by Reina Torres
Chapter Nine
ETTA
The next day, she didn’t have to look for Randy, he came to her. She was walking up the road to the main house, keeping off to the side near the trees just to keep the sun off her body. The clothes that she’d brought with her was suitable for a number of things, but long walks, lifting and moving boxes, and helping around the house were not among them.
When someone reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the shadows, she felt the seam on her sleeve rip. “Hey!”
“What’s wrong?” Randy was smiling down at her as he backed her up to one of the tree trunks.
Etta tried to pull her arm free. “You ripped my sleeve.”
He shrugged. “Worry about that later. I want to know when you’re going to let me come visit you.”
She gestured toward the house. “I’m working up at the house. I don’t have a lot of time to visit with anyone.”
Randy stepped closer and she had to suck in a breath to keep him from pressing against her. “I’m talking about the motel. You were a little nervous the other night. I would’ve thought you’d be ready for more by now.”
More? Just the thought made her squirm.
Randy saw the movement and his smile told her that he liked it. “You know exactly what I mean.” Bracing a hand on the trunk above her head, he leaned in for a kiss.
Etta turned her cheek and his lips glanced off her cheek. “Randy, don’t.”
His hand on her arm tightened enough that she hissed at the pain.
“Don’t play hard to get, Etta. I don’t like it.”
“It’s not playing,” she told him, but kept her head turned to the side. She was afraid that if she looked up at him, he’d try to kiss her again. “I don’t want… I don’t want to do that with you.”
The silence fell between them like a brick.
“You don’t want… You don’t want to ‘do that.’” He laughed and pulled her up by her arm until she was almost on the toes of her shoes. “Do you know how lucky you are?”
“Let go of me, Randy. You’re hurting me.”
“Then don’t fight me on this.” He let her go and the sudden movement had her stumbling against the trunk of the tree. “You’ll love what I can do to you.”
Her stomach churned at the tone of his voice. He wasn’t thinking about her at all. Just what he wanted. The memory of her conversation with Betty rushed through her thoughts.
“I don’t want to go out with you. I don’t want to spend time with you. I don’t-”
“Shut. Up.” He was in her face, his breath hot on her skin, and his eyes were cold and angry. “Don’t say another word.”
She clapped her lips together and waited. If he tried anything, she was going to scream.
“You need to know something.” He narrowed his eyes and stared down his nose at her. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re after, little girl. You keep this up and your cowboy’s going to be in a lot of trouble.
“What,” she stammered over the words that were so simple to say, “what are you talking about?”
“I’m telling you,” his lips stretched into a wolfish grin, “that if I want to, I can make sure that this film doesn’t happen.”
She squirmed against the trunk of the tree. “Why would you cancel your film?”
“Cancel?” He scoffed at her. “I’m not going to cancel it. I’m going to move it somewhere else. And wherever I go, I’m going to tell them how horrible it was trying to make it work here. People will listen to me. Productions will stay far, far away from this little Podunk town and what will Jesse do then?”
It was a ridiculous threat. There’s no way it could work.
But the look in Randy’s eyes said he’d make it happen. Or not happen as he was threatening.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Etta?”
She nodded to answer him, but she really hated the sound of her name in his voice.
“So, here’s what you need to think about, and think quickly.” He braced a hand on the trunk above her head and leaned in until he had her trapped between his body and the tree trunk. Her nerves were strung like a tightrope high above the ground. “There’s going to come a night when I come to your room at the Sagebrush, and when I do, you’re going to welcome me inside and if you want your cowboy to keep things working here, you’re going to keep me happy.”
He let go of her arm long enough to grab a hold of her chin in his hand, turning her head so that she had to look at him or close her eyes. She didn’t want to tempt him to lash out at her anymore, so she kept her eyes on his.
Randy crushed his mouth against hers hard enough that she felt it in her teeth, and then he was gone. Walking away down the hill with a lightness in his long-legged stride that made her nauseous. If he was going to make her feel like something he could smash under his boot, he should at least feel the weight of his actions.
She didn’t watch him for long. Etta touched her fingertips to her lips and was happy that she didn’t wear makeup during the day, as it would have been smeared off her lips.
Her instinct was to go and tell Jesse about what Randy had said to her, the threats that he made, but she knew the two were already having issues and Jesse’s temper was already on edge with him. No, she couldn’t just blurt it out, she’d have to find a way to tell him without souring his relationship with Randy even more.
It didn’t take long to reach the house when she was burning off all the unsettling energy that was rushing through her veins. Her heart was already pumping so fast that her skin was cold to the touch and she couldn’t figure out how to settle her thoughts. She made it to the steps and let her breath out in a rush. Etta was so thankful she would have broken down into tears, if it wasn’t for the group of people waiting on the porch.
Something was up. The Suttons were on the top step and so was the beautiful blonde woman she’d seen Jesse with before. Her eyes widened as she stared at the foursome. “Good Morning!” The greeting was out before she could stop it, but at least her voice didn’t wobble as much as her knees did. “Am I late?”
