Loving Jake

by Madeline Baker

  “All right.”

  He winked at her. “See you then, pretty lady. Don’t be late.”

  Chapter 6

  Ginny slept late Sunday morning. At home, she would have gone to church with her parents and her Aunt Genevieve, and then they would have all gone to Aunt Gen’s or over to Carter’s house for Sunday brunch. Later, they would swim or play tennis or croquet. It was, she thought on rising, nice to sleep late, to know she had the whole day to herself to do whatever she wanted to do…and what she wanted to do was see Jake.

  With a shake of her head, she pulled on her robe and went out to pick up the newspaper. She waved to the neighbor across the street, then went back into the house. She tossed the paper on the coffee table to read later, then, after downing a quick cup of coffee, she went outside to feed the animals.

  The horses whinnied softly at her approach and she took a minute to scratch their ears.

  “I guess you’re missing Deb,” she said, giving the mare a pat on the shoulder.

  She grinned when the mare tossed her head, as if to agree with her.

  “Well, she’ll be back soon,” Ginny murmured, “and then I’ll be going home.”

  A week ago, she had welcomed the thought of going home. Now, it filled her with an odd sense of sadness.

  A week ago, she had been certain she wanted to marry Carter. She had been looking forward to announcing their engagement, excited about planning a big wedding, getting married, going on that honeymoon to Jamaica they had talked about.

  A week ago, she hadn’t known Jake Running Horse existed. Now she couldn’t think of anything else.

  Was it just a summer fling? Or something more? And how was she to know?

  She forked hay to the horses and the goats, filled the dog’s dishes with food and fresh water.

  After breakfast, she went for a long swim. It reminded her of the day she and Jake had spent at the pool. Funny, how everything seemed to remind her of Jake.

  After her swim, she slathered herself with sun block, then stretched out on one of the chaise lounges for an hour or so, her thoughts again drifting toward Jake.

  She wondered how he spent his Sundays. Did he work? Go to church? Go riding, perhaps…

  Twenty minutes later, she was dressed and saddling Beau. She told herself the horse needed the exercise. After all, she had taken Belle out a couple of times, but not Beau.

  Tugging the cinch tight, she took up the reins and led the horse out of the yard. Climbing on one of the decorative rocks, she stepped into the saddle and turned the horse toward the riverbed, her heart pounding with anticipation.

  Forty minutes later, feeling foolish and depressed, she was headed home. She had seen several riders but no sign of Jake.

  She glanced at her watch. It was still early, and Beau didn’t seem tired.

  Ginny frowned, trying to remember where Western Avenue was.

  She really enjoyed riding, she thought as she urged Beau across the street.

  Sitting on the back of a horse gave a person a whole new perspective of the world. She nodded to the other riders she passed on the trail. The only thing she didn’t like was that every house she passed had at least one dog, and every dog ran to the fence, barking for all it was worth. Fortunately, Beau didn’t seem to be the least bit afraid of dogs, large or small.

  At the corner of Western, Ginny reined the horse to a halt, wondering if she was doing the right thing. How would she find Jake’s house? Unless his truck was parked out front, she would have no way of knowing which place was his. There were other things to consider, as well. Jake could have other company. For all she knew, he might spend his Sundays with the boys, watching sports and drinking beer. Or he might prefer to spend his Sundays alone. Or he might be at work.

  She blew out a sigh. She would never find out what he was doing by sitting here. And maybe she didn’t want to know.

  She was about to turn Beau towards home when a horse and rider appeared.

  Even though they were at the other end of the street, she knew it was Jake. Knew it even before she saw his face.

  Butterflies of anticipation took wing in her stomach as she waited for him.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” he said, drawing up beside her. “What are you doing way over here?”

  She shrugged. “Would you believe me if I said I was lost?”

  “Sure, if you say so, but I’d rather believe you were looking for me.” His gaze caressed her. “Were you?”

