Why did love have to be so complicated? She had given her heart to J.C., and she knew better. Damn, why wasn’t there a college course on how to protect one’s heart? Her grandmother’s words were so true suddenly. Normally, she found her sayings silly, bordering on nonsense. But the one she always said rang true. “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Ha, thanks, Grandma.
Why are you at home? When? What’s going on?
Danielle exhaled and texted back.
Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart. I’m sorry, J.C.
* * * *
J.C. leaned back against a tree. What in the world had just happened? His world was all of sudden falling in around him. What would make her have a change of heart? Damn, what had he done? He thought through the events of the day, but for the life of him, he was at a loss.
“Hey, where’s Danielle?” Evelyn asked when she walked up.
J.C. looked up not caring if pain was written on his face.
“What’s wrong, J.C.?” Evelyn walked closer.
“Ah, she just texted me and said she had a change of heart, oh, and she’s at home.” J.C. leaned his head back against the tree with a thump.
“What did you do, son?” Evelyn asked in a stern voice.
“Oh, of course,” J.C. said as he came away from the tree. “Of course I had something to do with it, didn’t I?” J.C. chuckled sarcastically. “Ya know, since I’m such an ass, I surely did something to make her have a change of heart.” J.C. looked at his mother. “Thanks, Mom.”
J.C. walked toward his truck, ignoring the world around him. Right now he couldn’t have cared less. He opened his truck door and slammed it after he got in. “Damn it,” he yelled and pounded his steering wheel. “Shit.”
Dust flew up as he drove away from the party and down his driveway. How could this have happened? Why would she just leave? A change of heart? Had he scared her with his serious talk about forever? Maybe that was it. No, no, no, that didn’t make any sense. She was so happy and wonderful all day. Something was going on, and he intended to find out. He grabbed his phone pushed the speed dial button for Will.
When Will answered, J.C. began asking questions. “Where’s Stacy?”
“Dude, she said she took Danielle home but refused to say why. That’s all I know,” Will replied.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah,” Will said.
J.C. closed his phone and pounded his steering wheel some more. His phone rang. “What?” he answered with a hard snap.
“J.C., man, I know you’re upset but don’t drive to Danielle’s. Let it settle tonight, and go tomorrow when you have a clear head,” Will said.
“I want to know why the sudden change of heart. I need to see her,” J.C. yelled.
“Please, man, you’ve had a few, and if I mean anything at all to you, anything, you will stay home. Please stay home…for me.”
“Fine, I’ll stay home,” J.C. said as he pulled up in front of his house and shut off the engine.
“Thanks,” Will said.
J.C. walked in the front door and tossed his keys on the table. Everywhere he looked reminded him of Danielle, whether it was a kiss, a look, or an embrace. He jerked open the refrigerator, grabbed a beer, twisted the cap, and tossed it toward the trash. Miss. Huh, that was true in more ways than one.
J.C. dialed Danielle’s number and waited for an answer. After a few rings, her voice mail came on. He hung up because he didn’t know what to say and decided he’d try again later when he wasn’t so upset.
Walking toward his room, he fought his urge to drive to her house and demand she explain herself. She wasn’t the only one with a heart on the line. His was there also. But he’d told Will he wouldn’t go tonight. He was really in no shape to be driving.
The night was long for J.C. as his bed was yet another reminder of Danielle. Her scent was in his sheets, and visions of the lovemaking hung in his mind. The sweet smell of her perfume combined with their sex was killing him. Finally, he gave up the fight and headed to the couch.
Chapter Eleven
Danielle woke up early, not that she slept anyway. Her phone had a new voicemail when she checked it.
“Hi, Danielle, I slept like shit. Well, I didn’t sleep at all. I spent all night thinking of you and wondering why the change of heart. What did I do to push you away? This sucks. I wished I would roll over and you’d be here beside me. So much for wishes, huh? When you get this, please call. Damn, I miss you.”
Tears trickled down Danielle’s face as she closed her phone. It was better this way, and who knew? Four years from now, she might totally be over him, maybe for good.
Danielle packed a suitcase and headed for the door. Her parents would be home this evening and would understand if she went to Tulsa the day before to be prepared for her interview. She also needed to be away from here, away from the country, cows, tractors, and cowboy hats.
With her sunglasses on, she backed out of the drive and headed out of town.
A couple of hours had passed when Danielle noticed she was thirty miles south of Tulsa. First things first. She needed to find a hotel close to the hospital. She had no idea of Monday morning traffic here but was sure it wouldn’t be light.
Once checked in, Danielle pushed the button on the elevator for her floor. The sterile air was free of honeysuckles. That was nice, not to mention a relief. She had purposely used a different brand this morning and left her signature brand at home.
At room 221, Danielle pushed her key card in the door and entered with a sigh. There she was alone in a hotel, a long way from home, with guess what? Nothing. She tried to cheer herself up by deciding that she should go shopping. To hell with it…she was going to order a pizza and a pay-per-view movie then wallow in her sadness.
If she hadn’t known better, she was sure her heart had broken completely into two pieces. Damn it all to hell. She’d known better than to get involved with him. Too damn good to be true.
