The Cowboy's Girl Next Door: A BWWM Cowboy Romance (10 page)

Her voice was low. “Things could have been so much worse.”

He joined her at the stall door. “Yes, they could have been, but they weren’t. It’s really gonna be alright now.”

She turned to face him. “Is it? I haven’t been here a month and I’ve already nearly lost my horses because I wasn’t paying attention.” She looked at her boots, the tips nearly touching Jess’s. “I knew this wasn’t a good idea.”

Jess was afraid to ask, but he screwed up his courage. “What wasn’t a good idea? The ranch? The dream? Me?”

She looked up at him, tears and confusion  in her eyes. “I don’t know. All of it, maybe. Maybe I ran too fast after my dad died. Maybe I’m not ready for this.”

Jess grabbed her arms and bent his knees to look her in the eyes. “You are meant for all of this and more. You’re made of stronger stuff than you think. This is the rancher’s life: things happen sometimes that you can’t control, but you recover and you move on. Don’t let this one little setback send you away from your dream.”
Or from me
, he added in his mind, silently willing her to see that there was so much more at stake here than a stable.

Claire stepped back and out of his hands. “I don’t know anything right now,” she said, her eyes never leaving his. “I just think I need some time to sort this out. Alone.”

*

Kyle was a daily visitor to the ranch, and by the end of the week, he’d actually mounted one of the mares, allowing Claire to show him her property from horseback. He remarked on how vast the property was, and he complimented her on her plans for the barn expansion. While she was wary at first, Claire found it comforting to have him there, a piece of her old life present while she tried to anchor herself in the new.

Carmen declared détente, opting to stay clear of Kyle when she was able and to not antagonize when he was around. She knew her daughter well enough to know that her interference right then wouldn’t be appreciated. While she didn’t trust the man’s motives for being there, she could see that he really did care for Claire, in his own way. Still, she couldn’t wait until he was gone, so that Claire could work things out with the rancher next door, a man Carmen would be thrilled to have in the family.

There had been little contact with Bar None that week. Jess respected Claire’s wish for time, and had thrown himself into the business of running the ranch and preparing for the annual berry picking. “No fireworks this year,” he’d barked at Lacey.

“Just keep it simple, OK?” His sister had agreed, biting her tongue as she had been all week. She knew that Jess was hurting, and she wished he’d open up to her. Jasper had counseled her to give him time, so she did, working closely with the stable manager to get things prepared for the upcoming festivities. Everyone on the ranch gave Jess a wide berth, interacting with him only when he gave them orders or took Horatio out for a daily ride.

He rode all over Bar None, making sure to avoid the creek that separated the ranches. She wanted time, she wanted space: she could have it. It hurt to be away from her, and he missed her smile, her touch, her kisses. He wanted nothing more than to ride to the ranch and claim what was his, but he knew that wouldn’t do for either of them. Instead, he spent time in the orchard, talking to his mother and hoping for the outcome he desired.

The day of the berry picking was bright and clear. Carmen insisted that they attend, packing up a picnic lunch and stowing lots of extra bags and baskets in the bed of the truck. If he insisted on coming, Kyle could damn well be useful, and she told him she expected him to work right alongside the rest of them.

On the drive over, Claire was thoughtful. She hadn’t seen Jess in a week, and she wondered what he’d been doing, She missed him, of that she was certain, but she was determined to not let her feelings become a distraction. She’d settled on staying, knowing that she couldn’t give up on her dream so easily.

She owed it to herself and her father. She also knew that there was no future with Kyle. He hadn’t given up in his pursuit, and he was charming and handsome and as glib as ever, but her life was different now, and she couldn’t see him walking away from the city no matter how much he protested that he could, and would, to make her happy.

The orchard was bustling when they arrived. Children ran through the berry patches and through the trees, giggling as they played games and filled their bellies with ripe fruit.

Folks from nearby towns picked berries between turns on the dance floor, and the small concession stand was busy selling cider and tarts. As they made their way through the crowd, Claire searched for Jess, finally finding him under a tree, their tree, with a beautiful blonde.

Her heart stopped as she watched them talking, their easy laughter and manner suggesting they knew each other well. She didn’t go to him, opting instead to find a nice clearing where they could spread a blanket before they got to work on the harvest.

She’d filled a basket with blueberries when he finally came over to her. “Hi Claire,” he said, his voice gentle and filled with care.

She turned and saw him standing next to the blonde who extended her hand. “Hi,” she said, her voice honeyed sweetness. “I’m Miranda Thompson. I hear you’re the new owner of Heart’s Home. I grew up there. Loved that place.”

Claire wiped the berry juice on her jeans before shaking Miranda’s hand. “Claire Robinson. Nice to meet you,” she said cordially, then turned her attention to Jess. “This must be a pleasant surprise for you!”

Jess looked uncomfortable for a moment. “Yeah, it certainly was unexpected.” He looked around before asking “and where’s your surprise visitor?”

Touché
, Claire thought. She shrugged. “He’s off picking blackberries, I think.” She flashed Miranda a warm smile. “So, what brings you to Kerrville? Jess told me you were off in New York or something.”

“LA,” the blonde replied, casually flipping her hair from her shoulder. “I had some business in New Orleans, and since I was so close to home, I thought I’d pop in to see how things were going here, check in on old friends.” She placed her hand on Jess’s arm, rubbing it gently through his shirtsleeve. “I’m glad to see that things are still as strong as ever at Bar None.” She left her hand on his arm.

