Rodeo Blues Read online

  "Not until you hear me out," Jhett said. "You think Tye's the innocent one here. Have you asked him why he's returned to Skeeter Blue? You can't really believe it was just for our rinky-dink rodeo we hold every year." His hatred for Tye was evident in his voice, dripping from his words. "He wants to meet with me come Monday morning. Just got a notice from his lawyer. What else could he want but to settle the score?" He shook his head. "Don't know what the bastard thinks he'll prove. It's my word against his."

  She couldn't believe Tye would return to town for such a petty reason. He'd made a name for himself with the circuit. He didn't need to return to Skeeter Blue to prove anything – least of all to Jhett Reeves. Only she wondered why after all these years he did return. They held the Cowboy Christmas in July Rodeo every year. So, why now? She'd be a fool to believe it was solely because of her.

  Then she frowned as she realized what Jhett had said. Since when did Tye have a lawyer? Why would he need one? And why would he make an appointment to see Jhett on Monday?

  "You don't have to worry," Jhett continued, "I'll stand by you." He rambled on about commitments and other such nonsense. She really wasn't listening. "You won't be ruined," he said. "I'll marry you. Once you divorce him, of course."

  "What?" Those last sentences focused her attention. "I'm not marrying you," she told him, but he didn't want to listen. That was what was wrong with Jhett. He never listened. It was all about him and his needs and wants. He never stopped to consider what anyone else wanted.

  His grip tightened on her arm as she tried to take a step back. He yanked her toward him into a tight embrace. He tried to kiss her even as she strained to get away. "Come on, Jolie. You need me," he told her.

  "Take your paws off my wife!"

  Both turned at the same time to find Tye looming over them, his hands fisted and fire burning in his eyes. His gaze narrowed in on Jhett and his nostrils flared.

  Jhett wisely let go of her and stepped back with his hands raised and palms forward in mock surrender, but his eyes told a whole other story.

  "Are you okay, Jolie?" Tye asked her in a calmer voice, but he didn't take his eyes off Jhett, who looked like he was about to split a gut with the way his body tensed.

  "I'm fine," Jolie told him, but she wasn't fine. She was pissed at Jhett for taking advantage of the situation, and at Tye for marrying her when he had no right. She was a whole lot of confused over what Jhett hinted about Tye's return visit too. Not only the bragging rights to running Tye out of town, but also for suggesting Tye was only here to even the score. She needed a moment to process – all of it.

  "You are far from fine," Jhett spat the words, which took on a whole different meaning when he spoke them. "You're married to a low life—"

  She didn't even think, but reacted. Her fist flew into Jhett's nose. Caught off guard, he stumbled back into the crowd.

  "Watch it!" A biker with a snake tattoo winding around his bicep, growled. He shoved Jhett in the chest, and he stumbled back a few steps. Jhett was by no means a pushover. He'd played football and he'd stayed in shape.

  Jhett already had his dander up, and the biker's action proved his breaking point. He whirled on the guy and threw a punch. The biker didn't even falter, not one bit. It was like he was carved from granite, for as much damage as Jhett had done to his face. Jhett realized his mistake a little too late. The biker went after him, and before long others joined in as if they'd been itching for a fight all evening and were glad someone finally initiated it. A fist from the biker landed Jhett into the crowd.

  A security guard yelled for them to stop, and then his whistle trilled next. It wouldn't be long before he had back up.

  "Come on," Tye said to her and grabbed hold of her upper arm, ushering her away from the flying fists.

  The farther they ventured from the crowd, the more time she had to think logically, but as the adrenalin rush dwindled, she also became acutely aware of her throbbing hand. She cradled it to her stomach, wondering if she'd broken something. It would serve her right for punching Jhett. What had she been thinking? She never let anyone get her dander up like she did tonight.

  Tye glanced her way and noticed her babying her hand. "We'll get some ice for that, slugger. It isn't everyday someone protects my honor." His mouth slid into an appreciative grin, and for a moment, the pain she endured had been well worth the price.

