Chapter Fourteen
Daniel
Sending Rachel away was harder for me than I thought. It was a hell of a lot harder than it should’ve been. She needed a little space and time away from the gossip and the impending shit-storm that was about to hit the ranch. But I hated her going. I needed her here to keep me on track and make sure we kept the dream going, in spite of the adversity.
So, I planned a surprise for her. First and foremost, we needed a jockey for Texas Tango, and Rachel had already done so much legwork in seeking out good candidates, that I had no good reason not to follow up on them.
Second, I borrowed my mother’s Escalade and headed into Austin. I justified it to myself that Rachel had taken the truck to stop us from keeping her away, not to put me under house arrest, and also, I had no intention of telling her, so it didn’t matter anyway.
I had to admit to myself after she had gone that her perception of my action as disloyalty had stung. A lot. So, I did what any man would do when the only woman he could see himself undressing for the rest of his life thought he might not value her above all others. I drove myself to the nearest Tiffany & Co. and bought her a ring. Or rather, I let the girl behind the counter talk me into having a ring designed, which was four times as expensive and would take a couple of weeks to get back to me.
Designing a ring for her was more satisfying than I would admit to any man, and it gave me the opportunity to make something that was uniquely hers, so that she could be uniquely mine. Walking out of the store after spending thousands of dollars more than I thought I would, I patted myself on the back for drawing the line at a ring and refusing any other suggestions. That is, until I saw the horse pendants dangling from some silver bracelet, along with beads and charms of every kind imaginable.
The savvy shop-girl saw me pause and pounced on me in an instant. She held up the “Pandora bracelet” and began pointing out each individual knick-knack and charm she could add to make the bracelet completely one of a kind. In the end, I walked out of the jewelry store with a sterling silver bracelet costing almost one thousand dollars with a street value of, probably, less than one hundred.
I’d never felt so good about a gift in my life. I mused to myself all the way home that the only way I could ever do better than I just had, was to buy the girl a horse. Which I had every intention of doing someday. But, I knew better than to buy one without her there to examine it and make the choice herself.
I hummed along with a Florida Georgia Line song playing on the radio and remembered the last time I’d felt good enough to do that. Rachel was the reason the first time, and she was the reason then. I wasn’t sure when I knew that I wanted us to be a family. It had happened somewhere between her telling me that my ranch needed her to make it better, and proving to me that she was right.
I stopped at the light ahead and realized with a shock that I was no longer on the way home, but had taken the turnoff needed to go to Georgetown, where Rachel’s parents lived. I considered my options while I waited for the light to change and decided to go ahead and get back to the ranch before she realized exactly how lost I was without her. Chuckling to myself, I made a U-turn in the intersection and headed home.
I was sitting in my office working on backlogs of my father’s old receipts when I finally checked my phone. On it was a text from Rachel that said: “I saw you. You should’ve just come over. Dad bought a smoker, and he’s killing it.”
I rubbed my face with my hands and shook my head. Of course she saw me looking like a weird stalker. At least she didn’t know where I’d come from. I had to prove to her that I was still worthy of the answer I wanted and sending her away had been a definite step in the wrong direction.
I had another day and a half without Rachel to help me with my jockey selection, so I went through her files and read up on each of her choices, impressed by the notes she had left for me regarding their strengths, weaknesses, and what each of them could potentially bring to Lago Colina.
It was obvious from her notes that she favored one rider above the others, though I couldn’t see why. The woman was a relative unknown. She was less experienced than some of the others, and had no big wins to her name at all. The only upside from my point of view was that she was bound to be cheaper than the others on the list.
However, I wanted to show Rachel I was listening to her. After all, just because we brought her in to talk, didn’t mean we had to hire the young jockey to race the newly acquired Texas Tango. I emailed the agent listed with the jockey’s other contact information and continued through the pile, setting aside two more that I would speak with after the young woman, a jockey named Verica Blythe.
By the time I looked at the clock, it was long past the witching hour, which meant the kitchen was closed and I was the only one on the ranch awake. I shut down my work and made my way to my quarters across the garden by the light of the moon. I hesitated by Rachel’s cabin out of habit and felt an odd gloom settle over me as I remembered she wasn’t there. It was too late to call her, but I had to connect with her in some way before I slept. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found the last text she had sent me.
I hit reply and sent her the only thing I could think of. “Come home.” I hit send before I could change my mind, and finished my trek in the dark to my cabin on the edge of the woods. She hadn’t responded by the time I finished the midnight sandwich supper I made myself, or when I had finished my second beer. So I stripped down and fell into bed, and dreamt of finding her next to me once again when the sun rose.
