Texas Dad (Fatherhood) (13 page)

“Stop. The scenery with the river is perfect where you are.” J.J. gathered the reins and nudged her horse downhill while continuing to focus Mack in the Nikon’s viewfinder. All at once Ginger stumbled. The animal pitched forward and J.J. went flying over the buckskin’s head. She landed shoulder-first in lumpy grass and rolled. For several seconds she couldn’t catch her breath.

Mack bellowed and charged up the slope. Dropping to his knees he carefully slid his arms around her waist and turned her over. “Are you injured? My God, Jill, what happened?”

She spat out dirt and grass, shaking her head.

Mack gently dusted off her nose and eyebrows.

“Don’t, that tickles,” she managed to scold brokenly as she sucked in air. “I’m shaken, and I lost my breath. I think that’s all. Go check on Ginger. She tripped and almost fell.”

“This draw is riddled with prairie dog holes. If you’re sure nothing’s broken, I’ll carry you to the blanket, and then have a look-see at Ginger.”

J.J. nodded, and found herself lifted, whisked away and parked on the blanket. Little by little feeling returned to her chin. And it finally quit hurting to take a deep breath.

“Ginger didn’t break anything,” Mack announced from a few yards away, “but she’s not bearing any weight on the left front leg.” Rising, he unsaddled the mare and carried the gear to the blanket. “We’re in a pickle. The mare needs transport back to the ranch where Delaney can treat her.” Mack tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and frowned. He walked around and frowned harder. “I’m not getting any bars. Dang, but we need more cell towers.”

“Zorro is okay. I’ll stay here with Ginger, Mack. You ride to the ranch to get your pickup and a horse trailer.”

“That could take up to five hours round trip. It’s dark here once the sun sets. I mean dark as in pitch-black. I didn’t plan to start a fire so I didn’t bring matches. No, I won’t leave you alone, Jilly. You landed harder than you’re letting on.” He knelt and touched her face lightly. “Benny will either come for us when we don’t turn up, or he’ll send Eldon or Trevor.”

J.J.’s heart swelled. She covered his hand that lay against her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Mack. You won’t have to put Ginger down, will you?” Tears trickled over their joined hands.

“No, no.” Mack wiped her tears away. “It’s probably a pulled tendon. The water in the river is cold this time of year. If I had something to wet and make a compress, it would keep the swelling to a minimum.”

“I have a cloth in my camera pack that I use to clean lenses, and I use rubber bands to keep my filters in their bags. I wonder if we can secure a wet cloth around her leg.”

“It’s worth a try.”

She started to get up to retrieve the pack.

“Stay,” he said. “Rest.”

“I’m fine, but if you insist.”

He unzipped the camera backpack.

J.J. rubbed her arms. “I’m beginning to shake, but I tend to fall apart after a crisis is over.”

Mack stripped off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

“Thanks.” Pulling it close she took comfort from the warmth and from Mack’s essence.

“Hey, you have a book of smushed matches. Oh, and some— Oh!” He was holding two condom packets.

“Yikes! Those were a joke from coworkers who thought they were being funny when I was assigned to take photos at Mardi Gras. Toss them. I didn’t clean out my camera bag between assignments,” she said, feeling a rush of embarrassment.

Mack arched one eyebrow, but put them back.

Worried about what he was thinking, J.J. watched him find the cloth, retrieve the rubber bands and hike to the river. When he returned, she couldn’t take her eyes off him—the play of muscles under his shirt as he applied the compress and then made a fire with dry wood and pine needles. He used most of her book of matches to start the fledgling fire. Watching him made her think about those condoms, and the very notion swept aside what aches and pains she did have.

Stretching her hands out to the sputtering flame, J.J. was surprised when Mack joined her on the blanket and wrapped her in his arms. “Your idea worked like a charm,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ll change Ginger’s compress every so often until it gets too dark to make my way to the river.”

His low voice mesmerized her. She shivered, not from cold this time, but from the texture of his five-o’clock shadow.

“Aren’t you warm yet? I worry that you may have a concussion.” Mack tilted up her face so he could look deep into her eyes.

Her stomach cartwheeled at his closeness. “I don’t have a concussion,” she insisted, turning to slip her arms around his waist. “But I like the heat you’re giving off.” Rising up, she kissed him, something she’d wanted to do since he’d left her that night on the patio. If he pulled away now, she’d blame her indiscretion on an addled brain, a result of her recent fall.

