My Texas Sweetheart (book one) (15 page)

“Just checking to see if you two were still pissy…but I guess you are.”

I smile, sweetly. “I’m not pissy anymore,” I say.
“Amy, shower is yours.” She gives me a smile and heads to the bathroom.

Walking over to my dresser
, I pull out a hoodie for me and one for Amy. “So you really aren’t mad?” Chase asks.

I
look at him. “I’m really not mad.” They all look relieved.

Jase walks over to and
pulls me into his arms. “Wanna go back out and enjoy the fire?”  

“Yeah, why not?”

We start heading downstairs when I stop. “I’ll meet you outside. I’m just going to go tell Amy to come out after she’s done.”  They nod.

I
run back into my room so I can let Amy know we were going outside. “Hey, I just came back to tell you were all heading back outside. I put a hoodie on the bed for you.”  

“Sounds good. Let me put this on and I’ll come with you.”

As soon as Amy
is ready, we head back outside to the fire. “All dry, girls?” Dad snickers.

I
roll my eyes. “Very funny, Daddy.”

I
stand there, glaring at him, until I feel someone pulling on my arm. “Baby, stop glaring at your dad,” Jase says through his laughter.

I turn and glare at him
.
“Okay, would you rather it be you
I’m glaring at?” 

He stops
laughing. “Um, no.” I smile at him and wink.

He bends
down to give me a kiss, but is stopped when Adam says, “No kissing the enemy, Bro.” I turn towards Adam and he backs up, holding his hands up. “Shit, don’t glare at me. That’s scary.” I roll my eyes.

“Maggie’s gonna kick your ass, Bro,” Chase warns and everyone starts to laugh.

“Just remember this,” I say. “We weren’t the ones running all over town looking for two girls.” I smirk.

Adam, Jake, Jade, Creed
, and Jase glare at us, while Chase and his buddies laugh. “Yes, baby girl. You outsmarted the Navy SEALS.  Trust me. That will never
happen again.”

I raise my
eyebrows at him.
“Really, old man? You think it would never happen again? I bet it would go the same way the next time because you all suck!” I wink at him. Everybody gets really quiet.

Chase raises an
eyebrow. “Old man? Come on, baby girl. We all know that I wasn’t trying very hard to find you.”

Adam and Jase both
glare at him, and I bust out laughing. “Looks like you aren’t gonna be on their team again.” Amy’s laughing so hard she almost falls over.

Adam growls. “You never tried…
?” This only makes us all laugh harder. Smiling, Chase shakes his head, and Adam goes stomping off.

Jase walks over to me and wraps his arms around my waist
. “Wanna go for a walk, baby?” I nod. He touches my chin and I look at him.  He presses his lips to mine. “I missed spending time alone with you today,” he whispers.

“I know, but we have the rest of tonight and tomorrow,” I whisper back and he nods. We start walking towards the pond, saying good night to everyone.

Chapter 25 (Jase)

What a way to begin Spring Break
. The ladies got the better of us last night. I’m gonna have to talk to the guys later when the girls go to town to do some shopping. How can two girls do this is eight guys? It’s not going to happen again. Looking over at my alarm clock, I realize that I am late for the morning chores. “Oh, shit,” I mumble. “Dad’s gonna be all over my ass.”

Jumping up
, I get dressed and, as I stumble towards the front door, I pushed my feet into a pair of socks and boots.
“Where you going in such a hurry?” Mom says as she comes into the kitchen.

“Gotta help Dad with the chores before he rips me a new one,” I respond.

Mom
laughs. “I don’t think your dad is expecting you this morning. Seems to me that, while you were sleeping, your little lady dropped by and she’s out there helping him now.”  

“What do you mean?” I ask, not believing what I’m hearing.

“Dad gave me strict instructions that you don’t need to come to the barns this morning, but that you are to strap on an apron and help me make breakfast.”

She had
quite the mischievous grin spreading across her face. “But…,” I tried to argue.

“I won’t have any of your lip this morning, young man. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll put on this apron and follow me into the kitchen. Seems to me that there are dishes to finish before we can start cooking your little lady a hearty breakfast. Oh, by the way, Dad put in an order for fresh butter. I need you to grab the old churn from the cellar.” She strode out of the hallway and into the kitchen…and starts LAUGHING!

Grabbing my phone
, I throw a quick text off to Adam:

Jase: 
You’ll never guess what the hell I woke up to this morning
.

Adam: 
Bet you’re wearing a pretty pink apron like me…grrrrr
.

Jase: 
You mean…?

Adam:
Yeah, Amy is out in the barn with Dad doing the chores, and little miss goody two-shoes is upstairs sleeping
.

