Betting on Texas (16 page)

“Who?” Jesse’s heart pounded in his chest. “Who, dammit!”

“Your father,” Miranda said.

The walls around him began to spin out of control. Aaron rushed
to his side and led him to a bench. All oxygen escaped his body as he gasped for
air.

He looked to Miranda for answers. She knelt down before him and
placed her hands on his knees.
This isn’t happening.
It had to be a dream.
A nightmare!
He’d wake up soon
and it would all be over.

“He died in his sleep, last night,” Miranda said softly. “I’m
so sorry.”

Cole appeared at the stable entrance, his eyes swollen and red.
No! It isn’t true! It can’t be true!

“Please, tell me this is some sort of a sick joke,” he cried.
“Please, Cole!”

Cole pulled his brother into his arms, motioning everyone to
leave them alone. They held each other as they wept for the man who raised
them.

“I never got to end the feud, Cole.” Jesse sobbed. “Pop died
hating me.”

“He didn’t hate you, Jess. He may not have liked some of your
choices, but he didn’t hate you. The only reason he wanted you at Bridle Dance
was because he loved you so much. He wanted to share his dream with you. With
all of us.”

“Mom?” Jesse asked. “How’s Mom doing?”

“Not good.” Cole was straight to the point. “Shane took off
when he heard the news and no one’s heard from him since. Chase is doing his
best to keep it together for her sake. You need to be out there with the family.
Aaron can take care of this place. We need you home.”

* * *

“T
HAT
WAS
ONE
OF
THE
HARDEST
THINGS
I ever had to do, outside of
burying my mother.”

“Joe was a fine man and a hard worker,” Mable said. “Never saw
that man lying down. He worked Bridle Dance ever since he was knee-high to a
grasshopper. Grew up on that ranch, just like his boys.”

“Jesse’s going to need you now,” Aaron said to Miranda. “Forget
the other night and be there for him. He needs you.”

Mable agreed but Miranda protested.

“I think I’d just aggravate him at this point. I seem to have
that effect on him.”

Miranda looked out the kitchen window toward the stables. She
knew how Jesse felt. The loss of a parent, no matter how old, was never easy.
Even harder when they never had the chance to make peace.

“They’re gone,” Miranda said as she watched Jesse and Cole
drive away.

“Hand me one of those casserole dishes on top of the fridge,
child,” Mable said as she removed a bubbling dish from the oven. “The three of
us will head over later. Those boys have some grieving to do.”

“Mable, mind if I borrow Miranda for a bit?” Aaron asked.
“Jesse won’t be back for a while, if ever. We have our hands full.”

The days of relying on Jesse were over. It was time for the
baby bird to leave the nest and spread her wings. Aaron couldn’t have spoken
truer words. They did have their hands full and it was up to her to keep the
ranch afloat. Her finances had dwindled rapidly with the addition of Mable and
Aaron. Now their fate was in her hands.

Half of the money coming into the ranch for the cutting horses
went to Jesse. Miranda thought the arrangement the Carters worked out years ago
was fair. But right now his family came first and she couldn’t rely on Jesse to
be around. The ranch had no other income.

While they all tossed around ideas for the ranch, Aaron suggest
they start boarding horses. They wouldn’t be rolling in money but it was a quick
solution. It was her turn to take the reins and this was her first official
business decision.

Miranda knew the guilt Jesse carried right now. Knowing how
much it meant to his father to have him at the family ranch and the pain he’d
felt when Jesse had turned him down. It was enough to drive a wedge between
father and son. Now Jesse had to live with his decisions.

Beau and Brandon stopped by and offered to help with the ranch
for however long she needed them. Kiley and Bridgett helped Mable in the
kitchen. By day’s end, they loaded their vehicles with food and headed for the
Langtrys’ to pay their respects.

Miranda’s mouth fell open at the sight of the sprawling Bridle
Dance ranch. Exquisite, it put Double Trouble’s white clapboard farmhouse to
shame. Magnificent pecan trees lined either side of the road as far as the eye
could see. White rail fences surrounded the property and each corral. An
enormous three-story log home stood at the end of the road. Incredible was the
understatement of the year. She didn’t know Jesse came from a wealthy family.
Why anyone would ever want to leave this place was beyond her, but she admired
him for wanting to make it on his own.

