Rodeo Blues Read online

  No such luck.

  He slid the DVD closer toward her. "Take this home. You tell me if I should have refused you."

  She regarded the DVD case as if it would bite. "I can't fathom what difference it will make. So I proclaimed my love or some other nonsense."

  "I deal with the facts, Jolie. You and Tye came to me and asked me to marry you. You declared your love for Tye and he did the same. Before you decide it's all been one big mistake, I think you should take a look at the DVD, and then have that well overdue chat with your husband." He reached for her hand and placed the item firmly in her palm. "When you have the chance, watch it. My grandpappy always told me: when making life-changing decisions, sleep on it before making your demands. I'm giving you the same advice. If you still want the annulment after watching this, come tomorrow, I'll grant you and Tye an annulment without a fuss."

  She wanted to protest further, but really, what difference did it make? "Fine." She nodded. "I'll take a look. Might have myself some popcorn while I watch." Her statement dripped with sarcasm, but Mayor Dirkly didn't seem to notice, or maybe he just didn't care to acknowledge her surly mood a moment longer.

  "You do that. Have a good day, Jolie." He headed for the door, obviously deciding his mission had been accomplished.

  She stared at the DVD then grabbed it and shoved it in her purse beneath the counter.

  "There you are."

  She looked up as her father strode in wearing his button up white shirt and slacks. He was probably on his way to the medical tent. "Hi, Daddy." Then she remembered she was supposed to meet with him, but with Tye and her mad rush to the hospital, she'd forgotten all about it.

  Her father looked around the store then asked, "Are we alone?"

  "Yes," she said slowly. "What's going on?"

  Her father placed a manila envelope on the counter.

  "What's this?" she asked.

  "What Tye has been hiding from you. I think you'll want to see this."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Tye arrived back at his hotel room and plugged his phone into the charger. As soon as it had enough of a charge, the darn thing started beeping at him. He reached for it and found he had a slew of messages. Mayor Dirkly had called ten times. "What in the world," he murmured and decided to return his call first. "Hello, Mayor. What's the urgency?"

  "Thank goodness. I thought you'd never return my calls. You haven't been by to see Jolie yet, have you?"

  "No," he said as he removed his shirt. He needed a shower and headed into the bathroom to start the water. "I was at the hospital." He'd been there all night. Chris' wife arrived at the hospital early this morning. Her flight had been delayed, and he didn't want to leave her until the doctors came back with the news about her husband's condition.

  "You could have called sooner," Mayor Dirkly said. "You do have one of those handy devices called a cell phone, don't you?"

  He sighed. "I didn't bring my charger and it died on me."

  Mayor Dirkly harrumphed. "You should plan for these things."

  Tye rolled his eyes, becoming more impatient as the seconds ticked by. He was tired, wanted to clean up and then lie down for a few hours. "Did you call me for a reason?"

  "Oh yes. Had me a nice chat with Jolie earlier."

  Tye paused. The sound of the water spraying against the tiles was the only thing he heard for a few seconds, that and his heart pounding in his ears.

  "Are you still there?" the Mayor asked.

  "Yeah. What exactly did you talk about?"

  "Not so much what I said, but what I gave her to watch."

  "No." Tye shook his head, as if this would make it not so. "Tell me you didn't give her the DVD of our wedding."

  "I did."

  "No, no, no," he whined as he made a fist and brought it down, wanting so bad to hit something. "I told you not to give it to her." He turned off the water and strode back into the bedroom searching for a clean shirt in the pile he had on the bed.

  He had hurt Jolie when he left town all those years ago. At the time, he'd believed he was doing what was best for her, but he shouldn't have left her the way he had. He should have done right by her and faced her like a man with the reasons why he packed up his belongings and skedaddled out of town. He should have faced her when he thought she'd decided Jhett was the one for her. Just another one to add to the lists of mistakes he'd made. It was no wonder she didn't want to give him another chance. He didn't deserve one.

