[Truyện Tiếng Anh] Cowgirls Don't Cry

Cowgirls Don't Cry
Cowgirls Don't Cry Page 40



“Mom. Stop.” Brandt tugged her into his arms. “Just stop.” She was absolutely breaking his heart.

“No,” Tell said from behind him, “Let her talk if she wants to.”

“We’ll listen to anything she has to say,” Dalton added. “She needs to know that.”

Brandt hadn’t heard his brothers come up behind them, but he was damn happy they were here.

She pushed back from Brandt and wiped her tears. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last month and wanted to talk to you boys yesterday. On Thanksgiving. To let you know how thankful I am for each of you, but…well. You were there. Wasn’t exactly a Norman Rockwell painting, was it?”

None of them could look at each other, which was just weird.

“Sorry.” She used a lace hankie to wipe her nose. “I didn’t mean to blather like a fool and get so weepy.”

A moment of silence passed as they all struggled.

“It’s okay, Mom. Tell cries all the damn time. It’s sort of embarrassin’ if you wanna know the truth,”

Dalton mock-whispered.

Tell probably would’ve shoved him, but Dalton was holding a wide-eyed Landon.

She smiled wanly, shaking her head with that “boys will be boys” look of resignation Brandt recognized. “How long have you been here?”

“An hour.”

“You’ve been sitting in your car in the cold for an hour? Why?”

“Because I didn’t want to go in there by myself.” She sniffed and laughed at the same time. “Stupid, huh?”

“Not stupid. You were just waiting for us, right?”

She nodded and wiped her cheeks.

Brandt was afraid she’d start crying again, and he knew how much that’d embarrass her in front of their McKay relatives. He looked at Dalton. “How about if you let Mom carry Landon inside?”

If he thought his mother was done with tears, he was mistaken. Because for some reason, that made her cry harder.

A few hours later, the noise level in Cord and AJ’s house still rivaled the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Kids and dogs running everywhere, inside and out. Men gathered in the den shouting at a football game on TV. Pregnant women in the kitchen. Nursing mothers and babies in the living room. Still more kids racing up and down the stairs. It was pure chaos.

Brandt loved every second of it. He wished Jessie were here because he knew she’d love it too.

“Kane?” Ginger shouted from the living room.

“I’ll get him,” Brandt said. He wandered to the den where his uncles were sacked out in the easy chairs, snoring, while his cousins were crouched on the floor, surrounded by kids, trying to watch the game.

“Kane? Ginger’s lookin’ for you.”

“I’m there.” Immediately Kane pushed to his feet and brushed past Brandt as he lingered in the doorway.

A collective groan arose at a play on the football field.

Colby shifted his youngest son, Austin, asleep on his lap, and pointed at the TV. “That’s gotta be a personal foul.”

“Give it up, Colby,” Cam said. “They’re gonna get their butts handed to them today.”

“And no ***** ref call is gonna make a damn bit of difference,” Ben said. “****, I mean shoot, I’m not supposed to say the ‘p’ word in front of the kiddos, am I?”

“Nope,” Quinn said. “***to for the ‘d’ word and the ‘s’ word.”

“If poor Ben can’t curse he ain’t gonna have no language skills at all,” Chase drawled from the other side of the room.

Ben whipped a pillow at him. “Fu—I mean funny.”

Chase caught the pillow, almost without looking.

Colt whistled. “You oughta be playin’ ball instead of ridin’ bulls.”

“I’ll pass. No buckle bunnies waitin’ for a hard ride after a baseball game like they are after a bull riding expo.”

Tell sighed. “Dude. You have the perfect life.”

Brandt looked around. This room used to seem so big, but now it couldn’t hold them all. Colt was backed against the wall with Hudson on his lap. Cam was kicked back in the recliner with his two youngest boys sprawled on him. Quinn’s son Adam rested his head on Quinn’s thigh. Kade leaned against the recliner, his lap empty. Didn’t appear his girls were the slightest bit interested in football.

A dark haired boy Brandt recognized as Carter’s middle son, Spencer, was curled up in the corner.

But he didn’t see the kid’s father. “Where’s Carter?”

“Workin’ on some art thing. Said he’d be by later.”

Colt snorted. “So he says. But since he sent Macie over here with all the kids, what do you think the chances are that’ll happen?”

“Slim to none,” Colby said.

Brandt hadn’t seen Keely’s husband, Jack, either. “Where’s Keely?”

“She and Jack went to his mom’s in South Dakota for Thanksgiving.”

“That’s because she wants to be here on Christmas to see the looks on our faces after she gives each of her nephews a drum set,” Cord said. When his youngest son, Foster, snuggled into his chest, Cord gently patted his back and lowered his voice. “If she ain’t bluffin’ I swear I will strangle her.”

“Yeah, well, get in line. She informed me the nieces are getting tambourines,” Cam pointed out. “That ain’t any better.”

“Keely just told you guys this?” Brandt asked.

“Yep, she doesn’t want anyone to ‘steal’ her present ideas, since she’s dragged Jack along as her pack mule for Black Friday sales shopping.”

“Poor bastard,” Ben said.

“That ‘b’ word is off limits too,” Quinn reminded him.

“I just got a text from Jack that said, Kill me now,” Carter said.

Everyone turned toward Carter, who stood behind Brandt.

“Hey, you are here,” Kade said.

“I said I would be.” Carter’s gaze moved between Colt and Colby. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys.”

“Even you gotta admit you lose track of time when you’re workin’ on a new sculpture,” Cam said.

“What is this? Pick on Carter day?”

“Yep, gotta uphold the tra***ion of pickin’ on the youngest since Keely ain’t here,” Cord said.

“Terrific.”

“Grab a seat.”

Carter looked around. “Where?”

“Good point.”

Chase stood. “You can have my spot. I need air.” As Chase passed by Brandt, he made the “wanna beer?” sign and Brandt nodded, grabbing his coat before he followed Chase out the front door.

The lid on the cooler slammed and Chase handed him a Bud Light. “Thanks.”

“No prob.”

Their breath came out in a misty white steam. “Damn, it’s cold out here.”

“Yeah, but it’s quiet.” Chase took a long swallow. “I’m not used to bein’ around so many kids. I ain’t gonna lie. It drives me insane.”

Brandt didn’t say anything.

“****. Sorry. I forgot that you’re takin’ care of Luke’s kid for a while.”

“Don’t worry about it. But there’s a huge difference between one kid and twenty-some kids.”

“So how is it goin’ with Landon?”

He shrugged. “Okay. Jessie’s been workin’ with him to get him to talk more. He’s adjusted to bein’

around kids in the daycare, but the first couple of days were sheer hell for both of us.”

When Chase kept quiet, Brandt said, “You wondering how come I was such a bastard and brought Jessie into this?”

“I’d be lyin’ if I didn’t admit it crossed my mind.” Chase looked straight ahead and drank. “So you’re livin’ with Jessie? At her place?”

Brandt leaned across the railing. “For now. Why?”

“Just curious. Seems everyone is pairing up and producing the next generation of McKays.”

“She’s already paired up with one McKay and that didn’t work out so good for her.”

“That’s probably because she was paired with the wrong McKay to start with.”

Not touching that one.

“What about you? I read all about the ‘Wyoming Wild Man’ in the rodeo magazines. Sounds like you’ve got a girl in every town and left a string of broken hearts across the country.”

“You know how the media exaggerates.”

“So none of it’s true?”

Chase grinned. “Oh, it’s completely true. The raunchier stuff don’t make the trade mags.” He peeped over his shoulder, then back at Brandt. “I gotta admit, I love havin’ a different girl or two every night if I want. They wanna **** a top fifteen bull rider and I let ’em. Win-win, right?”

“Right. Who’s the flavor this week?”

“Flavors—plural, as in Miss Rodeo Nevada and Miss Rodeo...

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“True. But I’ll climb on a back of a bull as long as I can.” He took another drink of beer. “And the injury is healin’ fine, if my nosy-assed brothers asked you to grill me about it.”

“They didn’t.”

“Good.” Chase shivered. “I forget how goddamn cold it is here.”

“You’re spoiled competing in all those warm climes.”

“That’s a fact, which is probably why I’ll end up livin’ someplace down south. Speakin’ of… Did your dad talk to you guys about them starting to legally restructure the ranch?”

“No. Should he’ve been?”

“According to my dad, Uncle Carson and Uncle Cal, yes.”

“Does this have to do with Keely getting a chunk of McKay land as a wedding gift?”

“Partially. But a couple of us are opting out of bein’ part of the McKay land trust permanently.”

Brandt froze. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

Chase kicked back and rested his shoulders on the porch support post. “You really had no clue?”

“Nope. So who’s opting out?”

“Me, for one.”

Brandt looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“Because I’ve got my own life outside of the ranch. Even if I quit ridin’ next year, chances are slim I’d move back here and be part of the McKay cattle business. Quinn and Ben always were more involved than me, they wanted this life more than I ever did, so it makes sense that my portion goes to them.”

“Quinn and Ben agreed?”

Chase shrugged. “Oh, they tried to protest, but in truth, it was a relief. I have other income. They don’t.”

“Who else is opting out?”

“Cam. Like Keely, he’s trading his stake for a chunk of land, in his case, for the fifty acres around his house, which borders the neighbor’s acreage, so it’ll be an easy deed transfer. Carter is still debating, but I think he’ll opt out too. With his art career takin’ off, not to mention he’s helpin’ Cash Big Crow with his ranching operation in River Bend, he’s spreading himself thin driving back and forth when he doesn’t have to. There are plenty of McKays to keep the cattle business goin’.”

