Chapter 1

by Unknown

  “Hey, Ace, I saw your wedding on the television.

  Bad, bad boy! Getting married to someone else when I almost had you convinced we would be good together.

  Hello, Jasmine, I’m Kylee from down near Bowie. Grew up around here with all these wild cowboys. We’ll have to compare notes on this one sometime.” Kylee giggled.

  She didn’t stick around long but snagged Felicity and the two of them went back to the Cordova place.

  “Tat stamps,” Liz whispered.

  “What?” Ace asked.

  “Inside joke between BFFs,” Liz said.

  “Don’t even ask,” Raylen said between bites. “It would take a rocket scientist to understand what goes on between those two.”

  Jasmine shook her head slowly. “Is there a woman in all of Montague County that you haven’t dated? I mean, here we are in a town of one hundred at a church picnic and in the first fifteen minutes there’s already been three who thought they would marry you, one that kissed you right in front of me.”

  “Raylen, help me out here?” Ace said.

  “Sorry, buddy. I can’t think of any.” Raylen laughed.

  “I didn’t date Liz or Gemma or Colleen. There’s three right there,” Ace said.

  “Raylen already had Liz scoped out when you met her.

  Gemma and Colleen are like your sisters. Your words when we first met, not mine. Those three don’t count.”

  “Pearl. She came to the ranch with Colleen way back before she ever knew Will and I didn’t date her,” he said.

  “Well, praise God and pass the biscuits,” Jasmine quipped one of her grandmother’s favorite sayings. She drew her feet up under her and tucked the tail of her white eyelet sundress under her thighs to keep the south wind from whipping it up.

  Liz tapped her on the arm. “I haven’t heard that expression in years. My grandpa, the one who lives out in west Texas, says it.”

  “It was one of my granny’s favorite adages. It made me think about her. She lives south of Sherman in Whitewright, a little bitty town where my momma grew up.”

  “I thought about my grandpa this morning in church,” Ace admitted. Anything to get the conversation away from all the women he’d dated. “I swear Gramps was sitting on the arm of the pew right beside me. He was wearing his Sunday overalls just like Grandpa O’Donnell and whispering in my ear the whole time the preacher was talking.”

  Liz tucked the tail of one of her many multicolored tiered skirts around her thighs and nodded. “Sometimes my momma and aunt do that to me. Raylen thinks I’m crazy when I argue with them. All he hears is one side of the conversation.”

  “And it sounds kind of crazy when I don’t know what they’re saying to her on the other end. What did Gramps Riley say to you?” Raylen asked Ace.

  Ace stuttered and stammered before he could figure out an answer. “Basically the same things he’s said forever. A ranch needs a woman.”

  “It does,” Liz agreed.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Jasmine nodded toward Liz.

  Liz finished off the last two bites of her dessert and touched Raylen on the thigh. “Granny is motioning to us. She’s got our fiddles on the chairs and ready. We must be up first. What are we doing first?” He stood up and extended his hand to help her.

  “‘Farther Along’ like they sang this morning or

  ‘Amazing Grace’?”

  “Whatever you want, Raylen. I’ll follow your lead.”

  “If you do, it’ll be the first time. Why couldn’t we get one of those sweet little women who jump to do our bidding?” Raylen asked Ace.

  “Sorry, but you don’t get second chances. You got me. Be satisfied or be dead.” Liz smiled sweetly.

  “Tougher than nails.” Raylen grinned as he led her toward the fiddles.

  Ace turned to Jasmine. “How about you? Should I be satisfiedorbedead?” Vibes danced.

  Everything sparkled.

  Jasmine sweated.

  “Well?” Ace pressed.

  She wiped the moisture from her forehead with a paper napkin with fireworks printed on it. Mercy, how did she ever get in such a pickle and where were his old girlfriends when she needed them?

  “All depends,” she stalled.

  “On?”

  “On where we are in one year. I promised not to hold you past that.”

  “And if I release you from that promise?”

  What was he saying? She wished whatever it was he’d just spit it out and quit dancing around the patchwork.

