Jasper (Cloves County Cowboys Book 2)

by Amelia Shea

  Well, she’s back.

  “Fuck!”

  »»•««

  Kellie lined up the beer bottles on her tray. It was all about balance. She had had her fair share of broken bottles when she started at Steers. So many that she assumed her days were numbered, but Patty, the owner, jumped in and gave her a speedy course—Tray Placement 101. Palm in the center, wrist straight resting on the forearm, and an even balance on the tray had saved her ass since then. She grabbed a few napkins and dropped them on her tray.

  “Girl, his eyes are all over you tonight!” Cara nudged her with a playful elbow and squealed.

  Cara was the only other waitress working the late shift tonight. They had been friends since middle school. Not many people were considered friends for Kellie, but Cara was a bit of a loner herself, an outsider, and one of a few Cloves County rejects. It’s what made their friendship work. While Cara didn’t carry the scarlet letter on her chest like Kellie, folks were just as eager to gossip about Cara and her ex-con father. It was a story that had been making the rounds for years.

  Kellie loaded the last drink onto her tray and shook her head. She didn’t have to ask whose eyes Cara was referring to. There was only one man in this place she cared about, and Cara knew it. Kellie never openly talked about her crush on Jasper, but the people closest to her knew.

  “No, he’s not.” Please let Cara be right.

  “Uh yeah, he is.” Cara laughed loudly, gaining the attention of Garr, their boss. He scowled and went back to making a drink. “He’s been watching you all night. Did you talk to him?”

  Kellie shrugged, grabbing her soda. She had tried, but Jasper never made much small talk with her, despite her persistence. She could talk to anyone, but Jasper made her a bumbling fool.

  “I think you should ask him out.”

  Kellie choked on her soda and coughed, covering her mouth with her hand. She jerked her head to Cara who was bobbing on her toes with excitement.

  “Are you crazy? I am not asking Jasper Fords out on a date.”

  “Why not?” She looked over in the direction of his table. She smiled and raised her brows. “Caught him again.”

  Kellie sighed. “Maybe he’s looking at you.”

  Cara scoffed. “No way, those baby blues are on you, not me.”

  Kellie took the chance and looked over her shoulder. He was standing in a group, and his eyes were not on her currently. They were focused on Larson. His brows strained together in what seemed like anger. She glanced around the table, taking in everyone’s demeanor. Whatever they were talking about, the Fords brothers did not look happy.

  “So, are you going to or what?” Cara asked, gaining her attention.

  She picked up her tray and snorted. “No way.” Whatever Cara thought she saw before, it was obvious Jasper was unapproachable right now.

  She weaved through the crowd and made her way to his table just as Jasper cursed. “Fuck.”

  She stopped in her tracks. In all the time she’d known him, she never heard him curse. True, she hadn’t spent too much time with him, but even so, hearing the word pass through his lips, laced in anger, was shocking.

  She inched to the table, and Leland made room for her. She lifted the bottles, placing them on the table, and peeked up at Jasper. His neck was tight, the cords straining, and his face was completely tense. He was staring above her head but then dropped his gaze to her. She smiled, but it wasn’t returned. His brows furrowed and his forehead creased.

  Shit.

  Jasper turned, giving her his back, and stalked around the table. She watched him push past a group of men and throw open the door. She had never seen him like this. He was always the most reserved, even-keeled brother. Nothing ever knocked Jasper Fords. What the hell happened?

  Britt rushed over to the table as Kellie continued to unload her tray. She kept silent as if Jasper hadn’t just stormed out of the bar.

  “Where’s Jasper going? It’s his turn.”

  Grey rested his hand on Britt’s waist and watched the door close behind him. Larson shook his head. “Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.”

  About what? She grabbed her tray and glanced over at Britt, who looked just as confused as Kellie felt.

  “No, he woulda found out sooner or later. Better to tell him than he run into her or something?”

  “Run into who?” Britt asked.

  The silence lasted too long for Kellie to stall. She turned around to walk away. She had stepped two feet when Grey finally answered, “Abby’s back.”

