Boots and The Rogue: Ugly Stick Saloon, Book 10 (7 page)

Jessie’s cheeks burned. “He mentioned it.”

“Mom, she’s gorgeous, and I told her.” Colin grimaced. “Well, not in so many words.”

“Angus?” his mother prompted.

“Jessie, you look great,” Angus said and turned to his mother. “Now, what’s going on? I’ve never known you to go on a date. Why the sudden interest?”

His mother tilted her chin. “You and your brothers might think your mother is too old to care about anything other than her sons and this ranch. I’ll have you know, I might be older than you, but I want to live and have fun and fall in love again.”

“But what about Dad?” Angus said softly.

Mrs. M’s lips firmed. “Listen to me.” Her brows angled toward the bridge of her nose. “I loved your father more than anyone in this world. When he passed, I thought I would die with him.” She shook her head, her eyes glistening. “But I didn’t. It’s been eight years. I think he’d agree that I’ve grieved long enough. Like I’ve asked you boys to get on with your lives, I’m taking my own advice and getting on with mine.”

Jessie’s heart squeezed at the emotion in Maggie McFarlan’s voice. She glanced at Angus and Colin and almost laughed at the shocked expressions on their faces. She wanted to cheer for the older McFarlan and her fierce desire to join life again instead of sitting on the sidelines.

“What?” Maggie said. “You don’t think your mother should have needs and desires?”

Angus covered his ears. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“I don’t know.” Colin grinned. “I think Mom deserves to be happy, especially after putting up with us all these years.”

“Don’t you want me to be happy, Angus?” she asked.

“Of course.” Angus took her hands. “And Dad would have wanted you to be happy. I just can’t see you with anyone but Dad.”

Mrs. M sighed. “Me either. But I can’t live in the past. Besides, this is just dinner. I’m not marrying the man.”

“But what if you do?” Angus asked.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” She patted her son’s cheek. “I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I hope your brothers are as fortunate.” Maggie stared at Colin who’d settled in his chair and shoved another forkful of lasagna into his mouth.

“What?” Colin asked.

“Have you done anything about getting on with your life?” she asked.

Colin set his fork down. “Hey, I got Brody here.”

“By lying to him.” His mother crossed her arms. “I can’t believe you told him I was sick.”

“He came, didn’t he? Proves he still cares about you, even if he doesn’t care about the rest of us.”

“Give him time.” Angus took his seat. “He’ll come around.”

“I don’t know.” Colin stared at the wall as if seeing something other than a calendar with the picture of a cow in a field. “With Fancy back in town, he might decide to leave sooner.”

“What happened between Brody and Fancy?” Mrs. McFarlan asked. “He never told me.”

“She discovered she didn’t love him enough to marry him, and called it off before they both made a big mistake.” Colin polished off the last bite on his plate, pushed back from the table and stood. “Jessie, good meal. Angus, enjoy it. Mom, I hope you have a nice time out with Mr. Landers. You deserve to be happy.” After his little speech, Colin carried his plate to the sink and left the room.

Mrs. McFarlan stared after her son. “Did I say something wrong?”

Angus concentrated on the food in front of him. “Who the heck knows? Colin’s had a bug up his butt ever since Brody and Fancy broke it off. He and Brody haven’t talked much since.”

“You think Colin had something to do with Fancy breaking up with Brody?” Mrs. McFarlan asked.

The way Colin lit up when he saw Fancy today, Jessie wouldn’t doubt it. The man had feelings for the pretty lady.

Jessie sighed.

Based on Brody’s reaction to seeing Fancy today, Jessie would go so far as to say he wasn’t over the woman.

And for a moment in that diner, Jessie had thought Brody was happy to see
her
—Jessie. Boy, had she been wrong. Why she’d been disappointed at the realization, she didn’t know. Hell, they’d only known each other a short time.

A knock on the front door shook her out of her musings.

“That will be Carl.” Mrs. McFarlan smiled and her cheeks glowed a soft pink. “I feel like a teenager going out on her first date.”

Jessie forced a smile for the woman. “You look like a teenager.”

“Thank you, dear.” She touched Jessie’s arm. “Wish one of my boys would see what a lovely young woman you are.”

