Jackie Draws A Straight: The Journey Series Book 5 (7 page)

Prom night was a huge disaster. She'd had to call her father to come get her from the lake after Bud had left her there alone after the dance. She'd said no to him for the final time and he'd dumped her out of his pickup truck and drove away. There she was in her fancy, taffeta prom dress, dirty from falling on her knees from the truck, and both mad and tearful when Leo Journey showed up.

He'd given her a stern look and then helped her up into his truck
in his usual taciturn way.
S
he explained what happened
and
he'd listened without interrupting, his knuckles getting whiter on the steering wheel as she talked.

"I tole you he was a
shit
, Jackie," he'd reminded her.

"I know, Daddy. I'm sorry I didn't listen."

"You got away lucky this time."

"Yes, sir."

He shot her a frowning look, but his voice said a lot more. "I'm proud of you for stickin' to your guns, l'il girl."

As she dried her eyes
a warm
sense
of comfort stole over her. Her daddy was proud of her. She'd done the right thing.

Now, four years later, she was confronted with her own bad behavior and Bud's derision for the decisions she'd made late in the game. Some poor choices never quite let go.

Jackie turned away from Bud again. "I ain't got nothin' to say to you, Bud."

His voice was right at her ear when he spoke next. "It's mine, you know, Jackie-honey. You just been waitin' for the right moment to give it to me. Bet you regret that you didn't do it sooner and so now you're feelin' like you gotta make a show of it."

She shied away from him, rubbing her ear, trying to get the smell of him out of her hair on that side. "Fuck off, Bud. I mean it."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Aw come on now, Jackie. You don't need to be coy with The Stud here."

She bristled and tried to pull away. The warm buzz of the bourbon had turned to acid in her stomach.
Bud hummed a new song in her ear and she wanted to throw up.

Maybe, if she handled this right, she could get away from him without a fight. He was a lot bigger than she was and if it came down to a physical altercation, she wouldn't put it past him to slap her silly. Thinking quickly, she made herself relax in his arms, melting against him.

"You're right, Bud. I been reluctant to admit it."

"There ya go, sweetheart. I understand.
Gimme a kiss and come over and sit with me and the boys. After I have a little Cuervo, we can go have us a good time."

"I need to use the bathroom, Bud. Then I'll come sit with y'all."

He pulled away only long enough to move a big hand to the back of her head and yank her toward his face for the promised kiss. H
er gorge r
o
se dangerously
, but she broke free in time to hold herself together
.
She couldn't force another smile, though; she could barely resist rubbing the back of her hand across her lips.

"Okay. Don't dawdle, now, or touch yourself down there. That's my territory now."

Jackie shuddered and scooted off the barstool. As she walked away, she heard him hooting with his friends at the table. Once he was seated, she quickly turned and walked as fast as she could toward the door. She hoped to race by him before he had a chance to stand and snag her back.

Bud shouted behind her as she made it to the door. She thought she'd escaped, but he caught her by the arm and pulled her back.
Pete Kaminsky strode
toward them
from the dark interior of the taproom
. How long had Pete been in the bar? If he'd seen Bud kissing her
… J
ackie was trying to think
of a new way to get rid of Bud,
attempting
to yank her arm away without causing too much of a ru
c
kus.

"Jackie,"
Pete
said, eyeing Bud and beginning to frown. Bud
tugged harshly on her arm.

"Pete!
" She turned back to Bud. "Damn it, Bud, go back to your boys!"

Pete's voice held concern and a touch of impatience. "Is something wrong?"

Bud
pulled Jackie up against his side and turned toward the taller man.
"Well," he said, his drawl thick. "If it ain't the new doc in town."

Pete nodded. "I think the lady wants to go."

Bud laughed and kissed the side of Jackie's face though she was trying to shove him away. "Aw, you got it all wrong,
Doc. This is a lover's quarrel. Ain't no big deal. Jackie and me, we go back a long ways." He took Jackie's chin in hand and turned her face toward him. His eyes glittered dangerously. "Don't we, sweetheart?"

"Let me go, Bud," she said, her breath coming in panicked pants. "Let me go now or I'll start screamin' the place down."

"You heard her, Mister," Pete said, taking a step toward them. "I don't much care if she's your girl or your sister, she wants you to let go, so you do it."

Bud hesitated, eyeing the other man, sizing him up.

"You gonna make me?"

Pete nodded, his face grim. "If I have to."

"Huh." Bud let her go and gave her a little shake as he did. "You get over your mad, girl, and we'll talk this over later.
You got a present for me.
"

Jackie rubbed her upper arms, wondering if there'd be bruises there later. "Go to hell."

Bud laughed again, but it sounded harsh and forced.
He gave Pete a wink. "
She'll learn her place
."

