Jessie looked highly offended. "Are you kidding? I'm turning them on every night."
Brady laughed. "You'll change your mind next year, after you've paid this year's electric bills."
"I don't care. I'm having Christmas lights on every night I can."
Later that night, after dark had fallen, they stood on the front lawn with Indy, gazing at the display of lights. Brady looked at Jessie's rapt face and thought, there's the little girl.
"Oh, Brady, it's beautiful. Maybe Jake can see them from Heaven."
That choked Brady up for a moment and then he said gruffly, "Yeah, maybe he can."
They were silent for a moment, and then Brady said, "Hey, come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
He loaded the three of them up in his truck and drove down the road half a mile before he turned around. He drove back to the ranch slowly so Jessie could get the first glimpse of her Christmas lights. She clapped her hands in delight, and Brady felt his heart turn over in his chest. That was when he knew. He was completely, hopelessly in love with Jessie Mills.
Chapter 9
Jessie and Kayla were watching Caleb play with Indy on Jessie's living room floor. They had been to the barn, where Caleb watched the chickens with nearly as much fascination as Indy. They held him up so he could pet the horses, and Jessie lifted him up to sit on her horse's back. He cried when he had to get off and Kayla distracted him by showing him Indy's new trick of shaking hands.
"Kayla, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Jessie asked.
"I'm cooking this year, and my mom is coming. Mike's parents too. How about you?"
"I'm not sure. Brady is going to his parents' for the weekend, and I'm going to take care of the ranch myself for a few days. Then Red Holloway is going to come and do the chores on Saturday and Sunday. It's a trial for us to see how he does and him to see if he likes it."
"Well, then, you're coming for Thanksgiving dinner," Kayla said immediately.
Jessie protested, "But you've got family coming. I don't want to intrude."
"Don't be silly. Thanksgiving is for friends and family, and everybody will be glad to meet you."
"You sure?"
"Completely."
"Then I'd love to. What can I bring?"
"Pie," Kayla said instantly. "My mom always wants to bring it, but she buys it from the grocery store bakery and we all like homemade pie so much better. If I tell her that you're bringing it, she won't mind. I'll ask her to make deviled eggs; she's good at that. And you bake awesome pies."
"Okay. Pumpkin and pecan?"
"That would be perfect. Now I'm even more excited about Thanksgiving. It'll be good to have you there. It's going to be a good day, even though it's going to be sad too. And the same for you, so we can support each other."
Jessie nodded. "You're right. It'll be good to be with people."
"So, how's the seduction coming?"
"It's not. Every time I get a chance to kiss Brady, I get butterflies and chicken out."
Kayla leaned forward and said, "Just take a deep breath and do it. At the very least, give him a kiss before he leaves. It'll give him something to think about while he's gone. I bet he'll think about you the whole time he's away."
"I'm already going to be thinking about him the whole time. And I haven't gotten the kiss yet."
"Trust me, Jessie, you need to just lay one on him. Promise."
Jessie laughed uneasily. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Promise me that you will give Brady a kiss before he leaves."
Jessie was silent for a long minute, and then she said, "Okay. I promise. Oh, lord, what did I just do?"
"You made a good decision." Kayla was beaming at her.
"I sure hope you're right."
"I'm always right. Look at those two."
Jessie laughed at the sight of Caleb and Indy curled up together on the rug and sound asleep. "That's so cute."
Kayla took a couple of pictures with her phone and said, "He loves your dog so much."
* * *
The day came for Brady to leave, and Jessie fiddled aimlessly in the kitchen, thinking about her promise to Kayla while Brady was out doing chores. When he came in, he went to take a shower and pack a few things. He came out carrying a small bag and dressed in clean jeans and a soft flannel shirt, his hair still damp from the shower. Jessie looked at him and felt that familiar pull low in her belly.
Brady was full of last minute instructions, going over for the hundredth time what she needed to do while he was gone. Finally, Jessie held up a hand and laughed at him.
"Brady, we've been over this so many times, I could recite it in my sleep. Everything will be fine. Go spend some time with your family."
"Okay. I just want to make sure—"
"I've got it."
He looked at her and said, "Enjoy your Thanksgiving at Kayla's. I'm…I'll miss you."
Jessie took a deep breath and, before she could think any further, she slipped her arms around him and raised her head to take his mouth with hers. Brady was absolutely still for just a second and then, with a little groan, his arms circled her and he kissed her back. This kiss was deep and full of pent-up passion. They clung together and devoured each other with lips and tongues. When they finally broke apart, they were both gasping and a little dazed.
"Drive safe," Jessie said.
"You be safe," Brady answered. He gave her a long look and then tipped up her chin and gave her a gentle kiss before he shrugged into his jacket. A moment later, he was gone.
Jessie was tingling from her head to her toes. She hugged herself and spun around in a little circle, grinning. He had definitely kissed her back, and it was even better than the first kiss. Now she was so glad she had promised Kayla that she would do it, she couldn't wait to tell her about it. There was no doubt that Brady had feelings for her after that kiss.
