Loving the Texas Lawman

by Sands, Charlene

  “It’s nice to meet you, Jillian,” Maddie said. “Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming marriage. Trey and I are very excited for both of you.”

  “Thank you,” Jillian said. “It all seems to be happening so fast.” Which was the truth, but there were too many lies behind it to make Jillian feel good about any of this.

  In a sign of affection, Maddie put a hand on Jack’s upper arm. “Sometimes it doesn’t take long to know when it’s right.”

  Maddie was adorably pregnant. She wore a belly bump exceedingly well under a plaid shirt and jeans that were probably unbuttoned at the waistband. Trey’s wife was gracious enough not to pry into Jillian and Jack’s quick engagement, making her rare and kind in Jillian’s eyes. Since Jack hadn’t told his cousin and his wife the exact terms of this hasty marriage, a fact that Jillian wasn’t sure she understood, the obvious gossip floating around Hope Wells had to be that Jack had knocked Jillian up. At least that was what immediate engagements and quickie marriages had meant when Jillian was growing up here. But, as far as she knew, those marriages hadn’t come with a time limit. Like Jillian’s would. She’d agreed to Jack’s terms without really thinking it through, but now she was too deep to have second thoughts. And young Beau Riley’s future was at stake.

  An awkward moment passed.

  Jack, the traitor, had his mouth clamped shut and forced a smile, leaving it up to Jillian to respond. What choice did she have but to agree? And really, what was one more lie in a sea of deception? “Yes, that’s absolutely true. When it’s right, you know it.”

  She glanced into Jack’s eyes and saw a flicker, a raw emotion escaping in his silence that he immediately tried to conceal. She gave her attention back to Maddie and changed the subject. “I understand you’ve got some excitement coming soon too. Congratulations. When is the baby due?”

  Maddie laid a hand on her belly, an age-old gesture that touched Jillian’s heart every time an expectant mother did that. As if to say, I don’t even know my sweet baby yet, but I’d go to the ends of the earth to protect it.

  “I’m not due for awhile yet. I’m four months along but, honestly, the time seems to be flying by. Trey and I can hardly believe that he or she will be here before we know it.” And then Maddie gestured to the door. “Please come in. Trey’s just getting cleaned up.”

  They entered the house and no sooner had they walked into the parlor, Trey strode into the room smelling like lime soap and looking healthy and tall and handsome, his dark hair curling at his shoulders, a little damp at the ends. He wasn’t as broad in the shoulders as Jack, he never had been, but his features were as sharp and defined. There was definitely a family resemblance. Walker men were not hard on the eyes.

  “Jillian Lane, get on over here,” Trey said, not giving her a chance to move. His strides were long and swift and before she knew it she was on the receiving end of a giant hug. She hugged him back and the strength and welcome of his arms felt good.

  “Trey, it’s good to see you.”

  “Same here,” he said, stepping back to meet her eyes. His were twinkling. “You sure you know what you’re doing, marrying my cousin. I always thought you were smarter than that.”

  Jack’s smile twisted sideways. “Hey.”

  She laughed. The two were close, like brothers and had always given each other grief. Jillian remembered Trey Walker being less friendly, less happy back in high school though, but Jack told her Maddie had changed all that. Actually, he’d said, she’d rocked his world.

  “Congrats on the baby, Trey. I’m happy for you.”

  He put an arm around his wife and she settled in next to him, hip to hip, their contact so easy, Maddie looking at Trey like the sun set on his shoulders. Jillian felt a pang of envy. Their happiness was evident of their faces, in the solid way Trey held his wife, in the way they seemed to be of one mind, one heart. How lovely and unique. That baby was one lucky child.

  “Thanks, we’re pretty happy about it too.”

  “We’ve got a few minutes of daylight left,” Maddie said, “if you’d like to look over the grounds and find the perfect place for the wedding to take place. I’ll put dinner on hold.”

  Jillian glanced at Jack and he nodded.

  “That would be nice,” she said.