  Kellie tripped over her foot and bumped into a woman standing behind her. She reached out to keep the girl from falling. “I’m so sorry.”

  Abby Cartwright was back? She righted herself and bolted to the bar. She slammed her tray down harder than intended and shouted to Garr who was serving a customer, “I’m taking a break.” She heard him yell something, but she paid no mind to it. She darted down the hall and threw open the door, letting it slam hard.

  The cold air rushed against her face and arms. Abby’s back? She paced along the pavement, gripping her hips with her hands. She was having an adverse reaction to the news. She hopped on the picnic table and dug in her apron, pulling out a cigarette and lighter. She lit up and sucked the harsh smoke down her throat into her lungs. She had been trying to quit, but today was not that day. She rested her elbows on her knees and took another drag.

  “Abby’s back,” she whispered as if saying the words would somehow make her feel different. It didn’t. The golden girl of Cloves County, the love of Jasper’s life, was home.

  She had heard all the rumors about Abby. Supposedly, Jasper had surprised her at school and found her in bed with some guy. Rumors swirled about Jasper beating the guy to a bloody pulp, though she had a hard time envisioning Jasper losing control like that. The gossip circulated for months and started back up again a year later with news Abby was marrying the guy. Eventually, it all died down, and the town went back to their favorite topic. Her. She didn’t mind it so much though, at least they stopped talking about poor Jasper.

  She had never been close with anyone in his circle or family, but from what people said, Jasper was destroyed. Her heart ached for him, and disdain built deep for Abby. Betraying a man like Jasper Fords was beyond her comprehension. And now Abby was home in Cloves County.

  Kellie took another drag. She released her breath, the smoke flurrying around her face. She never really thought she had a chance with Jasper, not really, but still, there was a tiny spot, deep in her heart, which held onto to the maybe, just maybe. Though she’d never admit it to Cara, or even Britt. In two words, it all faded.

  Abby’s back.

  Chapter Two

  “Third night this week,” Kellie mumbled to herself and wiped down the glasses on the dryer rack. Garr usually handled everything behind the bar, including the cleaning, but she was desperate for a distraction. Staring at a pathetic, drunken Jasper Fords was almost heartbreaking.

  As a waitress in the only bar in town, she’d seen most residents overindulge once or twice. However, this was a first. She’d never seen Jasper like this. He’d come in a few hours ago by himself, same as the other two nights earlier in the week. He was alone, chatting with a few patrons and then settled into the same table and ordered bourbon neat, one right after the other.

  It had been almost a month since Abby Cartwright had returned. The same amount of time since she’d last seen Jasper in the bar. The night he found out. According to Britt, he was lying low and not talking to many people about it. Kellie had her suspicions her friend knew more than she was sharing, but Kellie didn’t push. Whatever was happening with Jasper was none of her business or anyone else’s. Even though she had heard the rumblings of gossip, it was dealt with a certain ounce of respect. It wasn’t tawdry or scandalous, like the rumors about Kellie. People didn’t seem to take joy in Jasper’s pain. After all, he was a Fords. He was special.

  Jasper wouldn’t be considered royalty amongst the co
mmon folk if they lived somewhere other than Cloves County, Montana. He, along with his two brothers, was born and bred to the Triple R ranch dynasty. He was a prince. It was how most people in town saw him, and that was how Kellie saw him.

  While all the brothers carried the same name, they were far from similar. Greyson, the oldest, was the unspoken leader, and Tripp, the unruly youngest. Jasper fell in as the quiet, reserved middle brother, and in Kellie’s opinion, he was the most attractive. Even now, with his face hardened by the alcohol and a pained frown, he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And as always, out of her league and untouchable.

  Kellie tossed the rag on the bar and sighed. Get him outta your head, girl. She rounded the bar, grabbing her cell phone from her pocket and doing a time check. They closed in less than fifteen minutes. Thank God. She was hoping to get home before the predicted snowstorm set into their small corner of Montana. Usually by March, the snow was dying down, but not this year. They were setting record totals, surpassing the usually snowiest times of January.

