Cowboy Famous: Book 4 (Cowboy Justice Association) (16 page)

He tossed a crumpled up magazine on the seat between them and fired up the engine, throwing the truck into gear. She reached for the ball of paper, smoothing it out so she could see if this was the source of his fury. One look and she knew that it was. A picture of the two of them was front and center along with a suggestive headline. A week ago she would have given her right arm for publicity like this.

Today all she could feel was ashamed of her industry. Griffin Sawyer was a private man and this had to be sheer torture for him.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

He slammed on the brakes and she had to brace herself on the dashboard, the seatbelt snapping her back in her seat. Luckily they were on the open road, the town a half a mile behind them.

“Did you do this?” he asked incredulously, his cheeks red with anger. “You sold me out for…what, Jazz? Some fame? A part in some movie?”

“No!” she exclaimed, placing her hand on his thigh, squeezing the hard muscles. “No! I didn’t do it. I swear. I was only saying that I’m sorry it happened to you, that’s all. Honest, Griffin.”

She felt his tense muscles relax under her palm and he scraped his arm across his grim features. This was one unhappy man and Jazz didn’t have a clue how to make things better.

His head fell back on the seat and she heard him exhale slowly as if trying to control his emotions. “I’m sorry I blew up like that. I know you wouldn’t do this to me.”

“Did you think I had?” It hurt to ask the question but she had to know.

Griffin shook his head before sitting up and putting the truck back in gear. “No, it never occurred to me until you said you were sorry. Then I flew off the handle.”

The truck picked up speed and Griffin looked calmer although still upset. “Do you know who leaked this stuff?”

His lips were tight and he didn’t answer for a long moment. “I assume it was Tony and Gordon. For publicity.”

“I don’t think it was Tony.” Jazz shook her head as she paged through the story and pictures. “I heard him talking to Caitlin – my roommate – once about the editor of this particular journalistic tome. Tony can’t stand him. I don’t see that he would give someone he hates an exclusive.”

“Then who?” A muscle was working in Griffin’s jaw.

“A contestant? Maybe someone from the town? Could have been someone in the crew as well. Is it important? It’s done and out there. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Griffin was shaking his head. “No one from town would have those kinds of contacts. At least I don’t think they do. And it’s not over and done with. I could sue.”

“On what grounds? You’re on a television show. That makes you a public figure. You can’t sue them for invasion of privacy.”

“I could sue them for libel. They’re making it sound like we’re involved,” he said grimly.

“Griffin.” Jazz used a gentle tone, not wanting to rouse his ire further. “They didn’t make anything up. There is this…thing that’s between us. You can see it in this picture. It’s what Tony and Gordon were talking about.” She paused, not sure what words to use. “It shows.”

Griffin rubbed his temples with his left hand, letting his right hand rest on the wheel. “Shit, I know. But goddammit, I never wanted to be a public figure. It’s out of hand, Jazz, and I can’t stop it.”

That was what this was really about. He’d lost control and an alpha control freak like Griffin wouldn’t like this one little bit.

“You’re right, you can’t,” she agreed, using her best no nonsense tone. “All you can do is ignore it and go about your business.”

He grunted and shifted in his seat. “Easy for you to say. This has probably happened to you before. Hell, you’re probably glad it happened. This helps you, doesn’t it?”

He didn’t sound accusing. He sounded more exhausted than anything.

“I’ve never been in a tabloid before. And yes, this could help me. But I still wish it hadn’t happened. I don’t want to get something at your expense. I’m not that selfish.”

“I wasn’t saying that you were, but this is a good thing for you, right? Honestly, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m sincerely asking because I’d like to think that something good is coming from this fiasco.”

“I admitted it could help me, but I’m still not happy about it. I know this sucks for you.”

She put every ounce of sincerity she could into her voice and he must have heard it. His entire body seemed to relax and the corners of his mouth quirked up.

“I hope you get the role of your dreams from this, Jazz. I really do.”

She believed him, but suddenly she was having a great deal of trouble even picturing that part of her dream. Hollywood seemed very far away at the moment. Just a fuzzy image in the back of her mind.

