She caught them and pretended to shove them down the front of her dress. That made all three of Tiny Lee’s chins dance in laughter.
“Come on over here, pretty darlin’. First beer is on the house tonight because something as stunning as you came through the door. Jackson, you lucky sumbitch, how’d you ever talk her into coming home?” Tiny Lee bellowed.
“It was a tough job,” Jackson said.
She scanned the smoke-filled room for her friends but the place was so crowded that she couldn’t locate them. Then two high-pitched squeals came from the area where the bathrooms were located and a couple of women ran across the dance floor, weaving in and out of a line dance going on to Blake Shelton’s “Boys Round Here.”
“Don’t you go runnin’ off with them cacklin’ hens before you sit up here at my bar and show the whole canyon that classy women do come see me,” Tiny Lee said.
He set two beers on the bar and motioned for Jackson and Loretta to draw up a couple of stools. She had barely gotten settled when Heather and Maria made it through the crowd and grabbed her in a three-way hug.
“You are a sight for sore eyes, girl. You’ve got to start texting more or get on Facebook so we can keep up on a regular basis,” Heather said.
Loretta shook her head slowly. “Facebook isn’t for me. When I get out of the real estate office, I want to go outside and play, not sit in the house and read comments. I will promise to call more often, though, and you can always come to Mustang and stay with me. Or I’ll meet you halfway and we’ll find a place to grab a drink and catch up. Just name the time and place. And call me when you get a new number, okay?”
“You got it, darlin’. I’m just as bad as Heather about the phone business. They don’t survive getting run over by truck tires or being thrown out in the middle of the farm pond in a fit of anger. Are you and Jackson back together after all this time? Dina is going to shit little green apples.” Maria tried to whisper but it didn’t work too well.
Loretta tipped up the bottle of beer and sipped. It tasted better than anything she’d had in years.
“Well?” Heather asked.
“I missed y’all too. It’s too damn noisy to talk in here. Come out to the ranch tomorrow afternoon and we’ll catch up and the answer is yes, no, maybe, I don’t know, Maria,” she winked.
Heather had aged as much or more than Dina. Her blonde hair looked more like straw than hair and fine lines circled her mouth. She smelled like cigarettes and whiskey, but her green eyes were still as full of mischief as ever. Maria came from a Latino background and her black hair was still thick and long, her brown eyes sparkling and her skin as pretty as when she was twenty years old.
“Dina does know, right?” Maria said.
Loretta nodded. “She knows. I’m really glad to see you both.”
“Me too. I know what happened but I always figured when you called me on your way out of the canyon that afternoon that you and Jackson would make up after a few weeks,” Heather said.
“I told you that it was over for good,” Loretta said.
“You were so mad and crying so hard when you called that I wanted to strangle Jackson for you,” Maria said.
“We’re all guilty of not calling often enough or making the trips to see each other like we should. But standing here right now, it seems like we just saw each other yesterday, don’t it?” Heather said.
“I heard that’s the way real friends are,” Loretta answered.
“And we’re going to do a hell of a lot better in the future. I’m going to plan something soon, maybe a road trip for a long weekend to San Antonio. That would be fun,” Heather said.
“I’m game,” Maria said. “Just give me a few days to set things up with one of my sisters to help out at the farm.”
“Let’s wait until fall. I don’t want to leave until I’m sure Nona has changed her mind about staying in the canyon,” Loretta said.
“Darlin’, I believe this is our song,” Jackson said when George Strait’s voice came though the jukebox speakers.
“Oh, that is so sweet,” Maria said.
“See you tomorrow. Two o’clock?” Loretta held up two fingers.
“We’ll be there,” Heather said.
Jackson led her out to the middle of the dance floor and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, letting them fall to the small of her back. She looped hers around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. They fit together perfectly and dancing with him created sparks, but that didn’t mean they had a future together.