Brandt fought the surge of anger. This was the type of ranch business his father should’ve been telling him.

Would he have told Luke?

Yes, goddammit.

“I’m gonna kick my old man’s sorry ass.”

“Lemme know ahead of time. I’ll sell tickets.”

One thing Brandt admired about Chase; he just said what was on his mind, straight up.

Chase’s cell phone rang. He dug it out of his front pocket and scowled. “It’s my publicist. Excuse me.” He snapped, “Sugar tits, you’d better have a goddamn good reason for calling me on Thanksgiving.”

Whoa. Chase called his publicist… sugar tits? That didn’t sound very professional.

Brandt finished his beer and returned inside. He tried to sneak past the living room where the mamas and babies were holding court, but he heard, “Brandt! Come here.”

Two million pairs of eyes bored into him. Okay, it was only India, Skylar, Libby, Ginger and Macie, but it seemed like more. “What?” he said to India, who’d tucked her new baby boy Ellison so closely to her breast he only saw a blanket covered lump.

“We were just talking about you.”

“Should I be worried?”

Silence.

****.

“Actually, we were talking about Jessie,” Ginger said, shifting the baby in her lap.

Great. So now he and Jessie were permanently linked in his family’s eyes? He was good with that, but he doubted Jessie would be. “What about her?”

“Have you talked to her since she left for Riverton?”

If “talked” is a euphemism for having scorching hot phone *** with her two nights running, then yes.

“Hello? Earth to Brandt.”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ve talked to her. She’s havin’ a good time.”

“I’m glad. She deserved a break.”

Was it his imagination, or did the room turn a little hostile? Were they blaming him for Jessie needing a break?

Of course they are, dumbass.

“Jessie is great with all the kids at Sky Blue.” Skylar tucked the pink blanket around Ginger and Kane’s baby girl Maddie, nestled in her arms. “We’d be lost without her.”

“No argument from me.” Dammit. That wasn’t what he’d meant.

Or was it?

Again, those two million eyes pinned him in place.

Quick. Change the subject and get out before they pounce. “Look, have you seen—”

“Your mom and Landon?” Macie supplied. “Yes, she’s changing him. Said she’ll be right back so you might as well stick around and chat with us.”

Chat. Right. They planned to hold his boots to the fire.

The baby pressed to Macie’s shoulder let out a huge burp. Macie rubbed her back. “Good girl, Poppy.”

“So what’s Jessie been doing while she’s staying at her mom’s?”

“I dunno. We haven’t talked about it.”

Skylar and India exchanged a look.

A look Brandt didn’t like at all. “Why? What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothing, probably,” Skylar said.

“Sky,” India said gently, “it won’t hurt to ask him.”

“Ask me what?”

“If Jessie mentioned anything to you about looking for a job while she was in Riverton?”

Surprised, Brandt said, “No.”

“See? I told you, sis. You’re worried for nothing.”

“Why would she look for a job there?” Brandt asked.

“She misses her mom, among other things.”

Sky gave India a sharp look, which indicated there was something else going on, but India clammed up.

Brandt half listened as the women chatted about daycare, but his brain had gotten stuck on one thing: the possibility of Jessie leaving.

The logical portion of his brain pointed out that she loved her job. The nasty part of his brain pointed out that if Landon became a fixture in the McKay family, she’d put distance between them in a helluva hurry. And to be honest, how could he blame her?

His gut twisted. He considered the women in this room, all happily married to his cousins, wondering if they had any advice on how to keep Jessie here, in his life, forever.

But they weren’t paying attention to him.

When Amelia fussed, Libby lifted her shirt.

When Paulson fussed, Ginger lifted her shirt.

When Ellison fussed, India lifted her shirt.

Skylar laughed when Maddie started bumping her head into her chest. “Huh-uh, girlie, I’ve got nothing in there for you. Let’s get you back to mama.”

Ginger sighed and lifted up the other side of her shirt.

Dear God. Were all these women just whipping out their breasts like it was no big deal?

Don’t look. Your cousins will beat your ass for gawking at their wives’ bared breasts.

This was so freakin’ weird. Yeah, he knew that breastfeeding was natural and all that jazz, but he had brothers for Christsake, not sisters, and he’d never actually seen a live pair of breasts until he was sixteen.

He’d never seen woman nurse a baby. Ever. And it sure as hell didn’t look as clinical and messy as a cow standing around chewing her cud while a calf noisily sucked on her teats.

“Brandt? You okay?” India asked.

“Um, I gotta go.” He raced out so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Feminine laughter chased him out of the room.

Brandt slipped into the den and heaved a sigh of relief. All men in here, burping, farting, scratching themselves, arguing, being guys. Guys, he understood. Women, not so much.

And maybe that was his biggest problem.

Before he left Cord and AJ’s, Skylar took him aside. “I’ll be honest, Brandt. This is a confusing time for you and Jessie both. But you need to remember one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If you give her a reason to stay here, she will.”

“And how do I do that, Skylar?”

Her gaze flicked to Landon, sleeping on his shoulder, and then back to him. “By not giving her an excuse to leave.”

Well, that cleared things up a whole helluva lot.

Not.

He smiled tightly. “Thanks for the advice.”

Later that night he lay in bed and waited for Jessie to call. But she didn’t.

Nor did she call the next night.

Would he seem too ****ing needy if he called her?

Or would it seem like he didn’t give a **** if he didn’t call?

Man, he sucked at this relationship stuff.

Finally he called and left a message on her voice mail.

But she didn’t call him back.

Chapter Eighteen

Good. He was home.

Jessie left Lexie outside to run off her extra energy after being cooped up inside the truck for the last five hours. She tried to be quiet as she snuck up the steps, wanting to maintain the surprise.

It worked. After she opened the door and slipped inside...

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She skirted the coffee table. “Is Landon sleeping?”

“Yep. He’s been down about a half hour.”

“Good. Then I timed it perfectly.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Timed what perfectly?”

“This.” She straddled his lap, held his face in her hands and kissed him. She tried to keep it easy, a deep, slow, wet reunion kiss. But the sensation of his full warm lips beneath hers, the glide of his tongue against hers, his taste and his scent made her wild, and she inhaled him in a blazing kiss of pure need.

Heady stuff, how he met her kiss for kiss, touch for touch, breath for breath.

She moved her lips along the line of his jaw to his ear. “God, Brandt. I’m dying for you. Phone *** was hot, but I want real ***. Lots of it. Right now.” She slid off his lap.

Keeping her eyes on his, she circled her fingers around his wrists, tugging him to his feet. While gorging herself on his addictive kisses, she herded him down the hallway to his bedroom. After locking the bedroom door, Jessie jerked Brandt’s shirt off. She made short work of his jeans, yanking the denim and his boxers to the floor.

Then she pushed him on the bed.

Brandt propped himself on his elbows, not the least bit bothered by his nakedness. Or his full-blown hard-on. And he shouldn’t be. His rockin’ body should always be naked.

“What are you grinning at, Miss Jessie?”

“The thought of you being naked twenty-four/seven.”

“Wouldn’t be much fun if I was nekkid alone. Speaking of nekkid…” His predatory gaze moved over her in a sensual caress. “You have way too many clothes on.”

“Do I? I might be inclined to take them all off, but there is one little con***ion.”

He said, “Name it,” without hesitation.

“I get to have my wicked way with you and you just have to lay there and take it.”

“Deal.”

There was that smile of his, the smile that promised he’d keep his word, but also guaranteed delicious payback.

Jessie disrobed and crawled over him, loving how his body heat warmed her skin. She tucked her knees by his hips and bent down, letting her hair fall in a curtain around their faces. She savored the give and take of mouths, as they both took a turn at leading the kiss.

Brandt’s arms were casually thrown above his head, but before too long, those rough-skinned hands were sliding up her arms, gliding down her back, stopping to cup her butt cheeks. He whispered, “Jess.

Before we… I need…”

“What?”

“To put my mouth on you. I know you’re wet. I can smell that hot sweetness between your thighs.

The need to taste you is makin’ me crazy.” He nuzzled her temple. “You can do anything you want to me after, but first, I wanna feel you come against my tongue.”

Ah. What was she supposed to say? No way? When her clit was doing the wave in anticipation of Brandt’s mouth? “You drive a hard bargain, but…okay.”

He laughed.

Jessie pushed back to balance on her knees as she straddled Brandt’s thighs.

“***y girl. Stay just like that. Don’t move.” He wiggled his body down until his head was between her knees. “Goddammit my mouth is watering and I can’t reach you. Fall forward on your elbows and hands. That’s it.” His palms pushed on the inside of her thighs, sliding her legs out farther and then his fingers gripped her ass.

She couldn’t see what he was doing, but a second after she felt the first wet swipe of his tongue, she nearly went blind with pleasure anyway.

Brandt didn’t tease. He lapped at her slit. Licked and mapped every inch of her folds with absolute gusto. Buried his tongue in her channel and ****ed her with it.

“This isn’t gonna take long,” she gasped.

“Then I can do this again later.” He did a twirly, swirly maneuver from her clit to her anus. Using his lips and his tongue in such raunchy ways.

“Brandt.” So close. She rolled her hips back, wanting that continual attention to her pleasure point.

He growled and brought her down, so she straddled his face. She had no idea how he was breathing, but when he fastened his mouth to her top of her *** and did a ***y rhythmic, slurping thing directly on her clit, she didn’t care. “Yes. Please. Don’t stop.”

