“No, I’m glad you called. Does she want to get there before the surgery?”
“I really don’t know, but I’d think so. That will mean driving in tonight, and I’m not sure that’s a good idea, as upset as she is.”
“No, it’s not.” He got up and walked to the kitchen door. “Madge, Bluey, can you come in here? We need to discuss the details.”
He sat back down, eating his cake, waiting. When a teary-eyed Madge came in with Bluey, J.D. stood up and hugged her. “I’m sorry about your sister. How old is she?”
“She’s sixty-six, but she doesn’t take care of herself. I’ve told her to, but she doesn’t listen.”
“Well, look, I don’t think you should drive tonight.”
“But the surgery is early in the morning, and I told her I’d see her before that,” Madge said, her tone urgent.
“You can do so. I’m going to hire a plane to fly you into Dallas Love Field tonight. You can take a taxi to your sister’s house. Do you have a house key?”
“Yes, she gave me one.”
“Can you borrow her car?”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Yes, I know where the duplicate key is. Oh, thank you, J.D. That will simplify everything. Rachel promised to take care of y’all.”
“Rachel, if you need to go back—” J.D. began.
Did he want her to leave? She couldn’t tell from his facial expression. Still, she’d made a promise to Madge. “No, no, I’m fine with it. More practice for me,” she hurriedly assured him, not wanting to be sent away.
“Great. Okay.” He looked at his watch. “Can you be ready to leave in an hour?” he asked Madge.
“Yes,” she agreed, throwing Bluey a longing look.
“I’ll take her to the airport,” Bluey immediately said. There was a small county airstrip not far away.
“Do you want to go with her, Bluey?” J.D. asked.
“I’d like to, but I’d just be in the way. It’s better that I stay here and work, since I’ll be taking a week off for our honeymoon, whenever it is.”
Madge bravely nodded in agreement.
“Okay,” J.D. stated. “I’ll go make the arrangements.” He left the kitchen, heading for the den.
“Madge, is there anything I can help you do?” Rachel asked.
“No, dear, I’m fine. I’m almost finished packing.”
“Why don’t you sit down and have a piece of cake and coffee. I think sugar is good for shock.”
She cut two pieces of cake and poured them coffee. Then she left them alone to talk softly as they ate. She went to the den where J.D. was on the phone.
He hung it up and looked at her. “What?”
“Nothing. I thought I’d see if everything went okay with the arrangements…and give them some privacy in the kitchen as they ate their cake.”
“Hey, I didn’t get to finish mine.”
“It’s still there waiting on you. But they… This is so hard on them.”
“Yeah. They like to be together. That’s a good sign for two people about to get married, isn’t it?” he asked with a crooked grin.
“Yes, a very good sign.” Unlike them, she thought. They couldn’t spend any time together without sparking off each other, sending one of them off angry or hurt. Good thing it wasn’t them getting married, she thought.
She cleared her throat. “I hear hip replacements heal very quickly. Madge said her sister would only be in the hospital two or three days after surgery, as long as she had someone there to care for her. She was crying.”
“She knew about the wedding. But who else are you going to call but your sister?”
“I know. I’m so glad I have two sisters now.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you are.” He gave her a grin and Rachel couldn’t help thinking how handsome he looked when he smiled. “Could you dig me up some brothers?”
She smiled back at him. Before either of them could say anything else, Madge called to them. They returned to the kitchen.
“J.D., I need to go to a cash machine or get an advance on my salary. Taxis cost a lot and then I’ll need to grocery shop and things.”
“I’ve got cash here in the safe, Madge. How much do you think you’ll need?”
“Two hundred?” Madge asked cautiously.
“I’ll get it for you.” He got up from the table and disappeared.
“I didn’t know J.D. had a safe here,” Rachel said in surprise.
“His parents had it put in. Sometimes you need cash, and his mother had some nice pieces of jewelry, things like that.”
