by Linda Bridey
Luke and Jamie looked at each other and smiled. “Sounds good to me,” Luke said.
Jamie said, “I’m game.”
Joe clapped his hands. “All right. Let’s do it.”
“I’d like to change,” Lacey said, and looked at Joe.
Joe’s smile was sensual in nature and Jamie’s eyes widened at Lacey. “I’ll go with you and help you pick something out,” she said.
Lacey said, “Ok. We won’t be long,” she said to Joe and Luke.
Joe said, “Take your time, darlin’. We’ll just be in the parlor.”
“Ok,” Lacey said.
As soon as they were in the master bedroom, Jamie grabbed Lacey’s shoulders and asked, “Is there something you would like to tell me?”
Lacey just smiled and looked down at the floor.
Jamie gasped. “You and Joe? You made love?”
Lacey nodded.
Jamie was intensely curious. “How was it?”
“Jamie! That’s so personal,” Lacey said.
“I know, but I can’t help being curious. So?” Jamie said.
Lacey let out a dreamy sigh and said, “It was perfect. I didn’t know it would be like that.”
Jamie hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, but it’s still just a business arrangement,” Lacey said.
“Like hell it is!” Jamie said. “A man doesn’t look at you the way Joe does if it’s just business. You just keep working your magic on him and you’ll snag his heart in no time.”
Lacey shook her head. “I don’t regret one moment with him, but I know that he’s not a one woman man. I don’t want to think about him with someone else, but there’s no way I can insist on fidelity when we had an understanding about that sort of thing.”
Jamie said, “Well, I wouldn’t worry about that right now. It doesn’t seem like he’s thinking about anyone else, so just enjoy yourself.” She smiled brightly at Lacey, but she was thinking that perhaps a chat with Joe was in order.
She put that aside for the moment and began helping Lacey choose her evening attire.
*****
Luke propped an ankle on the opposite knee and smiled at Joe. “You seem very happy.”
Joe grinned. “Why shouldn’t I be? I’ll have my inheritance tomorrow and one way or another, I’ll be rid of Daddy.” He thought about Lacey and their afternoon together and he kept smiling. “And then there’s Lacey.”
“What about her?” Luke asked. His dark eyes recognized the soft look on Joe’s face as he mentioned Lacey. It was the same look he was sure he got on his face when he talked about Jamie.
“She’s something else. I’ve never seen a woman so excited about horses. She knows her stuff, too,” Joe said.
“Is that all?” Luke said.
Joe gazed steadily at Luke and said, “Let’s just say that I’m glad I married her for several different reasons.”
Luke’s laugh rang in the parlor.
Joe said, “Now don’t be reading more into that than there is.” He still wasn’t comfortable examining the things he’d been feeling for Lacey and he didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.
“Ok,” Luke said, but his smile said otherwise.
“Knock it off,” Joe said.
Then the women appeared and Joe’s eyes roved over his wife. She wore a low-cut sapphire blue dress that emphasized her soft curves and Joe wanted her all over again.
“Well, you’re so pretty you’d make a man plow through a stump,” Joe said to her.
Lacey frowned. “What?”
Luke laughed. “That’s Texan for you look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Lacey said and laughed. “If you’re going to talk like that, I’ll have to learn Texan, I guess.”
“I’ll be happy to teach you,” Joe said. He stood up. “All right, let’s go eat. I’m a hungry man.”
After dinner the foursome went to the Watering Hole. Joe ordered a round for them, then went over to the piano, and banged loudly on it to get everyone’s attention. The place quieted down when they saw who was making the racket.
“’Evenin’, everyone! There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.” He brought Lacey over to his side and put a possessive arm around her. “This is my lovely wife, Lacey. Say howdy, darlin’.”
Lacey laughed and gave the crowd a little wave. There was silence at first and then someone laughed.
“Yeah, sure, Joe. What kind of trick are you trying to pull?” one of the men said.
Joe said, “No trick, Gus. See this?” He held up his left hand and pointed to his ring. “Does this look like something I’d wear just to pull a prank?”