Her hands grabbed fistfuls of the quilt as Brandt kept pushing her higher. Each lick. Each suck. Each incredible flicker of his tongue and she was sure her body would simply ignite.

And it did. Jessie pressed her face into the mattress and bit back a scream as her clit pulsed against Brandt’s hot mouth. Despite the blood pounding in her groin, her ears and her throat, she still heard the ***y sounds of him swallowing. Drinking her down.

That set her off again.

When she floated back from that head rushing, body buzzing happy place, she pushed herself back up on her knees. She smoothed back her tangled hair and scooted down Brandt’s upper torso so she could see his face.

His look of ****iness was totally justified. He licked his lips and said, “Mmm. Tasty.”

Jessie fastened her mouth to his, surprising him with an openmouthed kiss, sucking her taste from his tongue, rubbing her face through the sticky glaze on his cheeks, nipping and biting and enjoying his shock.

She said, “Move up and spread out.”

“Jess—”

“No arguments, buster. You agreed. Me. In charge.”

Brandt sighed, but it wasn’t a sigh of frustration.

She pinned his arms above his head and allowed her hands to track the muscles from his wrists down the sinew defining in his forearms, over the bulge of his biceps to the cup of his shoulders. “I never get to touch you enough.”

“Anytime you want, all you want.”

“You’re usually so busy touching me. It makes me lose my mind and I sort of get lost.” She snared her gaze. “That’s not fair to you.”

“If you knew how long I’d dreamed of getting my hands all over you, Jess, you’d know how untrue that statement really is.”

Her belly fluttered. She ducked her head from the intensity in his eyes and let her palms drift over his pectorals. God. There was just something so wholly masculine about a guy with chest hair. This part of his body always smelled good. Not musky like his groin, but earthy. Soap and sweat. She rubbed her lips down the delineated line between his pecs, loving how the crisp hair tickled her chin and cheek. She rubbed her face all over his chest, practically purring.

Brandt’s hand landed on the side of her head and he brushed the hair from her cheek.

She looked up at him. “Did I say you could touch me?”

“No. But I like watchin’ you touchin’ me. It’s ***y as hell.”

“Mmm. So you wanna watch me do this?” Jessie used the tip of her tongue to trace the outline of his right nipple.

His arms broke out in goose flesh. “Christ.”

“I guess you like that.” Jessie closed her eyes and sucked the flat disk until the center drew up into a rigid point. She let her tongue flick back and forth before she sucked hard again. Then she used her teeth.

She felt his **** jumping between their bodies and she curled her hand around the shaft, pumping it while she tongued his nipple.

“****. Oh ****.”

Reducing Brandt’s vocabulary to curse words was a good sign. Her lips skimmed his skin as she blindly sought the nipple on the other side. Her mouth enclosed the tiny nub and she got those same hot, ***y noises when she worked it relentlessly.

His hips pumped up, which meant he was ready for the next phase of seduction. She slowly kissed her way down the trail of dark hair running along the center of his belly.

“Jess. ****.”

“No ****ing yet. I want you in my mouth for a little while first.”

He groaned.

She smiled. She let her breath tease the purple crown of his **** before she swallowed him to where her right gripped the thick base. She didn’t move, concentrating on the heat and the hardness and the taste of this intimate part of him.

Brandt didn’t buck his pelvis, or grab her head, or ask for her to finish him. He allowed her to do what she wanted, despite the rapid beat of his pulse in the vein running up the length of his dick, a vein that pulsed so sweetly against her tongue.

Jessie took her time, using all the tricks she’d learned about him that made him moan or twitch or curse. She stopped teasing him and lifted her head. “I’m giving you two choices.”

“Which are?”

“I suck you off. Or…”

Just a tad impatiently he demanded, “Or what?”

“We do something new.”

He waited.

“What’s your dirty girl fantasy, Brandt?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do to a woman but you’ve never tried?”

His gaze skittered away and then back. “Why are you askin’ me this?”

“Because I wanna fulfill that dirty girl fantasy, Brandt. I wanna do the one thing for you that you’ve never had the guts to ask any other woman.” She suckled the head of his **** while...

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Brandt looked stricken for half a second, then he laughed softly. “God. You’re killin’ me, woman.

Yes. On your knees on the floor.”

Jessie slithered down his body purposely letting her hair drift across his groin, his thighs and the tops of his feet, because she knew how ticklish he was.

“Playin’ with fire, Jessie.” Brandt sat up and pressed the creases of his knees into the edge of the bed.

Setting her hands on his thighs, she bowed her head over him, taking his **** into her mouth completely. Keeping her lips suctioned tight didn’t keep the saliva in her mouth. She used the wetness to move faster, letting it trickle out of her mouth and coat his shaft.

“****, I love it when your mouth gets me so wet I can feel it dripping down my balls.”

The husky way he dirty talked made the inside of her thighs sticky. Jessie slid her hand down to fondle his sac. So tight. So ready.

Then the skin on his shaft seemed to tighten even more.

Brandt eased out of her mouth and she looked at him.

“Enough.” He fisted his **** in his hand and was beating off with more force that she’d dare try. He rasped, “Watch me.”

As if she could tear her gaze away from the eroticism of him masturbating.

“Put your hands on my thighs. Lean closer but arch your back. Yeah, like that. You’re so goddamn hot, Jess, I can’t believe you’re…” He groaned. “Close your eyes and part your lips.”

The slapping sounds increased as did his moans and the first spurt landed on her cheek. The next on her chin. The next on her chest. Followed by warm drops hitting her upper lip. Several droplets slid down the center of her lip and dripped into her mouth. The salty tang made her want to swallow the full taste of him, but she stayed still.

The flesh slapping noises stopped and Brandt’s strenuous breathing filled the room. She could feel his eyes, drinking her in, as she kneeled before him, her body bearing the marks of his passion.

She felt his pleasure even when he didn’t utter a word.

Softly, he said, “Don’t move.”

The droplets had cooled. Brandt swept his thumb over the stickiness on her lips and said, “Lick it.”

She did.

Brandt swiped a wet spot on her jaw and pressed his thumb into her mouth. “Suck it.”

How different his come tasted on his hand instead of directly from the source.

He continued to wipe every drop of come from her chest, her neck, her face. She sucked and licked his fingers. His slow, deliberate means of drawing out the connection set her skin to tingling. Her focus dimmed to just fulfilling Brandt’s needs. There was incredible power in surrendering to this man because she knew he wouldn’t abuse it.

His lips grazed her ear, sending a shudder from her neck to her toes. “***y, nasty Jessie. Are you my dirty girl now?”

“Yes. God yes.”

“If I reach between your thighs will I find you wet?”

She could come just from him whispering in her ear. “Yes.”

“And just what should I do about that wetness?”

“Anything you want. Just touch me.”

“Look at me.”

Jessie opened her eyes.

Brandt’s cheeks were rosy. His eyes were brimming with lust and his **** was fully erect again. He took her hands in his with a forceful, “C’mere,” and he moved them into the center of the bed. Then he flipped them so Jessie was on her back. He eased into her bit by bit, watching her eyes with the possessive gleam that caused her stomach to somersault. The instant he began to stroke inside her, she brought her legs up and circled his waist.

This was what she wanted. Needed. Him. This closeness. This tight fit. This perfect friction. This bond she only got from being with him.

He joined their hands and slid them above their heads, bringing their bodies in full contact from chest to legs.

“I like that.”

“Me too.” Brandt kissed her.

When he kissed her, everything fell into place. She brushed her lips over the spot below his ear that made him shudder. “I missed you,” she said softly.

“I can tell.” He stroked her hair. “I missed you too, Jess. A lot.”

And rather than taking an afternoon to prove how much he missed her, Brandt took the entire week.

Not every instance was ***ual. He made her coffee. He shoveled out her truck after it snowed. He got up early and fed the animals so they could have a long shower together before starting their workday. All thoughtful things that showed Brandt really listened to her. He cared that she was happy. That was the sweetest feeling of all because she’d never had that before.

He made love to her every night before they went to sleep. Sometimes hard and urgent. Sometimes slowly and tenderly. Every night after he’d rocked her body and her world, he’d spooned behind her in her bed and held her all night long.

With every touch, every laugh, every new inside joke, Jessie knew this was moving out of the realm of a temporary situation, into something permanent.

Chapter Nineteen

Jessie had forgotten how much she loved the holidays.

It wasn’t because Landon brought out her childish glee. The kid was still too young to understand what the hustle and bustle was about. But he loved the sparkly lights, the excitement in the air. The cookies.

Her little man was as much a cookie monster as her big man.

Her happiness stemmed from having someone like Brandt to share simple things with. They’d done no Christmas shopping. They hadn’t decorated much. They hadn’t attended a single holiday party.

The Sunday trip into the woods with Landon to chop down the perfect pine tree hadn’t started on a fun note. Lexie had taken off after a deer and knocked Landon over with enough force he’d rolled down a small hill and landed face first in a snowbank. With snow inside his jacket, snow down his pants and snow in his boots, he’d screamed bloody murder. Then Brandt fell into a shallow stream hidden beneath icy layers of snow, soaking both his boots and his pants up to his knees. When they’d gotten back to the truck, wet and miserable, Jessie realized she’d forgotten Landon’s bottle, but she’d remembered the thermos of coffee. Too bad she hadn’t remembered to screw the lid on tight because the coffee had spilled, creating a puddle on the passenger side floorboard of Brandt’s truck.

