12-Alarm Cowboys (118 page)

T
he nurse had
told Skye she’d be free to go after she signed all the paperwork. That had been fifteen minutes ago.

She didn’t mean to complain. The medical staff was just doing their job, and on the upside, Jax was sitting beside her while she filled out the forms. But she was getting a bit antsy about Dane showing up and causing a scene. She loved her brother like crazy, but he could be a pain in the ass when it came to trying to tell her what to do all the time. And she was pretty much going to lose his mind when he realized what she’d done. That was why she hadn’t called to let him know she was back in Dallas.

Since Jax had left a message on her brother’s phone, she knew she was going to have to deal with Dane sooner or later. But after the night she had, she would take later rather than sooner.

Which was why she practically dragged Jax down the hallway to the hospital’s big automatic doors after she’d signed the last form. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough. Her brother was coming in as they were walking out, and he looked pissed.

“What the hell were you doing in a hotel on Jacobs Street, Skye?”

An inch or two shorter than Jax, her brother had the same stocky build he’d had when he played football in high school, but with even more muscle. Apparently, being a firefighter agreed with him. She only wished he was better at being an older brother. Ever since their parents had died, Dane had taken it upon himself to tell her how to run her life. But those days were over.

“I’m fine, Dane,” she said, ignoring his question. “Thank you for asking.”

No surprise that her brother hadn’t bothered to ask how she was. The way he probably saw it, if she was leaving the hospital, she must be okay. At least he had the good grace to look chagrined.

“I’m sorry.” He let out a sigh. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks to Jax, yes.”

Dane’s blue eyes darted to Jax, and something unspoken passed between them before her brother turned back to her.

“What are you doing in Dallas?” he demanded. “And why didn’t you call me when you got in?”

Skye didn’t want to get into this with Dane now, especially not here in front of Jax and anyone else who might be passing by. But her brother was going to keep badgering her until she answered his questions. And if the only way to get him to stop running her life was to have a knock-down-drag-out right here, then she was damn well going to do it.

“I quit my job in New York to move back here and start my own business,” she snapped. “And I didn’t call you because you’re a jerk.”

If Dane was insulted by the jab, he didn’t let it show. “What the hell do you mean, you quit? What kind of business could you can open up here in Dallas that’ll be better than the job you had in New York?”

She folded her arms. “That’s not your concern.”

She probably sounded like a five-year-old, but she didn’t care. Dane didn’t get a free pass to run her life because they had the same parents.

The muscle in Dane’s jaw flexed. “None of my concern? Dammit Skye, I didn’t waste all my money to send you to college so you could open a business that’s sure to fail.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Skye clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the way her nails dug into her palms. God, her brother could irritate the crap out of her. “And as for wasting your money, I already paid you back every penny you ever put into my college education. So you don’t get to hold that over my head anymore.”

Not waiting to see if Jax followed, or even having any idea where he was parked, she pushed past her brother and walked toward the lot. Jax was at her side in two long strides.

“Where the hell are you going?” Dane called.

She should have kept walking, but instead, she turned to face him. He was regarding her with a bewildered expression.

“It’s late and I’m tired,” she told him. “I’m going to bed.”

“My truck is the other way,” Dane said.

“I’m not going home with you,” she said. “I’m staying with Jax.”

If she thought her brother looked pissed before, that was nothing compared to the anger on his face now. “The hell you are.”

Muttering something under his breath, Dane started toward them. Skye stood her ground. For all his bluster, Dane would never put a hand on her. He loved her too much for that—even if he did have a funny way of showing it.

Jax, on the other hand, must not have been as sure. He stepped in front of her, blocking Dane’s path. Her brother stopped short.

“You need to calm the hell down and take a step back,” Jax ordered sharply. “Skye almost died tonight and she doesn’t need to deal with your crap right now. Especially not in front of all these people.”

