Cowboy Kind of Reckless Read online

  On the refrigerator, a photo of him with his arms around Tiffany, taken in the spring, must’ve been right in Jody’s line of sight. He pulled the magnet off, then dropped the picture in the trash. No need to have that hanging over his head anymore.

  He finished his coffee and Jody reappeared, barely dressed in her skimpy skirt.

  She slung her purse strap over her shoulder and looked at the door. “Ready when you are.”

  He led the way out to his truck. “When can we do this again?”

  She rolled her eyes as she climbed inside. “We don’t do it again. One time shot.”

  Nolan shrugged. “We’ll see about that.”

  She turned her face toward the window as they pulled out of the driveway. “You have a nice place here.”

  Was that the slightest hint of wistfulness in her voice?

  “The Tumblin’ B ain’t bad.”

  “I haven’t seen much of it. My grandparents either didn’t know about me or they didn’t care. It belongs to my brothers.”

  They’d raised Will and Luke after their mother died from a drug overdose. Naturally, their grandparents passed the ranch to the boys. “I’m sure they cared. Or would have. They probably didn’t know about you. Which is pretty stupid on your dad’s part.”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t need a ranch to be happy.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “I’ve got Splash.”

  He had lingering doubts about her statement. Why wouldn’t she want to be part of the Tumblin’ B? Or any ranch? Nolan let it slide. “Splash seems pretty special. How’d you find him?” A horse with training like his couldn’t have been cheap.

  “I saved up for three years to buy myself a horse. My mentor back in Stillwater had a couple of horses that were used for trick riding. She let me borrow one to practice, but I needed my own. I did a lot of research before I settled on one. Drove all the way down to the Texas border to see him. Some backwater little town worse than Swells. Really, it couldn’t even be called a town.” She tucked one leg under the other. “Splash had been used for barrels and he was good at it, but the girl who had him was going off to college and he needed a new purpose. We clicked. I put another two years into training him. He’s smart and loves to learn.”

  “Your brothers are good with horses too. Luke still does some training.”

  Jody shrugged. “I heard.”

  “Must be a family trait.”

  She eyed him. “They’re not really family. I don’t know them.”

  “You can pick your nose. You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your blood. There are worse people to get to know.”

  “Like Billy Wishall?”

  “You stole the words right out of my mouth. Do yourself a favor and stay clear of him. He’s nothing but trouble.” His shoulders stiffened as he thought about how Billy had treated Jody last night. The knuckles on Nolan’s right hand ached from the punch. He’d made it a good one.

  “I plan on it.”

  Her cell phone ringtone blared from her purse.

  “Hope that’s not Peach.” She pulled the phone free and stared at the screen. “Ugh, worse. They’re like flies.”

  “Who?” He had the idea it was one of her brothers.

  “Will. And Luke.” She rejected the call. “I swear one of them calls every day.”

  “I talk to Austin almost every day. It’s one of those things you learn to accept.” In fact, it would’ve been odd if he didn’t see or hear from his brother.

  “I’m not into it.” She silenced the phone, then slid it back into her purse. “He can wait.”

  “What if it’s important?”

  “I doubt it.”

  Jody made a fantastic lover, but she lacked a certain empathy for her family that made him a little uneasy. “Why don’t you try to get to know them?”

  She shot him a glare. “Getting kind of nosy, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe, but you could give me a serious answer.” Stop with the prickly skin. I’m not buying it. “I’d like to know what the real deal is.”

  The tough attitude faltered for a moment. “They both have everything they need. Everyone they need. I don’t want to complicate things.”

  “I don’t think they’d keep calling you if they thought you were in the way. You should give them a chance.” He offered a smile. “I’ve known them a lot longer than you. Okay, there was a time when I thought they were two of the most obnoxious people on the planet. Always fighting with anyone who even looked at them wrong, but they grew out of it.”

  “After Will’s accident?”

  He nodded. “Things changed pretty rapidly then. Guess having a psycho come after you will do that.”