  Trey and Maddie gave them the grand tour of the house, the backyard, the corral area, the barns and the path leading to Maddie’s gardens. Aside from being a veterinarian, she dabbled in raising flowers. Gorgeous yellow mums and pink lilies bloomed across the lawn. “They’re lovely,” Jillian said.

  “I started the garden after we got married. Trey and I spoke our vows right over there, on horseback,” Maddie said pointing to an arbor of lush vines. “It’s a special place for us and if you’d like to have the ceremony there, we wouldn’t mind at all.”

  “It’s gonna be small affair,” Jack said.

  “But meaningful,” Maddie insisted. “And it’s the bride’s choice.”

  “It’s beautiful here,” Jillian said, gazing out beyond the lawn to where the sun was beginning to descend. “I think so. I think just about this time of day too.”

  “The sunsets here are pretty kickass,” Trey stated.

  Jack snorted and gave his cousin a smirk. “Trey’s got a way with words.”

  “You’re an ass,” Trey countered but with a wide smile on his face.

  “I’ve been called much worse.”

  “Yeah, by me.”

  Jack had always been the more vocal of the two, the charmer, the man who never let a mishap or verbal mistake go without a teasing jab. That hadn’t changed.

  “Are you two through yet?” Maddie piped in, shaking her head and turning to speak solely to Jillian now. “Most times, I’m the only grown-up in the room. I’m glad I’ll have you now, another reasonable female in the family to help keep the sanity.”

  Jillian darted a look at Jack. His eyes had rounded as if… as if he just now realized that Maddie too, could get hurt when their temporary arrangement ended. Oh, boy. None of this was going to be easy.

  “I’ll do my best, Maddie. But boys will be boys.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.”

  “So, when is all this happiness gonna happen?” Trey asked. “Do you have a date for the wedding?”

  Jillian pulled her upper lip in and began nibbling. She turned to Jack, tossing him the ball so to speak.

  He stepped up. “I figure in three weeks. We’re doing a splashy engagement party next weekend, so the wedding will be—”

  “I know, a small affair,” Trey finished for him.

  “Only, if that works for you, Maddie? It’s kinda quick and asking a lot of you.” There was no mistaking Jack’s gratitude or the humble tone he was taking.

  She nodded. “It works. Just give me the guest list and I’ll do the rest.”

  “Because you don’t have enough to do, with the animals, the flowers, the baby, and taking care of this guy over here,” Jack said.

  “I consider it an honor to help plan your wedding,” Maddie countered. “So, it’s settled then? We’ll have the ceremony here in three weeks.”

  Jillian liked Maddie’s decisive nature. She was a doer and Jillian had surrounded herself with people, women mostly, who knew how to get a job done. She wasn’t patting herself on the back but she was proud of the company she’d developed. Darn proud and if it wasn’t for her involvement with Enrique Vasquez, her company would still be making great strides.

  “Thank you,” Jillian said. “Please remember, I’m available to help with anything and everything.”

  “We’ll make it work, don’t you worry,” Trey said, giving her a nod.

  And, suddenly, just like that, Jillian’s stomach began to ache. She was in over her head again and there seemed to be no way out and these people, these wonderful, generous people who were willing to go great lengths for Jack, for family, reminded her once again how truly shallow and sad, her own family had been. It hurt her on some level but it also was
testament to the basic good in people. In Jack. And the Walkers.

  “Thanks, man.” Jack said, in a gravelly voice as he gave Trey’s shoulder a squeeze. That small gesture, steeped in deep love and affection was over in a second, but the impact gripped her hard and a tear threatened to drip from her eye. She turned her head and swiped at it before anyone noticed her wrapped so heavily in emotion.

  One would think she was the pregnant one, going all hormonal like this, holding back tears and wishing she’d never returned to Hope Wells in the first place.