  “Let’s just put it this way. I agree with Liz. My husband isn’t going to be getting second chances. So don’t be makin’ any promises you don’t plan on keepin’,” she said.

  “And that means?” Ace asked.

  “Don’t get caught up in the moment and regret it later,” she said bluntly.

  Ace leaned on his hand, barely an inch from Jasmine’s. His little finger edged over and locked with hers and that crazy feeling in the pit of his stomach said that the only thing he would regret was losing her. He simply had to make her feel the same way and all his old tricks of the trade wouldn’t work.

  More than a ranch was riding on the line. His heart and soul were both lying out there in the ante pile.

  Just his little finger touching hers had Jasmine ready to drag him back into the church to the choir pews and do wicked things to his body. But somehow while two fiddles whined away to “Amazing Grace,” she was downright afraid to tempt the wrath of the Almighty.

  She looked up to see Dolly coming toward her and she was holding a little blue bundle. When she reached Jasmine, she plunked the baby boy down in her arms.

  “It’s your turn. You’ve been waiting patiently for everyone else since you feel new here, but I brought him to you. Enjoy him while you can because there’s lots of others who can’t wait to get their dose of baby holding today.”

  “Hey, Dolly, the kids are getting up a softball game over on the backside of the church. Would you unlock the room where the balls and bats are kept in the fellowship hall?” Adam yelled across the lawn at her.

  Dolly headed in that direction with a motion toward Maddie O'Donnell to go with her. “You’ve got keys, right? I left mine at home.”

  “In my purse. Thought the kids might want to play ball. I’ll get them out of the truck and meet you in the hall,” Maddie said.

  Jasmine undid the cotton blanket and looked at the plump little boy in her lap. His hair was jet- black, his eyes so deep that they were almost black and blinking at her as if deciding whether to cry or not. His mother had dressed him in a one- piece knit outfit that left both arms and legs bare and Jasmine counted toes and fingers.

  Tick! Tock! Dammit! That is the first time I’ve everheard the biological clock. I didn’t even hear it whenI held Jesse and John, so what makes the differencenow? His name is Jasper… all J names, so that can’tbe the catalyst.

  “Pretty cute. Reminds me of Creed, Dalton, and Tyler when they were born. They looked a lot like that,” Ace said.

  “You ever want any of these?” Jasmine asked.

  Jasper wrapped his tiny fingers around her forefinger and the clock rattled so loudly in her ear that she could scarcely hear anything else.

  “Oh, yeah! Bunch of them. I liked growing up in a big family. My older brothers have stopped at two or three each. I’d like five or six.”

  Jasmine swallowed hard. Raising five or six kids and running a café plus helping with the ranch? She’d have to be Wonder Woman.

  Hey, hormonal woman. He didn’t say he wantedfive or six with you so don’t be planning the futureright now.

  She sighed. ButIwantabigfamilytoo. I alwayswanted a sibling and Pearl filled that spot in my life really well. But I want my kids to have blood kin brothersand sisters to grow up with. To eat breakfast with in themornings, to fight over who got the last pancake.

  Ace reached over and stuck his finger in Jasper’s other hand. The baby latched onto it. “Look at that! He’s got a hold on my finger like it was t
he rope around a bull. Betcha he’s going to be a rider like his daddy.”

  “Oh?”

  “Oh, yeah. Grady makes a little money on the side riding in the local rodeos.”

  “My sons are not doing something that dangerous,” Jasmine said.

  “Well, they aren’t going to take ballet lessons,” Ace told her.

  “If they want to, they can. And if they want to paint pretty pictures or write books they can do that too,” she argued. “Ain’t that right, Jasper? You might have strong hands and legs so you can dance or hold a paintbrush.” Nothing but pure old fear that he wanted his children with someone who knew all about bull riding made her argue with Ace. If they argued she’d get mad and then the feeling that she wanted babies with Ace would van-ish, leaving her with a café and determination that she did not want a commitment with anyone.

  “My turn.” Holly, Ace’s sister- in- law, squat ed before them and held out her hands.

  Reluctantly, Jasmine handed over Jasper and Holly stood up, crooning at him as she carried him toward the other two sisters- in- law, who were sharing a quilt under a different shade tree.