  “Hmm. Maybe. But you don’t understand. They always had each other, even if what our mother did sucks. You had Austin. You’re a team. I’ve always been alone. The family dynamic, at least one where there’s not a lot of drinking and smoking and passing out, confuses me.”

  A pang of sympathy hit him. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to grow up without his brother. Luke and Will probably felt the same. When Jody put it like that he understood her doubts. Under her hard exterior, she was as insecure as anyone. “Why don’t you ask Luke if you can tag along while he works on the ranch? Ask Will if he’ll let you help around the barnyard or with the paperwork. Neither of them would say no.”

  “What’s the use? It’s their place.” She curled her hands in her lap. “I don’t belong there.”

  “What are you doing here then?”

  “I ask myself that every day.” Her words came out softly. Jody sat forward when they reached Casa Piedra’s parking lot. “Thanks for the ride.”

  He caught her hand right before she jumped out of the truck. “We could do this again sometime.”

  A wry smile curled her lips up. “Better not. I might go and do something stupid like fall in love with you.”

  He didn’t let go, even when she tugged to free her hand. For one second, he’d like her to take him seriously. “There are worse guys out there.”

  “Don’t remind me. I had a nice time, Nolan. Really. But we’re not making this a habit.”

  “Funny thing about that—Austin and Natalie didn’t intend to become a couple either. Sometimes it happens. It’s not a bad thing.”

  Her smile fled. “Me and Splash might be moving on any day. I’m not about to outstay my welcome. There’s nothing between us. So, see you later.”

  He let her hand slide from his. “Okay. Take care, Jody.”

  Jody climbed into her own truck, started it, then took off without looking back at him.

  Nolan gripped the steering wheel. Maybe she didn’t see last night the same way he did, but it had sure been nice to forget Tiffany for a while. To be needed by someone, and be able to give back.

  He groaned and dropped his head toward the steering wheel. “When did I become such a sappy doofus? No wonder she’s anxious to get away.”

  No wonder Tiff had cut bait either.

  Nolan ran his thumb over the bruised knuckles of his right hand. He’d saved Jody from a heap of trouble. Wasn’t last night reward enough for him?

  It’d have to do. At least Jody wasn’t playing games with him. Satisfied, he put his truck in Drive and took off.

  Chapter Six

  Jody shimmied out of the skirt, then stepped over it to her dresser for a clean pair of jeans.

  She’d lied to Nolan about working today. Much as she’d have liked to pull him up the stairs and get him back in bed, it would only lead to complications later.

  Her phone rang again. Freakin’ Will. Apparently he had nothing better to do all day than bug her endlessly. She scooped up her phone and answered. “What?”

  “Why am I hearing about what happened between you and Billy Wishall at the feed store?”

  She sank onto her bed and rested her forehead against her palm. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Luke said you’d say that, but honestly, neither of us
cares if that’s what you believe. We’re going to kick his ass. We owe him.”

  “How—never mind.” He sounded riled. She didn’t need details about what he planned to do to Billy. “Neither one of you are going to touch him. Don’t make things any worse. Keep your noses in your own business. Got it?”

  In the background, Luke said something, but she couldn’t make it out.

  “What was that?”

  Will laughed, a wicked sound. “He said we’re going to cut Billy’s brakes. He probably won’t die, but it ought to give him a hell of a scare. Then we’re going to kick his ass.”

  Jody groaned. “Don’t you dare. That’s how you end up in jail.”

  Will was silent a moment. “Do we have to kick Nolan’s ass too?”

  “For what?” She sat up straight. “He didn’t do anything.” At least, nothing I didn’t want him to do.

  “He took you home. His home. Your truck was at Casa Piedra all night.” Will drew in a breath. “Nolan’s a good guy, but there was a time when he wasn’t too picky about who went home with him.”

  “Will!” She shuddered. “I don’t need dating advice from you. Please shut up.”

  “Just tryin’ to help.”

