Wildcat Wedding (Wranglers & Lace #2)

by Patricia Thayer

  Brett walked across the room and yanked clean underwear out of his duffel bag, suddenly angry. His mother shouldn’t have to rely on him so much; she should be relying on her husband. But J. T. Murdock wasn’t around. He’d died six months ago, leaving his still-youthful wife a widow, and his business barely surviving. Dammit! What with the bad economy and trying to compete with cheaper foreign oil prices, and his father’s stubbornness, to boot, Murdock Oil had been close to bankruptcy. That’s probably what had driven J.T. to an early grave.

  That left Brett in charge and he had no choice but to start drilling for gas. It was the best opportunity the company had to become solvent again, and they’d be damn lucky to get the mineral rights to the Burke farm.

  Heading for the shower, he stopped in front of the mirror and frowned. His lack of sleep definitely showed. Not that he hadn’t lost sleep before. Although he’d been very selective, there had been a few women in his past that had kept him awake. But, they had also shared his bed and had been as eager as he to...give up a night’s sleep.

  Jessie Burke came to mind. She probably had slept like a baby. Brett pursed his lips and studied the dark stubble along his jaw, recalling the look in her eyes when he’d practically been lying on top of her. Maybe not. He smiled, having some sense of satisfaction that maybe she hadn’t been totally unaffected by his touch. He began to whistle as he went into the bathroom and turned on the water. He wouldn’t at all mind seeing a little more of Jessie’s playful side. He stepped inside the tub and let the warm spray of the shower hit his body. Not at all.

  * * *

  Jessie dug at the soil with a vengeance. Already this morning, she had replaced the beefsteak tomato plants. It had taken two hours to pull out the dead vines and replant. Not to mention the extra time driving to Hatty’s to pick up some of her starts.

  It was hardly noon and she was exhausted. During the past three days since the testing started, she had tried to stay busy, not wanting to think about what was going on around her. While her brothers and sister couldn’t talk about anything else, she’d been trying to come up with ways to run the farm without selling off the mineral rights.

  Although their taxes were paid, Jessie knew that in another year, just like the spring rains, they’d come due again. The vegetable stands had done well in past summers, but they would never make enough to support a family. She also knew Mac was set on increasing wheat production. He needed help and newer equipment. As far as Jessie could tell, there wasn’t any way besides selling off part of the land, and she couldn’t do that.

  There had been four generations of Burkes that had farmed Oklahoma soil. It was one of the few things Jessie had been proud of, and she’d do almost anything to keep Mac from losing his dream of carrying on the tradition. Jessie sighed deeply. Even with her fear of strangers coming in and changing everything, it wouldn’t stop her from doing what was best for her family.

  She looked up to see a chain of vehicles come down the service road. They pulled off onto the highway, but the last car stopped next to the garden and Brett Murdock got out. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved white Western shirt. Around his trim waist he had on a black belt with a silver buckle. A straw Stetson was pulled low to protect him from the hot sun. His black boots had a high-gloss shine as if he was going somewhere special. Jessie’s stomach did a flip as she watched the good-looking man come toward her.

  “Morning, Jessie,” he said as he tipped his hat.

  “Mornin’,” she answered and her eyes locked with his. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “I just wanted to let you know that the survey is complete. So we’re headed back to Dallas for a few days until we get the results of our findings.”

  She nodded and glanced away. “Well, have a good trip.”

  “Did you get reimbursed enough for the damage?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Your tomatoes? I gave Mac a check. Was it enough money?”

  Jessie remembered her brother telling her about it. She shrugged. “I got some more starts from Hatty.”

  “The time and work you had to put in is worth a lot.”

  “I’m used to hard work, Mr. Murdock. I’ve done it all my life.” She offered him her hoe. “I wouldn’t mind a helping hand, though.”

  He tossed his head and laughed. The rich tone was contagious and Jessie began to smile.

  “I’d like to, but I’m running late.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a date with a very impatient woman.”

