Rodeo Blues Read online

  "I'll have to warn you though, Whisper set up shop there too. She reads palms, you know. She might corner you for a reading." She tucked her hair behind her ear as she gave him a sideway glance. "She already did our charts."

  "Our charts? What do you mean?" His brows rose in curiosity.

  She waved the question away. "It's just silly nonsense."

  "I don't know. She told me she's a psychic."

  She met his gaze and they both started laughing.

  "She likes to believe she is anyway," Jolie added in good humor.

  Boy, did it feel good to be with her, laughing and chatting as if no time had separated them. Conversation came easy for them then, and before he realized it, they arrived at the hottie tottie restaurant in Clear Water.

  She glanced at him in surprise. "Tye, this place is for members only?"

  He knew what she was thinking. He couldn't afford a clean glass in this joint. Only those with money, big money, could finagle a reservation. With his oil drill deal, he could too. He parked the car and turned off the engine. He met her gaze with a reassuring smile.

  "Our reservation is at eight." He lifted his arm and glanced at his watch. "We have a few minutes to spare." He didn't wait for her to answer, but opened his door and ran around to the other side of his truck to open hers. He offered his hand and she stared at it for a second before she rested her palm against his. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before he helped her out of the pickup. She stood close to him, but not close enough to his liking. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss those parted lips, but he would be patient. He'd wine and dine his reluctant wife, and take her dancing afterwards. If everything went as planned, maybe when he took her home, she'd invite him in for a nightcap. Who knew what would transpire after that, but he could hope for what he'd like to happen.

  He intertwined his fingers with hers and they strolled hand in hand to the front door of the most expensive restaurant in all of Texas – well, at least any he frequented. The tables were covered with linen cloths, the utensils were polished silver, and the goblets were the finest crystal. The waiters fawned all over them, making Jolie glance at him uneasily from across the table.

  "I didn't realize rodeo bull riding paid so well," she teased, but he could tell she was worried how they were going to pay the bill. He wanted to tell her he had made good money from the rodeo events. He was one of the top ten contestants and the cash flow was enough to make a good living from the purses he'd won, but he let her comment slide. They both knew such rankings would not last in a bull rider's career. There was always someone younger, stronger, and in better shape to take your place.

  That's why he'd gone back to school to earn a degree. It's why he looked into long-term investments, but he wasn't ready to reveal all that yet, and he had a very good reason why he didn't want to tell her about the homestead or that he owned the mineral and land rights to the property. It's how he managed a sweet deal with the oil company and leased out a section of his land. He only put in half a mil to get the project going, and now had made all that back and more. He'd been lucky though. They hit oil at a thousand feet.

  All this might make her look at him differently, but he wasn't going for different. He wanted her to like him just for him. He wanted her to remember why they'd fallen in love in the first place.

  He reached for her hand from across the table. "Relax, darlin', I promise you we won't have to dine and dash. Not unless you want to," he added as he sat back in his seat.

  "I – what?"

  He grinned.

  "You're teasing me." She finally relaxed and smiled. There was that dimple winking.

  "Of course I am." He sipped the wine the waiters poured for them. "You should try some. It's good."

  She reached for her glass and took a sip. "It is," she agreed, and stared at the liquid in her elegant stemmed glass then promptly placed it on the table. "I'm more fond of beer." She met his eyes with meaning. "You don't need to impress me, Tye."

  He studied her for a moment before he formulated his response. "Don't I? I want you to know your husband can take care of you."

  "By spending a month's savings on one meal?"

  "Trust me, Jolie. I can afford this."

  Her beautifully shaped brows furrowed, but she didn't make mention about how expensive the meal was going to be again. For that, he was grateful. Their conversation flowed with ease as it had earlier and soon she relaxed and enjoyed the evening as planned. The food was good, but not as good as the barbecue ribs at Big Bob's Saloon. He wondered if they still ran the special on Monday nights.

  They didn't go dancing, but ended up at Skeeter Pond, skipping rocks liked they'd done when they were teens. He left his truck's lights on, though the moon shone bright enough for them to see.

