The Cowboy's Housekeeper

by Lori Copeland

  The apartment was beginning to lose its musty smell as she sat up and moved to the comer of the bed. What she needed now was a hot shower and a good night’s rest. She hadn’t gotten over having just three hours of sleep the night before.

  What is Jason doing now? Probably still working, either on his farm or hers. Guilt stabbed at her. Soon she’d have to tell him his services were no longer required, since the farm would belong to the church.

  She set about unpacking the things she had brought with her. She would have to send for the rest of her belongings later.

  When she stepped into the small blue-tiled bathroom for her shower, she released a long sigh. Loneliness ached in her chest. The next few weeks would be difficult. Work would help, of course. She could throw herself into making up for so much time away from the office. Since the children’s clothing line was no longer possible, maybe she could develop a new marketing effort to expand the distribution—

  Stop. I’m too tired to think about this tonight.

  Instead, she closed her eyes, turned her face to the spray, and willed the hot water to wash away her thoughts. Especially thoughts of the green-eyed man she’d left behind.

  Maybe tomorrow would be brighter.

  Up bright and early the next morning, she dumped out a bowlful of the cornflakes Mrs. Houseman had sent over, poured the donated milk over them, and made herself a cup of instant coffee from the supplies still in her cabinet. Sitting at the table, she scooped a spoonful of cereal and thought of Jason. What was he having for breakfast this morning? Probably a piece of toast or something simple, since she wasn’t there to cook a hearty meal for him.

  Overwhelming sadness washed over her. How she longed to be back home with him right now.

  With a sigh, she finished her simple meal, and then put the bowl and cup in the dishwasher. Someday, maybe, she would be able to think about something besides Jason Rawlings. It was going to be a long, long day.

  She dressed in a pair of Fancy Duds jeans and pulled on a starchy white blouse and a Fancy Duds jacket. A check in the mirror revealed that CEO Jessica Cole had returned. With a final pat on her pinned-up hair, she let herself out of the apartment to go down to the garage directly below. She swung open the heavy door and saw her little red sports car sitting patiently waiting for its mistress to return.

  “Boy, have I missed you,” she assured it with a loving stroke on the back fender. “I’ve got a truck I want you to meet someday. You’re not going to believe it.”

  She slid into the familiar seat, started the engine with no difficulty, backed slowly out of the garage. Mrs. Houseman appeared at the kitchen window to wave goodbye. Jessica returned the gesture and headed for work.

  “You’re back!” Celeste nearly bowled Jessica over when she entered the office. “Ohmygosh you have no idea how much we’ve missed you.” She cast a cautious glance over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “If you’d been gone much longer, I think Louis was planning a coup d’ etat.”

  Jessica laughed aloud at the outrageous idea. Louis, the mousy but brilliant manager of the computer room, was so shy he could barely talk to anyone without stammering and turning four shades of purple. Put him in front of a computer, though, and he could make the thing do back flips.

  She hugged Celeste once more. “I’d worry more about you trying to take over than Louis,” she teased before releasing her.

  “Not me, boss lady.” The perky girl placed a hand over her heart. “I’m sticking with you ‘till death do us part.”

  The casual words might be lightly meant, but Jessica fought a stab of sorrow upon hearing them. She and Jason had made that promise to each other long ago. What would life have been like if she had kept it?

  With a firm mental effort, she pushed thoughts of Jason out of her mind and headed toward her office behind Celeste’s desk. “What’s on my agenda for the day?”

  “Are you kidding?” Celeste asked. “Nothing. We didn’t know you were coming. Your calendar’s completely empty.”

  All day long with nothing to do but think? Not happening.

  “Well, fill it up. I want to meet with every department head, and tell them I want to see a summary of their activity over the past few months, as well as their current project lists. And this afternoon, book a couple of hours with the entire marketing team. I’ve got some ideas for a new campaign.” She stopped in the act of opening the door with her name etched on the glass. “And as soon as Barb gets here, ask her to come in. We have a ton of catching up to do.”