“Close your mouth, child,” Mable said. “You’re about to start
catching flies.”

Miranda snapped her mouth shut but continued to survey the
place with wide eyes as they drove around to the rear of the house.

“Quite a place isn’t it?” Aaron asked.

“I’ll say.” Miranda peered around Mable to see a bull in one
corral. Barrels were lined up in another.

“Cole, Shane and Chase are all rodeo champions,” Aaron said.
“They still actively compete, but Shane has a great reputation as a
teacher.”

Mable led them through the back door. Mrs. Langtry greeted her
old friend with a hug as she started to cry.

“Mable, I am so glad you’re here.”

After she paid her respects to Jesse’s mother, Miranda wandered
through the house in search of Jesse. Light shone at the end of a long hallway
near the kitchen. A lifetime of photos lined the richly paneled walls. Ornate
bookcases and filing cabinets decorated the room Miranda assumed was Joe’s
office.

Jesse sat behind his father’s grand walnut desk with a brandy
snifter in hand. He swirled the amber liquid around the glass, then took a sip.
A large bruise had formed along his jawline. Miranda was afraid to ask where it
came from.

“How are you holding up?” Miranda kicked herself for such a
stupid question. He just lost his father. She knew how he was holding up. He
wasn’t.

“How am I?” He motioned for her to have a seat over on the
leather couch as he stood. “Let’s see. When I got here, Chase almost threw me
off the porch. Shane was nowhere to be found and when he did surface he clocked
me one, right in the jaw for always letting my father down.”

He joined Miranda on the couch and continued.

“After a few rounds with them and my uncle threatening to shoot
us all, Shane calmed down some. Not much, though. Chase on the other hand
verbally attacked me when his fists lost their punch.”

“Jesse, I’m so sorry.”

“I know you are, sugar.” He rested his head on her shoulder. “I
wasted so much time not wanting to be here and a part of the family that I lost
sight of who I really am.”

“You’re who you’ve always been. A strong, independent man with
plans for his own family. No one can fault you for your dreams, Jesse.”

“At Cole’s insistence, my brothers offered me a stake in the
ranch again.” Jesse took another sip of brandy.

“What did you decide?”

“I haven’t given them my answer yet.” Jesse laughed. “Heck, our
bet’s almost up anyway. You’re not going anywhere and I’m going to need
somewhere to live. As much as I hate to admit it, you did good, sugar. Real
good. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“What about Abilene?” Miranda asked, pushing aside his
compliment.

“I told them no yesterday. I felt bad about it, too. I meant to
call them sooner and plumb forgot.”

Miranda swallowed the acid taste in her mouth. She ignored him
for the past few days because she thought he’d used her. He had no intentions of
leaving town.

“Why did you run out on me, Miranda?”

“Because I thought you were using me and after only one thing,”
she whispered.

“I asked you to start a family with me. How could you think I
was using you?”

Because her defenses were up. Because she was stubborn and
jumped to conclusions all her life. Because she never learned to let someone
love her. Because he wanted the ranch. Now didn’t seem like the time to remind
him of that.

Either way, she knew the time they spent together had ended.
Even Aaron made it clear to her. Jesse’s family needed him. They offered him a
chance to come home. It was the best place for him. He could mend fences with
his brothers and they could heal as a family.

She would miss his company and the times they’d shared, but it
wasn’t as if he was on the other side of the country. Just the other side of
town. There would be plenty of chances to see each other. Only not on a daily
basis. At least she hoped there would be chances.

The man before her taught her more in one month than she’d
learned in a lifetime. He made her feel needed, as if she made a difference to
the ranch and the town. She would always be thankful for him no matter how
miserable he was to her in the beginning.

“Miranda?”

“Hmm?”

“You didn’t answer me. Why did you think I was using you?”

“We’ll talk about it some other time.” Miranda didn’t think now
was the time to have this conversation.

“I need to know. Please tell me.”

“I thought all you wanted was the ranch. You asked me to end
the bet. I felt used,” Miranda admitted. “And after the ranch in Abilene called
for you the morning after...the morning after the Fourth of July, what was I
supposed to think?”

“How did you know they called?”

“I was there when Mable answered the phone.”

“Mable left that part out when she gave me the message.” Jesse
shook his head.