  Jody gritted her teeth. “I said please.”

  “We’re going to get Billy.”

  She wanted to throw the phone across the room. “You stay away from him. Both of you. Any friends of yours. No one beats him up. Nolan took care of him. This is the end of the conversation, got it?”

  “We—”

  “I don’t need overprotective big brothers. We’re long past that stage. So give it a rest.”

  Will muttered something, presumably to Luke. He cleared his throat. “Fine. We won’t beat up Billy.”

  “Or cut his brakes?”

  “Or cut his brakes. Happy?”

  “Not even close. Don’t try to help me anymore. This isn’t cute and it isn’t amusing and I absolutely hate it as much as what Billy did.” She grimaced as she pulled clean underwear from her drawer. “Swear to me that you’re not going to bother Billy or Nolan. Swear on Mom’s grave.”

  “Um… Mom doesn’t actually have a grave. She was cremated, so technically…” Will trailed off.

  “Oh my God, Will. Just swear.”

  “Hell. Damn. Shit. Should I keep going?”

  She couldn’t help smiling, but she wouldn’t let him know he was almost funny. “You know who’s getting murdered today? It’s you, and it’s your own fault for being such a smart ass. Jessi will probably thank me once she gets over the initial shock.” She yanked a black tank top from her dresser and tossed it on the bed with the rest of her clothes. “I’m hanging up, but if I hear so much as a threat toward Nolan or Billy passed through your lips where another human being could hear, so help me.”

  “You got a real temper problem, sis.”

  She ended the call, her heart racing. “This is my fault. All of it.” Jody ran her hands over the top of her head. “I contacted these nut jobs.”

  Maybe it was time to think about moving on. Except Splash seemed happy at the Broken Noose. And…if she was going to talk one of her brothers into keeping him, like it or not, she needed to stick around.

  “Couldn’t have had a smart sister. No, Mom had to have dumb boys.” She picked up her phone and dialed Will.

  He answered on the first ring. “Decided to forgive us?”

  Jody scrunched up her nose, then let out a sigh. “If you’ll do me a favor.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Can I—would it be okay if…” She smacked her palm against her forehead. “I’d like to see more of the ranch.”

  To figure out if Splash could be happy there.

  Will laughed. “Why didn’t you just say so? We’ll meet you there. Luke’s helping Swift load some feed, then we’ll be on our way.”

  “If it’s going to interfere with anything else you had planned, we can do it another time.” Normally she had no problem asking for what she wanted, but in this situation, control seemed to slip right through her fingers.

  She could practically hear him roll his eyes.

  “Interfere. Cripes, we’ve tried to get you to visit over and over the last few weeks. Remember how we said drop by any time?”

  “All right,” she answered softly. “I’ll be there in half an hour?”

  “We’ll be waiting.” He hung up.

  “Thanks,” she muttered. She needed a shower before she drove to the Tumblin’ B. To wash off the lingering scent of Nolan and beer. Hopefully a hot shower would perk her up a little. She’d been restless after sex as she went over the way Billy had treated her. The jerk. She should’ve punched him when she had the chance. On top of that, she hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Even in the comfort of Nolan’s bed, she hadn’t found much rest.

  Jody walked to the bathroom and avoided looking at the mirror. The last thing she wanted to see was her own naked body. The scar Nolan had noticed. The way she’d dropped too much weight in the last couple of weeks. Her muscle would probably go next. All that hard work, gone to waste.

  A tight ball of anxiety formed in her chest. She turned on the shower and let it run to warm up before she stepped in. Splash was her top priority now. Nothing else mattered except for the promise that he’d be loved and cared for after she was gone.

  * * * *

  The drive out to the Tumblin’ B soothed her nerves. Something about the rolling land and open sky made the tension fall away. The scenery, dotted with horses and cattle against groves of trees and green grass made her feel peaceful.

  Luke sat on the rail of Will’s porch, a glass in his hand and his cowboy hat on one knee. His hair was flattened and his clothes had dust on them.