It was a mixed blessing when I awoke alone the next morning. On the one hand, dreaming of Rachel all night had left me with a need that I couldn’t dispel on my own, which meant I was in for a cold shower. On the other hand, thinking of her driving here alone in the middle of the night made me feel sick to my stomach with worry. I texted her a good morning, just to see what she was up to, and when she didn’t reply right away, I went ahead and took a shower, until the frigid water coursing over my body gave me gooseflesh and a headache.
The morning didn’t get much better when I went to breakfast with the men and realized that it was the morning after a holiday weekend, which meant most of the men were gone and the rest of us were left to fend for ourselves, while Patty and my mother took one of their few, much-deserved breaks. I settled for grousing to myself as I scoured the kitchen for anything that would require no preparation and wished Rachel was home to talk to me while I ate in silence.
Jason Steed weighed heavy on my mind. I had never really despised anyone before. I hated him. I wanted him in jail and gone for good. Too bad I only knew one lawyer, and he didn’t like me too much. It wouldn’t surprise me if Tucker represented the son of a bitch. Still, even Tucker believed that blood ran thicker than water, and what was a brother for, if not to ask for help when your woman’s ex-boyfriend needs an ass whoopin’.
I dialed Tuck’s number, then thought better of it and hung up. He wasn’t going to help me, so groveling by phone wouldn’t make a difference. I texted him that I’d like to hear from him and that it would be nice to get a drink, shoved the phone in my pocket, my dishes in the sink for the next guy to hopefully wash, and headed out to the stables where Pete had just finished grooming Kaiser.
“Hey, Pete, don’t put him away just yet. I need to go for a ride and clear my head,” I called out as I picked up my pace to an easy jog. Kaiser’s ears twitched forward and he fidgeted and shook his mane as he heard me approach. “Easy there, big guy.” I said as I came around to his head. He bumped my hands with his muzzle and unabashedly begged for love, which I gave him in spades. Pete brought me his blanket and saddle and in a jiffy, and Kaiser and I were on our way.
I rode the fences and tried not to think about how Rachel had looked in her little rockabilly dress at the party or how much I wanted her when she was in just her tank top and tight jeans, working out in the sun better than most of the guys. By the time I reached the mustang pasture, I was done. I needed Rachel beside me, where I could see her and maybe even protect her from the people that were trying to screw this up for us.
I’d be damned if I let that happen. I pulled my phone out of my shirt, but I had no reception. I raced back to the big house and Kaiser happily trotted next to me as I jumped down and paced the yard, trying to find the best reception. She answered on the second ring, and before I could even say anything, she informed me that I was stupid, and she was just coming back, no matter what I said.
“Okay, that’s great. Will you be here for dinner?” I replied to her (adorable) tirade as I scrambled to redirect my thoughts.
“Wait, that’s it?” She sounded almost disappointed that she didn’t have to fight for it, but I was already doing the math on how many hours until I got her naked, so I couldn’t really give her an argument.
“Well, you know, I’d like my truck back,” I teased. I heard her huff in the background before she replied.
“You want sex.”
It was a statement, so I wasn’t sure if I needed to respond. I took a chance and put it all out there for her to judge. Not that it mattered. Even if she didn’t love me, the ranch was in her blood – she’d never leave without a fight.
“I only want sex if it’s with you,” I answered cautiously. She laughed, a bright, happy sound that warmed me to my boots and made my body tight with need at the same time. “So, what time should we expect you?”
“I’m about to start the truck, I’ll be there soon,” she replied and hung up.
I was more elated than a cowboy has the privilege of showing, so I took my time walking Kaiser back to the paddock for some free time, in the hope that Pete wouldn’t notice the change in my mood.
“Rachel on her way back?” Pete asked the moment I stepped into the stable to put away my saddle. I glared at him. He laughed me off and sauntered away, though, I’d swear there was a little extra bounce in that bow-legged stride of his as he left, cackling like an old man the whole way to his office. I flipped him off behind his back and hit the shower, preening for my woman like it was our first date – which, in a manner of speaking, it would be when I took her to dinner.
I figured it was a good time to get some work done, knowing I sure as hell wasn’t going to be working late, and sequestered myself in the office with a beer and a stack of documents to go through. As soon as my computer booted up, my email alert started pestering me, so I opened it, only to find my brother Tucker had written me a short note.
“Sorry, bro, in a ‘no phones’ meeting. They think I’m taking notes. Such is the life of a junior partner in a law firm. Mom told me you met a girl, so I’ve been expecting you to call. I’m excited to meet her. Hope she makes you less of an asshole. Drinks tonight, on me, but only if she comes. Our place. ~T”
I read the email and smiled in spite of myself. I’d had a rough road with Tucker when I started seeing Sara. He never believed I didn’t know they were dating, and even though I’d stopped it with her as soon as I found out what she was up to, we hadn’t talked much since. It didn’t help that we both found out about the married man she was also “dating” at the time, and that he was her father’s partner and Tucker’s boss.
