The Texan's Bride

“Oh, please.” She placed her hands on her hips.

“Jessie…”

The cab drove up, interrupting him. Cadde opened the door and handed the guy some bills. “Sorry. Thank you.”

Jessie was seething. How dare he! She was so angry she was about to burst out of her dress. “Give me my damn phone!”

“You’re not getting it.” He held it higher and it made her that much angrier. “Listen to me. I’m not drunk, but it’s hard for me to adjust to this situation so easily. For years Roscoe told me to never mess with his daughter. You were off-limits. I can’t make an about-face overnight.”

Some of her anger cooled. “Why would Daddy say that?” She couldn’t believe her father would do such a thing, but then again he protected her from life every way he could. He scared most of her men friends away only because he was afraid of her getting hurt. Cadde was different, though. Her father knew him.

“Think about it, Jessie. Roscoe shielded you from everything and everyone.”

“That doesn’t excuse your insensitive behavior tonight.” She wasn’t letting him off with that ludicrous explanation. “Give me the phone and we’ll call this evening a waste of time and put a big emphasis on my insanity in thinking that we could make this marriage work.”

“Jessie…”

She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. Jumping for her phone again, she stumbled in her high heels and fell toward him. His arms went around her and he balanced her against the car that was parked at the curb. Somewhere between the anger and something she couldn’t describe, everything changed.

Her breathing became shallow as his head bent toward her. She stood on tiptoes to meet his lips. It wasn’t gentle nor did she expect it to be. Her arms slid around his neck and she melted into a kiss fueled by anger but buffeted by emotions that doused every trace of outraged feelings. His lips softened and she went with the flow of discovering Cadde.

He tasted of wine—heady, delicious wine that made her dizzy. She knew he would kiss this way, completely, mindlessly and without any doubt of who was in control. The hair at his nape tickled her fingers, his broad chest felt like a wall she could always lean on for support. Her phone was still in his hand and it rubbed her back in a soothing erotic way. His other hand pressed her closer to his male frame, and she experienced his all-consuming power.

Just when she thought her feet would leave the ground and she’d float around in outer space from the sheer pleasure, he eased his lips to her cheek, to her forehead.

“Let’s go home,” he whispered in a throaty voice.

She breathed in the heady scent of him, the wine. The moonlight spilled its magic rays upon them and she wanted to explore these feelings, but she also knew she wasn’t ready. She needed time to get to know him. Would he understand?

“I’m hungry,” she murmured.

“Me, too.” He kissed her forehead and her resolve weakened.

She played with a button on his shirt. “I’m hungry for food.”

“Jessie,” he groaned.

“You ate. I didn’t.”

He took a step backward and the heat of summer stung her skin—skin that he’d refreshed with his male touch. She felt bereft, wanting his body against hers again. Why was she hesitating? She wanted more than a sexual relationship. She wanted love and trust along with the intimacy. She wanted a marriage that would last a lifetime.

To ease her erratic thoughts, she picked up her purse from the ground where she’d dropped it when she’d stumbled. Her hair fell forward and she flipped it back.

He handed her the cell and stared. The moonlight seemed to draw them closer and closer, not physically, but emotionally. He understood. Taking her hand, he led her into the restaurant. “These people are going to think we’re nuts.”

She laughed and it eased all the doubts in her mind. They needed moments like this to build a foundation for a real marriage.

The lady at the entrance looked surprised and the waiter raised a questioning eyebrow since they were seated at the same table. But being a professional, he asked politely, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Iced tea,” Cadde replied, hooking his hat on a chair.

“Me, too,” Jessie added. “And I’ll have the alfredo again with a house salad.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter walked away with a curious expression.

Laughter bubbled inside her.

“Don’t laugh,” Cadde said, as he noticed her struggle to contain her amusement. “He has a right to think we’re insane.”

She unfolded her napkin. “Don’t start again. This evening is about us getting to know each other.”

“I certainly know a lot more about you. You’re as stubborn as Roscoe.”

