Pressure Rising (Rhinestone Cowgirls Book 2) (5 page)

“Now that’s a crime.” She shook her head.

“It is when you only make a fool of yourself,” he grumbled.

“Then why don’t you go ahead and bend over for me, darlin’. I have another shift at the hospital starting in an hour.”

He stood up, unbuckled his jeans and let them drop to his ankles. “The kit is right there.” He pointed to the clear box on the table. He wasn’t shy, not when Diana had seen it all before. And since that ended, he was glad they were still friends. “I thought you only worked first shift?” He laid belly down on the sofa.

“I did, but I need the extra money. Toby has a birthday coming up and he wants to play baseball.”

He shot her a look over his shoulder. “If you need anything I—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” She grabbed the box and popped the lid. “I can handle the idea that you don’t have feelings for me, cowboy, but I can’t handle you feeling sorry for me, or my boy.” There was a catch to her voice.

He noticed how the corners of her mouth lowered and he felt guilty. He shouldn’t, but he did. DJ really liked her, and at one time he’d hoped those feelings would grow into something deeper, but instead they’d fizzled—on both ends.

He stayed quiet, not needing another explosion of sensitive conversation like the one he had earlier with Pearl.

Shit, what had he been thinking? Clearly, he hadn’t used one brain cell when he’d mentioned the kiss and worse, admitting he’d thought about it once in a while. The look on her face had told him everything he needed to know—she thought about it too.

Damn! It was only one kiss when they were practically kids. Meant nothing. Yet, it was the fact he’d wanted more that was the problem and the reason why he’d stayed as far away as he could get over the years.

But Diana wasn’t right that he had a ‘thing’ for Pearl. Curious, yes. Interested in sampling, hell no! Interested…maybe, but it wasn’t going to happen.

And he certainly didn’t have Diana come out here to make Pearl jealous.

The longer DJ had thought about Pearl touching him below the waist the harder he’d gotten in places that shouldn’t be responding and he needed to squelch that reaction.

He was a red-blooded man and Diana was the last woman he’d touched intimately, and even that had been over six months ago. He even knew if he made a move with her, she’d gladly satisfy him, but he just couldn’t do it—not any longer. She deserved to find a man who could give her the family she wanted. He just wasn’t that person.

“How did this happen? Were you running away and she shot you?” Diana laughed.

“An accident,” he said.

“Some accident.”

He didn’t respond.

While Diana worked on his wound, his mind made a beeline to Pearl. She’d jetted out of the house so quickly that he was surprised her shoes didn’t leave marks. For a woman who hated his guts, she sure did seem miffed at seeing Diana.

He wished he had a clue why Pearl hated him. Sure, they’d had their moment behind a barn, but they hadn’t made any promises to each other and he didn’t have something to feel bad for. It’s not that he liked her animosity, yet he wasn’t sure he could make it right—and really didn’t even understand why it bothered him that she felt this way.

“All done, sugar.” Diana smacked him on the unwounded cheek.

He got up, pulled up his pants and smiled. “Thanks for coming out.”

She nodded, threading her fingers through her blonde locks. “You know I’d do anything in the world for you. You’ve been good to me, and I’ll never be able to repay you.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I’m sorry—”

“No, don’t do that.” She stood up and held up a hand. “Don’t apologize again that you don’t have romantic feelings for me. I think we both knew it had run its course.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

****

“What is this?”

Pearl watched DJ wrinkle his nose. “That’s a salad.”

He took the plate from her and examined the contents. “I can see that it’s a salad, but why are you giving me one?”

“Because you need to eat something.” She took a seat on the worn, tattered leather chair, the farthest one from him. She’d half expected it to be uncomfortable, but found the material buttery soft and the cushions comfortable. She brought her feet up under her bottom and sunk into the comfort. Once she’d unpacked the groceries and cleaned the rest of the kitchen, she made him salad with bleu cheese and pears. She was doing her best not to watch his disappointed facial expression. “I realize it’s not meat and potatoes, but from what I’ve seen of the cupboards, you should be thanking me. At least your heart should.”

“My heart is just fine. It’s my belly that’ll suffer.” He complained, dug his fork into the greens and stuffed his mouth. He chewed and some of the harsh lines disappeared.

“It doesn’t taste bad, right?” She picked up her plate from the table. Her stomach growled. “I made the dressing myself.”

He shrugged. “I’m a dude. Dudes don’t eat chick food.” He took another bite.

“Is that your way of saying it tastes good? Will eating a meal with no meat make you less of a man?” She knew men like DJ had a hard time with change.

“Sweetheart, if you have any questions about my manhood, I’d be happy to give you a sample.”

She groaned. “Again, I’m not your sweetheart. And please, I’m trying to eat here. More salad?” His plate was almost empty.

“I could eat three plates and I’d still not get filled up,” he moaned.

Pushing out of the chair, she eyed him as anger occupied every cell of her body. “Is this how you’re going to act the entire time? Should I just call it quits and leave? If you have someone who’ll come and change your bandage, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to fry you up a steak and bake you a tater.” She laid on the Texas twang a little too heavy, but this was what he’d forced her into.

His jaw softened—some. “Diana won’t be back.”

“Did she get angry because her cowboy has another woman under his roof? Well, she has nothing to fear. Even if you were the last man on earth…well, let’s just say I’d be a very lonely woman and sex-depraved.”

“So, what you’re saying is, it wouldn’t be any different than now.” One corner of his mouth twitched.

She backed herself right into that comeback. “Don’t pretend you know me. You’ll only embarrass yourself.” Taking his plate, she placed her still full plate on top of his.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I lost my appetite.” She didn’t wait for anymore talk.