The whine of the fiddle and twang of the guitar, along with George’s voice, said that from here on after they should stay the way they were right then. He said that he crossed his heart and promised to give all he had to make all her dreams come true. She wasn’t sure that she’d ever trust another man, not even Jackson, to make her dreams come true.
Jackson whispered the words softly in her ear as he executed a smooth two-step around the dance floor. For that minute, in the noisy old Sugar Shack, she trusted him. Come light of day, it might be a different story, but right then it felt right and good to open her heart, even if only a tiny crack, and let Jackson inside for a visit. That did not mean he could take up residence!
Neither of them realized that everyone had left the dance floor and was standing in a circle around them until the fiddle whined its last and left the bar in silence. Then the applause started and Loretta blushed.
Jackson removed his hat and bowed; that brought on more whooping and whistling. Tiny Lee gave them two thumbs up and handed Maria more quarters to plug into the jukebox.
She bit back tears when Conway’s voice came through the speakers on the next song, “I’d Love to Lay You Down.”
“Listen to the words, Loretta. It’s the truth, darlin’, but I’m not in a hurry and I won’t pressure you,” Jackson said.
“You’ve always been a charmer. I suppose we always were good in bed,” she said.
“But?”
“But I’m only here for the summer, Jackson. I’ve got a life and it’s not in this canyon. Neither is Nona’s and she’ll wake up and see that before long.”
“Where’s your heart, Loretta? Listen to the words. He’s saying that when a whole lot of Decembers are showing in her face, that when her auburn hair is fading, he’ll still love her. What does your heart say?”
Someone tapped Jackson on the shoulder and he looked around. “Ezra?”
“May I cut in?” Ezra asked.
Jackson stepped aside and Loretta put her hand in Ezra Malloy’s. His fingertips barely closed over hers and the other one rested gently on her waist. “You look right pretty tonight, Miz Loretta. I’m glad that you and Jackson are workin’ things out. He’s always loved you.”
“Ezra, I’m not here for good,” she said.
“You should be. This is where you belong. You shouldn’t have ever left. If I’d have known what that hussy was doing, I’d have shot her myself. Love like yours and Jackson’s needs to be protected. I hear your daughter is back to stay. Y’all could be a family again.” The song ended and he stepped back. “Thank you for the dance. Old man like me is mighty lucky to get a dance with the prettiest girl in the Sugar Shack.”
“Ezra Malloy, you won’t ever be old,” she said.
“Wish God saw it that way, but I can’t complain. I’ve had a good, long life. Hey, Jackson, you get over here and claim her before I dance another one with her and you’re liable to lose her forever.” Ezra cackled at his joke.
Chapter Ten
THAT WAS FUN.” Jackson eased down onto the swing set back in the shadows of the porch. He patted the place beside him and motioned toward Loretta. “Sit with me for a while.”
The little niggling voice in Loretta’s head told her it was a bad idea but her heart pulled her toward the swing. She slid down beside him and he kicked the swing into
motion with his boot heel. His arm slid around her bare shoulders and his thumb felt like fire against her skin.
“Jackson,” she started and then she looked up at him. His lips were coming closer and closer. She should stand up, put some distance between them, at the very least turn her head away. But she wanted the kiss and wanted to feel his strong arms around her. She barely had time to moisten her lips before his closed over hers in a fiery clash of passion that neither time nor space could erase.
She gave herself to the kiss, sliding her tongue over his lips, tasting the remnants of one shot of whiskey and several beers, letting the heat take over the moment. His fingers tangled in her hair, loosening the clamp that held it to one side and letting it fall around her shoulders. One of her arms wrapped around his neck; the other braced against his chest. She didn’t know where the making-out session would lead but she was powerless to stop it.
Neither of them heard the engine of the truck coming up the lane or the long screech as it braked. It was the hard slam of the truck door that brought them back to the present world. By the time Nona stomped her way up the wooden steps and onto the porch, they were sitting on opposite ends of the swing.
