“I’m sorry,” Jen said, heat engulfing her face and her limbs turning heavy. “I never meant to upset her. I just miss her. And you. I miss you, too, Colt.” Her voice grew weak and she whispered, “So much.”
He remained silent for a while, then said, “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be here for Meg one hundred percent and worry about you out there at the same time. Every damned morning I wake up wondering where you’re headed next and if you made it there okay. I wonder if you had a safe run or if you—” His voice broke and there was a scuffling sound before he said heavily, “You’ve got to let me let you go, Red.”
Jen fought to draw a breath, clutching the phone closer to her ear. “If that’s really what you want.” She had to force out the words.
“It’s not what I want,” he said. “But it’s what I have to do.”
The announcer’s voice crackled over the speakers, calling up the next competitor.
“Sounds like you need to go,” Colt said. “Red?”
She stifled a sob, biting her lip until the metallic taste of blood touched her tongue. “Yeah?”
“Good luck. And be careful out there.”
“I always am,” she whispered.
But the line had been cut and her answer hovered on dead air.
“Jen?”
She lowered the phone to her side and looked over her shoulder. Tammy stood near the gate, holding Diamond’s reins in one hand and beckoning frantically with the other.
Jen made her way over slowly, avoiding her friend’s eyes as she took the reins from her.
“It’s almost time,” Tammy said, glancing anxiously at the line of racers surrounding them. “You’re about to lose your spot.”
Jen hooked her heel in the stirrup and lifted herself up, straddling Diamond and settling in. The shouts from the arena grew louder as a racer exited through the alley gate and the rider in front of Jen lined up.
“How are Colt and Margaret?”
Jen glanced at Tammy. “Okay, I guess,” she said.
She turned away and gripped the saddle horn to still the shaking in her hand, recalling the strained tones of Colt’s voice and the sadness underlying Margaret’s.
A tremor tore through her and she flexed her fingers, realizing this was the first time she’d had a case of nerves since leaving Raintree.
“Jen?” Tammy tugged at her pant leg and peered up at her, asking softly, “Where’s your head at, girl?”
Jen stilled, but didn’t give her usual reply. She couldn’t. Her head wasn’t in the game. She wasn’t focused on the winning time or the barrel pattern. And she’d given no thought to the outcome of the race.
Because it didn’t matter...
Jen sagged in the saddle, the tension leaving her limbs in a peaceful rush and the trembling in her hands subsiding. It no longer mattered whether she won or lost. It didn’t matter if her name was on the board or if the crowd applauded for her. Or if everyone saw her come in first.
You can do anything you put your mind to...
She no longer felt the need to prove anything to anyone. Including herself. She knew she could do it. She knew Diamond could, too. Heck, they’d already done it. More times than not lately. And she finally believed it deep inside. Believed it to the point that coming in first in the arena no longer mattered.
What mattered most was putting Colt and Margaret first. That they knew her, flaws and all, and still loved her. Just as she was. With or without a title. Because who she was what was important to them, not what she could do.
I’ve been proud of you every day of your life.
Her mother’s words returned, filling her heart to the point it overflowed, escaping from her eyes and trickling down her cheeks.
She’d spent so much time trying to earn approval from strangers instead of spending it with those she loved. And no amount of money or success could replace the joy she’d felt when loving and supporting Colt and Margaret.
“Where’s your head, Jen?” Tammy repeated, reaching up to squeeze her knee.
Jen wiped away a tear and whispered, “Don’t you mean where’s my heart?”
Her friend smiled. “With Colt and Margaret?”
Jen nodded and tilted her head back, looking up at the night sky. The stars here were drowned out by the floodlights. She recalled how bright the moon was at Raintree. How green the fields were and how the fun continued well past the last ray of sunshine each day.
She smiled at the thought of juice boxes and kites. Children, outdoor movies and kisses in pickup trucks. So many beautiful babies and happy kids safely at play. The ranch is a perfect place to make a home and start a family. A family with Colt and Margaret. Something worth more than any number of gold buckles. And something she wanted more than anything.
Her heart skipped a beat and she straightened, tugging on Diamond’s reins and stepping out of line. “I want to go back to Raintree.”
Tammy nodded. “I kind of expected that. You haven’t been the same since you came back. I guess I was being selfish trying to keep you to myself.”
“Come with me,” Jen urged, swinging her leg over the saddle and hopping down.
Tammy shook her head, glancing toward the arena as the announcer called the next contestant. “My ride’s not done here. I want a title and Karla needs a buddy for the road, so it’ll work out well.” She smiled through the sadness in her eyes, stepping forward and hugging her. “I want you to be happy. Don’t worry about me. Just be careful going back.” Her laugh ruffled Jen’s hair. “Make an honest man of my cousin and don’t forget that you’ve already got a maid of honor lined up. I’ll be expecting a call once you set the date.”
Jen squeezed her close once more and stepped back, wiping away a tear. “You got it. And I’ll be calling you before then. A lot.”
They said one last goodbye, then Jen led Diamond through his cooldown, removed his tack and loaded him in the trailer. She paused on the way to the driver’s seat, walked back to the trailer and reached through the slats to give Diamond one more pat.