  "Listen," the Mayor said, "you didn't give her the DVD. I did. Give the woman some credit. So she had a few drinks. What she said isn't a lie. I married enough folks to know when the bride and groom truly love each other."

  He wasn't going to argue with Mayor Dirkly. He had the right to his opinions, even if they were flat out wrong – well, half-wrong, anyway. He did love Jolie. He'd never stopped loving her. "I gotta go." He ended the call then looked to see who else had been trying to reach him. Buddy left a message and there were two missed calls from Jolie.

  She'd left a message, but when he listened to it, he knew it had been left early this morning, since she wanted to know if he'd gotten back to the hotel all right, and she wanted to know if there had been any news about Chris' condition. The second call, she didn't leave a message.

  He glanced at the time. The Mayor had given her the DVD hours ago. He couldn't dare to hope she hadn't seen it yet. He rushed back into the bathroom and was about to splash some water on his face, but one look in the mirror and he knew he couldn't face Jolie looking like he'd been dragged behind a bull. He turned on the shower again. Ten minutes later he was out, dried off, had put on some deodorant, and grabbed the clean shirt, shoving his arms into the sleeves.

  Once he was seated in the truck, he called Jolie back. He was half surprised she picked up. "Where are you?" he asked. She told him she was at home and twenty minutes later, he parked in her driveway. He stared at her quaint home with a welcoming porch swing, just waiting for a couple to happen upon it.

  "You can do this," he murmured. He headed up the walk, but before he could knock, the front door swung open, revealing Jolie. She must have heard his truck pull up.

  She wore her hair in a ponytail, and she'd donned a vintage T-shirt and cutoff shorts. Oh, those legs of hers – long and firm – and she was barefoot too. Ten polished toenails peeked at him, and there was a frilly flower painted on each of her big toes.

  Without a word, she held open the screen.

  He removed his hat as he stepped into her house and placed it on the coat rack next to hers. She had the air conditioner running. It proved a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat outside.

  "Do you want a glass of ice tea?" she asked.

  "Uh…sure." He was trying to gauge her mood, but had no luck. She appeared calm and collected, and she put on a good show at being the good hostess too, but something told him this was all a facade, and when she was good and ready, she'd let him have it.

  "Want lemon?" she asked as she poured the brew into tall mugs filled with ice.

  "No, I'm fine," he told her.

  "Suit yourself." She shrugged. "By the way, how's Chris Burns? Any news on his condition?" she asked and headed to the table with the mugs.

  He pulled out a chair for her, then took a seat catty-cornered to hers. "He's going to be fine. He didn't break his back. Cracked a few ribs, broke his leg, and fractured his arm. Considering the alternative, he came out of this better than expected. I would have called, but my phone died and…" he let the feeble excuse fade into silence.

  She sipped her tea, and then said, "I'm glad he's going to be all right."

  "Jolie…" She met his gaze and his heart stuttered. She'd been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and the tender skin below looked puffy. He hadn't noticed that earlier, but then her legs had been a distraction.

  "Why did you come back to town again?" she asked. "How about we go with the truth this time and not something you think I want to hear."

  He swallowed the lump in hi
s throat. "You know why."

  Her gaze hardened. "That's all you're going to say."

  He didn't know what she was fishing for. Was she talking about the DVD? Had she watched it? All of it? If so, her question didn't make sense. "What you said at our wedding…I know you meant it. Deep down you must have meant it."

  She frowned, then shook her head. "I don't give a damn about the DVD and what I said on it. We should have never been there. It should have never happened."

  "Don't say that," he said, but she opened her mouth to say more. On impulse, he stood and leaned forward, taking hold of her shoulders for support and kissed her, swallowing her words beneath teeth and tongue. She didn't resist, but she didn't wholeheartedly participate either.

  Finally, their lips parted, but he didn't let her go. Their breath mingled as one as the silence grew unbearable. "Maybe I didn't stop you because it's what I wanted. It's what I've dreamt about for years." She shook her head as she pushed him away. He let her go and sat down again.