But after they’d returned to Jessie’s place, cleaned up and warmed up, the three of them snuggled on the couch to watch cartoon Christmas classics. They’d gorged themselves on sugar cookies, loaded with colored sprinkles, and warm, chocolatey milk. Then after Brandt tucked a sticky, sugary, exhausted Landon in bed, they’d curled up together on the couch, talking, laughing, making out like teenagers. Indulging in long, candy-flavored kisses, cold hands straying beneath wool sweaters, rubbing noses, creating static electricity from rubbing their fully clothed bodies together, drifting off in front of the soft glow of the Christmas tree lights.

It’d truly been one of the best days Jessie remembered.

“Jess?”

She glanced at Brandt. “Sorry. What?”

“Do we need peanut butter?”

“Yes. Jelly too. Here’s the list. I’m going to grab some tater tots.”

As they passed the junk food aisle, Landon said, “Cookie!”

“No way, lil’ buckaroo.”

“Yef!”

“Nope. You’ve eaten your weight in cookies this week. We’re all boarding the veggie train. Carrots.

Broccoli. Snow peas. Yum.”

She slowed in the frozen food section after passing two hundred kinds of frozen pizza. She’d just tossed a bag of tater tots and a bag of chicken nuggets into the cart when she heard, “Is that Landon?”

Jessie looked at the woman blocking her cart. Around forty, she had dyed red hair with two inches of brown root showing. She reeked of cigarettes. Her pale face was pinched as if she’d been sucking on a sour pickle.

This couldn’t be good.

The woman leaned to squint at Landon. “That is him.” She focused on Jessie. “Is the boy’s name still Landon or did you change it?”

“Excuse me?”

“Samantha did the right thing and finally gave that kid up for adoption. That girl had no business being a mother. When my son told me some of the **** she pulled…well, it’s a wonder she stayed out of jail as long as she did.”

“Who are you?” fell out of Jessie’s mouth.

“I’m Drexel’s mom.”

Who was Drexel? And who in their right mind would name their kid Drexel?

“Samantha moved in with Drex after her aunt kicked her out. She took off about six months later. I wasn’t surprised. Drex had gotten tired of her bull**** and lies anyway.” She jerked her chin toward Landon. “He’s a cute kid. Lucky to have the chance to overcome his bad start in life.”

Jessie frowned.

“I hope you had him tested for mental problems. If not, you should because Drex was pretty sure Samantha drank like a fish and smoked pot when she was pregnant.”

“I don’t see how that’s any business of yours.”

Those bloodshot eyes drew...

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“I know more than you do. When Samantha lived with Drex, she talked about turning the boy over to his father’s family so she could be free. Most the time she was so wasted she didn’t remember she even had a kid, let alone knowing how to take care of him. Get used to him being around permanently, because she won’t want him back.”

“That’s enough.” Brandt didn’t look away from the woman when he spoke to Jessie. “Jess. Go.”

A million thoughts spun in her head as she reached the checkout line. Obviously the woman knew Landon. But not as well as she knew Landon’s mother. How much of what she’d said was true? Had Samantha just been biding her time? Brandt hadn’t said anything about his jail visit with Samantha, but Jessie knew the visit had upset him. Had Samantha already told Brandt she didn’t intend to take Landon back?

It’d been easy to forget these fears when everything had been going along so smoothly. She cared about Landon, but she had no desire to be the kid’s mother. Because she never really would be his mother.

No matter what she did for him, he’d always be affected by his mother abandoning him. He’d always have that kernel of hope that someday his biological mother would come to her senses and connect with him.

Jessie could spend her life loving him and it wouldn’t be enough. And it had nothing to do with him being a McKay.

“Miss? You have to unload the cart yourself,” the checker said to her.

“I’ll do it,” Brandt said from behind her. When he set his hands on her shoulders, she shrugged him off.

Brandt was smart enough to not push the issue as they drove back to her house. He readied Landon for bed and for once Landon didn’t insist Jessie read him a bedtime story.

Jessie was grateful for the busy work of putting away groceries. Once she had that done, she decided she’d scour the kitchen and the bathroom. If that didn’t allow her brain to shut off, she’d go into the barn and find some project to keep her energy and thoughts focused elsewhere.

Brandt came into the kitchen. “We need to talk about what happened at the grocery store.”

“No, we don’t.” She squirted the cleaning solution on the countertop and scrubbed furiously, her rubber gloves squeaking with each stroke.

“Jess—”

She spun around and aimed the spray bottle at him. “Don’t push me. Leave me alone.”

Brandt snatched the plastic bottle out of her hand. “No. Now give me the goddamn gloves and sit on the couch so we can talk about this like rational adults because we’re not gonna shove this under the rug.”

“You don’t get to order me around.”

“Fine.” He exhaled slowly. “Jessie, will you sit on the couch with me so we can hash this out?”

Say no.

Scream no.

He said, “Please.”

Looking at him, she stripped off her gloves. “Give me back my spray bottle.”

“When we’re done talkin’. Do you want a beer?”

“I’d rather have whiskey.”

“Two shots comin’ up.”

Jessie chose to sit in the easy chair, which didn’t make Brandt happy. But she needed to keep a clear head, and whenever Brandt touched her, she pretty much went mindless.

He set the bottle of Maker’s Mark whiskey and two shot glasses on the coffee table. He poured. He knocked one back and refilled it again, holding the shot out to her.

She gulped it, welcoming the burn.

“I know you said you didn’t want to hear anything about Samantha, but in light of what happened, there are a few things you need to know. First off, that woman we saw tonight? According to Samantha, she’s psycho. She’s the mother of the guy Samantha lived with for a while. This woman used to show up, all hours of the night and day, looking for drugs, booze or money. She gave Samantha parenting advice, usually along the lines of give the kid up for adoption, your life will be better.”

“The woman said that stuff about adoption in front of her grown son?”

“Apparently. She badgered Samantha about Landon’s father, if he was paying child support. Between that and the issues with the boyfriend, it got bad enough Samantha left. And no matter what that psycho bitch claimed, Samantha didn’t drink or do drugs during her pregnancy. I believe that.”

“Why? Samantha could be feeding you full of ****, Brandt.”

“True. But I talked to her aunt and she said Samantha was really sick the entire pregnancy. And Samantha was embarrassed. She barely left the house. As far as what happened after she gave birth to Landon, who knows? She racked up two DUIs. As far as her dumping him off with us for the long haul?

Nothin’s been decided because she’s still incarcerated.”

Jessie poured another shot. “There is no ‘us’ in that context. You do understand that, right?”

“As a matter of fact, no. I don’t understand it.”

“Where is Samantha right now?”

Brandt looked at her skeptically for dodging the question. “In the halfway house. Why?”

“How long has she been out of jail?”

“A week.”

“And in that week has she asked to see her son at all?”

The muscle in his jaw flexed. “No.”

“So after being locked up and away from him for months, she’s not chomping at the bit to see how he’s doing? Especially since she left him in the care of virtual strangers?”

He swallowed the whiskey in his shot glass.

“And since it’s a halfway house, she could have him overnight at some point. Couldn’t she?”

“I guess.”

“Has she asked you if she can have him over Christmas?”

“No. But I’m sure she has a—”

“Valid excuse?” Jessie supplied. “What? She’s afraid she won’t have time to buy him a Santa gift?

No. The reason she hasn’t asked for him is because she doesn’t want him.”

“That’s not true. The halfway house is just that, a place halfway between jail and normalcy. She’s adjusting. She’s got two more months before we should even be talkin’ about this.”

“Agreed.” Jessie lifted her glass in a mock toast but didn’t drink. “I will uphold my end of sticking out the full four months. But it will end at four months, Brandt. I have not changed my mind. I like Landon, but he’s not my child. If this whole thing heads south, like I suspect it will, if you want to file for permanent guardianship, fine. You can do that on your own. You don’t need me.”

“Why is this so different from if Luke had a kid from a previous relationship and that kid lived with you?” Brandt demanded. “Would you’ve kicked him to the curb after Luke died?”

She shook her finger at him. “Not the same thing. If I knew that kid, if I’d been raising him, I’d continue raising him because chances would be good that kid would have no other alternative and he’d probably consider me his mother. But Landon already has a mother.”

“You are impossible to reason with.”

“No. I’m right and you know it.”

“As long as we’re supposing, what if it comes down to Landon needing a permanent home and I become his legal guardian?”

“I’d be happy for Landon because you’d be good for him.”

“That’s it? You wouldn’t be a part of either of our lives?”

A sharp pain stabbed at her, thinking about walking away from Brandt forever. But unless she wanted to live her life waiting for the other boot to drop, she’d have no choice. “No.”

The bitterness and pain in Brandt’s eyes was like another hot poker to her heart.

“Look. I care about him. But he’s not mine, Brandt. He never will be. Even if I pour all my love, my heart and my soul into raising that boy, I’ll never be his real mother. And if Samantha signed off on him as a toddler and had a change of heart or changed her life, ten or so years later? What then? Landon would need to give his mother a chance to be part of his life. I would have to encourage him to forgive her. I would have to let him go. So it’s easier for me to let him go now and save myself years of heartache.”

“But aren’t you forgetting the years of joy Landon might bring to your life?”

Jessie knew she wasn’t getting through to him. Didn’t know if she ever could. “Might doesn’t make right.

“That’s bull****. You don’t know—”

“I do too! You have no freakin’ clue what I went through as a kid.”

“Then explain it to me.”

She slammed the remainder of the whiskey. “You met Billy Reynolds. He adopted me, but I still wondered about the man who’d fathered me. I still wished he’d come to his senses and search me out, especially when things were bad at home. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent imagining my ‘real’

father would show up and rescue me. He’d admit he’d been searching for me for years, he’d tell me how much he loved me and then he’d...