  "Do you remember when they used to have movie night at the pond in the summertime?" he asked her. "They would rent those large inner tubes so we could float on the pond to stay cool as we watched the movie?"

  She smiled. "I remember."

  He chuckled and shook his head as he remembered one night in particular.

  "What?" she asked.

  "Do you recall the night they showed Jaws, and Mike played a joke on Georgia by pretending a shark had gotten him?" He laughed again and Jolie joined in on the mirth as she remembered that night too.

  "Lordy," Jolie said. "I thought Georgia was going to drown him once she found out he was only funning her." She picked up a rock and handed it to him. He threw it and it skipped three times before sinking to the bottom of the pond. "They still do those movie nights," she told him. "They start up again in August and end when school starts."

  "Some things never change," he said as he gazed at the brush and trees lining the far side of the pond. He knew there was a path there, especially designed for the guests at the campsites and the cabins to use for easy access to and from the water's edge. During the day one could hear laughter and screams of delight as people swam in the pond, but at night katydids took center stage, singing their ch-ch-ch, ch-ch, ch-ch-ch song with rhythm. Tonight, they proved music to his ears. Big cities were never for him with their blaring lights and sounds of sirens and horns honking. He would always be a small town man at heart.

  "And other things do change," she said, her voice thoughtful.

  He looked at her then with an arched brow.

  "Last time we were here," she said, "you were tall and lanky with hair that never looked like it had been combed."

  He gave her a half smile. "You didn't seem to mind."

  "No, I didn't." Her voice lowered, and sounded huskier to his ears.

  "And now?" he asked and hoped he didn't have to spell it out to her. He wanted to know what she thought of him now.

  She took a step toward him until they faced each other. Her hand slid over his arm. "You're broader, a little taller too, and…" her gaze shifted to his hair. "And you must have bought yourself a comb."

  He laughed. "I just know where it is now."

  Her lips curved as she let her hands fall away. He missed her touch already. Had missed her touch for what seemed like forever. "I had a good time tonight," she said and chewed on her lower lip. He had a sinking feeling she wanted to say more. Wanted to say something he might not want to hear. He wouldn't let her.

  "Who said it was over?" he pulled her into his arms, the sudden movement making her squeal in delight. Then she settled against him with her head resting on his chest and her hand lightly touching his arm. With the sounds of the night as their music, they danced after all.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jolie opened the shop and strode in, turning on the overhead lights. She didn't have to be at the fairgrounds until noon. She had two of Mary Lou Green's daughters helping out this morning.

  She enjoyed her evening with Tye. Dang it, anyway. She'd hoped their date would have proved to both of them they were no longer compatible, but it seemed her heart enjoyed being romanced by the boy who broke it. "He's no longer a boy," she gently rem
inded herself. …And they never did get around to discussing the annulment. Part of her didn't want to bring it up. Selfish on her part. She just wanted… Well, she just wanted to have a nice evening out. It had been a long time since she'd been out on a date.

  She turned on the coffee machine and made a latte. Nice and hot. She could drink hot coffee even when it was the hottest day in Skeeter Blue, the temperature ranging well over a hundred degrees. Thank goodness, it was only supposed to be in the low nineties today. As she sipped her latte, her thoughts again returned to last night.

  Tye wanted to show her a good time and he did, but she had to make him realize she didn't need nor did she want a man who could take her to fancy restaurants. She wanted a man who was going to stick around for the long haul, someone who wanted to make a life here in Skeeter Blue. She liked the small town where she knew her neighbors and they knew her. She loved being a part of the community and owning her shop on Main Street.

  As much as she wanted to be with Tye, she couldn't see him settling down here. He was used to living out of a suitcase. He'd outgrown Skeeter Blue, and the sooner she could convince him they needed to annul the marriage the better. There was no sense in drawing it out any longer, but first she needed to corner Mayor Dirkly and make him understand the predicament they were in. However, the man had purposely made himself scarce.