“Oh, ma’am.” Jessie raised her hands. “I’m not in the market to marry.” She glanced at Angus. “I hope you don’t think that’s why I signed on.”

Angus’s lips twisted. “I know why you accepted our offer. You’re crazy about that horse of yours. I still can’t believe you rode away from your last job with not much more than the clothes on your back.”

“Scout was a gift from my father,” Jessie whispered. “I would never abandon him.”

“Exactly.” The oldest McFarlan rose from the table. “Come on, Mom, let me read the Heartbreaker the riot act so that he doesn’t go breaking your heart.”

“Oh, Angus. Don’t be silly. I’m a grown woman.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been out of action for a long time. Things have changed a little.” He pointed at Jessie. “I’ll be back for my dinner, which, I might say, is great.”

Jessie smiled at Angus while Mrs. McFarlan winked at her.

Once Mrs. M left, Jessie sat with Angus and they silently finished their dinner.

“Good job, Jessie. Keep it up and the job will be permanent. I think Mom is enjoying her time off.”

“Thanks.”

Angus left to make one last pass through the barn.

Jessie cleared the table, changed from sandals to her cowboy boots and went out to check on Scout.

The horse had adjusted to his new home better than Jessie.

As the hired help, Jessie didn’t know how she fit into the McFarlan family. She was expected to live in the house, but she really didn’t feel comfortable living with the family she was supposed to serve.

Her last boss only wanted her to clean the stables and feed the horses. Outside of that, he didn’t want to see her. That had been fine with Jessie.

With the McFarlans she’d already learned more than she felt she had a right to. Brody and Colin had an ongoing feud over a woman, Angus was involved with a woman from Dallas, and Mrs. McFarlan hadn’t dated since the death of her husband eight years ago. That, and all about the brothers’ lives as children.

Her heart skipped several beats. She hadn’t felt this close to a family since her father died. God, she missed him.

“Scout, I hope you like it here. I’m trying my best to make it work out.” And if the middle brother made her insides fire up whenever he was around…well, then… “I’ll just have to get over it. I can’t afford to be fired from this job.” Especially for the same reason she’d been let go from the last one. And that time wasn’t her fault.

She left the stall and climbed up into the loft for a section of hay. As she backed down the ladder, she was just about to put her foot on the next rung when a voice sounded behind her.

“You can’t sleep in the barn tonight.”

Jessie spun to face the man she’d been thinking about and missed her step. She dropped the section of hay and reached out to grab hold of anything to keep herself from falling, but it was too late.

She toppled backward, bracing herself for a hard landing on her ass.

Instead, she crashed into a solid wall of muscle, and strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She stared up into Brody’s eyes. “Damn it, you scared me.”

He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You scare too easily.” He appeared tired, his eyes shadowed. “What are you doing out here after dark?”

“Checking on Scout,” she said.

“In a dress?”

“Your mother’s idea.” She tugged at the hem in an effort to cover her thighs. In her fall, the dress had hiked up, displaying an embarrassing amount of skin.

Brody’s dark eyes flared and his hands tightened around her. He appeared in no hurry to set her back on her feet, holding her weight with seemingly little effort.

“Why are you out this late?” she demanded before she could think. It was none of her business when he came and went. But with her body pressed close to his, she could barely think, much less breathe.

A shadow passed over his face. “I was working on a project and lost track of time.”

“Your dinner is in the refrigerator. Why don’t you go eat?”

He snorted. “I will, as soon as I make sure you don’t sleep in the barn again.”

Heat filled Jessie’s cheeks. “That was only the first night when we were settling in. I was tired from riding all day.”

“So you thought you might sleep better with your horse?”

She opened her mouth to argue and then clamped it shut. He was right. She might not have been thinking it, but she had been leaning toward bedding down in the stall again. If she was honest with herself, tonight it wasn’t because she thought Scout might have a hard time adjusting to
his
new home. The truth was
she
was having a hard time adjusting to her new living arrangements.

“You can put me down,” she reminded him. “I think I’m safe from falling now.” In some ways. In others, she was in grave danger with this man.

“I don’t know. For as tall as you are, you’re pretty lightweight.”