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A while later, Brandt entered the bedroom. She heard his clothes hitting the floor and felt the mattress dip. Then his warm body connected with hers. He wrapped one arm around her waist, one arm stretched under her pillow, tangling their legs together so they were touching from head to toe.

As Brandt toyed with her hair, so sweetly, so soothingly, Jessie released some of her tension.

“We will figure this out, Jessie,” he said softly.

She had figured it out. He just needed to accept it.

Later, when he thought she’d fallen asleep, and he whispered, “Don’t make me choose, Jessie, please don’t make me choose,” she feared he already had.

They both had.

“It’s only for a few hours. I promise.”

Jessie scowled at him. “Why do I have to go?”

Brandt couldn’t resist kissing her scowling mouth. “Because I don’t wanna leave you alone on Christmas Day. In and out quickly, I promise. Landon will open his gifts from my mom, we’ll eat dinner and then we’re gone.”

“Will your dad be there?”

Brandt rolled his eyes. “What do you think?”

“I think you’ve already broken two of my original stipulations,” she muttered.

And the morning had been going so well.

Jessie sighed. “Fine. Am I supposed to buy a gift for your mom?”

“No. Why?”

“Don’t you guys open presents on Christmas Day?”

“Yeah, but we don’t give each other gifts.”

“Why not?”

“To be honest, we never really did.”

She frowned. “But the year I was there, you guys exchanged gifts.”

“With you,” he pointed out. “Not with each other. Luke told us we’d better get you something since you intended to give each of us a gift. Luke wanted to pretend, for your sake, that we had the same type of normal Christmas everyone else did.”

“You didn’t celebrate Christmas at all? Ever?”

“We must’ve for a while when we were kids. I think Luke broke the news to Dalton that Santa wasn’t real when Dalton was around five. Dalton asked Dad if it was true and that was the end of presents on Christmas morning.”

Jessie turned back toward the sink. “That’s sad. Now I really don’t want to go.”

“But my mom loved it the year you were there. Gave her an excuse to put up a tree and do the holiday stuff she hadn’t done in years.”

“And gave your father another reason to resent me. Which is all the more reason to be thankful, I guess.” She sighed and sank her hands all the way into the dishwater.

“Thankful for what?”

“Thankful I didn’t end up like your mom, because God knows I was headed that direction. Luke McKay’s mouse-like wife who wouldn’t rock the boat even if it was about to go sail a waterfall.”

“I never saw you that way, Jess.”

“You’re the only one.”

Brandt curled his hands around her hips and bent his head to taste that sweet section of skin below her ear. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m the only one who matters.”

She murmured, “Brandt,” but she didn’t attempt to pull away.

“So…” His lips moved up to nibble on her earlobe, “Landon is napping. Wanna get nekkid and wild?”

“Maybe when I finish the dishes.”

He growled, “That’s it,” and yanked her hands out of the water, spinning her to face him. “I haven’t been paying enough attention to you if you’d rather do the dishes than do me.”

Jessie laughed. “I am feeling neglected. We only had *** once yesterday.”

“Couch.” He kissed her hard. “Now.”

A trail of clothes littered the floor from the kitchen to where they were naked on the couch.

Brandt was ready to be inside her the instant his bare ass hit the cushion and he had a naked, wiggling Jessie on his lap. But he forced himself to slow down. To take the time to marvel that this gorgeous, ***y, spontaneous woman wanted him. That she was his.

But for how long?

Forever, if he had his way, but he knew Jessie wasn’t ready to hear that from him yet. He didn’t believe if it came right down to it she’d walk away from him and Landon, no matter what she said.

Focus on the nekkid woman in front of you, man.

He kissed down the delectable arch of her neck. Once his mouth reached the upper swell of her breasts, he urged, “Lean back.”

Jessie placed her hands on his thighs above his knees, and let her head fall back, giving her body the most beautiful curve, from the tip of her chin down to the angle of her hips.

Sometimes the woman took his breath away.

Brandt cupped her breasts in his hand, using his thumb and index finger to tug the right nipple into a tight point. He latched onto the left nipple and sucked. As he switched sides, he rubbed his face on her chest. He loved the sensation of her soft, warm skin against his cheeks. Loved leaving tiny red marks from his razor stubble on her tender flesh.

She moaned, pressing her chest against his mouth.

He suckled, nipped and caressed every inch of her pretty tits until he felt her short nails biting into his thighs. Until he caught a whiff of her sweet cream.

Brandt took her hand and put it on his ****, murmuring, “Take me in, Jess.”

She drew the tip across her wet folds, catching the rim of his ****head on her clit, stopping to rub it over and over. When he growled, she splayed her knees, lowered her pelvis and sheathed him completely.

“That’s good. Goddamn that’s good.”

“Better than dishes.”

“Definitely.”

His greedy hands were all over her skin. Down the softly rounded globes of her ass. The outside contour of her thighs. He reached between them, letting his finger trace the pliant skin stretching to accommodate his dick. Then his finger moved back a fraction of an inch, brushing over the pucker of her ass.

Immediately Jessie stiffened.

Brandt kept kissing her neck, stroking the sensitive ring, pressing against the resistance. Using the wetness from her body, Brandt pushed his finger inside her anal passage, up to the second knuckle. He let her body get used to the intrusion before he began to move his finger. ****ing that tight hole in the same rhythm she was ****ing him. The muscle clamped down on his finger and he groaned, imagining his **** being squeezed so forcefully.

“Brandt, what are you doing?”

“Playin’. Seein’ how far you’ll let me go.”

“That’s far enough.”

He lightly scraped his teeth down her throat. “Okay. But I’ll point out that you like my finger teasin’

your ass while I’m licking your *****. You like my tongue teasin’ it while I’m licking your ***** too.

Makes me wanna watch this sweet little hole stretching to take my ****. Don’t you want that?” He pumped his finger in and out, stopping to tease that ring, now that his finger had brought blood to those nerve endings.

“No. I’m, ah, not fond of anal ***. It hurts.”

It surprised him she and Luke had experimented with it, since Luke bragged he’d gone elsewhere to satisfy what he called his carnal needs.

“Doesn’t have to hurt. We could go slow. I bet I could make you like it.”

Jessie groaned as he flexed his hips and drove his **** in deeper. “You probably could, but right now I’m liking this a whole bunch. I’m close, but I need it harder.”

He did too. He slapped her butt. “Get up for a second and turn around.”

The pleasure fog in her eyes cleared and she frowned at him. “I don’t think—”

Brandt laid a smacking kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna plow into your ass right now. If we switch to reverse cowgirl, I’ll be able to move better.” He kissed her again. “Faster.” One more soft smooch. “Harder.”

“God yes.” She scrambled off his dick so fast he laughed.

Scooting to the very edge of the couch, he repositioned her on his lap, facing forward, her knees by his hips. “Reach for the edge of the coffee table.” He pressed his hand over her mound, keeping her pelvis tilted so he could toy with her clit.

She pushed back into him as he drove forward. “This position should be called frogger with my legs like this,” she panted. “And I don’t like how my ass is in the air.”

“I love your ass in the air. It’s ***y.”

“It’s weird.

But Jessie’s tense body supported her statement. He stroked his thumb side to side on her clit in the way that made her forget everything but how good he could make her feel. “Come on, Jess. Let go. Let it take you.”

“I can’t. This feels too much like…we’re trying to be circus performers.”

Her words had the intended effect. He stopped moving. She pushed up to look at him. The uncertainty in her eyes was his undoing. As much as he loved to test their boundaries, their flexibility, there came a point when it wasn’t necessary, like now.

Somehow he got her turned around. Somehow in the mix...

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“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I have a feeling Santa is coming a lot of times tonight.”

Chapter Twenty

“Merry Christmas,” Brandt whispered, nuzzling the back of Jessie’s head.

“Merry Christmas to you too.” She yawned. “What time is it?”

“Eight.”

She groaned and rolled away from his tempting body. “I told you not to wake me up until noon.”

“But somebody woke me up, so I wanted to spread the love.”

“Landon is up?”

“Yep.” Brandt scooted closer. “Which is a shame because I had great plans involving me tasting your sugar plum first thing this morning.” He whapped her on the rump and she yelped. “Get up. I already fed the animals. I made coffee. And a coffee cake.”

She whipped around so fast they almost bumped noses. “Excuse me? I must’ve had the covers over my ears. I thought I heard you say you made cake.”

Brandt smooched her chin. “I did.”

“You? Made…cake?”

“I have been cookin’ for myself for years, Jess, so I’m not totally helpless in the kitchen.”

“I didn’t say you were. I would’ve expected you to whip up scrambled eggs. Or oatmeal. But coffee cake?” Did he know how much she loved coffee cake? “What kind?”

“Caramel. It’s warm and gooey, because you know how much I love warm and gooey first thing in the mornin’.”

Jessie threw the covers back. “If you’re lyin’ to me Brandt McKay, so help me…”

“I’m not.” He tossed her a robe. “Come on. The boy is anxious to open his presents.”

“Which boy?” she asked his retreating back.

He turned around and grinned. “Both of ’em.”

Landon raced over and slammed into her knees. He had two speeds, full throttle and idle. She swooped him up. “Merry Christmas, lil’ buckaroo. Should we see if Uncle Brandt’s cake is edible?”

“Yef.”

“So agreeable.” She couldn’t resist nuzzling him. He smelled like baby shampoo, orange juice and little boy.

