Cowboy Save Me: By Judith Lee (Tiller Brothers Book 1) (15 page)

When he left every day to go be the wonderful professor who all the students and staff loved, he would lock me in the basement in a dog kennel.  I was always naked and so cold, and so alone.”

She nestled closer to Cody.  She could tell he was trying not to show her that he was crying. But she knew since she started the story, she needed to finish it so he would know what kind of woman she had been.

“Sometimes he made me eat dog food, or he forgot to feed me.  He always laughed when he just gave me bread and water. He would let me call my mom and dad and he always had a knife to my neck and I was to tell them how happy I was.  Like I said he threatened to kill my parents.  It was the hardest thing I ever did, trying to sound calm and happy and I gave them excuses why I couldn’t come visit them.  Dad said he always knew something wasn’t right but mom said they shouldn’t interfere during our first year of marriage.  Mom is still upset she didn’t let dad come get me.  But Marcus would have killed dad, I know he would have.  So mom saved dad’s life.”

“Do you want to know more Cody?  Do you still want me?  I am still vulnerable even though I fight it, and I will admit I still have a damaged soul. I didn’t ever want you to know that part of my life.”

He just held her tighter and started openly crying. It broke her heart.  She was convinced that this was the end and he was just being kind to her before he let her go. She started crying, too.”

After a long period of time, he gently pulled her head back and kissed her so tenderly.

“No man should ever treat a woman like he treated you Tammy, and what I’m going to tell you right now is not because of some demented feeling of sympathy I have for you, but the truth.  I love you with all my heart, Tammy, and I can’t live without you.  When you are ready I am going to get down on my knee and ask you to marry me.  But right now I’m going to take you to bed and clean his memories from your mind, if you will still have me?”

“Still have you, are you crazy? I love you so much and I promise I’m going to completely recover.  I want to share my life with you.”

No more words were necessary; he picked her up cradling her delicate body and treated her like his greatest treasure.  She felt as if the greatest burden had been lifted off her shoulders.  Cody loved her, regardless of how weak she had been before and she knew with this man that she would only know happiness.

After target practice, she left for work in her own car, which he made sure had gas, and had his mechanic take a look at it before she left.  She had her gun in the holster he had found for her.  She wore it under her jacket, out of sight.  She protested that she could just carry it in her purse, but he refused to waiver on this point.  He wanted the gun with her all the time even when she was in the bathroom or at a meeting, where she might not have her purse.

He had called the sheriff to keep an eye on her.  His gut told him to get in the car and follow her, and it was the hardest thing in the world not to go after her.  From what she had told him last night, she needed this freedom to help her heal herself.  It just felt so wrong not being with her to protect her, but he didn’t want to smother her.

Cody still couldn’t believe he had told her he loved her last night.  He had promised himself to wait until she knew how sincere he was, but he couldn’t let another minute go by without her knowing.  Life was too short and unpredictable and this woman was his life, his future, and he didn’t ever want to live without her.

How had he gone from a staunch bachelor cowboy who liked a variety of women and as often as possible, to the man who was committing himself to one woman for the rest of his life?  His dad had found that one woman.  He wanted a life like his mom and dad had had.  He wanted Tammy to have his children and he wanted to grow old with her. He was lucky his family all loved her and most of them were pestering him to marry her, but he knew she needed time.  They didn’t understand completely what she had been through.

He received a text about an hour later:
I know I’m texting one hour early, not the two hour requirement on the list, but I wanted to let you know I arrived safely and thank you for giving me this freedom.  I love you. T.  

He wrote back:
I still expect that text in the next hour.  Be safe my love. C.

Working on the ranch this morning was hard as he worried about her constantly, but he understood why she needed this.  And he enjoyed her texts every two hours.  She knew he didn’t mean literally she should text every two hours, just that she should keep in touch, but he admitted the constant reassurance that she was okay was comforting.

