Unbroken Promises (18 page)

Beaux bought them some popcorn, candy, and drinks. They ended up watching three movies in a row before they left. It was about four in the morning before they made it home. Beth woke Cody up and sent him to bed.

Jesse hadn’t slept all night worrying about Beth. If he didn’t think Susan or Jordon would have overruled him, he would have made Beth stay home, but he knew they liked Beaux and wouldn’t have seen anything wrong with it. They most likely would have encouraged it, but they didn’t know Beaux like he knew Beaux.

The man loved women. He had a gift of words and maneuvers like Jesse had never seen before. Any women, virgins included, didn’t last very long alone with him. As far back as Jesse could remember, Beaux got just about every woman he set his sights on. In Jesse’s heart, he really didn’t believe Beaux would try to seduce someone he knew Jesse loved, but Jesse didn’t like leaving anything to chance. After a sleepless night of staring at the ceiling and pacing the floor, he knew he made a mistake. He should have just forgotten his pride at seeing Beaux’s smug knowing smile and gone with them.

It was four in the morning, when Jesse finally saw the car lights. After hearing the car’s engine turn off and the doors slam shut, he crawled back in bed and waited. There were three beds in the loft where he, Beaux, and Cody were to sleep.

It was about 10 minutes later before Jesse heard boots clomping up the steps. Cody stepped through the door and shut it quietly behind him. Jesse could tell by looking at him he’d been sleeping.

“You fell asleep, didn’t you?” Jesse accused.

“Jesse, I tried to stay awake, but I couldn’t do it. I was just too tired to babysit. I tried to tell you how tired I was, but you wouldn’t listen,” Cody said in defense before he fell in his bed and went back to sleep.

Jesse knew he shouldn’t blame Cody. He lay back down and waited for Beaux to come up.

After waiting about 20 minutes, he gave up. He jerked on his pants and stormed downstairs to see what was keeping him.

The downstairs consisted of a kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. Jordon and Susan had one bedroom and Beth and Donna were sharing the other. When Jesse climbed down the stairs, he looked all over for Beaux. He didn’t see him in the kitchen or the living room. That only left outside. “What could he still be doing outside? I didn’t hear him leave,” Jesse thought.

Jesse walked over to the window and looked out. Even though it was still dark, he could see the silhouette of Beaux on the porch holding and kissing Beth. Jesse saw nothing but red. He was enraged. He was still in enough control of his anger that he wasn’t going to hurt Beaux, but he was going to let him know he’d had enough.

Jesse opened the front door and threw the screen door open so hard it banged up against the wall. He marched straight up to Beaux, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and shoved him against the wall.

“Beaux, I’ve had enough! I’m tired of this sh-.”

The porch light flashed on and Jesse knew someone was behind him. He knew it was probably Jordon, and Jesse had no idea what he was going to say.

“Jesse, what in the world are you doing to Beaux?”

Jesse turned slowly and looked at Beth standing there in his shirt and a pair of pajama pants.

Then he closed his eyes and slowly turned his head back to the woman standing beside Beaux.

When he opened his eyes, Donna was looking back at him with a peculiar look on her face. She then waved a few fingers at him and smiled timidly. Jesse had only been embarrassed a few times in his life and this was definitely one of them.

Jesse realized he still held Beaux and gradually released him. Jesse knew without a doubt the look he was going to see on Beaux’s face. Sure enough, when Jesse got brave enough to look, Beaux was looking back with roguish twinkling eyes and that same all-knowing little grin. Jesse really did want to hit him then.

Beth walked up behind him.

“Jesse, don’t you think you’re a little too old and it’s a little too late to be out here clowning around? You’re going to wake up everybody in the house. If daddy comes out, he’s going to knock you upside the head.”

When Jesse looked again at Beth, he saw her more clearly. She stood under the porch light.

Even though his shirt hung off of her shoulders and down to her thighs, her braless breasts were stretching the top.

“Beth, go back inside or put some clothes on,” Jesse said exasperated.

“I have clothes on”; but, as Beth said this, she looked down at herself. Her eyes got big and her face turned red. “Oh, my,” Beth said as she quickly brought her hands up to cover herself.

Then she turned and hurried back inside.