  Celeste straightened to attention and gave a mock-salute. “Yes, ma’am, boss lady.”

  With a grin for her beloved assistant, Jessica entered her office.

  She worked well past quitting time, reviewing every departments’ status reports. By the time she pulled her car into the garage night had fallen. She slumped behind the wheel, tired from a full day of mental exertion.

  Well I’ve used up one day of the rest of my life without Jason. A tight knot formed in her throat. One day. And it seemed like a week. How could she ever make it?

  Grabbing her briefcase off the passenger seat, she climbed the stairs to her apartment. Inside, she went through the motions of readying herself for bed. She downed a glass of warm milk, like Aunt Rainey used to give her when she couldn’t sleep. Then she crawled into bed.

  And stared misty-eyed at the dark ceiling for the rest of the night.

  Eighteen

  The next few days blurred together. At the office Jessica worked like a fiend, throwing all her efforts into getting back up to speed. Though she hated to admit it, the company had run smoothly without her. Her staff was thrilled to have her back, and Barb couldn’t stop hugging her, but the telecommuting arrangement did work out well.

  When she left work, the problems began. Emotions overtook her at odd times, and it was not uncommon for her to burst into tears at the smallest thing. One evening she stopped at the local drugstore to buy a new paperback—anything to take up the empty hours of the endless lonely nights. The book selected, she browsed through a large display of cologne. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the aftershave display. With faltering steps, she walked over slowly and picked up the dark amber bottle, holding it almost reverently. She removed the top of the bottle and inhaled deeply, breathing in the rich masculine scent…the one Jason wore. A river of tears coursed down her face as she stood cradling the aftershave, her hands trembling. Dragging a Kleenex out of her purse, she wiped her eyes and replaced the lid on the bottle. She started to put it back on the shelf, but paused. Her heart aching, she carried it to the check-out counter along with her book. It was a small comfort…but at least it was something.

  She drove home with tears still in her eyes and let herself into the apartment just as her cell rang.

  Jessica’s heart leaped into her throat. Please let it be him. If only she could hear a deep manly voice begging her to return home. Instead she found herself explaining irritably to a persistent salesman that she didn’t need aluminum siding for her house. She didn’t have a house.

  On the evening of the eighth day, Jessica stood at the window looking down into Mrs. Houseman’s back yard, wreathed in shadows at the approaching twilight. Eight days. Had it been eight thousand she couldn’t have been lonelier. She swallowed against a throat that threatened to clog with yet another lump of tears.

  The dark sky began to take on a stormy appearance, the promise of much-needed rain hanging heavy in the sultry air. Thunder rolled in the distance. The faint scent of coming rain blew in the open window on a muggy breeze. Then a sharp streak of lightning lit up the sky as the storm overtook the city. A loud clap of thunder shook the small apartment. Jessica’s pulse kicked into overdrive. Down in the yard, Mrs. Houseman’s webbed lawn chairs were blown by a strong gust, and smacked against her garage.

  Irritation nagged at her. Her empty garage. An annoying incident with the car on the way home had left her without transportation for a few days. If only she’d—


  No. She refused to think about that now. The night was depressing enough already.

  The rumble of thunder reminded her of the night Jason comforted her.

  Who was she kidding? Everything reminded her of Jason.

  What is he doing right now?

  Did he miss her even a tiny bit? Her chest heaved with a short laugh.

  “Obviously not.” Irony saturated the words, echoing off the apartment walls. No doubt he was glad to see the last of her. Probably enjoyed a return to sanity from the life he had led the last few months.

  She pulled the window down a little before going to her bedroom. Before she drew the curtains, she glanced once more at the storm. Maybe it would just be a good rain this time instead of a true storm. She could hope, right?