* * *
Brady was driving on autopilot, reliving what had just happened. Jessie had really taken him by surprise, and the passion in her kiss left him no doubt that she was attracted to him. Now he was even more anxious to have a conversation with his mom and sister. He found himself grinning as he drove down the highway.
* * *
Jessie thoroughly enjoyed taking care of her place that day. She sang as she worked, baking pies for Thanksgiving Day. She had decided to make an apple pie along with the pumpkin and pecan. That evening after the chores were done, she ate leftovers and settled down to watch an old movie. Her Christmas lights were on, her chores were done, her dog was napping on the rug, and she had a little fire in the wood burner. All she was lacking was the man she had kissed goodbye that day.
"Jake, I hope you would approve," she murmured out loud.
When Jessie drifted off to sleep that night, she dreamed of her brother again. He was smiling at her and telling her how good the ranch was looking. Then his face grew serious.
"Jess, you need to be careful. That guy is trouble; don't let your guard down."
Confused, she said, "What do you mean? Brady? How could that be? You sent him here."
Jake was beginning to fade away. "Be careful."
And he was gone. When Jessie woke in the morning, she knew she had dreamed of Jake and she felt uneasy about the dream, but she couldn't remember what it had been about. She tried hard to bring it back, but it was gone. Shaking it off, she brewed coffee and had a light breakfast before she went out to do chores. Then she showered and got dressed to go to Thanksgiving at her friend's house. She gave Indy a goodbye pat and promised to be back in a few hours.
Kayla's house was full of warmth and good smells and people talking and laughing. She introduced Jessie to her mom and Mike's parents, who took an instant liking to her. Caleb was excited by the company but disappointed that Jessie was alone.
"Bady!" Caleb demanded. "Where Bady?"
Jessie laughed and said, "Brady went to see his mom and dad. He'll be back soon."
Kayla nud
ged her and said softly, "Well? Did you do it?"
Jessie's cheeks were pink.
"You did! How was it? I need details."
Jessie laughed and fanned herself. "It was amazing. And he gave me another little one before he walked out the door. I'm so glad I didn't embarrass myself!"
Kayla grinned at her. "I told you! And now he'll be thinking about it all weekend."
"I sure hope so, because I am."
"Now, when he gets back, jump his bones!"
The women bustled around the kitchen while Mike's dad, Joe, played with Caleb. Shortly before dinner, the doorbell rang.
When Kayla opened it, her mouth dropped open with shock. "Dad! I can't believe you're here!"
The rugged looking man laughed at her. "Well, are you going to let me in? It's kinda cold out here."
"Of course, come in, come in."
Kayla's dad was a journalist and always traveling somewhere. Years ago, he and her mom had divorced. Although they loved each other, he loved his job more, and his wife had finally had enough. She told him that if she were going to live like a single woman, she would prefer to be a single woman. They had parted on good terms and remained friends. Now they exchanged a friendly hug and kiss. Joe got up to shake his hand and clap him on the back.
"Good to see you, Mason."
"You too, Joe, Pat." He gave Mike's mom, Pat, a kiss on the cheek.
Kayla whispered to her mom, "You okay with this, Mom?"
"Of course," her mom, Ruth, said. "Your dad's always welcome. We're still friends after all this time. Sometimes friends with benefits."
Kayla's mouth dropped open. "Mom!"
Ruth patted her on the arm. "It's okay, honey, we're consenting adults."
Jessie was laughing helplessly at the shock on her friend's face. After a moment to recover, Kayla introduced her to her dad.
"I'm happy to meet you, Jessie. My little girl could use a good friend."
Jessie smiled at him. "She's a good friend to me, and I needed one too."
"And where's my little man?"
Caleb came straight to him and held up his arms. Mason swung him up and Caleb patted him on the cheek and said, "Papa Mase."
Mason beamed at his grandson. "That's right. Thank God for Face Time!"
There was plenty of happy noise as they settled around the table for the feast. Joe said the prayer, and then there were some tears for the missing loved ones. After they had stuffed themselves on turkey and all the fixings, they loaded the dishwasher and moved to the living room to let their dinner settle before tackling dessert. Jessie listened, fascinated, while they told stories about Mike, good memories that made them laugh. She even told a story about Jake and told them a little about the ranch she was building.
Mason said, "I've heard about your brother. He was a real hero."
Jessie smiled and said, "He was."
After they made a good dent in Jessie's pies, she checked the time and realized that she'd better head home so she could do chores while it was still light. She left most of the pie with Kayla and Kayla gave her leftovers to take home. After hugs all around, Jessie thanked her friend and drove home. Indy went out to do chores with her after she changed clothes and then they settled in for the night.
As she sat by the fire, Jessie reflected on the day and how much she had enjoyed it. She missed Jake, as always, but now she was able to think of him with smiles. She really was healing. She was proud of the ranch and the fact that she was carrying on the dream they had shared. And, again, her thoughts drifted to Brady and the hot kiss they had shared before he left. She mused about how comfortable her life had become with Brady in it. She missed him, but she knew he would be back. There was a sharp stab of loneliness when she thought about him leaving for good. She realized that she was unable to imagine what her days would be like without Brady. She would be plenty busy with the ranch, but would that be enough?
