The Cowboy’s Targeted Bride

by Carla Cassidy

  She continued to be cool and distant through the rest of the meal. He small-talked with Caleb as they all cleared the dishes. “Why don’t we do something different tonight and spend a little family time together,” he suggested before Caleb could disappear to his room.

  It bothered him each night when the boy would isolate himself in his room to play video games and there was no real together time with the three of them. They couldn’t really bond together as a family if they never spent any quality time together.

  “What do you want to do?” Caleb asked curiously.

  “Do you have any games we could play in the living room?” Jerod asked.

  “I’m sorry, but I have a headache and don’t feel like doing anything other than going to lie down,” Lily said.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Jerod asked in concern. Was that what was wrong with her? A headache?

  “No, I just need some quiet time.” She walked out of the kitchen and disappeared down the hallway.

  “Does your mother get headaches a lot?” Jerod asked Caleb once she was gone.

  “I don’t think so, but I’m usually in my room for most of the time after school. So...do you still want to do something?” Caleb asked tentatively.

  “Sure. Do you know any card games?”

  Caleb grinned. “I know how to play poker.”

  “Whoa, where did you learn that?”

  “Krista taught me and Henry, and sometimes when I’m spending time with them, we all play poker together,” Caleb replied. “Krista told me I’m good at it.”

  Jerod grinned at the boy. “We’ll see how good you are. Let me grab some matchsticks and a deck of cards and let’s go play some poker,” Jerod said. Even though he wasn’t sure that playing poker was the best thing to do with a young boy, he was just glad that Caleb was willing to engage with him at all.

  He opened the cabinet where he’d seen a deck of cards and a package of long matchsticks he assumed Lily used to start the barbecue grill on the back porch.

  Together he and Caleb went into the living room. Jerod sat on the sofa, and Caleb sank down on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Jerod moved the artificial flower arrangement from the center of the coffee table, and then he dealt the first hand.

  As they played the first couple of hands, Caleb crowed with success as his cards turned out better than Jerod’s and he gathered his winning matchsticks into a pile.

  Jerod found himself torn between the fun with Caleb and his concern for Lily. But at the moment there was nothing he could do for Lily, and so he gave himself to spending this time with Caleb.

  For the first time since the wedding, Caleb was really talking to him as they played. He mentioned how much he wanted to fish the pond on the property and that he wanted a horse of his own so he could learn how to ride. He also confessed that he was a little bit scared of the dark and that he loved to dip potato chips into chocolate ice cream.

  Jerod listened more than he talked, and when eight o’clock rolled around, he told Caleb they’d play one more game and then it was probably time for Caleb to get in the shower.

  “You know, I could see about us getting you a horse and I could teach you how to ride, or I’d be glad to take you fishing if you want me to,” Jerod said.

  Caleb stared at him for a long moment, his blue eyes losing the laughter and instead becoming dark and troubled. It was as if he flipped a switch in his head. He tossed down his cards and got up. “I’ll go take my shower now.”

  As he raced from the room, Jerod tried to figure out what he’d said wrong, but he couldn’t think of anything. All he’d done was offer to do things with Caleb that he had indicated he wanted to do.

  There must be something in the air, Jerod thought as he put the matchsticks and the cards away. First Lily and now Caleb. He walked down the hallway and was just about to reach the bedroom door when Lily opened it. “Lily, are you feeling better?”

  “Not really.” She stepped past him. “I just came out to tuck Caleb into bed.”

  “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” For the first time he realized her eyes were slightly swollen and red-rimmed. Was her headache pain so bad it had her crying? “Do you get these headaches often?”

  “No, only under certain circumstances,” she replied. Once again her tone was curt as she headed down the hallway and directly to Caleb’s room.

  Jerod went back to the living room to lock the front door and turn out all the lights. He didn’t know how to help his wife, and he didn’t know how to help Caleb. The one thing he did know was that first thing in the morning, he intended to drive into town and get a night-light for Caleb’s room.

  No child who was afraid of the dark should have to be in his room at night without a little light to soothe his fear. Maybe Caleb had never told his mother about his fear, but Jerod knew now and intended to do something about it.

  He went into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Each night when he got into bed with Lily, he was tantalized by the soft lilac scent that emanated from her. He found himself wondering more and more what it would be like to kiss her fully and deeply. He fantasized about how her naked body would feel against his own.

  But he’d vowed to be patient where the physical side of their relationship was concerned. Over the past week he’d believed they had been working on deepening their trust, their friendship with each other. And hopefully, eventually, that would open up their physical relationship.

  He sank down on the edge of the bed to await Lily’s return to the room. He wanted to share with her what Caleb had told him, but more importantly, he wanted to know if there was anything he could do for her.

  She came into the bedroom, and he patted the bed next to him. “Lily, can you sit down and talk to me for a minute?”