  Sliding between her sheets, she picked up the paperback from the nightstand tried unsuccessfully to concentrate on the hero and heroine. An hour later she tossed the book on the table in disgust. How could she expect to read about a man’s undying love for his sweetheart and keep her mind off Jason? Next time she bought a book, she’d choose a science fiction novel. Surely an alien with stuff hanging out of his nose wouldn’t stir her memory.

  Switching off the bedside lamp, she settled down. Her muscles refused to relax as the sounds of the mounting fury of the storm invaded her bedroom. There was no doubt left in her mind now—it was clearly going to be a full-blown Texas-size storm. A good thing she’d exhausted herself at work today, or she’d be up all night worrying. But sleep lulled her to relax almost against her will. Snuggling deep under the covers, she drifted into a light slumber, one ear tuned to the wind, lest it take her roof off.

  After only a few minutes, her subconscious mind registered a loud pounding. Refusing to emerge from her much-needed sleep, she snuggled deeper into her soft pillow. Probably a shudder or something banging in the wind.

  The persistent noise became louder.

  That wasn’t a loose shudder. It sounded more like someone pounding on a door. Who would be visiting Mrs. Houseman at this hour? It sounded like that person was trying to beat the wooden door down with his bare hands.

  “Jessica!”

  Her mind swam to the surface. Wait. That was her door they were trying to beat down!

  “Jessica, you’d better be in there.” The howling wind outside muffled a man’s deep voice.

  She sat up, her heart pounding as she put her feet on the floor. Still groggy, she staggered into the front room and groped for the light switch. If this was Avon calling, they had gone berserk.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” she shouted, belting her housecoat around her waist. “Just hold on a minute.”

  She reached the protesting door, which was now groaning under the battering assault. Whoever it was, he was determined to get in. Fear assaulted her, and she stopped in the act of reaching for the security chain. What if it was a madman? This might be a home invasion!

  Raising her voice to be heard over the banging and the wind, she demanded, “Who is it?”

  “Who do you think it is? Open this door— NOW!”

  Her heart soared to her throat. She knew that voice.

  “Jason?” she asked in astonishment.

  She quickly pulled the chain off and flung the door wide open. Warm rain blew in on her.

  Maybe she was still asleep. This had to be a dream. Jason stood there in the doorway, his clothes plastered to his body. Rain ran in rivulets off the brim of his hat. When the door opened, his large frame sagged weakly against the doorframe. Fatigue lined his face, and heavy dark circles smudged his eyes.

  He heaved a deep sigh. “It’s about time. I was beginning to think you weren’t home.”

  Her brain numb, she couldn’t come up with a response to him. What was he doing here? Eight days had passed without a phone call, or a text, or even an email. No contact what so ever. Something must have gone wrong back at the farm.

  “What’s the matter? Is something wrong at home?” She studied his troubled face for a moment, then exclaimed, “It’s Tabacina, isn’t it? She’s had her kittens.”

  Jason’s jaw dropped. “Kittens? You think I flew seven hundred miles to tell you the cat had kittens?”

  “She hasn’t?” She shook her head to clear her thoughts. A lingering sleep clogged her brain. “She’s really late.”

  “No, she hasn’t.” He moved his head, and a waterfall sloshed off the rim of his hat. “Do you think I could come in?”

  “Oh. Of course.” She opened the door wider and stepped back.

  He brushed past her into the small living room. She shut the door, still trying to figure out what had brought him here in the middle of the night. A tiny drop of hope bubbled in her heart, but she ignored it.

  She tried again. “Is there something wrong?”

  He looked up in a daze, as if he were just now seeing her for the first time. Anger flickered in his jade eyes.

  “Wrong?” He removed his hat and set it on the counter that separated the living room and kitchen. “Wrong, Jessica? Why, no, nothing’s wrong. Not unless you consider my being stuck in an airport half the night last night trying to get here, then traipsing around this town in total confusion all day trying to find out where you lived, then spending the last two hours wandering around in this—this—monsoon looking for your address, as wrong.” He began pacing the floor like a caged animal, his boots, which were filled with rainwater, sloshing with every step.