In the kitchen, she dumped the leftovers into the trashcan and stacked the dishes into the dishwasher, then stabbed the start button. Grabbing her phone from her purse, she passed through the living room on her way out to the front porch. She didn't even glance DJ’s direction, but instinct warned her he was watching her. The hairs on her nape stood erect and goosebumps scattered her arms and although she wanted to look at him, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

The sun was setting and the purplish-pink sky was beautiful. With the gorgeous scene, she could imagine watching the sunset at home instead of admiring it from her prison doorstep. Taking the seat farthest from the screen door, she dialed Jewels’ number. On the second ring, her sister picked up. “Do you have a minute so I can vent?”

“I heard the news, Pearl. You poor girl.” Jewels’ sigh rattled the phone.

“I guess Dad thought I deserved punishment for shooting DJ.”

“You gotta admit, sis, this is pretty serious.”

“I shouldn’t have brought the gun.” Pearl rubbed her temple, hoping to ease the tension headache building. “You know I wouldn’t have shot anyone…not even Pugly.”

“I don’t know why you allow DJ to ruffle your feathers every time you turn around. He seems to ignite a fire within you just with a mere glance your direction. It’s not right, sis, and you know it. Has he hurt you in some way, done something that you’re not telling me because if he thinks you’re dangerous, I’ll show him how the Stone sisters handle—”

“No, Jewels. He hasn’t done anything. He’s a jerk, and we just seem to always rub each other the wrong way.”

“You’re going to hate me, but Em and I like the Walters boys and I for one think maybe this is what you need,” Jewels said.

“What? I have no clue what you mean.” Pearl squeezed the phone until she heard a crack.

“I’m talking about the obvious. I have no idea why you dislike him so much, and I’m not sure even if you have a clue, but you both need to take this time and figure it out. The Walters Family isn’t going anywhere and neither is the Rhinestone Ranch. Unless you don’t want that piece of land Dad is giving each of us. And imagine, all of this over a donkey.” Jewels laughed.

“Before you judge me, keep in mind what you did to Spark. Remember the wax and rope? And now you’re marrying the man.”

“Are you saying that you could see yourself having feelings for DJ, possibly marrying him?”

Pearl groaned. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m only saying we Stone women tend to react emotionally. It’s in our blood. And as far as this being the time for me to figure out why I’m angry, I don’t think a week would be long enough to pave the rocky road. This is a two-way street and I don’t think DJ is any more interested in solving the animosity than I am.”

“Pearl, you need to resolve the issues, for your own peace of mind. This isn’t healthy.”

“I see your point, Jewels.”

“You only have a few days there. You’ll get through this.” Jewel’s encouragement helped some.

“I’m sorry I won’t be much help with wedding plans.”

“No worries. Em has helped a lot today.”

“And you two aren’t killing each other?” Pearl laughed, but it was a fact that her sisters rarely saw eye to eye.

“If I can resolve what’s going on between Em and me, you can surely come to a resolution with someone who you aren’t connected to. He’s a mere man. Use your Stone charm.”

“I love you, sis. Thank you for the pep talk.”

They hung up and Pearl stayed on the porch until darkness prevailed.

She went inside and headed straight for the bedroom. She undressed while she thought over her sister’s words. Jewels always had valuable advice. Being the oldest, she looked out for Pearl and Em.

Could Pearl clear her plate of hostility and prior impressions of DJ and start afresh?

Easier said than done.

Why was Pearl the only one who found him obnoxious? After cleaning his kitchen and making his food, he didn’t even offer a thank you, but complained instead.

Then again, while at the grocery, she hadn’t taken into consideration DJ’s food preferences. And it didn’t take a genius to realize he wasn’t a tofu-bean-sprout-turkey-bacon fellow. Even Joshua Stone grumbled when she prepared meals without meat, ‘real meat’ as he put it.

Although she didn’t want to be here, especially with DJ, she had a strong desire to do her very best, and not because she wanted his approval. Of course not. But she could have bought a steak, maybe even a pound of Russet potatoes. She could cook a meal that’d put hair on DJ’s chest.

She stifled a chuckle.

What it all came down to, she had shot him.  Accident or not, she had to do the right thing. She didn’t need her father to tell her that because she already knew. When the gun went off and she saw what she’d done, the blood on the backside of his jeans and the bullet hole on the side of the house, she’d felt miserable. Why had DJ agreed to have her help him? He couldn’t be comfortable with this arrangement.

His father forced his hand, but DJ was a grown man who could have gone against his father’s wishes. In fact, Pearl could have rejected her father’s wishes just as easily.

That wouldn’t have happened.

She couldn’t remember a time when she’d told Joshua Stone no.

Being the middle child, she’d always been the peacemaker, mostly between Jewels and Em who seemed to rub each other the wrong way at every turn. Jewels was the motherly-type and Em was wild…and Pearl was the one who watched the world pass by, at least that’s what Em told her recently.

Pearl guessed Em was right, because what woman her age was a virgin—or at least a second-time virgin as she liked to call herself. Seven years without sex was a long time.

Sure, a few times over the years she’d gone to the very edge of going all of the way, but she’d always come to her senses before she’d plunged over the cliff because none of the men had made her feel like she should, especially if she planned to share herself.

Pearl had never found the right one, and now she worried that even if she did, she wouldn’t know how to please him. After all, she couldn’t count the one man she did have sex with as experience. It had been okay, but not anything to write home about.

She could watch as many movies or read as many books as she wanted but it wasn’t the real thing.

Pulling on the thin and tattered T-shirt she wore every night, she wasn’t tired enough to fall asleep so she grabbed the sci-fi novel from the bookshelf—the book she guessed DJ had been reading. She climbed into bed and snuggled deeper under the cover. The sheets were fresh, but DJ’s scent lingered like an annoying itch where she couldn’t reach.