"Okay," Jeremy said, "I'll say this one time, then I want to drop it. The brand on the bull looked altered from a brand that belonged to a bull out of Little Yellow Jacket that's traced back to a breeder in Nevada. Someone could have stolen the bull and sold it to Billy, and we're going to the breeder as potential buyers and ask questions to see what we can find out."
"If it is a stolen bull," Ryan said, "Billy will be out her best bull as well as the money she paid for him because you'd have to report it."
"There are legal means of recovering money for unknowingly buying stolen goods," Jeremy said, "but we're a long way from that. We'll see what the breeder says."
"Then who's registered as the sire of Billy's bull?" Ryan asked.
"I told you before, I haven't seen his papers," Jeremy replied.
"If he's such a close look-alike to Little Yellow Jacket and bucks like a pro bull, I would have thought you'd be curious enough to ask about his line," Ryan said. "Is there a reason you haven't?"
Jeremy had a half dozen reasons why he hadn't asked, none of which he intended to share with Ryan and Josh because he also had faith in a woman who was quickly becoming important in his life, and he trusted that whatever her reason for hiding information, it wasn't self-serving, and in time, she'd share it with him. "I'll get around to it," he said. "Talking bulls hasn't been on my mind whenever I've been around her."
Josh smiled in amusement. "No, I don't suppose it would have been. Incidentally, Annie and Genie like her."
Jeremy looked ahead at the three women. Billy was sandwiched between Annie and Genie, who were walking and talking to Billy with smiles on their faces, and hand gestures, like they were excited about whatever they were talking about, which had Jeremy wondering what it could be. But Billy looked happy, and she was getting exactly what she'd wanted, female company.
"So, you've been over there every day this week," Josh mused. "Are you getting anywhere?"
"Sure," Jeremy replied. "The bucking chutes are repaired, there's a circuit box and new wiring in the barn, and tomorrow I'll be jacking up the porch and getting ready to tear off the old roof."
"I wasn't talking about all the work you're doing to get Billy's notice," Josh said, "but since she's letting you come back, you must be getting somewhere with her."
"Maybe," Jeremy replied, which was about the only answer he could give, because he really had no idea where he stood with Billy. She could be tolerating him because he was getting things done over there, but that didn't explain her thumb wrapped around his hand.
He let out a little soft laugh before he could catch himself, and when he did, Ryan eyed him with curiosity and said, "I'll stop ribbing you if you'll explain the laugh."
Jeremy looked at Josh, who shrugged and said, "I won't rib either."
"Okay then," Jeremy said, "Billy wrapped her thumb around my hand."
When Ryan and Josh stared at him like he hadn't finished the sentence, Jeremy said, "That's about the extent of it. I put my hand over hers, and she hooked her thumb around my hand. But I kissed her too."
"This is sounding a little more normal," Josh replied.
"She didn't kiss me back if that's what you're thinking," Jeremy said, "but she didn't attack me either so I figure I'm on the right track. She'll also be staying in my camper when we go to the Pendleton rodeo."
"Now we're getting closer to the brother I've known," Josh replied. "I thought I'd lost him for a minute, not that he was worth keeping."
"I said she's staying in my camper. I'll be staying with you," Jeremy said to Josh. "I'm hauling Wild Card since Billy's truck needs a tune-up and I won't be able to get around to it until after the rodeo."
Josh gave him a wry smile and said nothing, but his silence said it all.
Next thing you'll be bringing her home to Mama…
Jeremy looked ahead at Billy. Maybe it was so. Even from the back she had his heart revving up. She had a cute little figure, with all the right curves, and long slender legs he could imagine wrapped around him, and although he knew she wasn't aware of it, she had a little bit of a feminine sashay to her hips.
As the women approached the stable, she glanced over her shoulder, like maybe she was looking back to see if he was still there, and when she saw him she smiled, then turned back and continued into the barn. So he'd racked up several smiles in the past twenty minutes, which had him smiling too…
"Yep, that noose is tightening," Josh said.