Beaux took mercy on Jesse and changed the subject. “Jesse,” Beaux said as he grabbed Donna’s hand and pulled her to him. “Donna and I would like you to be de first to know that we are now a couple. My playboy ways are no more. This young lady has stolen my heart, so we have decided to see where our relationship will lead us. She will do her best ‘ta tame me, and I will do my best ‘ta try and be tamed. And, we have you to thank for bringing us together.” After Beaux said this, he pulled Jesse to him with his other arm and gave him a hug. “Mais podna’, you should know me well enough to know dat I love you too much to ever try and take something dat belongs to you.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I guess I’ve made an ass of myself.”

“Don’ worry about it. Donna and I both agreed. We aren’t going to rest until de two of you walk down de aisle.”

“Then y’all have your work cut out for you. There’s no telling what could happen between now and that day.”

Jordon & Susan

Beth saw Becky at the mall one day and told her she was going to go to college here. Becky said she was also. She told Beth she had missed her while she was gone. Becky invited Beth to go out with her and some of the old gang the next weekend. Beth said she would.

Beth met them at a local dance club. They all were having fun and laughing about old times.

They had to practically shout to be heard in the loud and overly crowded, smoky club. Beth drank enough so that she was feeling good but she wasn’t drunk. She danced just about every dance. She and Clay had danced to pop music. This was country, so she had to have her partners teach her the steps again. She hadn’t two-stepped since they snuck off to Louisiana.

Becky walked off to a dark corner table with a guy she had met. Beth was about to call it a night when Jesse walked in. He had a new lady on his arm. When she saw his date walk toward the bathroom, Beth made her way to Jesse.

“Hey, cowboy, how ‘bout a dance?”

“Beth? What are you doing here?”

“Apparently, the same thing as you. I came to dance. Come on, I promise I won’t step on your toes.”

He looked at her as if he didn’t know what to do, so Beth took his hand and pulled him on to the crowded dance floor.

Beth was surprised at what a great country dancer Jesse was. He was so smooth, and he smelled so good. After the fast two-step, a slow song began to play. When Jesse started to walk off Beth held onto him and begged him to stay and dance with her.

Jesse hesitated, darted a glance toward the women’s restroom, and then relented and pulled Beth into another dance

Beth was determined to make the most of the moment. She got as close as she could. She swayed and rubbed herself against Jesse as much as possible without being down right vulgar.

Her arms were around his neck and she was staring into his eyes with pent-up passion. To her surprise, Jesse wasn’t backing up. He was staring back at her and rubbing his hands up and down her back. Beth felt as if he was contemplating kissing her. She stilled her breathing and tried to make herself as irresistible as possible. She even opened her lips slightly and pulled herself closer.

Just as Jesse’s head was leaning down to hers, the latest bimbo he was with stepped beside them.

“Hey, Jesse, did you forget who you came with?”

Jesse immediately stepped back. “No, Rhonda, I was just dancing with my nie-…uh, my brother’s sister-in-law.”

“Beth, this is an old friend of mine, Rhonda. Rhonda, this is Elizabeth, Susan’s sister.” The two women merely nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

“It’s alright, Jesse, I was about to leave anyway. I’ll see you at the house later.” Then Beth reached up, kissed him lightly on the lips, and gave him the most seductive look she could.

“Later.”

“Hey, how did you get here?” Jesse said before Beth could walk off.

“I drove myself. I came to meet my old friends from high school.”

“Elizabeth, what are you doing?” Jesse asked in a chastising way.

“Jesse, relax. I’m older and a lot more mature than I was then.”

“I still don’t like it.”

While they were talking, a young man walked up and asked Beth to dance. She agreed and walked away with him.

Jesse watched Beth dance with the man. She was such a striking woman. She had felt so good in his arms. She was both soft and firm. Jesse knew things were changing between them, and he felt it was about time. She was almost 20. His intention was for her to be older, but he didn’t know how he waited this long, just watching her dance with the young man made him mad. He had to face the truth. He couldn’t stand seeing her in anyone’s arms but his.

Beth was having a small ‘end of summer’ pool party. She only invited a few friends who were cool but not wild. Annette was one. The two of them had stayed close. Annette had even come to see her a few times while she was in Austin.

Beth knew, if things got too wild, Susan would never allow her to have another party, so she kept it simple. Everyone was having fun, laughing and squealing as they played pool volleyball; there were four boys and three girls besides her.