  A woman! Jessie’s smile fell as her temper flared. “Well, don’t let me keep you.” She spat out the words as she dug her hoe into the soil, loosening the stubborn earth. Feeling the resistance as Brett grabbed the handle of the hoe, she looked up. Jessie swallowed hard, fighting her attraction to the man, but everytime his gaze met hers, her heart turned over in response.

  “If it wasn’t important, I wouldn’t be going,” he said, his blue eyes sad. “It’s my mother’s birthday.” He looked away. “And she’s been going through a rough time lately.”

  Jessie felt so foolish. “Oh, Brett. Don’t keep her waiting.” She reached out to take back her hoe and their hands brushed. A warm shiver rushed up her spine and she remembered what had happened the other night in the kitchen. “Birthdays are important times.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled once again. “I’ll make sure that our equipment stays clear of your garden from now on.” He began to back up and nearly tripped over one of the tilled rows, but quickly regained his balance.

  Jessie laughed. “Please, drive safely. I’m sure your mother won’t mind if you’re a little late.”

  He waved. “Bye, Jessie. See you in a few days.”

  She waved back, watching the car as it disappeared from view.

  Suddenly, Josh appeared, his hands in his pockets, his head hung low. “Looks like you lost your best friend,” she said.

  “I’m just bored.” He kicked at the soil. “It was so much fun when Marcus and the crew were working. Now they’re gone.”

  Jessie wished that were true. “Didn’t Marcus say he’d be back in a few days?”

  The teenager glanced at his sister. “What if there isn’t any gas and they never come back?” He glanced toward the field. “I told all the kids at school that we were going to be rich.”

  Jessie jammed her hands on her hips. “Joshua Burke, why on earth would you do a thing like that?”

  “Because we’ve always been poor.” Angry tears filled his eyes. “And I’m tired of not having anything. I’m mostly tired of kids making fun of our family, especially...Daddy.”

  “Josh, the Bible says—”

  “I know what the Bible says, Jess,” he interjected. “But is it so wrong to want nice things? Look at you.” He raised a hand. “You never get anything new. Just once, wouldn’t you like to have a pretty new dress, and not a church-goin’ dress, but a party kind of dress?”

  Jessie knew that sometimes the kids were the brunt of jokes because they didn’t have nice things. “Fancy dresses and parties aren’t important to me.”

  “C’mon, Jess,” he coaxed. “All girls think about those things.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You talking ‘bout girls like Mary Ellen Parker?” She watched her brother’s face redden, knowing fifteen was a tough age. “Well, I don’t have time for such foolishness.”

  “Why? Because of us? Is that why you don’t dress like a girl?”

  She shook her head. “No, Josh, it’s not because of you or Katie. It’s me. I’ve always felt uncomfortable. I was never good at doing silly girl things.” She glanced away, suddenly feeling embarrassed over her confession. “Now, let’s stop talking crazy. If you’re still bored and have your chores done, I have some things that I need help with.”

  “Sure,” he said. “What can I do?”

  Jessie quickly gave her brother directions on what to do with the wheelbarrow full of dead vines. She stood back and watched in amazement as Josh gripped the handles and easily haule
d off the trash. When had he grown so tall? Her gaze went to his strong jawline. He was even shaving every so often. Pretty soon he would be graduating from high school. Jessie sighed. She wanted so much for Josh and Katie, everything that she and Mac had never had. A chance at a good life. Not to have to wonder every day if they would have a roof over their heads, knowing that if something happened that they would be taken care of.

  Jessie knew it was too late for her, but she could make it better for her brothers and sister. She’d always tried to be like a mother to Josh and Katie, but they needed more now. Resting her chin on the hoe handle, she looked up at the rain clouds moving in from the west. The wind picked up as she looked around the farm. She loved this place and felt safe here. Would that still be the case if she let strangers come in and drill in her backyard?