Catching Jeremy's glare, Josh sobered quickly, and added, "Just for the record, I'm with Ryan. She's your soulmate. Square things away with the bull's brand and this one's a keeper."
Jeremy wanted to add, square things away with the bull's brand, and a half dozen more inconsistencies, like her father posing as a wrangler, and who the character in the black SUV really was, but he didn't want to think about it now because his mind was on the return ride to Billy's place. In some ways he felt like he was back in middle school, obsessing over whether to hold a girl's hand or kiss her. If someone told him a month ago that he'd be acting like a lovesick puppy he would have laughed himself silly, but that's the way it was.
CHAPTER 7
On the ride back to her place, Billy felt almost giddy. After months of near isolation, she'd finally met some women she could relate to. Annie and Genie asked the usual questions about where she'd lived before and why she'd moved, and she'd answered to their satisfaction, and before long she and Annie were talking horses, and Genie was right in on the conversation because she was schooling herself to be a ranch wife, and little Abby was there to distract everyone with her four-year-old wit and sweetness.
Jeremy pretty much kept his distance when they were away from the house, mostly hanging out with his brothers, but she saw him looking at her on several occasions, which had its usual affect with the stomach flutters. But during dinner, sitting at a table with a family that laughed and kidded, and three brothers who bantered and joked the way siblings do, and Abby chattering, and Cody beating his spoon against his tray, and Ruth and Matt at opposite ends of the table, smiling and looking around like mother and father to the brood, Billy felt as if she almost belonged, like she could fall into place as another daughter or sister.
But while she was elated about having women friends she could relate to, she was apprehensive about picking up with Jeremy where they'd left off on the way there, with his hand over hers in the car, and her holding his hand as he walked her to the door and remaining that way when Ruth opened it, like they were making a statement. Like they were a couple. But now she had to face reality again, and the reality was, getting involved with Jeremy in a romantic relationship would mean living a lie well into the unforeseeable future.
While maintaining an arm's length distance between them in the truck, which meant sitting close to the door, she said, "I loved spending time with your sister-in-laws. They told me all about your family and how much they love your mom and dad, and your grandmother. And Ruth and Abby are really fun to be around. Thank you for taking me there."
Jeremy glanced over at her, and from the cheerless look on his face Billy knew he was baffled by her mixed messages between the ride over, and the ride home. "That's what you wanted," he said. "Their house is always open to drop-ins, so you'd be welcome anytime, and I'm sure Annie would like to take you into the mountains, maybe without Genie, but only because Annie likes to run flat out on her horse, and when Genie's along she has to take it easy. But you and Annie could make a day of it when Genie's in town. She works three days a week at a county health clinic in Pine Grove and Ruth looks after Abby."
"I'd love that," Billy said, feeling no threat from Annie because Annie would never ask the kind of questions that would come from a man in a growing relationship.
Jeremy looked over at her again. "Tomorrow I'll start on the porch. By the end of the week I should have the roof torn off and covered with plywood and building paper and ready for shingles as soon as we get back from the rodeo in Pendleton," he said. "If you want m
e to close in the porch too, I'll frame in the walls and pick up some used windows from Harney Salvage in Pine Grove."
Billy looked askance at Jeremy. "If you can get the new roof on that would be a big help," she said. "By next week the rest of my boxes should arrive and I can do the porch myself. You've really done enough for me already."
"Are you sending me a message?" Jeremy asked outright.
For a moment Billy didn't reply because she was sending him a message, one she hoped he'd refute because the truth was, she wanted Jeremy around, even if it was unwise, because she also wanted him in her life. He was definitely filling a void. "I'm not sure what you mean about sending a message."
"Then I'll clarify. On the way over and when we got to the house you didn't have a problem with holding my hand, and when we were visiting there I got the impression you were happy enough to have me along, but now you're pressed up against that door so tight I'm worried the thing might fly open."