The agony of it all was she really thought, really believed they could find a way to be together. She had never wanted to spend her life with anyone else. But what kind of life would that be? He was still riding bulls, still traveling, and still had women chasing him. Now it was much worse than years ago. Presently, he was the premier rider with endorsement deals, national fame, and, oh yeah, his fan club was much, much larger now.
And could she really believe he could want only her for life anyway? She chuckled sarcastically. That was a dream in itself. With women ready to jump into his bed wherever he went, it was a sure bet one would catch his eye sooner or later and become his next flavor.
Who was she to compete with thousands of women anyway? She was just a small-town girl with big dreams and now possessed a broken heart.
“Whatever,” she said with a huff and fell back into her pillows. Tears rolled in solid streams down her cheek. It was better this way.
Better to love and have lost than to have never loved at all. Thanks for the reminder, Grandma. She wiped the tears away and quickly replaced them with more.
* * * *
J.C. drove in the driveway at Danielle’s and didn’t see her truck. Shit. He had no idea where she might have gone, who her friends were. Heck, he didn’t even know what her parents’ names were. Yeah, stand up guy here.
Will answered his phone. “Yeah?”
“Where does Stacy live?” J.C. demanded.
“Right on Main, you’ll see her truck,” Will replied.
After a twenty-minute conversation with Stacy and getting nowhere, J.C. left and headed home. Tomorrow he needed to get going with Will for their trip that…Damn it, he hadn’t told Danielle about it.
They would be heading out on a two-week rodeo trip in the morning, six events in two weeks. He had planned to tell her. Actually, he’d been going to ask her to come, but he got so caught up in everything. Didn’t matter now. He had no idea where she was, and if she wanted him to know, she’d have returned his calls.
How in th
e world had everything fallen apart so fast? He was on top of the world and felt that for once he could be totally happy to retire from the circuit and pursue another dream. That dream now seemed unreachable.
How could he build up the hearts and minds of boys on hard times if he was on hard times himself? He shook his head as he drove back home thinking of how quickly the rug had just been yanked out from under him.
J.C. felt like he was giving up as he left town, but what could he do? Stacy hadn’t heard from her, and she had been trying to reach her as well. He should have known he wouldn’t find and hold onto someone he could love with his whole heart. He didn’t deserve it.
When he reached the ranch, he parked and got out at the barn. Will came out and met him at the truck.
“Any luck?” Will asked with a solemn look on his face.
“Nope.”
Will reached over and gave him a slap on the back. “Don’t worry, bro, it’ll all work out.”
J.C. looked at Will with heartache streaked across his face.
Chapter Twelve
Monday morning came, and Danielle had risen with the sun. Now she sat waiting nervously for her interview at the hospital. She anxiously tapped her fingers on the arm of a chair trying to think about anything besides J.C.
When she’d woken up that morning, she looked like she had been pulled through a knothole. Her eyes were red and swollen to the point she didn’t recognize herself when she looked in the mirror. Thank goodness she’d prepared and tucked a tube of hemorrhoid cream in her bag. That little tube of cream did wonders at getting the baggies down somewhat. If anyone who knew her saw her today, they’d know she’d been on a crying jag. But the man interviewing her would probably think her eyes were naturally puffy.
As it was, it really didn’t matter either way. She was sure today’s interview would provide her with the answer to her problem. If she got the job, then nature intended her to. However, if she didn’t, well, that could be a problem. What would that tell her?
She didn’t want to think about that right now. She needed to be positive and believe that truly good things would happen for her.
“Ms. Mallory.” A distinguished man in his fifties extended a hand. “I’m Rick Thompson from HR. I will be conducting the interview. If you will follow me this way, we’ll get started.”
Danielle straightened her posture and worked at a smile and an enthusiastic mood.
The interview lasted longer than she had thought was necessary, but she hung in there and gave it her best. After all, it was only her career and livelihood on the line.
Mr. Thompson peered over the top of his reading glasses. “Very impressive overall, Ms. Mallory. I’d like to welcome you aboard. When can you start?”
Danielle choked and coughed. “Seriously?” She smiled.
“Yes, I’d be happy to have you on our team.”
“Wonderful, I can start immediately. Well, of course I need a couple of days to move. Wow, I need to find an apartment.” Danielle found some enthusiasm. At least something was going her way.
“Great, that’s what I like to hear. Stop by personnel on your way out and fill out the necessaries, and we’ll see you Friday morning at eight a.m. Will that be enough time?”
“Yes, absolutely.” Danielle stood and shook Mr. Thompson’s hand and thanked him for his time. As she walked out, she began to truly smile. Maybe everything had happened for a reason like her grandmother had always told her. Maybe this was really where she was supposed to be, doing what she was meant to do. Her heart told her otherwise, but she was sure from experience that a fickle heart always found a way to ruin the best laid plans. She would ignore the pain in her gut and go with what life had dealt her. She would get over this. She was determined to do so.
The hole in her heart didn’t seem as large as she finished the last bit of paperwork in the personnel department. She couldn’t wait to tell her mom the news. Scratch that. She could wait because her mom would only act happy.