  “So what do you think, Mrs. Riley, five or six boys?” Ace tested the waters.

  “What do you think, Mr. Riley, five or six daughters?” Ace shuddered. “Rileys throw boys.”

  “Tony got a girl unless he and Holly decided to name that last boy Melanie and dress her up like a girl.”

  “Melanie is a girl, believe me.” Ace laughed. “But that’s the only one.”

  “You’re the odd child. Blond hair, pretty blue eyes.

  Maybe that means you won’t be like the other Riley men and you’ll have five daughters? Just think, Ace. Five girls to worry about when they’re sixteen and driving to Bowie on Saturday night and meeting cowboys just like you were at eighteen or nineteen. There are at least two motels down there and those boys will wear their jeans just right and their boots will be polished and they’ll have a lit le red book with their initials on it to write stars in…”

  Ace put his fingers on her lips. “Just thinkin’ about that puts a vice grip around my heart.”

  Jasmine giggled. “Exactly.”

  Lucy’s voice rang out from the parking lot. “Jasmine.” Jasmine turned and saw her coming toward them.

  “Hey, Lucy, come on over here and have a seat. Have you eaten?”

  Lucy shook her head. “Just got back from the meeting in Wichita Falls. Didn’t have time for lunch before I left. Had a few cookies and some coffee there, though.”

  “There’s lots of food left. You can eat here, and besides, I want you to try this new chicken casserole that has potato chips crunched up on top of it if there’s any left. Ace, I’m taking Lucy inside for some food. Do not be kissin’ on the women,” Jasmine teased.

  Lucy shot him a look. “What was that all about?

  I thought I cremated those women and took care of their remains.”

  “One sat right down there and kissed him smack on the lips. Got him to thinkin’ about havin’ five or six little girls to primp for church on Sunday morning,” Jasmine tattled.

  “Where is the hussy?” Lucy looked around.

  “She kissed and ran,” Jasmine said.

  “And I was not thinkin’ about daughters. I was thinkin’ about sons.”

  Lucy shook a finger at him. “Something wrong with us girls?”

  Ace chuckled. “I’m not even goin’ there. Y’all go on and find that casserole. I haven’t seen Creed all week or my older three brothers since the day after we got married other than to nod at them in church this morning.

  I’ll catch up with y’all later.”

  The fel owship hal was empty, but there was stil plenty of food on the tables so Jasmine handed Lucy a plate and waited for her to load it up. She started to lead the way back outside when Lucy set her plate on one of the tables and sat down.

  “I want to talk, just me and you, not out there with so many people,” she said.

  Jasmine sat down across from her. “Okay, shoot. Just please don’t tell me you are leaving the ranch.”

  “Oh, no! I love the ranch even more than I liked the motel. Never thought I’d say that but I do. I like the solitude and the job and all of it. I’ve come a long way this past year and a half, Jasmine.”

  “That’s an understatement.” Jasmine smiled.

  “I’m in love with Tyson,” Lucy blurted out.

  Jasmine was struck absolutely speechless.

  “But you’ve only known him a couple of weeks,” Jasmine stammered.

  “I didn’t say I was going to do anything about it tomorrow. I’m a patient woman. He loves me too, but he doesn’t know it yet.”

  Jasmine finally found her voice, but it came out in a whisper. “How do you know?”

  Lucy shrugged. “Same way you know that you love Ace. It’s just there. A spark in the air when he walks in the room. I never had it with Cleet or with that Luke fellow I dated. Never would have believed it existed, not even when Pearl fell in love with Will. But it’s there and I want to know if that’s going to be a problem on the ranch.”

  “Hell, no!” Jasmine said.

  “Good. This is some really good chicken casserole.

  I can taste a touch of mayonnaise and potato chips. We got to get this recipe. The guys will love it with hot rolls and corn on the cob.”

  “Lucy, how do you plan to tell Tyson how you feel?” Jasmine asked.

  “Same way you’ll tell Ace. When the time is right and it comes up, I’ll just lay it out there on the line for him. We’ve talked about things, Jasmine. Not love things but things that he wouldn’t want me to repeat.