Billy was against the door, and her hands, which were clasped together in her lap, were angled close to the door, out of Jeremy's reach. "I guess I'm not sure what you want from me," she said. "You've been coming over to my place every day to fix things, and you're helping me buck the bulls, and I know you want to ride Wild Card and—"
"Is that what you think I'm up to," Jeremy cut in, "softening you up so I can ride Wild Card?"
Billy really didn't think that was his reason, at least not all of it, but if not that, she was baffled why he was putting so much time and energy into fixing up a place that he had no interest in. "You want to ride him again, don't you?"
"I told you I did," Jeremy replied, "but I also told you I was an honest man, which means I won't start fixing up some random woman's ranch as a means of riding a bull."
"Then why are you doing it?" Billy asked.
"Like I said before, you need it done and I can do it, and it's also the only way I can spend time with you. You got my notice the first time I came to your place for a buckout, and you still have my notice, and I was hoping by now I'd have your notice too. I'm not pushing for anything more than friends right now. Anything else could come later."
Billy found herself unclasping her hands and moving her left hand to her left knee, like she was toying with the folds on her jeans, then leaving her hand there, a subtle message that her hand was within arm's distance. Jeremy glanced over and focused on it, but didn't reach for it, like he was uncertain what to do because he was right, she was sending mixed messages because that was exactly what she felt, a confusion of mixed emotions, some telling her to allow things to happen, others telling her to put on the skids.
"Are you giving me your answer?" Jeremy asked, while glancing at her hand on her knee.
Billy hated that Jeremy was so up front with his questions, making certain there was no misunderstanding, while she was forced to keep a charade going, except that her feelings for him were not part of the fabrication. They were real, and she wasn't sure what to do about them. "Maybe I am," she said, looking over at him.
Jeremy reached out and took her hand in his and drew it closer to him. "Are you okay with this then?" he asked.
"I think so," Billy replied, "but I also need time to think things through."
"Take all the time you want," Jeremy said. "I've never been in a relationship before so I need time too." When Billy looked askance at him, like she knew better, he said, "Okay, I admit I have no problem spending the night with a willing woman, especially after a rodeo when the spirits are high and the women are available, but other than that, I steer clear of personal involvements."
"I don't get the impression that's what you're doing right now," Billy said.
"I don't know what I'm doing right now," Jeremy replied. "This is new to me."
"Holding hands?"
Jeremy gave her a sideways smile. "Something like that."
After a long stretch of silence, with their hands clasped while they both sat staring straight ahead at the dual beams from the headlights, Jeremy said, "I don't suppose you'd consider sitting next to me."
"I'd have to unfasten my seatbelt," Billy replied, knowing that was another mixed message.
"There's one in the middle," Jeremy pointed out.
"I suppose then." Billy unfastened her seat belt and slid beside him and buckled up again, and Jeremy curved his arm around her shoulders, gave her a kiss on the temple, and said, "This is better."
Billy looked at him, worried. "I hope you don't take my moving beside you as an invitation for other things, because it's not."
"I know. I'd be disappointed if that's what you were doing."
"Why?"
"I don't know exactly," Jeremy said. "Maybe because I'd feel like I was putting pressure on you to do things you didn't want to do, and because I'm a guy, I tend to want to do the things you're steering clear of, even though I also want to take things slow. It's hard to explain because I really don't know what the hell I'm talking about."
"Should I take that as a compliment?" Billy asked.
"Take it for what it is. I'm a guy who's having trouble communicating with you and I can't figure out why, because I usually don't have problems communicating with people."
"I'm a pretty private person," Billy offered. "I'm not so easy to know."
"You can say that again," Jeremy said. "Is there a reason why?"