“No.” Caroline looked down at her with a big smile. “Stay right there. We were hoping to get to the bottom of the steps before you made it up here. I’ve never seen you walk so fast!”
Holt descended with his wife, but his eyes were narrowed and focused on Etta’s face. She wanted to run away and hide before she started to cry. She had hoped for more time before she bumped into anyone. When they reached her, Holt set a hand on her shoulder. “You all right, sweetheart?”
The tender greeting almost broke her. Holt had always been respectful around her, he called her Etta all the time, but he’d never used an endearment until that moment.
“I’m fine,” she forced her smile to stay in place, knowing that all eyes were on her now. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
Jesse moved closer, lowering the hand that he’d had on the back of the blonde woman. The gesture was fresh in her mind as he spoke. “Are you having trouble at the motel? I can talk to the manager.”
Goodness! That had been the wrong lie to use. She didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. “No, it was just my mind. I couldn’t get any rest thinking about all the things I have to do today.”
Jesse shared a look with the pretty blonde and Etta wanted to blurt out her question. ‘Who is she to you?’
Holt spoke again. “Well, if you’re worrying so much, I think you might need a break.”
Again, she started to panic. “No. No. I’m fine. Really.” And she turned to look at Jesse. “I’ll be fine. I just need to focus on something else. So, what are we doing in the office today?”
Holt’s smile was more of an impish grin. “You, my dear, aren’t doing anything in the office today. You ladies are going on a little outing today.”
Etta was still reeling from her earlier run-in. She didn’t know what to think.
Caroline elbowed her husband out of the way. “Stop it, Holt, you’re s
caring the poor girl.” Then the Sutton Matriarch gave her son a look that turned Etta’s head in his direction.
Jesse reached out and gently took hold of the blonde’s arm and brought her forward. “Etta, I wanted to introduce you to Alice. Alice is a really good friend of the family.”
Alice rolled her eyes and moved closer to Etta. She reached out her hands and gave Etta’s hands a warm squeeze. “Jesse’s older brother Frank was my boyfriend when he went to Vietnam.”
Etta saw Jesse’s face tighten a little, the warmth fading as well.
Caroline gave Alice a soft smile. “Even though we don’t have Frank with us anymore, we’re so happy when Alice can come and work with us. And today, Alice is going to come with us.”
Etta could only nod.
“Oh,” Alice let go of Etta’s hands and reached into the knitted shoulder bag. A moment later she produced two small rectangular pieces of paper and handed them to Jesse. “Hold that.”
Jesse took them from her with a curious look. “Yes, ma’am.”
Alice shared a smile with Etta. “Men.”
Etta couldn’t help but laugh at her comment.
Alice continued. “I’m also working with my Aunt and Uncle at the fair. Our farm is making grilled corn on the cob at a booth. Jesse’s holding tickets for the two of you.”
The two of you.
Wait. Jesse and-
“Well thanks, Alice.” Jesse gave her a playful glare. “I was going to ask her to go to the fair.”
Alice shrugged. “You were just standing there staring at her. I figured I’d have to get the words out for you.”
Again, Etta turned to look at Jesse. He’d been staring at her? “You were?”
Jesse nodded. “Even before Alice brought the tickets by, I was going to ask you if you want to go. It’s on tonight and tomorrow. Your choice.”
Etta knew this is what she’d been looking for. A chance to relax and enjoy herself. So, she didn’t argue with fate, she just smiled and picked, “Tonight?”
Caroline leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. “Then we should get going.”
“Going?”
Alice seemed to know what was going on, taking her arm and turning her around. “Yes, we need to get going so you can go out tonight.”
As the three ladies walked back down the way that Etta had just come up, she was glad that they were with her when she passed the spot where she’d been waylaid by Randy. It would probably be some time before she could pass by and not think of what he’d said and done. Having the other ladies there made all the difference.
Shire’s Department Store was at the Gold Valley Mall and Etta couldn’t help the odd feeling in her stomach as they got out of the truck near the main entrance. Her father had forbidden her to go to the mall because they’d turned him down to lease a space in the east wing.
Feeling as if she was flying in the face of her father’s control, she walked beside Alice on the way to the door and thanked her for holding it open for her.
“Hello, ladies!”
There was a woman waiting for them just inside the door and Etta couldn’t help but wonder if they did this for everyone. “Hello.”
Alice took Etta’s arm and walked her forward. “Etta, this is Cady Williams, my mother. Mom, this is Etta Bradford.”
“How nice to meet you, Etta. Caroline, it’s good to see you too! When Alice called and said we needed to do some shopping, I was so excited.”
Cady was a little sprite of a woman, with hair a few shades darker than her daughter’s. She turned her focus to Etta and as she looked her up and down, Etta truly did feel like she was the prey and Cady was a hunter. “Tell me, dear. What colors do you like?”
“Me?” Etta shook her head. “I’m not shopping for anything for myself. I just came with-”
“With your coloring,” Cady just went right on as if she hadn’t said a thing, “I think you should go with the darker, jewel tones to compliment your pale skin and dark hair.”