That night when she came home, he had the ranch cook prepare a special meal for her on the patio.  He put a candle on the table, and plugged his IPhone into a speaker box so they could listen to music while they were eating.  All his country favorites were being played. He had even downloaded Kenny Roger’s song “Lady” and as luck would have it, it started playing when they stood up to clear the table.  He dropped his plate and swooped her into his arms. 

“I believe this is our dance.”

She laughed at him, “Did you plan this?”

“Nah, but the timing is mighty fine, don’t you think? Gives me an excuse to hold you in my arms under the stars and try to romance you a little bit.  Worked last time...” he hugged her closer and slipped one of his hands down the back of her pants.

“You really think I bought that cowboy act?  You were trying to seduce me.”  He slowly spun her around the patio.

“You got that right darlin’, hook, line and sinker.  Got you, didn’t I?”

“Oh you delusional man, I didn’t buy it at all.  Although truthfully it was very sweet and you did have a beautiful voice. I wanted you to kiss me, even though I hardly even knew you.  No wonder you were such a hot attraction to all those women.”

“So you thought I was hot?”

She smiled up at him, “And a little conceited, but you’ve grown on me.”

He couldn’t help it, he chuckled and then he kissed her.

“Come inside, I have a surprise for you.”  He pulled her like a kid wanting her to get to the Christmas tree.

“What is it?”

“You’ll see.  I have it in the small office I never use.  Close your eyes.”

He swung open the door and turned on the lights.  Okay, open them.”

There was a new sewing machine on the desk.  He had brought in the ironing board and there was a new iron still in the box, and he had put plastic shelves up along one wall.  There was an overhand light just above the sewing machine, and he had even placed CD player on a shelf in the corner.  He had hung some frilly white curtains on the window.  And there was a rose in a vase next to her sewing machine.

“I wanted to pick out your new material and I thought about buying out the store, but the lady at the quilt shop said you would want to pick out your own colors. She told me to tell you she hoped you would come back and teach the new quilters classes again and that she missed you.”

Tammy stood with her hand over her mouth, and tears rolling down her cheek. She propelled herself into his arms. 

“Thank you, Cody. This is the nicest gift I have ever received in my life.  You are the most thoughtful…” she kissed him, “the kindest…” she kissed him again, “…the most romantic man…” she was unbuttoning his shirt and he was helping her.

“Can’t wait to see what you do to me when I buy you your new truck.”

Through her tears, she said, “Oh Cody, you are impossible, take me to bed.”

“Yes ma’am.”

***

Later they were lying in bed holding each other and looking into each other’s eyes, caressing each other as sated lovers do, when the phone rang.  She was closest and picked it up.

The caller id said it was Jenny.

“Hi Jenny, what’s up?”

Jenny was crying.

“Oh my God, Jenny is he there?”  Cody tried to grab the phone out of her hand, but she wouldn’t release the phone.  She put it so both of them could hear.

“No, it’s worse.  Jared and I broke up.”  Tammy breathed a sigh of relief.  This she could deal with.

“Jenny, did he break up with you?  Did he do something, Cody is listening and he needs to know.”

“No, Cody don’t get all ‘He Man’ on me, I broke up with him.”

“But Jenny, I thought you were getting along great.  He has tried to come home a lot over this last month to be there for you.”  This was really a surprise.  Tammy had thought things were becoming very serious with her and Jared.

“I know, but I can’t be with him and I know those chicks are trying to get to him.  With his beautiful blond hair, and sexy green eyes, and those lips…”

“I get the picture, I know what he looks like, and he is hot,” Cody pinched her in the arm. She pushed him away. “But why did you break up with him?”

“Look Tammy I need to talk to you.  I need a girl’s night out.  Can we go out tomorrow and get drunk?”

Tammy looked at Cody, who was shaking his head no.  “Yes, I think that’s a great idea and Cody has already agreed to let me have a girl’s night out.  It took some hard bargaining but he knows it’s something you and I need to do together, isn’t that right Cody?”

He threw the pillow at her and got up to go to the bathroom and said, “We’ll see how hard you bargain with me when you get off the phone.”

She smiled at him.