  Kellie glanced over her shoulder as she hopped up on the barstool. I’d kill for a cigarette. She sighed, reminding herself of her eleven days smoke-free. She wouldn’t cave, but hell, she needed some kind of distraction at the moment.

  She had spent the last two and a half hours watching Jasper drink himself into oblivion. That’s what a broken heart did to the most rational, reserved man. I wonder what he’s thinking? It had been six years since his break up with Abby, plenty of time to move on for most men, she figured. Then again, Jasper wasn’t most men. In the past few years, she rarely saw him with women. If he dated, he didn’t do it locally. That was a blessing to her.

  He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. His head hung low as his finger circled the rim of the glass. She’d give just about anything to get inside his mind for one minute. She quietly snorted and shook her head, forcing herself to turn around. There was only one thought running through his head, she was sure of it. Abby, the most foolish woman in Cloves County. Not many people agreed with her on most things, but she’d be hard-pressed to find someone to dispute it.

  Kellie rolled her eyes and dug into her apron. Time to close out for the night. She had worked at Steers since she turned eighteen. It paid more than working at the grocery store and was safer than working nights at the only motel in Cloves County. Both jobs she had worked, and both proved to be exactly what she thought. Shit.

  Working six years at a bar had not been her life’s ambition, but growing up in a small town, a girl had few choices. College and getting out and never looking back, working at a local establishment, or marrying a rancher and working the land. Her grades weren’t good enough to get into college, and even if they had been, she wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Truth be told, while many of her peers were set to dodge Cloves County at first sight of graduation, Kellie wasn’t as eager. She liked it there; it was home.

  She craned her head, taking another peek at Jasper. His family owned the biggest ranch in the county. She was surprised the town hadn’t been renamed Fords in honor of the ranching royalty. Many local girls had set their sights on the Fords boys for their ranch alone. Not Kellie, though, she set her sights on the unattainable, for him alone.

  “You call his brothers?”

  Kellie jerked her head to see Garr standing behind the bar, resting his knuckles against the counter. How did he do that? She hadn’t even heard him come in. At six feet, seven inches, Garr was a giant and the owner of Steers. He and his wife, Patty, had put their life savings into this little bar when it went up for sale ten years ago. People thought they were crazy, throwing their money away, but they proved everyone wrong.

  Patty had added food to the menu of drinks, installed a jukebox, and offered line dancing, pool, and darts. Steers went from a rundown, seedy bar to the place to be any day of the week. When she interviewed six years ago, Garr turned her down.

  “What you need to do is go to college, get the hell out of this shithole.”

  “If it’s such a shithole, then why are you still here?”

  He didn’t answer her but gave her a very intimidating stare. “Your mama had the right idea, Kellie.” Her mom had left Cloves County six years ago and moved to Oregon with her best friend. “Get out while you can, before you get stuck here. This town owes you nothing. Why the hell ya wanna spend your life in a town that looks down on you?”

  “It’s home.” Her answer seemed to stun him speechless. She had known Garr since she was little. Long before Patty came along, there was a history between him and her mom, though she never got the full story from either one of them. For a short while, there were rumors circulating Garr might even be her dad. He wasn’t, though she wished he were. Her father, Brice Kent, was a one-night stand who had signed away his parental rights mere hours after her birth. Her mother never spoke of him unless Kellie asked questions. She had stopped asking a long time ago.

  Fortunately, Patty took pity on her and talked him into giving her a job. Kellie started helping in the kitchen and setting up in the afternoons. A year later she was doing clean up at nights and bussing tables. The next year she started waitressing and had been doing it ever since.

  It wasn’t rocket science, but she did have to tolerate the snide remarks from the female locals at times, along with the grabby hands who thought her serving them drinks also included feeling her up. Garr had zero tolerance for that, and when it did happen, which was rare, it was usually an out-of-towner, who was shown the door rather roughly by Garr.