  She nodded, her cheeks warming under his steady gaze.

  “I missed you, too,” he said. “In fact, I was on my way over to your place to see if you’d like to go riding.”

  “Great minds,” she murmured, “often think alike.”

  “Can you guess what I’m thinking now?” he asked, his voice suddenly low and husky.

  Ginny’s whole body grew hot as her mind instantly filled with images of the two of them in the swimming pool, locked in each other’s arms with nothing but a few bits of material between them. She felt her cheeks grow hot at Jake’s knowing grin.

  “I guess you do know what I’m thinking,” he drawled.

  “Not much of a stretch,” she retorted. “Men always seem to be thinking the same thing!”

  “And you women never think about it, right?”

  “I really don’t think this is the time or the place to discuss it,” Ginny replied primly. “Are we going riding or not?”

  Jake shifted in his saddle. “You lead and I’ll follow,” he said, thinking that he would pretty much follow her anywhere she wanted to go.

  Feeling a sudden need to change the subject, Ginny said, “How’s your friend doing?”

  “Physically, she’s fine. Emotionally, she’s a wreck.”

  “Well, you can’t blame her.”

  “Mike Dutton’s an idiot,” Jake said sourly.

  “Doesn’t she have any family she can turn to?”

  “Her folks never liked Dutton. She doesn’t want them to know that he turned out to be as big a jerk as they said he was.”

  Ginny nodded. She could understand that. There weren’t many things more devastating to a girl’s ego than a parental “I told you so”.

  They rode in silence for a while, a silence that was broken when Ginny’s stomach growled loudly.

  Jake looked at her and grinned. “I think I’d better get you something to eat.”

  “I am hungry,” she admitted. “I only had a bowl of cereal for breakfast.”

  “No wonder you’re so skinny.”

  “Skinny? You think I’m skinny?” Carter was always telling her to lose weight, even though her mother insisted she was just the right size.

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Oh, Jake,” she said, laughing, “I think I love you.” She clapped her hand over her mouth, startled by what she had said.

  Jake looked a little astonished himself.

  “I mean, well, what girl wouldn’t love a man who said such a thing?” Ginny said quickly, hoping to gloss over her hastily spoken words.

  “I’ll have to remember that the next time I put the moves on a new girl,” Jake said with a roguish grin.

  The thought of Jake with someone else sent a sharp pain twisting through Ginny’s heart. She had to stop seeing him, she decided resolutely. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. If she wasn’t careful, she would fall head over in heels in love with him, which would put her in the difficult position of having to choose between Jake and Carter, and it was a decision she didn’t want to have to make. She had told Jake she would spend time with him so the two of them could explore the exciting new feelings between them, but she knew now it had been a mistake. Not only was it a bad idea, but if she went ahead with it, it was going to make it even harder to leave when the time came.

  A short while later, they reached a fast food restaurant. Ginny stayed with the horses while Jake went inside to get them something to eat. When he returned, they found a secluded place off the road. Dismounting, the
y sat on the grass, hamburgers and French fries spread between them.

  “I got you a malt,” Jake said, handing her a large Styrofoam cup. “Chocolate, of course” he added, with a wink.

  “Think you know me pretty well, don’t you?” she asked.

  “I know you like chocolate.”

  “What are you drinking?”

  “Coke.” He thumped his chest. “A man’s drink,” he declared, and burst out laughing.

  Ginny shook her head, then gave in and laughed with him.

  “So, we’re still on for tomorrow night, right?” Jake asked.

  How could she have forgotten about the rodeo? It was in her mind to tell him something had come up and she couldn’t make it, but she had never been any good at lying, not to others, and not to herself.

  “Right,” she said. After all, it would be rude to back out now. But tomorrow night would be their last date. Definitely the last.

  Chapter 7

  Ginny hurried through the chores the following evening. She scooped up the horse manure and dumped it in the barrel, fed Belle and Beau and the goats and the dog, made sure they all had fresh water, then ran into the house to get ready for her date with Jake. Her last date, she reminded herself glumly.