“I’ll drive and pick you up at your place around 6:00 after I get off work.”  As an after-thought she yelled into the bathroom, “…Is that okay with you Cody?” She heard him grumbling and decided that was a yes and told Jenny she would see her tomorrow.

Cody was surprised to see Jared’s truck rumbling up the dirt road towards the ranch.  He was on his horse and trotted over to the fence where Jared had seen him and pulled the truck over.  He got out of the truck and climbed the fence.

“I bet I know what brings you here,” Cody called out. “Miss another rodeo to try to come talk some sense into my little sister?”

“She’s going to be the death of me.  I’m going to be broke if I don’t stop turning this truck around and heading this way.  I’m going to have to find employment in town so I can afford to eat.”  They both laughed.

“You know employment can be arranged.  Why don’t I meet you at the house and we can have a beer and figure out a way for me to push that little filly sister of mine with all her complaints and troubles into your lap.  Sure would make my life easier.  She didn’t come into work today so she’s not at the ranch. You know she’s taking my woman to get drunk with her tonight?”

After several beers and reminiscing about their rodeo escapades, they got down to business.

“I haven’t been unfaithful to her; you can ask Dakota and Cameron.  I’ve been hanging out with them, and they seem to be tolerating me.  I think they’re just keeping an eye on me.  They didn’t need to though, I’m afraid I’ve fallen pretty hard for your smart ass sister.  Sorry about calling her a smart ass but since you are her brother I’m assuming you know what I’m talking about.”

“No offense taken.  That she is.”

“I want to marry her.  I’ll just come right out and say it.  I haven’t asked her yet because I wanted to talk to you first as you’re the man of the house, but I might not get that opportunity if she doesn’t pick up the phone and talk to me.  She is convinced that I’m still hanging out with the buckle bunnies.  Even when I tell her to check with her brothers she says she just can’t believe it. Damn woman.”

Cody chuckled.  He had called Jenny a ‘damn woman’ more times than he could remember.  His little ‘kick ass’ sister might have just met her match with Jared because he seemed more than man enough to take care of her.

“You know I didn’t always like you Jared, thought you were a braggart and a showoff, and you had more woman than I did, and frankly I didn’t think you were good enough for Jenny.  You can thank Tammy for making me take a closer look at you and to judge you on your actions and how you treated my sister.  And I’ve been impressed.  I can’t make Jenny change her mind, but if you change her mind, you have my permission and my brothers.  They tell me you’ve done quite a turn-around…Heard it even improved your bull riding.”

“Yeah, when I’m actually there competing…You should know my dad…he’s a drunk, has always been one.  He drove my mom off. Now he has disowned me because I didn’t agree with him selling the cattle and living off the mineral rights to the ranch we have in North Dakota.  They have pretty much torn up our land, and now that dad doesn’t have to work, he just sits around drinking and complaining.  My little brother thought it was a great idea, and now neither of them has to work ever.”

He shook his head and looked out the window. “That’s why I have worked so hard with the bulls.  I’ve tried to save up as much money as I can so I can buy myself a little ranch someday. Most of my life, I was the one taking care of the cattle and the ranch, and it was prospering and I really loved it.  Now my family ranch is gone to me.”  He bowed his head and ran his fingers through his hair, “… Just wanted you to know, I might not be the best candidate for your sister.  With me, it’ll be a struggle to make ends meet.”

“Jared, Jenny owns one fifth of the ranch, you do know that right?”

“Damn, I didn’t know that.  Now you probably only think I want her because of the ranch.  My goal is still to get my own ranch.  I’m willing to put in the hours and sweat to be my own man.”

Cody studied Jared.  Now he remembered that Jared had never been a big drinker.  And as he remembered he realized that Jared would drink the same drink most of the night.  He and his brothers didn’t mind doing their share of drinking, but they all had control of when they should quit, and on the few times they really laid one on they never drove.  He’d seen too many of his friends ruin their lives with drinking.