  “No, I can’t. I’m going to change into my nightgown, and then I’m going to sleep,” she replied. Her tone was once again sharp, and she made no eye contact with him before she went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

  Jerod frowned. He had the distinct feeling that Lily was angry with him, but he didn’t know why. All he could do was try to talk to her when she got out of the bathroom. If she was angry with him for some reason, he needed to know why so he could fix it.

  When she came back in the room, once again she didn’t look at him. She got into bed and faced away from him. “Is your headache any better?” he asked softly.

  “It’s fine.”

  “Lily, if your pain is really bad, maybe you should call your doctor.”

  “I said it was fine.”

  He hesitated a moment, staring at her back. “Caleb and I played cards this evening, and I really enjoyed spending time with him,” he said. “He’s such a bright kid.”

  She didn’t reply.

  “Lily, it’s obvious that something is wrong and you’re upset with me. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  She turned over and sat up, and when her gaze met his, her eyes burned with an anger that was palpable. “I’ll tell you what is going on.” Tears began to fill her eyes. “I want a divorce.”

  Chapter 6

  Jerod looked at her in stunned surprise. “A...a divorce?” He stuttered over the words.

  She nodded, new tears blurring her vision as her heart squeezed so tight in her chest she could scarcely breathe. She had spent all evening playing and replaying the note and the boxers in her head.

  She’d been such a fool to trust any man again. She’d come into this marriage with good intentions to make it work, but he apparently hadn’t had those same good intentions. He was just another liar and cheater like Cody had been. The only difference was Cody hadn’t married her.

  “Lily, what are you saying? What’s happened that you want to divorce me?” He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  “You should know.” She
swiped angrily at the tears. “What did you do this afternoon while I was at work?”

  He was such a good actor, she thought, as he appeared completely bewildered. “I worked in the barn to get things more organized.”

  “And then maybe you sneaked away for a little afternoon delight?” How could he be so brazen not to just admit what was going on?

  “Afternoon delight?” He continued to stare at her. “Lily, what in the hell are you talking about?”

  She threw the sheet off her and got out of the bed. “I’ll not only tell you what I’m talking about...I’ll show you.” She walked over to her dresser and pulled out the brown mailing envelope. She threw it at his head. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  He ducked and the package sailed over his head. He picked it up with one eye on her, as if unsure what else to expect from her. He pulled the boxers out, a frown cutting deep across his forehead. “What is this?”

  “It was in the mailbox today. Don’t play stupid with me, Jerod,” she replied angrily. “Oh, and don’t forget to read the lovely note that came with the boxers.”

  He pulled out the note and read it and then threw it onto the bed. “This is a bunch of bull. Lily, somebody is trying to make trouble between us. I wasn’t with any woman this afternoon. You can ask Rod. Call and ask him. He was with me all afternoon. I wouldn’t do something like that. I would never do anything like that.” His deep, ragged voice sounded like the truth.

  She stared at him. For the first time, a small edge of doubt crept into her head. Was it possible he really was telling the truth? Was it possible the same person who had left the mutilated bride doll had done this to create an issue between them?

  “Lily, I’m an honorable man, and I would never, ever cheat on you. I take my vows very seriously. You’re my wife, and I would never do something like this to dishonor you.” He stood and took her by the hand. She allowed him to lead her back to the bed, where they both sat down.

  “Lily, I swear to you, those aren’t my boxers, and there is no woman. You should have come to me the minute you saw what was in this package,” he said softly.

  She buried her face in her hands as tears nearly overwhelmed her. “I... I was t-too mortified,” she finally managed to choke out. Now she was mortified because she knew she should have immediately spoken to him, maybe should have given him the benefit of the doubt.

  However, she believed him now. Rod would never be a willing accomplice to Jerod’s lies. If Jerod said he’d been working all afternoon with Rod, then it was easy enough for her to check.

  “You should have trusted in me, Lily.” He took her hands and gently pulled them down from her face. He used his thumbs to swipe away her tears, his dark eyes looking tortured.

  She looked down at her lap, unable to meet his gaze with so many emotions rushing through her. “Yes, I probably should have, but there hasn’t been enough time to build that kind of trust between us.”

  “What I’d like to know is who would do such a malicious thing? Who would go to such great lengths to manufacture such a lie about me to make you believe I betrayed you like this?” There was an edge of anger in his voice, an anger she now identified with.

  “You said you were dating Donna Maddox for a little while. I don’t know her very well—is she the kind of woman who would do something like this?” she asked.

  “I can’t imagine her doing something like this...and for what? I haven’t dated her in months and months. She would know that breaking us up isn’t going to make me date her again. What about Brad?”

  A deep sigh escaped her. “I thought Brad and I had turned a corner today.” She told him about her conversation with him at lunch that day. “Maybe he was being nice because he knew this was going to ruin things for me.”

  “Surely he knows that if he destroys our marriage you still wouldn’t be interested in getting together with him,” Jerod replied.

  “I don’t know what he thinks. I just can’t wrap my head around somebody who would do something like this. It’s just so...so wicked.”

