Page 17 of The Texas Cowboy's Lady

“I see. I think. But I know better than to poke the old bear while in this mood. So I’ll just remind you that we’ve got the Tremaynes coming over to look at those two mares this afternoon at four. You’re free, right? I can do it myself if you have something else you need to do. But you’re the one who began this deal, so I thought you might want to see it through.”

“I’ll be there. As long as I can get through this list without any more interruptions.”

Beaudry chuckled. “I’m leaving. Don’t need to tell me twice. See you later.”

The room was quiet again. Which suited Jaxson just fine. His whole day had been off-kilter, thanks to a certain female, and had progressed downhill from early that morning when he had the great idea of driving her over to the worksite for her project. Why had he done that? He could have—and should have—sent one of the cowhands over there as driver. Laurel’s soft heart had surprised him. He had expected it to have hardened over the years away from Texas, becoming one of the elites in moviemaking. Yet, there it was when the vet had been giving his assessment of the puppy. And he was glad it was still there.

Another memory of Laurel came back to his mind. She had been thirteen and one of the barn cats was having kittens on a cold winter’s night. It was clear that she might be having a hard time of it. Laurel’s grandmother had forbidden her from bringing the cat into the house. So Laurel had taken a pillow and blanket and bedded down in a corner of the barn, willing herself to stay awake. She’d sat there, afraid to close her eyes and afraid she wouldn’t know what to do if the cat needed help.

He had been coming back just after midnight from a stock run when he noted a small bit of light under a blind in the feed room office. Something made him detour and check it out. There he found Laurel, trying to hide the fear and tears, but not doing a very good job. He should have gone away when she had shaken her head when he asked if she needed help. His warm bed was calling. But he stayed. And by dawn, there had been two kittens born. But Mom did not make it.

Jaxson had rummaged around in the med closet and then placed a call to the vet. He would deal with doing that later, when the bill came in. And Laurel’s grandfather would try to placate her grandmother for going against her orders. But that would come later. Jaxson had made a dash into town and came back with the meds and the formula and instructions. For the next four weeks, Laurel hid the kittens away and fed them every two hours. Then he would come in from a long day’s work on the ranch, sneak into the med room, and claim the items Laurel would have left for him, and he would take the night shift from midnight to just before sunrise. The cats had survived, and he had a feeling that Laurel had stepped in and shielded her grandmother’s ire from him. But it had been worth it. That had also been the dawning of new feelings that led to his determination that he had found the one female that would be his person for the rest of his days.

Most people would have made a joke of the fact that a sixteen-year-old kid had made such a decision. But he knew just as certain as the sun rose in the east that Laurel Burkitt was the one. His heart had only grown in that belief. Until the day he had stepped up and taken her hand as she was about to leave the ranch again after losing her grandfather. He had spoken his heart. And she had countered, asking him to go with her. They had come to an impasse, and neither was giving in. So, Laurel had gotten on the plane and left.

It was a memory he chose to not revisit over the years. Why it had reared its head again in that moment, he couldn’t explain. But it needed to be forgotten. Their lives had gone on and grown apart. And just the fact that Laurel had returned with her fiancé in tow should be the period at the end of that sentence. And if what Laurel said earlier about Arabella and her interest in a future with him was true, well, then that was okay too. In fact, while in Dallas, away from the gossips in Burkitt, he’d shopped for a ring... just in case. He had one, but that was locked in a safe and belonged to only one woman—Laurel. His heart kept it company. More so since Laurel had come back again.

But why did Laurel’s comments on the issue bother him so much? He never pretended to know what any female was thinking. But was she right? Was she saying it as some kind of warning or was she being funny or was she—

He stopped.

The thought he had in that moment was just too farfetched. Laurel Burkitt would never be a jealous woman. Why should she? She had the world by the tail and a fiancé and a future that was on fire. Why should she care about anything to do with a common cowboy’s life? She had made it clear that his life was not one that she would ever find appealing.So, knock it off.She had something new to interest her, but sooner or later, it would lose its glitter and she’d be on that jet, she and Sean, back to the life that suited them. He wasn’t going to go backward.