“My foreman, Pete, is going to be retiring…Wants to move back to Oklahoma to take care of his ailing mother.  My ranch hands are all too young; just out of high school most of them, to be in the running for his job.  If you get things worked out with Jenny, and if you’re serious about needing employment, I’ll consider you for that position.  I’ll even give you time to go compete once in a while to help you build up that savings so you can have your own ranch.”  He put out his hand to Jared.”

Jared paused and shook his hand.  “What I want more than a job is my girl.  And I’m too stubborn to give up. It may be the roughest ride of my life, but I’m going to hang on.”

“I’d bet money on you.”

“Will your brothers be mad they weren’t asked to be the foreman?”

“No we all own the ranch, work as hard as any of the workers, but it’s better to have one man in charge of employment, ordering supplies and organizing daily activities with impute from me and my brothers.  Jenny handles all the finances and is a wizard at books and keeping supplies, and paychecks; and everything else in balance.  The foreman has to work very closely with her.”  Jared smiled, as Cody continued, “I’m not wanting to replace her so eventually you’ll need to buy some of your own cattle to put on Jenny’s share of the land, or find land somewhere near so we don’t lose her.”

“That’s a deal.”

“Now we’ve got bigger problems.  Our women are going out. Tammy has never had a girls’ night out and I want to give her this.  Neither Jenny nor Tammy are drinkers but I have a feeling they are going to get blasted.  Marcus is still on the loose and there is no way I’m going to let them go drinking without being close by.  Dakota and Cameron are on their way home too and they’ll be here in about an hour, and then we’re going to go have a little men’s night out, at the same bar.  We’re going to drink and ignore them, but we are going to watch them and guard them.  You in with that?”

“Damn right I am.”

Two hours later, the four men showed up at the same bar where the girls looked to be already well into their shots. 

Tammy came up and shouted at Cody, “No fair, you promised I could have a girls’ night out,” she slurred most of her words.

Jenny was right behind her, poking her fingers into Jared’s chest, “What the hell you doing here buster?  I set you free, go get all those hot tootsies you want, you scoundrel!”  And she turned her back and wobbled back to her table.  “I told him, didn’t I, Tammy?” she said as she almost fell off her chair which was located near the dance floor.

Cody whispered in Tammy’s ear, “Go, have your fun, darlin’.  Just ignore us, we’re just having a men’s night out, too.  But you can just act like we’re not even here, okay?”  He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, tasting the whiskey on her breath as he gave her a little push toward Jenny.

As she swayed back to Jenny, she said, “Okay, that sounds fair.  You are not here or there or wherever, do you hear me, Cody?” and she hiccupped.

They turned their back on the women but were watching them in the bar mirror.

The men ordered shots, except for Jared who said he’d be the DD and he’d just nurse one beer.  They watched men swarming around Jenny and Tammy, and several times either Jared or Cody started to rise to go over to kick some ass, but the girls were doing a good job sending their admirers away.

Tammy was wearing some of Jenny’s clothes…and red sexy high heels. Cody’s cock jerked. When he watched her sit down he saw her sexy too tight dress slide up exposing a black garter belt and lacy silk black hosiery. Tammy had larger breasts than Jenny and in Jenny’s dress her breasts were bursting over the top.  It took all his will power not to go grab her and take her home.

The girls had another shot and decided they were going to dance.

They moved to the floor and their hips were flying, arms were swaying in the air, and they were singing louder than the jukebox.  Quite a few cowboys gathered around them and danced close.  So far none of them touched the girls. Except one especially drunk cowboy who went up behind Tammy and started mimicking her hips rolling as she pumped her hips up and down.  The drunk reached in to put his swollen penis into her butt and Cody started to rise.  Dakota and Cameron grabbed him.

“Hold on a sec brother, I have a feeling you won’t be needed,” Dakota said loudly in Cody’s ear.

Tammy went down lower and swung her elbow backwards into the man’s crotch.  When he leaned over to grab his jewels, she knocked her head backward smacking his nose.  She turned around and gave him a push before the blood spilled on her clothes.  Then she jammed one of her high heels into his balls. He rolled over crying.