  After showering, she went through Deb’s closet, looking for something appropriate to wear to a rodeo. She settled on a pair of jeans, a light blue western-style shirt with a stand-up collar, and one of Deb’s many cowboy hats. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled on a pair of socks, then stepped into a pair of her sister’s boots.

  Ginny and Deb had always looked very much alike. Now, looking at herself in the mirror, Ginny felt like she was looking at her sister’s reflection. Nothing wrong with that, she thought. Deb had always been one of the most popular girls in high school, always part of the right crowd, always sure of a date for the prom. Ginny had always been a little shy, a little more reserved. But tonight, well, maybe tonight she would try to be a little more like her sister.

  With a nod, Ginny left the bedroom and went into downstairs to wait for Jake.

  He arrived five minutes early, looking outrageously handsome in a pair of black jeans, a black cowboy shirt with white piping, a black hat, and snakeskin boots.

  “Hey, cowgirl,” he said, smiling. “You look great.”

  “Thanks, cowboy.”

  “You ready?”

  With a nod, Ginny grabbed her purse and followed him out the door.

  She came to an abrupt halt when she saw the woman in the cab of the truck.

  “Ginny, this is Lori Beth, Lori Beth, Ginny. I told Lori we’d give her a ride. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “No,” Ginny said, forcing a smile as she slid into the truck beside the other woman. “Of course not.”

  Lori Beth nodded at her. “Nice to meet you, Ginny.

  “Likewise.”

  Ginny was glad the drive was short. She felt ill at ease and a little angry that Jake hadn’t warned her that Lori Beth was coming along. She reminded herself that Jake had told her that Lori Beth was just a friend. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if there had been a time when the two of them had been more than “just friends”.

  Jake filled the silence with small talk, regaling them with funny stories about some of his customers. They arrived at the rodeo site ten minutes later.

  Jake found a parking place, then came around to open the door, helping Ginny and then Lori Beth out of the cab.

  “Thanks for the ride, Jake,” Lori Beth said, smoothing her denim skirt.

  “No sweat.”

  “Don’t worry about seeing me home. I’ll catch a ride with Blair or Tiffany.”

  “All right. See ya later.”

  Taking Ginny by the hand, Jake led her to the entrance. From the sound of it, the rodeo had already started. There were people everywhere, all of them dressed in western-style clothing -- from the youngest baby in a stroller to the elderly couple strolling by hand-in-hand.

  Jake quickly found a couple of seats up in the grandstand. Ginny was hooked immediately. There was something mesmerizing about watching a man pit his strength and agility against that of a wildly bucking horse. She had never thought of eight seconds as being a very long time, but thinking about spending eight seconds on the back of a wild-eyed bronc put those few seconds into a whole new perspective.

  There were events for junior riders as well as adults, and even one for kids barely out of diapers.

  One of the most exciting events was barrel racing. Ginny thought it looked like a great deal of fun until one of the horses went down. Fortunately, the rider wasn’t hurt.

  “And now, ladies and gents, it’s time for anyone with enough sand to come on down and see if they can last eight seconds on Blue Hill Farm’s champion bucking horse, Rocket. Blue Hill’s owner, Gene Fieger, has offered five hundred dollars cash to anyone who can stick to his stud’s back until the whistle blows.”

  Jake slapped his hands on his knees. “Wish me luck,” he said, settling his hat on his head.

  Ginny stared at him in horror. “You’re not going down there?”

  “For five hundred bucks? You bet I am.”

  Ginny saw several other men making their way down to the arena.

  “Is that all?” the announcer asked, injecting a note of surprise into his voice. “You mean to tell me that in all of Norco there are only six men brave enough to fork this broomtail?” He paused a moment. “All righty then, here we go. Our first rider is Shorty McCoy.”