“Can you handle a few extra miles, boy?” Jen smiled, mentally plotting the fastest route from Alabama to Georgia. “Because there’s one more stop I’d like to make before we head to Raintree.”
* * *
COLT SHIELDED HIS eyes against the Sunday afternoon sun and called out, “Good job, Meg. Stay centered and slow it down a bit.”
“Like this?”
“That’s right,” Colt said, watching as she realigned herself in the saddle and tapped Destiny’s flanks, urging her farther out into one of Raintree’s fields.
The slow gait lasted all of thirty seconds before Margaret tapped Destiny again and quickened the pace, catching up with Kayden and Jayden, who rode their horses several feet ahead of her.
“She’s getting good,” Dominic said at his side.
“Yeah.” Colt shoved his hands into his front pockets and leaned back against the fence. “Too good. She’s been begging for barrel racing lessons a lot lately.”
“Yep. She’s asked me, too.” Dominic propped his elbows on the top fence rail and looked to his left, studying the bulls roaming in a pasture on the far side of the grounds. “Of course, I wouldn’t know where to start with something like that. Bulls are more my thing.”
Colt nodded, glancing at the animals he and Dominic had purchased and doing his best to keep his thoughts from straying to Jen. Just as they had every day since she’d left Raintree.
In actuality, he shouldn’t have had time to think about her over the past two weeks. He’d been so busy helping Margaret with homework, riding lessons and settling in permanently at the ranch that his afternoons and evenings were full. And during the day, while Margaret attended school, he spent whatever free time he had planning and implementing the first stages of his and Dominic’s new business v
enture, and pitching in with the daily chores.
He’d thrown himself into work purposefully, hoping the long hours and tedious tasks would keep him from thinking about Jen. Keep him from picturing her bright smile and sexy laugh. Help him avoid remembering how her gentle touch had made his skin tingle and his body hum. Maybe put an end to the way his heart bled every time he faced getting through another day without her.
Only, none of it had worked. He still missed her like hell. Still woke every morning thinking of her. Dreamed about her every night when he closed his eyes. And saying a final goodbye to her last night over the phone had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
He flinched at the pain lashing through him. He’d lost so much more than a friend.
“...could hire someone.”
Colt blinked, forcing his thoughts to subside and turning back to Dominic. “What?”
“I said we could hire someone. To give Meg lessons.”
Colt nodded absently, a small smile fighting its way to his lips at the sight of Margaret nudging Destiny into a trot behind the boys, following them to the other end of the field. Her blond curls bounced against her back and she sat taller in the saddle than she ever had before. Her confidence had grown so much over the past weeks at Raintree and he had no doubt that he’d made the right decision to keep her here permanently.
He hadn’t completely cut off Margaret’s access to their father’s estate, though. He’d retained ownership and would sign over his share in John W. Mead’s company to Margaret in a few years. That way, she could choose which path to take when she came of age. And he’d support her decision.
Colt sighed. He just wished the path he’d chosen for himself was the one Jen wanted, too.
“Who knows?” Dominic shrugged. “If whoever we hire to give Meg racing lessons does a good job, we could consider keeping them on permanently. Maybe even make them a partner. Expand the riding clinics to include barrel racing lessons, too.”
Something in Dominic’s tone was off. Colt looked at him, studying the amused lift of his brow and knowing gleam in his eye.
“What’s going on?” Colt asked, frowning.
Dominic adopted a bland expression. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t ask me that like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Colt pulled his hands from his pockets and shoved himself off the fence. “Something’s up. I can tell.”
Dominic’s mouth twitched and he waved a hand in the air, turning away. “Just tossing ideas around, that’s all.”
“The hell you say—”
“Hey, Mr. Colt,” Jayden shouted, galloping up the center of the field and pointing behind him. “Ms. Jen and Diamond are coming!”
Colt’s eyes snapped to the driveway, scanning the empty dirt road. There was no familiar growl from his truck and no white trailer clearing the hill.
He jerked back to face Dominic, looking for some sign that what Jayden said was true.
A broad smile spread slowly across Dominic’s face. “Well, hell,” he drawled. “Guess we won’t have to look too far to find the right person for the job.”
A distant thundering of hooves erupted. Colt spun back around, his heart stumbling in his chest as a flash of red and white emerged over the hill.
Diamond galloped along the narrow strip of grass between the fence and the dirt road. Jen sat high on his back, leaning forward and moving rhythmically with each of his powerful strides. Her hair arced behind her in a fiery wave.
Excited cries erupted from the field. Kayden and Margaret trotted along the fence, doing their best to keep time with Jen. They couldn’t keep up and fell farther and farther behind, but it did nothing to dampen their spirits. If anything, their whoops and cheers grew louder.
“Go, Ms. Jen,” Margaret hollered, her jubilant cry echoing across the grounds.
Colt moved quickly, striding to the pasture gate and tugging it open as Jen slowed to a halt in front of it. He looked up at her, his breath catching at the rosy flush of her cheeks and the flirtatious spark in her brown eyes. Her full breasts rose and fell with her rapid breaths and her lush mouth parted enticingly as she stared down at him, almost causing his knees to buckle.