  She returned the smile.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tye headed toward the swings situated in the park facing the food stands. The park had been built the summer he turned six years old. The merry-go-round could use a coat of paint, but the slide and the swings looked to be in good condition.

  Tye took a seat on the swing next to Jolie. Using his feet, he shuffled closer to her and took her hand. The food stand selling snow cones was good enough to help him out with a baggie filled with crushed ice. He lightly pressed the bag to her bruised knuckles. "Not that I don't mind you defending me, but what possessed you to punch Jhett?"

  She sighed heavily, but then seemed to get all riled up again. "That man's been a bee in my bonnet since the seventh grade. He had it coming."

  Tye chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Shocked him some though." Jolie had never been one for fistfights unless provoked, and he had a hunch she hadn't changed that much. Made him wonder what Jhett said to her right before he happened upon them. He lifted the baggie and inspected her hand. "I don't think you broke anything, but it'll be tender for a few days."

  "I can handle it." She pursed her lips then. He could tell she wanted to say more, but was formulating the words before she blurted them out. "Why didn't you tell me what Jhett and his buddies did to you after prom?"

  So that was what had gotten her all riled up. "That's ancient history," he said with a long tired sigh. "I don't think about it anymore."

  "Bulls in pen, you don't," she snapped.

  He smiled at her choice of curses. She could come up with some colorful metaphors when angry. "Like I said, it's ancient history. I'm not an insecure teen anymore."

  Her gaze searched his for a long measured moment before she reached for him with her good hand, her slender fingers caressing his jaw. "I wish you would have told me. You should have told me," she repeated, her voice gentler now.

  Yeah, maybe he should have, but he wasn't one to wallow in self-pity, and he definitely didn't want hers. He took her hand and lowered it. "It wasn't your problem."

  "Not my problem?" Her brows furrowed. "I love… I loved you. If someone hurt you, I would have wanted to know."

  He couldn't help but notice, she used the past tense. She loved him. He'd been gone a long time. He couldn't expect her to hold a torch for him forever, even if he couldn't get her out of his mind or his heart. No girl ever matched up to Jolie Lockhart and what they had together. No one captured his heart, and now he knew why. He'd left it in Skeeter Blue with the girl…the woman...who sat beside him on a swing, nursing bruised knuckles.

  "When you told me you were joining the rodeo circuit, you promised you would come home for Christmas. You didn't," she accused. "I waited and you didn't come home. No phone calls. Nothing. If you hadn't made a name for yourself, I would have believed you were dead. Can you imagine how that felt?" She shook her head before she pinned him with a look that clearly told him how much he'd hurt her. "Why didn't you come home?"

  He remembered what he told her. At the time, he had meant it. He knew he had nothing to prove to Jhett Reeves, but he had to prove to himself he was worthy to ask Jolie to be his wife, and a penniless man didn't have the right to ask anyone to marry him.

  He had come home for Christmas. He believed he had enough money to support both of them by then. He'd come home a winner in three of the rodeo events. He had planned to ask Jolie to marry him, but when he arrived home, she hadn't been alone…

  * * * * *

  He'd taken the bus back to Skeeter Blue with a ring in his pocket and a whole lot of promises. Once he arrived, he'd planned to head to the town squa
re where they held the Christmas tree lighting. Following the ceremony, they'd all head for the town hall, where there would be food, drinks, and a whole lot of dancing. It was a yearly tradition and he knew Jolie would be there with her father. They never missed the event.

  Only on the last stretch of the way, the bus ran into engine trouble and they had to switch vehicles on route. He arrived late and all the town folk were already inside the town hall. Probably had been there for hours.

  The music floated on the air with holiday cheer. He smiled as he hurried to join the townspeople…his friends. As much as he wanted to leave Skeeter Blue and forget where he'd come from, another part of him missed the simplicity of small town living.