“Holy crap, he means it!” Gus said. “Never thought I’d see the day. Congratulations!”
Suddenly the room erupted in applause and a lot of people came over to them to wish them good luck. They teased Joe about his former wayward ways.
Jake hollered, “This deserves a free round for everyone!” The place grew even noisier with his announcement.
The night turned into an impromptu reception for the couple and Lacey had never experienced anything like it. Joe and Jamie sang and Joe even crooned a love song directly to her, making her blush and laugh. Joe’s voice was versatile; sometimes smooth and melodic and other times rough, especially when singing raunchy songs.
Towards the end of their usual song sets, a fiddle sounded. For a big man, Luke was able to sneak around when he wanted to. He’d gone out to their buggy to retrieve his instrument. Everyone knew that Luke played a mean fiddle and they stomped their feet to the beat as he began playing.
With Wendell playing piano, Luke on fiddle and Jamie and Joe singing, things grew very frenzied. People got up to dance and Lacey couldn’t stay seated. Jake even came out from behind the bar and asked her to dance. Lacey discovered that he was an excellent dancer and she had fun with him. Joe saw and smiled as Lacey twirled, especially because he got good glimpses of her shapely legs. It made him happy that she was having a good time.
Lacey had known that Joe was popular, but she didn’t realize that everyone in the place knew him. They were friendly and welcomed Lacey into the fold without question. They played poker and Luke, Jamie, and Joe made some decent money and then decided to play each other. Jamie whooped when she won the final pot and scooped it all into in her purse.
By the time Jake was getting ready to close down the bar, none of the foursome was sober. They stumbled out into the street, laughing loudly as they made their way to their buggies. The two couples said goodnight and parted ways since they lived in opposite directions.
Joe helped Lacey into the buggy and then went to get in on the other side. His foot missed the first couple times, which made Lacey laugh hysterically. He finally got it together and slid onto the seat with her.
“How are you going to drive home?” she asked.
Joe said, “I’m not.”
Lacey giggled. “I don’t think I can, either.”
“You don’t have to. Watch this,” he said. He cleared his throat in a theatrical manner and said, “King, Rook, home!”
The two Standardbreds started out and Joe never touched the reins. “Trot!” he said.
King and Rook picked up speed and then Joe winked at Lacey. “Ha!” The horses settled down, really beginning to move, and the buggy sped out of town.
Lacey laughed. “So that’s how you make it home after a night on the town.”
“Yup,” Joe said, and pulled her close.
Joe kissed her and he tasted of whiskey and beer and Lacey liked the blend. They kissed and held each other all the way home as trustworthy King and Rook carried them to their destination. When they reached the estate, the horses pulled right up to the barn and stopped. Eddie, the head groom appeared.
“Eddie, my friend. How was your evening?” Joe said as he got out of the buggy. The fresh air had cleared his brain somewhat and his words were no longer slurred.
Eddie smiled. “Fine, Joe. Looks lik
e you and the missus had a good time.”
“We sure as hell did,” Joe said as he went around the other side to help Lacey down from the buggy. “It turned into a real shindig. C’mon, darlin’. Time we went to bed, I think,” he said.
Lacey laughed and said, “I think that’s a fine idea, Tex!”
“Tex?” Joe thought that was the funniest thing he’d heard all night.
“Well, Joe, it fits,” Eddie said. “Have a good night, Tex.”
Joe pointed a finger at Lacey, “That better not stick, Mrs. Dwyer.”
“Tex, Tex, Tex,” she chanted, and started running.
Joe watched her and then looked at Eddie. “How far should I let her get before I tell her she’s goin’ the wrong way?”
“Probably not too far,” Eddie said.
Joe laughed and ran after his wayward wife.
Chapter Eight
The guesthouse doorbell rang and Joe cursed. He was in the kitchen making coffee. He didn’t want Lacey to be woken yet. She was bound to have a huge hangover. Joe knew she wasn’t used to drinking like she had the night before and he was trying to let her sleep it off.