"You shit!" Jackie launched herself at him, fists flying. Bud easily subdued her, but it was Pete who pulled her off.

"Stop it now," he told her firmly. To Bud he said, "Best leave her alone."

"Yeah. I got
better things to do. She's a frigid bitch anyway
." With a last caustic look at Jackie, Bud turned on his booted foot and went back to the table where his friends all greeted him with low voices.

Pete let Jackie g
o and
her
face flame
d
. "I…"

He pushed dark hair back from his forehead and eyed her for a moment. "None of my business, Miss Journey. Now if you'll excuse me, I was about to have a little supper."

She put her hand on his arm as he stepped toward the tables. "Wait. I want to explain."

His frown was immediate. "Have you been drinking?"

Another flush stole over her face. Maybe if she hadn't had the bourbon she'd have had better luck getting rid of Bud. "Only two shots."

"In a woman your size," he said sternly, "that's enough to get you
arrested if you get behind the wheel." Jackie's arm was sore where he took it and she winced. Without hesitation, he let her go. "I'll drive you."

"I can drive."

"No, you can't. Are you drunk?"

"No! Journey's End is clear the other side of the county, Pete. You'll be
near two hours
getting back."

He sighed. "Yeah, but I can't le
t you go on your own
and your boyfriend is drinking, too
. Come on."

"I hate Bud Ramirez," she spat, enjoying the tiny cathartic feeling she had admitting her feelings aloud. The furor in her chest subsided a bit. "
My Daddy will be fit to be tied if you bring me home 'cause I been drinkin'."

"And he should be," he told her. For a moment, he paused. "I'll take you home to my place. You can sober up and then I'll bring you back for your car."

Jackie
wanted to spend more time with Pete. He made her feel cared for. Working with him over the past week had grown her respect for him. He was appealing on so many levels. Sure, she'd been drinking, but not too much. Her faculties weren't impaired. That wouldn't stop the sheriff, though, if she got pulled over.
At
five feet one, you drink cautiously and with food. That had been her intention, but things had gotten away from her. Going to Pete's house would be a lot better than going to Journey's End and facing her father or Ace.

"Yes, please."

He nodded and took her hand. "Let's go."

The office and house were about half an hour outside of the edge of town, and they drove in silence. Pete opened the car door for her and led the way into his house. Most of the boxes had been cleared away from his living room and a few colorful pillows had been added to the blue and yellow sofa.

"Sit. I'll bring some food. It won't be much though. I think all I have are hard-boiled eggs and maybe some pickles. That's why I was going to eat in town."

Jackie sat on the sofa and pulled a pillow into her lap, cuddling it up against her abdomen. She was trying not to look Pete in the eyes as she knew she'd blush furiously if she did. The debacle in the bar had been
so
embarrassing. "Eggs 'n pickles will be fine. Thank you."

He turned toward the kitchen without another word.

After a few minutes, he returned with a plate of deviled eggs and a couple of bottles of water. They ate without talking.

"I'm sorry about this," Jackie said as
Pete
wiped his face with a napkin and relaxed back away from the empty plate.

"You don't need to explain. Your private life is none of my business."

"It ain't my private life," she said. She needed to explain about Bud. Pete must have all wrong-headed notions about what was between her and the rancher. "Bud is someone I knew from high school. That's all."

"Yeah. Okay."
The tightness around his eyes and mouth clearly said he didn't believe her. "So we have a few hours to kill. You want to watch a movie?"

Jackie miserably groped for a way to convince him about Bud but she knew the man's familiar attitude and the fact that she hadn't kicked him in the nuts made the whole situation look suspiciously like the lover's quarrel Bud had claimed. "Really. He's nothin
'
to me."

"So you say now." He rose and moved the plate into the kitchen. When he returned, he had a deck of cards.

She started to try to convince him again. "Please, Pete-"

He held up a hand to stay her argument. "No more. I don't want details, thanks. Do you know how to play gin rummy?"

Sighing with resignation, Jackie nodded and they began to play.

* * *

Pete watched her, her legs curled up under her as she stared hard at the cards in her hand. She lo
oked at him and smiled and Pete's
unhappiness was complete. She was so beautiful, so full of life. It was no wonder she had a boyfriend in town. Jackie Journey could have any man she chose. Why she'd chosen Bud Ramirez, he didn't know, but you never could tell what a woman was thinking or what attracted two people together.

He tried to tease out the reasons he was attracted to Jackie so strongly and came up with a laundry list, but none of the items
on his list told the deeper story. What did it matter, anyway? She belonged to someone else, a younger man with a heritage she could be comfortable with. He was a rancher and so were her folks. She said she'd gone to school with Bud and that kind of history together was compelling. Pete needed to kill his emotions where Jackie was concerned and move on.