Jessie got abruptly to her feet and paced, trying to escape her thoughts. She was wildly attracted to Brady. Was it more than that? He was strong, dependable, kindhearted, and yet she was fully aware that there were some things he would never let her get away with. She had no doubt that he would keep his promise to spank her if she ever failed to tell him about an encounter with Dan Whitman again. And, to be fair, she knew that it would be foolish not to tell him. She thought about his kiss and about the spanking he had given her, and she realized that both thoughts sent a warm thrill across her groin, tightening her belly with arousal.
For a second, she considered provoking him into giving her another spanking. Her face turned bright red, and she was shocked at herself. But the thought persisted. She felt weirdly protected by the thought that if she did something she shouldn't, she might very well find herself across his lap again. And she remembered vividly the sense of relief that she had after he had spanked her and she had let go of all the tension and anger. She welcomed his strength, and she knew instinctively that he would never injure her or cause her real harm. Now her arousal was strong, and she longed for his touch.
"Geez, Jessie, maybe you will have to jump his bones when he gets back," she said aloud.
She went to the kitchen and got herself a cold beer. She went back and tried to concentrate on the movie she had on, but when the main characters fell into a passionate embrace, she quickly changed the channel to a horror movie. When that didn't keep her attention, she tried comedy, then news. Finally, she switched the TV off and got out a book. When she read the same sentence for the sixth time, she snapped it shut in exasperation.
"This is ridiculous. When that man gets back here, we are definitely going to have some good, satisfying, hot sex. I'm tired of waiting for him. Kayla's right. Time to jump his bones. If he doesn't want me, he's going to have to tell me straight out." Then she smiled a sly little smile. "But I know damn well he does want me."
* * *
In Wyoming, Brady was having a heart to heart with his mom and his sister. He had begged for their opinions, knowing full well that now he had to listen to every word they had to say. Finishing his story, he said, "So is it weird to be attracted to Jake's little sister? He was a brother to me. Doesn't that kind of make her like my sister?"
Becca was staring at him as if he had two heads. "Honestly, Brady, sometimes I don't know how I got you for a brother. Jessie is not even remotely your sister. Have you ever been sexually attracted to me?"
Shocked, Brady said, "No! Of course not! Geez, how can you even say that?"
"Exactly. Is Jessie a grown woman?"
"Well, yeah, although she has a real little girl side."
"But she's of an age to be able to consent?"
"Yeah, of course."
"So you're not getting into some weird child seduction or anything."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Then why the hell are you creating problems that don't exist? She kissed you before you left, right?" Becca was speaking to him as if he were six years old.
"Yeah, she sure did."
"Then, simple. She wants you, you want her. What's the problem?"
"But Jake…you think she wants me?"
His mother patted him on the hand. "It's all right, darling, your dad dropped you on your head when you were a baby. I thought there was no damage, but apparently, it just took this long to show up."
"Mom!"
Becca was laughing hysterically.
"Brady," his mother said. "What kind of feelings do you have for this girl? Are you planning to have your way with her and then dump her? Or do you have real feelings for her?"
Brady was silent for a long moment. "Mom, I think I'm in love with her. Actually, I know I'm in love with her. She's beautiful and smart and hardworking and feisty. I never get tired of being around her. She's been through a lot, and I don't think she knows how strong she is. I couldn't have my way with her and then dump her any more than I could give up breathing. She's…what?"
His mother and sister were staring at him with tears in their eyes. Th
ey looked at each other and smiled. His mom said tenderly, "He's in love. He's really, finally in love."
Becca grinned at him. "He really is. Thank God it wasn't with that girl he dated before Afghanistan."
His mom nodded agreement. "Amen. We would have had to find a way to get rid of her."
Brady shook his head at them. "You two are something else. I could never have been in love with her. I don't know how you could even think that. And Jessie is a hundred times the woman she could ever be."
Becca gave him a sly look. "Boy, I can't wait for Christmas. I really want to meet this girl. Make sure she measures up for my brother."
His mom said, "I'm sure if Brady loves her, she has to be something special. And Pete's met her. He really likes her. He said Brady had eyes for her when he came back from delivering the cows."
Brady's eyebrows shot up. "He did?"
"Yes, he told me this day would be coming. He said it would just depend on how long it took you to figure it out."
"Geez, do you guys all think I'm that dumb?"
"Only when it comes to women, honey," his mom said.
"So do you have a picture of her?" Becca asked.
"Yeah, on my phone." Brady got his phone out, pulled up his pictures, and handed it to his sister.
"Geez, Brady, you don't have a picture, you have dozens of them!"
Brady shrugged. "She's always doing something cute."
Becca and Linda pored over the pictures. Then his mom said, "Brady, you go back and let this girl know how you feel. You sweep her off her feet and you make her happy. Because I can see right now that she makes you happy."
Brady gave her a smile. "That sounds like a plan, Mom."
Becca gave him a hug. "My brother's in love. I can't wait to meet her."
"I can't wait for you all to meet her," Brady said.
His dad called from the other room, "Are you girls done talking in there? Because we're going to watch this football game and drink a couple beers. If my son can tear himself away from the ladies, that is."
Jessie’s Dusty Dreams Page 9