“But I’m strong and capable of doing anything a man can.” She stared straight into his eyes. Big mistake. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she could easily fall into and lose herself. “Please put me down.”

“You need to be more careful coming down out of the loft.” He set her on her feet and reached out to pluck a piece of straw from her hair. Then he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his knuckles skimming across her cheek.

Her breath caught and she fought to keep from leaning into his hand. “You need to quit sneaking up on me,” she said, her voice soft and husky. Not like her usual strong, straightforward tone. What was wrong with her?

He stared at her for a long time, his hand still raised from brushing back her hair. “Anyone ever tell you that you have pretty eyes?”

She shook her head, her heart thumping hard against her ribs. Every place on her body where his hands had touched, still tingled.

Then his arm fell to his side. “If you weren’t the cook, I’d…”

Jessie leaned toward him, her eyes widening. “You’d what?”

“I’d…” His gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth and he bent closer, his lips inches from hers.

Jessie forgot when she’d taken her last breath. She lowered her eyelids, her glance slipping to his mouth, her lips tingling. “Yes?”

For a heart-pounding, breath-stealing moment, she thought for sure he was going to kiss her.

Then Brody straightened, his brows knitting. “Nothing.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Come with me to the house and show me where I can find my dinner.”

Jessie inhaled and backed away. “There’s a plate in the refrigerator. All you have to do is pop it in the microwave.”

“When are you coming to the house?” he asked.

“As soon as I’ve fed Scout and topped off his water.”

“Okay. But don’t make me come out looking for you. I don’t want to find you sleeping in the stall again.”

“You won’t,” she promised, her back to him as she scooped half a bucket of feed for Scout.

The barn door opened and closed, leaving her alone at last.

Jessie pressed the bucket of sweet feed to her chest.

Holy hell. She’d almost kissed the boss. Again.

As she dropped the grain into Scout’s trough, she vowed to keep her distance from the McFarlan brothers. They were entirely too attractive—especially the one whose hands on her body made her feel things she hadn’t felt before, making her want so much more. But she couldn’t afford for things to go wrong on this job. Scout depended on her, and she couldn’t let him down.

Chapter Seven

Brody woke early again the next day, dressed and carried his boots out to the kitchen.

He’d eaten slowly last night, waiting to make certain Jessie came in from the barn and went to bed in the guest bedroom. All night long, he was fully aware she was on the other side of the wall from him. He couldn’t help wondering whether or not she slept in the nude. He hoped she didn’t. If there should be a fire, God forbid, he wouldn’t want his brothers ogling her as she stood naked in the yard.

Several times in the night, he’d been tempted to knock on her door and ask if she was all right, or if she wanted anything. The only thing keeping him from doing that was the knowledge the master suite was on the other side of the guest bedroom from him. If he knocked on the door, his mother would hear and come out to investigate. Although, as late as she’d gone to bed, she probably wouldn’t be disturbed by a tornado roaring through.

His mother had gone out on a date the previous evening.

He, Angus and Colin had stayed up watching a game on television, then the news and the late shows, until their mother finally returned from her date with Carl the Heartbreaker.

She’d come in smiling.
“Why are you all still awake? It’s past your normal bedtime.”

“And yours,”
Angus had reminded her.

She’d smiled happily.
“So it is. I’d better get to sleep. And so should you.”
Their mother had gone off to bed as though coming home late were the norm, not the exception.

“I don’t like it,”
Angus had grumbled.

“She’s a grown woman,”
Colin had reminded him.

Brody had stared after their mother, refusing to comment—not even sure what to say if he did. He’d never thought about his mother dating.

Worry about his mother and the insistent tightness in his groin after leaving Jessie in the barn made for a crappy night’s sleep. All he wanted was to avoid bumping into anyone, get to the cabin and take out his frustrations on canvas.

Unfortunately, Jessie was up and already preparing breakfast in the kitchen when he entered. The heavenly scent of frying bacon filled the air.

She hummed softly to herself, off-key and oblivious to his arrival. Wearing jeans and a faded tank top, her sleek, athletic body moved from the sink to the stove. Apparently she hadn’t noticed him in the room.

Quietly he slipped his feet into his boots, hesitant to disturb the woman cooking.

