Page 49 of Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas 2)

Red laughed and Rand blushed. When she caught Jake’s eye, he said, “Rand’s been taking really good care of me. I couldn’t ask for a better woman.”

She murmured an excuse and left the house to check on the horses. She needed some time to think about what she was doing with him. Maybe she should tell him no, they couldn’t get married. Give him any kind of excuse she could think of; that she’d found someone else to take the bullet.

But when she tried to picture herself letting him go, a lump rose up in her throat, making it hard to breathe.

She made her way back to the house and saw that Red’s truck was still there. Climbing the steps to the porch, she went inside and found them in the same position, although Jake’s eyes were barely open.

“I just wanted to tell you I’m going to go visit Earl for a few hours and that I left some soup in the microwave for you.” Both pairs of male eyes stared at her, and she shifted her feet.

His lips tilted up into a little smile. “Thanks, honey. Isn’t she sweet?”

Flutters of happiness spread from her chest out. No one called her sweet, least of all Jake.

Red raised his eyebrows and gave her a thoughtful look. “Not usually.”

Tossing him a glare, she was secretly glad Red wasn’t holding any hard feelings. Focusing on Jake’s pale face, she said, “Call me if you need me okay?”

He nodded and with a good-bye to Red, backed quietly from the room before she did something stupid like stay. He was a grown man who had been living on his own for years. He could take care of himself.

“So Jake offered to marry me. Just so I can keep the ranch, of course,” she said the last quickly, not wanting Earl to get the wrong impression.

Rand sat at Earl’s dining room table, eyeballing her old friend and waiting for him to say something. He was surprisingly quiet which was never a good sign for him.

“Did he now? And what did you say?” He took a bite of his pie and chewed slowly.

She cleared her throat. “I said yes. Coming down to the wire and don’t really have a lot of options left.”

“No, I don’t suppose you do.” He still seemed more interested in his pie than her news and it started to rankle her.

“I was hoping you’d come and walk me down the aisle. You know, when we set a date or whatever. I just…I don’t have anyone, and you’ve always been like a father to me…forget it, it’s stupid, unless…you want to, I mean-” She shut her mouth to stop the incessant nervous babbling.

Her request had stopped the pie shoveling for a half of a second and he set his fork down with a nod. “Be happy to walk you down the aisle.”

Rand, in a moment of insanity, stood up and threw her arms around Earl, with a happy cry. She had no idea who was more surprised, Earl or her.

Quickly she released him, embarrassed by her exuberance. Thankfully, he just cleared his throat and grumbled. “No need to make a big deal out of it. Been looking for an excuse to pull out my dress blues.”

Rand sat down and took a bite of her pie, hiding her smile. “Well, thank you, just the same.”

“So, is this purely a business arrangement or is there something going on with you two?” Earl’s bushy brows were raised expectantly.

Rand pushed her braid back over her shoulder and shook her head. “There’s nothing going on with Jake and me.”

Earl grunted and resumed eating. Between bites, he said, “Whether you’re lying to me or yourself, I don’t know, but if that boy hurts you, he’s gonna be dealing with the bad side of my temper.”

Rand stared at the top of Earl’s head and her mouth twitched with humor. “Is there a good side to your temper?”

“Sassy mouth,” Earl grumbled.

After Red left Jake took a nap, and when he woke up again, a purring Scout was sleeping on his chest. He looked up into yellow eyes nearly closed but for thin

slits, and muttered, “Who said you could lay on me, cat?”

The cat’s eyes opened a little wider as she rolled over and looked at him upside down, her white belly exposed.

He reached up and stroked the soft fur and grumbled, “You’re a manipulative little thing, aren’t you?”

Her purr got louder as he spoke to her and he noticed he felt a little better. He was still tired and weak but at least the god awful pain had left his stomach.

---