Caught off guard, Mack crushed her against his chest. “Oh, Jilly. Oh, Jilly,” he said in a breathless whisper. He nipped her earlobe, then her neck, sliding his hands beneath the jacket to peel it back. He had to delve under two more layers of clothing to reach her collarbone. Sighing, Mack traced his tongue along the ridge until he got to the cleft between her breasts. When her head fell languidly back, he ran his hands up and down her sides and found her mouth again with his. Their kisses became more urgent, and he hurriedly began undressing her.

“You taste just as sweet as I remember,” he said throatily.

J.J. slid her hands beneath his T-shirt, her fingers coming to rest on his chest. It felt like a furnace and his heart jumped erratically. She felt her own pulse ratchet up. “What are we doing, Mack?” She grew still, waiting for an answer.

“Catching up,” he responded in a rasp that had her seeking the fly of his jeans. He helped by kicking off his boots, then worked fast to get rid of the rest of the clothing that kept her breasts from his sight, from his roaming mouth. “Scoot that bag over here, darlin’. Remind me to send your coworkers a big thank-you. Oh, wait... Are you really okay?”

“Never better,” she insisted, and surged against him as she heard him rip open a pack. After he sheathed himself, she wanted to kiss him again. But she managed to say, “Mack, we haven’t talked about the past.”

“Forget the past,” he said, stripping away the last of her clothing. “We’ll start over with a clean slate.” He barely managed to say because his muscles tensed when their bodies meshed, causing J.J. to moan in pleasure. His words burned into her brain and then she simply gave up thinking about anything at all except how right it all felt, having her mouth, her breasts, her belly pressed under the weight of Mack’s long, lean body. She was back where she belonged and everything was right with her world. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper in spite of twinges of saddle soreness.

Afterward, after she’d caught her breath for the second time that day, J.J. liked that neither of them rushed to untangle their limbs.

“I want you in my life. Forever,” Mack whispered, smiling even more than usual. She played with his dark hair, stained reddish in the molten glow of the sunset. All she managed was a nod in the middle of a big yawn. Mack chuckled and leaned in to run his tongue across her lips one last time. “Before we both fall asleep, we should get dressed. Much as I hate to move, I need to wet Ginger’s bandage again before I can’t see my hand in front of my face.”

She stretched, but sat up. “You’re right. It wouldn’t do for Benny or your wranglers to find us like this.”

“I doubt we’ll see hide nor hair of anyone before nine. Cold as it gets on the high plains, we may wish someone would show up sooner.”

Never, she told herself, watching him get dressed and pull on his boots before collecting Ginger’s towel. If she had her druthers right now, she’d stay here forever.

He refreshed Ginger’s leg poultice, sat down beside her again and kissed her. “I think the compress is helping.”

“I’m glad. But I feel so bad that I didn’t see the hole.”

Mack placed another kiss on her mouth. Then he broke apart a rotten piece of cedar and set the pieces on the struggling fire. Unfortunately, the meager blaze didn’t throw out a lot of heat. But the dancing flames and the weight of Mack’s arm around her soon let J.J. fall asleep.

He stayed awake marveling at how easy and wonderful it was to renew their romance. Deep inside, he’d always known his hunger for Jill had never abated.

* * *

B
ENNY
,
ACCOMPANIED
BY
Jiggs,
rumbled up
in Mack’s pickup around nine-thirty. Mack gently laid Jill down, pillowing her head, which had been resting against his cramped shoulder, on her saddle. He tucked half the blanket around her and walked over to greet the man emerging from the pickup. Mack slapped Benny’s back. “You’re a welcome sight. How the heck did you know to bring a horse trailer? I figured I’d have to leave you here with Ginger and make another round trip to the ranch to bring back a trailer. She got her hoof stuck in a hole and took a stumble.”

“I asked myself what would happen to keep you out with a bunch of steers well after sundown,” Benny said. “The only thing that made sense was that one of the horses had gone lame. Is Jill okay? Or should I have driven slower to get here?” Mack’s old friend said slyly.

Thankfully, Jiggs interrupted by scrambling into the front seat of the pickup, whining and holding up a bandaged paw. Mack ruffled the dog’s fur. “Could Delaney figure out how he injured himself?” he asked, inspecting the bandage that ran halfway up the collie’s leg.

“Somehow he drove a sliver of limestone between two toes. It was in so deep Delaney had to anesthetize him to remove it. You’re avoiding my question about Jill, boss.”

“When Ginger stepped in a hole, Jill sailed over her head and did a face plant. She wasn’t badly hurt, and it turned out good. Better than good, Benny. We patched things up and I’ve never been happier.”