Loretta’s heart raced. Her lips felt bee-stung and swollen. Her pulse raced. She couldn’t think of a single excuse to get up and flee to her bedroom before Nona stomped her way from the middle of the porch to the swing and plopped down between them.
“God, what a night! Daddy, I’m so mad I could eat the hindquarter of a cow and spit out hamburgers.” She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
“I’ve been lookin’ for a sign from heaven to shoot that boy. I think this might be it,” Jackson said. “He didn’t even walk you to the door or for that matter open the truck door for you.”
“That’s my fault. I told him if he got out, I’d put a bullet between his eyes, so don’t get trigger-happy yet. You might want to load the gun, though,” Nona said.
“What happened? I thought you were in love.” Loretta was amazed that her voice sounded normal and not like a high-pitched squeak.
“I am in love. That’s what caused this damned problem. If I didn’t love him, I wouldn’t fight for what’s mine, right?” Nona turned to face her mother.
“Maybe you’d best explain.” Jackson patted her on the ankle.
“It’s like this. We were at a party in Goodnight. He’s got a cousin over there and the house was so full we couldn’t even hear ourselves think for the noise, so it spread to the yard. Travis and I were sharing a hassock and everything was fine. Then he went in to get us another beer and he was gone for a long time.” She paused and wiped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“Have you learned your lesson? Ready to go home and work at the agency with me and your grandmother this summer?” Loretta asked.
She held her breath waiting for the answer. She needed to run away from the ranch before things heated up with Jackson any further. She should have realized she couldn’t help herself when it came to Jackson’s sexy charm. She’d clearly gotten past that guilt stage.
“Hell, no! I’m not going anywhere and neither is he,” Nona said.
“So what happened when he went in to get two beers?” Jackson asked.
“Some two-bit hussy cornered him in the hallway and when I got there, she was trying to unzip his jeans. He said he was trying to push her off him and that he was drunk but it didn’t look like he was pushing her too damn hard to me,” Nona said.
“Little jealousy there?” Jackson chuckled.
“Hell of a lot of jealousy and a hussy with a black eye who’s threatening to get a restraining order on me. Needless to say after I peeled her off my boyfriend and tried to yank her bald-headed, the party was over. Travis picked me up and carried me to the truck and he’s mad at me for starting a fight. What’s wrong with that picture? I should have thrown a couple of right hooks his way too,” she said.
“Didn’t she fight back?” Loretta asked.
“Oh, yeah. She got a fistful of blonde hair that hurt like a son of a bitch and she scratched my arm, but I reckon neither one will keep me out of church or chores tomorrow,” Nona answered.
“So you broke up with Travis, but you’re staying on the ranch? Is that the bottom line?” Loretta asked. One hurdle jumped; a bigger one up ahead.
“Mama! I did not break up with Travis. We had a fight. He’ll be texting and calling me as soon as he gets to the bunkhouse. And we’ll have a come-to-Jesus understanding and by damn he won’t ever look at another woman again. Of course, I’ll have to promise to pay for the coffee table and the two lamps, but they were both ugly as a mud fence, so his cousin should thank me that she’ll get new ones.” Nona pulled her phone from her pocket when it rang, checked the ID, and put it back. “I’ll answer when he’s called three times. He needs to stew for a little bit. We’ll be fine by morning.”
Jackson kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, princess.”
“Good night, Daddy. You always told me not to take shit off nobody and I didn’t. Mama, I forgot to ask. How were things at the Sugar Shack?” Nona asked as she unwound her legs and pushed out of the swing.
“It looks like it’s been sprayed down with Pepto-Bismol, but at least the inside is still the same. And I saw two of my old friends, Heather and Maria, who are coming for a visit tomorrow afternoon, and I danced with Ezra Malloy. I’ve always liked him,” Loretta said.
“He sure is strange, though.” She started toward the door. “Did you dance with Daddy?”
“A couple of times.”
“Good. That’s a good start to both of you forgiving the other one for all that shit that Dina caused,” she said. “There’s the second ring and it’s Travis. Time to make up so we can . . .” She chuckled. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, so I won’t embarrass you by saying makeup sex.”