It was getting late in the evening, almost dark, still hot with no breeze. The pool’s chlorine drifted in the air as the gang jumped and splashed, trying to get the ball. Beth tried to wait until Jesse got home to see if he would play a game with them.

Jesse and Jordon had been out on the horses all day riding around the ranch checking for any problems with the cows or fences. Beth got out of the pool to look over the fence to see if she could see them riding up.

She’d just slapped at the third horsefly that had bitten her and was about to jump back in the pool when she saw them ride up and go into the barn. After a few minutes, they came out and started waling toward the house. Beth started to call out and wave them over when she saw, out of the corner of her eye, two girls walking toward them. It took a few moments for Beth to recognize who they were because she wasn’t friends with them, nor did she invite them to her party. The girls were identical twins and nothing but trouble.

“Well, hello, good-looking. What a pleasant surprise to find not one but two handsome men.

We watched you ride in on your horses and just had to walk over and meet you. I’m Stacy and this is my sister, Lacy.” Beth heard one of the girls say silkily. As she watched, one girl stepped up to Jesse and the other one stepped close to Jordon. And almost at the same time, they began rubbing their hands up their arms and over their chest.

“Why don’t the two of you come party with us tonight? We’ll show you a real good time.

And I promise, we have something you can ride that’s even wilder that what the two of you rode in on,” the one caressing Jordon said.

“Lacy, you wouldn’t want this tired, sweaty, old man,” Jordon replied with amusement lacing his voice.

“Oh, honey, that’s where you wrong. I would love to have a sweaty stud like you to service me.” Lacy continued trailing and circling her fingers over Jordon’s upper body.

The one in front of Jesse already made her way down to his crotch. “My, my, Lace, I think we have indeed found a couple of studs,” Stacy said as she groped and kneaded Jesse.

Then Lacy put her hand between Jordon’s legs and felt him. “That assessment is without a doubt, sister,” Lacy purred.

Both men stood there dumbfounded. Creases were forming across Jordon’s forehead. Beth slung the gate open and made her way toward them. Before she reached them, she heard Jesse’s drawl.

“We’re gonna have to take a rain check, little darlin’s, because we just rode all we can ride for one night.”

Jordon was removing Lacy’s hands when Susan came off the porch at a marching fast pace.

Beth reached them first.

“You get your filthy hands off my daddy. And you and your slutty sister get off this property. And don’t you ever come back. I didn’t invite you for a reason.” Susan made it to Beth and was now standing beside her. “You like the way my husband feels, honey? Tell me if you like the feel of this?” Susan said, right before she reared back and slapped the girl across the face with enough force that it knocked her down.

Lacy fell back and landed hard on her butt. Part of Susan’s hand had connected with Lacy’s nose; blood gushed all over her expensive white shirt. Stacy yelled at Susan and then ran to her sister to help her up.

After she was standing, they both started arguing and cussing with Beth, who was in their faces arguing and cussing back. Then Beth and Stacy started shoving each other. Susan was going for Lacy again when Jordon grabbed her around the waist. Before fists went flying again and someone else got hurt, Jesse grabbed Beth while Jordon held onto Susan who was struggling, trying to get loose. Then they pulled them both across the yard and inside the house.

When Jordon let go of Susan, she stepped back and slapped him. “You leech.” Then she ran upstairs, threw out his pillow, and slammed the door. Beth just glared at both of them and then walked back outside.

Cody followed the twins to their car. “Girls, y’all really shouldn’t of done that. Your behavior has caused a heck of a lot of trouble around here,” Cody drawled in his thick country accent and continued without giving either of them a chance to speak. “Did y’all accomplish what you set out to do? Can I ask why it was so important for two rich beautiful girls to come all the way out here to upset a family?” Cody lifted his hands in confusion “Do you even know anyone here?”

“Well, country boy, it’s like this,” Lacy said as she propped her hands on her hips. “We’re tired of being snubbed by the likes of your goody-goody cousin. We were both standing beside the people she invited to the party today, but she ignored us as if we were invisible. And we’ve heard she isn’t as innocent as she makes out to be. So we decided to come out here and have a little fun and stir things up a bit. We love to see how many men we can take with just the crook of our finger.”