“Hot dang. There’ll be call to celebrate once we get y’all home.”

Mack glanced over. The woman beside the dying fire had begun to stir. “Uh, let’s keep this between us for now. Jill’s job is still in New York. We didn’t discuss how we might make things work. I’d prefer Zoey not fly over the moon with excitement until Jill and I come to definite terms.”

The older man lightly punched Mack’s arm. “Gotcha! My lips are sealed until you make it official.”

Chapter Eleven

Sonja wheeled Erma to the breakfast table. “Where’s Jill?” Erma directed her question at Mack, who’d dished up a breakfast burrito from a steaming stack Benny’s jolly cousin set on the table. “I hope Jill’s not suffering from her fall.”

“She’s sleeping in.” Mack accepted the salsa from Eldon and spooned some over his burrito. “She wouldn’t come in from the barn last night until the vet examined Ginger. That ran extra late because the vet filling in for Delaney had to drive here from his clinic in Seminole.”

Benny gestured at the others with his fork. “Apparently Delaney’s son had to be admitted to the Lubbock hospital for tests. Nickolas is running unexplained fevers again.”

Erma frowned. “Do the doctors here think Nick’s leukemia is back?”

“Maybe.” Mack looked grim. “I didn’t tell Zoey when I went up to say good-night. I’d appreciate if you all keep that under your hats until they’re sure.”

“Zoey’s got other things on her mind. Today she and Jill plan to print the photos Jill took,” Erma said.

Mack set down his burrito and stood. “I’ll go see if Zoey and Jill arranged a specific time. After the vet left last night Jill uploaded the pictures she took of me. She fiddled with them on my office computer until close to 2:00 a.m. Then she got lucky with our spotty internet service and she was able to email them to her assistant in New York. But she’s going with me to the steak-fry lunch meeting. I don’t know if Jill remembered to tell Zoey.”

Before he had a chance to leave, Zoey barreled into the kitchen, nearly bowling Mack over. “Whoa, whoa.” He stopped her forward momentum. He held her still as Jiggs limped past them to get to his food bowl. “Now, what’s got you up before the rooster crows?” Mack asked.

Zoey laughed. “The rooster already crowed bunches of times. I’m up because Brandy called. Her mom will pay us to pick strawberries and green beans today. Mrs. Evers has to arrange flowers for Raedean Foley’s wedding. Is that okay? Her mom’ll bring me home after she delivers the flowers to the church.”

“Sure,” Mack said. “I guess you and Jill can print your photographs later.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot. Is J.J. still asleep?” Zoey scanned the breakfast table.

“Yep. She hasn’t surfaced yet.”

“Maybe she won’t need me. She’ll know which ones are best. But I don’t want you to see them, Daddy.”

“Why not?”

Zoey made a face. “It’s a surprise.”

“Uh-huh. So does your all-fired hurry to go to the Everses’ to earn money have to do with the same surprise?”

She stammered. “N-no. I th-thought if I earned the money you’d let me get my ears pierced when Brandy does hers.”

Mack made a sort of choking sound.

Benny, Eldon and Trevor left the table and carried their plates to the sink. “Whooee, chores are calling us, boss,” Benny said as the men donned their hats and hustled toward the back door. Jiggs even flopped down on his belly, covering his nose with his paws as if awaiting some fallout.

“Come eat, you two,” Erma called to Mack and Zoey. “And don’t be squabbling or Sonja will change her mind about sticking around.”

The other woman chuckled. “Actually, it brings back memories of some lively discussions my husband, rest his soul, had with our daughters over multiple ear piercings and tasteful tattoos—and I use the term
tasteful
loosely.”

“We will not even speak of tattoos,” Mack said, sitting down again.

Zoey giggled and kissed his cheek before she slid into her chair. “One little hole in each ear is all I want.”

Mack added more salsa to his cooling burrito. He thought about Jill’s earrings. Her jewelry was always classy. That day at the library, Zoey had cried about the kids at school who said she looked like a cowboy, not a girl. Mack didn’t want that. “Tell you what, Bug. You earn half of what you need and I’ll pay the other half.”

“Really?” She flew out of her chair and hugged his neck tight. “Oh, boy, oh, boy, wait till I tell Brandy. Daddy, I love you, even if you call me Bug. Can we go now so I can start picking berries?”