She bit her tongue to keep sharp words from escaping. Patience was not her forte, but tonight she would try. Just as well the waiter returned with a tray. He placed iced tea on a napkin and a salad in front of her and then served Cadde’s drink.

“Thank you,” she said, and the waiter walked away with a slight smile.

Soft music played in the background. She hadn’t noticed that earlier, but now it seemed to intensify the romantic mood. Picking up her fork, she was determined they’d have a normal conversation, even though she knew she was stepping on some forbidden ground.

“How old were you when your parents died?”

Cadde was staring at his Stetson, but her soft voice drew his undivided attention. Well, partially. He was reeling from the kiss. The off-limits signs were no longer in his head. Jessie had completely demolished them with her passion. He still tasted her lipstick—tasted her. He’d always thought of Jessie as unemotional because she was cool, businesslike. He was wrong—again. Now he was learning about Jessie the hard way—shock after shock. Her lips, her touch he would remember for a long time.

He moved uncomfortably. “I was sixteen.” Running his thumb across the rim of the glass, he felt its dampness, its coolness. This wasn’t an easy subject for him to talk about, but he couldn’t continue to stare at the glass or his hat. He had to share. That’s what Jessie wanted. It was time to open the door he kept firmly locked. He wrestled with his thoughts.

“We…were in Austin at the state basketball championship for our district and Kid and I played on the team. Kid was almost fifteen but tall for his age so the coach let him play cause we needed another player. High Cotton had never gone that far in the play-offs and we were determined to win, which we did by one point. We were riding a wave of excitement and someone sneaked beer onto the bus—well, everyone knew it was Kid. He never said how he got it and I didn’t want to know. The coach fell asleep in the front seat and the driver’s attention was on the road. We celebrated all the way home.”

He gripped the cold glass. “When we reached the school, the principal was waiting for Kid and me. We thought it was because of the beer. He took us to the gym and Aunt Etta, Uncle Rufus and Chance were there. Chance had a bruise on his face and arm and his clothes were dirty. The moment I saw him I knew something was terribly wrong.” He took a swallow of tea to cool the heated emotions inside him.

“Our aunt put her arms around us, and said, ‘Boys, your parents died tonight.’ The world we knew suddenly ended. The high of the win was replaced with a gut-wrenching low. We stood there holding on to each other until Dane Belle walked in.”

“I’m so sorry.” As she placed her hand on his forearm, his eyes were drawn to her long slim fingers. He wasn’t sure what to say and all he could feel was her soothing comfort. He never talked about this to anyone but his brothers.

“Who’s Dane Belle?” she asked, and that broke the headlock on his emotions.

“The owner of the High Five ranch and the nicest man you’d ever want to meet. Aunt Etta, my dad’s sister, and Uncle Rufus worked for him. He moved us into my aunt and uncle’s house, which is on High Five. Dane was there to help us every step of the way. He literally stepped into our dad’s shoes.”

She removed her hand to continue eating and he felt a moment of disappointment. He was the strong one, never needing anyone’s comfort, but her soft supportive touch got to him.

“I can’t imagine anyone taking Daddy’s place.” She pushed the salad aside as the waiter brought her entrée.

“He didn’t replace him. He just filled this big empty void in me, Kid and Chance.” Leaning back, he fiddled with the napkin and the words seem to gush out of him like one of his oil wells when they hit pure Texas gold. “You’d have to know Dane to understand. He was a gambler, a drinker, but he had a big heart that he gave to everyone. He never met a stranger and he made the Hardin boys feel right at home. We spent all our holidays with them. Chance still does. Kid and I have a harder time getting home. We always seem to be hundreds of miles away.”

“Does Dane have children?”

“Oh, yeah.” He took another swallow of tea. “Three beautiful daughters by three different mothers. Dane was also a ladies’ man, a charmer, sort of like Kid.”

“No one is like Kid.” She lifted an eyebrow. “So you grew up with his daughters?”