  Her thoughts turned to Brett Murdock. With his handsome smile and gentle touch, he scared her most of all. Just the way he spoke her name made her feel all funny inside. He’d already invaded her loft. Her thoughts seemed to turn to him more and more. She felt sprinkles of rain and headed toward the barn. How was she going to keep him from invading her heart?

  * * *

  The kitchen had always been the busiest part of the house. Not only for meals, but for homework and many family talks. Tonight wasn’t any different, Jessie thought as she finished up the supper dishes while Katie sat at the table practicing her spelling. Josh walked in from doing his evening chores.

  “Josh, will you help me with my spelling words?” Katie asked.

  The lanky fifteen-year-old frowned. “Can’t someone else do it? I want to watch television. Maybe Jessie can help.”

  Jessie turned to her brother. “Then you finish the dishes.”

  Josh looked toward the living room. “But, I want to see this show...”

  “If the television is going to stop everyone from doing their jobs, maybe we’ll have to keep it off for a while,” Jessie suggested. “Besides, helping Katie with homework is one of your chores.”

  “Why do I always have to do it? She’s old enough to study on her own. I didn’t need help with my spelling words.”

  “This is for an important spelling bee,” Katie said as she got up from the table. “I don’t need your help, anyway. You’re dumb. You can’t even spell.” She marched back to her seat.

  “Well, at least I’m not a baby,” Josh retorted.

  “I’m not a baby,” Katie denied and her lip began to tremble.

  “Are, too,” Josh challenged. “Only babies cry.”

  This was one of those times when Jessie wanted to scream and run away, especially when she looked toward the door to find Brett Murdock standing there. Great, he was all she needed.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Brett didn’t wait for an invitation and walked into the room. Putting his briefcase down on the table, he went to Katie.

  The youngest Burke took comfort in Brett’s arms and cried in earnest, gulping back sobs as she told him about her mean brother. Jessie watched in amazement as he got Katie calmed down and helped her with her spelling. Josh ended up going to his room. When Mac came in from the barn, he washed his hands, then offered Brett some coffee. By then, Jessie had finished putting away the dishes and sat down along with her brother.

  “Katie, run upstairs and get Josh. I think Brett wants to talk to all of us,” Mac said.

  “Sure.” The little girl took off with a smile.

  Jessie looked at Brett to find he was studying her. She felt her cheeks warm. Was he remembering the last time they were together in the kitchen?

  “I take it this isn’t just a social call,” Mac asked, drawing Brett’s and Jessie’s attention. “You said you’d be back when you have the results of the survey.”

  “And I do,” Brett said as he opened his briefcase.

  Brett had trouble hiding his excitement, but one look at Jessie told him that she could stop his dream with one word. His job tonight was to convince her, just as he had convinced the financial backers, that drilling on Burke land was the best thing for everyone.

  Brett opened his briefcase. “Marcus and the crew tested several sections of land. We took the recordings back to Dallas and conferred with a geophysicist.” He took out the file and laid it on the table. “Because of the show holes from adjoining properties and the seismic testing, we feel there is more than enough reason to believe that there are large pockets of hydrocarbons under the northern section of your land.”

  There was a war whoop from Josh as he walked into the room. “I told you.” He grinned at his older sister.

  “Sit down and listen,” Jessie told him.

  Once everyone was quiet again, Brett continued, “I’ve conferred with several experts and the stockholders of Murdock Oil and we all agreed that we should drill.”

  Brett saw the color drain from Jessie’s face. Why? Why was she so against the drilling? It would make life better for all of them.

  “We’d like to offer you a lease for your land. And if the well comes in as expected, you’ll get a percentage of the minerals taken out of the ground.” He opened the folder, pulled out the standard lease contract and offered it to Jessie. To his surprise, she shook her head and let Mac take it.

  “Are we gonna be rich, Brett?” Katie asked.

  “Let’s just say if this well comes in, Josh can have his pick of any college he wants to go to in the country. And you could have a heyday in a toy store.”