So, either he was finally over it, or we were about to tear up Shelly’s Place, and not for the first time. Tucker was, arguably, the most educated one in the family. He’d opted for the city and a career as a lawyer when the rest of us had stayed closer to home, at least at first. I knew he had dreams of sitting on a bench, maybe even Supreme Court. But that little snafu with Sara Abbott had cost him dearly. The partner she was dallying with had made his life miserable ever since he found out that Tuck was raiding the cookie jar.
My solution had been to beat the shit out of the guy, but Tucker had refused, and apparently, was still fighting the good fight, trying to work his way out of trouble. I knew better. I was pissed at him for not fighting dirty like everyone else was and respected the hell out of him for being the better man, even though it was making his life harder.
I cursed softly to myself as I realized I’d been holding the same page in front of my face for at least five minutes while my mind wandered. I figured I hadn’t understood how much I missed my brother. But, the thought of him meeting Rachel made me smile in spite of myself. I couldn’t wait for her to charm him into submission, then kick his butt, just like she’d done with the guys. They certainly loved her for it. Pete and the couple guys who had nowhere else to be for the holiday dragged almost as much as I felt like I did, now that the sunshine she brought with her was gone.
Work was obviously not going to happen, so I grabbed two more beers and joined my father on the veranda, which he’d apparently claimed as his new office. I handed him a beer, forcing him to put down the sweet tea he’d been nursing.
“Glad you came out,” he drawled. He lifted his feet off the ottoman so I could climb past him to the hanging swing on the other side of the small table that currently held a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses, one empty. “I was afraid I’d actually have to get up and get myself a beer.” He tipped it my way and I nodded.
“My pleasure.” I set my hat on the swing next to me and leaned back, looking out over the front grounds. “Rachel’s coming home,” I stated, not looking at him. He grunted and I heard him take a long pull from his bottle. “I’m taking her to meet Tuck at Shelly’s tonight.” I glanced over and he nodded at me.
“Don’t break anything tonight. If you gotta fight, take it outside. I’m not paying for damages, what with the hoopla going on over that boy driving drunk.”
“Well, I was hoping for no fight at all, but I’ll pass the message along when I see him,” I drawled. I drained the rest of my beer in one swallow and sighed, adding the empty to the one he’d already set on the porch between us.
“Ain’t no matter, son,” he drawled, pointing at the pitcher. “We’ll just drink that until your mother takes pity on us. You look too pretty to be hiking back and forth to the kitchen. What would Rachel say if she saw you in a sweat?” he mocked me as he poured me a tall glass of the homemade sweet tea.
Almost as if on cue, and probably because he’d heard my dad, Pete arrived with three more bottles and joined us as I was pulling out the bracelet to show my dad. I slipped the box back in my jacket pocket. I’d talk to him later about my plans.
I moved my hat to the porch to make room for him, and he sat, gently swinging until he even had me pushing back and forth. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and he snorted, spraying a fine mist of beer over his shirt and mine.
“Goddamn it, Danny,” he spluttered and laughed. “I can’t help it. I didn’t become a horse-master on account of I like sitting still!” he yelped as he took his handkerchief to his face and shirt. My dad rolled his eyes at us and it just made Pete laugh even harder. Between our laughter and the weight of the two of us combined to begin with, I thought that old swing might actually fall off its anchors before we calmed down.
When Rachel arrived, that’s how she found us. Two grown-ass men giggling like a couple of twelve-year-old boys finding Dad’s girlie magazines for the first time, holding onto half empty bottles of beer and trying our damndest to control ourselves just enough to not bring the swing crashing to the veranda.
Seeing her there, beautiful and casual in a little sundress and sandals that laced up her ankle to almost her knee, I sobered up real quick. The strappy, little dress hugged her waist and hips her hair was pulled back from her face, and if we’d been alone, I’d have had the wine-colored fabric belted around her waist in an instant, just to free up the skin underneath to touch and to taste. I considered canceling with Tucker and scrapped the idea in the same thought. It had been months since we’d talked. I had to go or it might never be right between us again.
Rachel dared me from the top of the stairs to close the distance between us. I set down the sad remains of my beer and stood. Her expression faded from challenge, to concern, to wide-eyed apprehension as I stalked towards her, until she buckled and, with a squeal, skipped down the steps. By the time I caught her, she was halfway to her quarters. I swept her up into my arms without breaking stride, and carried her right into the little guesthouse.
