Page 13 of Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas 2)

Scout came down the hall, weaving between her legs with loud meows for attention, but Rand paid her little heed. Jake had kissed her. One minute they’d been fighting and the next he had her pinned to the wall with his hand on her breast.

Why now? He’d had twenty years to kiss her, so of all days to start, why had he chosen today?

Dropping her head back against the wall, she sighed. It had to be the clause in the will. It was ruining her life.

Rand had agreed to have a drink with Branson Alexander because she was going toThe Watering Hole anyway and she wanted to hear his pitch. Sure in high school she’d had a football field sized crush on him, but that had ended the day he’d left a note in her locker telling her to meet him after school at his truck. She’d gone, trying to act cool but when she’d shown up to find him making out with Kim in the front seat, she’d cursed herself for her stupidity. She’d kept walking past his truck to hers and tried to ignore the laughter that followed her that last month of high school.

Afterwards, she’d heard whispers about him getting into some trouble in college and his dad hadn’t been happy with him. He’d been trying to get Branson out on one of his oil rigs, but Branson had avoided that fate so far.

Now here he was, looking nervously at her with those spring leaf green eyes and the black curls that fell just a little too long. He was still gorgeous, but even if Rand was willing to forgive the blow to her pride, she would never forget. And there was no way in hell she’d ever marry someone she trusted less than a coyote around a newborn calf.

She looked up past Branson’s shoulder and saw Jake walk in. Watching him move around the bar, her mouth suddenly felt like she had a dozen cotton balls stuffed inside. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the way he’d kissed her, hadn’t been able to figure out why any of it had happened. They had been friends for so long…

She’d handled the whole situation badly. She’d been embarrassed about the wrap and the kiss, but he was right. She had kissed him back…eagerly.

She looked back at Branson when he cleared his throat. He was obviously anxious about what he had to say, so she prompted, “So, you wanted to talk to me about something?”

Branson flashed a strained smile. “Yeah, Miranda, I just wanted to apologize about our senior year. Kim talked me into leaving you the note and I just feel bad.”

She took a sip of her beer, pretending she was mulling his apology over. “Really? Cause your apology is coming about seven years late.”

His smile disappeared. “Yeah I know. I was just thinking…”

“That you’d marry me? Get your hands on the Double C and what? We’d get a divorce and you’d get half? That’s not how this little arrangement is going to work.” She had the satisfaction of watching the eagerness leave his face and continued, “See, the man I marry is going to sign a pre-nuptial agreement that states he will have no say or stock in the Double C.”

Abruptly, he threw some money down on the table and stood up. “Well that’s that then. If you don’t mind, I’m gonna take off. Find something that’s not such a waste of time.”

“There’s the Branson I know. I was worried there for a minute you’d grown a conscience,” she said mockingly.

“Fucking bitch,” he snarled before stalking away.

Grabbing a hold of her pony tail, she ran her fingers through it grimly. She had been out with four men since Tuesday and not one of them was going to work out. Nasally voice, stutter, ego, and asshole. Both of the first guys were good men, but they were looking for a real wife. Someone to settle down and make babies, and once she’d mentioned the name only part, they’d pulled out. She hadn’t been able to stand Cody Underhill going on and on about how much money he’d put into his truck and how many speakers he had in his home theater system. And then Branson had been the cherry on top. She didn’t know how women actually did this all the time. Dating was exhausting.

“Looks like that didn’t go well.”

Her gaze snapped up to meet Jake’s laughing green eyes and tried to act normal despite the kangaroo hop her heart was doing.

“I don’t know. I think it went better than my other dates this week. Wasn’t as boring and only took half the time.”

He handed her another beer and sat down. “Yeah, I’ve never seen Branson move that fast. Even when he played football he was slower than molasses.”

She took a drink, trying to think of something clever to say or a way to ease into her apology speech, but nothing came to mind. “Where’s Red?”

He shrugged. “Said he had something to do.”

“So you came here alone? No hot date? I thought you were much in demand with the single ladies..”

He grinned around his beer neck. “I’m keeping my options open.”

“Ah, well I better not cramp your style then.” She started to stand up and was surprised when he reached out and held her wrist in his hand.

“You’re not. Really.” He tugged her arm until she sat down again and added, “I’m sorry about Sunday. I was a jerk.”

“No, it was my fault. I overreacted,” she said, trying not to dwell on the fact that he still held her wrist in his hand.

“Can we just forget about it? Wipe the slate clean and hang out like nothing happened,” he asked.

A roller coaster feeling had her stomach flopping to her knees. Why was she disappointed that the kiss hadn’t meant anything? “Are you sure?”

---