Jase:
Oh, no, she isn’t.

Adam: 
What do you mean?

Jase:
It seems to me that the girls are still playing because your sister is over here doing chores with my old man!

Adam: 
No fucking way!!

Jase: 
Okay, play it cool and just go with it. After breakfast, meet me at the river with your brothers, Nate and Todd.

Adam: 
Should be there around ten-ish
.

Jase:
Make that eleven for me because I gotta churn butter
.

Adam:
HAHA, I’m not even going to ask, Bro. I’ll let you keep a little bit of your manhood.

As breakfast was being placed onto the table
, Dad and Maggie come bouncing through the kitchen door.  “Mmmm, it smells so good in here,” snickered Maggie, putting her arms around my neck and planting a big kiss on my lips. I can’t let her know that she’s getting to me. I gotta play along.

“Good morning, Mags. It sure was nice of you to let your old man sleep in this morning while you took care of my chores for me.  Seeing as how you’re so good to me, I decided to help Mom cook up a huge breakfast for you. Oh, I thought you’d like some fresh butter, Dad.” I grinned wickedly at my father. He opened his mouth to say something, but I gave him such a look that he retreated.

“Oh, just like your daddy ordered…fresh butter with all the fixings. I’m glad to see that they have you trained so well.”  Mags winks at me. She isn’t going to get the better of me two days in a row.

“Wow, I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” Dad exclaimed. “Let’s get washed up, Maggie, and then we can dig in.”

****

After breakfast, I offer to give Mags a ride home. To my surprise, she said that she rode Storm over and needed to get back to the house. She and Amy had decided that they were going to go to into the city today to do a girls’ day. “Hey, I have an idea. Maybe your mom would like to join us. I can see if my mom wants to go, too. That will give you boys some time to recover from yesterday’s fun and games,” she teased.

Pulling he
r into my arms, I lean in and gently kiss her on her lips. “Mags, that sounds like a great idea. I think Mom would love a day on the town with you all. It would give her a chance to get to know your mom better. Plus, I’m sure Dad would love to have the afternoon to himself.”

Following her out to the stables
, I help her saddle up Storm. Before she mounted him, she turns and lovingly looks at me. “You know what, babe? Spring Break just started and so have the games.”
She gave me one of her mischievous grins and a wink, then took off towards home. What the hell is she up to now?

Jase: 
Hey, Adam, you at the river yet? Your sister just took off and something tells me that they’re up to something again
.

Adam:
Already here, Bro. We’ve been wondering what’s been taking you so long.

Jase:
On my way!

Jumping into my truck, I start down the drive. Passing the house, I notice both my parents sitting on the front porch, grinning and waving at me. Hmmm, when’s the last time they were sitting like that and waving at me? As I round the bend that leads down to the river, I notice that all the guys are there.  I get out of my truck. “Hey, man,” I said to Adam, “what the hell happened this morning?”

“I’m not sure, but you damn well won’t see me in a pink apron again,” he growls.
  

“When did the girls have time to rig up that plan? After last night, I can’t believe they even had the guts to plan something else,” I say.

I look over at
Chase, and he and his buddies look like they are getting a kick out of everything. “Enough with the laughing, guys. Are you going to help us out or not?” I say.

The tone
in my voice was a bit to high-pitched, which made them all double over in laughter. “Does somebody have their panties in a knot?” Chase busted out.

I
am ready to slug him when Adam speaks up, “Listen, enough is enough. The girls wanna play? Let’s give them a good game. We have all day to work out the details. From what I hear, the ladies are going into the city for a ‘girl’s day’. That gives us plenty of time to get done what needs to be done. What do you say? Everybody in?”  

“Hell yeah,” Creed chimes in. “Let’s get this party started!”
We spend the rest of the afternoon planning.

Around suppertime, we all
go back to our houses to start our chores. Just as I was pulling up to the barns, my phone vibrates:

Maggie: 
Hey, old man. Missing me yet?

Jase:
Hey, baby. You ladies coming home soon?

Maggie: 
No, we’re going out to supper. We should be back around seven.

Jase:
Oh
…

Maggie: 
You sound disappointed, babe
.

Jase:
Was just hoping to spend some time with you later, that’s all
.

Maggie: 
How about a midnight swim? ;)

Jase:
You got yourself a deal
.

Maggie:
K, I’ll text you when we get back
.

Jase:
Love you, baby
.

Maggie
:??

Jase:
What?

Maggie: 
It’s just that’s the first time you ever texted it. Caught me off-guard
.