She only struggled until she had wriggled around in my arms enough to face me. Then she kissed my neck until I let her wrap her legs around my waist. I felt her grind on me as she whispered and pled with me to let her touch my skin. She fumbled with the buttons of my shirt, and I lifted her ass to get to my belt. The shirt tugged free of my jeans, and I shook it down off my arms one at a time so I wouldn’t have to put her down.
She used her hands and thighs to push my jeans down as we kissed, and we fell to the bed, laughing, when they caught me up around my knees. I rolled her off of me and kicked off my boots to get my pants off while she ran her hands over my chest and back.
“How many years has it been since I touched you?” she said as I grabbed both of her slender wrists in my hand and pulled her to the top of the bed.
“A hundred. A thousand,” I replied, holding her wrists above her head while I inched her dress up over her thighs. “Too damn long, that’s all I know.” I teased myself, slowly revealing an inch of thigh at a time, while the blood pounded through me and my body begged for release. She whimpered as my fingers reached the softest skin at the apex of her legs, and her back arched as she tried in vain to push herself against my playful, light touch.
“Hold on, darlin’,” I breathed. Her body tensed, but she stayed perfectly still as I released her captive wrists and used both hands to push her dress up to her waist and spread her legs a little at a time, until I could kneel between them. I stroked and fondled the warmest part of her through her panties until they were soaked through and she was biting her lip to keep from crying out too loudly. Her whimpers and wordless pleas for release made me harder than I ever remembered being. The torture was nothing compared to the sweet taste of her as I removed her panties and delved into her with my tongue and fingers.
“Please, just stop, just, just come here and make love to me, I need you, I need…” Rachel babbled as she begged for me to take her, but I need to see her release before I even thought of my own. Two fingers were a tight fit, but she was so ready, so willing to take them in, that I added a third. Her gasp and the movement of her hips as she took me into herself almost brought to my peak just from watching her. I used my free hand to slip her breasts free of the dress that still clung to them.
She shook the straps down her arms, and the dress bunched up around her waist exactly as I’d pictured it. She slipped her arms free and held onto me as she came. Her head fell back as she cried out and dug her fingernails into the flesh of my arms. I held her there until her body collapsed to the bed and she lay there, shuddering and panting below me.
Her eyes widened as I stripped my boxers off and pushed her knees farther apart. I was hard and swollen, more ready to go than I wanted to be, but I couldn’t wait another minute to be inside her. I drove myself into her with one, long thrust and started a slow, deliberate rhythm as she rocked her hips, matching my pace to her own.
She lifted her hips at the end of each stroke, lifting her ass off the bed. I held her hips so that she stayed that way, only her upper back and shoulders against the bed, her arms pressing down at her sides to balance and help her push up on me.
I looked down the length of her body, only just noticing the pale pink shine of scar tissue on her otherwise perfect abdomen, disappearing under the darker crimson of the fabric. I slid my fingers over the scars on her right side and released into her with a roar, as my fingertips slid over the smooth, soft skin. I held her in place for an eternity, throbbing inside her as she squeezed down on me.
Finally spent, I collapsed next to her and pulled her into my arms, the dress still around her waist. I breathed the scent of her in and nuzzled her as she sighed, pressing her back against me. We lay quietly while we recovered and finally she turned onto her back and looked at me without speaking.
“We’re going to meet my brother tonight, if that’s okay,” I said. She stiffened against me, then relaxed and met my eyes.
“But, we can do this again after, right?” she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful. I gave her breast a squeeze.
“Sounds like we have a plan.” I picked her up and rolled under her, so she was straddling my waist as I lay on my back. “But, just in case we don’t have the energy when we get back, how about round two, darlin’?” She shook her head, but giggled as I slid my hand over her buttocks and squeezed. “Hold on, I have something for you.”
I held her by the thigh and leaned out as far as I could to grab my jacket, with the bracelet still inside. I handed her the large box with the actual bracelet, and pulled the smaller boxes out one at a time, setting them around her in a semi-circle across my stomach.
She gasped as she opened the bracelet and stared down at me, wide-eyed. I grinned up at her as she opened box after box and we celebrated Christmas in July. By the time she was done, her bangle sparkled and chimed with charms and beads of every kind I had found that reminded me of her, including a rearing horse and a cowgirl hat and boots.
“It’s beautiful.” Her eyes shone, but her smile eased my nerves that I’d just made my girl cry. “I have no words for how much I love this. Thank you.” She kissed me long and deep, which was all the thanks I wanted anyway. I couldn’t wait to see her wearing it out tonight, finally wearing something that could remind her that I was thinking of her, all the time.