.

“There you are.” Sadie smiled. “Your uncle's in the kitchen.”

When she walked in, he turned and smiled. “Emily's probably got a list of errands a mile long, so I won't keep you.” When he just stared at her, she wondered what was up.

“Is there something you wanted to say?”

He shook his head. “I'm going out on a limb here, June bug.” He stacked his saucepans and brushed his hands on his apron. “Not all cowboys are like the one you married.” Before she could respond, he folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “I may not have approved of him as a kid, especially when he and his brothers stole—well it's best if I don't get all riled up again. What I'm trying to say is that Jesse turned out all right and proved it last night.”

“Good to know,” she said, putting her bag down to hug him.

When he set her back from him, he said, “Those boys are doing everything they can to keep that ranch. Don't say as I approve of the way Tyler or Dylan started out making the extra money they needed, but it isn't for me to say.”