She’d heard you could get lost in La La Land and start thinking it was real. Now that she had some distance, she could see that nothing she’d been doing in Los Angeles had been all that real or important. What she was doing now might be the most important thing she’d ever done in her entire life.

“We’ll see. Now tell me more about your family.” Jazz wanted to change the subject. “Will I meet your parents today?”

“You will. As for what I could tell you, I don’t know. You can ask them anything you want when we get there although I doubt you’ll get a word in. Mom will be talking your ear off wanting to know about Hollywood and if you’ve met Channing Tatum.”

Laughter bubbled from Jazz’s lips. “Never met him but he is hot. Is he your mother’s favorite?”

“She’s seen that
Magic Mike
movie a hundred times,” Griffin groaned. “It’s embarrassing as hell. My sisters come over and they crowd around the TV.”

“I think I’m going to like your family. They sound fun.”

“You have a strange idea of fun, Hollywood.”

“Probably, and I like it when you call me that, by the way.”

“Call you what?” Griffin turned down a dirt road lined with trees and slowed way down due to the ruts in the road.

“Hollywood. You’d think it would sound condescending, but when you say it, not so much.”

Pulling up in front of a ranch style home with white siding and pink and red flowers in the yard, Griffin put the truck in park and twisted around so he was facing her.

“I need to watch my mouth. I don’t want to say that in front of other people, but I can’t seem to help myself.”

“That’s because I’m sugar sweet,” she said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Griffin chuckled and pulled on the door handle, letting the hot summer breeze into the truck.

“You can’t even act sugar sweet which is just fine by me. I think that kind of a woman would be boring.”

“And I’m not boring?” Jazz let him open her truck door and help her down. An older version of Griffin was coming out of the garage waving and smiling. He could only be Griffin’s dad.

“Far from it.” He captured her fingers with his own and a tingle shot up her arm and to further places south. “Come meet my folks.”

It felt very intimate but somehow right to be here with him meeting his mom and dad. But then so far everything felt right with this man. It was going to be a long twelve weeks if she lasted until the end of the show. Slowly but surely she was falling for him. Lord knew she admired him too. She’d never in a million years thought she’d meet anyone remotely like him. Hadn’t even thought they really existed if she were honest.

But he was all too real.

*   *   *   *

Griffin’s parents were everything Jazz could have hoped for and more. Liam Sawyer had slapped Griffin on the back, shook Jazz’s hand, and then promptly put his son to work on the roof. The mother, Linda Sawyer, had salt and pepper hair but was still quite attractive. It was easy to see where Griffin got his devastating good looks. If he looked half as good as his father when he was in his sixties…holy Toledo. The family should have all become actors or models with their strong bone structure and easy smiles.

Jazz and Linda were sitting on the front porch drinking lemonade and chatting while Liam shouted directions from the ground up to Griffin on the roof. From the increasing brevity of Griffin’s answers, it sounded like he was getting tired of being bossed around. Apparently Liam was well aware of it because after the last order, he’d given Jazz and Linda a wink and a grin.

“How long will you be in Hope Lake?” Linda asked, offering another cookie. Jazz was always watching her weight but they were the best damn oatmeal cookies she’d ever tasted. She simply couldn’t resist.

“Another eleven weeks if I make it to the end of the show. Even if I get voted off I might hang around. The producers want everyone to stick fairly close to this general area. We’re all in the finale show.”

Linda’s green eyes twinkled and she had a knowing smile. “Hang around here? Not much going on compared to California.”

The banging of the hammer overhead stopped and Jazz heard Griffin swear under his breath.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. There’s one or two interesting things.” Jazz looked up at the porch ceiling and smiled.

“Good luck.” Linda leaned forward and whispered. “My boy is a hard case. I fear that it’s our fault.”

“He definitely has a few issues,” Jazz whispered back. “But he’s a good man. You did a good job, Mrs. Sawyer.”

“Thank you, and call me Linda, please.”

“I will, thank you. These cookies are criminally good. The best I’ve ever had.”

“I’ll give you the recipe,” Linda beamed at the praise.

“I don’t really cook much for myself.”