  Things that happened over in the war that made him go inside himself. There’s a light in his eyes these past few days. It’s not a big light like one of the floodlights out back of the bunkhouse, but it’s a little flicker like a candlelight. But even a tiny light dispels some of the darkness, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, it does, Lucy. But what if you miss the time and the moment is gone forever?” Jasmine asked.

  “Not me. I know Tyson. I can see right into his eyes into his soul like you can Ace’s, and when he says something that gives me an opening I will take it. When his hand brushes against mine at the supper table I catch plumb on fire. And when his leg touches mine under the table, it’s about all I can do to keep from kissin’ him.

  Wait a minute! You aren’t askin’ me about not speakin’

  up. You are talkin’ to yourself. How many times have you let the opportunity get a mile down the road and didn’t chase it down?” Lucy asked.

  Jasmine cocked her head to one side and frowned.

  “I’ll put it another way. How many times have you already been in that moment and didn’t speak up?” Lucy asked.

  “Too many,” Jasmine admitted.

  Lucy dropped a piece of salad with red dressing on her white knit shirt. “Well, shit!” She looked up at the ceiling. “Pardon me, Lord. I been livin’ around men folks for nearly a month and I say too many bad words.

  Got any ginger ale back there?”

  Jasmine pushed the big bottles of soda pop around until she found one of 7- Up and brought it to Lucy. She poured some in a cup, dipped a napkin in it, and had the stain out in no time.

  Lucy went on, “Well, don’t let the next one slip by you because you never know when the door will get shut and locked and you don’t get no more. So I been thinkin’ that when the time comes, maybe me and Tyson could get a trailer and put it on the ranch and keep working at our jobs there?”

  Jasmine’s eyes popped open so wide that they hurt.

  “You haven’t even kissed him and you are ready to move in with him?”

  “The heart wil have what the heart wants, but I’m preachin’ to the choir, ain’t I? Great dinner. I’m goin’

  on home now and see what’s happenin’ on the ranch.

  Thinkin’ about makin’ an apple cinnamon cake for tomorrow’s lunch.”

&
nbsp; “Well, cooking all afternoon will put you out in the bunkhouse for sure, and since Tyson will be there, I’d say you’re chasing toward opportunity, not after it when it’s a mile down the road.” Jasmine smiled.

  “You got it. And if you’d keep Dalton and Blake out here for a while, that would be good too. I swear raisin’ them grown men is tougher than raisin’ little boys, and I got the living room all straightened up in case the opportunity to take Tyson out there comes up.” Lucy giggled.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jasmine said. She sat in the fellowship hall for a long time weighing what Lucy had said.

  The woman had come to Texas the year before, abused, bruised, and not trusting a single soul. She’d certainly learned to speak her mind. Maybe that’s what happened when an abused woman found her confidence.

  But what about a woman who’d never been abused?

  How did she stand right up to the man she loved and say the words?

  “Jazzy?” Ace said so close behind her that his warm breath made chill bumps on her arms. Yep, Lucy was right; the chemistry was there between them.

  She looked up and he bent down and kissed her upside down, his tongue teasing her upper lip.

  “I was worried about you. When I came in you looked sad,” he said.

  “Lucy is in love with Tyson,” she whispered.

  Ace sat down in the chair beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders. “And?”

  “She was afraid it would be a problem on the ranch.”

  “Don’t think so,” Ace said.

  “That’s what I told her.”

  “Does he know?”

  Jasmine shook her head. “She says she’s patient and she’ll wait until he figures it out.”

  “Smart woman.”

  “I’m in love with you,” Jasmine blurted out.

  Ace’s heart stopped and he could not speak.

  “You don’t have to say anything. It doesn’t have to change anything. If I was in love with anyone else, I’d tell you because you are my friend, but I’m not in love with anyone else. I’ve loved you as a friend for a long, long time, but this is more and it’s deeper and…” He picked her up from the chair and set her firmly in his lap and locked eyes with hers. “Shhhh.” He laid a finger on her full lips and traced them gently with his forefinger.