Her humming stopped and she cursed when bacon grease popped out of the pan onto her hand. “Damn.” She tried to reach across to turn the burner down, but more grease splattered her arm and she jerked it back.

Brody leaped to his feet and hurried across the room. He stood behind her, reached around and shifted the pan from the burner. Then he turned off the flame.

At first she jumped when his body pressed against hers. She remained stiff until he turned her around.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said, staring down at her hands.

“Come with me.”

He gripped her arms and walked her over to the kitchen sink. He turned on the cool water and tugged her hands beneath the spray. “Better?”

When she nodded, he turned off the water and looked down at the red dots where the grease had burned her, his thumb gently brushing over the injuries.

She didn’t pull away and he didn’t want to let go. All night long he’d dreamed of holding her in his arms and kissing her. Now he stood close enough he could smell the herbal scent of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her body.

When she glanced up, her gaze meeting his, her eyes widened, the gray-blue orbs darkening, her indrawn breath causing her chest to expand and her breasts to rise.

“I don’t know why…” Brody gathered her closer, one hand tangling in her hair, the other sliding around to the base of her spine, tugging her against him, “…but you make me want to kiss you.” He bent over her, his mouth hovering close to hers. “Tell me no and I won’t.” His gaze on her lips, he held his breath as she opened her mouth, he assumed to put a stop to him.

She rested her palms on his chest and could easily have pushed him away. Instead, she curled her fingers into his shirt and dragged him down to her. At the same time as she rose up on her bare feet and covered his mouth with hers, sliding her tongue across the seam of his lips.

Brody tangled his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss.

When she opened to him, he swept in and claimed her tongue, caressing, thrusting and twisting with hers in a sensual dance. He slid his other hand lower, cupping the curve of her ass, pressing her hips against his, the swell of his cock nudging her belly.

Jessie curled her hands around his neck, her breasts smashing against his chest.

“I smell bacon,” a voice sounded from the back of the house.

Jessie broke away from Brody, the back of her hand rising to cover her kiss-swollen lips.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the wooden floors and Colin entered the kitchen. “Something smells good.”

He stopped when he spotted Brody standing close to Jessie.

“Breakfast will…um…be in just a few minutes.” Jessie spun away from the two men and placed the pan back on the stove.

“Don’t turn the heat up so high on the bacon and it won’t pop like that,” Brody said. “And don’t set a place for me.” He barely looked at Colin as he jammed his cowboy hat on his head and left through the back door.

His body on fire, his cock pushing hard against the fly of his jeans, Brody felt like he might explode. Still hungry, but for something other than food, he hopped on one of the four-wheelers he’d found in the back of the barn and headed out to the cabin.

What had he done? Jessie was an employee of the ranch. Brody was her employer. If he could square things away with his mother, and if his artwork wasn’t embraced by wealthy Texans, he might not stick around. He could be back on the road to Seattle, a hell of a long way from Texas.

He didn’t have room in his life for a relationship, especially with a woman who came with a horse. Not that a kiss made it mandatory to have a relationship with her, but damn. He’d thought that if he kissed her, he’d purge the desire to hold her. Boy had he been wrong. Holding Jessie in his arms, kissing her, pressing his body against hers only made him want her even more.

Coming home had become a lot more complicated than he’d anticipated.

Jessie managed not to burn the bacon because she didn’t put it back on the burner. It’d cooked enough. Well, almost. So it was a little droopy and not as crisp as she liked, but it wasn’t burned. She’d also scrambled eggs and only burned two out of the six pieces of toast.

Angus and Colin ate everything she put before them and washed it all down with coffee.

“Don’t wait dinner on me,” Colin said. “I’ll be late getting back today. One of my foremen is out sick and my trim guy’s wife is having a baby. I’ll be filling in where I can to keep things on track.” He left, giving Jessie a last concerned glance.

She smiled and waved, pretending nothing was wrong or different, or that his brother hadn’t kissed her so thoroughly it had rocked the world as she knew it.

“After I take care of the animals, I have to make a run into town to the hardware store if you’d like to ride along,” Angus offered.

“No, thank you. If it’s all right by you, I’d like to take Scout out for a ride. He could use the exercise and I’d like to see more of the Rafter M.”