“I asked her not to tell you,” Miranda said. “I didn’t want you
to know I knew your plans.”

“But they weren’t my plans.” Jesse drew her closer to him on
the couch. “My plans were to start a family with you. The family we both
want.”

“I’m sorry about your father, Jesse.” Miranda stood. “I know
you came in here to be alone. So I’ll be on my way.”

“Miranda, wait.” Jesse reached out to stop her. “Please don’t
leave yet. I could really use your strength right now.”

Chapter Twelve

Mable stayed at Bridle Dance to help Kay Langtry and
the rest of the family. Aaron drove Miranda home. Later, he offered to spend the
night on the ranch but she turned him down.

“Thank you, but I can manage,” she said. “Go on home. I can
handle things here.”

“Tell you what. You go on inside and let me finish up out here.
We’ll talk about it in a few. You don’t look so good.”

“Oh, gee, thanks.” The truth of the matter was her head started
to pound a few hours ago. “I’m just drained.”

In the house, Miranda made herself a glass of chocolate milk
and sat on the couch while the puppies wrestled each other in the center of the
living room. She attempted to go over her finances but found her thoughts
drifting to Jesse. She considered driving back out to the ranch, but the hour
was late. They would probably be asleep.

A hot bath and a few lit candles did nothing to relax her.
Miranda’s headache worsened and the candles made her sneeze.

“This is crazy!” Miranda threw on a pair of jeans and a
T-shirt. On her way out, she stopped by the stables to tell Aaron where she
would be. He said he’d stay and take care of things.

Miranda entered Bridle Dance, relieved to see lights on in most
of the house. The cars that filled the grounds earlier were gone. Jesse appeared
uncomfortable with so many people in the house offering their condolences. She
hoped he was beginning to find some peace.

Miranda hesitated at the door.
Maybe this
isn’t a good idea.
She didn’t know the Langtry family and didn’t want
to intrude.

Mable opened the door before she had a chance to decide. “I
heard you pull in, child,” she said as she led Miranda into the kitchen.

“How thoughtful of you to come back,” Kay said. She gave
Miranda an affectionate hug. “Jesse is in his father’s office. He hasn’t come
out all evening.”

Down the hallway, Miranda raised her hand to knock, and then
decided to try the knob instead. The heavy door opened easily. Jesse still sat
at his father’s desk. He thumbed his way through a photo album. A stack about a
foot high of other albums sat next to him on the desk.

He didn’t look up as she entered the room.

“I had forgotten so many of the times we spent together.” He
turned the page. “We were more of a family than I remembered. Look at this one
here.”

Miranda pulled a chair over to sit beside him. He pointed to a
photograph of all four boys and his father standing in front of a lake, all
holding fishing poles.

“This was the coldest fishing trip I can remember.” Jesse ran
his fingers over the image of his father. “Pop insisted we go anyway. Even
though the weather forecast said rain for the week. We pitched tents when we got
there but they collapsed during the night in all the rain and mud. We were a
mess. And Mom was none too pleased when we piled into her brand-new station
wagon to stay dry.”

The corners of his mouth lifted upward.

“The next morning we went to the campground office and rented a
cabin for the remainder of the week. The fire barely kept us warm, but we had
fun. We fished all day, even in the rain. We’d come back soaked to the bone, but
loaded down with a mess of fish to fry for supper. It was the worst and the best
trip we all had together.”

Their eyes met. He needed her comfort and she would rather be
by his side than any other place on earth. Miranda took his rough, calloused
hands in hers and held them to her chest. He kissed her, his lips barely grazing
hers.

“I want to show you something,” he said.

Jesse led her to the stables. He fumbled for the light switch
as he opened a door. Gold and silver shimmered among the blue ribbons covering
the walls. Enlarged photographs of each of the boys framed the room.

“This was Pop’s trophy room.” Jesse let go of Miranda’s hand as
he read off the events on some of the trophies. “He brought everyone here so he
could show them what his sons had accomplished. Every award we ever won is in
here.”

“There are so many of them.” Miranda walked the perimeter of
the room. “Is this you?”

Jesse laughed. “That was my first rodeo.”

“Rodeo? Mable told me you didn’t—”

“I didn’t stick with it like my brothers did. They all went on
to the big time while I was more interested in training and breed
management.”