  Ginny leaned forward, her hands braced on her knees as the gate swung wide and a white horse shot into the arena. Five seconds later, the first rider was spitting dirt out of his mouth.

  The next three riders didn’t have any better luck. Ginny shook her head. Staying on the back of a bucking horse, sans saddle, seemed like an impossible task.

  Jake was up next. Dressed all in black, he made a stunning contrast to the big white horse. The gelding snorted and tossed its head as Jake settled himself on its back and wrapped the rope around his gloved hand.

  Ginny held her breath as the gate opened. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched the scene below. The horse put its head down and exploded out of the chute as if shot from a cannon, and then bucked wildly from one end of the arena to the other. Ginny was certain that Jake would go flying through the air like all the others but he stuck to the horse’s back like lint to a wool skirt.

  She stood up and cheered out loud when the whistle blew.

  A pickup rider plucked Jake from the back of the bronc. Jake waved his hat to the crowd, dismounted, then ducked between the bars of the corral to watch the outcome of the next ride.

  Ginny thought the last rider was going to give Jake a run for his money, but the bronc did a quick spin on its hindquarters and the rider went sailing through the air.

  She was smiling from ear to ear when the announcer proclaimed Jake Running Horse the winner. The gelding’s owner, Gene Fieger, took the microphone to offer his congratulations as he presented Jake with five one hundred dollar bills.

  “You’re to be congratulated,” Fieger said, his big voice booming. “In five years, you’re the first cowboy to hang on for eight. What’s your secret?”

  “Well, sir,” Jake said, a smile evident in his voice. “There’s a young lady in the stands and I was aimin’ to impress her.”

  Even though no one in the place knew Jake was talking about her, Ginny felt her cheeks grow warm with pleasure. And then she frowned, wondering if she was taking too much for granted. For all she knew, the young lady Jake referred to could have been Lori Beth.

  “Well, son,” Fieger said, slapping Jake on the back, “I don’t know if she’s impressed, but I am.”

  Jake murmured his thanks and then the announcer took the microphone again, but Ginny paid no attention to what he was saying as she watched Jake leave the booth and stride toward her. There was, she thought, an extra swagger in his step that hadn’t been there before.

  “Didn’t think I
could do it, did you?” he asked, resuming his seat beside her.

  “Where did you learn to ride like that?”

  “Were you impressed?”

  “Were you trying to impress me?”

  “Didn’t I say so?”

  “Well, I wasn’t sure you meant me.”

  “Only you, pretty lady.”

  Listening to his words, his voice, Ginny thought she might turn to mush right there in her seat. She cleared her throat. “You didn’t tell me where you learned to ride like that.”

  “Spent a lot of time rodeoing on the rez when I was younger. It’s like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget how.”

  “You lived on a reservation?”

  “Yeah, until I was fifteen. My mother got a job teaching in Billings and we moved to the city. My grandparents stayed on the rez. I spent all my summers with them until I graduated high school.”

  “Do they still live there?”

  “My grandmother does. I go see her when I can. My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago.”

  Ginny stared at him. For the first time, it occurred to her that Jake was Indian, or at least part Indian. Talk about being slow. With a name like Jake Running Horse, what else could he be?

  “Something wrong?” he asked.

  “What? Oh, no.”

  “Come on, spill it. You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me before.”

  “You’re an Indian.” She felt her cheeks grow hot as she blurted the words.

  He lifted one brow. “You just figure that out?”

  She nodded, her cheeks growing hotter by the minute.

  Jake grinned at her. “What took you so long?”

  Ginny shrugged. Looking at him now, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed it the day they met. His hair was long and straight and black, he had high cheekbones and a hawk-like nose. She had seen the man in a pair of trunks, had noticed that his skin was the same coppery color all over and never put two and two together.

  A muscle worked in Jake’s jaw. “Does it make a difference?”

  “If it made a difference, I would have realized it sooner.”

  A slow grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”