  The bell over the door chimed and Whisper came breezing in like a blast of fresh air. Her hair was tucked under a fortuneteller scarf of purple and hot pink. Her skirt was just as flamboyant and to finish off her outfit, she sported gold hoop earrings and gold bracelets. Jolie knew she would look gaudy in such a getup, but Whisper did the outfit justice. Gypsies everywhere would envy her.

  "Well, good morning, boss lady." She grinned from ear to ear as if she knew a secret and was just bursting to tell it. She tossed her purse behind the counter and proceeded to make herself a mocha frappe. "So…how did the date go with the hubby?" she spoke over the blender.

  Hubby? She pursed her lips and shook her head. Of course, technically she was right, but for her to use the title… "It was nice."

  Whisper turned off the blender and poured her drink. "Only nice. Tye Casper don't strike me as a nice kinda guy." One of Whisper's eyebrows rose. "Come on, spill. Don't tell me he didn't take you to bed and love you proper."

  "Whisper, really." She clicked her tongue. Tye had been the perfect gentleman. After their evening of dinner, wine, and slow dancing by the pond, he drove her home, walked her to the front door and—

  "Earth to Jolie." Whisper snapped her fingers in front of her eyes, bringing her out of her reverie.

  "Tye and I didn't sleep together," she blurted out then sipped her coffee, staring at Whisper over the rim of the cup. What a sight; Whisper speechless.

  Whisper blinked once then twice. "Say what? Did the man go and forget you both were hitched?"

  "No, he didn't forget. He's courting me." His words, not hers, and said after they shared a heated kiss on her front porch, no less. She didn't put much faith in the pledge. How long could he hold out? How long could she?

  Whisper chortled and amusement danced in her eyes. "I think he has this all backwards." She placed her cup on the counter. "I should go have a word with him."

  Jolie's hand snaked out and grabbed Whisper's arm. "You will do no such thing. I'm perfectly fine with the way things are," she lied. She was attracted to Tye, and it would be simple to slide into a physical relationship with him, but darn him for being so likable too, even when she didn't want to care. Her logical portion of her brain was screaming, keep away from him. The other portion didn't care what happened between them in the past. It wanted to ignore her logical self and let Tye have his way with her. The tug-o-war was wearing her out.

  Whisper stared at her in disbelief. "You are either in denial or you're just plumb crazy. I saw the two of you together and I did your charts. You two were meant to be together."

  She ran a hand over her face, inhaled, and then let out a breath as she prayed for patience. "The charts don't mean diddly-squat." Her words sounded harsh even to her own ears, but she couldn't back down now. "The man broke my heart and there's just no coming back from that." She was the forever kind of girl and Tye didn't understand such a commitment.

  "Wow," Whisper said, truly appearing shocked at her outburst.

  She was a little put back also. She'd finally said it out loud. It didn't mean she should take out her frustration on Whisper, but she couldn't base her relationships on the stars. "Listen, I can't take a chance on a man who's going to leave town once the rodeo event is over in search of the next one. His eight seconds were up a long time ago with me, and he lost."

  The bell chimed over the door and Tye strode in with his cowboy hat pushed back on his head, and didn't he look mighty fine dressed in a show-off-the-abs T-shirt, well worn jeans that sat low on his hips, and tobacco tanned ostrich boots. Her gaze traveled back to his eyes, dreamy eyes, beautiful eyes… She shook her head and glanced away, but not before she witnessed his lips curving, and to make it worse her traitorous heart sped up a notch. So much for her statement of 'it's over'. She chanced a glance at Whisper, wondering if she noticed she had just given her a load of horse manure. Yep, her smirk said it all.

  "How are you gals all doing this fine morning?" he drawled as he removed his hat.

  Whisper leaned on the counter and batted her eyelashes. "Why just fine and dandy, Mr. Casper. I must say you're looking mighty handsome and…well rested." She put the emphasis on well rested to drive home her meaning, which Tye picked up on. Oh, he proved to be a quick one.