J.D. came back into the room carrying a white envelope. “I put in a little extra in case you need something you haven’t thought of. I can wire you more if it’s not enough.”
“Can we consider it an advance on my next check?” she asked with concern in her voice.
J.D. leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Of course. I know where you live, so I’m not worried,” he said, using a tough-guy accent that drew a smile from Bluey.
Madge hardly seemed to notice. She was busy counting the money. Then she stared at J.D. in shock. “J.D., you put five hundred dollars in here!”
“If you don’t use it, Madge, you can always return it. I don’t want you worrying about money. You’ll have enough to worry about with your sister.”
Madge stood up and hugged him. “You are so good to me, J.D.”
Bluey shook his hand. “Thanks, J.D.”
“I’m almost packed. Bluey, could you come help me finish?” Madge asked, wiping tears from her eyes.
The two disappeared.
Rachel said, “That was very good of you, J.D.”
“Hell, Rachel, it’s only money. Madge has done so much for me. That’s nothing.”
“I agree. But some men value money more than the important stuff. I’m glad to see you’re not one of them.”
“Those men are crazy. Or they haven’t lost people they love.”
They looked at each other in complete understanding. She suddenly realized that this was one of those pure moments when your soul makes a connection with another. But it was J.D….
See, said a voice inside her head, you are right for each other, just like Madge and Bluey.
Rachel forced her gaze away, afraid J.D. could see right through her eyes.
“I’ll start dinner. Oh! I guess Madge won’t be here for it. It’ll just be the three of us.”
“Yeah. Rachel, do I need to ask Bluey to start sleeping up here again?”
She hadn’t followed his thought process. “Why would you do that?” she asked, puzzled.
“Does it bother you that it will just be the two of us at night? I can easily ask—”
“No, J.D., it doesn’t bother me. I trust you.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Thanks, I think.” Then he left the kitchen. His chocolate cake was still unfinished.
RACHEL TIMED DINNER to be ready when Bluey returned.
“I figured you two would’ve already eaten,” the cowboy said when he saw the waiting meal.
“And left you with no dinner? Madge would never forgive me.” Rachel gave him a grin.
When J.D. joined them, they sat down to eat. They had just gotten past the blessing and started passing the dishes when J.D. said, “Bluey, I need to ask you to sleep in the house while Madge is gone.”
What? Rachel jerked her head up, staring at J.D. Just hours ago they’d decided that was unnecessary. He’d asked her opinion—which apparently he’d ignored. Her eyes, she knew, shot flares at him, but J.D. avoided her gaze.
“Well, I could, but— Oh, oh, sure, I can do that.” He nodded as J.D.’s unspoken intentions became clear.
“Good,” J.D. said. Then abruptly he grabbed the bowl in front of him. “Potatoes, Rachel?”
She took the dish he offered without comment. She didn’t know why he’d changed his mind, unless it was because he was afraid of what people would say. Or maybe he was afraid she’d seduce him. Well, he could dream!
&nbs
p; She kept her head down the rest of the meal, contributing nothing to the conversation.
When the meal was over, both men tried to help her with the dishes. “No, thank you. I’d rather do them alone,” she insisted in cold tones.
Bluey gave her a funny look, but saying good-night, he went to the bedroom he’d been using.
“What’s wrong?” J.D. asked.
Rachel didn’t answer; she kept her back to him.
His big hands settled on her shoulders and he turned her to face him. “Rachel, don’t try to pretend there’s nothing wrong. Your body is shouting even if your voice isn’t.”
“You think you can read me so well?”
“Yeah, I think I can. What did I do to upset you?”
“Why did you change your mind and ask Bluey to stay?”
“Rachel—”
“I promise I won’t try to seduce you!”
J.D. gave a harsh laugh. “You think I’m worried about that?” he asked, staring at her. “Damn it, Rachel, I’m worried about seducing you, or at least trying to. Surely you realize how much I’m attracted to you?”