Miranda nodded as she looked around. It was obvious how proud
Joe Langtry had been of his boys. Jesse included.

“Everything had to be a family event. From the rodeo to running
this place.”

Miranda placed a hand on Jesse’s shoulder.

“My brothers honored his wishes. I was too damn stubborn to be
a part of it. I rejected my own family because I didn’t want to be a part of
someone else’s legacy.”

“Jesse, it’s okay. I’m sure your father understood.”

“All he wanted was for me to come home. To train and breed
cutting horses here, on family land, instead of somewhere else. He never asked
me to stop doing what I loved most. He asked me to do it with him. I said no. I
always said no.”

Jesse left the room and sat on the bench in the corridor.
Miranda closed the door and sat beside him.

“I told him he was the stubborn one. Always had to have things
his way. I’m exactly like him, you know. Stubborn as the day is long. Look at me
now. Not only did I lose my own legacy, I lost my father, as well.”

“He forgives you, Jesse.” Miranda draped her arm around his
shoulder. “You must know he forgives you.”

“I need you tonight.” He kissed her. “I need you.”

* * *

M
IRANDA
SPENT
HER
DAYS
at Double Trouble and her evenings at Bridle
Dance, usually arriving home around midnight. She was exhausted but determined
to be there for Jesse.

The morning of the funeral, the brothers called a temporary
truce, for their mother’s sake. Miranda hoped it would lead to a permanent one.
Jesse had decided to stay on at Bridle Dance, at least for the time being.

Jesse asked Miranda to stand by his side during the service. He
needed someone to lean on and she agreed to be there for him. He opened up to
her about his regrets over the years and how he only wanted to make his family
proud by succeeding on his own. He thought success meant property. It wasn’t
until his father’s death that he realized success meant being proud of who you
are and where you come from. He never made the time to start meaningful
relationships with anyone. His focus was always on Double Trouble.

The amount of people who attended the funeral service amazed
Miranda. The entire town of Ramblewood didn’t have this many people. The Magpie
closed its doors that morning, as did every business in town. If Jesse ever
questioned his support system, all he had to do was look around.

Is that Jonathan?
Miranda tried to
get a better view through the sea of people around her. The man disappeared.
I must be seeing things.
Jonathan would never
have a reason to show his face around here. She couldn’t even get him on the
telephone. Unless you counted a convenient static-filled call. Either way,
whoever the man was, he looked an awful lot like him.

Miranda continued to watch for the mystery man while she stood
in line next to Jesse. One by one, everyone offered their condolences. At the
beginning of the line, Kay embraced and thanked each person for coming.

“Jon, this is a surprise!” Kay squealed in delight. “How sweet
of you to come all this way. Joe told me he saw you a few months ago. Big-time
lawyer now I hear.”

Miranda turned to see the man Kay was talking to. Her breath
caught in her throat when Jonathan gave Jesse’s mother a hug. As he moved down
the line, each brother gave him a warm friendly embrace, as well. They all
promised to sit down and reminisce later tonight.

Reminisce? Reminisce about
what?

When Jonathan stood before Jesse, Miranda gave him a
questioning look.

“Jon, my man.” Jesse shook hands and hugged his apparent old
friend. “How long has it been? Fifteen years or so?”

Jon? When had he become Jon?

“It’s been a long time.” Jonathan avoided eye contact with
Miranda. “I’m sorry about your father. He was one of the good people.”

“Yes, he was.” Jesse nodded. “So where are you living now?”

“Washington, D.C. I’m working for a law firm up there. Hoping
to open my own practice one day.”

“You’ll have to excuse my rudeness.” Jesse wrapped an arm
around Miranda’s waist. “This here is Miranda Archer. She’s from D.C., too.
Wouldn’t it be funny if you two knew each other?”

Jonathan met her eyes and shook his head slightly, warning her
not to let on their involvement. Confused, Miranda complied. While her friend
had a lot of explaining to do, the reception line at a funeral was not the
place.

“Yes, wouldn’t it be funny if we knew each other?” Jonathan
shook her hand. “You have a beautiful woman here, Jess, a very beautiful
woman.”

Go ahead and lay it on thick. You can’t
dig your way out of this one, o’ pal of mine.