  *

  During dinner Maddie and Jillian discussed several details of the wedding. It was truly going to be casual and simple with no more than twenty friends and family in attendance. That suited Jillian just fine. The less fuss, the less guilt. Jack felt the same way, although, after seeing Maddie’s enthusiasm in arranging all of this, their guilt factor would probably have to be recalculated.

  The wedding meal would be served inside the house and there would be music out on the back lawn, where they would also serve the cake. With input from Jillian and because time was short, Maddie was going to design and send out invitations by email. Maddie offered to take Jillian shopping for just the right wedding dress. She could hardly refuse the kind offer, although what Jillian had in mind to wear was more of a wedding suit, than a long flowing gown.

  As they finished the meal, Jack took a look at the fatigue on Maddie’s face and immediately rose from his seat. He reached for Jillian’s hand and helped her up too. The contact surprised her, and warmth seeped into her bones as Jack’s hand closed over hers. “Time to let the baby mama get some sleep.”

  “I agree,” Jillian said. “We should let you get to bed. Maddie, Trey, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’re doing for us.”

  “You’re welcome,” Maddie said. “It will be fun making it all come together.”

  “What she said,” Trey added. “Happy to do it.”

  “Can I help with the dishes?” Jillian asked, realizing the table wasn’t cleared yet.

  “Nope,” Trey said. “I’ve got that covered. Won’t take but a minute to do cleanup.”

  “I think that’s our cue to leave,” Jack said, grinning, and tugged her toward the front door.

  Trey and Maddie said goodnight from the front porch. Jillian figured it had to be the reason Jack unlocked their fingers and put his hand to the small of her back. As he guided her along, she absorbed his touch, the possessive way his hand held her firm as they walked the path leading toward his car. Having him touch her did crazy things to her body. Jolts and sparks and tingles, she felt it all when he put his hands on her. It was just for show and she was silly to think much of it, but as he opened the car door and she slid into her seat, her dress rode up her thighs and his eyes grazed her legs with enough heat to set her on fire.

  Oh, boy.

  And after he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, she caught him taking another peek of her legs before clearing his throat and driving off.

  If they ever did get together, they’d combust. For sure.

  “They’re nice,” she said to Jack after a minute of silence. “Trey’s head over heels for Maddie. I can tell by the way he looks at her,” she said.

  Jack nodded.

  “What they have together is very special. Not everyone gets that lucky.”

  Jack bobbed his head in agreement.

  “They clearly love you very much to be willing to plan the whole wedding.”

  Jack grunted something unintelligible.

  Okay, so he wasn’t in the mood for small talk and she didn’t want to sit in silence on the way home, not when she had a lot on her plate. She dug into her purse and plucked out her cell phone. It was two hours earlier on the west coast and surely early enough not to wake anyone up. “Mind if I make a call while we’re driving back?”

  “It’s your dime,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

  Jillian dialed her office manager’s number and she picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Jillian. How’s it going deep down in the heart of Texas?”

  God, it was good to hear Tessa’s voice. In the years since she’d opened Barely There, her office manager had become much more. They were best friends now and Tess was someone Jillian trusted in her life. After the fiasco with Enrique, trust wasn’t easy to come by so Tessa’s friendship was important to her. “It’s going. I’m on schedule for the grand opening right after I get married.”

  Tessa chuckled. “Good one, Jillian.”

  “I’m serious. I’m getting married in a few weeks and wanted to personally invite you to the wedding.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack flinch, but he kept his eyes on the road. Maybe speaking to Tessa now wasn’t such a great idea.

  “Is it the hot sheriff you told me about?” Thank God Tessa wasn’t on speakerphone.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “You’re really doing this?”

  “Uh, yeah. I’ll explain later, I promise.”

  “So this is my save the date, phone call?”

  “You got it,” Jillian said. “I hope you can come.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it, Jill. I’ll be there, just text me the details.”

  “I’ll do that. So, how’s it going in L.A? Anything happening that I should know about?”

