Branded

“So, Jake,” Jared said. “How do you feel about Dad talking retirement now that you’re back home for good?”

“I think he and Mom deserve to take it a little easier,” Jake replied. “Mom’s already looking at house plans for a smaller place she wants to build down the road a piece. I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time. She said she hopes to get Dad to do more traveling. I told ’em to go for it.”

He took a drink from his beer before he said to Jared, “I’d be glad to share some of the workload with you, if you’d decide to stay in one place for longer than it takes to drill a well.”

“Tending animals 24/7 isn’t my idea of fun, bro. I’m happy doing what I do.”

“What about you, Jude?” Jake asked. “You want to try your hand at ranching?”

“I don’t mind helping out whenever you need me, Jake, you know that, but I sure don’t want to make a career of it. Who knows what I’ll end up doing. Right now I’m just enjoying life.”

Jake’s eyebrow raised. “According to Sheriff Boynton, you’ve been enjoying life a little too much these days. It wouldn’t hurt you to work a little harder at staying out of trouble. You could take on more responsibility around here, you know.”

“So Dad keeps saying,” he replied defensively. “I have to listen to his lectures. I sure don’t have to listen to yours.”

Someone touched Jake’s sleeve and he turned to find Ashley standing at his elbow, smiling at him. She wore her dark hair pulled back from her face, tumbling onto her shoulders in natural waves. Her green eyes sparkled up at him as she said, “May I talk to you, Jake?” she asked.

“Sure.” He was surprised when she turned and walked away from his brothers.

She waited until they were several yards from his brothers to speak. “Dance with me,” she said wistfully. “I’ve danced with practically everybody here…except you.”

He was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. “Not me, honey. There’s a bunch of guys over there mooning over you. Get one of them to dance. You don’t want to dance with an old guy like me.”

“Old! Twenty-four isn’t old.”

“It is where you’re concerned,” he replied without smiling.

She dropped her gaze and looked back at the party. “The party’s great, isn’t it?” she said, without looking at him. “Your mom and dad have been wonderful, getting this all set up.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. The folks enjoy throwing parties and Mom had fun planning this one.”

“Well, I guess I’ll go back and…” Her voice trailed off. She turned back to Jake and said, “If you won’t dance, at least give me a birthday kiss.”

Jake nodded. He’d kissed her on her nose when she was a kid, causing her to giggle. Now that she was so grown up, he would kiss her cheek, he decided. At least, that was his plan. Only it didn’t turn out that way.

She slid her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe, pressed closely against him. He placed his hands at her waist and when he bent to kiss her, she quickly turned her head and caught his mouth with hers.

He stiffened and attempted to pull away, but she clung to him so tenaciously he didn’t want to hurt her. Her soft, moist lips pressed firmly against his, her tongue playfully darting at the seam of his lips. Caught off guard, Jake attempted to say something and when he opened his mouth, her tongue danced lightly across his lips and touched his tongue.

The kiss was erotic and explicit and Jake felt a surge of lust shoot through him that shocked him with its intensity.

This was Ashley! he reminded himself, wondering who had taught her to kiss like that. He grabbed her wrists and shoved her away from him, breathing hard and irritated with himself for not stopping the kiss sooner.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

She blinked slowly, as though only now becoming aware of their surroundings. Her mouth was moist from his and her eyes, when she opened them, reflected that she had also been strongly stirred by their kiss.

He was furious with both of them. She had no business kissing any man—especially him—like that. It was indecent, it was—

“Damn it, Ashley. Don’t play your teenage games with me. Go find someone your own age to flirt with.”

He saw the glint of tears in her eyes as she turned away. How the hell was he supposed to handle this? She’d been practicing her wiles on him, that’s all. Maybe she felt safe with him, but if she did she was wrong. She was far from safe when she could turn him on so quickly.

He reached for her wrist and she stopped without turning around.

“I’m sorry, honey, it’s just that—”

She tugged her arm loose and continued on her way. He heard her say, “No need to explain further, Jake. You’ve made yourself quite clear.”

Jake turned and slowly walked back to where his brothers stood. It was obvious they had seen and heard what had happened, which didn’t help his mood any.

The four of them stood there silently while Jake wrestled with his libido.

“Why are you so shocked, Jake?” Jared finally asked. “You know how she feels about you—you’ve been her idol all her life. You should have seen that one coming.”

“That’s bull and you know it. She may have had a childish crush at one time, but—”

“But nothing!” Jude stopped him. “If she had a childish crush, that crush has grown up, Jake. You didn’t have to treat her like she was contagious or something.”

Jake rubbed his forehead. “All right, all right. You’ve made your point. I could have been more diplomatic, but she caught me so off-guard that I—” He saw her reach the dance floor and sighed with resignation. “I need to go apologize.”

Jake went after her, trying to come up with an explanation for his behavior that wouldn’t shock an innocent girl.

He looked for her on the crowded dance floor, but didn’t see her. He ran into his mom and asked if she’d seen Ashley.

“She’s hard to keep track of, especially tonight.” Gail glanced around before saying, “Maybe she went into the house.”

He made his way through clusters of guests until he reached the house. Once inside, he frowned at the number of people there, making his search tougher. Because of the hacienda’s size, it took him a while to discover that she wasn’t in the house.

She was nowhere to be found.

One

Nine years later

“I’m in and I raise you twenty-five,” Jake said to Tom McCain, the president of the largest bank in town. He glanced at the others—ranchers Kent and Lew, and Curtis, a local lawyer. They were in the back room of the Mustang Bar & Grill, located on the outskirts of New Eden, for their weekly poker game.

Jake sat with his back to the wall, his chair balanced on two legs and his Stetson low on his forehead. He could hear the rowdy noise of the barroom through the thin walls. Cigar smoke eddied and circled around them, and the gathering of beer bottles on the table attested to the fact they had been playing for some time.

By upping the stakes, he would let the others know he was serious about this hand. Since they played dealer’s choice, Curtis had chosen seven-card stud.

Jake had learned the small giveaway movements of each player because they had played together for years. Kent absently moved his wedding ring around his finger with his thumb when he had a good hand. Curtis whistled or hummed when he was bluffing. Jake knew that Curtis was unaware of his nervous habit.

Lew had trouble sitting still and had a habit of shifting restlessly in his chair when he couldn’t decide if his hand was good enough to win. Jake carefully watched Tom, the banker, looking for possible clues. Tom never fidgeted or changed expression, which made him a tough adversary and a damn good poker player. Probably made him a good banker, as well.

Jake considered any night he bested Tom to be a good night.

Tonight looked to be one of those nights. Tom had two jacks, a ten of spades and a three of diamonds showing. His raises this hand had been strong enough to make Jake wonder if he was holding more than two pair or if he was bluffing.