Etta didn’t know what to say, but no one else seemed to have that problem. Together, they herded her up the escalator and into the section of the store for young woman’s clothing. Everyone seemed to have their own ideas about what she should wear and minutes later, Etta had a stack of clothes ready for the changing rooms. Alice, like her mother and Caroline, was on a mission, leading Etta into the curtained area. “There’s a limit for the number of outfits we can bring in here, but my mom’s an employee. She’s the manager of Women’s Clothing, so we can bend the rules a little.”
Etta made one more attempt to stop the crazy train. “Really, Alice. We don’t need to do this. I don’t need any new clothing.”
Alice’s initial reaction was a blank face, broken a moment later when she shook her head. “Oh, you need it. Your clothes are nice, but you’re wearing them thin with all the work you’re doing to help the Suttons and before you argue again, Caroline and Holt want to do this for you, please let them.”
There were so many reasons to say no and walk out of the dressing room without trying on a thing, but listening to Alice, Etta remembered the hopeful look on Caroline’s face as she sent them into the changing room.
“And if that rip on the seam of your blouse is any indication, your clothes might just fall off your body!”
“Okay. Point taken.” She really did agree. It was a dream come true for her and the way Cady had gone through the styles and picked out a few that would give her body both height and shape.
Apparently, the buyer that her father paid to pick out her clothes was living two decades in the past. Shrugging out of her shirt and her denims, she heard Alice grumble a little.
“Looks like we’re getting underwear too.”
“Oh no,” she shook her head, “I can pay for those.”
The two shared a laugh and while Etta slipped on the wrap around dress, Alice waited to see it. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you earlier,” she explained, “I used to work with the Suttons all the time, but since Frank… since Frank died, I haven’t been around all that much. It was just too hard to see them and not feel this ache in my chest.”
Etta bit her bottom lip as she fought off tears. She didn’t know Frank and she’d just met Alice, but she could still feel the loss of her mother as if it had been yesterday.
“When Caroline called me and asked if I’d be willing to work catering for the movie my first instinct was to say no. To put even more of a distance between me and those memories, but then I remembered Frank and how he talked about the ranch. He loved what they did and he said he wanted to do that forever and pass it on to the next generation. I guess he never knew he was going to pass it on to Jesse first.”
Etta made quick work of the ties on the dress, finishing it with a bow at her waist. “I know how much work Jesse’s putting into this, his dedication.”
“He’s doing it for Frank just as much as he’s doing it for his parents. He knows how much this film means. Before this, their hearts just weren’t in it and they didn’t have a project here for a while. That’s why I wanted Jesse to take a night and go do something fun. He has so much weighing on his shoulders, he needs some fun with someone to lift his spirits.” Alice’s eyes were full of hope. “And when Caroline told me about you, I knew that a night at the fair was just what Jesse needed. So, let’s figure out what you’re going to wear tonight and have the rest of it packaged for later.”
As Alice continued talking, Etta phased most of it out.
Holt and Caroline had talked to her about their concerns and she’d seen the bank records and operating accounts for the ranch, but she hadn’t known how tight things were until she’d talked to Alice. The ache she’d felt when Alice had talked about losing Frank had settled in her stomach as she realized that the last thing she could do was bother Jesse now.
She’d let it go and focus on what was really important, giving Jesse a night of fun.
The rest of it could wait until later.
Ch
apter Ten
JESSE
The Gold Valley fair had always been one of Jesse’s favorite activities of the year. It was impossible to go to the fair and not think about Frank. Hear his booming laughter. Feel the heavy slap of Frank’s hand on his shoulder.
But he wasn’t there. That was as clear to Jesse as the sky above their heads. Their heads.
Walking beside Etta was a whole new experience for him. Sure, they’d spent time at the ranch together, but not like this.
She’d done up her hair in a mass of curls that he wanted to tangle his fingers into, and the ladies had done something to her eyes that made them brighter. He was in some real danger of falling into those deep brown eyes and staying lost.
He pulled her to the side until they were leaning against the railing around the Ferris Wheel.
“You’re so damn beautiful.”
Her answering blush confirmed that he’d said the words out loud.
“Jesse…”
“It’s true, Etta. I’m just sorry it took me this long to say it out loud.” He looked down and touched his fingers to the delicate curve of her wrist. As he traced his fingers up the soft sweep of her forearm, he felt her tremble at his touch. “I was stupid to wait.”
Her lips parted on something that sounded like a sigh and a gasp mixed together when he reached the skin just above her elbow. But she didn’t pull away from him. No, she leaned closer and lifted her hand and set it on his upper arm near his shoulder and smiled. He flexed the muscles under her palm and saw the twinkle of laughter in her eyes as she smoothed her hand over his shoulder and down the back of his arm. “Silly man,” she laughed and leaned even closer, “if you’re trying to impress me, I already think you’re pretty amazing.”
He tucked his hand under her arm and splayed his fingers against her lower back. They stepped into each other and almost had her in his embrace. “Just ‘pretty’ amazing, huh? He leaned down and rubbed his cheek against hers. “What do I have to do to improve on that?”