  "Please, forgive me," she said, the sarcasm ringing loud and clear, "if I think you're full of—"

  "I love you," he blurted out, drowning out her words.

  Silence again, the real killer to a relationship. Everyone believed arguing was the culprit, but it wasn't. Silence meant there was nothing more to say, nothing to fight for. Silence made it easier to turn your back on someone and walk away.

  "I love you," he said again, quieter, but with enough conviction she couldn't deny he meant it. "I've always loved you. I've never stopped loving you." He threw up his hands in frustration.

  She pushed her chair back and stood. "Stop saying that. You lie, and you don't keep your word. So you sure in the heck don't know what love is, 'cause you wouldn't do either of those if you did." She strode over to the kitchen counter. She reached for a manila envelope on the breadbox and immediately returned and plopped it in front of him.

  "What's this?" he asked.

  "I've had a few special deliveries this morning at the store. This among them."

  "I take it they weren't from the Avon lady."

  Her hands fisted at her hips and her glare was enough to make him shrink in his seat. He could be sarcastic also, but now probably wasn't the time when he was scrambling to make peace. He cleared his throat. "Who came by?" Though with one peek of the legal jargon on the papers he had a pretty good idea who the second visitor was, but he wanted her to say it.

  "Doesn't really matter, does it?"

  "Listen, I don't know what Jhett told you, but—"

  "You're shutting down Reeves Construction Company," she spoke over him, and he closed his mouth. Trying to make excuses wouldn't win him points. "You're the big shot everyone's been talking about for ages," she accused. "The oil drill on your daddy's land is yours." She chuckled bitterly as she put all the pieces together. "Here I thought when your daddy died that someone else took over the property. I thought you made your money from the rodeo circuit. You let me believe you did."

  "I was going to tell you about that."

  "But you didn't. You're finally rich," she said, as if the thought disgusted her. "How does it feel, Tye? Does it feel great to be on top so you can crush those beneath you?"

  He didn't like the way she viewed him. This hadn't been part of his plan when he thought to come back home and win her over. He didn't tell her about the oil drill, because then she would know he was the one building the house there. That was supposed to be a surprise, a wedding present, but how could he tell her this when she didn't want to stay married?

  Instead, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Jhett had no business giving you those papers." He should have kept his mouth shut.

  "Is that all you have to say?" She threw up her hands.

  "No." He pushed the envelope away. He didn't have to read what was inside to know how damaging the information would look. He stood too, and tried to reach for her.

  "No, don't." She slapped his hand away. "You're staying in town. Got that big fancy house being built so you can lord it over us how successful you are." She chuckled without humor. "You're going to live here. At least, that much of what you told me was true. Only it's not for us, but to destroy Jhett Reeves. Jhett hadn't been lying when he told me you were after him. You may not like the man, but his company keeps this town running. Families' lives rely on Reeves Construction. You told me you wanted to invest in it."

  "Reeves Construction isn't the only thing keeping this town running," he said in defense, not liking how she made it sound as if the Reeves Family were saints, giving to the community, all selfless and sacrificing... He shook his head. "From May to September, the town draws in money from the rodeo and the summer vacation spots down by the lake." That's why he made the arrangement with the Mayor to have the arena redone, put in new lights, make a snack bar, and improve the seating.

  "Heck, I know folks who coveted those cabins by the pond," he told her. "They travel far and wide for a chance at them. Most of the time they're booked a year in advance, and so are the camping grounds." He'd done his homework. He wasn't so lovesick for Jolie that he didn't look into a sound business venture once he decided to settle down here. If he wanted to start a family, he needed a way to support them after he quit the rodeo circuit. Good hard honest work. He wasn't one to sit around and draw a paycheck from what the oil drill brought in. That money he planned to put away for his children's college funds. He'd planned on sharing this all with Jolie, but darn it all, he hadn't had the chance.

