Second Chance Bride and Groom

by Iris Abbott

  Her eyes stayed glued to the door until she saw Jackson return. It hadn’t taken him long at all. He sauntered closer until he filled her line of sight. Mandy let out a tortured breath. Just watching that lazy swagger of his made her body all warm and gooey inside. Man, she was in trouble, big trouble. No matter how conflicted her mind, her body knew it wanted to get as close to Jackson as possible.

  Jackson caught Mandy’s stare and held it until he came to a stop right in front of her. A deep husky voice crooned a country ballad. The music and the voice seeped into the air of the honky-tonk filling it with sensuous overtones. He silently held out a hand and waited to see if Mandy would accept the unspoken invitation.

  Mandy hesitated for just a second. Why not, she wondered. She placed her hand in his and willingly went into his arms. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Her body nestled up to his. A perfect fit of course, but then she already knew that.

  Jackson led them to the darkened back corner of the dance floor. Then he whirled her in his arms so that they were facing each other. He wrapped his arms around her narrow waist and pulled her to him.

  Mandy stumbled, and her arms automatically went around his neck. Her physical balance was instantly returned, but being that close to him was playing havoc with her senses. Her body was being bombarded by everything Jackson in a very up-close and personal way. She closed her eyes and soaked in the sensations. She wanted to remember everything for later.

  The rough denim of his jeans rubbed against her naked legs, and the softer cotton of his western shirt brushed against her arms. Too late she wished she was wearing more than a knee-length, strapless, summer dress made of the thinnest cotton. The intimate contact caused her nipples to pebble. She knew Jackson would be able to feel her reaction to the closeness of his body.

  The crisp, clean scent she associated with Jackson filled her nostrils. She took a deep breath to savor the smell. It was masculine, but not overpowering and it suited him. She tightened the arms she’d entwined around his neck and leaned in even closer.

  The overlong, wavy, black hair that curled around his collar brushed against her fingers. She itched to bury her fingers in that hair and pull him even nearer. She tried to bank down some of the desire heating up her body. She gave in to the temptation to rest her head against his shoulder. Before she even knew she was going to do it, her tongue darted out. He tasted like salt, and there was a slight bitter tang probably from soap.

  Her eyes shot open, and she tried to take a step back. What was she doing? And what was Jackson thinking? She’d let herself get carried away. They were in public for goodness sake. She furtively glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to the two of them. They were just one more couple on the crowded dance floor.

  Jackson had been holding Mandy as close to his body as decency, and a bar full of people would allow. When she took a startled step back, he followed. He wasn’t ready to give up the sensations spreading their way through his body. Holding her close felt good, even more than that, it felt right.

  He stroked a hand down her bare back, left exposed by the dark purple halter-top of the dress she was wearing. “Relax,” he whispered into her ear. “It’s not as if I can make love to you here on the dance floor, no matter how much I might want to.” His hands circled her hips and pressed her closer.

  Mandy allowed her soft feminine curves to relax into the hard-contoured counterpart of Jackson’s body. Working with the larger animals of his practice could be physically demanding. It kept him in fine shape. She knew it was dangerous to allow herself to let her guard down around Jackson. Her goal had been to build a comfortable friendship and working relationship with Jackson. Their first kiss, and then the close call in the examination room had killed that plan. And that was a problem no matter how much she and Jackson were attracted to each other.

  The dilemma boiled down to the following. She didn’t want anything to ruin her return to Rancher’s Bend. She loved being back in her hometown. She loved her job. She cherished the renewal of her friendship with Sara Beth and the new friendships that were being developed with Daisy and Emma. Most of all she loved spending time with her mom and being there for her when she needed her instead of the other way around for a change.

  Mandy was convinced that giving into her desire to be involved with Jackson more intimately would only lead to heartache and trouble. He wasn’t known as the Texas playboy veterinarian for no reason at all. He’d worked or rather played hard to earn that reputation. If she gave into this driving need to surrender to his kisses and caresses, where would that leave her in a month?

  A former lover did not make the best co-worker or in this case boss. Even if they parted ways amicably based on a mutual decision, things wouldn’t be the same, and there would never be a slow, easy, comfortable feeling between them. Mandy just didn’t know if she could risk it. The emotional conflict was tearing her apart.

  The music came to an end, and another slow song started playing. Mandy once again attempted to put some distance between her and Jackson. “That one dance was enough, Jackson,” she pleaded. In response, she felt his embrace tighten.

  “We need to talk, Mandy and I’m done putting it off. I gave you time off, and you should’ve used that time to come to terms with what’s happening between us. I gave you the space you needed, but now your time is up.”

  Mandy drew in a deep breath and resisted the urge to run. Jackson was right. They owed it to each other as coworkers, neighbors, and friends to be as honest as possible with one another. Maybe talking things out and voicing her concerns would help her work through the issues.

  She took a deep breath and laid it all on the line. “We have a complicated working relationship, Jackson. I think we are friends now, but that’s all we can ever be to each other. I’ve grown up over the past several years. I’m not that same lovesick teenager that used to follow you around town begging for any scrap of attention you deemed fit to send my way. I don’t want to throw away the best job I’ve had and the life I’m building now just because you have decided to sample the one you let get away.”