He forced himself to speak and picked out the only coherent words he could manage, stringing them into a gruff question. “Where’s my truck?”
Her smile widened and she nodded toward the hill just as the pickup came barreling into view. The engine’s racy roar and the clang of the trailer bouncing over potholes filled the air. Dust flew up from the tires as it sped down the drive, then screeched to an awkward halt.
“Diamond got restless a mile or so back and wanted to stretch his legs,” Jen said, swinging herself to the ground. “So I saddled him up and rode him in.”
Colt rubbed his hands over his jeans, gripping the denim to keep from crushing her to him. He glanced back at the dust cloud settling around his truck. “Yeah, but who...”
The driver’s door creaked open and a tall woman with red hair jumped out. She slammed it shut and crossed to the front of the truck, patting the hood and chuckling.
“Woo,” she gasped. “I’ve never driven a rig as racy as this. It’s a nice ride, Jen.”
Jen laughed, her warm eyes returning to his. “My mom. She likes to ride fast, too.” She flushed a deeper shade of red and released Diamond’s reins, allowing him to amble into the field. “I stopped by to see her on the way back and talked her into coming with me for a vacation. I thought I’d let her check out the ranch. See the sights. I called ahead and asked Dominic to reserve a room for her.”
“You did?”
Now it made sense. Colt glanced over his shoulder at his friend, his own mouth quirking when Dominic ducked his head and walked over to the kids, helping them down from their saddles. The boys ran up, hugged Jen quickly, then shot over to the truck, cornering her mother and firing off questions.
Jen knelt as Margaret rushed toward her, catching her in her arms and pressing kisses to her cheeks.
Colt’s chest warmed at the happiness in Jen’s eyes and smile.
“You came back,” Margaret said, bouncing in Jen’s arms. “I’m so glad you came back.”
“Me, too,” she murmured, sitting back on her heels. “That’s my mom over there. Ms. Nora. Why don’t you go over and say hi with the boys? I’ve told her a lot about you and she’s anxious to meet you.”
Margaret smiled and nodded, then darted over to join the twins. Kayden stood on one side of Nora and Jayden on the other. Both boys had their hands propped on their hips.
Kayden’s authoritative voice carried over to the field. “So how good are you at fort building?”
“Oh, Lord,” Dominic rumbled, easing past Colt and Jen and striding across the driveway toward the boys. “Better head this off at the pass.”
Colt and Jen shared a laugh.
Jen’s laughter faded and she sobered, her shoulders lifting briefly. “My mom and I haven’t always had the best relationship. A lot of that was my fault. I’ve been judging us both too harshly. I thought spending some time together at Raintree might help us grow closer. I was hoping, maybe, after my mom saw the place, she might decide to relocate.”
Colt studied the hesitant movements of her mouth and the slight shake in her hand as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His belly flipped over at her shy expression and he tried to tone down the hopeful note in his voice as he asked, “And why would she want to do that?”
Jen stepped closer, placing a palm on his chest. “Because I plan to stay.”
He pulled in a deep breath and placed his hand over hers, squeezing it.
“It’s simple, you see?” Jen hooked her thumb over the back of his hand, rubbing his knuckles. “There’s this man I can’t stop thinking about.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “He’s patient
and kind. He’s a good listener and very considerate. And he’s the best friend anyone could ask for.” She paused and cleared her throat. “Only, there’s this one problem.”
Colt bit his lip. “What kind of problem?”
Jen smiled and placed her other hand on his chest. “I fell in love with him. He makes me happier than I’ve ever been. And now I want to be more than just a friend. I want to be his wife. I want to share my life with him. Every second of it. I want to wake up with him every morning and lie down beside him every night. And I want to start a family with him.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “That is, if the offer still stands?”
Colt pulled his free hand from his pocket and cupped her face with his palm. “It does.”
A shaky breath escaped her and he tugged her closer, lowering his head and covering her mouth with his. Her lips parted, her sweet taste and her light scent heating his blood.
Conspiratorial whispers turned into a chorus of children’s voices. “Mr. Colt and Ms. Jen sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i—”
Colt groaned, lifted his head and spun around, chasing them with playful smacks to their backsides as they scattered. “Get your little tails outta here.”
The boys guffawed. Margaret blushed. And Dominic and Nora chuckled as they rounded the children up and herded them toward the house in the distance.
Colt laughed and shook his head, returning to Jen and rubbing his hands up and down her bare arms. “Now, where were we?”
“You were about to tell me you love me,” she said.
He pulled her close again, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her against him. “I love you, Red.”
“I love you, too. Now kiss me like you mean it,” she teased.
Colt laughed and kissed her properly this time, his tongue slipping between her lips and his hands kneading her back. He angled deeper, savoring her soft moans of pleasure.
He raised his head briefly, his skin tingling under the desperate caress of her hands as they moved over his shoulders, and his chest warmed at her dazed expression. Beautiful.
“We better set the wedding date early.” She smiled up at him. “Because I’m already eager to start the honeymoon.”
The Bull Rider's Cowgirl Page 18