  He lifted an eyebrow then lazily shifted his gaze to her.

  Jolie shrugged, pretending she didn't pick up on the insinuation. He was on his own.

  Tye cleared his throat. "I slept well after a cold shower. I'd rather not repeat the process for long, but I'll do whatever it takes to win the lady's favor."

  Whisper grinned. "Now you're talkin', Mr. Casper. How 'bout I fix you one of our specialty coffees?"

  "Just a plain cup of coffee, if you don't mind. I like it strong and black."

  "Coming right up."

  Tye then leveled his gaze on Jolie and gave her a disarming grin.

  All of a sudden, Jolie felt like prey and she swallowed the lump in her throat as he came around the counter with purpose gleaming in his eyes. She took a step back and bumped into the shelves behind her, but that didn't stop his pursuit. Nope, not one iota.

  Reaching her, he placed a hand on each side of her hips, pinning her in place with her back against the shelves, and no place to run. Funny how it both thrilled and annoyed her at the same time. She wasn't angry with Tye, but with herself for being so darn easy to fall for his charms. He leaned in close, their breath mingling as one.

  He was going to kiss her and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Get a grip, she mentally told herself. She'd kissed Tye plenty of times – in the past and recently. Nothing to get all weak-kneed about, but then he did the darnedest thing. He planted a kiss on her cheek. Her cheek of all things! If he was going to stalk her and trap her, at the very least he could kiss her properly. Lordy, he could make her see red.

  "Good morning, Mrs. Casper," he murmured near her ear, making her shiver. She turned her head to tell him not to call her that, but the words died in her throat when her mouth hovered inches from his. She was now the one who needed a cold shower. His sexy lips curved as if he read her thoughts. She removed one of his hands from where it rested next to her hip, and sidestepped, putting some distance between them. It wasn't nearly enough. A dying man in a desert reaching for a glass of water had nothing on the way Tye Casper drank her in with just his gaze.

  "Here's your coffee," Whisper announced and handed the cup to Tye. "Nice and strong. Just like you ordered."

  "Thank you, ma'am," he said to Whisper, but he didn't take his eyes off Jolie. "I'll see ya later," he said to her, but instead of leaving, he placed his hat and cup on the counter and stepped c
loser.

  She moved back, but this time the counter prevented her from going too far. Darn it, she needed a bigger place. It proved too small with Tye here. "I don't—"

  His lips found hers and all ability to formulate words halted as he kissed her with passion, not caring Whisper stood there watching them. When he let her breathe again, his lips curved into that lazy smile which could tempt a saint. "Have a good morning, Mrs. Casper." The pad of his thumb traced a path across her lips before he stepped away and grabbed his hat and coffee cup on his way out.

  She blinked and teetered. If anything, the man could kiss. Then she realized what he called her. Not Jolie, but Mrs. Casper. "Stop calling me that," she called after him, but it was already too late. He had left the shop and was heading down the walk. She glanced at Whisper who wore a grin that would put the Cheshire cat to shame. "Don't say it." She held up her hand.

  "I don't need to 'cause I reckon you already know." She chuckled then added, "Mrs. Casper."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tye chanced a sip of coffee as he strode toward his truck. Not bad, and he had plenty of bad as well as good java to compare it to, with all the stops he made when he was on the road. He indulged in another generous sip. Almost as good as a kiss from Jolie – almost. Nothing would ever be better than her caresses. Yep, he sounded sappy, but he didn't care.

  He took Jolie out on a date last night. He hoped one of many. He told her on her front porch he wanted to court her. He meant it. He'd make up for leaving her and breaking his promise to come back to her. He wasn't fool enough to believe Jolie forgave him after one dinner date, but she hadn't mentioned the annulment in the last twelve hours or so. He would call that progress.

  He spotted Buddy leaning against his truck, gripping a paper bag with Cecilia's Scrumptious Sweets printed on it. By the way he was munching away on the donut holes with sprinkles, he could guess they were as delicious as stated.