He ran to the door and answered it before the doorbell could be rung a second time. His father stood on the porch.
“What?” Joe said.
August took in the fact that Joe stood in only his underwear. “I see you had a good time last night.”
“Yes, we did. Now, what do you want?” Joe asked.
August said, “Can I at least come in?”
Joe reluctantly stepped back so his father could enter. “Ok, I’ll ask again. What do you want, Daddy?”
“I’ll sign the papers and give everything to you for the price you offered yesterday,” August said.
Joe’s eyes widened. He’d expected more of a fight from the old man. “You’re joking.”
August chuckled. “No, I’m not. I don’t joke about money. I’m not gettin’ younger and with that money, I can retire nicely. I’m thinkin’ about goin’ back to Texas.”
Joe almost jumped for joy at that news, but kept his emotions from reaching his face. “Why?” The sensible part of him was suspicious about his father’s easy agreement to the deal he’d offered.
“Why the hell would I stick around these parts? You’re the only family I have here, if you can call us that. At least in Texas, I have some family and friends,” August said gruffly.
“I guess that makes sense. Ok, we’ll get Devin and my lawyer out here tomorrow to sign everything. You’ll have two weeks from the day of signing to get your stuff together and get out,” Joe said.
“You really hate me, don’t you?” August said.
“Yes, Daddy, I really do. You’re the reason Mama is in that grave,” Joe said.
“What are you talkin’ about, boy?” August asked.
Joe’s voice grew ugly as he moved closer to August. “You played hell with her mental state and pushed her to take that overdose. You were always so damn nasty to her. Always puttin’ her down. I can’t tell you how many times I found her cryin’ and had to take care of her. If it wasn’t for you, Mama would still be alive.”
“I think you’re remembering things wrong, son,” August said. His eyes took on a mean gleam.
“No, I ain’t! I heard you with my own ears, Daddy! Tellin’ her how ugly she was and that it was no wonder you had to go get it elsewhere,” Joe said. “If that’s not being an ass, I don’t know what is.”
August let out a cruel laugh. “Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Joe. You’re a bigger philanderer than I ever was. Are you tellin’ me that you’re gonna be faithful to your pretty little wife?”
Joe practically snarled at August. “You leave Lacey out of this. It has nothing to do with her. We’ll sign those papers tomorrow and you better get your affairs in order and get out of here or I’ll have Sheriff Allen come and make you leave.”
August saw Joe’s fury and backed down a little. He’d tasted his son’s wicked anger first hand in the past and didn’t want a repeat of the experience. “Fine. Don’t worry. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough,” he said, and walked out the door.
*****
Lacey had heard loud voices and had come down the hall to see what was going on. Her head throbbed with pain and nausea plagued her. She recognized August’s voice and didn’t want to intrude on their conversation. She didn’t know whether to go back down the hall or not. Lacey stayed where she was and heard the whole exchange. She felt so bad for Joe. He hadn’t told her that his mother had committed suicide.
She heard August leaving and started back the hallway, but Joe came around the corner too fast for her to get away. He saw her and stopped.
“You heard all that?” he said.
Lacey nodded. The angry expression on his face worried her.
Joe looked at her and smiled. She was wearing his shirt from the night before and looked cute as hell. “How’re you feeling?”
“Like crap,” she answered.
“C’mon with me. I’ll get you fixed up in no time,” Joe said.
“Um, maybe I should put on something else,” she said.
“Why?” Joe asked as he started pouring coffee into two cups.
Lacey said, “What if someone else comes to the door?”
“Well, then you can scoot back the hallway. You’re fine as you are,” Joe insisted. “Besides, you look good enough to eat in that shirt.”
Lacey laughed. “That’s the real reason you want me to not get dressed,” she said as she sat in a chair. It felt very decadent to sit barely dressed in the kitchen with Joe. He was only half dressed, too, so she figured it was all right.
Joe sat coffee in front of her and said, “Guilty. There you are. That’ll do the trick.”
Lacey took a sip of the coffee and almost spat it out. She swallowed it but said, “What’s in that?”