All the men at the bar and those on the dance floor all cringed and many of them grabbed their balls in mock sympathy.  The brothers were all smiling and pounded Cody on the back.  They were proud of their girl.  None of the other dancers got close to them again.

Toward the end of the evening, Cody decided it was his turn to dance with his lady. 

Cody tapped Tammy on her shoulder and she turned around posed to strike and stopped and smiled when she saw it was Cody.  “You’re not really here cowboy.”

“I know, darlin’, but would you give me one dance? I’ve been dying to get my hands on you all night, and the way you look, I’m ready to drag you home before you complete your first girls’ night out.”

“Since you asked so nicely, I’ll give you one dance and then you disappear again, okay? I’m having so much fun.” She threw her arms around him and put her nose in his neck.  “God, I love the way you smell.”

He laughed at her and cupped her butt and pulled her closer to him, “You might not like how you feel in the morning but I’ll be there with an aspirin and a glass of water to make you feel better.”

“You know, Mr. Cowboy, who’s not really here, I’m in love with you.”

“I hope so because I’m in love with you.”

He ran his hand up and down her back and nuzzled her neck.  She pulled his head around so she could kiss him.  Every time he kissed her, it was like the first time and he couldn’t get enough.  His tongue sought out her tongue and he devoured her on the dance floor. 

Pretty soon, Jenny tapped him on the shoulder, and told him it wasn’t fair, “Tammy is supposed to be keeping me company tonight as I drown myself in sorrow.”  She giggled and turned to glare at Jared who had turned around on his bar stool to stare deeply into her eyes.

Cody told her, “You should go put the man out of his misery and let me kiss my woman.  Then we’ll let you get back to your pity party or whatever.”  He resumed kissing Tammy.

Jenny marched over to Jared and roughly pulled him off the bar stool.  She put her arms around his neck.  “Dance with me you two-timer.” He could barely make out her words they were so slurred.

“Honey, ever since I met you, I haven’t been with another woman.”  He lifted his hand to her head and caressed her cheek.  “We have to talk.”

“Not tonight, I’m having a girls’ night out and Tammy has never had a girls’ night out and it’s my job as her future sister-in-law to help her to have a good time...course they’re not engaged yet but they will be.  You mark my words.”

Jared grinned at her and pulled her close.  He couldn’t resist reaching up and caressing the side of her breasts. He heard her moan and she almost fell over.  “I wish I could take you home and make love to you.  I’ve never had drunken sex before but I would make an exception for you.”

She giggled, and punched him in the arm.  “When I make love to you again I want to make sure you know it’s me and not some bunny because I’m so drunk I don’t want you to be confused about it.”

He couldn’t stop laughing at her mixed up reasoning. “Tomorrow then…” He kissed her.

“This doesn’t mean we’re back together.  You have some convincing me that you’re a changed man, you hear me?” and she kissed him back until the song ended.

Tammy and Jenny decided they were too drunk to drive so they were going to walk to Jenny’s condo.  The men tried to talk them into a ride but Tammy just held up her hand and said, “You are not here, remember?  Have you had too much to drink to remember that Mr. Cowboy?”

They decided to just follow the girls in the truck as they walked home. The brothers had actually had a few too many shots and it was a good thing that Jared was sober.  They slowly followed them.  The men had started singing loudly along with a country song on the radio.  The girls looked back a few times laughing at the men who weren’t supposed to be there.  They had removed their heels and were dancing and singing as they stumbled toward Jenny’s condo.

The sheriff drove by the girls and waved at them.  They waived back and giggled, almost falling over.

He pulled next to the Tiller’s truck and flipped on his flashing lights.  He was going the opposite direction and rolled down his window. 

They stopped to talk to the sheriff. 

“You know I could arrest you guys for drunken disorderly behavior?  You are making enough noise to wake up the neighborhood.”

Jared said, “I haven’t been drinking Sheriff.  My name’s Jared Stevens.  We met at the Tiller’s house after their dad died.  We’re just making sure the girls get home then I’ll take the Tiller boys back home.”