  Jessie felt the excitement in the room as both Katie and Josh cheered. If this was so right, why was she trembling? Why did it seem that everything she had come to know and trust suddenly felt as if it were disappearing? And she couldn’t stop it. Even Mac was caught up in Brett’s promise.

  “Wait a minute,” Jessie said as she raised her hand. “There are a lot of questions we need answers to before we sign anything.”

  “That’s the reason I brought you a copy of the contract,” Brett offered as once again he placed the document in front of her.

  Jessie didn’t look down. “I’m sure there are a lot of legal terms that simple folks like us wouldn’t understand,” she challenged. “I think I’ll have a lawyer look this over.”

  Brett nodded in agreement. “I should have suggested it myself. If you need a good attorney—”

  “No, thank you,” she interrupted. “We are capable of getting one on our own.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Brett agreed. “I’m curious to know, Jessie, if the contract is satisfactory, are you going to agree to the lease?”

  Jessie hadn’t wanted to answer the question. She’d been hoping all along that the test would show they had been wrong about the gas. And leave them alone. She’d have her privacy and her family back. No more strangers.

  “Since this concerns all of us, we were going to have a family vote,” Mac explained.

  “Well, I want it.” Josh raised his hand in the air.

  “Me, too,” Katie agreed and her hand went up.

  Mac looked at Jessie, his eyes held hope, but also concern. “I want it, too, Jess. I feel it’s the only chance we have to keep the farm from going under.”

  Jessie glanced around the table at her family. Mac, Josh and Katie, the three she had spent the past eight years helping to raise, trying to guide them in the right direction. She had made a lot of mistakes over the years, but there was no doubt she loved them. So the decision she would make about the drilling was strictly because of that love.

  She drew a long breath and looked at Brett. “If the lawyer says the contract is fair, I’ll sign it.”

  Chapter Four

  Jessie sat on the window seat and stared out at the wheat field from her second-story perch in the loft. The book on her lap was forgotten as she lazily watched the warm breeze caress the slender golden stocks. Early June, the crop was ready to harvest.

  Sighing, Jessie felt the tension of the past weeks leave her as a quiet, peaceful calm took over. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the weathered window frame. To
day was Sunday, the day of rest. After early-morning services at a church near town, the Burke family had come home, changed out of their good clothes and taken care of necessary chores before everyone got the afternoon off to do as they pleased. That included Jessie. And until it was time to fix supper in a few hours, she was planning to take advantage of every minute of her much-deserved solitude.

  Until Brett Murdock invaded her thoughts.

  She opened her eyes and looked down at the road leading to the house, remembering it had only been six weeks since he’d driven his fancy car onto Burke property. She had known the minute she’d laid eyes on him that he was going to be trouble. And she’d been right. No sooner had she signed the lease, than everything began to change.

  This past week, about two dozen men had come out, several going on to the drilling site while the others worked on the new road. All day yesterday, truckload after truckload of gravel had been poured to widen the narrow dirt path into a full-size road so the heavy equipment could be brought in for the well.

  Jessie had never seen so many people on the farm before. Her daddy had never tolerated strangers around, saying that they always wanted something from you. She shook her head and wondered what Walter Burke would think about all the goings-on now. Even with the lawyer’s approval of the supposedly fair contract and Hatty’s positive outlook for a rosy future, Jessie still had a lot of doubts. She looked out past the wheat field, knowing exactly where the drilling site and a hundred-foot rig would soon be ruining her view. Standing up, she began to pace the small area in the loft, her stomach churning. How had she gotten talked into this? Why couldn’t everyone just let them live in peace? They weren’t hurting anyone. Blast the stupid taxes, anyway.

  But Jessie knew that the taxes and the drilling weren’t the only problems she had to deal with. She looked down at the book on her lap, fingering the broken binding and worn cover of the grammar text. She had some more of her books hidden away in the window seat.