  He smoothed down his hair, and prayed his clothes didn't look too wrinkled from having been stuffed in a duffle bag. He eased the hall doors open. No one took notice of him, which suited him just fine.

  There were red and green streamers overhead, a small Christmas tree near the bandstand and a long table pushed over by the wall with a display of sweets – cookies, pies, and chocolate cake. The punch bowl was a red concoction and he wondered if it had been spiked yet? Every year, since he was fifteen, Mike would sneak in a flask to do the honors, while Jimmy and Sonny kept anyone from catching him. He was in charge of stopping the young'uns from sampling the juice, by handing out juice boxes with straws. Those were the days. He smiled at the thought.

  His gaze searched the crowd, and finally, he found Jolie. His breath caught in his throat as he took in all of her at once. She was dressed in a red velvet dress with her hair curled just so, with most of the strands cascading down her back. She was a vision for sore eyes. He had taken a step toward her, but halted his advances when his gaze latched onto the guy standing next to her. Jhett Reeves. He clenched his fists, and wanted so much to ram them into Jhett's pompous face, but Jolie did the darnedest thing. She walked into Jhett's outstretched arms.

  He rubbed a hand over his face, believing his tired eyes deceived him, but when he looked again, the scene became his worst nightmare. Jolie didn't push Jhett away. She seemed mighty comfortable in his arms and when Jhett dipped his head to give her a kiss, he knew he couldn't stay a moment longer.

  He turned on his heels and marched out of the hall and didn't look back.

  * * * * *

  "Tye?"

  He turned toward Jolie. "I did come back that Christmas," he told her.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I was at the dance where you were cozying up to Jhett."

  "Cozying up to—" She pursed her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her frown almost made him believe her, but he'd been there. He saw it with his own eyes.

  "I saw you kiss him," he clarified.

  "Jhett?" The pitch of her voice went up a few notches and her nose wrinkled as if she smelled something dreadful. "You saw me kissing Jhett Reeves?"

  "Yes, Jhett Reeves," he said, a little perturbed now.

  She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Jhett and I never were a couple and I don't go around hugging Jhett for no good reason."

  "Maybe not, but I saw you two together. It was that Christmas I told you I would return for you. Can you honestly sit there and tell me you never kissed Jhett Reeves? Never?" He stressed the last word with meaning and leveled his eyes on her as he tried to read her expressions, tried to tell if she were lying when she claimed she didn't care for Jhett. Maybe she didn't have feelings for the man now, but he couldn't erase what he witnessed all those years ago.

  She truly did appear perplexed. In truth, it had been a long time ago, but the memory had been burned into his brain like a brand. "You were at the dance, standing near the punch bowl," he said, trying to jog her memory. "Jhett pulled you into his arms and—"Then he saw it. The recognition lighting her eyes. She did remember.

  "Oh, no." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "That's not what you saw."

  "But you remember kissing him," he pushed for the answer.

  "I remember," she murmured. She met his gaze then. "You did see us kiss, but we were standing under the mistletoe and Jhett took advantage of the fact. He was supposed to kiss me on the cheek, but like always, he took more than was offered. You didn't stick around for what happened afterwards, I take it."

  "No, I'd seen plenty. Why would I want to see more?"

  "'Cause if you had stayed, you would have seen me push him away. You would have known I didn't want to be with him. How could you not trust me? How could you even believe for a second I wouldn't be waiting for you?"

  He stared at her for a long measured moment. She would have no reason to lie to him. Old memories and feelings overwhelmed him, and he knew his insecurities had always hampered his judgment in regards to Jolie. "I was a fool in more ways than one. I should have fought for you."

  She licked her lips. "You never had to fight for me. You already had me, Tye. You just didn't want to believe it."

  "And now?" he asked, and couldn't help but hope he'd have another chance.