Skye felt her face flame. She hadn’t even noticed the handful of people in the emergency room who were staring raptly out the window at them like they were watching a freaking episode of Jerry Springer. They might not be able to hear what she and Dane had been saying, but it wasn’t hard to figure what was going on between her and her brother. God, this was so embarrassing.

Dane must have been as surprised as she was because he didn’t even try to stop them as Jax put his hand on the small of her back, then gently turned her around and pointed her in the direction of a silver four-door pickup. He didn’t look back at Dane as he opened the passenger door to let her in, but Skye did. Her brother was standing there with a hard to read expression on his face. Underneath the obvious embarrassment, there was still a lot of anger.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Turning away, Skye climbed in the truck, then watched Jax walk around the front and get in beside her. Neither of them said anything as he put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. They’d gone about half a mile when Jax spoke.

“Do you need to stop and get anything from the store?” he asked, his voice soft in the darkness. “Not many places are open at this time of night, but I could probably find something if we drive around.”

She glanced at the clock on the dash board. It was after three o’clock in the morning already. She was way too tired to go shopping anyway.

“Any chance you have an extra toothbrush?” Hell, at this point she’d use her finger if that was all she could get. But thankfully, Jax nodded. “That’s good enough for tonight. I’ll get the other stuff I need tomorrow.”

They drove for another thirty minutes, turning down consecutively smaller and smaller roads until they’d left the big buildings and city lights of Dallas far behind. Skye was just about to ask how much farther they had to go when Jax turned into a neatly edged gravel driveway with white paddock fencing on either side. Even though she was tired, she couldn’t help sitting up straighter. She’d expected an apartment, or maybe even a townhouse, but it appeared that Jax lived on a real honest-to-goodness ranch.

She turned to look at him. She could just make out his profile in the soft lighting coming from the console. “You live here?”

She shouldn’t have been so surprised. Jax had been riding horses and working on ranches since he was kid, so it made sense he’d figured out a way to be around both.

“My grandparents left me the place a few years ago,” he said. “It’s not much, just a dozen horses and a couple hundred head of cattle. I have a few guys that help me run things when I’m at the station, so most of my money goes to paying them, covering the taxes, and keeping the place maintained. But it’s been in the family for generations, so I keep it going.”

When Jax stopped his truck in front of the two-story clapboard house with a big wraparound porch, Skye climbed out before he could come around to open the door. In addition to the house, there were two barns and a hay storage building. Even in the dappled moonlight, she could tell that the place was well maintained.

Since the house had been his grandparents, Skye expected the inside to look like something out of
Little House on the Prairie
, but she was surprised to see an open floor plan complete with an updated kitchen that boasted stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and recessed lighting. The living room was equally modern, complete with a stone fireplace, comfy looking sectional couch, and a big, flat-screen television. If it wasn’t for the cowboy, rodeo, and firefighter stuff tastefully sprinkled throughout, she’d think she was in a loft in New York City.

Jax dropped his keys on the table in the entryway just as a black Labrador mix came trotting out from the back of the house to greet him with a wagging tail. Skye smiled as Jax dropped down to a knee and affectionately scratched the dog behind the ears.

“This is Rodeo,” he said when he stood up. “Rodeo, meet Skye. She’s going to be staying with us.”

Rodeo walked over, tail wagging, eager to let her pet him. Skye gladly gave him what he wanted, laughing as he licked her hand.

Jax gave him a pat on the rump. “Okay, Skye’s had a long night. Let’s give her some space.”

Rodeo wagged his tail and obediently trotted into the living room and hopped on the couch. He was absolutely adorable.

“I know you’re exhausted, so I’ll show you the important stuff and save the nickel tour for later.” Jax led her down the main hallway and showed her to a bedroom down the hall from his. “There are three more bedrooms upstairs, but this is the only one I have set up for guests. Bathroom is across the hall. There are toothbrushes, soap, and towels in the linen closet beside the sink. I have some T-shirts in my dresser you can sleep in if you want.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Is it okay if I raid your fridge before I go to bed?”