What did he just say? She didn’t speak, just stared at him. He’d done a hell of a job avoiding her, limiting their time together. Why, if he was as attracted to her as she was to him?
He groaned. “That’s why I can’t stay here alone with you. When you look at me like that, I’m ready to throw you over my shoulder and find the nearest bed.”
Rachel’s breathing stopped, and hope filled her heart…until J.D. spoke again.
“And that’s why we need Bluey here. Because we both know that can’t happen.”
FOR SEVERAL DAYS, they followed a set pattern. Rachel did the chores in the house and J.D. and Bluey did the outside jobs. Once or twice, she slipped out to the barn to visit with Boomer, but other than that, she confined herself to the house.
J.D. surprised her by coming in for lunch on the third day.
“J.D.! I didn’t expect you. I’ll fix you a sandwich, if that’s all right.”
“That would be great, Rachel. Then I wondered if you’d like to go for a ride this afternoon.”
Rachel’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “I’d love to. It’s all right if I ride by myself?”
“No, it’s not all right. I thought I’d ride with you.”
J.D. was actually looking to spend time with her? What about his conviction to stay clear of her, lest he be overcome by his libido? But her enthusiasm outweighed her sarcasm. She missed riding and was eager to take to her horse again. “Are you sure you can take the time off?” Rachel asked anxiously.
“I’m sure. You’ve certainly taken time from your schedule for us, as Bluey reminded me today. Besides, I don’t want to overdo the work thing after being sick.”
Rachel stared at him with confused emotions. She was upset that it had taken Bluey reminding him that he might owe her something, but she was concerned that J.D. might be feeling sick again.
“Do you not feel well? Are you running a fever?” she asked.
“I feel fine, Rachel. I was just making an excuse so you wouldn’t worry about me taking time off.”
“Oh. Well, I’d love to go riding,” she said, smiling.
“Good. You do still have your boots and hat, don’t you? I haven’t seen them lately.”
“I don’t need either of them to cook and do laundry. I’ll get them.” Rachel raced to her bedroom and dragged her boots out of the back of her closet. It felt good to wear them again. She added a sweater to the short-sleeved shirt, in case it was cool out. Then she grabbed Madge’s hat and hurried back to the kitchen. “I’m ready,” she announced breathlessly.
“I didn’t realize you missed it so much,” J.D. said, frowning. “I should’ve done something about it before now.”
“Life’s been a little hectic lately.”
“I’ve noticed that. I couldn’t decide if it was because I was running at half speed or there was a lot going on.”
“I think there’s been a lot going on.”
He held open the door for her. “By the way, it’s a good thing you warned me about what you said to Stacy. From what I hear now, she’s passing it around the neighborhood.”
Rachel felt guilty. “I’m sorry, J.D.”
“Hell, Rachel, it makes me look good, that a model has any interest in me. I’m not setting them straight.”
“Being the kind of model I am isn’t that big a deal,” she said with a sigh.
“I don’t think you’ll convince any of these cowboys of that. They’re all half in love with you already.”
Too bad he didn’t count himself in that group, Rachel thought sadly. “We’re not going to rehash that, are we? I don’t want you to accuse me of flirting with them again!”
They reached the barn. He grabbed her arm as they entered. “Oh, I’ll beg forgiveness for that. It was Tony’s fault, not yours.”
“What convinced you of that?” she asked coolly.
J.D. gave a sheepish grin. “One of the other cowboys told me what an idiot he was, trying to do your job instead of his—just so he could be close to you.”
“Thank you for the apology,” she said quietly, and hurried out to the corral. She wasn’t sure Rocky would be there.
“I brought her in on my way to the house,” J.D. said as he followed her. “I figured you’d want her again.”
“Oh, yes, we’re great friends.”
She got Rocky’s bridle and climbed over the corral fence to put it on the horse. J.D. watched her, not saying anything.
“You did a good job with that,” he said after she tied Rocky’s reins to the rail.
“I had a good teacher.”
“Yeah, I guess I did teach you that.”