What mattered right now to Danielle was that she was starting a new chapter in her life, one that seemed less complicated. She would never forget J.C., and she still wished the events that unraveled hadn’t have, but they had, and here she was.
She was sure of one fact. These types of situations didn’t just happen. They happened for a reason. These situations occurred as warnings. Sometimes people heeded them and others ignored them only to fail miserably. She wasn’t going to be the one to fail miserably.
Danielle walked out into the sunlight and smiled as she put on her sunglasses and exhaled. I’m going to be okay.
When she merged into traffic and became settled, she called Stacy. “Hey, girl. I got the job in Tulsa, yay me.”
“That’s great, Danielle, really.”
“I’m planning to go apartment shopping. Do you want to drive up and help me?” Danielle asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. “I start Friday, so I have a lot to do over the next few days, moving and all. I don’t have much, so it won’t be a big deal.”
“I would Danielle, but I have to…um, actually, I’m heading out on the road with Will,” Stacy said.
“Oh, I see…well, maybe if you get some time when you get home, you can come up and see me,” Danielle said, trying not to cry. “Anyway, I got to go, about to get to the hotel.”
“Okay, love you, sis,” Stacy said.
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Danielle exited the highway and headed toward her hotel. She wiped a tear from her cheek and debated whether or not to give her parents a call. Yeah, this was going swell. Stacy had her man and was taking off with him on the road. She wondered what J.C. would be doing. Duh, he would be with them heading to the rodeos as well.
She missed the hell out him. “Stupid, stupid,” she said as she parked.
* * * *
J.C. pushed his hash browns around with his fork.
“Have you called her?” his mother asked with concern in her eyes.
J.C. looked up and forced a smile. “Yeah and texted numerous times.”
“So, she’s not giving you any reason for this supposed change of heart?” Evelyn asked with a cup of coffee in hand.
“No, she hasn’t.” J.C. stood up from the table with his plate and glass. He walked past his mother to the kitchen and set his dishes down.
“That’s it? You aren’t going to fight for what you want?” Evelyn demanded, coming around the corner into the kitchen behind him.
“What should I do, Mother? She has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with me.” J.C. tried to walk past her.
“Seems to me that someone helped this situation along. Have you thought of anyone who may want to drive a wedge? After all, there were a few women here that I know you have uh, spent time with,” Evelyn pointed out.
“Of course there were women here that I, uh, spent time with. Everywhere I go there is always one. I have really screwed up. I have been a piece of shit for years, and now I expect to change all that and hope Danielle doesn’t mind. I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to put up with it either.” J.C. frowned and looked down at the floor.
“Now you are being too hard on yourself. I’m sure she knew full well who she was getting involved with. That woman loves you to pieces, or did you fail to pick up on that?”
J.C. stood with his hands against the counter and looked at his mother. “Of course I did, and I love her, but this is one of those situations where love is apparently not enough.”
“That’s the biggest crock I have ever heard. Of course love is enough,” Evelyn surmised quickly.
“If it was, she would have returned my calls. She would have told me where she was.” J.C. threw up his hands in disgust. “She would have told me why she bolted from here without so much as a good-bye.”
Evelyn hugged him. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”
* * * *
Danielle spent the rest of the day holed up in her hotel room. The pay-per-view and room service was adding by the hour. She had go
t up once and grabbed her purse to go shopping. After all, she needed to celebrate her new job. Quickly, she extinguished the thought and threw her purse on the tiny table in the corner of the room and jumped back in bed.
At first she’d been happy to be hired today, but that soon soured after her call to Stacy and her parents. Nothing was as it should be, she thought. She had wanted this before she threw her heart in front of the bus with J.C.
Now she sat watching…what was she watching? Actually, she was watching the clock and trying to decide when was considered too early to go to bed. Maybe everything would be better on Friday when she started her job. Surely she would stay busy in the emergency room, enough so to keep her mind occupied and off J.C.
Tomorrow, Danielle decided she’d make the trip home and gather her clothes and the little décor she owned. Bed? She couldn’t move that by herself and knew she’d have to ask her dad for help.
Other than her meager items, Danielle had little but she found some joy thinking about picking out her own furniture and furnishings. She had stuffed away the money she received as gifts at her graduation party and knew a couch was doable. She would also need to buy some scrubs and a new pair of shoes. There was so much to do in the next few days, and it should have kept her mind occupied but failed.
Danielle rolled over after turning off the bedside lamp and wiped a tear.
Chapter Thirteen
Friday, Danielle’s first day of work was exciting, but when her shift ended, her sadness crept back in. She considered taking some double shifts in order to combat her thoughts. Another night went by with another pizza delivery. Her figure was going to hell quickly. Didn’t matter. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone anyway. Her cell beeped, and she quickly reached for it, needing to hear from anyone.
Hey, girl, just wanted to say hi. I hope your new job is all that you wanted. Take care.
Danielle keyed a quick reply and threw her phone down on the bed beside her. Oh. The late, late show was coming on.
Eight Seconds (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 17