She really wasn’t hungry. She was just so wrung out from the argument with Dane that she wasn’t sure she could sleep.

“I can make you something to eat while you shower if you want?” he suggested.

She opened her mouth to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but then closed it again. Something told her that Jax didn’t make offers on a whim. If he was offering, she’d take him up on it.

“Thanks,” she said “I won’t be long.”

He flashed her a smile. “Take your time. I’m going to shower off first anyway. And if one of my T-shirts doesn’t work, feel free to look in my closet.”

Skye slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. When Jax said there was soap in the linen closet, she’d figured he meant a bar of Ivory, but she was pleased to discover a bottle of body wash. They were the kind marketed specifically for men, but it was still better than a bar of soap. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo, then dumped her smelly clothes on the floor and climbed into the shower.

At first, she simply stood there under the warm spray, more interested in letting it wash away the tension than the dirt. After a few minutes, her shoulders and back relaxed, the water rinsing the stress right down the drain.

Finally feeling up to the task, she went to town with the body wash and shampoo, scrubbing away the smoky stench and black soot that seemed to be everywhere. She ended up washing her hair three times before she felt it was clean enough. As she rinsed out the shampoo, she thought again about how lucky she’d been that night. Not just surviving the fire—though she definitely counted herself blessed there. It was meeting up with Jax. He was probably the only person in the world who could get her strong-willed and determined brother to back off and give her some space. He was also one of the few people she knew who would offer his guest room to a woman he hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. There weren’t many guys like that in the world.

Deciding she was as clean as she was going to get, she shut off the water and climbed out of the shower. It was as she was drying off that she realized she probably should have grabbed some of Jax’s clothes before she showered. Because while Jax had nice soft bath towels, they were barely big enough to wrap all the way around her and have some left over for tucking in.

Well, it was a little late now, so she’d have to make do.

Hoping Jax wouldn’t mind if she used his brush, she ran it through her long hair, then readjusted the towel, snuggling it more rightly around her. Holding onto the end she’d tucked in with one hand, she opened the door with the other and poked out her head to make sure Jax was occupied in the kitchen. Then she made a bare-assed naked dash for his bedroom, deciding speed was more important than coverage. Her damp feet made a slapping sound on the hardwood floor, and she prayed she wouldn’t slip and bust her butt as she raced for the carpeted room. That was all she needed, to have Jax come running to see what all the noise was about and find her sprawled out naked in his hallway.

But she survived the race to his bedroom, slowing enough to make it inside without falling. She leaned back against the door and looked around the bedroom. There were a lot of dark wood tones to go with the masculine decor, and with the thick drapes meant to block out the light coming through the windows, no one would ever mistake this bedroom for anything than what it was—a man’s retreat. But even with all the testosterone-influenced décor, the bedroom still felt cozy. His sleigh bed in particular looked seriously comfortable.

Then again, maybe she was just imagining how comfortable the bed would be if she was in it with Jax.

The thought made her face heat. Jax was a friend, nothing more. No matter how much she was still crushing on him.

She pushed away from the door and wandered over to the chest of drawers against one wall. Jax said she could poke around as much as she wanted so she took him at his word, digging through the dresser until she found those long T-shirts he’d mentioned. She dropped the towel and pulled one on, reveling in how soft it felt against her skin. It smelled good, too—like Jax. But while the T-shirt would definitely work as a sleepshirt, she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to run around in front of Jax out in the kitchen. It easily reached to mid-thigh, but floated up every time she lifted her arms or spun around. And if she bent over for something, Jax would definitely be getting one heck of a show.

Was that why Jax had suggested she wear it, so he could get a show?

Nah. He wasn’t like that. Besides, he still saw her as Dane’s little sister.

Skye kept the T-shirt on as she wandered into the walk-in closet in case she couldn’t find anything better to wear. The closet was perfectly straight and organized, the racks and cubbies full of work and dress uniforms, suits, slacks, jeans, button-downs, dress shirts, and all the shoes and boots a man might want.