He pried her arms loose, aware that Erma and Sonja were amused. “Grab a burrito and then go get what you need for the day. And thank Jill when you see her,” he said, sounding gruffer than necessary. “Jill wears earrings and they look...okay.”

Zoey plucked up a burrito and flew from the room. He was sure that Erma and Sonja saw through him. Without another word he snatched another burrito, jammed on his hat and headed out to his pickup to wait for Zoey.

* * *

J
ILL
WAS
UP
by the time he got back, looking fresh as a sunflower. She was wearing earrings with blue stones that looked like a cloudless sky. She sat on the patio, her milky coffee on the table. No one else was around, and Mack approached her with purpose in his stride. Lifting her out of her chair, he kissed her thoroughly, tasting the sugar she always used in her coffee.

She gave in after her initial surprise and knocked his hat off as she buried her fingers in his hair, kissing him back with fervor.

Mack was slow to release her lips and set her on her feet again.

“Wow, cowboy,” she teased, sliding her hands slowly down his chest. “To what do I owe that greeting?”

“Earrings,” he said, then explained his conversation with Zoey as he swept up his hat.

“I’m glad you agreed to let her get her ears pierced, Mack. It’ll mean she’s not the odd girl out at school next year.”

“It took a while, but I finally got that, Jill. If you don’t mind going to town early, could you help me pick out a pair? I want to surprise her.”

“Sure. Just let me grab my purse and we can go. How are all the infirm today?”

“Huh?”

“Erma, Ginger and Jiggs.”

“Erma’s feisty as ever. Jiggs isn’t limping as much. And when Benny and I checked Ginger at dawn, the swelling in her leg was down and she ate all her oats.”

“That’s a relief. Okay. Do you want to take your truck? Or we can use my rental if we don’t really need the pickup for anything today.”

He dangled his keys. “If you’re going to be a ranch wife, you’ll have to get comfortable using a pickup for everything.”

Jill skidded to a stop at the edge of the patio. “Ranch wife?” she squeaked.

Mack froze, puzzled. “What did you think last night was all about? What did it mean to you? I was serious when I said we’ve already wasted too much time. I want you in my life permanently. Don’t you want the same?”

“Uh... I do. I just... Well, it all happened so fast.”

“I don’t call a thirteen-year gap fast.”

“You have a point,” she said slowly. They’d stopped at her room so she could collect her purse and notebook.

“Jill, what I’m trying to say is, will you be my wife?”

She couldn’t identify why she felt troubled. She was finally exactly where she’d always wanted to be—with Mack at Turkey Creek Ranch.
But...and there was a but.
Before she could voice her concerns—over the speed with which this came about, and thoughts about the old indiscretion with Faith that he wasn’t willing to discuss—she found herself saying, “Yes.”

Thirty minutes later, after celebratory kisses, they stopped at the only jewelry store in town, where they selected a pair of gold stud earrings for Zoey. J.J. asked to have Mack’s purchase put in a black velvet jewelry bag. He had leaned toward buying Zoey her birthstone, but JJ said, “Come back and buy the topaz earrings in November for her birthday. Gold is best for new piercings.”

Before leaving the store, Mack lingered over a case of wedding sets. “Is there a ring you like here? I still have your engagement ring, but I can afford a bigger diamond now, Jilly.”

Caught off guard, she tugged him toward the door. “Let’s not discuss rings yet, Mack. I still live and work in New York.”

“How much time do you need to quit and get back here?”

She stumbled. “Uh...a two weeks’ notice at least. But, Mack, we have a lot of stuff to work out. You have your steak-fry in July, and your contest win has to play out, per your contract with the magazine. That’s August 20th.”

Mack grumbled something indecipherable as he opened the door to the restaurant where he had booked a back room for the luncheon meeting.

They entered the back room where the committee was to meet and Mack was instantly mobbed. Mostly, J.J. noticed, by women. She tried to step away, but he tightened his hold on her waist, effectively molding her to his hip. A sultry, dark-haired woman in a tight red sheath dress nonetheless attached herself to his left arm. Talk swirled around him. Some of the people asked Mack about the fire, some about Erma’s health. Others chatted about the steak-fry.

A woman with graying hair, whom J.J. didn’t recognize, wanted to know if Mack had heard that Delaney Blair’s son was in the hospital again, and that she needed monetary help. “I think we should start a fund at the bank to help her,” the woman said.

“I’ll kick it off with a thousand,” Mack immediately said. The woman typed a note in her smartphone, then left to corral someone else.