“Whiskey. It’ll help with the hangover. Trust me,” Joe said. “Then when you’re feeling better, we’ll go for a ride. How would that be?”
Lacey took a gulp of the coffee in response and Joe laughed at the face she made.
“Slow down, girl. You’ll make yourself drunk again going after it like that,” Joe said. “Damn, but you’re horse crazy.”
“I really am. You have no idea,” she said.
“I think I do,” Joe said, and sat down on one of the other chairs.
Lacey put her hand over his and said, “I’m so sorry about your mama, Joe. I didn’t know.”
Joe smiled sadly. “Thanks. She’d have liked you.”
“Really? I’ll bet I would have liked her, too,” Lacey said.
Joe squeezed her hand a little. “Yeah, you would have. I look like her except for my eyes. I get those from Daddy.”
“You have beautiful eyes,” Lacey told him.
“You think so, huh?” Joe asked.
“Mmm hmm. I’m glad that he’s being agreeable to whatever deal you offered him,” Lacey said. “I don’t like him and I’ve only just met him. I recognize his kind.”
“Yeah, seems like both of us got gypped in the father department,” Joe said. “I have a present for you.”
Lacey smiled. “A present?”
“Yes. I’ll be right back,” Joe said. He ran from the room and soon returned.
He sat back down and put a box on the table. “Open it.”
Lacey undid the bow on the box and lifted the lid. She gasped and put the lid back down quickly. “It’s a gun.”
“Yes, it is,” Joe said. “I’m going to teach you how to shoot it. I want you to be able to protect yourself if I’m not with you.”
“I can’t,” Lacey said. Her eyes were wide with fear.
“Why?”
“Guns scare me,” Lacey said, pushing the box away.
Joe pushed it back to her, saying, “Darlin’, that’s just because you haven’t shot one before. You’ll like it, trust me.”
“What if I shoot myself by accident?” Lace asked.
“That’s why I’m going to teach you how to use it. I also want to teach you how to shoot a couple of bigger guns, but we’ll start with this one,” Joe said.
Lacey was nervous about it, but she could see the advantages to having one. She lifted the lid again and looked at the little gun. It was a pretty, pearl-handled piece.
“That’s a .41 rim fire Remington derringer. They’re little, but they pack a punch up close. You can kill someone if need be,” Joe told her.
Lacey swallowed. “Kill someone?”
Joe placed a hand on her arm and said, “Lacey, if it comes down to you or someone else, you’ll use it. Most likely all you’d have to do is just point it at them and they’ll back down.”
“Ok. I’ll learn,” Lacey said.
“It’ll make you feel more secure to know that you have protection. You’ll see,” Joe said. “Now, finish your tonic there and we’ll go for a ride.”
Lacey gulped the rest of the coffee down and ran to get dressed.
Chapter Nine
A week later Joe and Lacey were on their way to the Samuels ranch to see Jamie and Luke. August had signed the papers without a fuss and he was making arrangements to move back to Texas. Joe was still suspicious about how easily August had capitulated, but he could find nothing amiss.
Lacey was curious about where Jamie and Luke lived. She’d heard a lot about the Samuels family and was looking forward to meeting them. As they rode down the lane, Lacey saw all of the cattle and commented on it to Joe.
“Yeah, they’re really growing. They started raising Holsteins and selling whatever milk they couldn’t use for themselves. It was a good move to diversify and not be stuck with just beef cattle,” Joe said.
A little gray bundle of fur ran up beside them and started barking. Lance did not like this and pranced a little.
“Trouble, get out of here,” Joe said.
Lacey started laughing. “They have a poodle?”
“Yeah, it’s Seth’s dog. It’s the one that caused Seth’s accident. He kept it,” Joe said.
“Trouble!” a male voice yelled. “Get over home!”
Lacey watched as a big man with blond hair and blue eyes pointed towards a white house. The poor little dog whined and stood still. Seth rolled his eyes and scooped up Trouble. “You’re worse than a kid,” he said as he scratched behind Trouble’s ears.