“Wynona Katherine Bailey!” Loretta raised her voice.
“That’s twice that you’ve used all three of my names. One more and I’ll be standing in the corner, right?” She hurried through the door before Loretta could say another word.
“Kind of ripped the Band-Aid off all at once, didn’t she?” Jackson whispered.
“She did, but I don’t want to talk about that tonight, Jackson. It’s late and I’ve only got one more morning to wake up to coffee and breakfast already cooking. Monday morning I take on Rosie’s job, so I’m going to bed,” she said. Besides, it wasn’t easy to hold on to her determination to convince Nona to leave the canyon when she thought about how sticking around every time Jackson kissed her.
“Alone?”
“Yes, alone,” she said. “Good night. See you at breakfast. And, Jackson, she should have to pay for the furniture she destroyed out of her own bank account.”
“I agree,” he said. “She’s got to control that temper she got from you. What I’m wondering right now is why you didn’t apply it like she did when you were in the same situation,” Jackson asked.
“That’s something we might discuss another day. Not now,” she answered. Before she could talk about what happened that day, she had to sort it out herself.
She passed Nona’s closed door and heard the soft tones of her voice. A cloak of doom settled around Loretta’s shoulders as she kicked off her boots and fell back on the big four-poster bed. If a fight that big hadn’t made Nona run back to the city life, then nothing would. Loretta was going to lose the war. Yet it could be that a couple more colossal arguments would start to pile up and then one little bitty incident would be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. She could always hope that it would work that way. She shut her eyes, but there was far too much adrenaline still rushing through her veins to let her sleep.
A hot night wind kicked up across the porch as Jackson continued to swing. His eyes grew heavy and he leaned his head over to the side, bracing it against
the chains holding the swing. A whiff of Loretta’s perfume floated across the porch and he inhaled deeply. Suddenly she straddled his legs and he reached down to cup her bottom. Then her lips ground into his, demanding, forcing her tongue between his lips.
He tasted the salty remains of margaritas, not beer, and his eyes popped wide open. His hands let go of the jeans-clad butt and he stood up abruptly, dropping Dina onto the porch floor with a thud.
“Well, damn, Jackson! What is the matter with you? You don’t come to my party. You throw me around like this. Do you like it rough?” She stood up and dusted off the bottom of her skintight jeans.
Jackson wiped at his mouth but it didn’t erase the taste she’d left behind. “What are you doing here?”
“Honey, I’ve decided that I need you to make a marriage work. None of my others have lasted and I just know we could be good together. You are going to be my lifetime commitment. You’ve always had a thing for me. I know it. You know it. So let’s stop beating around the bush and act like two consenting adults. Which way is your bedroom?” She slurred every other word.
“You are drunk. Go home,” he said.
“Lovers don’t let lovers drive drunk,” she quipped.
“Call your dad. I’m going inside and I’m locking the door. You aren’t welcome on Lonesome Canyon anymore, Dina. I refuse to let you ruin anything like you did in the past,” he said.
She staggered toward the porch steps, using the rail to steady herself. “You aren’t a bit of fun. You flirted, but you didn’t come through when I came to collect. And honey, Loretta doesn’t deserve or appreciate you.”
“Call your dad to come get you, Dina. Or I’ll call Paula to come drive you.”
“You’re mean. Paula will lecture me and Daddy said if he had to come get me one more time he’s putting me in rehab, but I’d rather do that as listen to Paula. So I’ll call him. My phone is in the car. One last chance. Take me now or lose me, darlin’.”
“I’m okay with the loss.” He left her weaving her way out to her little sports car. The thing was so small and had such a quiet engine; it was no wonder that he hadn’t heard it. He hoped when she woke up the next morning that she remembered enough of what had happened to never come around his ranch again. If not, come Monday morning, he might be the second person in line for a restraining order.
Long, Hot Texas Summer Page 10