“Actually, I meant Billy,” she said, a teasing grin on her lips.
“You’ll pay for that one, Rachel,” J.D. warned her.
“Ooh, I’m scared.”
“Watch it, or I’ll make you carry your own saddle.”
“Billy taught me how to use my hip to manage the weight.”
“Even so, I’ll carry it for you.”
After that start, their ride turned out to be perfection, in Rachel’s opinion. J.D. showed her some of his favorite places on the ranch, telling her stories about his childhood. It reminded her all over again about the differences between them. Her childhood hadn’t been a happy one, while he had so many happy memories of his parents.
They returned in time for her to cook a quick meal of hamburgers. As they were ready to eat, Bluey made an entrance.
J.D. greeted his cowboy and friend. “Have you talked to Madge tonight?”
“I called her just before I came in here. And thanks again, J.D., for giving me free rein of your phone. I think the calls help Madge. Her sister is doing pretty well, but she’s just been out of the hospital twenty-four hours. Madge said the first few hours were tough. Her sister can be pretty grouchy.”
Rachel laughed. “She can’t be worse than J.D. when he’s sick.”
“Me? I was a perfect angel,” he protested.
“Right. I should’ve recorded you with a video camera.”
“I’ll have to admit you were a might grumpier than Madge,” Bluey added. “Now, she was an angel.”
“Yeah, a lot of support I get from you!” J.D. chided.
“Don’t pick on Bluey,” Rachel said.
“What’s for dessert?” J.D. asked, changing the subject abruptly.
“There’s no dessert. Someone invited me for a ride. I didn’t have time to make any.” With her eyes she dared him to protest.
“I thought we still had some of that peach cobbler in the freezer,” Bluey said.
“Shh, I was saving that for you and me,” Rachel said in a mock whisper.
“Aha! I’ll get it.” J.D. leaped to his feet.
An hour later, dinner was over and the kitchen clean. Bluey and J.D. were playing a game of chess in the den and Rachel had decided to indulge in a bubble bath, just to
make sure she wasn’t sore from riding. She’d just gotten out of the tub and into a nightgown when she heard J.D. madly swearing like she’d never heard before.
She grabbed a robe and hurried out into the kitchen. He was standing at the back door.
“J.D., what’s wrong?”
He spun around and stared at her. “Why aren’t you dressed?” he demanded harshly.
She blinked several times. An hour ago he’d been so sweet and lighthearted; now he resembled a bear without honey. “Because I just got out of the bathtub,” she replied.
“Damn it, go away.”
She took a step back. “Do you mean go to bed, or go pack my bags?”
“No, I don’t mean pack your bags. I’ve done everything I can to protect you from me, but now Bluey’s gone, probably for the night.”
“Where did he go?”
“Tony bought an expensive horse. It’s sick and the vet is out on another call. Bluey’s our best man with sick animals, so Tony asked him to come sit up with him and tend his horse.”
“That’s very good of Bluey.”
“Yeah, real great.”
“I still don’t understand what you’re upset about.”
J.D. walked toward her, a dark, fiery look in his eyes that had her backing up another couple of steps.
“Rachel, the only thing that will keep me from taking you to bed is if you say no. I’ve resisted you as long and as hard as I can. But if you don’t say no right now, it’s going to happen. I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and head for my bedroom.”
Chapter Sixteen
J.D. stood there waiting for the no he expected to hear.
Rachel said nothing.
“Didn’t you hear me, Rachel? Tell me no!”
In a whisper, she said, “Is that what you want?”
“What I want doesn’t matter! It’s what you want that’s important.” He watched her closely, his heart thumping in his chest.
“I can’t.”
J.D. hung his head. He’d known she wouldn’t be interested in him. He turned around, planning on walking around the house fifty times in the night air. That might curb his urges. Yeah, right.
“I can’t say no,” Rachel explained.
J.D.’s head snapped up. “What are you saying?”
Rachel's Cowboy Page 16