Chapter Eight

It was agood thing that not much surprised him.Most of the time.Jaxson removed his usual sunglasses and took another long look at the couple standing next to the curb in front of the diner. Sean had caught his attention when he had pulled in three spaces down to grab a quick coffee on the way back to the ranch. Jaxson had been on the road for the last eight hours and he was ready to get back home. He didn’t want to have to make small talk with their guest. His hand froze on the door handle.

The door opened on the Jeep that had pulled into the parking spot in front of Sean. His face lit up when he saw the driver. A long-haired blonde fairly flew from the driver’s seat and plastered herself against his body. Sean was very clearly as engaged in the hello as the woman was. The only thing wrong in Jaxson’s estimation was the fact that Laurel was nowhere in sight.

He’d write it off as welcoming his sister possibly, but that was not a hug any guy would be giving his sister. What was going on? He didn’t figure Sean for a player, but then, who really knew anyone these days? By the look on Sean’s face, he was definitely all into whoever the female was. Then the pair jumped into her vehicle. It was evident he had been waiting on her to appear. They pulled away from the curb and soon were headed down the road toward the ranch.

Interesting.And did Laurel know this person? Something about it didn’t sit well with Jaxson. Not one little bit. Why should he care what the pair of them did? If Laurel didn’t know what her fiancé was all about, it wasn’t up to him to enlighten her. Or was it? Someone was going to tell him just who that woman was and what was she to Laurel’s fiancé.

He shook his head. Just another headache he didn’t need. The coffee was forgotten. He jammed the truck into gear and headed out of town.

*

“You got backfrom the stock show just in time for our party. I’m glad you could make it.” Sammi Jo caught up with Jaxson as he stepped out of his truck in front of the stable offices.

His sister-in-law was glowing and growing, and he was grateful for both positives. He wasn’t one to be effusive about such things, but he had more than a little bit of pride in the fact that he was going to be an uncle again. Both Beaudry and Sammi Jo were still in the over-the-moon but cautious stage. So he tried to follow suit.

“What party would that be?”

“Well, we have the groundbreaking with the dignitaries who are flying and driving in to celebrate this great boon to the state’s treasury. Of course, most of these politicians are also campaigning, so there will be a lot of boring speeches and grandstanding. But the party will just be us and some of the staff who will be moving here when they get the housing done. There are already walls going up in some areas. I think these guys must be working around the clock.”

“With your sister overseeing them, would you think it would be any other way?”

Sammi Jo laughed and shook her head. “Absolutely true. But you have to be there, okay?”

“I make no promises. I need to check on some things I left for the crew to take care of while I was gone, and it’s been a long time on the road. But you can stop the pouting routine. I will try.”

“I’m not as good at the pout as my sister is. But glad you took pity on my effort. See you later.”

A party.He was bone-tired and never felt less like celebrating. He’d make the rounds and then grab a shower that might make a little difference in his energy level. If he were lucky, he’d be in and out without too much party talk involved.

He had twenty minutes. That was what his watch showed when he finished his last check-in with the night crew. If he tried to go all the way back to his house, there would be no time. He had his clothing bag still in his truck, and there was an empty shower in the second barn. Actually, it was little more than a showerhead and a square of fiberglass that left very little to the imagination if a taller cowboy was trying to take a quick scrub after an assist with the vet in the foaling area or after some mishap. It would have to do or else he would go smelling like all sorts of foul smells to this party.

At least the water was hot, and it was working its magic on reviving his brain and cleaning the road grime off his body. The bar of soap was small and slippery. And it decided to go flying out of his hand and end up on the wet floor behind him. He turned, muttering an expletive, and bent to pick up the elusive soap. It went skittering farther away from his grasp. Another grab and he got it.

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