  "And come October," she continued her point of this discussion, "the town is quiet as if hibernating until winter works its way into spring again. Like it or not, we rely on Reeves Construction for the majority of the jobs – anything from construction to office work, and everything in between. It all trickles down too. The small ma and pa businesses, restaurants, and even my place will suffer. If we lose our main income, folks will travel to the bigger cities. The commute is unbearable. It can prove a two-hour commute in traffic – both ways. How long do you think it would take before folks abandon Skeeter Blue. We'll become one of those dusty old worn out towns, where every Halloween they hold ghost walks."

  He lifted a brow. "You're being a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Again, he should have kept his mouth shut.

  Her glare nearly set him on fire, but then she looked away and shook her head, as if she'd given up on him. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Her disappointment in him hurt more than her words ever would.

  How could she believe he would destroy the families in Skeeter Blue? Despite Jhett and his goons saying otherwise, this was his home, but what did he expect? They hadn't spoken to each other in years before he strolled into town a few days ago. As far as she knew, he'd changed so much he didn't give a damn about anyone or anything. "Let me explain."

  "Explain?" She whirled on him and he flinched. "Those papers told me plenty." She pointed to the envelope. "It's in black and white. You lied to me yesterday, and I was stupid enough to believe you. I wanted so much to believe you."

  "Those papers were a rough draft, 'cause if you had the final ones, you wouldn't be looking at me as if I planned on torching Skeeter Blue. And the Reeves Family may have at one time contributed big time to this town, but not anymore. They've laid off twenty percent of their employees in the last year. And believe me you; Jhett is no innocent either in all this mess. He might even deserve being brought down a notch. Did you ever think of that?"

  "Putting the blame on Jhett for what you're doing is lower than low."

  "Lordy, lordy! Jhett's got you seein' rainbows and unicorns when the truth is only dark clouds ahead with an old nag grazing in the field. If'n you'd stop kissing and dancing with the man, maybe you'd see the truth."

  Her hand whipped out lightning quick in a square slap across his face, the sound so loud it silenced them both.

  Her chest rose and fell as she glared at him. Her eyes, those beautiful gray eyes were stormier than he'd ever seen them. "Get out,"
she said in a low tone, but with meaning. When he didn't snap to it, she pointed to the door. "Get out, now!"

  He wanted to refuse, but she was spitting mad and wouldn't listen to reason now that he went and insulted her.

  Tye headed toward the door and grabbed his hat off the coat rack. "No matter what you think, Jolie, I came back for you. Everything I've done has been for you." He glanced at her standing in the archway of the kitchen. "You might not want to believe it, but I've become a better man because of you, and that's the God's honest truth." He placed his hat on his head.

  Seeing her standing there so hurt and angry made his gut twist in knots. He'd made a real muck of this coming home and sweeping the girl off her feet business, but he could at least give her something she truly wanted. "I'll sign the annulment papers. I'll have the Mayor deliver them to you in the morning." He strode out the door without looking back. He couldn't. His eyes stung and he'd be damned if he let her see how much walking away from her hurt.

  Once in his truck, he knew where he would head next. Reeves Construction. His meeting wasn't until tomorrow, but heck, if Jhett wanted to step up the game, so be it.

  Chapter Thirty

  Tye didn't slam the door on the way out. Though Jolie wished he would have. It would make this so much easier if his temper had pushed the limits. After Tye's accusation about Jhett and her, and then her slapping him, all the fight had gone out of him. The calm and cool man who'd left had given up. He was granting her the annulment she'd been fighting for from the beginning. She folded her arms across her chest and her brows furrowed. Isn't that what she'd wanted? If so, then why did her heart ache?

  She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the start of a headache coming on. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. A dry sob burned her throat. Heck, she wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. And, damn it to hell and back, she wanted Tye Casper to be the man she spent her life with. He was breaking her heart all over again, and she didn't like it one iota. She strode over to the front door and locked it with a quick flick of her wrist, as if barring Tye entrance into her house would solve all her problems.