Billy felt a wave of adrenaline from Jeremy's direct question. In fact his directness was beginning to trouble her. He obviously wasn't a man who'd beat around the bush for answers when he wanted to know something, and she hated that he kept putting her in a position where she had to lie, like explaining why she was a private person. But she had no choice but to relate what she'd been schooled to say under such circumstances. "I had a speech impediment when I was little and the kids teased me about it so I tended to stay to myself, and it's just sort of stuck."
"You didn't have any trouble getting your point across the first time I approached you at the buckout a few months back," Jeremy said. "You nailed my intentions and let me have it."
"I have no problem along those lines," Billy said, "it's when people try to get close to me that I start to clam up. I just like to keep things that way until I have a chance to size things up."
"You've had some time now to size me up," Jeremy said. "Have you formed any opinions?"
"Yes," Billy said. "You get things done."
"That's it? Nothing more?" Jeremy asked.
"Nothing more for now," Billy replied.
"Except you're letting me put my arm around you," Jeremy pointed out.
Billy smiled up at him. "I also let Diesel put his head in my lap."
"Does that mean you'll let me put my head in your lap?" Jeremy asked.
"Don't push things, cowboy," Billy joked.
"I won’t." Jeremy tightened his arm around her and gave her another little kiss on the side of the face and said nothing. When she looked up at him he was smiling, and by the time they pulled up to the house, twenty minutes later, her hand was resting lightly on his knee.
She wasn't surprised when Jeremy didn't try to kiss her when he walked with her to the front porch. Not only was the bare-bulb porch light on, but when they drove up, a shadow had been standing in the window, so all Jeremy did was to get out of the truck and walk around the front to open her door, but by then she was already out of the truck and heading for the porch. He stopped at the foot of the steps and said, "I'll see you on my way home from work tomorrow."
"Yeah, okay," Billy replied, then knowing her father could be watching, turned and let herself into the house.
Her father was standing at the back of the living room, waiting. "That man's coming around a lot," he said, "and now you've spent the evening with him."
"He took me to meet the people at the ranch where he works," Billy replied. "You were invited too but I knew you wouldn't come, so I didn't mention it to you."
Bill looked at her curiously, like he didn't quite believe her, which was partially justi
fied. She knew he wouldn't have gone to the Kincaid Ranch since he was never one to socialize much, even when times were good, but mainly she didn't mention it because she didn't want him along because she wanted Jeremy all to herself. But having done that, now her father would be pumping her with questions about her relationship with Jeremy, and reminding her of the situation they were in and the risk of expanding their circle of acquaintances.
"What do you intend to do about him?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" she replied, though she had a pretty fair idea where he was going with the question.
"I mean your intentions with the man."
"His name is Jeremy, and I have no intentions with him," she said. "He's handy with repairs and he's getting a lot of things done around here, and he's a bull rider who knows bulls and is helping me with them."
"He's also a brand inspector as well as several other kinds of inspectors. He could start looking into things and asking questions you couldn't answer. How much does he know?"
"Not much of anything," Billy replied. "He knows I'm legal owner of Wild Card, and as soon as Mario brings the ownership papers, Jeremy will be satisfied, and that will be the end of it."
"Not if he keeps coming around it won't be the end," Bill said. "He'll be asking questions of a different nature because he's interested in you, and I can tell you right off, if you start having feelings for him you might find yourself one day pouring out your soul, so think hard before you bring a man into your life unless he's willing to pull up stakes in the middle of the night and disappear with you if it comes to that. You know the rules."
Did she ever, Billy thought, wearily. She just hoped her father wouldn't put pressure on her to send Jeremy away because she wanted excuses to keep him coming back. Sitting beside him with his arm around her, and him telling her that he'd never been in a relationship before, had her thinking that maybe he could be a one-woman man. He was up front about the women who made themselves available to the unattached cowboys at rodeos, but he was also laying things out for a relationship because he was an honest man.
Bucking The Odds (Dancing Moon Ranch Book 9) Page 8