Breakfast was fast. Jessie inhaled two pieces of coffee cake and settled in the living room with her new mug that Santa had left for her by the coffee pot.

Brandt demonstrated how to rip into wrapping paper and it was over. Landon shrieked while shredding every last inch of Christmas paper from his gifts. Brandt had gone a little overboard buying presents, but he had almost as much fun watching Landon rip the paper as Landon did shredding it.

“See? That fire truck has a working siren.” Brandt pushed the button and a really obnoxious whoop whoop whoop erupted.

Jessie stared at Brandt until he said, “What?”

“You picked that out?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because it’s annoying, that’s why.”

“All boys love fire trucks. It’s a right of passage. Besides, if you think this one is noisy? You oughta see what Keely bought him.”

She shuddered.

Landon hit excitement overload, ignoring his gifts and sitting in the pile of wrapping paper, throwing it in the air, or at Lexie, or tearing it into smaller pieces.

Two unopened gifts remained under the tree. “Aren’t you going to open your present from me, Brandt?”

“Don’t you wanna go first?”

“Nope. I’m comfy drinking my coffee. You go ahead.”

Brandt snagged the box from beneath the tree. When Landon saw another paper ripping opportunity, he loped to Brandt’s side. Brandt said, “I suppose you can help me,” as Landon tore away a chunk of paper.

Jessie’s stomach knotted. Maybe Brandt would think her gift was stupid. She hid behind her coffee cup as he lifted the lid on the box.

When Brandt froze, her heart fell to her toes. She prepared for a polite look of interest on his face when he finally glanced up. But all she saw was astonishment. “Jess. I can’t believe you—”

“I still use the wallet you made me. It was one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.” She dropped her gaze to her coffee cup but she couldn’t keep from babbling. “I don’t know if you still do leatherwork, which you should, because it’d be a damn crying shame to let that talent go to waste. I’m not sure if you have punches like those, but I thought they were cool and if you don’t like them I can take them back—”

Then Brandt’s hands were on her face, his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her with such gentleness and gratitude she could scarcely breathe. He pulled away to rest his forehead to hers. “No one has ever…you are…Jess. Thank you. It’s perfect.” He groaned. “And now I’m wishing I could take yours back because it’s nowhere near as—”

“Brandt. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Brandt pushed the box to her with his foot and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

Landon bulled his way over to help. Jessie lifted the box onto the coffee table and waited as Landon’s next strategic rip revealed…a machine that shampooed carpets. “Wow. Is this really what’s in the box?”

“Yeah. I remembered one night we were watching TV and an infomercial came on and you said you always wanted one. But it’s kind of lame, isn’t it?”

Jessie had zero expectations when it came to receiving gifts. She must’ve waited too long to respond because Brandt swooped down and picked it up off the table.

“Never mind, no biggie, I’ll return it.”

She stood and tried to snatch the box out of his hands. “Hey, that’s mine. You gave it to me, so you don’t get to take it back.”

“You don’t have to pretend you like it, Jess, just to spare my stupid feelings. It was a dumb gift idea.”

She jerked the box away from him and set it aside so she could get right in his face. “It’s not dumb.

It’s thoughtful and I’m sorry I wasn’t jumping up and down screaming with joy. But I’m not really a scream-and-jump-up-and-down type of woman.”

His cheeks were red with embarrassment. “You don’t have to explain.”

“Yes, I do. Because you know what buying that carpet cleaner proved? That you listen to me. That you pay attention to me. So in my mind, the gift is perfect. Thank you.” She brushed her lips across his.

One, two, three, four times. By kiss five he was fully on board, kissing her back.

“Up, up!” Landon said, trying to worm between their legs.

“So sorry we weren’t payin’ enough attention to you,” Brandt said. “How about if we look at some of the toys you’re ignoring?”

After Jessie listened to Landon beat on the drums for ten solid minutes, she vowed to get even with Keely. She ducked into the bedroom to get dressed for the McKay family feud. She reminded herself she was doing this for Brandt.

With Landon’s things loaded in the diaper bag, she smooched Brandt on the chin. “No offense, but I’ll take my own truck. That way if you and Landon wanna stay and hang out after the meal, you can.”

“That way you won’t get stuck there.”

“True.”

“Maybe Casper will be on his best behavior,” Brandt offered.

Jessie said, “Wanna make a bet?”

Good thing they didn’t bet on it.

Casper was a nightmare. Brandt figured his father had been drinking for several hours before they arrived.

It was the Christmas dinner from hell.

Casper ranted about everything under the sun from the stupi***y of the government, to inflated cattle prices, to his brothers’ idiotic decisions with running the ranch. He wasn’t blatant in calling his sons brown-nosing, suck ups, when it came to their uncles and cousins, but it was heavily implied.

Dalton and Tell stuffed their faces rather than engage him.

His mother was up and down throughout dinner, getting this and that. If he hadn’t known better, he’d suspect she was hitting the bottle in between refilling the gravy boat and the bread basket.

However, for some reason, Casper ignored Jessie completely. He didn’t look at her, didn’t talk to her.

It was as if she was beneath his notice. Brandt comforted himself with the knowledge Jessie was better off being invisible than in Casper’s line of fire.

But no, Casper was just sneakier and waited to approach Jessie until Brandt wasn’t around. He’d cornered her by the bathroom. Casper leaned back with a smug smile when Brandt appeared and grabbed Jessie’s hand. “Come on. Mom is dishing up pie.”

Jessie left immediately following dessert.

Brandt wished he could’ve left, too, but he stayed to watch Landon rip open more presents. He was glad when Landon had a total screaming fit, because it gave him a valid excuse to leave.

The long day had taken its toll, and Landon was down for the count early. Brandt bided his time, waiting to talk to Jessie until after they cleaned up the wrapping paper mess.

She tied the garbage bag and headed outside to dump it.

He followed her. She hadn’t...

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“Yeah, I do. But it still stings. It pisses me off that he can cut me so deeply so quickly.”

“He’s always had that uncanny ability to know just where to put that knife. I’m sorry.”

Jessie looked up at him. “Please don’t confront him about this. It’ll just make it worse.”

“I won’t. In fact, let’s just forget all about it.” He kissed her cold cheeks. “Because I believe you’n me have a date with the couch, a bowl of popcorn and a whole pile of westerns.”

The shadows cleared from her eyes. “Sounds good. I need to change into something more comfortable first.” She started toward the house.

“Comfortable? Like what?”

“Well, I was thinking my pajamas because I’m freezing my ass off, but I might be convinced to wear something else.”

“Like what?”

She sent him a come and get it smile over her shoulder. “Like…just my skin.”

Immediate erection.

He chased her inside, down the hallway and tackled her to the bed. “Great idea. Let’s have intermission first.”

“Just make sure you and Landon are bundled up really good. I’ll be right back.”

Jessie glanced at the clock. Granted it was only ten on New Year’s Eve, but it was two and a half hours past Landon’s bedtime. He was holding up pretty well, showing no signs of an impending meltdown, which was in itself a miracle given the rough week they’d had.

Since Sky Blue closed over the holidays, Jessie had been home with Landon every day, much to Landon’s disappointment. Because ranch work needed done regardless of the holiday season, Brandt’s schedule hadn’t changed and he hadn’t been around. Plus, Joan McKay had caught a terrible cold and didn’t want to expose Landon to it, so Jessie didn’t get a break until Brandt came home.

One thing the week had taught her? She wasn’t cut out to be a fulltime stay at home mom if she was blessed with children of her own. During her short pregnancy she’d imagined her days filled with holding and admiring her cherubic babe. Oddly enough, she’d never seen past that idyllic image to the sacrifices that parenting demanded.

Now that she’d worked in daycare, she appreciated not only the structure and activity it provided, but the chance for the kids to interact with other kids of different ages. Her charges had become enthralled when Ginger and Kane’s babies became part of the daycare. The fact Skylar helped out on the days the twins came really proved to Jessie how much she’d come to consider the people she worked with at Sky Blue her family. Yet, she admired the satisfaction Skylar, Ginger, and India received from having a career outside of parenthood. Not that Jessie faulted those women who chose to stay at home with their children, but it’d moved something inside her, interacting with the women she worked with after she’d started taking care of Landon. Most of them had been in less than ideal situations at some point. It amazed her how they’d been able to turn their lives around.

Which always led her to thinking about Landon’s mother. Had she reached that tipping point in her life yet? Or would she need a few more years to pull herself together? Brandt never mentioned his conversations with Samantha, but Jessie sensed when he’d had contact with her, because his mood was subdued. Or more likely, his mood reflected that he’d attempted to contact Samantha and she hadn’t been available or responded. Jessie overheard a conversation between Brandt and Tell, where Brandt expressed his frustration with Samantha’s lack of communication since landing in the halfway house.

Even Skylar had asked what would happen if Samantha wanted to waive Landon’s responsibilities after her release. Jessie didn’t answer, mostly because she wasn’t sure how to answer.

Fortunately, she had six weeks left to figure it out.

A rumbling noise sounded and Jessie realized she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t gotten ready for Brandt’s mystery outdoor excursion. New Year’s Eve hadn’t ever ranked in her top five favorite holidays; actually it was at the very bottom of the list. She was glad Brandt declined the party invite from his cousin Colby. Evidently Keely decided to host a massive slumber party for all of her nephews and nieces and her cousin’s kids, so her brothers, cousins and their wives could have an adult night. She wondered how Jack was faring after his wife volunteered him to help with twenty-some kids under the age of ten.