“I’d take her up on that offer. Those cookies are famous in five counties and she keeps that recipe under tighter control than the gold at Fort Knox.” Griffin had come down from the roof and was standing on the porch. Damn if he didn’t just about bring her to her knees. At some point he’d stripped off his shirt and the hammer hanging from his belt loop pulled his jeans low on his hip bones. His shoulders, slick with sweat, were muscled and wide and his abs were tight with ridges that made her want to trace them with her tongue. She couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering just a tad further south and her mouth went dry at the impressive bulge behind his fly.

She ran her suddenly sweaty palms down her jeans and then lifted her heavy hair off of her damp neck. Griffin was watching her closely waiting for her to say something.

What were they talking about?

Cookies.

“Then I better take that recipe.” Jazz had to drag her gaze away from Griffin’s half naked body to be able to form sentences again. “Thank you.”

Man, she had it bad. In her entire life she’d never lusted after a man the way she did this one. If this went on for another eleven weeks she’d be a drooling, mumbling mess.

“I’m going to go clean up, then Jazz and I can get on the road. We have a lot to do today.” Griffin grinned and headed toward the door but stopped right next to her.

Leaning down, he whispered only for her to hear, “Saw you look.”

Whistling a lilting tune, he tromped into the house with Jazz still sitting there with a scarlet face and a racing heart. She couldn’t imagine what Linda and Liam must think of her.

“Can I give you some advice?” Linda asked. “You look like you could use it.”

Jazz nodded slowly but a trifle unsure she was making the right decision. It might be advice she’d rather not hear.

“You’re going to have to toughen up if Griffin’s the one you want. He’s one of ten and they were all hard on each other growing up. Teasing became a sport to those kids. You’re going to have to get a thick skin because he’s one of the better ones at it.”

Was he the one she wanted? She definitely wanted him, but
the one
? That was simply setting herself up for heartache.

“I don’t think he wants to be the one.” Jazz answered by deflecting Linda’s advice back on Griffin. She wasn’t ready to inspect her own feelings and motivations that closely. Not today. Maybe never.

Linda snorted and waved her lemonade glass. “He doesn’t know what he wants. He thinks his life is perfect just the way it is. What it is is empty,” she stated, slapping the glass down on the table. “If you want him you’re going to have to play his game. Give him what he thinks he wants, Jazz. He’ll find out that it’s not pretty quick. The problem is he’s spoiled.”

Liam, obviously a wise man, had disappeared somewhere into the garage leaving Linda and Jazz all alone.

“Spoiled? He doesn’t seem spoiled at all to me,” Jazz denied. “In fact he’s one of the best men I’ve ever met. Honest, loyal and all that stuff.”

“I didn’t mean that way,” Linda replied, her voice dry. “I meant by women. They dance to his tune because they want him to fall in love with them. What they don’t realize is he will never fall for a woman who does that. He needs a woman who doesn’t make things too easy. And no, I am not talking about sex.”

Her cheeks grew warm and Jazz’s fingers tightened on her glass. She didn’t want Griffin to fall in love with her. “I think you’ve misunderstood my relationship with your son. It’s not serious or anything. I’ll be going back to Los Angeles eventually.”

The thought made her miserable though. Nothing there glittered anymore the way it had before she came here.

“I don’t think so but if that’s how you want to play it, we will.” Linda sipped at her lemonade and reached for another cookie. “So tell me what you’ll do when you get back home.”

Jazz and Linda spent the rest of the visit talking about movies, television, and Jazz’s roommate Caitlin. Linda knew who she was as she watched the soap opera Caitlin was currently in. The time passed quickly, and before she knew it Griffin had joined them once again.

“Ready to go?” She watched as he drank down a large glass of lemonade practically in one gulp and grabbed several cookies.

“I’ll get a bag for you.” Linda slapped at her son’s hand but her face was smiling. Jazz couldn’t help but feel a tightening in her chest at the love she saw between mother and son. It was an expression Jazz had often dreamed of being on her own mother’s face.

That dream had long passed.

Jazz stood quickly, suddenly feeling like she needed to go. Seeing this close, happy family unit had been harder on her than she’d bargained for.