“Easy there, friend,” Jesse teased. “She’s spoken for.”

Miranda didn’t say a word for fear of what might come out of
her mouth before she could stop it. She still couldn’t make the connection.
Jonathan told her he was from San Antonio. Why the secrecy?

She also knew Jonathan had paid a visit to Texas, a few months
ago, which was how he knew Double Trouble was up for sale. But he gave the
impression he was driving through and saw a For Sale sign. Not once did he
mention he personally knew anyone involved.

It made sense now why he wouldn’t return her phone calls. He
didn’t want her to know he knew Jesse and his family. But why? What was he
hiding?

After the funeral, Miranda tried to corner Jonathan for some
answers. Only he was having no part of it. He mingled with everyone, caught up
on old times. Who would have thought he was a master evader? Or that he had any
old times to catch up on in Ramblewood?

Jonathan had one eye on her the entire time, counteracting each
move she made. By evening, Miranda was beyond frustrated.

Outside, Vicki sat in an old rocking chair, holding her
daughter. She beamed with delight when little pudgy hands reached for her
face.

“I really need to start carrying my camera with me.” Miranda
joined her friend. “She looks more and more like you every day.”

“Thank you. How is Jesse managing through all this?”

“He’s hanging in there.” Miranda watched him through the
kitchen window, talking to Cole. “He’s in the ‘if I only had done more’
stage.”

“It was such a shock,” Vicki said. “I can only imagine how he
must feel.”

Speaking of shock.

“Vicki, what do you know about Jon Reese?” Miranda hoped her
friend wouldn’t ask too many questions regarding her inquiry.

“Jon.” Vicki closed her eyes and smiled. “He was my first kiss.
I was nine. He was a much older man at twelve. He kissed me right in front of
the movie theater.”

Not only did Vicki know the man, she’d kissed him, too? This
was all too much.

“What do you really know about him? Why did he leave town?”

“What’s with the interest in Jon?” Vicki stopped rocking. “Your
hands are full with Jesse.”

Miranda had no other choice but to let her friend in on the
situation. Vicki’s eyes grew wide as she listened to Miranda recount the past
three months. Including the part about the lottery. After Vicki swore not to
tell another living soul, Miranda told her Jon was her best friend in D.C. Only,
she knew him as Jonathan.

“Honey, all I can tell you is Jon wanted out of this town in
the worst way,” Vicki said. “When he was accepted to Harvard, it was his ticket
out of here. None of us ever heard from him again. His parents moved to San
Antonio after he graduated. So if he returned home to visit, we never saw
him.”

So that was it? Just a case of another small town boy wanting
to make it in the big city. Miranda still thought there was much more to it.
While Jonathan hadn’t talked much about his childhood, he hadn’t avoided it,
either. He was close to his parents. What was missing?

Inside, Miranda was determined to find out the truth. After
searching the house, she realized Jonathan saw his opportunity and ducked out
the front door while she was with Vicki. Knowing she wouldn’t get any more
answers tonight, Miranda spent a few more hours with Jesse and then headed
home.

The lights in the bunkhouse were out. Miranda figured either
Aaron was asleep or he was entertaining Kiley. Either way, she was glad he
offered to stay at the ranch for a while. Especially since Mable was staying
with Kay. She offered him full use of the house, but he said he felt more
comfortable out back.

Miranda picked up the phone and punched in Jonathan’s cell
phone number. It didn’t even ring. Just went straight to voice mail. She hung up
without leaving a message. What was the point? It was obvious he had something
to hide and he wasn’t sharing it anytime soon.

When Miranda crawled into bed, she felt physically and
emotionally drained. Every joint ached and her head throbbed. Just what she
needed. A summer cold when there was so much to do around the ranch.

She drifted off to sleep easily when the puppies let out a few
high-pitched barks. She turned over and reached into their bed to soothe them.
Then she heard the noise herself. There was a faint knock coming from
downstairs.

Miranda opened the bedroom door a tiny bit so the puppies
wouldn’t scurry out. The knock was louder. She made her way downstairs without
turning on the lights. From the archway of the kitchen, she could make out a
male figure standing on her back porch.

She reached for the phone. She dialed Aaron’s cell number.
Before she reached the last digit, the man knocked again, this time calling her
name.