By the time Brandt came inside and stomped the snow from his boots, both Jessie and Landon were bundled up. He grinned. “Grab some extra blankets and let’s go.”

The side-by-side Yamaha ATV idled by the steps. Lexie jumped in the back. Landon clapped his mitten-clad hands, shouting, “Yef! Yef!” The kid loved riding in the four-wheeler, and having Lexie along was like Christmas for him all over again.

Jessie asked, “Where are we going?”

“To my favorite spot on the ranch. It’s a full moon tonight and it’s so cold the sky is completely clear of clouds. I thought it’d be fun to take a moonlight ride.”

Damn. He’d gone the extra mile to set aside time just for them after she’d spent all day taking care of Landon. His thoughtfulness—without expecting anything in return—was just one of the many reasons she loved him.

Yes, she’d finally come to terms with the fact she’d fallen for him. It felt right. She loved him. She’d said it out loud a few times, practicing how it sounded. Natural? Fake? Desperate? It’d been years since she’d used those particular words and never to any man except Luke. She’d loved Luke and it hadn’t been enough. So she couldn’t help fear history was about to repeat itself. She loved Brandt, but once again, she wasn’t sure if love was enough.

The wind blown snow crust was solid enough the ATV rolled over the top of the snowdrifts without problem. Brandt tried to follow the tire tracks made from feeding cattle, but the four-wheeler bogged down, so he forged a new path. He was mindful of speed and angle of the dips and rises since Landon sat on her lap. Even so, the somewhat bumpy ride had lulled Landon to sleep.

The night, though cold, was magical. Due to the brilliance of the moon, the sky wasn’t a solid black backdrop, but a dark gray swath punctuated with silvery stars. Moonbeams bounced off the snow, making the icy crystals dangling from sage plants look like rhinestones. The snow itself sparkled as if the wind had swirled glitter across the land. In all the years she’d lived in Wyoming she’d never seen the harsh beauty appear so enchanted. Dreamlike. With no other sounds or noises or lights, it was as if they were the only ones in the world.

The ATV scaled a steep rise and they were on top of a plateau. Brandt cut the engine. With the cloudless night, visibility in all directions was unobstructed and they could see for miles.

“Breathtaking, ain’t it?”

“Yes. I…I don’t even know what to say.”

“I’ve been comin’ here my whole life and I’m still not used to how this view just knocks me flat.”

Brandt put his arm behind her on the seat. “It’s humbling.”

“It is.” She’d always known the ranch meant a lot to Brandt. But in that moment, she knew that he was as much a part of this Wyoming land as the soil and the sage.

“Thanks for sharing this with me, Brandt.”

“No one else in the world that I’d rather be with or share it with, Jessie, you know that, right?”

She nodded.

“I brought something to help us celebrate the New Year in style.” He reached back in the storage compartment and pulled out a bottle of champagne.

Jessie laughed. “You’re crazy. That’ll be all kinds of shook up after our trek across the frozen tundra.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be nice and cold.” He took off his glove and twisted the wire cage holding the cork.

Then he slowly eased the cork out and not a single drop foamed out the top.

She said, “I’m impressed with your pop topping technique. In more ways than one.”

“But in true redneck style, I didn’t bring glasses. We’re drinkin’ it straight outta the bottle.”

“Works for me.”

Brandt held the bottle to her lips and she drank carefully, enjoying the cold tang of the champagne bubbles bursting on her tongue.

Then Brandt drank. They watched the moon move across the sky as they finished the bottle. When she shivered, Brandt pressed his warm lips to hers and murmured, “Happy New Year, Jess.”

“Happy New Year, Brandt.”

She snuggled close to him on the drive home, still taking it all in. The moonlit ride. The majesty of the place he called home. That simple kiss that held more emotion than any words he could’ve said. A feeling of peace, of rightness drifted over her.

But life was never that easy and she should’ve known her sense of peace wouldn’t last.

Chapter Twenty-One

When Brandt excused himself after answering his cell phone, Jessie knew something was up.

He’d been outside for almost a half hour and she began to worry something bad...

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Brandt returned from outside and Lexie shot out the door. Landon attempted to chase her, but Brandt caught him around his midsection with one hand. “Whoa, it’s cold and dark out there. And if Lexie’s runnin’ from you, she’s got good reason, so you need to stay put.”

“Goggie!”

“How about if we have that bath?”

“No!” Landon became as limp as a worm.

But Brandt was wise to his tricks. “Nice try, but you’re getting in the tub.”

“No! No! No!” echoed down the hallway until the bathroom door shut.

Jessie told herself if it’d been really bad news, Brandt would’ve told her instead of allowing Landon to distract him. She tidied up the toys, folded up the blankets, swept the floor. By the time she’d finished, a scrubbed Landon barreled toward her and didn’t stop until he’d hit her knees.

“That was a fast bath tonight.”

“Up!”

She perched him on her hip and he curled into her, nestling his head on front of her shoulder. “I swear when you’re such a sweet-smelling, sweet-acting boy I can almost forgive how you torture my poor dog.”

She smooched his crown.

“Are you gonna read to him?”

Jessie looked up and saw Brandt leaning in the doorjamb, wearing a pensive expression. “I’d planned to. Why?”

“No reason.” Brandt smiled. “He just loves it.”

A snuggly, attentive Landon was a treat after dealing with his rambunctious ways all day. She settled in the easy chair and grabbed the book on the top of the stack—a book about dinosaurs.

Brandt draped Landon’s blanket over him and retreated to the kitchen.

Landon’s eyes were drooping by the time she finished the story. She tucked him in his crib and he didn’t fuss about not having a bottle.

She debated whether to crawl in the shower or find out what Brandt’s phone call was about. No contest.

Brandt sat in the middle of the couch and patted his lap. “C’mere and give me some sugar.”

“In a second. I need a drink.” She poured a glass of water and brought it back to the living room with her. “So you gonna tell me about the phone call? Or just distract me with ***?”

His humor vanished.

“Who was it?”

“Samantha.”

Jessie remained standing. “What did she want?”

“To tell me she’d been released from the halfway house in Casper.”

“When?”

The muscle in Brandt’s jaw flexed.

“When?” she repeated.

“Five days ago.”

“And she’s just calling you now?”

“Evidently she had some stuff—”

“I don’t want to hear you make excuses for her, Brandt.”

“I’m not.” Brandt rubbed the line of his forehead where his hat usually rested. “It wasn’t her choice, it was a court thing. Anyway, she wants to meet with us. Specifically…you.”

Jessie had the sensation of falling. Air rushing in her ears, her body bracing for that bone jarring impact. Everything blurred.

“Jess?”

She jumped. “What does she want?”

“I don’t know.”

She didn’t believe him, but picking a fight to get him to come clean wouldn’t be wise. “Where and when will this meeting take place?”

“At the Pizza Barn in Moorcroft at noon.” He paused. “The day after tomorrow.”

“She can take five ****ing days to get her **** together and she gives us thirty-six hours?”

“We knew this day was coming. It came more than month earlier than we expected, but it’s not a surprise.”

“We’re just supposed to pack his stuff and hand him over?”

Brandt’s inquisitive eyes trapped hers. “Yes. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

No.

I don’t know.

I have no clue what I want anymore.

Jessie fought a feeling of panic. However her hand remained steady as she drained the glass of water.

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

Silence.

“Well, I’m gonna hit the hay. Night.”

“Night, Jess. I’ll come to bed in a bit.”

In her bedroom her fingers were numb as they worked the buttons on her western shirt. Somehow she stripped. Somehow she crawled in bed. Somehow she found the energy to berate herself for her emotional investment with the pesky kid when she’d sworn she wouldn’t let that happen.

Yet, for the first time in her life, somehow she found the strength not to cry.

Jessie, girl, you’re such a liar.

Brandt had tried to remain neutral, to see if she would be honest and admit her once hard stance toward long term care involving Landon had softened. But she’d thrust out that stubborn chin, denied it and run away.

But she couldn’t deny what he’d seen tonight. What he’d seen the last few months. Jessie’s patience, kindness, firmness and amusement regarding Landon. She loved him.

Jessie had been exactly right. Landon would break her heart and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Because it was his fault. He’d brought that heartache right to her.

Would she ever forgive him?

He slipped into bed and spooned in behind her. He appreciated she didn’t feign sleep. “You wanna talk?”

“Nope.”

“You wanna ****?”

“Nope.”

You want me to tell you I love you, I’ve loved you forever and I’m relieved I don’t have to choose between you and my nephew?

Her answer would be nope to that too.

Brandt hadn’t told Jessie that Samantha insisted all of Landon’s stuff be boxed up and ready to go.

Maybe Samantha was proving she had the power. Maybe she was ready to become a parent to her son. He knew Jessie well enough that if he told her about Samantha’s request, she’d obsess about what it meant.

He called his brothers and asked if they could take Landon tomorrow night, as they’d planned. It might be easier for everyone.

That was a total ****ing lie. This wouldn’t be easy on any of them.

When Brandt informed her Landon would spend the night with Dalton and Tell, rather than them, Jessie fought her urge to lash out at him.

We knew this day was coming.

They’d watched TV like any other night. In bed, Brandt reached for her, like he did every night. His way of dealing with her melancholy wasn’t to match it with sweetness, but to counter it with heat. Lots of heat.