  “Well, did you?” Garr asked, growing impatient with her.

  She had reached out to his youngest brother an hour ago, but it went straight to voicemail.

  “I called Tripp but didn’t get an answer. Grey and Britt are in Laramie until Sunday, same as Nick.” She sighed. “And with Travis back on the circuit, it doesn’t leave anyone else.”

  “How ’bout Lucas?”

  Kellie snorted. “There’s no way I’m calling Lucas. Things may be better with him and the Fords, but I’m not sure they are at the point where he’d be doing any favors for them.” She had other reasons for not reaching out to Lucas. “Besides, he’s probably with Sarah. Getting a call from me, when he’s with his girl? I wouldn’t do that to him, Sarah would probably cut off his balls, wouldn’t even wipe the knife clean before coming after me.” She laughed at the thought.

  Sarah had always had a distaste for Kellie. The woman was paranoid, thinking she was after her boyfriend, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Kellie liked Lucas. He’d always been sweet to her, but she made a point of steering clear of him. Contrary to what most people thought, Kellie had no interest in a man who was taken. It didn’t stop Sarah from contributing to the rumors and labeling her the town tramp. Or slut, whore, skank, and the list goes on.

  Admittedly, Kellie was no angel. She had her fair share of sexual partners. Why shouldn’t I? She was a single woman who had a healthy appetite for sex. She enjoyed it, did it responsibly. The rumors were exaggerated plenty, but some did hold merit. She had started her sexual experience a lot earlier than most girls and for all the wrong reasons. It was the affection she craved. Oh, and she got it. It took her some time to realize sex and love didn’t go hand in hand. By that time, the damage to her reputation had been done. Even after her realization, it was too late, and there was no going back. It was irreparable. Sure, she had changed, but nobody wanted to hear it. It was so much juicier to believe she had slept with half the football team. There was no use denying it; the rumor was so much better than the truth. By her senior year in high school, almost half the boys in her class were claiming to have been with her. And everyone believed it.

  She had two choices. She could bow her head in shame at all the whispers of lies, or hold her head up and ignore them. She chose the latter. As her mom always said, “Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.”

  Kellie laughed again. “Definitely not calling Lucas.”

/>   “All right, then I’ll give Edward a call.” Garr grabbed the phone from the wall, but Kellie threw herself over the bar, grasping his arm.

  “You can’t call his dad. He’ll be furious, and raise hell on Jasper.”

  “Well, maybe that’s what the damn boy needs. This is the third night in a row he’s come in here, gotten shitfaced, drowning his sorrows in the bottle over a damn woman who left him years ago.”

  Garr was right. The ever-reserved, polite, and do-right middle son of the Fords family had completely come unhinged. Kellie had never seen him like this, and after watching him all these years, it said a lot.

  Maybe that’s what he needed. His dad coming down hard on him might set him straight. Sometimes, all someone needed was a swift kick in the ass. Kellie peered over at Jasper. He was in the same position as before, head hung low, staring into the almost empty whiskey glass. Maybe he needed a swift kick, but not tonight.

  “I’ll drive him home.”

  “What?” Garr snapped. “You don’t even have a car, Kellie.”

  She shrugged. “I’ll drive his truck. I’ll take him home, drive back, and park it in the lot.”

  Kellie only lived two blocks from the bar. Her small apartment was the second floor of a two-story house. The apartment was converted years ago. It was small and old, but the rent was cheap and being so close to the bar and the center of town, she had no need for a car. This was good because her car had died three months ago. She had the funds to get it fixed, but she was saving for something better.

  Garr frowned and shook his head. “No. There’s a storm warning. Hell, it’s already started. They’re calling for four feet. No way I’m risking you getting caught up in a blizzard. Not for him or anybody.”

  This was the side to Garr most people never saw. Behind his big, burly, grouchy exterior, the man had a big heart. He’d always looked out for her.

  “Look, I’ll drive him home, get him inside, and come right back. Thirty minutes tops. I’ll be in my bed before it even starts to really pick up.”