  “But—but why are you here?” Jessica’s pulse began to pound. The bubble of hope expanded.

  “Why am I here?” He shouted the question. “That’s what I came to ask you. Why are you still here?”

  She looked away, unable to meet his penetrating gaze. “Where else do I belong?”

  “With me. You belong with me. You told me you’d be back in a couple of days.”

  She stiffened and forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m not coming back, Jason.”

  His lips tightened, and his eyes never left hers. “You wouldn’t like to lay odds on that, would you, Cole?”

  What is that supposed to mean? Is he determined to make me work out the full six months we agreed to?

  Her chin threatened to tremble. “Why didn’t you just let things alone? You don’t love me. I’m in the way back home, a constant reminder of the pain of our annulled marriage.” She began to pace the floor, following in Jason’s footsteps.

  “What do you mean, don’t love you?” He whirled and passed her going the opposite direction. “Where did you get a stupid idea like that?”

  She stopped in her tracks and jammed her small fists on her hips, her mouth dropping open. “A stupid idea like that?” She shot her nose in the air. “When have you ever told me you loved me? It’s always been me dogging your steps ever since the first day I met you, you—you—you toad.”

  He stopped in front of her, his hands coming up sharply to his own hips. “I told you on our wedding night, you—you toadess!”

  Every second of that night was emblazoned in Jessica’s memory. “You did not. You said you wanted me. You said you loved my eyes, my nose, my face—”

  “Wanted? Loved? What’s the difference? Your eyes, your nose, your face—they’re all you.” Jason threw a hand in the air. “You know perfectly well I’ve never gotten you out of my system.” Irritation filled his voice as he resumed pacing in a huff, bellowing above his squishing shoes. “Lord knows I tried—and I almost made it. Then you came back and set out to systematically destroy every means of transportation I own.” He whirled sharply, his face inches from hers. “I’m surprised you didn’t run over my horse.”

  She clenched her teeth, frustration washing over her as she doubled up her fists and shook them wildly in his face. “I’m sick of hearing about those stupid wrecks. I’ll pay you back every penny. In fact, if my company’s new promotion works out I’ll buy you a car lot of your very own.”

  With a snort, he ignored her last remark. “Then you used our ‘business arrangement’ to try to sed
uce me.”

  She drew in an outraged breath. “I did not!”

  “Oh?” One eyebrow twitched upward. “What was with the purple dress that almost dipped down to your navel?”

  Heat assaulted her face. “That was unintentional. I didn’t realize…I thought…” She straightened her shoulders and tried to gather a few shreds of dignity. “I wanted you to find me attractive. That’s all.”

  “See!” He stabbed a finger in her face. “You purposefully tried to manipulate my feelings when you knew I hadn’t gotten over you.”

  “You said you had.” Jessica held firm to her argument. “You plainly told me the day I hired you that you didn’t care for me any longer. Then, the night I gave you a harmless little peck on the cheek you went ballistic.”

  They both began their pacing again, passing each other in heated silence.

  “And what about Monica?” She whirled on him in triumph. “Just explain why you’ve continued to see her all these months if you love me, Jason Rawlings.”

  “What about Rick? You threw him in my face enough in the last few weeks, Jessica Cole.”

  She dismissed that with a wave. “You know perfectly well I don’t care for Rick romantically.”

  He snorted in disgust as he passed her. “It didn’t look that way to me the night of the hayride.”

  “Yeah? Well from where I sat it looked like you and Monica were getting pretty cozy too.”

  Jason came to a stop. His muscles went limp, as if all the fight left him at once. “Do you honestly believe for one moment that I don’t love you, Angel?”

  Her anger fled just as quickly. She froze, barely able to breathe. “Oh, Jason, I want so desperately to believe that you do.”

  They stood in the middle of the small room staring at each other, the rain pattering against the windowpanes.