  Jackson felt his patience waning. She may think she’d gotten over the past, but she was allowing it to affect their future. He wasn’t going to let that happen without a fight. “The way I feel about you now has nothing to do with what happened several years ago. You shouldn’t let the past rule your life either.”

  Mandy sadly shook her head. “It doesn’t rule my life, Jackson. It does color how I see things, though. The past is a part of me, and whether you admit it or not, it’s a part of you too.”

  “So it is, but luckily things are different now. You were too young for me then. You needed to be out on your own, have a chance to live your own life.” He gave her a piercing look. “And you did that for six years. Now you’re back, and our lives are entwined. And not only are we physically attracted to each other, but we genuinely like being around each other. We set each other on fire. There is no way you can refute that. We lost all control of the situation when we were in that examination room. How can you deny either one of us the pleasure?”

  Mandy wanted to believe he meant what he said. She felt her self-control weakening. It would be heaven to just give in and spend the night in his arms, but then what. The fallout could be too high of a price for her to pay. She gave Jackson a look filled with regret and longing both at the same time. “I wouldn’t be able to continue under your employment if we had an affair and it turned bad.” What she wanted to say was she wouldn’t be able to be that close to him and not continue to touch him after they’d made love. She knew once she’d been in his arms she would crave his touch, crave his love.

  The agonizing thoughts running around in her mind caused her to panic. She held on until the music came to an end. Then she ripped herself out of Jackson’s arms. “I’m sorry Jackson, but I can’t be a temporary diversion until someone better comes along.” She knew it would hurt too much to be cast aside after their affair
ran its course. She skirted the edge of the dance floor and made her way to the exit.

  Jackson silently cursed how this conversation had turned out. He used to think Mandy’s teenage crush was amusing. That was before it became embarrassing, and then just plain annoying. It was something the guys teased him about when they were throwing back a couple of beers. It sure wasn’t funny right now, and it was way more than annoying. It was about to cost him more than a little embarrassment. He couldn’t let this go!

  He followed Mandy out of the bar and into the parking lot. Luckily everyone was inside enjoying the music and drinks. The parking lot was empty, and that suited Jackson just fine. They didn’t need any witnesses. He was going to make her listen, even if he had to kiss her into submission. The thought sent chills down his spine.

  Thunder boomed in the distance. A fork of lightning flashed across the sky. A late summer storm was about to erupt. The sky could open up any second now and let out a steady stream of pouring rain. It matched his mood. He scanned the parking lot during the next flash of lightning and saw Mandy in the distance. He started running toward Mandy and her car. His boots pounded against the large rocks layering the dirt parking lot.

  He had to make Mandy understand the depth of his feelings for her. They had been steadily growing ever since she’d come back into his life. He had to get that fact across to her. His heart was pounding in his chest, but it had nothing to do with the sudden burst of exercise. He caught up to her just as she got to her car.

  He reached out and gently swung her around to face him. He used his arms to trap her between his body and the car. “Mandy, I would never consider you for just a brief affair. As I mentioned before, you are a part of every facet of my life. We’re neighbors, we socialize in the same circles, and we work together, but I need more. I need more of you in my life.” He gently cupped her chin and tilted her face toward him. “I’ve never said that to any other woman before.” He lightly brushed a finger over her lower lip. “I know you have feelings for me too whether you want to admit it or not.”

  Mandy used the remote to unlock her car and slid behind the wheel. Her body was going haywire, and her brain was turning to mush. She couldn’t make sense of his words. She lashed out at him because she had to escape. “Don’t try to bully me into a relationship, Jackson. I don’t see how you can be so sure of my feelings when I don’t even know what they are.” She snapped on her seat belt, started the car, and with one last look at Jackson, slammed the door shut, and took off for home.

  Jackson watched her drive away. He wasn’t done, not by a long shot. But he’d give her the space she thought she wanted for now. There was always tomorrow, and he’d be there to try again. He could be one determined man when he wanted to be. Mandy was about to find that out for herself.

  Thunder boomed, and lightning flickered across the sky. A few fat raindrops spattered against the gravel and dirt leaving mud in their wake. Jackson winced as the rain began to fall harder. The storm definitely matched his rising and falling emotions. It was time for him to go home too.

  ELEVEN

  Jackson couldn’t sleep. He’d been tossing and turning for half the night. The last conversation he’d had with Mandy kept running through his head. He almost despaired of making her understand that he really did have feelings for her and not just physical ones. For all her talk of growing up and moving on, she seemed to be stuck in the past, unable to forget the hateful words he’d flung at her in self-preservation.

  He got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of cowboy boots. A ride in the crisp late-night air might help clear his head. The storm had come and gone, and the fresh air would be invigorating. It would also give him a chance to check on the animals in the clinic’s barn and stables as well as his own animals. Sometimes a strong storm with all the thunder and lightning made animals antsy.

  A quick perusal of all the barns and stables on the property showed everything to be in order. Jackson saddled his favorite horse Sampson and mounted up for that much-needed ride. After about ten minutes of aimless rambling along the horse trail, Jackson found himself headed toward the Tyler Ranch. Maybe that had been his intention all along. She’d certainly been on his mind all night long.