  “Well, uh. It’s nothing really, but our office building was egged the other night. Found evidence of it all over the door and windows.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t anything serious. We had it cleaned up right away. And everything’s been quiet since then. Sales are down across the board, but that could be for a whole slew of reasons.”

  More like, her business being associated with a drug operation. “We’ll get it back once everything dies down.”

  She’d taken a big risk coming back to Hope Wells to start up a new branch of her company, when the last two quarterly sales had taken an immense drop. But she wasn’t one to quit and she was determined to ride out this storm. The egg thing at her head office had to be a prank of some sort, a group of teens, an irrational customer who got his jollies in some weird way, but that too, would pass. Jillian was all-in when she wanted something and she wanted Barely There to survive. It was just about all she had in life lately.

  After the conversation ended, she texted Tessa the wedding details and tossed her phone back into her purse. “She’s my best friend,” she explained, just in case Jack wanted to talk. “I really want her to be at the wedding.”

  Apparently, Jack didn’t have anything to add to the one-sided conversation, so Jillian remained quiet during the rest of the drive home. There was something eating at him and her curiosity was not to be stilled regardless that it had killed the cat. It might kill her too, because she ached inside seeing the way Jack was acting right now. Had it finally hit him? Had making the plans for their marriage scared him to death? Because he was not alone in that. Getting married had been solely his idea. Jillian had had her bags packed, literally, and was willing to walk away, but he’d called her back and come up with the idea of marriage.

  He pulled the car into the driveway and she got out before he could come around and open the door. He stood by the hood of his car now, watching her through lowered lids.

  She couldn’t keep quiet another second. “What is it Jack? Why the silent treatment?”

  He clenched his jaw and set his chin onto an invisible layer of air as if it was a shelf. Oh, God. He was going to be stubborn. “Nothin’.”

  “Something.” She walked over to him, looking him dead in the eye. “Tell me.”

  He kept his mouth clamped.

  “I need to know what’s going on in your head.” She persisted, staring into his eyes.

  He stared back for beats of a minute, and then his rigid shoulder gave way, an inch, maybe less, but it was enough of a crack in his armor.

  She pressed him again. “Please, tell me.”

  His face unmasked and he sighed. “Not he
re.”

  “Where?”

  He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward his house. They entered, her following behind him, the heat of his grasp sending sizzling jolts through her body. As soon as the door closed behind them, Jack backed her up against the wall, his big frame nearly swallowing her up. Once she got over the initial shock of his uncharacteristic move, she lifted her lids to find a dark gleam of hunger in his eyes. Moonlight filled the room in a soulful illumination that matched what she was feeling inside. A ray, a shock of hope and desire? Jack was looking at her the way he had back when they were in love, like he wanted to devour her and lap at every ounce of her flesh with his tongue.

  The memory of their heated kisses that would go nowhere but a cold shower for him and disappointment for her, filled her mind. She wasn’t immune to him, she never had been. She was the risk taker usually and her brain wanted to hear what he had to say, while her body was aching for his touch. “What is it?” she whispered, hearing the desperation in her voice.

  “I don’t like breaking rules,” he said.

  Of course not, he was the law.

  “But I’m gonna break them with you.”

  And then his fingertip touched her cheek so exquisitely that her breath caught in her throat. Oh, God. The way he was looking at her. He trained his eyes directly on her and only her as if he’d blocked out everything else. He ran his finger to just below her mouth and circled the outline of her lips. Over and under, over and under.

  She began to quake inside. “Y-you are?”

  “Uh huh,” he said, his eyes focused, very focused on the lips she just parted. “I can’t not touch you, honey. And I can’t guarantee you’re not gonna see me naked, or that I’m not gonna see you naked. It’s necessary…”

  A shudder rippled through her body just as he dipped his head and put his mouth on hers. It was hot and delicious and so very necessary. He smelled of lime aftershave, bright and fresh and clean. He was a hero, no matter how many times he denied it. He was honest and true and selfless, but he was sexy as hell too, especially now as she tasted from his smooth, calculating, tempting lips.