  She didn't answer at first, but he took it as a good sign when she didn't laugh at him for asking. Finally, she spoke, "I don't know." She brushed strands of hair away from his forehead with a sweep of her hand. "I believed those feelings I had for you were long gone, but they're still there. Only I'm not that young girl anymore." She gave him a sidelong glance. "And I sure as heck am not going to wait around for you to come home for Christmas this time around."

  "I'm staying, Jolie. I'm not going anywhere. This is my last rodeo event." He met her gaze and hoped she would see the truth there.

  Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I want to believe you, but—"

  He didn't let her finish. He pulled the swing closer and kissed her, not letting her voice her concerns. He closed his eyes as she kissed him back. "Don't give up on us," he murmured against her lips, his voice a hoarse whisper, a plea for her to remember how good they were together. How good they could still be.

  Her palm pressed against his chest and she pushed him away. The swings parted them, hers swinging gently until she settled her feet on the ground. Her lips were red from his caress and her cheeks had flushed. "You're not getting it," she said. "There's no us. We're strangers caught up in the moment of what we once shared." Her hand self-consciously brushed her mouth as if she were remembering his kiss despite her words. "I'm attracted to you," she admitted. "I'm not going to deny it. Kissing and," her cheeks flushed, "and other things were never a problem for us, were they?"

  No, kissing and the other things, as she put it, had never been an issue. In bed they'd always been in sync, but her question was rhetorical and he treated it as such.

  "Why did you return to Skeeter Blue?" she asked. "Why now? The truth." Her hand rested on his forearm, and her gaze was direct.

  "For you, Jolie. You know that."

  "I know no such thing. Why now? Ten years. Ten long years, and now you ride in as if time stood still, while you decided what you wanted in life. Let me tell you a little secret: After a year with no news from you, I didn't stand around and pine for your return."

  "Didn't say you did." He scrubbed his face.

  "Are you meeting with Jhett on Monday?" she asked, throwing him off kilter with the question.

  "Who told you?" Though he was pretty sure it had been Jhett. The business would have received his letter from the lawyers about a meeting on Monday. He had the majority of shares. He'd bought out the company without them even realizing it. But Jhett didn't know what the meeting was about. Tye wanted to discuss the details in person. Wanted to see his face when he told him he'd lost his daddy's business, but what did Jolie think was going to happen at this meeting? What had Jhett told her?

  She shook her head as the silence thickened between them "It's true. You plan on meeting with Jhett," she confirmed it herself, and he didn't deny it. Disappointment shadowed her eyes, but her gaze held his.

  He was the first to glance away. She wanted to believe the worst of him and he wasn't
going to stop her. He wanted to be with her, but he also didn't want her questioning his every move as if he had a secret agenda. So what if he was going to close Reeves Construction? Since Jhett took over the company, it had been steadily losing money. His right as the majority share holder, he could decide what should be done with it. Why should he keep losing money? He closed his eyes. He could argue all day on the rights and wrongs of what he planned, but deep down he knew the truth. He wanted for once to win a fight with Jhett. Why couldn't she just let him have this one win?

  "You may be years older and wiser," she said, "but deep down you're still that little boy who wants to give it to the Jhetts of this world. The ones who believe money is an excuse for bad manners."

  "Do you blame me?" he blurted out before he could stop himself, proving her point. Sure, he couldn't pretend he'd like nothing more than to do just what she said, and come Monday, he had every intention of doing a little gloating.

  Her lips curved into a sad smile. "Maybe not, but I don't want any part of what you're planning. I want a man by my side, not a boy who's still licking his wounds."

  "Jolie, I—"

  She held up her hand, halting his words and his attempt to pull her into his arms. "I wish you the best," she told him. "I truly do."

  With those words, she stood and left him sitting there staring after her.

  * * * * *

  After Jolie left him, he didn't want to go back to the hotel. He sauntered over to Big Bob's Saloon where only a few people were seated. Most of the town folks were still over at the stage enjoying what was left of the barbecue.

  He sat at the bar. "Whiskey neat, Stan."