“And I’m so sorry to hear about your stables. That’s gotta be a rough beginning for someone so new to the business. I just hope you aren’t regretting your decision to leave the city for this outpost.”

Claire bit her tongue, determined not to let the blonde bait her. She channeled every ounce of Carmen’s acid charm, and replied “I find there are two kinds of people in the world: folks who value roots and those who drift along never finding any. I’m the former kind. Which would you say you are?” She grabbed her basket. “I’ll talk to you later, Jess. Nice to meet you, Miranda.” She walked off in search of her mother.

Jess snickered a bit as Miranda stood before him, arms crossed now and with a curious expression on her face. “You didn’t tell me that she was so…outspoken,” she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Still, I think it’s pretty clear, my friend, that she’s not going anywhere soon, and,” she continued, a warm smile spreading on her face, “I don’t think she’ll have that visitor for much longer.”

Jess hoped her words were true, but when he came across Kyle a little bit later, he wasn’t sure that the visitor intended to truncate his stay. They greeted each other with cool disdain, Kyle barely shaking his extended hand. Jess didn’t waste any time on pleasantries. “How long are you planning to stay?”

“Well, I’d say that’s up to Claire. Seemed a bit cold when I first got here, but now that I’m here to warm things up, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.” He popped a blackberry into his mouth and chewed it slowly. Jess couldn’t think that he’d ever seen anyone eat with such menace.

“Oh, I’d say she was pretty warmed up before you got here. Natural sun, lots of fresh air and outdoor activities,” he paused, letting his meaning sink in before continuing, “those are all things she wants and needs.”

“And I don’t want to take them away from her. I just want to see her home, too, where she belongs.”

“I suppose you think she belongs with you,” Jess huffed. “You, the man who betrayed her and broke her heart when she needed the most support, the most love?” He laughed. “You don’t know the first thing about her, about what she wants, what she needs.”

“Oh, and you do? You’ve known her for what, two weeks, maybe a month? She’s just playing house here, working out her grief over her father’s death and losing her job. That woman is too driven, too much of the city to ever be satisfied with a hick like you.” He paused and looked around the massive orchard. “All of this and you’re just giving it away.

No head for business and Claire is about nothing but that. Shame,” he said, giving one final swipe before making his exit. “You’re just like all those rich white boys I knew back in school. Resting on what Momma and Daddy built instead of building something of your own.”

Jess grabbed Kyle before he could turn away. “Don’t you dare insult me or my family. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Kyle moved up close until they were nearly toe to toe. “I don’t, huh? Must make you feel good, letting the ‘little people’ come out here to get some free fruit every year, give them a little party. Why don’t you tell them about how your family bought up every chance they’ve ever had for development, for good jobs, for the chance to be part of the big world?” Kyle spat on the ground. “Of course you won’t. You’re just some planter, living out the old southern dream. You think you can buy Claire with a barn and some sweet talk? Maybe throw in a pie to sweeten the deal?”

Jess punched him in the face, a hard right to the jaw. By now, a crowd had gathered around the two men, and they gasped as Kyle fell to the ground. Claire came running up, and finding Kyle rubbing his jaw, went to his aid, looking up accusingly at Jess. “What did you do to him?”

“He provoked me, Claire! The stuff he was saying about my family, about you. I don’t want to own anyone!” He shifted back and forth in place, his body eager to hit Kyle again, to grab Claire and carry her off deep into the orchard. He did neither, choosing instead to clench his fists as he shifted his weight back and forth.

Kyle looked up from the ground. “No matter, baby. He’s just mad that someone from the city can see right through his good old boy charm.” He smiled at Claire. “I’m just fine.”

Claire marched over to Jess. “I can’t believe you, hauling off and hitting him just for trash talking. Why don’t you go find Miranda? I’m sure you two can compare notes about us city folks over a mint julep or something.”

She returned to Kyle and helped him up, then started to lead him from the crowd. He took an opportunity to look over at Jess and threw him a wink. Fuming, Jess stormed off into the orchard. The crowd disbanded, whispering over what had just happened, and Carmen listened intently, trying to piece together what she’d missed.

When they returned to the house, Claire wasted no time handing Kyle his keys and the cowboy hat he’d purchased but never wore, complaining that it was too tight for his head. “It’s time for you to go back to Atlanta,” she said, her voice stern. “It was a mistake for me to let you stay this long, and I don’t intend to add insult to injury by letting you stay longer.”

Kyle was stunned. “You can’t mean that you want that hick over me? Look, I know you have this horse bug, but when are you gonna realize that this is just a childish fantasy? Your place is in Atlanta, in some fancy office overlooking Peachtree Avenue, not here cleaning out horse pens and rolling in the mud with that…”

“That what, Kyle? Hick? Redneck? You aren’t half the man he is. Besides, he has  nothing to do with this. This is about you and me, and there is no more you and me. You made sure of that a long time ago.”

She walked to the front door and opened it. “Now, leave before I call the sheriff. I’m sure you don’t want any more tangles with the legal system. Bad for business.”

He shot her an angry glare and tried to put the hat on as he left. It was still too tight, and he cursed as he threw it into the bushes surrounding the porch. Claire watched until his car was out of sight, then closed the door and leaned against it, grateful for the cool glass of the window against her heated brow. She’d known better than to keep him around, hadn’t she? Well, good riddance now. She had other things to do.