  “It’s obvious somebody out there doesn’t want us to be together. Whoever it is, they’re playing dirty. What we need to do is stand united. I want you to come to me if anything like this happens again, and I’ll come to you immediately if somebody tries to malign your character. Deal?”

  “Deal,” she replied.

  “Do you want me to call Dillon?”

  “No.” The idea of anyone else knowing about this totally appalled her. “I’m sure the person who put that in the mailbox didn’t leave any fingerprints or anything else that might help identify them. There’s really nothing Dillon can do, and I would prefer that nobody know about this.”

  His dark gaze held hers intently. “Lily, I will never, ever cheat on you. I will never steal from you or do anything to dishonor you. I swear to you, I’m just not that kind of man.”

  In the very depths of her heart, she believed him. She should have shown him what was in the package the minute she received it. But trust had only just begun to build with her, and it had been far easier to doubt him.

  “I’m sorry, Jerod. I’m sorry I doubted you,” she said. “I just saw what was in the package, and I felt so betrayed...so angry that I couldn’t even think straight.”

  “It’s okay, I just don’t want you to ever doubt me again in the future. I’m on your side always.” He reached up and swiped an errant strand of hair off the side of her face.

  His touch was so tender, and as he leaned closer to her, her heart suddenly hitched in her chest. And then his lips were on hers in a sweet kiss that quickened her heartbeat and made all the tension in her body melt away.

  Just when she thought he’d pull back and end the kiss, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Immediately his tongue tentatively sought entry, and she allowed it, opening her mouth to him.

  Suddenly the kiss wasn’t just about a simple connection. It was about desire. He kissed her like he meant it, like he wanted it, and the taste of that desire on his lips thrilled her.

  The kiss continued for several wonderful minutes, and then he finally drew back from her and she dropped her arms from around his neck. “Why don’t we call it a night,” he said.

  She nodded, her emotions all over the place. On the one hand, she was disappointed that the kiss hadn’t been followed up by more intimacy, but on the other hand, she understood him not wanting to go there, considering how she’d come at him earlier. Besides, when they did eventually make love, she wanted it to be without her emotional baggage weighing her down.

  She was completely exhausted from her anger, her heartache and all the tears she had shed. By the time they both got into the bed, she was ready to go to sleep.

  She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the fact that somebody in or around town wanted to destroy the happiness she and Jerod were trying to build together.

  Who had been behind the doll? And who had left the boxers and the note in the mailbox? And more importantly, what might happen next?

  The rest of the week passed without anything else happening to ruin their growing relationship. Once again there had been no more intimacy between them, but Lily felt herself growing closer to Jerod with each day that passed.

  They had begun to spend their evenings together as a family, and Caleb was spending far less time isolated in his room. It felt good to play games and laugh together like a real family. Twice in the evenings, Jerod had taken Caleb to the community center, and when they got home, the three of them sat at the table and ate ice cream.

  Caleb was definitely warming up to Jerod, and that touched her heart. Jerod had not only bought her son a night-light for his room, but this morning they were surprising Caleb with a horse of his own. The horse was already in one of the stalls in the barn.

  The day began as most Saturdays did for her. She fried bacon and made pa
ncakes for all of them. “Are you really coming to the science fair on Thursday night?” Caleb asked Jerod once they were seated at the table.

  “I’m really coming,” Jerod replied. “I can’t wait to see your project. Do you want to give me any hints about it?”

  Caleb frowned thoughtfully. “It’s earth-shattering,” he replied and then giggled.

  Lily hugged the sound of her son’s giggles deep inside her heart. She gave Jerod the credit for bringing her son’s laughter back to her. Caleb hadn’t had a single temper fit in the past week. He hadn’t once complained about missing his evening video-game time.

  “Hmm, earth-shattering,” Jerod mused. “Are you setting off dynamite?”

  “No,” Caleb said with another laugh. “That would be dangerous.”

  “Totally,” Jerod replied. “So, have you invented a new flavor of tortilla chip? That would be earth-shattering for some people.”

  “You’re being goofy,” Caleb said to Jerod.

  Jerod grinned. “Yes, I am. I can sometimes be a goofy guy. Now we need to finish up breakfast, because your mother and I have a big surprise for you.”

  “What kind of a surprise?” Caleb sat up straighter in his chair and looked at Lily and then back at Jerod.

  “It’s earth-shattering,” Jerod said, and Lily laughed along with her son.

  “Then let’s all eat fast so I can see my surprise,” Caleb said.

  When they’d finished eating and had cleared up the dishes, they all three walked out of the house. “Wait here,” Jerod said to Caleb before they got to the barn.

  “What is it, Mom?” Caleb asked as he stared after Jerod.

  “Just wait and see,” Lily replied. She should have done this a long time ago. She would have already taught Caleb how to ride, but none of the horses she owned were appropriate for a new, young rider, and she hadn’t had the extra money to go out and buy one.

  Thankfully Jerod had found the horse he thought perfect, and he’d paid for it. She couldn’t wait to see Caleb’s reaction now. She just knew he was going to be absolutely thrilled.