The persistent woman in the red dress clung to Mack tenaciously. “Mackenzie, is this your new housekeeper?” she cooed. “Amanda Evers said Benny’s cousin came to fill in for Erma.”

Mack pulled away. “This is my fian—”

J.J. leaned forward, cutting Mack off. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m J. J. Walker, a houseguest at Mack’s ranch.”

Some people seemed to have heard she was a magazine photographer from New York and began plying her with questions.

“Hey,” Mack said, raising his voice. “We’re supposed to be here to gear up for the steak-fry. Trudy, everyone, take your seats. Committee chairs can start giving reports while Buddy and his staff serve our food.”

The room quieted. Mack pulled out a chair for J.J. and sat beside her, leaving Trudy Thorne to alternately pout and glare at them.

Mack took a notepad out of his shirt pocket and called on his first chairperson.

“Ticket sales are going well,” a silver-haired matronly woman seated behind Trudy said. “We’re already up by ten percent over this time last year. Your decision to advertise in neighboring towns has bolstered program ad sales. This being our fourth year, it’s all running smoothly.”

Two waitresses served iced tea and sandwiches. Reports continued and Mack jotted notes. “This is good,” he praised everyone after the last chairwoman spoke. “We’ve got this down to a science. Moving our event to Labor Day weekend is a great idea, Freda.” Mack smiled at a woman in big glasses. “I’m impressed with the entertainment you’ve booked. I think we can skip meeting again until after the Fourth of July. Call me if you hit any snags.”

No one objected so Mack adjourned the meeting. He and J.J. went straight to the cashier, where he got the bill for all of the food. Trudy barged in as he handed over his debit card.

“Mack, what’s your rush?” She muscled her way between him and J.J. As soon as he had his card back and had signed the receipt, he reached right around her, clasped J.J.’s wrist and led her out the door.

“Wait,” Trudy called, following him down the sidewalk. “I want to invite you to go with me to the Fourth of July rodeo dance. I’ll call you next week to get it on your calendar.”

“Trudy, I don’t...” But she was already crossing the street. Mack grimaced and climbed into the pickup.

“Is she someone you’ve been dating?” J.J. broke the dead silence.

“No. Never. Since her last divorce she’s been hitting on me.”

“I can see that.”

“If you’re jealous there’s no need to be.”

“I’m not.” J.J. punched his arm. “I just know Zoey’s not fond of her.”

“Me, neither. She doesn’t seem to get the message. And there are folks in town who’ve tried to set us up. Folks who think every single person should be part of a couple.”

“I’d forgotten that about really small towns. It’s so much harder to find someone in a city.”

“You never did?”

“No.” J.J. shook her head. “I think my heart always belonged to you, Mack,” she said lightly, then changed the subject. “Is Zoey going to be home when we get there? I promised to print the pictures I took of her.”

“She said for you to go ahead. She’s picking strawberries with Brandy to earn some money for half the cost of her earrings. Out of curiosity why doesn’t she want me to see the pictures? They aren’t way out, are they?”

“No,” she laughed. “But if I told you it would ruin her surprise.”

“Okay, but remember, the printer is in
my
bedroom.”

“You still can’t peek. Don’t you have things to do around the ranch?”

“Of course. But it’ll be more fun to watch you fuss with your photos.”

He slowed at the turn onto his ranch road, leaned over and kissed her. “I could get used to this.”

“Me, too.” She tasted his kiss on her lips and thought she really
could
get used to this togetherness. At one time, they’d been totally compatible, and trust was slowly returning. Finally she was beginning to believe they could make being together work. Turning her head, she smiled as she watched his hands on the steering wheel. She loved looking at them and loved feeling them caress her skin. A shiver went up her backbone.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“Something X-rated,” she said.

His eyes widened. He slammed on the brakes in front of the house, stopping in a cloud of dust. Letting the motor idle he took Jill’s upper arms and pulled her partway across the console and first nipped her lower lip, then kissed it better. “Want to go inside and tumble across my bed?”

“Um, that sounds promising.” She ran a finger over his damp lips. “Can you hang on to that thought until later? I really want to crop and print Zoey’s photos.”

Mack pretended to give her option serious thought before he nodded, set her back in her seat and pulled the key from the ignition. “I’ll try to behave while I watch you work.”

“You can be in the room with me, but you can’t peek at the pictures, okay? I gave Zoey my word.”

“Fine. Shall I get us a lemonade?”

“Good idea. We both need to cool off. I’ll drop my purse in my room, collect the photo paper and meet you in your
office.
” She laid heavy accent on that word.