  Will sat in his chair, dark eyes giving away nothing as Jody exited her truck, then approached. She recognized that stoic look from her own face.

  “Hi.” Awkward, she shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

  “Hey.” Luke lifted his glass. “You thirsty?”

  Her throat was dry, but she shook her head. “No thanks.”

  Will’s gaze roamed over her, then shot back to meet hers. “You look okay.”

  “Um, thanks?” God, why was he staring?

  “I meant it doesn’t look like we’re actually going to have to kill Billy. Just rough him up a little.”

  Luke’s expression darkened. “I’m thinking we hog tie him, pour a bunch of honey all over him, and leave him out in the sun for a while. See what comes along.”

  “Don’t you dare.” She threw up her hands. “I thought we settled this.”

  “Like I said, we owe him. And he needs to realize he can’t mess with our little sister.” Will’s mouth pinched. “We’ll leave Nolan out of it. This time.”

  Her face warmed. “He was a perfect gentleman.”

  Luke burst out laughing, causing the lemonade in his glass to slosh onto the porch. “Nolan Locke? The roper? Are you sure?”

  “What? What’s so bad about him?” She hadn’t come here to discuss her sex life with these two idiots. Why was she defending Nolan anyway?

  Will frowned. “Let’s say he has more than a few notches on his bed posts. Other than that, he’s fine.”

  “Maybe I’ve got a few notches on mine and I’m proud of it. Maybe I’m glad I added Nolan to those notches.” She crossed her arms. “Leave him out of this.”

  “Well, it’s your bed post,” Luke muttered. He drained his glass. “You want me to saddle some horses? It’s the best way to see the ranch.”

  Still annoyed with their comments about Billy and Nolan, she turned away from them for a moment. “I don’t want to put you out.”

  “We have a little time. It’s not a big deal. We can check some fences and some cows while we’re out. Something that needs done anyway.” Will rolled toward the ramp. “Let’s go.”

  “I’ll saddle Bentley for her.” Luke made his way around them. “Won’t take long.”

  “You could’ve
said no.” She glanced at Will as she kept pace with him. “I don’t have any right to ask to see anything.”

  He blew out a breath through his nose. “You were their grandkid too, even if they didn’t know you existed. You’re always welcome here. I don’t know how much clearer I can make that.”

  “I don’t feel like I belong here. We grew up differently.” She tugged on the end of her ponytail. “I’m an interloper.”

  Will scowled. “We had selfish parents to thank for that. I can’t believe Mom never mentioned having another kid.”

  “Dad wasn’t real forthcoming either.” He’d barely talked about her mother, only saying it was something that hadn’t worked out. Not until their father was dying had Will’s name passed through their dad’s lips. “You were lucky to have grandparents who cared.”

  “Hey, they’d have cared about you.”

  She shook her head. “No one did.”

  Will stopped his chair and stared up at her. “They would have. I ain’t saying they were the soft and fluffy type of grandparents. Granny and Grandad scraped by to give us this place. They sacrificed a lot to take care of us, but I never felt like I was unloved. They didn’t have to say it. I just knew. It would’ve been the same with you.”

  Not if they’d known what she’d done in the past. Her dad had been disgusted, and not the least bit sympathetic when she got her comeuppance. “Maybe,” she muttered. “It was probably better they didn’t know. It must’ve been hell raising two boys. They didn’t need another mouth to feed.”

  He led her into the well-lit barn. “Doesn’t sound like dear old Dad did either.”

  The doors on either end were open. Dust motes floated on the air and the sweet scent of hay filled her nose.

  The stalls were empty. It looked like the horses were all out in the pasture. A blue roan and a black and white pinto stood at a gate on the other side of the barn, watching Luke saddle a line-back dun gelding.

  “He’s pretty.” He wasn’t Splash, but then, no other horse compared in her eyes.

  “Bentley. He was my first wife’s barrel horse.”