  He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice the acrid smell of smoke working its way into his nostrils. When he finally detected and identified the smell, he snapped out of his reflections right away. Fire on or near a ranch was series business. It not only endangered people, but it also endangered animals, and livelihoods. Maybe his sleepless night had been a blessing in disguise.

  He pulled on Sampson’s reins and brought the horse to a standstill. He needed to concentrate. He took a deep breath and focused on the layout of the land. The wind was blowing toward his ranch and clinic, and he’d just left there, so he felt one hundred percent sure the smell wasn’t coming from his place. That left the Tyler Ranch.

  His heart rate doubled. Jackson felt the fear that gripped his heart and ruthlessly pushed it aside. He’d never been one to panic and now was definitely not the time to lose his legendary cool. He was known to work well under pressure. He wasn’t going to ruin that reputation tonight. Not when Mandy might need him.

  He clicked his heels against the horse’s flanks. Sampson launched into a gallop down the path toward Mandy’s ranch. He knew a shortcut, but he didn’t dare take his horse off the trail in the darkness. He wouldn’t be doing Mandy or anyone else any good if he or Sampson became injured.

  The closer he got to the Tyler Ranch the greater the stench of the smoke. He wasn’t surprised, but he wished just this once he’d been wrong. He rounded a corner and caught sight of the stables where Mandy housed her few remaining horses. His heart sank into his boots. Mandy loved those horses. Each one was special to her, and right now they were in big trouble.

  The nightlight by the building was enough to illuminate the smoke rising in ghostly tendrils from the roof of the old wooden structure. He knew horses were instinctively scared of fire. He didn’t dare take Sampson any closer. He jumped down from the large horse and gave it a mighty whack on its rump. That sent the horse fleeing back toward Walker Ranch and home. Sampson was the least of Jackson’s worries because he knew the horse would find its way back home. It was already headed in the right direction.

  Jackson quickly surveyed the outlying areas. The main ranch house was far enough away from the stables that it wasn’t in immediate danger. Now that he was satisfied that Mandy and her mom were not in direct danger he needed to decide what to do about the horses. He was wasting precious time. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed the emergency number for fire and rescue. He gave the dispatcher the name of the Tyler Ranch, the address, and his reason for calling before disconnecting.

  He knew the woman wanted him to stay on the line, but he needed to see what he could do for the horses. There was no time to waste standing around talking to a dispatcher. It would take the firemen at least fifteen minutes to respond. Once the sides of the barn caught on fire, it wouldn’t take long for the entire building to go up in flames. He couldn’t just stand around and hope the barn held until the firemen arrived. He had to do something about the horses now.

  He was running toward the barn when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He wheeled around to see Mandy charging toward him. She must have just spotted the smoke because she hadn’t even taken the time to change out of her nightgown.

  “Oh my God,” she screamed at him while she continued to run toward him and the barn. Magnolia and Rain Lily are in there along with another horse. We can’t let them die.” A fractured sob punctuated the quiet of the night.

  When she would have kept running past him into the barn, he reached out and grabbed her. There was no way he was letting her in that building. “What do you think you’re doing?” he yelled in disbelief. “You have on a nightgown that hardly covers anything. It certainly won’t provide any protection from the fire. You don’t eve
n have any shoes on.”

  Mandy was too panicked to listen. “No, they’re my horses. I have to save them. I can’t just leave them in there to die. They’re probably scared to death, and Rain Lily is just a baby,” she pleaded for his understanding. She struggled to get loose. She slapped her arms against the tight band around her waist, but it didn’t do any good. Jackson’s grip didn’t waver.

  Time was ticking. Jackson knew she was upset, but he couldn’t deal with her hysterics and save the horses both. Jackson shook her hard enough to get her attention. “You’re wasting valuable time those horses might not have. Calm down, because I don’t have time to take care of both you and the horses. If I have to choose it will be you. Is that what you want?”

  Mandy bit back the second sob that threatened to escape and shook her head no. She trusted Jackson more than anyone else to save her horses. She just needed to banish all the doubt and fear that plagued her and let him do what he needed to do.

  Jackson grasped her face with both hands and turned her eyes up to meet his dark stare. He needed to make sure she understood what he was telling her. “I have on jeans and boots. While not ideal it’s more protection than what you’re wearing. I’ll go in there. I know how much you love those horses and I’ll do everything I can to save them.” With that, he flung her away from him and the danger of the barn. He looked back at her from the door. “Don’t you dare follow me into this barn, or I’ll take you back to the house and leave the horses until the fire department arrives.”

  Mandy knew he would do it too. She took several steps back and nodded her agreement. She could hear sirens in the distance, and it calmed her somewhat. Professional help was on the way. They’d help rescue the horses and most importantly they’d keep Jackson safe. The heat from the fire began to penetrate her fuzzy mind, and she backed away from the barn even more. She watched as Jackson disappeared inside. She brought a clenched fist to her mouth and lightly bit on a finger to help stifle the cries she wanted to let loose.