Jase:
I just miss you so much, and I do love you
.

Maggie: 
Aww, I will never erase that message. I love you, too, baby!

Jase:
Text as soon as you get home. Make sure you wear that bikini I love. I need to see you in it tonight.

Maggie: 
I thought you might like to see the new one I got today
.

Jase:
NEW ONE???

Maggie:
I’ll let your imagination run with that one for now. I gotta go
.

Jase: 
Adam’s texting. Gotta run, babe
.

Adam: 
Hey, man. Ladies won’t be home so Dad wants me to invite you and your pops over for a bar-b-que. You interested?

Jase:
Damn straight. We’ll be over after chores
.

Adam:
Cool. Bring some beers with you. Tonight’s going to be a long one
.

Jase
: K, see you soon
.

****

After chores, Dad and I clean up and head over to Adam’s. By the time we arrive, the meals on the table so we all sit down to get our fill.  Luckily, Adam’s dad broke out the “fine china”—PAPER PLATES! No dishes tonight! 

After things
have been cleared from the table, the guys and I head out to the stables to finalize our plans. We really didn’t want our dad’s knowing what we were up to so they stayed out on the porch, smoking their pipes and sharing a few laughs.  Just as we finish setting up how things are going to roll out for the evening, my phone buzzes:

Maggie: 
Hey, good looking. Guess what? I’m standing next to this tall and handsome man, and he’s telling me that you are having engine issues?

Jase: 
What do you mean, babe?

“What the hell, guys. Mags just texted me and said that she’s standing next to some tall, handsome dude and he’s telling her we’re having engine issues…?”

The guys all go bolting from the stables, everyone running for their trucks.  Just as I jump into mine with keys in hand, my cell goes off:

Maggie:
I think I can, I think I can…oh, wait. Think again. NO, YOU CAN’T!

I put the keys into the ignition and try turning her over
. It tries starting, but doesn’t connect. What the hell? I hear all the other guys swearing because their trucks won’t start, either. I step out and slam my truck door. I yell, “Fuck! How the hell did they do this, Adam?!”

“Beats the shit out of me, Bro.”
My cell phone buzzes again:

Maggie: 
Hey, sexy. Maybe you should go up to the house and get your daddy to help you!

Chase: 
What did you go to my truck, baby girl?

Maggie: 
Who? Me? Nothing!

“Adam, can you run back up to the house and grab our dads? They’re good at fixing things.”

Adam
races for the house, only to reappear moments later with wires in his hands. “Well, boys, looks like the girls’ aren’t in this alone tonight. Both of our dads are MIA, but look what I found on the front porch,” he growls.   

I
look, but can’t make out what he’s holding. “What is it?”

“Well, seems to me that someone has removed all of our sparkplugs, and didn’t take the time to mark who
se is whose.”

As we all work together to wire our vehicles back up, we
go over the plan again. Once we’re done, I say, “Okay, boys. The game is on. Remember, no one answers any texts received from the girls until we’re all in position. Everyone has their two-way radios on so let’s go show them how the game is played. Don’t forget that they’ve got others helping them now.”
 

Like a pack of hungry wolves,
we all let out a yelp and squeal down the driveway, spraying gravel as we go.   We each took off in different directions, knowing exactly where to go. Chase is riding with me. I can see the light on Chase’s cell phone go off. He looks down. “It’s April. Wonder what she wants.” Not sure if he should even look, he looks over at me. “Do you think I should look at it?”
 

“Yeah, she has nothing to do with this. I don’t want her to worry.”

April:
Hi, Chase. I’m looking for Jase, but he’s not answering his phone. I’m stuck over at Nana’s with a flat tire. Was hoping that he might be with you because I can really use some help
.

Chase read
it to me. “Shit, this is going to slow us down. You better let the other guys know that we have to stop by Nana’s first,” I moaned.

As he
tells all the other guys, we make our way to Nana’s. Everyone’s pulling in at the same time. This is going to be a breeze with this much muscle around.  We pull up to the diner, but can’t see April’s car anywhere. “Where the hell is she parked?” I mutter.

Chase
jumps out of the truck and runs in to ask Nana where she is. Moments later, he comes back out and he didn’t look too happy. “Nana said that she has no idea what I’m talking about. She said that she hasn’t seen April all day.”

Oh
, for fucks sake, not April, too. That means if she is in on this, so is Heather. Who else do they have working with them? Something tells me we might be outnumbered, but we still have the advantage because they don’t know that we know it is more than just the two of them.  “Okay, text her back and tell her that we’ll swing by tomorrow and fix it. Tell her to just stay the night at Nana’s and keep her company.”