Brandt hadn’t been content to stick with the tried and true. After whipping her into a frenzy by making her come three times, once with his fingers, once with his mouth and once with her vibrator, he pushed her on her back. While remaining on his knees, he hooked her right leg over his right shoulder. He turned her lower body sideways so he could imprison her left thigh between the back of his left thigh and his calf. Then he ****ed her. He controlled everything. The depth of his thrusts. The spread of her *****, and the contact point where her clit abraded his groin.

Oh, it was breathtaking, watching his ferocious man master her. Teach her. Pleasure her. Mesmerized by the fire in his eyes, Jessie had just held on, as her body became his playground. He watched her breasts bounce with every deep thrust. He watched her bring herself to orgasm. He watched his **** shuttling in and out of her *****. When Brandt started to come, he turned, sinking his teeth into the outside of her thigh right by his head, giving her the ***iest love bite she’d ever had. They’d both collapsed.

He’d tucked her against his naked body, like he did every night, and drifted off.

She slept for maybe an hour or two and then she’d lain in his arms, restless. She disentangled from his embrace and snuck out to the kitchen.

A cup of hot herbal tea didn’t induce sleepiness. She didn’t dare clean or she’d wake Brandt. So she sat on the couch and tried to process everything that’d gone on the last three months.

Jessie wasn’t sure why Samantha had insisted on talking to her face to face. Was Samantha gauging her fitness as Landon’s temporary guardian before she dropped the bomb she wasn’t ready to resume fulltime parenting responsibilities yet?

For the past day, Jessie wrestled with the situation regarding Landon, the facts, the fears, the promises given and the promises broken. Mostly she weighed the promises she’d made to herself to keep an almost clinical detachment for the boy, to set a time limit for how long she’d allow herself to care for him. It was laughable now, thinking she could ever protect her heart from such a sweet soul, from Luke’s son.

It was pitiful that she’d ever even tried.

Since she’d insisted Brandt didn’t discuss anything involving Landon’s mother, she couldn’t bring up the fact she’d changed her mind about everything. Not until tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jessie loitered outside the Pizza Barn in Moorcroft. She kept her phone to her ear, pretending to be in the middle of an important conversation.

Stop stalling.

She pocketed her cell and entered the restaurant. Normally she took a second to breathe in the tangy scents of oregano, tomato...

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Cowgirls Don't Cry Page 49



“So if you’re done inspecting me…”

She shrugged. “You had to expect that.”

“Yes, I did. Thanks for coming early. I worried Brandt wouldn’t pass along the message that I wanted to meet you.”

Jessie frowned. “Why wouldn’t Brandt—”

“Because he’s very protective of you.” Samantha leaned back into the booth seat and crossed her arms over her chest, almost defiantly.

The waitress took Jessie’s order and neither she nor Samantha said another word, nor did they look at each other until the waitress dropped off the soda and left.

“So why the summons, Samantha? I’ll admit I wasn’t sure this was the best idea.”

“First of all, I really wanted to thank you in person for all you’ve done for Landon. I…it’s so far above and beyond…”

Please don’t get weepy.

“Plus, I feel I owe you an explanation about a couple of things regarding Luke.”

Jessie held up her hand. “Not necessary. I don’t need the down-and-dirty details about what went on between you two. Landon is proof enough for me. In fact, I’d rather not know.”

“Part of my A.A. program and rehab assignment is owning up to my past behavior.”

“Apologizing for it?” Jessie asked sharply.

“Would you accept an apology from me?”

I don’t know.

Samantha blurted, “The truth is I wasn’t in love with Luke and he wasn’t in love with me. We weren’t star-crossed lovers consumed with overpowering lust or any of that romantic movie bull****.”

That caught her attention.

“For about a month after we met, we hooked up when he came into the bar where I waitressed. Since it was bar, he thought I was older than I was and I didn’t bother to tell him differently.” Samantha looked away. “And I honestly didn’t give a rat’s ass he was married. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it.”

Not a question. Jessie reached for her soda to try and wash away the sour taste in her mouth. So Luke hadn’t hidden his marital status. Was he hoping she’d get wind of this affair and leave him?

Would you have? If you’d known about this young woman, would you have left him?

No. Not then. Now? Yes. It hurt like a bitch to admit that to herself, but she was done lying to herself.

“Bottom line: I was convenient after closing time and so was he.” She blatantly studied Jessie. “You surprised?”

“To be honest, I don’t know what I am. Hurt and mad mostly. During that time I suspected Luke was seeing someone.” But I didn’t have the balls to confront him about it.

“We were only together a couple months. I was exclusive with him, even knowing he was going home to his wife after we…” She cleared her throat. “I never begged him to leave you, never wanted anything permanent with him. I broke it off with him a week before he died. No fuss, no muss. When I heard he died, I was sad, but not devastated. Probably not like you were.

“After I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t know what to do. Especially when some of Luke’s bar friends gossiped about how his family shut you out and cut you off completely. I figured they wouldn’t believe me about being pregnant, and I thought they’d do the same to me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

“Didn’t matter at the time because I wasn’t sure if I was gonna keep the baby. I’d contacted a couple of adoption places, but they didn’t want to talk to me until the baby was born and I had a better grasp on my plans. I couldn’t even work in the bar because I didn’t want anyone to know I was pregnant.”

“When did you decide to keep the baby?”

“The minute I pushed him out of my body. I never knew I could love like that. I’d never felt anything like it.” She paused to take another sip of her soda. “Anyway, my old boyfriend showed up when Landon was two months old and living with my judgmental aunt was making me crazy, so we moved in with him.

Mistake. Not only was his mother certifiable, within four months I’d gotten a DUI. When I got my second…Talk about a serious wake up call. I was just lucky Landon wasn’t in the car with me. As I sat in county lockup, I realized I was headed down the same stupid path my mom had taken, drinking too much, relying on random men, leaving my kid with strangers so I could…” Samantha paused, keeping her face pointed at the table, not meeting Jessie’s eyes.

It was difficult to watch her struggle because Jessie’s first impulse was to comfort and reassure her.

She squeezed her hands into fists beneath the table and kept her mouth firmly closed.

“I ain’t gonna play the ‘my childhood sucked’ card. It sucked getting dumped off whenever my mom got tired of me, but I know I’m not the only one who had a ****ty go of it growing up. I know I shouldn’t use it as an excuse to be a ****ty mother to my own kid. He deserves better.”

Was this where Samantha confessed she still wasn’t ready to take on that role? Jessie braced herself, but she couldn’t stop her heart from racing.

“So I left Drex and crawled back to my aunt to prove to her I was gonna change. But she refused to believe it, refused to agree to take care of Landon when I went to jail. I panicked. I mean, what was I gonna do? My only option was to tell Luke’s family about his son and hope they could take him in for a while.”

“So you wouldn’t’ve told them about Landon if you’d had another option?”

“I don’t know. The risk of the McKays taking him away was better than Social Services getting a hold of him and making me prove for the next sixteen years that I’m a fit mother. So when I met Brandt…I trusted him. Immediately. I knew Landon would have family, no matter what happened to me.” Samantha glanced up and locked her teary-eyed gaze to Jessie’s. “Now that I’ve told you the ugly truth, can you be honest with me about something?”

Somehow she worked up enough spit to speak. “I’ll try.”

“Did you come here today because you were hoping you’d get to have Landon a little longer?”

Jessie was too stunned to answer.

But Samantha wouldn’t let it go. “Or were you scared you and Brandt might be stuck with Landon permanently?”

Inwardly Jessie squirmed. But she supposed the questions weren’t any harder to answer than they were for Samantha to ask. “I had no freakin’ clue. I suspected you’d need time to get your life back together after being in jail and I wasn’t sure how long it’d take. But I know Brandt never would use the word ‘stuck’ when it comes to taking care of his nephew. He loves Landon. Uncon***ionally. He would’ve done what needed done.”

“What about you?”

Brandt’s words, Don’t make me choose, Jessie, please, don’t make me choose, stuck with her.

Haunted her.

“Landon is a sweet boy and I liked taking care of him and being a part of his life.”

“But?”

Being totally open with Samantha about her change of heart, when she hadn’t told Brandt about it yet felt like a breach of trust. Jessie looked at her. “But I’m glad you’re stepping up to your responsibilities.”

“I know it won’t be easy. I made some mistakes. And it might sound like I’ve been brainwashed or something, but being in jail was good for me. Being away from Landon was good for me too. Because now, I understand what’s important in my life, when before…” Her voice wavered. “I love him so much and I want him to know it every day. I want to be the mom who tucks him in every night and reads him bedtime stories. I want to teach him how to do stuff like ride a bike. I want to take him to the park. I want to sign him up for little league when he’s bigger. I want him to have friends. And family. I want to make sure he’s got more to eat for supper than a bag of Cheetos. I want be the kind of mother I never had. I can do it. I know I can do it. I want to do it. Learning to take care of myself and my son is all that matters to me now.”

That’s when Jessie knew. This woman, given another chance, would be a good mother. She’d be a good person. She’d paid for her mistakes and now she had a chance to make her life right, to move on and to put her past behind her. She deserved the chance to prove it to herself and to Landon. She needed Jessie’s support. Not her scorn. Not her skepticism.

Keep it light or you will lose it completely. “You’re in luck because in the last couple months Landon discovered he loves having stories read to him.”

Samantha wiped her eyes. “Really? I never had extra money to buy him books.”

“He’s got a box full of them now. And there’s always the library when he gets bored with them.”

Jessie smiled. “I had extras from the daycare, and Brandt…well, he and Tell and Dalton had such a great time buying Landon boy toys. I’m afraid you’ll have a whole bunch of stuff to pack.”

“Trust me. I don’t mind. I can’t...