“You’re welcome to ride anywhere on the ranch you like, as long as you close the gates behind you.”

Her mouth twisted. “I grew up on a large ranch. I understand the need to keep the gates closed.”

Angus nodded. “Right. I’m preaching to the choir. Be careful out riding by yourself.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.” Jessie smiled at the oldest brother. “But thanks for caring.”

He touched her arm. “I think you’ll be a great addition to the ranch, Jessie.”

“When I’m not cooking, if there’s anything you need done in the barn or anywhere, I worked with my father mending fences, castrating steers and even doing light construction repairs. I can handle a hammer like no one’s business.”

Angus laughed. “I believe it. I might take you up on the help later. Go for your ride and look around. A fresh perspective is always good.”

Jessie cleaned the kitchen, hurriedly dragged on her boots and stuck a cowboy hat on her head. By the time she reached the barn Angus was climbing into the ranch pickup.

“I got only half the stalls clean, but I’ll finish when I get back. Use whatever you need from the tack room for your ride on Scout and help yourself to feed and hay.”

“Thank you.” Jessie, feeling lighter and happier than she had in a long time, waited until Angus left before she turned to the work she felt more capable of.

For the next two hours, she mucked stalls and layered in fresh straw. By the time she finished, she was hot, sweaty and ready for her ride on Scout.

She took the time to check him over, clean his hooves and brush him. Then she threw a blanket on his back, and the saddle that had been her father’s went on top of the blanket. Lastly, she slipped his bridle over his head.

Scout pawed the dirt, ready to get out for a run. He enjoyed going for a ride as much as Jessie did. Heading through the gate she’d seen Brody drive through the previous day, she closed it behind her and rode away from the barn and house.

Out in the open, Scout broke into a gallop, racing across pastures, over hills and down into gentle valleys. When they came to a fence, they turned and followed the fence for a while.

Jessie checked for broken wires, damaged posts and noted where they were. She could return later or another day and repair them, figuring if she made herself indispensible, the McFarlans would have to keep her on permanently.

Nearing noon, the sun beat down on her—typical Texas, hot and dry. The ground dipped into a shallow valley with a line of trees snaking the length of it, indicating a water source. Scout must have sniffed it, because he trotted down the hill and into the tree line.

A creek ran the length of the valley, the water flowing, crystal clear and inviting. Jessie dismounted and led Scout to the edge to drink.

When he’d had his fill, she looped his reins over the saddle and found a patch of grass he could munch on. She never worried about him running off. Scout was as loyal as a dog and usually stayed with her, or nearby as her protector.

The Rafter M Ranch reminded her of growing up on the Circle C in the Panhandle, when her father was foreman over eight other ranch hands. She’d had the run of the ranch from the time she was old enough to saddle her own pony. One of her favorite summer activities was swimming. The Circle C had a nice creek with a pool deep enough her feet couldn’t touch the bottom in many places.

Wondering if this creek had the same, Jessie walked upstream a few yards, pushed through a stand of willows and into an open, rocky area.

Bingo.

Nestled in the middle was a wide, deep pool, perfect for swimming.

With Angus and Colin gone from the ranch and Brody off doing whatever Brody did when he disappeared for hours, Jessie figured she had the pool all to herself. She glanced around, peered through the branches and listened. Nothing but birds singing.

She pulled her tank top over her head and draped it over a bush, then shucked her boots and jeans. Hesitating in her bra and panties, she listened again and then stripped them off as well.

With nothing but air on her skin, she walked into the water until it came up to her waist. Then she bent and pushed off, swimming across the pool, letting the clean water cool her skin and wash the dust and sweat from her body.

This was the reason she could never work in a city. She loved the land, the freedom to swim in the nude and the way she felt one with nature.

Jessie swam several laps and then flipped onto her back and floated, staring up at the sparkles of sunlight flitting through the leaves above as a gentle breeze rippled across the canopy.

With her ears in the water, sound was muffled and she felt like she was in a world all her own.

This place was magical, like a shadowy grotto, the pool surrounded by large boulders…one of which had a cowboy perched on the edge, leaning back, his gaze on her.

Jessie gasped and froze. When her arms and legs stopped moving, she sank like a rock, inhaling water as she went.